Dorne….
Oberyn walked the garden with his brother Doran. Doran was having a difficult time walking but, this was a conversation that was way past due. Doran motioned for Oberyn to take a seat with him. They were looking out across the water gardens and the sight was oddly relaxing despite the tension coming from both brothers.
"Are you seriously going to do this?" Doran said.
"Yes, the boy needs some training."
"He's had training. Swordsman, spearman, mesters, and even grand maesters have trained the boy. What more does he need?"
Oberyn laughs.
"More than Dorne can give brother."
Doran shakes his head.
"So you're taking him to Essos? What can he learn there that he can't learn here?"
Oberyn smirks at him.
"Life brother. It is the greatest teacher of all. It turns summer boys into men."
"What? You're going to take a boy away from his home so you can go to foreign brothels and make him a man? You must be joking."
Oberyn laughs again.
"I wish brother. I wish." Oberyn said while smiling.
When he calms down Oberyn looks at Doran and says.
"I do not plan for him visit brothels while overseas."
"Really, so what do you plan for him to do while he's overseas."
"Simple, I plan to enroll him in the Second Sons."
Doran's eyes bulge out and he begins to sputter.
"Are you mad?! He's the smartest, wisest, and most skilled Dornishman we've seen in a generation and you plan to waste his fighting for coin."
"Why not? I did it when I was younger."
Doran shook his head.
"As I recall, you were six and ten when you went to Essos. Jon is barely two and ten. He's too young and stupid to fight for his life."
"Exactly. He's young and stupid. Every day, I see him here in his books getting swept up in tales of warriors and battles long past. "
Oberyn sighed.
"I walked with him the other day and I saw something that had me unnerved. We stopped by the market when one man began to duel with another. Apparently, it started because one man had slept with the other man's wife."
Doran had heard of an incident involving a duel but, he didn't know any specifics.
"Normally, I would just have moved on but, Jon wanted to see what would happen. Since it was an honor duel agreed upon by both parties, the outcome of the battle would be perfectly legal without any repercussions for the winner."
Doran waives his hand in a flourish, telling Oberyn to move on.
"At first, the husband was winning. He fought with a spear while the adulterer fought with a dagger. Even though, the husband wasn't a soldier, he used his spear well. He kept his opponent off balance and he only struck when there was an opening. The Adulterer was soon winded. It was obvious the adulterer was not used to manual labor for him to tire so fast. The husband on the other hand was a farmer. From his physique and stamina it was obvious he was going to win. He may have never been a soldier but, it was obvious that he was trained by one. Probably, a father or brother. "
Doran nods in understanding. Many Dornish believed that the crown would attack Dorne after the rebellion. The Dornish were the staunchest supporters of the Targaryens and many feared a backlash that would never come. Dornish archers and spearmen taught their trade to their families. Hoping against hope that they would never need the skills of death that they had taught.
"The Adulterer was desperate and he looked for an escape from the crowd around them. Every time he tried to break through the crowd they would push him back in. He had no escape from his fate and he knew it. The husband was too skilled and he too winded."
"Go on. "
"The Adulterer knew his time was up when he spotted someone at the edge of the crowd. It was a woman breastfeeding her newborn infant. The Adulterer saw it as his chance. The husband chased him down for all he was worth but, he couldn't catch him. He had too big of a lead."
Oberyn looks at the sunset sea. The waves were starting to roll in now and it was beautiful.
"Today is a good day." Oberyn thought to himself.
He was so enraptured by the sight that he almost lost his train of thought.
His brother waves for a guard to get him some water snapping Oberyn from his brief daydream.
"The husband almost had him. In fact he was only four or five feet away. But, in a fight, four or five feet means the difference between life and death."
Doran nods and Oberyn takes the pitcher from a random guard pours his brother a drink.
"When the Adulterer reached the woman he snatched her newborn babe right from her teat. He held the crying baby and dashed towards the husband. The husband was shocked. He never expected the adulterer to double back, baby in hand. He raised his spear instead of pointing it he moved it straight up. What happened next shocked even me."
"What happened?"
"The Adulterer lobbed the babe towards the husband. The husband immediately dropped his guard and his spear to catch the babe. The Adulterer on the other hand ran forward and stabbed him in the side. The husband fell to the baby's life safe in hand and his opponent's dagger straight in his g
Oberyn takes a sip of his water.
"Jon was shocked. It was the first time he'd seen death and he didn't relish it. He didn't speak until we arrived back at the castle. Afterwards, he asked me why the adulterer was allowed to walk free and why nobody arrested the adulterer who cheated."
"I told him that in a game of life and death there is only one winner. Either you win or you die."
Oberyn stood up.
"He still doesn't understand it. He lives in a world where he is coddled for being my son. A world where he believes everyone has honor and a code. He doesn't understand the world outside these walls but, he will."
Doran looks at him.
"And you think risking his life with the second sons will educate him on the ways of the world."
"Yes, it will temper him and take away his foolish naiveté. The world is not merciful Doran, but, neither am I. Jon will learn his lessons in Essos and when he returns he'll be a man. Who knows, he might even become Rhaegars foolish 'Prince who was Promised'. "
Oberyn says with a laugh.
Doran gives Oberyn a serious look.
"What if he dies?"
"If he dies, then it was our fault for not teaching him. I will mourn him but, do not put up grave markers yet brother. He has a destiny fulfill and like it or not, the seven won't take too kindly to him not fulfilling it."
Doran sighs.
"I guess you're right brother. "
"Yes, I usually am." Oberyn says in his arrogant way.
On the beaches of Sunspear….
Jon dove down beneath the waves. He loved swimming but, with all the training he'd been doing he never seemed to find the time. Luckily for him, his father had cancelled all his training for the week in preparation for their trip to Essos. Jon saw his little sisters swimming a few feet in front of him and quickly hatched a devious plan.
He held his breath and made his way beneath Tyene's waist. She was getting bigger but, she was still small for her age. He quickly grabbed her head and pulled her down. He was hit in the face by Tyenes elbow the moment her head as submerged.
When did she get so strong. Jon thought to himself.
Jon quickly surfaces to the laughter of his sisters Obarra and Nymeria.
"Ow, Tyene, couldn't you just be submissive for once in your life?" Jon said to his coughing sister.
"Never, you jerk." Tyene said
"Aww, I love you too."
Tyene swims to her brothers back and jumps on it like a person wanting a piggy back ride.
Jon is quickly submerged, unable to swim and support her weight at the same time.
After drinking a gallons worth of sea water, he taps Tyene's arm telling her he gives up. Tyene lets go and both swim to the surface.
"By the seven little sister. Are you trying to kill me? " Jon says.
Tyene laughs.
"At least you'd die with a beautiful woman on your back." Tyene says.
Jon is still coughing when he manages to give out an answer.
"A beautiful woman where? I see no woman here."
Tyene splashes water towards Jon's face causing the others to laugh.
"So brother, what do you want to do during your last week?" Nymeria says.
"Why spend it with my sisters of course." Jon says.
"Rightfully so big brother. You have to promise no books and training this last week." Obarra says.
"Fine, but, only if you can beat me to the shoreline little sister." Jon says.
Nymeria, Tyene, and Obarra share a look.
"Deal. " Nymeria says.
Jon looks at his sisters. He always hated it when they communicated without speaking words.
"Ready. Set. Go!" Jon says.
The moment he says go Nymeria dove below trying to remove his underclothes while Tyene grasped onto his neck and back again. They knew their brother. He was as modest as they come. They knew he wouldn't go on the populated beach naked. Plus if he did manage to keep his underclothes, Tyene's weight was more than enough to get Obarra the win. Either way, brother or not, he should have known better than to challenge the newly formed sand snakes.