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112 AC
Kingslanding
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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"So what are your thoughts on the Targaryens, you didn't see much of them but we saw enough to form some opinions." My father speaks up as we 'Break our fast' but all the homies just call it Breakfast.
"They seem alright, they seem to be very off-put with the current state of affairs. I don't know if it has to do with our outfits or just that we are from the desert." Lewyn answers with a bit of 'helplessness' as he sighs over his eggs.
"Very good observation skills son, it is most likely the outfits." Mother joins in with humor in her voice as she tugs his silken sleeve and straightens his almost see-through shirt.
"I think they seem alright, Rhaenyra seemed interested in my outfit when we talked so I doubt it's the clothes..." Myriah joins in with a smirk as fathers brows scrunch up but he resists saying anything.
The walls have ears after all.
"I was personally thinking about going shirtless today, maybe some baggy pants and a head covering with my hair tied back. Might get to see how they really feel about us with my abs out for all the admire." My mom snorts at my joke and grabs her cup to drown her laughter with wine.
I feel bad for anyone who is spying on us, they will have to report our shenanigans.
"Well that is certainly one way, another is challenging the Kingsguard to a match with little care for our image." His voice is steely as he narrows his eyes at me.
"I would toss that steel-covered knight around like a ragdoll, it was just curiosity anyway, no harm done." I place my utensils down and narrow my eyes back at him.
He grunts and goes back to his meal as I slowly look around the table, everyone present is withholding their own opinion. I know for a fact looking at Lewyn he also wants to try out the white cloaks and see what they are capable of.
Myriah has her lips pursed as she looks toward a corner of the room, her hair still undone and looking a mess. She has always had the habit of tossing and turning and kicking in her sleep, if a bystander saw her leave her room like that...
Well, they would think the rumors of us all being whores have some grounds.
But Myriah is probably the most prudish Dornish woman there is in all of our sands. She goes out of her way to look good and tempting but gets pissed when people look, a known fact. Many people only look long enough to recognize who she is before scampering out of the way back home. Something that was not happening yesterday much to her annoyance.
She even dressed more 'conservatively' than I have ever seen her and people were taking longer looks than they should. I could tell she was a moment from throwing her hidden blade into the eye of an onlooker.
I shake my head and look away from the troublemaker, looking at my food I realize I am no longer hungry. I am about to excuse myself and maybe scout the place out some more on my own when a knock at the door silences the room.
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"I wonder what 'going for a walk' really means, I hope it's not just walking around because that sounds stupid." Myriah shows her inner grouch as we are guided to join Princess Rhaenyra on the fine morning.
An invitation to 'take a walk' almost sounds like we are some dogs or something, but I have a suspicion of her real intentions. I think the walk will turn more into a Q and A with her trying to uncover our mysteries. I would do the same in her position, I would die from curiosity if some unmet 'cousins' randomly became powerhouses.
"Cheer up Myriah, at least we can stretch our legs for a bit before we are dragged around my mother. We might be able to convince her to show us some of the more interesting locations around the Red keep." Lewyn seems excited to get out and away from our mother.
We are 'guests' here and the main reason is for negotiations but those won't start immediately and will take a few days. There is a lot of coming and going and last-minute preparations going on for the Tourney. The Tourney that King Viserys called every single Lord and Lady to celebrate the birth of his son and heir.
So understandably he has a few things to manage before he can jump into back and forth with my father and mother. I honestly pity the man for having to face my mother, she has waited for this since I was born. She has had plenty of time to work with my father and they have an airtight plan that they will enact.
"If you would wait here for a moment, Prince and Princess." The guide that brought us here doesn't seem sure whether she should bow but finally gives a quick short one before leaving.
"How tight do you think the leash is going to be?" Lewyn asks and I can only shrug in response.
"No clue, if you mean with the Princess then 'very tight' but once we are on our own it should loosen considerably. We will still have eyes and ears on us but if you want we can walk around the capital city of the 'seven' kingdoms. Mother would faint if she knew we planned on going out without guards though..." Lewyn places his hands behind his head and leans against the wall and his jaw clenches.
"I still don't understand why we are not allowed to enter the Tourney, it seems like it would be fun." He is very salty about being denied his chance to have some fun with Westerosi knights.
I am with him on that matter, father just doesn't want any chance of something happening. Tons of have died in Tourneys so he forbids us entry and expects us to sit together as a family. I still feel like we would be fine but we need to work as a team to show we are united. We do not want to project an unharmonious family that can be used against one another.
"If you can remember his words 'Flying on a dragon is much more impressive than beating someone with a stick' so you have nothing to 'prove'." Myriah enjoys our suffering at being held back, she would never be allowed even if she disobeyed father.
Unless she went in as a mystery knight she would be prevented from even entering.
"He is not wrong but it is still a drag, I mean we are at the age when most 'boys' have participated in multiple Tourneys. Tourneys are the battlefield of times of peace and are the only way men earn 'glory' and yet we will sit on the side with our hands idle." I almost debate letting Lewyn know we will have plenty of war and chances for glory soon enough.
He obviously knows of the Stepstones becoming a thorn in the side of the Velaryons and they're wanting an alliance. I mean he is one of the key pieces in that alliance, but I don't think he realizes just what is to come.
Dragons will rain fire and men will burn, men will storm beaches and cut other men down.
The Stepstones will bleed and I expect Lewyn and Tyraxes to have a big part in it, still not sure how I feel about that. Getting excited to test my metal against another trained man is fun and exciting but getting excited to massacre seems in poor taste. I have killed men before, part of being the heir to Sunspear, but this will be different.
Gaelithox will burn ships and melt flesh and bone as I drown them in their caves as they flee his wildfire-colored flames.
But even my uncertainty does not dim the prospect of war for me, there is an opportunity to be had. I don't know if Daemon will be in the war like in canon but I doubt it. The pitiful claim he had on the Stepstones will bloom into reality in this world under House Martell.
It won't be a farce but real, the Kingdom of the three daughters will make a comeback and we will be ready. With the Stepstones Dorne will be able to invade straight into the heart of the three daughters.
I lose my train of thought as I hear the clink of armor and look up to see the Princess escorted by two Kingsguards. The 'lovely' young Hightower is also accompanying her as they approach with their arms locked together at the elbow.
I wonder where this will lead to.
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"I did not expect to be taking a ride over to the Dragon pit, I thought the walk would be around the keep under watchful eyes." The Kingsguard riding his horse in between me and the Princess narrows his eyes and I smirk.
There are still plenty of watchful eyes but I wonder if Viserys is extending some trust to us or if Rhaenyra just has his nuts in a vice. She some how on our first 'real' day here has us being escorted to the Dragon pit so she can see our dragons. I didn't expect this even after weeks of us staying here, but I guess if we wanted to burn people we would have by now.
"Well Prince Daeron, I planned on it being less of a big event and more of a casual stroll over. My father got wind of my plans and attached more guards to ensure nothing happened to our guests from Dorne." Lewyn snorts behind us and my lips thin as I press them together.
Yea he sent guards for our safety and not to ensure we did not run off with you.
"We appreciate the sentiment from your father, I have to commend him on his attention to detail when it comes to the safety of those under his protection." If I am not mistaken even the Kingsguard beside me had a ghost of a smile hearing Lewyn.
"He would be happy to hear such words Prince Lewyn." We stop at the stairs to the Dragon pit and start dismounting.
I hop off on the side Rhaenyra is on as the Kingsguard rode forward a bit more and is keeping a watchful eye on me. I wink at him before walking toward the Princess and offering to help her down and she accepts. I wordlessly help her down and turn my attention up to the pit, I wonder how it looks inside.
"How will your dragons know that you are waiting on them?" Rhaenyra asks curiously, our dragons did fly off and are not here chained down.
"They just know, I am surprised you are not able to do something similar with Syrax." She purses her lips and looks up to the pit at the top of the stairs with narrowed eyes.
I wonder if she is trying to feel for her bond with Syrax, the bond is a wonderful thing that I am still looking into. Sometimes when I am on Gaelithox I can almost feel his 'energy' flowing into me as I bend water from the saddle. I hold hope it is not a fantasy and it is actually the case, I can't even imagine how much I would be able to bend with his help.