Dorne, Sunspear 297 AC.
Doran Martell
Doran Martell was like many previous nights, sitting alone in his chambers, but this time he was not even reading a book, nor drinking a glass of wine. He was just sitting looking out the window watching the stars, thinking about today's events.
Since his arrival, Prince Steffon had made an impression quite different from what they expected from a prince with Baratheon and Lannister blood. Not only had he handed them over to the murderers responsible for the death of his sister and children, he had done so in defiance of his own grandfather: The Old Lion, Tywin Lannister. Admitting himself that handing them over to Dornish justice was the right thing to do.
His behavior was quite particular too, he was a polite and calm young man who chose his words carefully, nor did he allow himself to be provoked by any of Oberyn's insults.
The most interesting thing of all was that Doran knew that the prince's way of behaving was not a facade, it was his true way of being. Who looked nothing like his father, the whore-loving king Robert Baratheon. His friendly and charismatic personality reminded her of King Robert's young brother, Renly. Although the way he addressed and spoke about political issues was serious and careful just like his uncle Stannis's.
I guess he is much more Baratheon than Lannister. Doran thought.
The information that the prince revealed to Doran and his brother Oberyn was a great shock to both of them. Everyone in Dorne had heard rumors about King Robert's first son, a spoiled, cruel, quick-to-anger boy, whose mother spoiled him no matter what he did. But learning that he, nor any of Cersei Lannister's other children, except Steffon, was Robert Baratheon's, was extremely valuable information.
Doran found it easy to believe the prince's claims, the book revealing that all members of the Baratheon line, even those who intermarried with the Lannister's in the past, had black hair and blue eyes. That the father of those children was none other than the Kingslayer himself was even better, that kind of revelation would destroy Tywin Lannister's legacy forever.
Rumors had been heard in Dorne about how the black-haired son of King Robert had a very distant relationship with his mother and his uncle Jaime, however he had a fairly close relationship with the queen's younger brother, the imp Tyrion Lannister. While his relationship with his father's brothers was even better, Doran had heard how the prince had helped his uncle Renly conduct a trade business between the Reach, the North and the Stormlands, mainly with Houses Tyrells, Manderly, and Stark.
At the same time Doran had heard how the prince had helped his uncle Stannis design new ships for the royal fleet, as well as several warships. This seemed quite strange to Doran, who did not know where the lord of Dragonstone had been able to get the gold to build so many ships. He doubted that it was crown gold. Doran was aware of the enormous debt of the crown not only to the Iron Bank, but with Houses Lannister and Tyrell, as well as with The Faith.
The prince must have helped his uncle with that. Doran thought.
Now Doran was debating whether or not to accept the prince's proposal. The fact that he only had two days to think about the prince's proposal was too complicated, since he knew that if he did not give him an answer this alliance would end forever.
The ruling prince of Dorne was no fool, he knew very well that if he rejected Prince Baratheon's proposal, he would immediately go with the same proposal towards the Tyrells. Those who, in their desire to have his blood on the Iron Throne, would accept it without a second thought.
With the power of the Stormlands and the Dominion behind him, Steffon Baratheon would crush the forces of Casterly Rock.
The North and the Riverlands would probably join him as well, perhaps even Vale. Doran thought.
It was no secret that the North and the Vale had no affection for the Lannister's.
When observing the young prince, he could notice that with his charisma, it was easy for him to get allies. Another thing that differentiated him from his Lannister relatives, whose power was only based on his wealth and the imposing authority of the old lion.
The chance to destroy Tywin Lannister's legacy and have his daughter as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms was too tempting an opportunity to even consider turning down. But there were still several issues that prevented Doran from fully accepting the proposal.
That the prince was a product of the two families that had caused, directly in the case of the Lannister's or indirectly in the case of the Baratheon's, the death of his sister and her children, made Doran quite reluctant to want to marry his daughter to someone from of those two families. Although his previous conversation with the prince made him notice that he did not get along very well with most of the members of his family either.
His little brothers and his uncles, Stannis and Renly, are the only people that Prince Steffon asked to leave out of any desire for revenge that the Martell's had against them.
He must not have much respect or affection for his father either. Doran thought, laughing. And his own mother ignoring him and stealing her birthright must have caused him to lose any affection he might have felt for her.
Another thing that prevented Doran from accepting Prince Steffon's proposal were the two siblings of Valyrian blood on the other side of the Narrow Sea. Doran knew that if he accepted Steffon Baratheon's proposal he could say goodbye forever to any alliance with House Targaryen. Even after hearing claims about Prince Viserys possible madness, Doran still did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with him or his sister Daenerys.
But the chances of the great Houses of Westeros supporting a queen, even one with Targaryen blood, were highly unlikely.
So the prince of Dorne found himself at a crossroads, one in which he had little time to decide how to get out. Still lost in his thoughts, Doran noticed when the doors to his chambers opened to reveal his brother, who apparently had finally taken a bath after been playing with the gift the prince brought them.
"Sleep can't find you tonight brother?" Oberyn said as he entered his chambers to pour himself a glass of wine.
"No and I suppose you don't either, not that you sleep a lot at night." Doran smiled.
"You're right, I always have much more interesting things to do at night." Oberyn said to his brother who laughed.
"Although there are others who have found quite interesting activity tonight."
"And those others are my daughter and the prince I presume?" Doran asked, feigning surprise.
"And Tyene, you know they both like to share, everything." Doran nodded, knowing that his daughter loved Tyene like a sister.
"AND?" Doran asked, raising an eyebrow.
"From the sounds I heard, as I was coming here." Oberyn began to laugh. "I would say that the young prince is much more skilled in the bedroom than any boy his age could be. Pleasing two Dornish women is quite difficult."
Doran laughed "Well, if I accept his proposal I suppose Arianne will be pleased in that regard."
Oberyn's smile faded from his face, and he turned serious. "So, are you going to accept?"
"I haven't decided yet, but the fact that we only have two days to think about it doesn't make it any easier." Doran looked at his brother, who said nothing. "Based on what you observed today Oberyn. What do you think of him?"
Oberyn took a moment to think and let out a sigh before speaking "I think he is a boy of his word, after all if you are a ward of Stannis Baratheon and Ned Stark you have to be." he laughed. "I believe he told us the truth about his family and the spider. And that if we accept his proposal and join him, he will fulfill his part." He took a sip of wine before continuing. "But I also know that he is still hiding information from us, which I doubt he will give us, unless we accept his proposal."
"But if he gave us that information or part of it. Do you think we should accept his proposal?"
"I do not know." Oberyn was quick to respond. "Although the prospect of watching Old Lion's legacy crumble thanks to the stupidity of his two golden twins is quite tempting," Doran smiled at the prospect as well. "Marrying Arianne to the Usurper's son is not. Although I'm sure she would make her happy."
"Your words are a bit contradictory brother."
"It's the truth, from what I saw today, he is not only an attractive boy but also intelligent and dangerous. And from what Tyene told me for Arianne that is the perfect combination." Doran snorted, he also knew about his daughter's tastes in men. "But that still doesn't change that I carry the blood of lions and stags."
"Yes, he has his blood, but from what he told us he doesn't care much about lions, only the little ones." Doran looked at his brother remembering how Prince Steffon mentioned that he loved his little sister and little brother very much, using them as reasons for not revealing the truth to his father. "Apparently only his uncles Stannis and Renly are free of any resentment the prince has towards his family."
I guess he doesn't really like the imp very much either. Doran thought. The imp must had hidden truth about his brothers to him.
Oberyn laughed out loud, so Doran looked at him confused. "If you want to accept the Prince of Storms' proposal, just do it brother, because it sounds like you've already made up your mind and are just looking for excuses."
"I am not going to make such an important decision lightly Oberyn, you should know me better by now." Doran said annoyed. "I know very well what we risk if we do this, but I also know that if we reject the prince's proposal, any alliance we might hope for with the Iron Throne will be gone forever because someone else will take that opportunity." He looked at his brother so she could understand where he was going.
"Ah, the roses." Oberyn said in realization. "The Queen of Thorns would surely love the information the prince gave us, and she and the Fat Rose of Highgarden would accept his proposal immediately."
"Yes they would." Doran answered in almost a whisper. He was still wondering why; the young prince came to them precisely with this information. Doran knew that the Tyrells were a much better option than them for an alliance, his land was the most fertile and the most populated of all the Seven Kingdoms.
He must have other plans for the roses. He thought.
Before either of the two Dorian princes could say another word, a knock on the door caught his attention.
"Is the Lady Melisandre my prince." said the guard outside the room.
Both Martell brothers looked at each other in confusion.
"Send her in." Doran ordered.
The guard obeyed, and Doran and Oberyn watched the beautiful woman enter the room.
"My lady, how can we help you?" Doran said in her cautious tone, while Oberyn looked the woman up and down, desire in her eyes.
The beautiful woman in red smiled. "I came to help you clear your minds of the doubt that torments you tonight, my princes."
"You will say, to convince us to accept your prince's proposal." Oberyn said scoffing. "Who is now sharing a bed very comfortable with my daughter and my niece."
"Good." answered the woman in red with a big smile, confusing the two princes. "When the storm is over, eventually the sun will rise. They both complement each other."
Both Martell brothers looked at each other in confusion.
"Your niece and the prince have an important role in the wars to come." Melisandre said. "But only together will they be able to unite the Seven Kingdoms, to stop the threat that will soon lurk."
"I don't like it when people talk in riddles, my lady." Doran responded, trying to decipher what the woman was saying.
"I apologize for that, Prince Doran, but she should know that I am being as clear as possible." Melisandre looked at the Martell brothers for a few seconds. "But I think it would be better for me to show you what will happen if you do not accept my prince's proposal and what could have happened if he had not come here, to give you the justice that you have been waiting for so long."
Doran and Oberyn watched as the woman pulled out of the sleeve of her dress a vial containing some kind of red liquid.
"What's that?" Oberyn asked with suspicion in his eyes.
"There is power in the blood of a king prince Oberyn." The woman in red answered, smiling as she took the lid off the vial. "Just as there is power in fire."
"Both of you come closer." Melisandre ordered them while pouring the blood into her. "Look into the fire and see the fate that awaits you if you accept and what could happen if you don't."
Doran and Oberyn hesitated a little before coming forward and looking at the fire. They both looked at the flames without seeing anything at first, until little by little the fire began to take shape:
The fire showed Prince Oberyn talking to a blonde dwarf outside a brothel in what appeared to be a city.
Then it changed to what seemed to be a great celebration attended by many nobles, they saw how a boy with blonde hair and green eyes began to choke and claw at his throat to try to relieve the pain, while a beautiful woman with golden hair sobbed trying to stop the pain and help the boy.
The fire once again showed the blonde dwarf from before, he was chained in the Throne Room of King's Landing, surrounded by nobles from different Westerosi families, but that did not stop him from shouting and looking at a bald man with blonde sideburns who was seated, on the Iron Throne, they then saw Oberyn, who was sitting next to the Throne, rise from his seat and look at the dwarf with a knowing, malicious smile.
The fire changed again and they saw Oberyn fight with Gregor Cleagane, they watched as Oberyn managed to knock down the Mountain, only to be tackled by him, who then proceeded to knock out his teeth and burst his head with his hands.
The fire changed once again showing Quentyn Martell talking to a beautiful woman with silver hair and purple eyes, then they saw Quentyn walk through what seemed to be a cavern until he encountered a huge dragon with black and red scales, which he proceeded to incinerate Quentyn.
Doran almost stood back when he saw that but his brother managed to catch him. They were both sweating and in a clear state of shock from what they had seen. Before either of them could speak, Melisandre did so.
"Keep watching my princes, the fire still has one last thing to show you."
Doran and Oberyn shivered again toward the flames.
The fire showed Prince Steffon and Princess Arianne flying over the dawn sky on the backs of dragons. Then just by being there, the fire went out by itself.
Both Dornish princes looked wordlessly at the woman in front of them who seemed impassive.
"I know what you two saw in the flames, because a while ago I saw it too." Melisandre told them with a calm tone.
"What… does that mean?" Doran said barely.
"Fire shows many things, Prince Doran." Melisandre said trying to clear the mind of the prince of Dorne. "Things that could have been," she looked at Prince Oberyn, "things that could happen," she looked at Doran, "and also things that have not yet happened. It will all depend on the decision you make."
Melisandre looked at them both expecting them to speak but they didn't. "Join House Targaryen and you will fall. Accept my prince's proposal and you will have what you have always wanted: your blood on the Iron Throne, justice against House Lannister and the truth of the death of your sister, Princess Elia Martell."
Doran composed himself "Those dragons, how..."
"That is a wedding gift I have for your daughter and Prince Steffon. He doesn't know yet of course, I want it to be a surprise for him and his chosen bride on their wedding day." Melisandre interrupted him, smiling. "An egg for each one them, they can only be awakened by those who have the blood of the Dragon, even if it is only a little through family ancestry."
"The other dragon, the black one that..." Oberyn tried to say.
"That will be awakened by Daenerys Targaryen." Melisandre interrupted again. "But make no mistake Prince Oberyn, Daenerys Targaryen may have a role to play in the coming war against The Great Other and his army, but her place is not on the Iron Throne and never will be. "
The Martell brothers were left speechless again, so Melisandre proceeded to leave the room, but before leaving through the door she returned to look at the princes one last time.
"You have a decision to make, one that may be the most important in your family's history, but no matter what you decide, remember this: The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors." and with that said, the beautiful woman with red hair and dress proceeded to leave the room, leaving the two Martell brothers alone with their thoughts once more.
Dorne, Sunspear 297 AC.
Steffon Baratheon
The young prince woke up to find himself embraced by the two beauties who were in his bed. Steffon smiled, proud of himself that he was able to please them both last night.
I have to thank Melisandre for teaching me how to do it. Steffon thought.
Steffon looked at Arianne and Tyene once more, then got out of bed and put on his clothes, but he quickly felt someone hug him from behind.
"That's your plan then, take advantage of us and then leave in the morning." Arianne said whispering into her ear, then biting her.
Steffon laughed and turned his head to look at her. "I was going to go for some breakfast." and he kissed her, she quickly kissed him back taking his face in her hands and putting her tongue in her mouth.
After a short while they separated. "I don't know about you princess, but I'm hungry." Arianne smiled at him and then gave him another short kiss.
"I'm hungry too," said the princess of Dorne, putting on her nightgown. "Stay here, I'll ask them to bring us breakfast." and she thus proceeded to leave the room.
Steffon proceeded to look at the Sand Snake who was lying naked on her bed, he continued looking at her until he saw her smile. "Are you going to keep looking at me or are you going to do something about it."
Steffon laughed "How long have you been awake my lady?"
Tyene approached him to kiss him and then sat on him to wrap her legs around him.
"I'm not a lady." Tyene said breaking away from the kiss. "I thought that was clear last night." brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.
"Quite clear." Steffon said as he caressed his back. "Something tells me that you are much more snake than your sisters." He began to caress his face and then his lips. "And that your innocent way of walking, talking and dressing is nothing more than an act."
Tyene smiled at him. "I'm glad you know me so well, Your Grace." and she kissed him again, putting her arms around her neck. Steffon kissed her back, pulling her closer to him. They continued like this until they heard the door open.
Arianne raised her eyebrows at them and then smiled "It's good to see you're keeping our guest entertained Tyene."
"You already know me, cousin, I'm nothing but hospitable to our guests."
Arianne entered the room followed by servants who brought several trays of food. The servants left the food and left the room. So Arianne let her nightgown fall, leaving her naked again. Steffon looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" Arianne asked innocently. "I like to be comfortable when I have breakfast." Steffon looked at her and began to feel his member harden, Tyene who continued to wrap her legs around him must have felt it too because she looked at him with a mischievous smile.
Steffon picked up Tyene, leaving her on the bed, stood up and walked over to where Arianne was to grab her face and kiss her. After a few moments he separated from her. "Let's have breakfast then." Arianne gave him a big smile.
Steffon and the two women continued to eat breakfast, neither of them putting on clothes while they ate. The young man noticed how the two women took slow bites of the food while looking at him seductively.
They are ready for another round. Steffon thought, holding back a smile.
Both Arianne and Tyene tried to get him back to bed while he ate breakfast. But Prince Baratheon was able to resist the temptation and gently pushed the women away.
When he finished breakfast he proceeded to put on his clothes, and the two women did the same. The three left the room and Steffon hurried to find Ser Barristan to have his daily practice with the sword. The prince did not have to wait long, as he found the old knight at the end of the hallway in his room.
"My prince." The old knight bowed his head.
"Ser Barristan." Steffon said with a smile.
"I hope my prince has rested, because today the training will be harder."
Steffon laughed "I wouldn't have it any other way Ser Barristan." And so they both headed to the sparring yard, with the two women following them.
They arrived and Steffon proceeded to put on his combat gloves as well as his greaves. The prince nodded to Ser Barristan, and so the two began to fight.
The prince and the knight used long swords that required both hands but neither had an edge, Ser Barristan always refused to use a weapon that could hurt the prince badly during his training. The two faced each other and exchanged blows with their swords, Steffon tried to use his superior speed but still could not overcome the old knight's skill, he managed to maintain his balance and dodge his attacks for longer than normal. She even managed to push Ser Barristan back more than once.
"Prince Steffon." Steffon turned to see who it was and noticed Obara. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ser Barristan hit him in the face, knocking him to the ground and pointing his sword at his neck.
"That was a dirty trick Ser Barristan." Steffon said looking at the knight.
"What did I say was the most important thing during a fight?"
"Concentrate, on my steel and that of my enemy, nothing else." Steffon said sighing.
"Good." Ser Barristan extended his hand towards the prince. "Remember that next time and don't complain about the hit my prince, you are the one who told me not to make it easy on you during training, even if that included hitting you."
Steffon laughed "That's true." He took the knight's hand and stood up. He turned to look at Obara. "My lady, what can I do for you?"
Arianne and Tyene laughed hearing that and seeing the look on Obara's face.
"My father and my uncle sent me to tell you that they want to talk to you." Obara said with a sharp tone. "Immediately."
Steffon laughed. "Alright, take me to them then." Obara turned and began walking, with Steffon, Ser Barristan, Arianne, and Tyene following her.
The five arrived where Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn were. They were sitting on the same wall where they had spoken with Steffon the day before. There were three chairs and a table, Steffon smiled when he saw that.
They are learning. He thought.
"Wait for me here Ser Barristan." Steffon looked at the knight who nodded.
"Excuse me princess." Steffon kissed Arianne's hand, she smiled at him. "My ladies." he said looking at the two Sand Snakes, mainly at Tyene who smiled at him.
The young prince headed towards where the Martell brothers were.
"It's good to see that you understood the value of discretion." Steffon said to the two princes and then sat down.
"If my family is going to King's Landing to destroy the reputation of House Lannister we have to be discreet." Doran told him in his serious tone.
Those words surprised Steffon. "So, do you accept my proposal?"
Both Martell brothers were silent for a long moment until Doran took out two scrolls. "I have two scrolls here, Prince Steffon, one containing the secret pact we made with Ser Willem Darry fourteen years ago to unite Dorne with House Targaryen once again." Doran stopped but Steffon said nothing. "And the other contains a marriage alliance between you and my daughter, however it is not valid until my signature and seal are on it. I have a couple of questions, your answers will determine whether we make an alliance between us or not."
"Ask your questions then Prince Doran." Prince Baratheon said calmly.
"Who would be our allies in this?"
"My uncle Stannis, the lords of the Narrow Sea are extremely loyal to him. Thanks to my advice, he and all his bannermen managed to make successful trades with the free cities of Essos, which increased their resources considerably. And once, I return to King's Landing, I'm pretty sure my father will make me Lord of Storm's End, giving me full control of the Stormlands."
"AND?" Prince Oberyn asked. "That is certainly not enough."
"The Starks and Tullys may be brought to our cause in time. Although my father wants to marry my brother, Joffrey, to Ned Stark's eldest daughter, I have no doubt that will end when he sees the kind of person my brother is. It's also no secret that Eddard Stark has no love or trust for House Lannister."
Both Martell brothers looked at each other. "What about the Valle?" Doran asked.
"They can be brought into the fold. I know several lords of the Vale, and none of them forget that they rode with House Baratheon fourteen years ago."
"And what about House Tyrell? After all, they are the ones who have the largest army in Westeros and the most fertile land." It was Oberyn who spoke this time although Steffon knew it was Doran's words.
Steffon smiled. "My uncle Renly is quite close to the Tyrells, so I'm pretty sure that he has already told them about my brother Joffrey's cruel nature, which would certainly make them rule out an alliance with House Lannister. I'm sure that my uncle would try to negotiate an alliance between himself and the Golden Rose of Highgarden." this caused the Martell brothers to have a thoughtful look on their faces. "And if that happened I'm pretty sure my uncle's main target would be the Lannisters."
Steffon observed the princes who remained silent, until Doran decided to speak. "You said that your main reason for not telling your father the truth is that you fear he will kill your two younger brothers. Do you really think he would be capable of doing that? Kill two children that he has raised as his own. Even If he did, you could ask him to forgive them, being his only son he would surely listen to you."
Steffon thought for a moment before answering. "Tell me something, Prince Doran. If you discovered that your three children were fathered by another man and that your wife was laughing at you behind your back, planning for the lineage of House Martell to end forever." Doran glared at him. "What would you do? Would you forgive the bastard children, that your wife tried to pass off as real Martells? Or would you kill them in front of her to make her pay for betraying you in this way and wanting to destroy your family lineage forever."
Neither Doran nor Oberyn had an answer for this, so Steffon spoke up. "Not even you know what you would do in that situation, Prince Doran. And I am not going to risk me, that my father kill Myrcella and Tommen because of the hatred he will feel for my mother and the kingslayer."
"How do you plan to expose your mother and the kingslayer then?" Prince Doran finally decided to ask.
Steffon didn't want to answer this, but he knew it was now or never. "My mother and my brother Joffrey have two particular things in common, they are both hateful people with huge egos who turn people against them relatively easily. If something happened to my father, my mother would crown Joffrey immediately, but they would have no allies, would support my brother's claim. Much less if the information I have about them became known. My plan is to destroy the influence of House Lannister in the capital from within, once that is done, I will reveal the truth to everyone, that's for sure. Of course it will depend on the circumstances in which we find ourselves."
After several moments of silence Oberyn spoke. "And where exactly would we discuss our plans? There are ears in the capital everywhere."
"I already have someone remodeling the Rosby Mansion in King's Landing, no one can spy on us there." Steffon was quick to answer. "The walls of the Red Keep and the Forest of the Gods are quite private places, the little birds of the eunuch will never listen to us."
Prince Doran looked at his brother for a moment and then directed his gaze to where his daughter was, he saw the red woman approaching his daughter with a smile on her face, the woman nodded, so Doran directed his gaze towards Steffon, who looked at him expectantly. Doran took the scroll that he had signed fourteen years ago and tore it into pieces, then took the scroll that he had written last night and put his signature and seal on it.
"Well, it looks like we'll be family, Prince Steffon." Oberyn said with a smile, which Steffon returned.
Prince Doran handed Steffon the parchment, and extended his hand to the young prince, who took it gladly.
"For the overthrow of the lions." Doran said as he shook the young prince's hand.
"For the overthrow of the lions." Steffon repeated with a big smile on his face.
Steffon looked at Arianne who was looking at him with a huge smile on her face just like Melisandre. The prince smiled back at both of them.
And so it begins.