"I never expected to walk out of here alive," Oberyn Martell said with a self-deprecating smile as he looked up at the sky. "I thought I would die like a rat in some forgotten corner of the dungeons."
His expression carried amusement, but the sharpness in his voice remained unmistakable.
"Or perhaps your king planned to cut off my head and accuse me of murdering the very man who placed him on the throne—using my death as a stepping stone to secure his rule over the Iron Throne."
Outside the chambers of the Queen Regent in Maegor's Holdfast, Ser Meryn of the Kingsguard stood guard silently while Prime Minister Eddard Stark and Lord Varys escorted the imprisoned members of House Martell out of the Red Keep's dungeons.
Facing Oberyn's thinly veiled mockery, Eddard suppressed the irritation rising within him. Since King Karl's departure, he had been acting as regent in the king's name, and he understood that this matter needed to be handled carefully.
The issue was neither small nor insignificant. If mishandled, it could easily become fuel for political enemies.
More importantly, maintaining peaceful relations with Dorne was crucial during these unstable times. Eddard did not wish to destroy the fragile peace that Jon Arryn had worked so hard to preserve.
Especially now, when unrest seemed to lurk beneath the surface of the realm.
"This entire affair was a misunderstanding," Eddard said stiffly, bowing his head slightly. "On behalf of the king, I offer my sincerest apologies to you and House Martell."
"A misunderstanding?" Oberyn laughed coldly. "Fortunately, Karl El didn't actually die at my banquet. Otherwise, I truly would have been dragged into a pit of filth."
As he spoke, Oberyn instinctively searched the surroundings, but Karl was nowhere to be seen.
"And where is your King Karl?" he asked casually. "I still wanted to ask him about that miraculous antidote of his."
Despite spending several days imprisoned, Oberyn appeared surprisingly calm.
Though Karl's earlier actions—storming into his territory and killing his men without hesitation—had indeed infuriated him, the king's conduct afterward had forced Oberyn to reevaluate him.
In that chaotic situation, Karl had not allowed anger to cloud his judgment. Instead, he had carefully observed the details, realized Oberyn was innocent, and stopped the situation from escalating into open war.
Being framed and manipulated by unseen enemies was not a pleasant experience, but Oberyn was intelligent enough to understand the circumstances.
Very little of his anger was actually directed toward Karl himself.
Instead, Karl's composure, decisiveness, and mysterious nature had earned Oberyn's respect.
Before Eddard could answer, Varys stepped forward smoothly with his usual flattering smile.
"His Majesty is currently occupied with important matters," the eunuch said politely. "Unfortunately, he could not come personally to apologize."
"However, His Majesty succeeded in capturing the Faceless Man responsible for the assassination attempt and extracted valuable information from him. That information proved House Martell had nothing to do with the matter."
Oberyn's eyes narrowed slightly at those words.
Princess Arianne Martell, who had been standing silently behind him with a cold expression, suddenly spoke.
"So you already know who murdered Robert?" she asked bluntly.
Unlike Oberyn, Arianne made no effort to hide her displeasure.
Eddard frowned at her disrespectful tone, but Varys merely smiled.
"According to the information provided by His Majesty," Varys explained, "the Faceless Man was hired by Tywin Lannister. His purpose was to assassinate both King Robert and King Karl."
The three Martells exchanged glances immediately.
Arianne frowned deeply.
"But Tywin Lannister was already sent to the Wall," she said suspiciously. "How could he possibly arrange something like this?"
"That would not be difficult," Oberyn replied calmly before Varys could speak. "The Faceless Men only care about payment and targets. They do not care who hires them."
"But the Lannisters are already ruined," Arianne argued. "Why would Tywin do this? Just for revenge?"
"Perhaps revenge is enough," Varys said with a helpless shrug. "After all, Robert and Karl were the two men most responsible for destroying House Lannister."
Still, even Varys himself found the explanation difficult to believe.
The assassination brought Tywin no real benefit. If anything, it only guaranteed the complete destruction of House Lannister.
The motive remained questionable.
Eddard, seeing the conversation drifting further into dangerous territory, rubbed his temples with a tired sigh.
"That is enough," he interrupted. "I have already sent a letter to Castle Black regarding Tywin Lannister. If there is an answer, I will inform you."
Regardless of what had happened, House Martell had been falsely accused and imprisoned. They deserved the truth.
Oberyn smirked.
"Even if you didn't throw me out of King's Landing, I would not stay here willingly," he said lazily. "Still, if you discover how Robert truly died, I would appreciate hearing it."
Then his grin widened mischievously.
"After all, my brother will certainly wish to hear how House Martell was insulted by the Iron Throne."
Eddard's guilt disappeared instantly.
His expression darkened.
"I have already prepared carriages for you," he said coldly. "Your soldiers have also been released. Someone is waiting for you outside the Red Keep."
"And unfortunately, I am busy. Lord Varys will accompany you from here."
Without another word, Eddard turned and left.
Watching the grim-faced Warden of the North depart, Oberyn's mocking smile grew even wider.
Ever since Robert Baratheon overthrew House Targaryen, House Martell had held little affection for the great houses that supported the rebellion.
Although it was the Lannisters who murdered Elia Martell and her children, Robert's rebellion had created the circumstances that led to her death.
If given the opportunity, Oberyn would never hesitate to mock those responsible.
And after spending several days locked in a dungeon, he certainly intended to enjoy himself now.
Varys, however, remained perfectly composed.
"Prince Oberyn, Princess Arianne, Prince Quentyn," he said politely, gesturing toward the exit. "Your steward and maester are waiting outside the Red Keep. I believe they have brought news from Dorne."
At those words, Oberyn's expression finally became serious.
Arianne also frowned slightly.
The timing felt strange.
Only three or four days had passed since their arrest. News could not possibly have traveled from King's Landing to Sunspear and back so quickly.
Which meant the message had likely been sent before their imprisonment.
"Lord Varys seems remarkably well-informed," Oberyn said carefully.
The eunuch smiled modestly.
"I merely heard that Prince Doran sent a message," he replied. "As for its contents, I know nothing."
Neither Oberyn nor Arianne fully believed him.
Still, they followed him outside.
As they exited the Red Keep, several carriages were already waiting nearby.
Ellaria Sand immediately spotted Oberyn and rushed forward, embracing him tightly before kissing him passionately. His bastard daughters gathered around him with relieved smiles.
Arianne ignored the reunion and instead walked toward the steward and maester waiting nearby.
Quentyn followed close behind.
"Is there news from Father?" Arianne asked quietly. "Who is the message for?"
The steward hesitated before replying.
"There are letters for both you and Prince Oberyn, Princess. We have already prepared a welcoming banquet at the manor. Perhaps it would be better to discuss the matter there."
As he spoke, his eyes subtly drifted toward Varys standing nearby.
Arianne immediately understood.
Whatever the message contained, it was not something they wished to discuss openly.
Oberyn, who had overheard the conversation, also became visibly more serious.
Even he could not understand why Doran would send a message at such a sensitive time.
"Well then," Varys said with a pleasant smile, "I shall escort you no further. His Majesty hopes to personally apologize in the future should the opportunity arise."
Karl had never actually said such a thing, but Varys delivered the lie effortlessly.
Oberyn merely sneered.
Without bothering to exchange further pleasantries, he climbed directly into the carriage.
Soon, the members of House Martell quietly departed from the Red Keep.
Varys watched them disappear into the distance.
Only after the carriages vanished did the smile slowly fade from his face.
His brows furrowed slightly as he touched the hidden letter concealed within his sleeve.
"Doran can no longer remain patient," he murmured inwardly.
"He believes this is the final opportunity."
"And now there are dragons…"
Karl El had already hatched dragons.
But what about Daenerys?
Should he inform Doran about that as well?
Lost in thought, Varys abruptly changed direction and headed toward his private chambers.
Meanwhile, the Martells remained silent during the journey back to their manor outside King's Landing.
Only after returning did Oberyn finally speak.
"Bazel," he said, looking at the steward. "What news came from Sunspear?"
The steward and maester were longtime servants of House Martell who had accompanied them from Dorne.
"We do not know the details, my prince," the steward answered carefully. "However, according to the instructions attached to the letters, one of them was to be delivered directly to Lord Varys."
Oberyn's eyes narrowed instantly.
"To Varys?" he repeated sharply. "Doran specifically addressed a letter to that eunuch?"
Both servants seemed startled by his reaction.
Without speaking further, the steward handed two sealed letters to Oberyn before quietly leaving the room alongside the maester.
The atmosphere immediately grew heavy.
Everyone present—Arianne, Quentyn, Ellaria, and Oberyn's daughters—stared at the letters in confusion.
Why would Prince Doran correspond secretly with Varys?
Oberyn remained silent for a long moment.
Then he took a slow breath and looked toward his daughters.
"Obara, Nymeria, Tyene," he said seriously, "stand guard outside. Do not allow anyone near this room."
The gravity in his voice shocked them.
Without asking questions, the three Sand Snakes immediately picked up their weapons and moved outside to stand watch.
Only after the doors closed did Arianne finally speak again.
"Uncle," she asked quietly, "what exactly do you know?"
Her gaze fixed on the sealed letters in Oberyn's hands.
For some reason, she suddenly felt that whatever was written inside those letters was connected to her fate.
And perhaps… to the future of Dorne itself.
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