The departure from Tarth was a fairly cheerful thing all told, Brienne had spoken to her father, and while he was displeased at being robbed of a likely heir, he appreciated that I had done so out of consideration for Brienne's feelings and nit because I found her ugly or distasteful. I had brought gifts with me aboard the Sword, for all of my potential betrothed, and Lord Selwyn at least seemed to appreciate a small breeding stable of Reach Purebreds. With all the unused pasture-space of Tarth, he was in an excellent position to begin ranching.
Eventually, however, I had to depart, leaving Brienne behind for now. She gave me a backbreaking hug at our parting, which I struggled to return.
And then we were off again, back north through the straights of Tarth and out onto the open water so as to avoid Shipbreaker Bay, we sailed east a good few leagues from the coast of Tarth before coming South down the middle of the Narrow Sea.
We first caught sight of the Stepstones after a day and a half at sea, stubby little Island mountains in the distance, though some were nearly the size of Dragonstone, and some larger still. My future domain, though I would not be stopping there on this voyage.
We spotted Pirates a few times, or likely pirates at least, alongside a few traders, but none dared trouble my little armada on our way, even the pirates if the Stepstones were not so brash as to take on so many ships alongside a Galleon it seemed.
I did appreciate the warmth however, I had been wintered on Dragonstone, and even the summer there was cool and dank. The Stepstones were quite pleasant in comparison.
Soon we were out onto the other side of them, and we clung near the southern parts of the archipelago as we made our way into Sunspear.
The Ancient Martell citadel, the Sandship, was certainly an impressive sight to see, visible at a long distance and built atop a great hill on which its shadow city was visible, the thing looked to me more like Pride Rock than anything, a great jutting spear of Sandstone that likely gave the city it's name.
'I wonder if they execute people by kicking them off the edge?' The Targaryens had certainly done similar things at times, shoving traitors into the Dragonmont. It was something I didn't intend to replicate.
The docks, surprisingly, we're actually quite extensive, with a few that were likely built for warships back when Dorne maintained a fleet that was even capable of handling the bulk of the Sword, albeit only barely.
Still, it was nice to be able to walk down a gangplank though, from the look of the man who was greeting me, I thought I could already ready tell who he was.
"Prince Arthur, welcome to Sunspear, I must say, you have certainly come with a beautiful show."
"Prince Oberyn." I nodded my head gently, wary of the viper but unwilling to let it show too much on my face. "I could hardly arrive with less to meet with women who might well be my wives?"
"Hah, many men bring far less to the table than they say they are going too, I am glad to see that you do not."
I pointedly ignored the innuendo in his words, which seemed to disappoint him slightly.
"I keep to my duty."
"Much like your father then, well, I will show you up to the castle so you can meet young Arianne, that is the purpose of this, ah, Maiden Voyage."
I cannot deny that he had me with that one, setting me a grumble. It seemed that everyone aboard my fleet had caught on to that joke, and since Oberyn spoke it as well it had likely already found its way into the hands of Mummers and Chroniclers.
As if I needed that kind of publicity.
Still, I followed Oberyn up to the castle proper, taking the offered horse. My riding was by no means that of a knight's, but it was passable enough as a mode of transportation when I couldn't get a boat.
The city of Sunspear was certainly interesting, with a blend of Westerosi and what I might call Arabic styles, large onion-domed rooves stood over sandstone buildings, with machicolated Battlements that stood atop the winding walls that laced through the narrow streets.
It was as if Disney's Alladin did Rio De Janeiro.
Fortunately for my trip through the city, however, there was one straight road to the castle, under the threefold gates where the zig-zagging urban walls met up and matched with each other just long enough to connect three enormous gatehouses separated by open kill-zones in the enclosed courtyards between them.
If I were forced to take it I would shatter the whole city with bombardment before I would try to press that route.
Soon, we reached the foot of Sunspear proper, an enormous stone castle, like many of those in Westeros, and Prince Oberyn helped me dismount, for which I thanked him. He seemed polite enough when he wasn't filling the air with innuendo.
Finally, he lead me into a large chamber, a banner of Nymeria leading her Ten-Thousand Ships to Dorne hung high on the wall amidst other tapestries of bright colors, and a light incense hung in the air.
"I will go find my brother and Princess Arianne, please wait here for a moment." The Dornishman winked and went on his way, so I sat there on what was probably a sofa and waited.
It was a surprisingly long time before I was disturbed.