It was an unusually hot day, as Jaime Lannister followed the long, winding paths of the Water Gardens. He had come to love this place, just like Doran Martell loves it. Ever since he had arrived in Dorne, he had spent the majority of his time here. More than fourteen years... he was surprised how easily he had come to call this place his home. Some would have called his stay in Dorne exile, but he never felt that way. This was anything but exile, living in Dorne was... freedom.
He had traveled to all corners of Dorne and even went as far as the Free Cities. Where Rhaenys went, he followed. Being her knight was never easy. Rhaenys had a thing for getting into trouble, something that often infuriated her uncle Doran. There had been no less than six attempts on her life, all foiled by Jaime and her other uncle, Oberyn, who later had his own daughters, the infamous Sand Snakes, watch the young princess like hawks.
Doran was sure that all assassination attempts had been paid with gold from Baratheon pockets, but he never found any damning proof. At one point the entire realm was on the brink of another war, had it not been for Jon Arryn and his tenacious attempts to find a peaceful solution. For many months he had negotiated with Doran Martell and Mace Tyrell, who had openly allied himself to the Martells to spite the usurper on the throne as he had once said. But everyone involved knew that a war would ruin the entire realm and no one would come out victorious.
But both sides were also beyond stubborn. The Martells and Tyrells wanted to protect the last Targaryen in the Seven Kingdoms, while Jon Arryn wanted both peace and stability for Robert Baratheon's rule. Tensions ran high and war would have erupted, had it not been for a third faction to enter the scene.
Using the chaos of the post rebellion power struggke, Balon Greyjoy crowned himself king of the Iron Isles and started ravaging the coasts of the realm once more. The crown had to react, but even the Targaryen loyalists would not get out unharmed. The Ironborn had ravaged the coast, even going as far south as the Reach, threatening Targaryen allies. No one would have benefited from further fighting among each other, so both sides agreed on a compromise... to annihilate the Greyjoy threat, once and for all.
It had been Jaime's first real war since the rebellion. Fighting alongside knights from all corners of the Seven Kingdoms had been an odd experience. He was sure that he had seen his father at least once during that war, but Tywin would not meet his son at that time. Too deep was his anger and disappointment over his son's defection and his actions against the new king, against his own sister, the queen.
And now Jaime was back where it all began, once more walking towards the terrace, where Doran would work most of the days. Jaime's mind drifted towards his son, who was away at the moment, following Oberyn Martell, whom he served as squire. Oberyn had left for the Free Cities more than half a year ago, to maintain his mercenary organization and gather intelligence on all known realms of their world. No news, no event, no war that would not reach the ears of the countless spies that call the Free Cities their home. And Oberyn was very adapt at listening to those who had stories to tell.
When he got closer to the terrace, he could hear someone laugh. A laugh he knew all too well. There, opposite of Doran sat a small man, stout, with golden hair and a glint in his eyes that betrayed his cunning.
"Tyrion, I was not aware that you would grace us with your presence today. I thought you had taken a liking to Highgarden and the Tyrell's hospitality." Jaime said amused, as he gave his younger brother a short hug as greeting, when Tyrion stood up to meet him. Even now, as a man of twenty four years, Tyrion barely reached above Jaime's navel, the reason of much ridicule the youngest son of Tywin had to face from most noble houses.
"The Tyrell's are a nice bunch of rose breeders, but the Lady Olenna is not very welcoming towards me. Always believes that I am there to spy on them, the shrewd woman." Tyrion said with a laugh, as he and Jaime both sat down in front of Doran, who still ignored them in favor of his work. "And I also come bearing news from our father."
"Oh, I didn't know that you are still corresponding with him."
"I am not, but we had an... unplanned meeting when our paths crossed while I traveled back to Highgarden after a visit to the north. Let's just say that he wasn't very happy to see me and leave it at that. But he did want me to tell his wayward son something." Though Tyrion did not show it outright, Jaime knew that Tywin must have said it in a way that made clear that the only wayward Lannister he considered a valuable son was Jaime.
Tyrion had ran away from Casterly Rock when has mere twelve years old. He ran away from the place where the only kind words and recognition he would receive came from his uncles, who only visited sparsely, if at all. Nothing had surprised Jaime more in his life, than to see his brother, healthy and whole, well as whole as one could consider a dwarf, standing at his doorstep one day. It had taken some convincing, but Doran quickly came to appreciate the sharp wit and understanding of the political situation in the Seven Kingdoms, that Tyrion seemed to possesed even at such a young age. Ever since that day Tyrion had become an asset to the Targaryen cause, though officially he was still considered an outsider, a wandering dwarf, studying the history of the realm, shaming his father's name by consorting with whores and other people off ill repute.
"Our lord father wants you to know how very disappointed he is about your actions and he hopes that you are sure that shaming the Lannister name was worth it. Well I believe that was what he said, only in his beloved, fancy, paraphrasing speech."
"So nothing all that surprising. It is no surprise that he cannot forgive me for not supporting his queen daughter." His words sounded somewhat hollow. Though he had done much that undermined the rule of his sister, Cersei, he still cared for her a lot more than he should in his situation. He had not seen her in all those years he had spent with Rhaenys. Years apart had somewhat cooled the love he once had for his sister. Gone was the unnatural affection he once had for her, replaced by the love of a brother for his sister.
"But this cannot be the only reason for your visit."
"Can't I visit my favorite sibling?" Tyrion asked with a fake disappointed look.
"You can, but you rarely do. You haven't been here since Joanna's eleventh name day. You have been missed, brother." Jaime replied, a questioning look on his face. The last sentence caused Tyrion to smile widely. Here, with his brother, he had a family that actually considered him a valued and loved part of it.
But before Tyrion could say anything, Doran answered. "I've have called him here. I have a job for his unique... talents."
"Oh really? I never knew that traveling from brothel to brothel is considered a talent," Jaime retorted. But a dark look from Doran quieted any further words though, so Jaime listened, not intent on angering the ruling prince of Dorne.
"I have many more talents, just so you know. And one of them is my grandiose intellect."
"A unique mind is needed now. Prince Viserys has been... troublesome and made some rather questionable decisions." Doran said tiredly. His gout had been troublesome again and he felt tired most of the day. Especially in the summer heat of Dorne.
"I thought that he has been more composed under that magister's watchful eyes. We pay that fat man enough to counsel and educate the prince." Jaime said in annoyance. He had long accepted Viserys would be king one day and not Rhaenys, since he had the better claim as the last living male Targaryen... and especially after the compromise they had to agree on, to end the constant threat to Rhaenys' life. But the boy was extremely impatient and thirsted for revenge even more than Doran and Oberyn. And Viserys saw Jaime merely as a tool, barely accepting his existence after he had killed his father. He accepted the he needed Jaime, but he would never truly like him.
"The idiot boy has decided to gain more support for his cause by marrying his sister to a Dothraki Khal." Tyrion said with obvious disappointment. "Imagine it, a Targaryen princess married to one of those horse lords."
"And how does his majesty expect to bring the his Dothraki allies across the sea? Dothraki have no boats and to my knowledge their horses can't run on water."
"That will be our duty. He has written that he will gain a whole khalasar, ten thousand man strong."
"We shouldn't rush things, our allies here need more time to properly prepare. And for all we know, the Baratheons might be ready for this war. Arryn is no fool, he would not allow the kingdom to be unprotected in such dire times. Even an idealist like him has to face the reality of the situation." Tyrion said.
"Yes, but Viserys is adamant about this. And I believe that Illyrio Mopatis's plans and ours are too different to coincide. This whole marriage alliance with the Dothraki has to be his work, I doubt that Viserys alone would have thought about selling his sister off." Doran added. "So I need a better adviser for the foolish prince. Someone who will guide him with our interests at heart. Illyrio only serves Illyrio and we can no longer trust him."
"So you send my brother." Jaime concluded, as he looked gravely at Doran. Though Tyrion had already been to the Free Cities once or twice, this mission would be extremely dangerous for him. Not the kind of danger Jaime wanted for his brother to be in. But he saw Doran's point, Viserys was in dire need of guidance and Tyrion might warm him up for the Lannisters to make it easier for Viserys to forgive him... well that might be a fool's hope, but stranger things have happened.
Jaime looked at his brother, expecting reluctance, disagreement. But he saw none. Tyrion obviously entertained the idea to go east. As far away from their father as possible, was most likely his first thought on accepting this assignment.
"Don't worry, what can possibly happen? Illyrio isn't dumb enough to have me killed. He knows that spies are everywhere in Pentos. The other magisters would welcome a chance to get rid of him without dirtying their own hands. And I am sure that those Dothraki have never met a dwarf like me before. It might be an educational experience for all of us." Tyrion said with a grin. "And imagine me running off with a Dothraki girl, no matter what our father claims, he would still be bloody pissed about that." He grinned mischievously at that idea.
"Are you sure about this, Tyrion?" Jaime asked, looking intently at Tyrion.
"Yes. It is time that someone makes sure that our future king isn't some insane idiot. Some people said that Viserys was more his father's son than Rhaegar could ever hope to be, well let's hope that they did not mean the insanity with that."
"It is decided then. Tyrion will leave tomorrow for Pentos. The marriage with the Dothraki horse-lord will not happen before the next full moon, apparently some nomad superstition or something like that, so there will be enough time for travel to be there in time."
"I will go with him. To Pentos at least." Jaime said with insistence.
"No." Doran replied immediately, his tone and expression leaving no room for opposition. "Viserys is still not all too happy to have you on his side and you are needed elsewhere. You will go west, to Highgarden."
"So Rhaenys will visit Highgarden again, to further our plans with the Tyrells?"
"Among other things. But the Tyrells are hosting a Tourney to celebrate the wedding of their daughter Margaery to Renly Baratheon. A five day event that will see many visitors from nearly all important families in the realm. Including the king and queen." Doran said, looking displeased and grouchy.
"I still think it was a foolish idea to marry her off to that idiot Renly. Ambitious he may be, but I doubt that a pretty girl can sway him to our side. Not if the rumors about him are indeed true." Tyrion said, as he grabbed a cup filled with finest dornish wine from the table and emptied it in one large gulp.
"It doesn't matter, what's done is done. They will be married in a month and a half and Rhaenys is expected to attend. She is after all one of Margaery's best friends and companions. It would not be wise to insult the Tyrell's by staying away." Doran paused for a moment, exhaling sharply after he felt a bout of pain from his legs. "Oberyn will accompany you as well, he should be back from Braavos in a day or two. Together with his daughters you will have ample manpower to keep Rhaenys safe. And make sure that the Tyrells feel honored by her visit, especially their oldest son. We need to bind them as closely as possible to our cause. They may like Rhaenys very much, but they don't know Viserys as well as we do. They may consider his impatience and fervor an incalculable risk to their house."
"Don't worry, Rhaenys had them all wrapped around her finger the first time she visited and she was merely an eight year old child then. They will be falling over themselves to do as she bids them once they see what a beautiful woman she has turned into. She has all her mother's beauty combined with the exotic allure of the Targaryen bloodline, they will have no chance to resist her." Jaime said confidently.
"That I am sure, dear brother, but it is not Mace or Willas you have to convince. It will be the Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna, who will make the crucial decisions. So you better prepare Rhaenys for another meeting with the old shrew." Tyrion said without great humor in his voice. He had seen first hand that not Lord Mace Tyrell ruled the Reach, but his mother, Olenna Redwyne.
"So what do you propose? How will we deal with that Queen then? There must be some way to gain her approval." Jaime said, as he looked towards the pools in deep thought.
"Fastest way would be to simply kill her. She is old and frail, no one would think much of it. It wouldn't be surprising for her to go to sleep one day and never awake again." Tyrion proposed, albeit jestingly. "But I know that you would not approve. No true knight would."
"But a lord would." Doran said, "A lord who has the best interest of his house in mind. Without Olenna the Tyrells would be easy to manipulate. Mace lacks the political savvy of his mother and would be easy to control. Make him believe that it is an honor to let him clean chamber pots and he will do it with a fervor seldom seen in a man as fat as him."
"Killing Olenna Redwyne would be the wrong way to approach this matter. We wouldn't be any better than the men we wish to punish for their crimes. Such an act would not show any political savvy, but only admit that we are too weak and too scared of an old woman to beat her at her own game." Jaime said, as he looked both disappointed and disgusted with the willingness of Doran and Tyrion to kill others who stand in their way. He knew that both were pragmatical and less idealistic than him, but they had to draw a line somewhere.
"Of course you would say that. What next, a Ser Arthur would have... lecture again?" Tyrion said with a grin. "You allow a dead man to have more influence on you than you ever allowed our father. Oh he would be so disappointed in you, our poor father."
"I have full trust in Rhaenys ability to succeed and you should trust her as well. She is very capable of playing that old lady's game."
"Of course she is able. She is a Martell by blood... and a Targaryen." Doran said, though he said the last part with less fervor. To him she would always be his sister's daughter first. He only supported the Targaryen cause because it was his best chance at avenging his sister and her son.
"So you will trust Rhaenys with this task?"
"Yes. But make sure that she won't fail this time. We need the Tyrells and can ill afford to loose them to that fat swine in King's Landing." Doran looked menacingly at Jaime, before he made a dismissive motion with his hand. He wanted to be alone now, as the pain in his limbs got stronger. He would need to rest soon.
Tyrion and Jaime both rose and quickly walked away, leaving Doran to his work. And to his suffering. They knew of his pride and that he did not want to show his weakness in front of others. For a man like him to be cursed with the gout was a terrible setback. Weakness, especially in front of an enemy, was nothing a lord would want to show. It was why he had secluded himself to the Water Gardens in recent years, away from the public's prying eyes, only surrounded by family, servants and the children they fostered there.
"So, want to come and see the children or are there any brothels nearby that are in dire need of your patronage?" Jaime asked his brother in mock seriousness, though the illusion shattered almost immediately when he chuckled.
"I believe the whores will survive a few more hours without me. And I haven't seen my nieces and nephews in more than a year. Oh the stories I have to share. The adventures of a man on the road, roaming the realm, driven by his thirst for adventure."
"You better not try to tell that story of your visit to Volantis again. Allyria went ballistic the last time you tried to tell Joanna and Arthur about that incident." Jaime warned his brother with a serious look on his face.
Tyrion merely laughed happily at this memory. He knew if there was one thing that he would regret while being in the East with the troublesome prince, it would be being away from the only true family he's ever had.
It was only a short walk from the terraces to the wing of the palace, where Jaime resided with his family, immediately next to Rhaenys' own quarters, always keeping her close to her knight and protector. When they arrived outside the door of the main chamber they could already hear the soft sound of a woman singing, a sound Jaime knew all to well. His wife often sang to their children, or while busying herself with other tasks. It was one of her favorite pastimes and one of the reasons why Jaime had actually grown to love her, despite the unwanted betrothal and hasty marriage that Doran had forced upon them.
"Allyria, I'm back," Jaime announced, as he walked through the door. "And look what I've found outside."
Allyria sat near a window, a book in her lap, as she saw her husband enter. She smiled as she rose to greet him, but stopped when she saw that he had not come alone. Curiosity was visible in her dark violet eyes, as she saw that the guest was no taller than an average boy of ten. At first she expected one of the children, before Jaime stepped aside and revealed his brother.
"Ah, Allyria, you've become even more beautiful since our last meeting. My brother doesn't even realize how lucky he should consider himself to have you," Tyrion said, as he approached the woman and pecked her cheek, which he barely reached.
"Believe me, Tyrion, he never forgets that." Allyria replied with a gentle smile.
"Yes, she makes sure that I never forget that little fact." Jaime sighed, before he gave his wife a brief kiss.
"It is good to see you again, Tyrion. How was your journey to the North?" Allyria asked, as she bid her husband and brother in law to sit.
"Cold, very cold. A wonderful land, with a rough beauty and even rougher people living in it."
"Why do I get the feeling that the two of you kept closer contact than you told me of?" Jaime asked curiously, as he looked at his brother first, than towards Allyria.
"Because you trust your wife enough to not read her letters. A foolish, though sweet gesture." Tyrion said sarcastically. "But rest assured, there were only two ravens and merely an exchange of information your lady wife has asked for." Tyrion tried to grab a cup and a flask filled with wine from a nearby table, but was stopped when Jaime took the flask and held it too high for him to reach.
"I believe you've already drunk enough outside. We don't want anymore mishaps, do we?" He looked critically at his brother.
"If you insist." Tyrion said, feeling slightly miffed for being treated like a child trying to steal sweets before mealtime. "But tell me, Allyria, where are my wonderful nieces and youngest nephew?"
"Joanna is with Rhaenys at the moment. And the twins should be by the pools with Edric." Allyria replied, looking out of the window
"Ah, it seems my squire has absconded with my children once again. He's still acting so immature sometimes." Jaime sighed. He had taken Edric, his wife's nephew and future lord of House Dayne as his squire only months earlier, but so far the boy had not been exactly what Jaime had expected his squire to be like.
"Edric is only twelve, don't be so harsh on him. Surely you have been the same at that age." Allyria said soothingly.
Tyrion laughed loudly when he heard that. "You couldn't be further from the truth. He was training like a madman as Lord Crakenhall's squire. He actually won his first Tourney Melee at age thirteen because of that. I'm surprised that he has not told you that story, he always liked to boast with his accomplishments."
Jaime looked slightly flustered by this, much to his wife's amusement. She soon joined Tyrion and laughed, though not in the mocking manner the halfman was so proficient at.
"But speaking of Tourneys, soon you will get another chance to watch your husband trying his luck at unhorsing the loyal knights from all of the Seven Kingdoms."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. The Tyrell's are hosting a big Tourney in honor of their daughter's marriage to Renly Baratheon, the Lord of the Stormlands."
"And Rhaenys is expected to attend, what also means that Jaime will be there. Not to mention that the king will come with all his allies and bannermen and whatnot. Fat Robert never skips a good Tourney and this one is going to be nearly as big as the one at Harrenhal." Tyrion added quickly to Jaime's less than complete answer.
"Let's just hope that this Tourney won't have the same dire consequences as the one at Harrenhal." Jaime muttered, as he remembered that accursed event, where Rhaegar shamed his own wife in favor of the wolf girl from the north.
"So when will we be leaving?" Allyria asked curiously.
"Who said that I would bring you along?" Jaime replied teasingly. "This would not be a pleasant experience for you. Both my father and my sister will attend this event and I would not want you anywhere near them. I don't know how they would react to you."
"Oh Cersei will hate her with a passion no doubt. She always hated the girls that tried to win you over, just imagine how furious she will be with the wife that now holds your heart. She is far too protective of those things she considers hers." Tyrion said without a hint of amusement. He meant every word he said and Jaime knew that Tyrion was most likely right. "But father will be different I suppose. Angry that it was not him to choose your bride, but you, my dear Allyria, are from a sufficiently noble family and you have given Jaime the one thing Tywin Lannister craves. The one thing he can never buy, not even with all the gold he has at Casterly Rock. A male heir from the main line of the family. You ensured that his beloved legacy will continue."
"The more reason for me to come." Allyria insisted. She could see that Jaime was about to object, but she could be just as stubborn. "I have to face your remaining family sooner or later. And I would prefer it to be on our terms and in the lands of our allies where we have an advantage." She placed a hand on Jaime's cheek and caressed it lightly. "Trust me, Jaime. I am not weak. I am a Dayne of Starfall and we are not weak, we do not bend, nor do we run away from our fears."
"And that is why you are my favorite sister, you manage to talk sense into my oftentimes foolish brother. Especially when he tries to be the gallant knight without realizing that he is making an ass out of himself." Tyrion said jovially, before he walked over to the door. "I think I shall give you two some alone time to talk this out. I think I will search for your wayward children at the pools." And before anyone could reply, Tyrion was gone.