Samwell had no intention of paying respects to some so-called princess. His mood was foul.
He could not believe it—a Dornish princess had shown up here, of all places.
This threw his plans for Starfall into turmoil. Arianne Martell would never allow House Dayne's control to fall into the hands of a girl so clearly aligned with the Reach, even if that girl happened to be the rightful heir.
Moreover, if they chose to get picky, Natalie's claim could indeed be seen as flawed.
So, what should he do?
Attack Starfall outright?
He wasn't that reckless. Even if Starfall's forces were now depleted, with a Dornish princess within, they wouldn't surrender easily. And with only a few hundred men, taking the Dayne family's fortress before reinforcements arrived was nothing short of a fantasy.
Retreat?
Samwell was reluctant. Although he had won the last battle, his territory was devastated—months of effort reduced to ashes.
Leaving now would mean no compensation from Starfall, a thought he simply couldn't bear. Besides, would Starfall let him go so easily?
With Arianne Martell still here, she would likely rally House Dayne's forces, and perhaps even call upon nearby lords to launch a counterattack on Eagle's Nest.
How would he defend himself then?
Thus, he decided that, rather than letting the fighting return to his own land, he would hold his ground here at the docks.
This way, he could both block any Dornish advance and buy time to request aid from Highgarden.
The Tyrells might have been reluctant to intervene before when he was only defending Eagle's Nest. But now, he held a foothold in western Dorne—a dock that could serve as a gateway to bring in troops—and held the key to western Dorne in Natalie Dayne. Surely, the Tyrells wouldn't overlook such an opportunity.
Having made up his mind, Samwell ordered his soldiers to take control of the entire dock, drive out the civilians, and begin constructing defensive structures in preparation for battle.
After scouting the area, he realized that defending the dock alone wouldn't be sufficient.
The docks lay low, with no strategic depth. If they defended only the immediate area, the Dornish could easily force them back into the sea. So, he extended his defensive line outward by two or three miles.
This region was a rugged stretch of rocky terrain with only one main road in and out. Eastward, beyond a ridge, was a stretch of flat sand.
So the defenses were relatively straightforward: they would block the one road leading west of the ridge to the dock.
Once trenches were dug, earthworks were raised, and several barricades were built using dismantled dockside structures, Samwell sent Hughes to inform Princess Arianne of his response—
If she wanted to meet, she would have to come to him.
Hughes quickly returned with a reply: "My lord, the princess says she has already arrived and wishes to meet you."
Samwell's eyebrows rose, surprised at the courage of the Dornish princess. But if she was indeed willing to come, then he was willing to meet her.
If they could come to an agreement and avoid conflict, that would be preferable.
At the first line of defense, Samwell soon spotted a group of Dornish gathering on the opposite ridge.
As he appeared, two riders broke from the crowd, one clearly a woman.
Samwell, accompanied by his attendant Katu, rode forward to meet them.
They halted a short distance apart.
Princess Arianne studied the Reach knight before her, finding him different from what she had heard.
Of course, she had never believed the tales she'd heard about Samwell Tarly—a weak, abandoned son didn't seem like the type to carve out a domain in the Red Mountains.
Let alone one who could defeat Ulrick Sand and his forces.
The young man before her matched her expectations—tall and handsome, with an aura of strength and confidence. His gray eyes glinted with a touch of cunning.
This would be no easy opponent.
Arianne came to a quick assessment.
Samwell, for his part, was sizing up the Dornish princess.
She was as beautiful as the tales described: her slender figure was just visible beneath a gauzy gown, her olive-toned skin glowing with health, her smile bright and alluring. Though not classically stunning, there was an undeniable magnetism about her.
"Reach knight, do you know that you're standing on Dornish soil?" Arianne's tone was lazy, like a lover's whisper.
This was a woman well-versed in the use of charm to get what she wanted.
Samwell, wary, smiled. "If I recall correctly, it was the Dornish who first attacked my land."
"Your land?" Arianne chuckled. "I hear you haven't even finished building your castle."
Samwell laughed as well. "Your Highness, there's no need for legal games. Eagle Point is my land, filled with my people and my resources, which Ulrick Sand destroyed. It's not unreasonable for me to come to Starfall and ask for compensation."
Arianne gestured to the defenses behind him, her slender fingers pointing.
"If you're just here for compensation, why fortify the dock and build all these defenses?"
"To defend against you, of course," Samwell replied bluntly. "I already had an agreement with House Dayne regarding compensation, but your presence here could reignite the flames of war. Shouldn't I prepare for that?"
"Agreed to compensation?" Arianne laughed, her figure swaying. "And just who in House Dayne made this agreement with you?"
"The rightful heir of House Dayne, the daughter of Ashara Dayne—Lady Natalie Dayne."
At this, Princess Arianne laughed again, her shoulders shaking as she chuckled. "Ser Caesar, are you mistaken? Ashara Dayne leapt to her death over a decade ago."
Samwell thought, Of course. The Martells wouldn't acknowledge Natalie so easily. He pressed on anyway: "She may have leapt, but she didn't die. She has a daughter. If you doubt me, bring forth some of House Dayne's elders to confirm her identity."
Arianne smirked. "How about this? Allow Lady Natalie to accompany me to Sunspear. My father can confirm her identity himself. If she truly is Ashara's daughter, she can inherit Starfall and swear loyalty to my father."
"Our differences appear rather fundamental," Samwell shrugged. He would never hand Natalie over to House Martell.
And he knew this woman would not yield easily.
In the original tale, Arianne had tried to crown a queen on the Iron Throne, forcing her father to drag her back in chains to prevent her from causing further chaos.
If Doran Martell couldn't restrain her without force, how could he, a Reachman, hope to persuade her with words?
Samwell saw no reason to prolong the discussion and said simply, "Then let's settle this with steel."
"You're confident, Ser Caesar." Arianne's eyes sparkled, locking onto his. "I hope you keep that confidence."
"Thank you for your kind wishes." Samwell gave her a courteous nod. "And may you retain your beauty. You know, on the battlefield, beautiful things are as fragile as porcelain."
Arianne's smile vanished, her voice now hard and cold as desert grit.
"Then take a good look, and see if the Martells before you are fragile porcelain—or the unbreakable spear that will never yield!"
With that, she turned and left.
"Daemon Sand!" she called the moment she returned to her entourage. "Send messages to High Hermitage, Blackmont, Skyreach, Sandstone, King's Grave, and Hellholt. Tell every western Dornish lord that the Reachmen have set foot on our land. I, Arianne Martell, in the name of the Sun and Spear, command them to send troops to Starfall at once!"
(End of Chapter)