thesunsprince

[thesunsprince]

‘ Neither; I want the Lannisters to pay for what they have done, and i do not intend for Trystane to marry into a failing House,’ He thought, smiling politely before speaking, “ We understand each-other then; that we must protect our family. And just so, for the time being, you stand on lost battles and a shattered fleet, ”

“ Regardless, i do not intend to send any of my kin nor countrymen to fight a war they have no stake in. I’ve seen war enough to know that it only brings death, never glory, never peace,”

“And it is my duty to protect what is mine and my family’s. You know of Myrcella’s parentage yet she is still engaged to Trystane. I wonder, is it that you fear the Lannister’s or believe they will actually keep the throne?” Stannis was growing tired of not having his crown and having his family disgraced everyday that Joffery Lannister sat on the throne. 

With gritted teeth, Stannis listened to the Dornish man’s words. It was all true, his numbers had decreased a rather large amount but his support was growing. “I will not lie. I have lost men and an entire fleet but I have money and more supporters coming to me now that my brother is almost ready to greet Death himself.”

[thesunsprince]

Silence, the Prince weighed his thoughts, his words; regarding the man who called himself King, “ My duty,” He began, “ Is to my people, to protect them from harm, from death,”

“ Tell me, Your Grace, since the Battle of Blackwater, how many men remain to you? How many horses, ships?”

“ With respect, Your Grace, I shall not bind my people into an alliance which would lead them into war they have little chance of winning,”

( But the offer was tempting, regardless, and he was sure that with wit and cunning, even a small host can win the Iron Throne. Still, he will not trade one Baratheon King for another. )

“And do I have your support? I want an alliance and House Martell is a strong and noble house. Uniting Trystane and the True Princess will be a match that all Gods would approve.”

[thesunsprince]

“ You shall find that mercy will inspire more loyalty and support for your rule, Your Grace,”

“They say this war will end soon… It will end with the blood of the Lannisters, Starks and all who claim my throne to be theirs.”

[thesunsprince]

Another smile, another soft laugh, “ Yes, that is true. It is a pity that it is part of human nature. However, to show that you are aware of the dangers of perception and pre-judgement, allows you to view the world in a broader scope,” He nodded, “ Yes, very good, my lady, very good. Do not let life dictate your view of things. Instead take account of the multitude of views, and i promise you, you shall be all the wiser for it,”

“ Ah,” He nodded, “ I assume your father would like you and your brothers to accustom yourself to the people of the Red Keep. I would guess from your age that your brothers, though older, are young still. No doubt Lord Blackwood will be seeking matches for his children,”

openstarter;

[thesunsprince]

“ The boy is young,” replied the Prince with an easy tone, “ And his coming to the throne was sudden and unfortunate. He should have a chance to win the people’s love; I’ve heard that he was on the battlements with the soldiers during the Battle for Blackwater. That is a start, and i am sure he will prove himself further as he gets older,”

At that, the Prince was silenced, studying the man once again. Truly, Renly Baratheon had nothing left to lose. To be so forthwith; that was a sign of desperation, the Prince thought. Renly may have the love of the people, and perhaps he may prove to be a better ruler than a cruel boy-king. But the fact that he would be so careless, so desperate, is a symptom of the lack of support he had in the halls of Kings Landing.

Perhaps this is why he still lived; the Lannisters no longer consider him, or the Tyrells a direct threat. 

( And he didn’t want the seat on the council. He didn’t want to marry his son to a Baratheon (or a Lannister). )

“ That is good of you to say,” replied the kindly Prince, “ Though, Myrcella and Tommen are sweet children, and King Joffrey is lucky to have them as siblings,”

“ And as i said, His Majesty is young, and may yet prove himself worthy to be King. I am less inclined to pass judgement on the ruling capacities of a boy the age of my youngest son, than i am of a full grown man,” 

openstarter;

“You are easily forgiven,” Renly said with his best smile that he had normally reserved for the court. It was sincere with the right amount of charm that he used so often throughout the walls of the Red Keep and in court. He was no fool. He knew that Doran and his family where loyal to the Lannisters and it would take far more to get him to waver from that arrangement. 

The King listened to the Prince, taking in each and every word that the man said. It wasn’t hard. Doran could talk and keep the attention without being so controlling of the conversation. “I used to think that people could only rule by making the people fear them. It was what I grew up seeing. Then,” he smiled a more soft and sincere smile, “someone I care for quite deeply told me what you just have. The people should love the one that rules them, not fear them. The people have always loved me. I want to do this for them, not for myself.”

Renly did not want power or the glory that came with the crown, he just wanted to rule the people. That was it. No tricks and no lie in that. “They do not recognize Joffrey and if you say a ruler must love their people and the same vice versa then how can you see that bastard as King? If it is your position on the small council I can promise you a seat on my own when I get the throne. If it is the marriage between your son and the Lannister bastard Myrcella then I promise not to touch that girl. It is Joffrey and Cersei who have done wrong. Not the other two.”

[thesunsprince]

“ Yes, well, it is a shame,” He replied, “ However i suppose it isn’t their fault. Most of Westeros, I’ve noticed, seem to have a queer and ill perception of Dorne and her people. and i think that colours their view when they travel our lands. Ah, regardless, that cannot be helped,”

“ Carriage and horse usually does the trick,” The Prince commented lightheartedly, “ But truly, as a youth i would ride to the deserts at every opportunity. The feeling of racing under the stars, with nothing but the sand around you... I wish... ,” He left the words to remain unsaid. 

Best not dwell on the past, and on what he can never get back. 

“ Yes, i suppose talking about it helps me miss it less,” He smiled, “ And how about you? How is ... Raventree, is that what your House’s seat is called?”

openstarter;

[thesunsprince]

“ My apologies then,” The Prince conceeded, but of course, withheld from recognising the man as a King. There are always little birds fluttering about, after all. That said, the Prince was concerned for the young Baratheon. Such proclamations would surely get one killed. 

“ I believe that is how monarchies and nobilities work,” The Prince replied pleasantly, “ Afterall, who are we if not for our ancestries and blood. But i understand what you are alluding to. You based your claim to the throne upon the right of legitimacy, did you not?” If he understood correctly, Renly opposed his brother Stannis’ claim, simply on the grounds that he would make a better king. 

“ All Princes and Princesses of Dorne know how important it is to gain our people’s respect, love and approval,” the Prince continued, “ And personally, i believe that it is the people who make their sovereign. Without a people, who is a King, or a Queen, for that matter? Who are the nobles without the common mass, the merchants and the farmers?”

“ As long as the people recognise their sovereign as their ruler, then the King, is a King,” the Prince paused to glance at the sky, “ That said, I pray that the Gods will guide King Joffrey so that he may rule justly and wisely, so the people may see him as their rightful king, by blood and by deed,”

openstarter;

“I am not a Lord,” Renly said with a calm and contemplating tone. He was barely a King but it was still what he was, “I am a King.” The confidence that was in his words was forced as he was not as confident in himself because of what happened but was trying to believe that he could be King. “I will have more discretion when Cersei is made responsible for her crimes.” For killing his brother or for orchistrating it.

Renly nodded. “They are Ned Stark’s claims, not Stannis’. He is just using them as the only thing for his claim.” Now the man that was once his brother had more support than he did. That needed to be changed. “I do not. The children are born from a family with the most influence. Tywin is their grandfather who is feared by most of the realm. He only sits above us because of his mother and fathers name.”

[thesunsprince]

The Prince laughed softly, “ I’m afraid many would disagree with you. Many a traveler and maester have described Dorne as desolate, empty and terrible land. And indeed, not many can appreciate the beauties of the deserts and the diversity of Dorne, not least because of the heat,”

“ But, i think, none have camped in the desert and stepped outside to look at the sea of stars,” He smiled, genuine and gentle, “ When the heavens stretch into the horizon, touching the sand, touching the land... One can stand, lost in the dunes, and feel one with both earth and sky. It... is breath taking,” 

And he wished with all his heart that he could ride once more, if only to lose himself in the desert and watch the stars above him... Perhaps... Perhaps when this is done... One last journey... Surely his legs will allow him that...

( Oh, to be young once more. )

A polite smile, the Prince bowed his head, “ It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Bethany. I apologise for speaking at length of Dorne. I cannot seem to help it, for I love my home too much, it seems,”

openstarter;

[thesunsprince]

A noble woman from the Riverlands, “ I’m sure the bounty of your home is far richer than that of Dorne. Though i cannot say to know the Riverlands, for i have never had the chance to visit it, i’ve always imagined it to be full of life, of flowers and trees,”

“ And.. I apologise, my lady,” He began once more, after a moment, “ I’m afraid I do not know your name,”

openstarter;

[thesunsprince]

Amusement flitted across the Prince’s mind, though it did not touch his lips, nor his voice, when he said, voice low, voice polite, “ With all due respect, my lord, you should have care in speaking of such things,” For someone who was raised in the courts of Kings Landing, the youngest Baratheon had little discretion. Perhaps he did not care to; he had lost a lung, after all. It was a pity, one could still play the Game, though defeated. 

What was a King? A mortal with a certain lineage? A ring of gold about their brow? Or was a King a mortal whom others choose to be their ruler? Whom others recognise as their sovereign? Is a King still a King when one did not recognise them as such? 

How interesting.

(It didn’t matter to him if or not a bastard of incest sat on the Iron Throne. The Prince had no King.)

“ Though i take it you believe Stannis’ claims then, about the children,” The Prince leant into his cushions, admiring the gardens around him, his voice ever so soft, “ I personally find it hard to believe... Though it is far from uncommon, is it not, that a child born of brother and sister sits above us all?”

openstarter;

Renly’s fate was a surprise to many when they had heard what happened to him. Had he been hearing about someone else going through the same thing he had then he knew that he would be surprised as well.

It had taken its toll on him but after speaking with a few people he had tried his best to be as close to his former self as he could possibly be with all that had affected him. 

The princes words had startled Renly a little bit but he composed himself like he could easily do in the past and had done at court.

“I do. The Lannisters killed my oldest brother when they where his kin by marriage only and now Stannis has killed the only brother he had left.” Renly was being a little dramatic but he thought of Stannis just as man now. Not his brother or any other family relation. “I will have justice for both.”

It wasn’t that Renly didn’t want to talk about Margaery but he did not have the strength to lie as well as he needed to so did not want to chance it. Not in the Capitol or in a place still ruled by the Lannisters. Too many ears. 

“I agree, it would be a great honor. Had it been for a true king and not a bastard born of incest.”

[thesunsprince]

It surprised him that Renly Baratheon still lived. The surgeons here in Kings Landing must have been incredibly skilled to have removed a damaged lung from a man’s chest and somehow have nursed him back to life. He did not think that it was possible, but here it was, before his very eyes. 

(How remarkable, the advance of medicine and science. Perhaps a day will come when death would only be a memory, and people will live on for hundreds of years.)

It was clear that it has taken a heavy toll on the man, how could it not? But despite the shortness of breath, Renly Baratheon was alive, against all odds. 

“ Do you truly believe that? The rumours that the King was murdered by one of his own kin?” The Prince’s words were cautious. Perhaps it would have been better to let that brief comment pass him by, afterall, there were always birds and spiders listening in Kings Landing (though he can easily turn that to his advantage). Even so, he was curious; a possible murder of a King was always intriguing, and if it is true that he had been murdered, it will provide the Prince a unique opportunity. 

He noticed that Renly changed the subject quickly, and not because of the fact he breathed only with a single lung. Doran didn’t know any newly wed man who didn’t want to linger on the topic of his wife... but perhaps there was nothing to it. Renly did suffer greatly in the past few months.

“ I was invited to sit on the council,” the Prince replied pleasantly, “ It is a great honour,”

openstarter;

“I think I may also be the same. Being confined to a solar or a bed for a long period time is not good for the mind.” The moment the guard left, Renly began to feel much more at ease as he could do in the Red Keep and in his condition. As a gesture of his own Renly dismissed his own guard so that the peace between them could continue. 

He had not met the Prince of Dorne but had heard so much about the man and was intrigued by him and the rest of his family. Dorne had always been a place that Renly would have wanted to visit but in his condition and in the middle of what seemed to be the end of the war, he knew that it was not something he would get to do soon. 

It was strange to hear condolences for Robert. He was not the best man and even though a lot of people either loved him for the man he was or the title that he held, Renly knew that he was not the best man to get along with. “Thank you. Your words mean a lot to me. Some death, including family, is not sweet but it does mean they are bitter. Family is not as strong here as it may be in Dorne. Robert was killed by his family and I almost by one of the few family members I have left.”

Renly took a seat next to Doran and tried to catch his breath from all the walking and talking. He was still not yet used to it but he would rather be out of breath than confined to his bed as his maester would have it. 

“Thank you again, Lady Margaery is a beautiful woman and I know I am a lucky man to be her husband. What brings you to Westeros?”

[thesunsprince]

“ Regardless, my lady, my comment still stands,” The Prince smiled politely, apologetically, before tilting his head in a slight bow, “ I am Doran Martell,”

The Prince glanced to his guards, “ A moment, please,” 

Boots upon dirt, taking three paces back, before a light thud of spear shaft upon the ground. 

He leant back into his chair and regarded the lady’s face. Distinct features, noble features, she was, without a doubt, high born, but to which family? His first guess was that she was a Stark, but he knew that it cannot be.

“ Those flowers are Dornish,” He began easily, nodding at the purple flower held between her fingers, “ They grow at the foots of the mountains, particularly near Starfall. They like the cool and damp mountain air, the mists, but they seem to grow well here, despite the climate. The gardeners must have kept these well watered,”

“ We have them grown in my Gardens in Sunspear, and they’ve always brought my mind peace,”

openstarter;

[thesunsprince]

The Prince let out a soft laugh, ignoring the young man’s final comment,“ I suppose i can say the same,” He pushed himself closer so that they may speak more comfortably. His guards stepped back and stood on the pathway. Doran would daresay that they too enjoyed the gardens, at the very least, the flowers and the scents masked the musk and the odour that was Kings Landing. 

“ Hiding from paperwork,” He continued with a sigh, before smiling pleasantly at the youngest Tyrell son, this Knight of Flowers. 

Of course he was under no illusions regarding the animosity between the Tyrells and the Martells, the Reach and Dorne. Of course, that was the point of diplomacy. Friends and allies can only be made with the presence of enemies.

(He remembered wanting to punch Oberyn in the face when Garlan Tyrell fell off that horse, but only for a moment, before realising that Oberyn was not the cause of that accident. If anything it was Garlan’s, and his mare’s inexperience.)

“ How is the capital treating you?”

openstarter;

Loras hated a lot of people. He was hot-blooded, and had a great talent for holding grudges. He hated the Lannisters for being Lannisters, and Stannis for obvious reason and to most of the people of the Reach’s knowledge, he had a particular dislike for Martells. 

How could he not after the Red Viper had crippled the heir to Highgarden? 

Even Willas had forgiven, and chastised his little brother for not doing the same. But Loras was a stubborn creature if nothing, and he would have no word of it. 

That being said, he had heard that Prince Doran was a far more temperate man than his younger brother and Loras was fairly certain that was who he was looking at now. His clothes and chair more than gave him away, as did the pierced suns on the armour of his guards as they escorted him into the gardens where Loras had found solace.

The young Tyrell knight missed the roses of Highgarden and while those of King’s Landing were poor in comparison the longing for some sense of home and peace was enough to have him sneaking into the castle to sit among them.

Usually at this time of day there was no one around, or at least no one that recognised him when he wasn’t wearing the green and gold roses of his house or the similarly coloured stags of the king he was sworn to. 

“Hiding in might be a more accurate way to put it, but yes, I suppose I am.” Loras said, his tone a little careful as he sized up the Prince of Dorne in front of him. “Though I daresay there is little solitude for me here now.” 

[thesunsprince]

“ I am seeking less for solitude and more for reprieve from my solar,” His tone was light and pleasant. He turned to look over his shoulder and gestured for his guard to leave them space to speak.

He then returned his attention to Renly Baratheon. He did not think that they have met, at least, not formally- But those black hair and blue eyes could not mistake him for any other than a Baratheon brother.

“ I know that it may be a while too late… But, my condolences, for your brother’s death. I understand that you were never close to King Robert, but… Family is family, and all deaths are bitter; never truly sweet,”

( Oh, but it was sweet, and Doran found no bitterness that justice has finally found the Late King Robert. It didn’t matter if it was the Gods that moved the boar to maul the King or if it was the wine, or simply the Game that killed him. He was dead; and somehow, some way, the man had reaped what he sew, and that was what matters. )

“ But.. we shouldn’t linger on the dead,” The Prince smiled kindly, “ Congratulations on your marriage to Lady Margaery,”

openstarter;

Renly looked at the city. It was now full of all kinds of soldiers and that meant even more Hell and manic than normally in the city. Should he still want to be King he knew he would have to sort this out/

The smell was something he had never got used to no matter how long he had spent in this place or how often the smell creep up into his nose. It was disgusting and he could only feel bad for the people who lived close to the stench but thankful that he didn’t.

Wanting to get away from the smell a little, Renly turned and walked towards the gardens. He had found them quite calming given his situation.

It wasn’t strange to see birds and ravens leaving the skies and a lot of them doing so at the same time but with the battle, Renly had not seen many of them and now he saw less and less. 

The Godswood was a new thing for Renly. He had turned his back on the New Gods after his injury happened while praying to them. It was not hard to sneak into the Godswood of the Red Keep and the stag had his guard with him to help but always told them to stay behind once he was inside. 

It was rare for people to visit the Godswood so Renly had memorized most of the faces he had saw when he visited it but the sound of a new person caught his attention. 

He turned to see Prince Doran and bowed his head to the man as a sign of respect. “You are right. Solitude and prayer is what brings me here but it is now quite a journey for me.” Most things now where after what happened. “Everything is but in these times I hope the Gods can help us. Are you seeking solitude as well?”

[thesunsprince]

openstarter;

He hated this city. 

Sunspear was dusty, it was hot, it was closed and narrow, but it did not stink of piss and sweat and dead rats. It was noisy, it was vulgar, and choking on its own sewage and its poor. 

Gods, save this city. Because no one can.

Another headache, under candle of scented wax. He finished the last letter, the last set of commands for the day, sanded and sealed them, before allowing Areo to take them to the rookery (His own rookery, of course. He did not trust the birds that Maester Pycelle kept in the Red Keep).

The windows he kept closed, to keep out the smells of the city below. But that has resulted in his solar quickly growing stuffy and hot. Unable to stand it for much longer, Doran carefully wheeled himself out into the corridor, met with a cool breeze. He thought to visit the Godswood, if only for its solitude, and how it was upwind from Flea Bottom, which meant it was saved from the of the worst smells.

A pair guards fell in behind him and one took the handles of his chair and slowly pushed him down the gallery.

They stepped out into the gardens, and there, the Prince spotted a familiar face, and so he gestured to his guard to slow, “ Retreating to the solitude of the gardens, I see,”

[thesunsprince]

Oberyn was ever the viper. Deadly, dangerous, unpredictable. No man dared tread on him. I was the grass. Pleasant, complaisant, sweet-smelling, swaying with every breeze. Who fears to walk upon the grass? But it is the grass that hides the viper from his enemies and shelters him until he strikes.

             ( for the-nights-king ♥ )

[thesunsprince]

“The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back.”

 Abigail Van Buren (via naturaekos)