Tom: Different players, different tactics, same goal.
darkstel: More like Quentyn was a bit too much of a romantic and ignored the red flags.
quartz: House Lannister has so many cousins it's going to be quite hard to get rid of all of them.
TRex: Because other manageable choices are clearly available considering Dorne is essentially at war with everyone else...
Guest: Sansa brings little benefits and as an SI, he is not a fan of the age difference, even if it is "normal" in Westeros.
ATP: Quentyn is referencing Aegon and Daenerys.
Guest2: Quentyn is above all scared of it setting a precedent, so he wants to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, and his harangue for CR is more of a way of riling up the people with him. Also yes, his endeavors do cost some money, and it would be nice to have the CR gold to cushion most of the price tag of what Quentyn's doing.
For the maester, it was Qyburn, and Quentyn wasn't a fan of keeping him alive due to what he did in canon with Gregor Clegane. Essentially, he's too dangerous to be left alive. As for the Vale, there will be an interlude soon, but the default "route" of news concerning the Vale, is Winterfell, not Riverrun, and with an army marching towards Riverrun so close to the Vale...
ym: KL arc was needed to get the ball rolling.
Nymeria
Nymeria took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh salty breeze coming from offshore, looking at Cape Tear disappearing behind the frigate, while the sun rose on the horizon.
The boat gently coasted on the waves, barely rocking, while starting to pick up speed and heading south, along the Dornish coast towards Planky Town.
If they were lucky, they could reach the port city before nightfall. If the winds were against them, they would arrive sometime during the night, or in the early morning.
With such a strong escort, pirates were not to be expected, they attacked lone ships, not convoys and especially not convoys as armed as these.
Soon, she would be home. Finally free to meet her warm bed again, to breathe the perfumed air of her rooms, to find the courtyard of Sunspear, the pools of the Water Gardens, and her Dornish pearl, little Aliandra, who she – they – had left for far too long.
A presence soon became felt next to her. She didn't even have to turn her head to notice who it was, managing to discern the smell of lavender.
"Hey, love," she said, loud enough so that her voice wasn't masked by the sound of the waves.
Quentyn didn't say anything, breathing in the fresh morning air as well, then turning around and smiling brightly, kissing her on the cheek.
"Hello, Nym," he spoke tenderly, "How was your night?"
"Not as exciting as yours, I assume," she giggled, smirking at him.
"Funny," he chuckled back, not even flushing for a second. She therefore tried to poke him a little more.
"I'm serious! My night was quite dull, but yours has been full of action, the Toland girl likely was heard as far as Yronwood." She grinned.
"Yes, she was very loud," Quentyn said with a frown, "Not subtle, even for a second."
"You're becoming better at identifying teasing." She looked at him with a proud air. "Did everything go as expected?"
"It did," he acknowledged.
"I told you so." She let out a large sigh. "That girl is poisonous."
"You told me as much," Quentyn replied, drawing another deep breath, "I thought I knew her to be more…conciliatory, if you will."
She shrugged in response. "I've grown up with most of these girls, Quent, I know how they are. Valena Toland is one of the most ambitious. I told you Myria was a much better option."
"Is that because she would not frown on sharing?" he asked with a smile.
Nymeria stopped dead in her tracks before laughing heartily.
"You bastard, you're teasing me!" she slapped him on the back of the head, earning a grunt and a chuckle from her lover.
"I've taken lessons from the best," he smiled back, clutching his neck with his left hand.
"Seriously, though, what happened?" she asked, straightening up.
"She did the usual stuff, you know." He shrugged. "She thought she was seducing me, luring me into her bed, or something along those lines."
"I knew that, what else?" she asked, unsurprised.
"Well, it seems she thought that the best way of making my head spin and magically making me fall in love with her was giving herself to me and trying to make me go crazy for her." Quentyn sighed. "I was a bit of an idiot thinking one night together would make her change her mind, but you know her now, she saw an opportunity and seized it, and you know me, I think I can make people change..."
"Of course," she scoffed back. "Did it work?"
"Wha-" Quentyn started before brutally interrupting himself, "You're teasing me again!"
Nymeria smiled widely and rubbed her hands on his cheeks.
"You were this close!" she laughed. "It was easy for you to understand, then?"
"I think I've lived long enough in Dorne to understand how these women work. Arianne did the same to the men she seduced, Tyene tried to do it to me, and Valena is neither the first nor the last to use her body as venom." Quentyn shook his head. "Of course, I didn't fall for it. It seems that every woman in Eastern Dorne has the same trick and does not know what to do in case it fails."
"That didn't happen, did it?" she smirked.
"You know the rest." Quentyn's cheeks reddened slightly. "She wouldn't let go, only stopping once she was completely exhausted and almost unable to move."
"Yes, she did try her hardest, did she?" Nymeria smirked.
"Indeed," Quentyn nodded. "A little too hard, perhaps. Did you know she called my…manhood, her little prince, and her big prince? I thought people had died from embarrassment for less, but I apparently stand corrected!"
Nymeria had to cover her mouth to avoid bursting into a fit of laughter.
"What does she wish?" Nymeria asked, probing further, trying not to lose control and start wriggling on the floor like a little girl.
"Take a guess."
"Sure." She thought for only a moment. "Me gone and you all to herself?"
"That's how I understood it, anyhow," Quentyn replied honestly. "She does not wish to share, and everything she did led me to believe she was trying to pull me to her and away from you. I even thought she wanted me more than Sunspear."
"Don't get too cocky, you're pretty but not that pretty," she teased in return. "Did you get her to talk?"
"Not much, unfortunately," he sighed. "But she told me enough to know the main point of her intentions, which were if not getting rid of you, relegating you to a bedwarmer at best, and having more power and decisions in Sunspear."
"The little bitch thinks she's going to come into our lives and just expect to take you away from me? Is she daft?" Nymeria scoffed, crossing her arms.
"She thought her looks would be enough," Quentyn said.
"I don't blame her!" she countered with a sly smile. "That bright red hair of hers, those breasts and those full lips…I'd have killed to bed her, what a waste…"
"Jealousy, now?" Quentyn grinned.
"I confess!" she smirked back. "What happens now?"
"Valena is really the best option we have. My choices are thinning out rapidly, and having Ghost Hill is a non-negligible asset for me," Quentyn pointed out. "I'd love to marry Myria, and no doubt you do too, but two Jordayne marriages in three generations of Martells would cause some amount of discontent amongst the bannermen. It would be an option satisfying to no one but ourselves."
Nymeria did like Myria but she had to concede that Quentyn was right.
He continued, "I'm not cruel enough to separate Jynessa Blackmont and that Manwoody boy, and it is out of the question for me to even think about the Uller girls. This leaves us with Valena here, or Sylva Santagar, who is currently in Highgarden, or even perhaps Allyria Dayne, Ned's aunt, but I'm not very keen on giving the Daynes a lot more than they already have."
"Spotted Sylva would do," Nymeria said after giving it a quick thought. "I hadn't seen you explore that option."
"Because it is one of last resort," he added, "I'm not keen on marrying her, but if there is no one left…"
"And the Toland girl?" she changed the subject back to the issue at hand.
"I'll give her a chance," Quentyn finally exhaled, making Nymeria frown. "She's coming to 'visit' her uncle Lucian in Sunspear, and I expect her to try and continue to seduce me. I'll refuse to come into her bed like I did in Ghost Hill, and I'll make it explicitly clear that you and I come as one. She cannot expect to break us apart."
"And if she doesn't accept this?"
"Remind it to her…" Quentyn suddenly stopped while seeing her grinning from ear to ear. "…without doing her harm."
"You're no fun," she scoffed with a sly smile. "Although I doubt she will accept this."
Quentyn raised his hands in acknowledgement. "If she doesn't, we will have to look elsewhere., I will continue to make it clear that a marriage with me, although it is not one with her, will not work if she ignores the ties that bind you and I."
Quentyn fiddled with the lone ring on his finger, while Nymeria instinctively went for the intricate ring she wore on hers.
"You sound optimistic," she confessed, "I doubt that one will accept such a thing lying down."
"She doesn't have much of a choice," Quentyn said firmly "I'm willing to offer concessions that are quite reasonable. I am not, however, willing to budge on us, Aliandra or anything that could come in our way."
Nymeria smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, the sun is getting higher and there is not much shade here. Let us find some refreshments and prepare our arrival."
They reached Sunspear in the early evening, while the sun was still an hour away from setting, thanks to favorable winds.
Despite the late hour, in Sunspear, just like in Ghost Hill, a crowd had gathered around the few ships huddled in the small harbor. Most of the convoy had been forced to leave for Planky Town to avoid congesting the small harbor, which was still in the process of being enlarged.
It was already getting dark when the small party reached Sunspear castle itself, which overlooked the rest of the city, where they were greeted by a small welcoming committee, at the head of which was Gulian Qorgyle.
The young heir to Sandstone had tired eyes and it was clear in his demeanour that he had worked tirelessly for the last few months.
"Quentyn," Ser Gulian smiled, embracing her cousin. "I hope your adventures in the capital weren't too tiring."
"Not as much as yours, I expect," Quentyn swiftly answered.
"Let us just say that I haven't slept much these past few weeks," the Qorgyle boy massaged his temples, sighing, "And Gerris being too occupied with his wife did not help things."
"Did you manage to do all that I asked be done?" Quentyn asked.
"Most of it is, but for some we are still waiting for materials," came the answer. "But overall, everything has been done as you conceived, and I'm glad you are here."
"Is it because you are finally glad to see your friend again after so much time?" Quentyn asked with a slight smile.
"Oh, yes!" Gulian Qorgyle laughed. "But most of all, it means that you will finally start working, and I can take a long stay somewhere, the Summer Islands, perhaps. It would do me good."
"I can understand that." Quentyn smiled back. "I myself wouldn't be against a good few weeks in the Summer Islands, in the calm waters of their cays…"
"Please stop, you're making me dream," Ser Gulian said with a wistful sigh. "I wish for something like this, but I feel like we are not done yet, are we?"
"You are right in thinking that your time as regent has ended, but I fear our task is not yet over."
"Well, gods be good, there's some solace to be had at least. Where are we going next?"
"Volantis, probably," was her cousin's answer, swift as ever, "How are the two princesses?"
"They're both in the Gardens, as you asked. Your brother is there too, and your daughter as well."
"Good, I think a visit will be in order soon."
Ser Gulian nodded.
"Since I need to pack for a trip across the Narrow Sea, may I take my leave, or do you need to be introduced to the novelties?"
"Unless you have prepared some surprises, I think I can show Nym around."
Ser Gulian shook his head, and left the two of them to roam the halls of Sunspear again.
She was confused, though. On the outside, nothing had changed in the old palace overlooking the Shadow City.
"What novelties was Ser Gulian talking about?" she asked, curious.
"I've asked that Sunspear castle be rebuilt on the inside, for more comfort for us all, shall I show you?"
Nymeria raised an eyebrow.
"You have caught my attention, cousin, lead the way."
Quentyn took her by the arm, and, for the first time in gods knew how long, they were finally wandering the halls of their home on their own. There was a small sense of melancholy as dusk settled in, and their footsteps were the only sound they heard other than the small chirps in the night.
They walked down a large corridor that she didn't recognize and, suddenly, Quentyn stopped in front of a large door atop of which the sun and spear of house Martell was etched in wood.
"Let me introduce you to our new rooms," Quentyn said as he winked.
He pushed the door forwards, and Nymeria was immediately awestruck. These weren't the small rooms she stayed in for most of her childhood, or even rooms like her father's or even the prince's. No, this was a king's room, if even that, due to its sheer size.
The floor was made of polished wood, which seemed to extend everywhere. The bed was extremely large and made of solid oak, covered with silk blankets and embroidered drapes of various colors: golden, red, orange and yellow, while the cushions were just as large, covered in white with embroidered beasts such as tigers, leopards and elephants.
Right next to the bed was a large window, overlooking the Shadow City, and, a little further, the bay where ships were coming and going, guided by the fires of the newly installed lighthouse at the entry of the harbor. During the day, if the sunlight shone properly, the view would have been magnificent, covering the turquoise blue waters of the sea and the vibrant colors of the city of Sunspear.
Around the room, many shelves and desks were placed around, with countless books and other items lying on them. What attracted her attention was the large mirror, placed opposite the bed and close to a large desk on which rested several bottles of ink and many scrolls of blank paper.
The edges of the mirror were golden, strewn with images depicting the legend of Nymeria and the ten thousand ships.
On the walls, several paintings, depicting landscapes such as the deserts of Dorne, but also other, more exotic places, such as the Old City of Volantis, an attention she knew was destined for her, as well as several castles of Westeros, such as Winterfell, Highgarden and Riverrun.
Quentyn then led Nymeria further away, towards a closet, which he quickly opened by pulling the handle, the doors sliding on small wheels towards the left.
She couldn't conceal her amazement at what she saw. Inside, neatly folded or presented, were dozens of items of clothing, from vests to doublets, shoes to gloves, and a wide variety of dresses, each more colorful than the other.
"Are these for your princess?" she taunted Quentyn with a smirk.
"Of course." He smiled slightly. "They're all for you, should you wish to have them. After all, you are my princess, no?"
Nymeria's lips curved into a wide smile, but before she could even say anything else, Quentyn drew her attention to the other side of the closet, revealing boxes containing all the jewellery imaginable: necklaces, rings, earrings, bands, circlets…
Nymeria took a few of them, examining each object with awe before carefully putting them back. It was no secret that she loved such crafts, usually dressing herself richly, with the exception being if she was going to pick a fight, of course, and even then, a small band would always be nice…
Turning around, she darted towards her cousin, but before she could reach him, he whispered, "There's one last thing I need to show you."
In a corner of the room was a small door, which led to a spacious room, albeit much smaller than the one they had just set foot into.
This room was inaccessible from any other door, although it had a small window which didn't show much of anything.
"This is our bathroom," Quentyn pointed out.
Nymeria raised an eyebrow. There was a large bath, of course, along with a large desk with a wide variety of soaps, perfumes and towels, but her attention was drawn to some interesting additions.
On one side, there was a small seat, which Quentyn showed her how to operate. In fact, it was a toilet which water flushed out the waste, dragging it into a whirlpool: no need for chamber pots anymore! As for the desk, she quickly realized by herself that it had taps with water in them, while being overlooked by a large mirror, allowing her to wash her face, comb her hair, clean her teeth, or for Quentyn to shave without needing help.
"Where do you get all the water?" she asked.
"Sunspear is rich in it, as a matter of fact," Quentyn replied, "there are underground rivers and oases flowing around, and we should have no shortage of it. I've also ordered for some water recuperation stations to be built, so that we may collect any rainwater when it falls, and the maesters are working on a process to filter out the salt from seawater., but I fear this won't be an easy feat."
She nodded, satisfied with the answer.
Then, Quentyn took her towards another interesting contraption. Lying behind another sliding glass door was a small space, with a floor made with colored stones, mostly pink and brown.
Quentyn pointed to a pommel stuck above them, and to two levers right underneath it.
"This is a shower," he said with a beaming smile, "It allows us to bathe without needing considerable amounts of water required for a bath."
"How does it work?" she asked, intrigued.
"You pull the levers and the water comes!" he laughed.
"Like this?" she moved in, pulling one of the levers downwards.
"No! Wait…" Quentyn tried to stop her, but it was too late, she pushed her arm past him and yanked the lever.
Suddenly, water came gushing out of the pommel, completely splashing Quentyn with water. Instead of rushing out, her cousin stood there, dumbfounded, with water quickly dripping over his head and onto his now soaked clothes.
Restraining herself from another laugh, she yanked the lever upwards, and the flow of water stopped once again, leaving her cousin dripping with drops of water.
"Well, I've got a few ideas for what we can do with this…" she smiled widely at her still soaked lover.
"My idea for now is to get a change of clothes and get some sleep." Quentyn sighed deeply, his shoes flopping with every step.
"I agree." She patted him on the shoulder, leaving him to change in the bathroom while she took a step towards the bed, enjoying the comfortable mattress and the delicate sheets, taking off her lavish dress for something more appropriate to sleep.
Travelling had been exhausting and now, all she wanted was for a good night's sleep.
Quentyn came out of the bathroom, having changed into a new pair of pants, but not wearing a shirt, and his hair still being quite soaked, since it seemed he had trouble in drying it. She grinned.
"You know, I think I like you better like this," she quipped.
Quentyn fell on the bed almost like a rock, lying beside her, giving her a small kiss on her lips.
"I hope you like it here," he finally whispered.
"It's wonderful," Nymeria replied, embracing him as she put her head on his shoulder. "I think I could stay here forever, with you."
"Me too." Quentyn wiggled in the bed, putting his arms around her waist and closing his eyes, slowly drifting to sleep. "Forever, I love you, Nym."
Nymeria smiled widely, and whispered into his ear, hoping he'd hear her although sleep may have already set in.
"I love you too, my little prince."
