In the Water Gardens, a couple sat together who hadn't seen each other in several years. Mellario broke the silence, asking softly, "How is your gout?"
"It's better," replied Prince Doran, his usually composed demeanor now laced with discomfort. Their separation hadn't been due to a lack of affection, but rather Mellario's strong disagreement with sending their young son away to be fostered.
Doran had recently received Viserys's "Great Announcement," but it was Mellario who provided him with the more detailed account: the Night, the Dothraki, the dragons, and the "Emperor" title.
Less than two years ago, Doran had thought Viserys would struggle just to take Tyrosh. Now, he couldn't find the words to describe his feelings—regret hung heavily over him. He regretted not keeping a closer watch on Arianne, allowing a bastard to take her virginity. Doran prayed Mellario wouldn't ask about it, for he truly wouldn't know how to explain.
"Do you think Viserys will still honor the original marriage contract?" Mellario asked, unaware that Viserys already knew of Arianne's situation. Doran decided to keep this a secret for as long as he could.
"He... He and we have signed a new marriage contract," Doran admitted.
"A new marriage contract?" Mellario's voice held a note of surprise.
By 'new marriage,' Doran meant that Viserys's heir would marry into House Martell, but Viserys himself would not. He had Tyene, the Red Viper's daughter, bring the 'new marriage' contract to Mellario.
"When was this marriage contract signed?" she asked.
"A... less than two years ago." Doran regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
Less than two years ago? Viserys had only just conquered Tyrosh at that time. Could he have foreseen his rise to power even then? Or was he already planning the hatching of the dragons? Even if that were true, another problem remained. Breaking off the engagement right after conquering Tyrosh seemed like an attempt to "cast aside the one who had helped you." Were the men of House Martell all so soft that they could accept such a slight?
"Tell me, what was the reason Viserys gave for breaking off the engagement?" Mellario pressed.
Prince Doran couldn't find the words. It felt as if his vocal cords had vanished; his mouth opened, but no sound emerged.
Just then, a sudden cry of surprise came from outside. "Mother!"
Mellario turned to see Arianne, and mother and daughter immediately embraced tightly. Arianne was her firstborn, and when Mellario had left Sunspear, she had done so under cover of night while Arianne slept. Now, after five or six long years, they were finally reunited.
"Mother, I've missed you so much," Arianne whispered.
"Arianne, my Arianne," Mellario responded, holding her daughter as if she never wanted to let go. After what seemed like an eternity, the mother and daughter finally sat down together.
"You've grown taller," Mellario observed.
"Yes, Mother," Arianne replied softly.
Watching the intimate reunion between the two, Doran let out a silent sigh of relief, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped a disaster.
"Mother, I heard you just returned from the Disputed Lands?"
"Yes, but it's now called the Hopeful Lands."
"Hopeful Lands?" Arianne repeated, surprised.
A silver-haired figure appeared in Arianne's vision. "So, did you see Viserys? How is he doing? I heard that some time ago, Viserys fought the Dothraki?"
Arianne's words left both her parents at a loss for what to say. How could they tell her that Viserys had become an emperor? It would only upset her more.
"He—won," Mellario finally said. "Viserys defeated the Horselord, and now the danger in the Hopeful Lands has been lifted."
Arianne nodded, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Okay, if you have any more questions, we can talk about them tonight, when we sleep together, alright?" Mellario added, gently rubbing her daughter's hair.
"Alright! Okay!" Arianne smiled happily.
Once Arianne had walked away, Mellario turned to Doran, her eyes narrowing. "Our daughter is no longer a virgin, is she?"
Doran was taken aback. How could she know just by looking? "Viserys broke off the engagement because of this, didn't he?" she pressed.
Doran's mouth twitched, but he still didn't say a word.
"Doran, you are not a good father."
"I…" Doran tried to respond, but the words caught in his throat. Mellario didn't wait for him to finish. From the perspective of a lord, from the perspective of the Prince of Dorne, Doran had made all the right moves. But as a father, he had failed to consider Arianne's needs, and now they were all paying the price.
Before leaving, Mellario handed Doran a letter Viserys had asked her to give him. When Doran opened the envelope, seven shiny objects of different colors spilled out, some landing in his lap, others on the floor. Tyene quickly retrieved those that had fallen and handed them to him.
For a moment, Doran didn't recognize what they were. But soon, realization dawned on him. "Dragon scales!" he exclaimed, running his fingers over the scales, which felt like something between stone and metal. Any lingering doubts about the return of dragons vanished.
He then took the letter out of the envelope. The demands inside were similar to those made on Highgarden. The first was the same: Dorne was to send troops, as Robert had requested. The second was to gather as much grain as possible.
But Viserys wasn't forcing them to choose sides—at least, not yet.
After all, Dorne was not the same as Highgarden; their loyalties were intertwined, yet distinct. If Viserys wanted to influence Dorne, he had more than one way to do it. In his letter, Viserys simply informed them that he wouldn't be attacking Westeros anytime soon. The second point, as Doran had already learned from the Red Viper, was related to Viserys' preparations for the Long Night. Dorne had been stockpiling grain for a long time, so this demand wasn't particularly surprising.
As Doran examined the seven-colored dragon scales in his hands, a deep sense of regret washed over him. He couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different had he been honest with Viserys about Arianne. Might they still have been able to negotiate a better outcome?
At that moment, Manfrey entered the Water Gardens.
"Prince, the Lady has returned?" he asked.
"Yes," Doran nodded, handing Viserys' letter to Manfrey and showing him the dragon scales.
"These are the dragon scales," he added, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and regret.
Manfrey glanced at Doran's expression and immediately sensed that the meeting between Doran and Mellario had not gone well. He could guess the underlying reason, but knew better than to involve himself in such personal matters.
"Prince, how many troops should we provide to Robert?" Manfrey asked, carefully steering the conversation back to practical matters.
"Five thousand. If we get the other houses to contribute, we can muster ten thousand men," Doran replied, though his tone was somewhat resigned. The weight of past decisions and their consequences bore down on him.
'All of this', he mused bitterly, 'stemmed from Robert's rebellion. If it hadn't been for that, my house might have produced a queen.'
"But Prince…" Manfrey began, sensing the tension in Doran's words, and trying to navigate the delicate situation.