Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun
Chapter Thirty-Six.
Doran sat in his wheeled chair behind the desk of his solar in the Water Gardens, a pitcher of clear water and a pitcher of a sour red which he was quite fond of perched atop his desk, along side them was a small bowl filled with olives and a plate pilled high with flatbreads which were coated with black pepper and glazed with golden butter, a personal favourite of his and he would have to remind himself to thank the cook for them.
He also had various fruit scattered about in bowls. Oranges and pomegranates and lemons and figs, for which the noble lords and ladies that he played host too could nibble on at their leisure. Doran never normally held court in the Water Gardens, that was not the point of it. It was a leisure palace, a place to come and rest and forget their duties for a time, a place where their children could simply be children.
But all of that had seemed to change lately, now the pools were empty and no one seemed to laugh anymore. Men armed with spears and glaives and curved swords and shields patrolled for all to see, more than there had ever been before. He had to send for soliders from Sunspear, the Water Gardens had never been a prison and yet circumstances had forced it to become such.
He had considered sending his brother, his daughters, and the men his brother had recruited to his fool cause to Sunspear. They would be just as comfortable there and even more secure than they were here. The problem was that the amount of people that needed to be transported to Sunspear was not inconsiderable and it was likely that Oberyn could slip away when no one was looking and Oberyn turned loose with nothing to keep him in check was as dangerous as he was unpredictable.
Even if he personally assigned guards to keep watch on his brother while the host was moving to Sunspear that wasn't a certainty that his brother wouldn't be able to escape, Oberyn was a charmer. Everyone in Dorne loved him and he was extremely easy to love, as their mother had used to say. Doran knew the truth of that well enough, for all the headaches and heartaches that Oberyn had caused him over the years, he was still his brother and he loved him greatly.
The problem was that it wouldn't take his brother much to convince a guard to let him slip away, Doran did not doubt his men's loyalty to him but he also didn't doubt how persuasive his brother could be either. The only man he was certain that Oberyn could not charm on to his side would be Aero but he would loath to send him away that far even for a short amount of time, there was no one in the world he trusted more than Aero. The only one he could trust to keep his secrets and keep him safe.
The bearded man was standing in the corner of his room, using a whetstone to sharpen the blades of his great axe. Always willing and eager to serve, Doran didn't think that Aero would be needed and he certainly did not intend for Aero to have to use his great axe but Aero was an intimidating looking man and that could come in handy in it's own way.
When he had taken the lords his brother had brought to him into his hospitality he know that he would have to deal with the consequences of that action though in his head he knew it was the right choice, even though his heart seemed to be in disagreement.
He thought of his sister, he had been about nine years of age when Elia had been born and he had tried his hardest not to get too attached to her. She had been born almost an entire moon too early and it seemed certain that she was going to die, just like Mors had, just like Olyvar had.
But Elia hadn't, she refused to die and just kept on going. Abd despite Doran trying his best to not get attached to his sister, certain that she was going to die for such a long time and the Maester had been in agreement about that, warning Doran's mother that she was still very frail and it had seemed that Mors and Olyvar were going to live as well before they had both turned.
But for every day that her heart kept beating Doran found it harder and harder to resist, and before too long he had found himself loving her. And just in time as well as soon enough he was being sent away to squire for Lord Gargalen at Salt Shore. He was glad that none of the Gargalens had been foolish enough to follow Oberyn in this, though it was just as likely that Oberyn hadn't even bothered to go to Salt Shore as old Lord Gargalen was still alive and looked likely to bury them all and he loved Doran like a son, he wouldn't rise up his spears against him.
He had left for Salt Shore the day that Elia had learned to say his name and a year latter a letter arrived on black wings but the words only brought him more joy, a new babe had been born to his mother and that new one was a brother. He wasn't going to see him for a while as he still had to continue his duties as a squire but close to nine years later he was finally allowed to return to the Water Gardens.
He remembered expecting that his brother would perhaps be a little bit more like him, he certainly was not expecting to find a boy that dashed through the pools of the Water Gardens like he was a water snake and be able to take down boys that were twice his size. He had been nothing like Doran had been, most of his time had been spent inside reading books, to better learn how to rule.
It had been Elia who had finally been able to bring them together, Oberyn had found him to boring when their Mother had finally introduced them to one another and had ran off back outside to play in the pools once again, Elia had been closer to Oberyn which made sense as she was only a year older than Oberyn and they had spent all their years growing with one another but she did know Doran as they had been writing to one another as long as he had been squiring at Salt Shore.
Through her they had formed a bond as brothers should have, though it still grieved him that he was never as close to either of his siblings as they were to one another, though there was little that could be done about that now. Elia had always been helpful, Oberyn had worshiped Elia and through her he had always been easy for Doran to keep in check, to control.
Now that Elia was gone it was only Doran that could deal with him and with each day that passed he was uncertain how Elia had been able to handle him, not to mention his daughters. They were proving to be just as big pains as their father was but he couldn't help but love, Elia was better with them. Elia was always good with children, it did not matter if they were Oberyn's or his, lowborn or highborn, baseborn or true. She always seemed to understand them.
He had always thought that she would make a wonderful mother, and now he would see the proof of that. When news had reached him that Elia was with child he didn't think he could be happier but his happiness had only lasted for a few scant moments when the next few lines in the letter spoke of the Mad King's declaration for her marriage to be dissolved and for her to be betrothed to Ser Jaime Lannister of Casterly Rock, heir of Lord Tywin Lannister, Lord of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and the shield of Lannisport.
It was a fine match to be certain, one that any prince could be proud off and it had been the one their mother had truly wanted for her daughter all those years ago and it had only been the pride of the Old Lion that had stopped it from coming to pass. And Doran perhaps would be happy with it, if only it was possible for them to marry which it was not. It was a betrothal commanded by the king who could not be denied and had no future when the wife was already married to a different man and with that man's child.
He still remembered the rage that threatened to consume him when he read the words that said that the king had callously ordered his sister to drink moon tea if her being with child was an impediment to being betrothed to Ser Jaime. The Mad King was smarter than he seemed, he knew that Elia would not do that. No high born lady, no princess would ever wash away a trueborn child of their husband, there would be no need too.
And if he knew his sister as well as he thought he did then he knew that Elia would have loved the child growing inside of her the moment her blood had stopped and her body had started to swell. His heart hurt to think of her trapped at Casterly Rock but there was little that he could do about it, not yet.
Oberyn would have him raise up all of Dorne and send all the spears that was past the red mountains to bleed and die and suffer for Elia and he knew that Elia would not want that, she would never want anyone to suffer in her name. Oberyn was still young and there were things he still did not understand about Dorne, for all he claimed to know. He would have to see that his brother was educated in those matters as soon as possible.
But that would have to wait, for now he had to focus on making sure that all the spears of Dorne weren't pointed at him. He was not a popular ruler, he knew that well enough. His mother had been one, she had always made it seem so very easy. She made the high and the low love her, charming a dozen lords and ladies with something simple as a few words one day and then riding through the streets of Sunspear, giving her patronage to dressmakers and buy bowls of stew that was nothing compared to what there cooks could make the next.
Doran did not have her gifts, the nobles always seemed to be waiting for him to make a mistake. He had never paid much attention to the lowborn when he was simply a prince, when he was young and strong enough to do so. Now, all the smallfolk knew of him that he was the son of the woman they had all loved and respected and that was it.
The saddest thing was, they didn't see that he did care about them. It was the first lesson that his mother had ever taught him, that when the high lords played their games, and when the banners were called and the men sent off to fight and to die, it was always the lowborn who suffered the most when it came to war.
It was always the villages and towns that were burned and sacked and raped the most, it was always the lowborn who were more likely to go hungry, it was always the lowborn children that were more as liked to be made orphans and the lowborn who were mora as like to lose everything and not even get a bit of it back.
He loved his sister, he loved his brother, he loved his children, he loved his nieces and he knew that he would love the babe that was growing in his sister. But as much as it often pained him to do so, he could not put any of them above Dorne. his mother had trained him to be Dorne's father, Dorne's brother, Dorne's husband. As it's prince, nothing could come before it or it's people in his eyes. Nothing.
He had not even spoken to any of the lords or ladies that would be assembling to speak with him and he already felt exhausted, and he knew that it would only get worse. There was a sharp rap at the door of his solar and Aero stood to his full height, which was not inconsiderable, and strode over to the door and pulled it open.
A servant girl, perhaps around her fifteenth year with black curly hair and dark olive skin, stood outside of the solar looking up at Aero with her amber eyes wide before she shook her head and focused her attention on to Doran. "Forgive me for interrupting, my Prince. But you told me to come and tell you when the first of the lords arrived?"
"Yes, thank you my dear. Please show the first one in." The girl nodded and ducked away, the door closing behind her as she left and as Aero Hotah returned to the corner of the room. Before long the girl had returned with a tall woman with curly black hair that ended at her shoulders following after her.
"My prince." The woman fell gracefully into a deep curtsey, her eyes kept down on to the ground. Doran bid for her to rise and she did so, her amber eyes shinning with something that Doran couldn't recognise. "I can not begin to say how sorry I am, my prince. My brothers have always been hot headed fools so I can easily imagining them doing something like this. But to drag my poor sons into this. I wonder if it would be better if I only had sisters and daughters."
"Lady Vas, I can assure you that there have been several moments when I have wished that I had two sisters instead of just one." Doran said with a grin and a laugh which Lady Vas shared with him, he held out his and the lady took it gently before she pressed a kiss to his ring. "Still, it is troubling is it not? That your brothers and son would do this, could do this without your knowledge?"
"I was not in Dorne at the time, my prince. I was visiting family in Myr." That was believable enough, House Vas was a small house in terms of numbers. If it came to war it could barely raise five hundred spears but it had many friends in the Free Cities, mainly in Myr and Norvos. What they lacked in numbers they made up in trade, trading ships filled with bolts of silk and oranges would often sail into Planky Town.
Dorne had never been a navel power, they had some ships which they used for trade with the other kingdoms and with the Free Cities and other ships that they used to fend off pirates if they were stupid enough to come to close to the shore. But House Vas was the closest house to Planky Town, aside from House Dalt and it was one of the most invested in it.
House Vas had a mix of blood, it was often said that a Vas a had a drop of every sort of blood running through their veins, Andel, First Men and Rhoynar. Myrish and Volantis, a small house but an old and respected one. It would not do to have them as an enemy, if only for the fact that the family in Myr would most likely not be happy.
"I am very sorry that you have had to come back to such disturbing news, my lady. My brother often seems to cause trouble when he is not closely watched, I'll have to rectify that. Know though, it was my honour to have your brothers as my honoured guests." Doran said with a smile.
"They have been treated well, I trust." Lady Vas asked with a smile of her own, one as sharp as a dagger blade. The thing he understood most about Aurelia Vas was for all she was as gentle and wise woman when it came to her sons, her brothers, she was as protective and as fierce as a mountain lion and if she believed that they had been harmed...
Doran doubted that even Aero would be quick enough to save him, or strong enough to fight her off.
"Like kings."
"I am very glad to hear it, might I take them home with me now? And put an end to this?"
"I would like that very much, I hope you will keep them under control of course. We wouldn't want this to happen again."
"No, we would not."
Everything conversation after that one followed much the same lines, there were some differences when it came to Lords such as Folwer and Yronwood, as the guardians of the Prince's Pass and the Boneway it was important that he kept them happy and thus the men Oberyn had brought with him from those Houses had been treated like kings among kings.
As the sun began to set and all of the arrangements had been made and all the men that Oberyn had brought with him were on their way home, perhaps with a bit of luck a little bit more wiser than when they had came, Doran came to realise that he would quite gladly welcome the loss of his legs if it would leave him with cheeks of iron. Who knew that sitting down for so long could be such a painful experience.
Doran got to his feet, Aero, who had been standing in the corner for all of those meetings, as silent as a shadow as just as likely the reason that most of the meetings had gone as well as they had, hurried over to help him but Doran waved him away. The blood that rushed into his legs made him bit at his bottom lip, it felt like knives were ripping into them but after a moment the pain had faded and he let out a sigh of relief.
He grabbed a walking stick that Oberyn had carved for him when his body had began to weaken and he left the solar, walking through the corridors and glancing into various rooms that had belonged to their guests when they had been there, various goblets of wine and platters of food were scattered around and that was only the case in the rooms of the more well behaved guests.
Before he too long he finally arrived at the room that he had confined Oberyn in, two guards were standing outside the door with two spears clenched in their hands. Doran took in a deep breath and pushed open the door, stepping inside with Aero at his heels. Oberyn glanced at him for a moment, his dark eyes narrowing before he stormed off to the other side of the room and glanced out through his window across the yellow sands.
His hair had grown, it now fell to the bottom of his back and a beard had began to grow out as well. A platter of blood oranges and lemons lay on the floor, half eaten and next to it laid an empty goblet which had most likely been filled with wine not too long ago, if the pitchers on the table were anything to go by.
"Your friends have returned to their homes, I supposed it would be too much to hope that you have learned a lesson from all of this." Doran said as he scooped up one of the pitchers with his free hand and took a sniff of it, the vinegary scent nearly made him retch and he placed it back down on the table.
"The lesson I have learned is that you care more about Dorne than you do about our sister, that is all I have learned." Oberyn spat, not even bothering to turn and look at him. "I have learned that you would imprison your own flesh and blood rather than fight to defend them, I have learned how truly craven you truly are. That is what I have learned, was I meant to learn anything different dear brother?"
Doran prided himself on not letting his anger get the better of him but he had to admit that his brother's words had struck a wound but he would not let it show. It was what Oberyn wanted after all, for him to give into his emotions and threw them into a war that they could not win. "The lesson that I hoped that you would have learned is one of patience, of waiting for the right moment. You've damaged our relationships with the other houses greatly and it falls on me to fix it."
"I wasn't the one who had them imprisoned!" Oberyn span around and roared, behind him Doran could practically hear Aero tighten his grip around the shaft of his axe. "That was you, Doran! All I wanted to do was get our sister back! All I wanted was for her and her child to be safe, and then you stopped me! Had me arrested!"
"And you resisted when you could have thrown down your spear, you killed two of my men Oberyn. Men who had served our House loyally and faithfully and in fighting against them you cost them their lives. Another man lost his eye because your daughter stabbed it out with a dagger, the Maester believed that he would live at the time but then his wound festered and rotted, and he died in agony even milk of the poppy couldn't ease his passing. Do you remember them?"
Oberyn at least had the grace to look ashamed at that, he glanced down at his feet for a moment before he looked back up. "I wasn't sure what orders you had given them, for a moment I thought that...I thought that you had ordered them to kill me."
"Obei..." Doran sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes, telling himself that it was only the heat that was making his eyes sting even though they never stung on days that were far hotter than this. "Do you honestly think that I would give that order? Do you honestly think that I could?"
"Doran, I honestly don't know. You've put Dorne and the lords and ladies of it above me and Elia so many times, how could I be certain? Regardless when your men went near Tyene and Nymeria, Tyene screamed and I was just...all I could see was red." Oberyn let out a heavy sigh of his own and rubbed at his own eyes and in that moment Doran recognised that Oberyn was his brother, but more than that he was also his little brother.
"There my daughters Doran, I love them."
"I have never doubted that, not for a moment." He didn't always agree with how his brother raised them, nor did he particularly approve of how he had conceived them. He might be a Dornishman but he was also a prince of Dorne, he was held to a higher standard. But he never doubted that he loved them just as much as Doran loved Arianne and Quentyn.
Looking back it was not the best decision he could have made in that regard, if anything had happened to Obara, Nymeria or Tyene then there was not a chance that Oberyn would ever forgive him. He knew that he gave Aero that no blood was to be spilled and no one from his brother's party had died but still...
When a man's blood was up, anything could happen. If a spear had been thrown and the guard had misjudged his throw and one of his nieces had been killed because of an order than Doran gave, he was certain that he would not live to regret it. Oberyn loved him, Doran knew that but he loved his daughters and Elia more.
"You would not let me see them, I need to rely on guards telling me they are alright." Doran was shocked to see that Oberyn's eyes were wet and that only seemed to make the desperation in them shine brighter. He had never seen Oberyn look like that, had never seen his brother look vulnerable, never.
Of course, if there was anything that could ever make a man vulnerable then it was his children, especially when it came to daughters. Doran knew the truth of that well enough, Oberyn would be no different even when his daughters were as fierce as his little Sand Snakes, as he had taken to calling them. "My guards are honest men, good men. And you still doubt that I would hurt them? My nieces?"
"If that is the truth of it then let me see them!" Oberyn yelled as he stood forward, behind him Doran could hear Aero mirroring the movement. Oberyn did not look well, Doran could have seen that as soon as he walked in. He was thinner than he had been and Oberyn had always been quite lean. Now through, while he had not quite reached the stage where his skin seemed to be hanging off of the bone that he had seen in those who never had enough to eat, he was still a great deal thinner.
Doran had made sure that food was always provided of course, meals that would sate even the fat flower of Highgarden for an afternoon.
But how much of it had he actually eaten? How many times had servants come back down with platters of food that had gone as cold as stone, or had rotted away to pulp. How many times had his brother thrown platters of food out of the window so it would not tempt him to eat, if Oberyn did have a weakness other than being quick to anger then it was that he was easily tempted.
And even the strongest of men grew weak when they were starved and food was right under their noses.
It seemed to him that Oberyn had only eaten and drunk enough to stave death off and keep him healthy enough in case he needed to try and escape, if it seemed to him that Doran was not going to let him out. Still, as always his brother had overdone it and now he looked like he would be incapable of beating Tyene in a fight, let alone the two guards he kept outside his room.
"Bathe yourself, cut your hair and shave your beard. And most importantly, having something to eat. Then I will let you see them, your friends have returned to their homes but they are all of them under house arrest. For how long will depend on their lord or lady. You are free to leave your rooms, as are your daughters but this does not happen again? Do you understand?" The caring brother was gone then, all that remained was the Prince of Dorne.
"I understand."
"See that you do not forget." And with that Doran turned and left the room, Aero following after him. Doran let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, right now he would care for nothing more than to be carried off to bed and sleep for a year but he could not, there was still so much left to do.
A servant girl came up to him and asked if there was anything that he needed, he ordered her to bring some more servants and prepare a bath for his brother. He thought about it for a moment and then commanded the girl to make sure that it was only male servants that attended his brother when he bathed.
Men were just as likely to get fucked as women were by his brother but there was far less chance of any bastards being born from that tumble, if he couldn't stop his brother from making children then he could at least do what he could to limit the amount of bastards that were running around Dorne.
He loved his nieces, and he imagined that he would also love any children that his brother saw fit to bring back to live with him, but the gods knew that he could do with as few of the little headaches as possible.
He also ordered that some food be brought up, something large and something quick. Oberyn needed to eat, and something filling. He would leave the details of what to make to the head cook, a fat woman who had been a kitchen wench under his grandfather when he had been the prince of Dorne, had become a cook during his grandfather's last days and became the head cook when his mother had become the princess of Dorne.
The old woman had always been kind to him, through she had always favoured Oberyn and Elia over him, just like everyone else seemed too. She always had some lemon cakes left over for him, he had always been fond of the sweet little cakes. The tartness of them caused his mouth to tingle and the feeling had always caused him to laugh.
She would knew what to make to fill Oberyn, and to cheer him.
He walked through the halls of the Water Gardens, Aero his constant shadow, he reached his destination and pushed open the door. As soon as he did a small dark sharp rushed at him, before it was even half way to him Aero was there, moving with a quickness that his size did not suggest that he had and his meaty hand came down and grasped tightly around Obara's arm.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go or I swear I'll kill you! I will shove that axe of yours up your-
"Obara Sand, enough!" Aero Hotah roared, the sheer volume of his voice was enough to make Obara stop struggling as she looked up at Aero, her face had turn pale. "You are in the presence of your uncle, your prince and you forget yourself. Now calm down! And offer your aplogies and pray to whatever god you like that he accepts."
Obara's face had turned red from the telling off through it was clearly due to anger instead of embarrassment, no child liked to be told off after all and no Dornish child did, certainly not a Sand Snake. She tried to pull away from his grip again but it was clear that she was not going to get loose from Aero's hold.
She looked down at her feet for a moment and let out a sound that was a mix between a growl and scream before she ripped her head back up, her viper eyes meeting Doran's. "I am sorry uncle, please forgive me. I was angry, I didn't mean to do that."
Doran could not stop himself from frowning, the girl had to practically spit the apology out of her mouth. She had all the anger of her father in her and her own to pile on top of, Nymeria and Tyene at least seemed to take after their mothers in temperament, through he was certain that when they were worth it was just as dangerous.
"I am not pleased Obara, I am not pleased at all. The servants have told me about how poorly you have been behaving, throwing your food at the walls. Screaming and hammering at the doors, and Lorna told me that you bit her! You may not be a princess Obara, but you still have Martell blood and this is not acceptable." Doran said, not even bothering to speak to her as her uncle, only as the prince of Dorne.
Oberyn was terrible when his anger was raised but when he was calm then he was perfectly reasonable, Doran could speak to him as his brother most of the time and could deal with any problems that way. He very rarely needed to be the Prince, not even with Oberyn.
But Obara always seemed to be angry, Doran had certainly never seen her happy, or at least not truly. The only time she seemed anything close to content when she was sparing. When she had a spear in one hand and a whip in the other, beating men twice her size into the dirt.
"They wouldn't let me out." Obara muttered, looking down at her feet again. Aero let go of her arm but he did not step away from her, the girl crossed her arms. Perhaps wishing her had a shield to bare instead. "They wouldn't let me see Father either, or Nymeria or Tyene."
"They are all well, and you may see them in a little while but I need you to understand that what you did was wrong." Doran let out a sigh and knelt down, ignoring the sharp pain that ripped through his legs and the sharp look that Aero levelled on to him, he needed to look Obara in the eye. "You've killed a man Obara, do you understand that?"
"I've killed no one." Obara said, and she looked confused. Doran supposed that made a little sense, the man hadn't been dead at the time after all.
"You stabbed a man in the eye, Obara. What did you think was going to happen to him?" Doran asked her, speaking to her as if she was child that was half her age. "It's not an injury that most men walk away from, he died in agony. That man served me loyally, served this family loyally. What do you say to this?"
"That man should not have tried to stop me. You shouldn't have ordered those men to try and stop us, we were going to save Aunt Elia even if you weren't. We haven't forgotten about her, Dorne hasn't forgotten about her." Obara said and it was clear to Doran that she meant every word of it. "We will fight for her, even if you won't. We give our family the justice that you refuse to seek."
"And what of the man you killed Obara? Does he not deserve justice? What of the two men that your father killed? They were killed by the both of you, the man you killed had a wife in the Shadow City, she's with child. When that child is born, does it not deserve to come after you? To seek it's vengeance."
"When it's grown, I'll be bigger. And it's welcome to come and try." Doran sighed at the declaration, he supposed that he shouldn't have expected any better than that. "Perhaps the child won't need too, I did kill a man in your service. Perhaps you will send it my head as a gift for it's first name day."
"No, I will not do that. Because despite everything, you are still my niece and I still love you. I've kept you away from your father and your sisters for a very long time, it's not enough but it will have to serve as your punishment. You will not be allowed to leave the Water Gardens for a time, not till I can be sure that you can be trusted. And do not expect your spear back, do you understand?"
"I understand, my prince." Obara spat, her voice full of venom as her eyes burned. "Is there anything else?"
"You are to have a bath, I will have some food sent up to you and then have someone bring you to your sisters and your father. I warn you to be very careful now Obara, if you try anything. Then I promise you that I will send you back to Sunspear and leave you to rot in the Spear Tower until Arianne is the princess. And that's only if I decided not to send you to Ghaston Grey." Doran watched as the girl's eyes widened and for the first time since in the conversation had started, he saw the tiniest hint of fear.
And how not? Ghaston Grey was a fate worse than death, most agreed. A tiny island in the Dornish sea, more a rock actually with an old crumbling castle perched atop it which at any moment looked like it was going to tumble into the sea. Only the most terrible of traitors and the vilest of criminals were sent there, when they heard their sentence most begged for death. It would be a kinder fate than being sent to that hell.
"You wouldn't do that, not to me." Obara said through all the confidence she seemed to have only a few moments ago had fled her. "I might have killed a man but Ghaston Grey is only for the worst of criminals, people who've murdered hundreds, people who have threatened to over throw our house. Rapers. You would not send me there, I know you wouldn't."
Perhaps Obara was smarter than she seemed, Doran would never even consider sending the girl to that place but the girl did not and that served it's purpose just as well. "You've killed one man already Obara, the only difference between one man and a hundred is two numbers. You capable enough of killing, I've seen that."
"Do not push your luck, do you understand me?"
"I understand uncle." The anger and the venom were gone as well, perhaps this had been the first time he had ever seen his niece truly afraid. He did not relish seeing it, he did not relishing being the cause of it. But if it kept her under control and made her realise the seriousness of what she had done then he would be able to cope with it.
"Good, bathe and eat your food. And remember all that I have said to you." Obara nodded and Doran nodded in reply before he turned and left the room, he asked Aero to find a servant to give orders about Obara's food and bath, the larger man seemed uncertain about leaving his side but he knew better than to question an order from his prince.
When Aero had left his side Doran continued down through the streets to reach his final destination, each step was an agony but he savoured every single pain. He did not doubt the Maester's final result, that he would lose all use of his legs before too long. He hadn't cried when he had been told, what would have been the point? He would not lose his life and he had things to do.
He would still have his life, and he would still have his mind. His mind was the very best part of him, he would be nothing without that. Through the idea of never being able to run after Arianne and Quentyn again hurt him in ways that he could not even begin to describe.
His thoughts turned to Mellario, his wife had fallen in love with a foreign prince who had swept her off of her feet. The night they had met they had danced for hours and hours, from the end of her father's feast that he had held to welcome him, all the way to morning's first light. He hadn't even felt tired, he had never loved anymore.
Mellario was still back in Sunspear, passion had faded as soon as she had come to Dorne and love had taken it's place for a while but even that seemed to have faded now. She loved their children, that was her only comfort now. She was not Dornish, she didn't understand Dorne. She didn't understand what was required of her.
He had sent Arianne and Quentyn back to Sunspear with their septa when he had Oberyn and all the rest of them imprisoned, he did not want to see them scared when all the guards had come to patrol the Water Gardens, nor did he want to deal with all the questions if he was going to be honest. At any one time Arianne seemed to have a thousand of them, and no doubt she would demand to see her cousins. Tyene especially.
He could almost picture Mellario's face lighting up when she greeted their children in the courtyard outside the old palace, even when love still existed between the both of them it was always clear to him that his wife loved their children far more than she had ever loved him. He had never held that against her, he loved Arianne and Quentyn more than his wife as well.
But as the love had faded over the years it had hurt him more than his legs had ever hurt him, he always told himself that he would always make it up to her. That the love would come back and burn as bright as the sun did once again, but it never had.
He had to be the prince more often than he had been able to be a husband, he wondered if Mellario had understood what it meant to marry a prince, all those days ago back in Norvos. They had gotten caught up in one another, they were all they could really see. Except...Mellario hadn't even him, not all of him.
She had seen Doran Martell, she had never seen the man his mother had made of him. She had never seen the man who would have to become the Prince of Dorne. She hadn't fallen in love with him, that was the truth of it. Perhaps they had been doomed from that first night.
He loved Arianne, he loved Quentyn, and he would never change a single thing about either of them, even who their mother was but he was older now, wiser. He shouldn't have married Mellario, she barely knew what was required of her and everything he needed her to do was always a fight.
They hadn't danced since before Arianne had been born, even when his legs were still working and he was still healthy. Now they would never dance again, even if he could and they would certain never dance all night again. He knew that the time was coming that his wife would want to return to Norvos, he would not stop her. He never wanted her to be unhappy, not ever, not for a moment.
But he also knew that she would try and take his children and he could not allow that, he would not allow that and that would be the thing that would finally break them. Mellario would never forgive him for that.
He shook his head to try and rid himself of those thoughts, his mind seemed more and more attuned to melancholy as of late and he did not like it. Still, considering the shambles that everything had fallen too lately it wasn't much of a surprise.
Thankfully, falling deep into those thoughts had at least made the walk seem to take little time at all and he had barely seemed to notice the pain. He pushed open the door and for the first time he was able to smile at the sight that greeted him on the other side.
Nymeria was perched in a seat with a large book in her lap, it looked to be the book that told the history of the Warrior Queen who Nymeria shared a name with and her ten thousand ships that landed in Dorne, it was a popular tale in Dorne and every single child in Dorne knew at least some of the history of it, if not all of it.
Tyene was sitting in the lap of the septa that his brother had brought to help raise his children and Doran had been so grateful that his brother had seen wisdom in this, he knew that his brother loved his daughters but he was not best when it came to discipline, not that there was much that could be done for Obara. Nothing that a septa could do anyway.
"Hello Uncle." Nymeria said with a pleasant little hum as she closed the heavy book and placed it on the table next to her chair. The girl leapt out of her chair and landed gracefully on her feet before she turned to look at Doran, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Might we come out now? Those same four walls are driving me quite mad."
"I'd like to go swimming Uncle, I like swimming." Tyene said as she kicked her feet back and forth happily, the septa scolded her lightly but the girl did not stop and Doran wondered if anyone could truly discipline them. "I'd like to see Arianne as well, I miss her."
"And I am sure that she misses you sweetling, but she's in Sunspear at the moment." The revelation caused tears to well up in the small girl's blue eyes and Doran felt terrible about it, Tyene was only little more than a babe and he did not enjoy the fact that he had to confine her to these chambers.
Arianne had not been happy with his decision either, she and Tyene were the closest in age and was the closest thing that Arianne had to a sister. Twice she had been caught trying to sneak into the chambers before Doran had decided to send her and her brother back to Sunspear.
"I've missed Arianne as well uncle." Nymeria said as she crossed her arms across her chest, stepping forward ever so slightly but Doran knew that when it came to Nym he had nothing to fear, she had a temper of course but it was nothing compared to her older sister or her father and she had a cooler head than both of them. "And little Quentyn as well, might we see them soon?"
"I think that can be arranged, I've dealt with the little problem that I had and you two can finally come out of your chamber now. If you want I'll send you both on to Sunspear in a little while, I am sure Arianne and Quentyn would be glad to you."
It would probably be for the best if the two of them were sent off to Sunspear for a bit, it might warn both Oberyn and Obara what they stood to lose if they acted against him again. Not right away of course, the little family had been separated enough for now and they deserved at least a little time together.
"I miss Papa, and Bara. Can we see them now uncle?" Tyene's voice brought Doran's attention back to her and Doran realised how truly unfair it had all been on her, Tyene, and Nymeria, had done nothing wrong and yet they had to be punished as well do to their father and their sister's foolishness.
He would make it up to them, he would see to that.
"They are a little busy at the moment sweetling, but they will be here very soon. Why don't you speak to me in the meantime, is that the book of the Seven?" He already knew that it was but all children needed some encouragement, and small children loved to believe that they knew things that grown men and women did not and they could explain it to them.
He remembered the day that he finally learned to recite the names of all of the Targaryen Kings since Aegon the Conqueror, he had run to his mother and recited them all for her, he had smiled so much when she had applauded him and handed him a sweet as a reward.
It was only looking back that he realised that his mother would have already known that he could have done that, she spoke with the Maester every day about his lessons, she took great interest in them as she needed to make sure that her heir was prepared for everything.
But that hadn't mattered at the time, his mother had smiled at him when he had asked her if he could come in and her smile had only grown as he recited every king in their proper place and did not mispronounce a single name. When he had finished she had gasped, as through he had grown wings and flew around the room, and had him a lemon cake from her plate and his father, who Doran loved but his memories were few and faded, had scooped him up and pressed a kiss to his dark curls.
It had been one of the happiest days of his life.
"Yes, Uncle." Tyene said happily as her septa picked her up and placed her down on the ground, she clutched the book, nearly as big as she was, close to her chest. "Septa was reading it to me, but she wasn't doing it right. Mother read it better, she used to read it to me when I was very small."
"All ladies of noble birth should read the Seven Pointed Star Tyene, it is the true path to the gods. You should see to it that you always live by it's teachings." The girl's septa said with a gentle smile, while Doran had no doubt that Nymeria and Tyene could be handfuls it was clear to him that the plump woman was quite fond of them, it was always better if a Septa liked the girls she was sworn to take care off as was not always the case. "It is good that your lady mother read it to you, she might find forgiveness for her sins if she instils the teachings of the faith in you."
"Mother wasn't a lady Septa Constance, she was like you." Tyene said with a happy smile, Doran frowned heavily as the look of confusion appeared on the Septa's face and Nymeria came forward and was about to drag her sister away before she said anything else. "She was a septa, she meet father when she came to Dorne to help people and then she had me."
Doran watched and had to stifle a groan as the look of confusion on the septa's face turned into one of horror as she realised exactly what her youngest charge was saying to her. He always knew that this would become a problem one day, Septa Constance didn't approve of her charges being bastards but she knew that Dorne saw things differently so more often than not she simply ignored the fact that her charges were bastards.
But now that she knew Tyene's mother was a septa, and had been a septa when she laid with Oberyn then it made things more difficult for Doran, especially considering his plans.
Before he had to consider if he would have to place the septa under house arrest, again. The door to the room opened and Oberyn strolled into the room, his beard had been cut through it was still longer than it had been when Doran had confined him to his chamber and his hair had been cut to a similar length to what it had been. He had changed his clothes and he seemed much healthier than it had, through Doran doubted that it had little to do with the food the cook had made and the bath he had.
"Papa!" Tyene cried as she ran towards her father and Oberyn reached down to scoop her up as he pressed a kiss to her golden curls, Nymeria did not run to her father but Doran could tell that she wished too as she walked over to him and hugged her father's leg. "We've missed you! Why didn't you come and see us?"
Oberyn lifted his head from Tyene's hair and shot a glare at Doran, Doran knew that his brother wouldn't truly be forgiving him for keeping him from his daughters for awhile but so long as his brother remained obedient and didn't act without his approval or oversight again then he could bare a grudge against him for as long as he liked.
"I've missed you as well my sweet, and you my little lady." Oberyn said as he brought his hand down on to Nymeria's head and gently ruffled her black hair, causing her braid to swing side to side. "Your uncle had an important task for me that could not wait, but I am back now and I won't leave you for a very long while. I promise."
Tyene seemed content to accept her father's explanation as she relaxed into her father's hold but Nymeria seemed more suspicious which did not surprise Doran, of his brother's three daughters Nymeria was the most intelligent but thankfully she was also intelligent enough to know not to question it at the moment so she simply kept holding on to her father's leg.
The door to the chambers opened again and Obara walked in, Aero at her back. Doran was glad of that, he didn't want Obara wandering the halls of the Water Gardens alone. He was fairly certain that she wouldn't try anything when she saw the number of guards that patrolled the palace now but it was better than to be safe than sorry, it always was when Obara was concerned.
She was dressed in a silk shirt and brown breeches, not exactly ladylike attire but Doran wasn't expecting anything else. "Where have you been?" Nymeria asked as she released her father and walked over to her older sister, when it came to Obara the only person aside from her father who could deal with her was her sister.
"Shut up Nym, I'm not in the mood." Obara stormed past her sister and stood at her father's side, Her father looked down at her and stared into her eyes. Doran realised then and there that the two of them truly did have the same eyes, all of the Sand Snakes had their father's eyes of course but Obara was the only one who shared their colour with her father.
After a few moments of silence Oberyn shook his head and Obara let out a sigh and stormed away from her father and climbed into the chair that Nymeria had vacated and seemed resolved to sulk for the moment. When Septa Constance noticed the girl doing so she stared sternly at her and looked as through she was going to rebuke her but then she remembered that it wasn't Tyene or Nymeria so she turned her attention to a piece of needlework that laid forgotten in her lap.
For several hours then the Water Gardens fell into something that it had not seen in far too long a time, peace. Doran had almost forgotten what it was like. The only noise that filled the chamber were the giggles of Tyene and the occasional chuckle from Oberyn.
Even Obara seemed to come out of her foul mood after Nymeria showed her a new game she had learned, using one of her daggers to stab the space around her fingers without ever hitting them, the silver dagger that her father had given to her on her last nameday nothing but a blur. The septa scoffed at the sight but she knew better than to try and scold them.
Doran loved it, loved them. In that moment he remembered that he loved his brother, that he loved his nieces. All he did he did for them, and for Elia, and Arianne and Quentyn and even Mellario. It was all for them, even if they didn't understand that sometimes what was best for them, for the family might seem to be what was worst.
Soon the sky had turned black and Tyene had fallen asleep and Nymeria's eyes began to drop in tiredness. The septa took them both out of the chamber and Aero was commanded to take Obara to her chamber. "Might you tuck me in and bring me some warm milk, Septa Hotah?" The girl mocked as she leapt out of her chair.
Aero did not bite, his face was a mask of stone as he lead the girl out of the room. Doran stood up from his seat, clutching his walking stick as he looked down at Oberyn. "You and I have some more things to talk about, come with me."
"What do we need to speak off? I heard your warnings, this won't happen again. I give you my word."
"We still have plenty that we need to talk about, but not here. Come with me to my Solar." Oberyn rolled his shoulders before he stood out of the chair he was sitting before he followed Doran out of the chamber, it did not take them long to reach Doran's solar but by the time they had reached Doran's legs felt like they were burning.
He bit his lip so hard that the taste of copper filled his mouth, he had walked too much. He had pushed it when he shouldn't have. He would need milk of the poppy if he was going to sleep tonight and though he was tempted to call for some now he knew that he couldn't.
Milk of the poppy dulled the wits of even the sharpest of men and Oberyn was not a stupid man, it would not take much for him to trick him in that state to go along with anything he wanted. Of course Oberyn had given him his word that he would not try anything again but if he made him go along with something then he couldn't say he was going against his wishes.
And if Oberyn got him to write a letter while his wits were dull then he could ride to Sunspear and raise a host, milk of the poppy didn't just dull his wits but it also tired him, he was often confined to a bed for days and days after. By the time he was restored then Oberyn could have half of Dorne past the Red Mountains, and beyond Doran's reach.
Doran would not have that, he would not allow that. The pain in his legs was nothing compared to the pain that might come down on to Dorne.
Oberyn sat down in the seat across from Doran and took one of the flatbreads that Doran had not eaten off of the plate and took a few bites of it, Doran did not mind. He didn't have much of an appetite anymore regardless and Oberyn, despite looking healthier than he had, was still too thin for Doran to be comfortable and so he pushed the plate more towards his brother before he poured him a glass from the half full pitcher of wine.
"You're very generous this evening, especially considering I was you prisoner not so very long ago." Despite his words Oberyn took the glass of wine from Doran's hand and used it to wash the flatbread down, he swirled the wine in the glass for a moment before he looked back up at Doran. "So, what did you use to poison the wine? Tears of Lys? Basilisk venom?"
"I didn't poison your food Oberyn."
"It was a joke, dear brother. You really do need to learn to laugh, to be honest I wouldn't even be angry with you. For trying to poison me at any rate, if I found out that you tried to use my own poison against me then I would be quite upset. After all, trying to use a man's own poison to kill him? That's simply poor manners."
"I am not in the mood Oberyn, I have released you from your chambers and you still have my love but do not think that means I have forgiven you. For I have not, you came too me with an army at your back." The anger that Doran thought he had forgotten came surging back to him, drowning out the pain.
"Hardly an army big brother, a few men who came to beg that you would see sense and allow us to go to Elia." Oberyn finished his wine and slammed the glass back down on to the table, the force was so great that it caused a crack to splinter the glass. "Enough of this, I gave you my word that I would not attempt something like that again and I meant it. What do you wish for us to speak off?"
For a time Doran stared at Oberyn, a little unsure of how much he should tell him. After a few long moments he knew that he had to tell him something, if he didn't then he knew that Oberyn would try something if it truly did look like he was still doing nothing. "The high septon is dead, the king had burned alive in front of the entire royal court. Prince Rhaegar and Princess Cersei have fled to dragonstone."
For perhaps the first time in his life Doran had managed to surprised Oberyn, his little brother stared at him like he had grown a second head and Doran could understand why. It was hard to believe, though perhaps it shouldn't be when all the insane things that the mad king had done lately. Elia had only been the top of a very tall mountain.
"He really is mad, isn't he?" Oberyn finally breathed out before he reached out and filled his glass back up with the pitcher of wine and took a sip from the glass. "He's killed the High Septon? That is not going to go down well."
"No it will not, this one was...decent. As far as septons can go, many in King's Landing liked him." Doran poured himself a glass of water from the other pitcher and took a sip of that. "Many in the faith aren't very happy either, especially considering that Aerys is trying to appoint one of his pets as the new High Septon."
"Many in the faith are unhappy about that, there are whispers at work. Talk of the Faith Militant being reformed, and not just by lowly septons. There is talk among the most devout themselves." Doran let out a little sight. "In truth, the idea of reforming the Faith Militant causes me some concern, we've been better off without them and we would need to find a way to deal with them but it would be at the very least helpful in the short term."
"And...they know they have a friend in the Prince of Dorne, a devout member of the faith."
"How do you know all of this?" Oberyn asked with a raised eyebrow before he held up his hand to stop Doran from answering him. "I know that you have spies in King's Landing, not as many as the spider but enough to know a deal of what is happening at all times. But knowing what members of the faith are saying? The most devout? That requires access that your spies don't have."
"Who said anything about spies, even in the homes of enemies we can find allies. And not even a member of the most devout, would dare to refuse the summons of a queen." Doran smiled as he watched his brother's eyes grow wide, he decided he quite liked shocking his brother. He could get used to it.
Oberyn was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. "There's something I need to tell you, on the day that Elia and her husband arrived in King's Landing, Ned and I left her with the girls. I wanted to get to know our good brother, while we were gone Rhaegar Targaryen paid a visit to her. He gave her some letters which she gave to us the night of that fucking tourney, we read them, memorized them and burned them."
"Rhaegar Targaryen isn't blind to what his father is, at the very least. He's working with Tywin Lannister to overthrow his father and I think that he is trying to get the other lords of Westeros to back him in this coup of his."
Doran felt all the air rush out of his lungs, it seemed that even now his brother could always outdo him. "Why...Why did you not say anything about this to me before!?" This changed a great deal of things, he needed to write to Lord Rickard and to Lord Arryn and Lord Hoster as soon as possible.
"I didn't think that we could trust the Lannisters, Cersei is going to be the queen and Tywin Lannister was the former hand of the king." Doran wanted to slap him, how could such a smart man be so utterly stupid? He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes.
"Oberyn, you needed to tell me this. I needed to know this!" He stopped rubbing his eyes and looked at his brother. "It's done now, we can't do anything about it now. "Now we need to work, and we need to be patient. We are getting Elia back but we have to do this smart, the true obstacle to her getting home is the king. And obstacles are better off...removed."
Oberyn stared at him in surprise for a few moments before a smirk started to slowly spread across his face and he lifted his glass to his brother, toasting his as the wine slipped out of the crack in the glass and stained his fingers. Doran raised his glass of water and took a sip of it.
And people thought that Oberyn was the dangerous one.
End of Chapter Thirty-Six
Welp, here we are with another chapter.
It was important for me to show how Doran was dealing with things in Dorne, both with lords and ladies and his own family. Speaking of which I've changed one of the genres, instead of being romance/family this story is now romance/drama.
Family is still an important them but I think drama is a more important theme.
Please leave a review, a follow and a favourite. Constructive criticism is welcome.
Next chapter should be from Ned's perspective.
Love,
Doctorwhofan12345.