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Mace made to speak, but Olenna cut him off. "Have you looked at the taxes for the past year? The past three? No? Of course you haven't. Not unless they were written on a sweet roll. The North, while not our primary consumer of food, was second behind ourselves. But in the last few years the income from the North has been steadily declining. The glass gardens of Winterfell are numerous enough to feed the entirety of Winterfell on their own. And more and more glass gardens and farm steads are popping up all over the North, reducing their dependency on buying our crops. When they don't buy our crops, that means that our people don't get their coin. And if our people don't get their coin, then neither shall we through taxes. For too long the Reach has relied on the fact that we supply most of the food to the realm for our coin. Well, times have changed, and we need to change along with them. And what better example is there to emulate than the way the North has changed? Supplying men to the Night's Watch is a minor way to start getting into the North's good graces. The other is through this, which will also conveniently enough aid in our long-term goals."
Taking up the second piece of parchment, her son again read over its contents with wide eyes. "This…?! But I thought it was decided that—!"
"That is a betrothal contract, correct," Olenna said, answering her son before he could ask his question. "Granted, the terms greatly favor the North. But we must look past the short-term losses and towards the long-term gains."
"But – But why–?"
"Who are the most eligible girls in all of Westeros that are at least within marriageable age with Crown Prince Joffrey?" Olenna asked before holding up three fingers. "I'll tell you. There are three that could be betrothed to the Prince without issue. Princess Arianne Martel. Though given the history between House Martel, House Baratheon, and House Lannister such a union is highly unlikely. Which leaves two front runners. Our own flower Margaery. And Sansa Stark. Now, given the nature of King Robert, who do you think he will choose for his son's queen? The daughter of the man he considers to be his brother in all but blood? Or the daughter of the House that fought against him during the Rebellion and held his brothers under siege and nearly killed them both. Who do you think the King will choose? Hmm?"
Mace swallowed, clearly uneasy. "Well, Loras has ensured us that he has Renly's ear and –"
"Oh, Loras has much more than Renly's ear, Mace," Olenna scoffed. "And, in the end, it doesn't mean shit. Give them a few more years and the North will perhaps be able to match the wealth of the Westerlands and the Reach. And make no mistake, when they reach that point, Robert will betroth his son to Sansa Stark. Once that happens, House Tyrell's hopes of gaining access to the royal family dies for at least another generation. There are only two ways to prevent this from happening. The first, well, the dragons and the Maesters have both learned what it means to anger the wolves so we will not be doing that. The second though is to make it so that Sansa cannot be betrothed to the Prince because she is already betrothed to the future Lord of the Reach."
"But – But Willias is twice the girl's age an–"
"Willias has just celebrated his one-and-twenty nameday while Sansa has recently turned one-and-ten." Olenna countered. "There have been far greater age disparities, just look at Jon Arryn and Lysa Arryn, for example. Plus, the girl will not wed until she has reached the age of six-and-ten and is a full woman. By marrying Sansa to Willias, we remove the primary competition for our Margaery becoming the next queen of Westeros. And we also gain access to the growing power that is the North. And, if rumors are to be believed, Sansa is not only a great beauty despite her age, but she also apparently has the same powers as the Sorcerer and her siblings. Powers that apparently can be passed down to her children, the future of House Tyrell. Now, do I need to keep holding your hand about this situation? Or will you sign the damn contracts already?"
Her son was clearly not pleased with the way the conversation had been going, but she honestly didn't care seeing as how half of her days were spent cleaning up her son's mess and making sure that their lords didn't get some crazy idea in their heads like thinking that they would perhaps be better Wardens of the South. The staring contest between her and her son was over before it could even truly begin as Mace quickly went about putting his name at the bottoms of each contract. "I can have riders sent out first thing in the morning to deliver the terms to Winterfell."
"That will not be necessary," Olenna said, dusting both contracts to dry the ink before rolling them up and securing them. "The betrothal between Sansa Stark and Willias is far too important to leave in the hands of some idiot rider. This requires an experienced hand to make sure that the Starks agree. So, I will be heading to Winterfell myself and deliver these terms in person. And Willias, Garlan and Margaery will be accompanying me to the North as well."
"What?" Mace stammered. "W–Why would you nee—?"
"Because it will be good for them," Olenna countered, getting up in order to pour herself a glass of wine, purposefully not pouring a second for her son. He didn't need more to addle his brain. "The Starks are the oldest remaining family in Westeros and have held rulership of the North since the beginning of recorded history. Perhaps longer. It will be good for Willias to learn for a time under the man who will, hopefully, be his good father within the next few years. As for Garlan, our gallant son of House Tyrell might be considered one of the best knights in the realm but there is still much he can learn. Especially from men as skilled as Lord Stark and Lord Nox. And as for Margaery, our goal is to place her as the next queen of Westeros. And a part of her future kingdom will be the North, a land that is at the best of times willingly ignorant of the South. Giving her time in the North will give her the foundation for how to bring the North better into the fold when she takes up her crown. Also, I've received a letter from House Forrester all but begging for one of their daughters to be taken in as one of Margaery's ladies. And considering all the advantages, I've decided to allow it to further our relations with the North. Now, is there anything else you want to say? If not, then go. I have a lot to think about and do before we leave for the North."
Whistling a light tune as he strolled through the gardens surrounding Sunspear, Oberyn Martell found himself feeling lighter than he had in sometime. The sole reason for his elation could be boiled down to a single word. Revenge. Not the revenge he was hoping for of course, after all, the old lion and his mad dog and the fat king all still drew breath while his beloved sister did not. But it was revenge nonetheless. Revenge against the foolish Maesters who had spent decades, perhaps centuries, making fools of all the people of Westeros.
When word had first reached them about what had transpired in Winterfell the reaction of Dorne was, mixed to say the least. The Starks, while acknowledge to perhaps be the primary reason why the Rebellion was able to succeed, had earned the respect of Dorne because they'd gone to war after the unjust execution of Rickard and Brandon Stark and the kidnapping of Lyanna Stark. So, when word reached them that several of their vassal houses had attempted a coup, there were some who said that the wolves deserved their fate, but many more who were outraged by what had transpired. Oberyn, for his part, was one of those who were outraged.
He would never call Ned Stark a friend, but he did at least respect the man. Whatever sins Stark had committed, his children were innocent of them. He did not deserve to have his wife and youngest son murdered in his halls. But while he would not call Stark a friend, he did consider Nox to be a friend. A friend who nearly lost his wife and did lose his child in the coup. It took his brother Doran all but placing him under arrest to prevent him from taking the first ship he could find and sailing North to kill any and all responsible for the atrocity. And he wasn't the only one either. His niece Arianne had also been visibly upset by the news. Though he was positive that her anger was direct solely at the fact that her recent interest had nearly lost his life.
'She's got good tastes, even if he is a Northerner,' Oberyn thought, his mind straying towards the young lad he had spent over a moon's time with during the expedition to Valyria. 'She could certainly do worse, that's for sure. Though she might not be given the option to choose if Doran's plan comes to fruition. She'll be queen of Westeros… Though perhaps taking the boy on as a paramour could help bridge relations with the North when the time comes…but that is an issue for another time. Nothing has been set in stone yet. And I have something much more interesting to discuss with Doran other than his daughter's love life.'
While he might've been powerless to act when word had first arrived about the coup in the North, he certainly hadn't been when the next bit of news arrived at Sunspear. Nox and Stark had found out who the true force behind the coup was, and it turned out to be a secret organization within the ranks of the Maesters. An organization that even Oberyn wasn't aware existed, and he'd nearly forged several links during his stay at the Citadel. But that wasn't all that was uncovered. Apparently, this group of Maesters wasn't content with merely trying to control the North, they were trying to control all of Westeros by spreading their agents within the Maester order to various nobles houses and whispering into the ears of the Lords and Ladies they were sent to serve. And there were two such Maesters here in Sunspear.
Once their treachery had been revealed, courtesy of an envoy sent by Archmaester Marwyn who'd taken control of the Citadel, Doran had immediately ordered the arrest of both Maesters in Sunspear and demanded they be questioned extensively. While the letters they received from Archmaester Marwyn confirmed there was no great conspiracy to set the Houses of Dorne against House Martell, the Maesters were still trying to weaken House Martell. Their main plot was to not cure or even aid Doran, but rather make his condition worse through subtle poisons guised as medicine. The fact that the two Maesters had tried to kill his brother slowly did not sit well with Oberyn, and he had insisted on taking over the questioning of the two men.
Neither man had lasted long, barely an hour each into their questioning before they were both spilling everything, they knew from what types of poisons they were using against Doran to his brother's boot size. It was satisfying watching the two men suffer. But at the same time, it was rather, well, boring. No challenge whatsoever to get either to talk. And after only two days Oberyn was ready to send both men to be mounted on the spears lining the walls of Sunspear when the elder of the two let something slip. Something he had kept silent even from the other members of this Order of the Guiding Hand. A letter from his sister. Written in code that he and his sister had developed as children and received at a time that corresponded with the Sacking of King's Landing. His sister's last words.
The Maester had hid the letter from Oberyn and Doran, trying his best to decipher the cryptic language Elia wrote it in. But after being unsuccessful for some time, the Maester had simply put the letter aside and forgot about it. That was until Oberyn pride its location, as well as the Maester's teeth, out of him with a pair of tongs. After learning its location, Oberyn tore the Maester's chamber apart, looking for the last letter sent by Elia. It hadn't taken him long to find and it took him even less time to decipher the short message Elia had sent them. But while he could decipher her writing easily enough, that was only the first step. His sister had not only written in the secret code that the two of them had developed, but she had also made her message as cryptic as possible to the point where even if one could decipher the code, it would read as pure nonsense. Which was why Oberyn was now heading towards for Doran. While Oberyn could easily decipher the writing, he knew that Doran would be the one to truly understand the cryptic language she was using.
Passing by his brother's guards and entering his solar, Oberyn found Doran standing with his hands resting against the railing of the balcony that overlooked the yards of Sunspear. Along with the missive revealing the Maester's duplicity, Marwyn had also sent them a new recommendation for how to handle the symptoms of his brother's gout. Primarily a change in his exercise routine and diet. And while it would take years to undo the damage that had been done to him, Doran was starting to show some recovery.
"Did they have anything useful to say, Oberyn?" Doran asked the moment the door closed behind him, sealing the two in the room.
"Not much, mostly what they have been attempting to do to you. And neither had any inclination of your plans with the exiled Targaryens," Oberyn stated before pulling out the rolled-up scroll. "However, it appears that our Maester did keep a secret from us. Our sister's last words, sent to us just before the Sack of King's Landing."
That got his brother's attention as he turned away from the balcony and, albeit with a noticeable limp, retook his usual spot in his wheeled chair. "And what did she say?"
"She wrote it in the code that the two of us developed as children and as an added layer of protection made the message within so cryptic that even I cannot fully understand it. Whatever she had to tell us, she was deathly afraid of it falling into the wrong hands." Oberyn said as he began reading sections of the message. "First was a true fire before the farce came into being to spin a tale of deceit for time."
Doran seemed to mull the message around in his head before sighing. "That part of the message is easy enough to figure out, though it is a secret that was known to only a few. Elia's pregnancy with Rhaenys was…difficult as you well know. After she gave birth, Pycelle stated that she would have a difficult time carrying a second child to term. This did not sit well with Aerys, who threatened that if she lost a dragon child that he would see to it that his son had a 'proper' wife through whatever means he deemed necessary. When she became pregnant with Aegon, Rhaegar took her to Dragonstone to try and minimize the stress Aerys placed on her so that she could carry the child in peace."
"And it worked," Oberyn nodded. "She gave birth to Aegon on Dragonstone."
"No, she didn't," Doran replied, stunning Oberyn. "Aegon, the true Aegon, was stillborn. And the birthing permanently damaged Elia's womb to the point where she became barren. Knowing that Aerys would order Elia's death for her failure to carry the future heir to the Iron Throne, Rhaegar ordered this information kept silent by the Maester of Dragonstone and a child of a common girl with Valyrian features was found and passed off as Aegon until Rhaegar could set his father aside."
Feeling weak in the knees, Oberyn sat down across from his brother completely stunned. "Why didn't she…Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were in Essos at the time," Doran countered, which was true. "And after her death, it didn't really matter anymore. What else is in the letter?"
Not caring for Doran's answer, Oberyn proceeded to read through the rest of the letter that he didn't understand so that the two of them could work out what she was telling them. Most of it was sentimental, her wishing to see the two of them one last time but knowing that it would more than likely not happen with Rhaegar's defeat at the Trident. However, when they came to the end of the letter, her writing seemed to change.
"This part is…strange," Oberyn said, sitting upright and reading the passage to himself once more before reading it aloud. "'Follow the path to the dawn and find the untamed vicious bitch at the end. Save my beloved LyS from the chains that bind by oath and see them to safety.' What is this 'path to the dawn' she speaks of? And the vicious bitch? And why would she care about one of the free cities?"
Doran however had a very pensive look on his face. "Let me see the letter," he demanded, all but ripping the letter out of his hands. His elder brother read the last part of the message repeatedly before something seemed to click in his mind as his eyes widened and the letter fell from his hands. "I was wrong, brother…So very wrong." Doran said, seemingly shaken by whatever epiphany he'd had. "I assumed he was the most dangerous man in all of Westeros…but that is incorrect."
"What?" Oberyn asked, lost as to where his brother's mind had taken him.
"Your friend, the sorcerer Nox," Doran clarified. "After meeting him, I labeled him as a remarkable player of the game and perhaps one of the most dangerous men in all of Westeros. But I was wrong. He isn't the most dangerous man in all of Westeros. He's the most dangerous man in all of the known world."
Leaning forward, Oberyn rested his elbows on his knees. "I could've told you that, brother. Especially after seeing just what he was capable of doing in Valyria with his magic."
"I'm not talking about him in terms of his fighting prowess or his ability with magic. Those would be cause for concern enough. But no, I'm talking about his head for the game that makes him so dangerous."
"How did you come to that conclusion from our sister's letter?" Oberyn asked, scratching at his beard. "Surely, he didn't have a hand in the events that happened during the Rebellion? Does he have some connection to the 'path to the dawn' or to Lys?"
"No, I doubt he had any hand in the Rebellion. But he is taking advantage of the secrets that were created from the Rebellion." Doran said, confusing Oberyn even more than he already was. "As for our sisters' message… The path to the dawn was meant to be taken literally. As in travel to the Dawn, or rather the one who held Dawn. Ser Arthur Dayne. And to further this message, she tells us to find the untamed vicious bitch. Or, if taken in context, she's asking us to find a wild untamed female dog, which could be related to a –"
"Wolf. A she-wolf," Oberyn finished for his brother, connecting the pieces of the puzzle in his mind. "She wanted us to find Lyanna Stark? Why? And what about Lys? Oh, I see…clever. The 'L' and 'S' were capitalized in her writing. She wasn't referring to the city of Lys, but rather Lyanna Stark. But still, why would she want us to find the woman her husband ran off with?"
"Whoever said that Lyanna Stark ran off with Rhaegar?" Doran asked, making Oberyn frown. "You know as well as I our sister's true preference in bed partners. And a girl like Lyanna Stark? She would've found the She-wolf irresistible. And based on the way our sister claimed that Lyanna was her 'beloved'…perhaps her feelings were reciprocated. And Rhaegar's action would also make a bit of sense when combined with the fact that our sister was secretly barren. If he was looking for a second wife at Harrenhal, our sister would want to make sure that it was one that she could get along with."
"This…answers a number of questions, but creates even more Doran," Oberyn stated, to which his brother just nodded.
"That it does. Namely, why did Brandon Stark charge into King's Landing and demand Rhaegar show himself and face justice for the kidnapping of his sister. If our thoughts that Rhaegar had chosen Lyanna as a second wife are true, then why did Stark behave in such a manner? Surely having his sister as the future, even a second, queen was far better than her becoming the future Lady Baratheon."
Shaking his head, Oberyn got up and poured himself and his brother a glass of chilled wine. "These…theories of yours, brother. They still don't answer why you now hold such fear of Nox."
"Because of a single question Nox asked me while he was here without any pretext." Doran answered, taking the glass of wine. "He asked me what the duties of the Kingsguard were. Such an easy to answer question and one that he should've already known. Yet he asked it of me anyway. And ever since, I haven't been able to get the question out of my mind. And now I know why. Tell me Oberyn, what is the duty of the Kingsguard?"
Retaking his seat, Oberyn took a small sip, the cool wine doing wonders for his throat. "To protect the King and the royal family from any harm that may be set upon them."
"Indeed," Doran nodded. "Seven members, no matter how large the royal family becomes. The king is always assigned one if not two of the kingsguard at a single time, and the heir to the throne usually always has a kingsguard assigned to him. For the rest of the royal family, however, it is not uncommon for them to remain unguarded. Elia, despite being the future queen, rarely had a kingsgaurd assigned to her. Yet when Rhaegar returned to King's Landing to deal with the rebels he did so without the accompaniment of Lord Commander Hightower, Ser Dayne, or Ser Whent. Those three were left with the Stark girl. Why? Even if she was his second queen, at most she would've been assigned a single guard. And a call to arms would require the kingsguard to follow the Crown Prince into battle no matter the orders given. So why did they stay behind? And why did they not immediately seek out Viserys once Rhaegar and Aerys were killed?"
The question was…disturbing. And for the life of him he couldn't help but wonder why he had never questioned the actions of the three kingsgaurd before. Had they followed Rhaegar to the Trident, it is very possible that they could've turned the tide of the war by helping Rhaegar slay Robert. And Ser Arthur Dayne was known to be Rhaegar's close friend and confidant. So why? Why leave such capable men behind? And why didn't they leave the Stark girl to attend Viserys after Rhaegar and Aerys were killed? The young boy was the heir by—!
"Gods," Oberyn gasped, the wine falling from his grasp. "They weren't staying to protect or keep Lyanna hostage. They were protecting the next heir to the Iron Throne. A child still in the womb of Lyanna Stark."
"That is my thought as well," Doran nodded, finishing off his wine and setting the empty cup down.
"Where is the child then?" Oberyn asked, picking his cup off the floor.
"I'm surprised you haven't realized yet. You do have quite the high opinion of him, after all," Doran stated with a slight grin on his face, drawing Oberyn up short. "There is only one other person, no, two others who know what happened at the Tower of Joy. And do you really think Stark would harm a child? Especially one born by way of his sister? The same sister he fought a war and overthrew a dynasty in order to reclaim?"
It took Oberyn a moment to catch up, and once he did, he couldn't help himself as he threw his head back and laughed. "Oh gods," Oberyn laughed. "The one who publicly hates the game more than any other has outmaneuvered the old lion, the queen of thorns, and my brother while he was still barely into manhood."
"In my defense, Lord Stark's honor provided the perfect shield," his brother countered. "While the idea of the honorable Lord Stark fathering a bastard was farfetched, the idea that he would hide the true heir of the Iron Throne and the son of his sister from the world by claiming him to be his bastard son is even more unbelievable."
Finally getting himself under control, Oberyn began pacing the length of the room. "And you think that Nox knows and has plans to put the boy on the Iron Throne?"
"Yes to Nox knowing the boy's true identity. However, I will not begin to say that I understand the mind of the sorcerer or his long term goals," Doran said, as he turned his wheeled chair around so he could face out over the Sunspear. "Brother, I do believe that it is time for your wanderlust to strike you once more."
"I see," Oberyn nodded, already knowing that game that his brother was playing at. "And where will my wanderlust be taking me this time?"
"Winterfell," Doran answered without hesitation. "You are good friends with the sorcerer, are you not? I do believe that it is considered polite to visit and wish your friends well after a traumatic event. And I do believe that perhaps your paramour and your daughters might like to expand their horizons as well."
Smirking, Oberyn leaned back in his seat and rested his hands behind his head. "I do believe that my daughters will relish the chance to see the world, even if it is the frozen lands of the North. And with Lady Dacey and Jon serving as an example of northern men and women, then I doubt that it will take much to convince Ellaria to come."
"Good," Doran nodded. "You will head out on the first trade vessel heading North. And…there is one more thing. Arianne will go with you as well."
"Arianne?" Oberyn repeated, staring hard at his brother.
"Yes," Doran nodded. "She has taken an extreme interest in learning how to be a proper ruler, just as I had planned. And while she is in the North, she will be representing Dornish interests regarding an expansion of our trade relations with the North. And…should her affections for the boy reach a certain point, you will encourage her to pursue them."
'So that's his angle.' "You're thinking of trying to use the boy in place of the Beggar King. Do you think that is what Nox intends as well?"
His brother remained silent for a short while as he stared out over the landscape. "The Targaryen's may yet still serve a purpose in our plans. But who do you believe will be better to rally the lords of the realm to his banner? The Beggar King and son of the Mad King who's spent his entire life in Essos? Or the son of Rhaegar who has been raised like a son by the honorable Lord Eddard Stark? Just his presence alone would be enough to bring the North under his banner. And with them will come the Riverlands and potentially even the Vale."
"But there is still the issue of Lord Stark actually declaring for Jon over Robert or the whore King's spawn." Oberyn countered, making his brother turn around and face him.
"This is where we must have patience. First, we must begin to erode the bridge between the Starks and the Baratheons. Though given what my eyes in King's Landing have seen, the bitch lion queen has already started doing our work for us. But you will leave that to me. For now—"
"Head North and learn what I can of the boy and of Nox's intentions towards him," Oberyn finished for his brother. "And should your daughter find an urge to bed the boy, I'm to do all I can to encourage said urges. Shouldn't be too hard. Those two could hardly go a moment without being in one another's company during their brief stay here in Sunspear."
"Just don't be too obvious, brother," Doran chided him as Oberyn began heading for the door. "Things with the North need to be handled delicately for now until we can figure out Nox's true intentions."
"Why, brother, you wound me," Oberyn smirked. "I can be the picture of delicacy when I wish to be. But it's often too boring for my tastes."