Port of Sunspear, Dorne, Westeros
The trip from King's Landing to Sunspear took around 10 days, as was expected. The winds were favourable and the sea calm, allowing an enjoyable trip for everyone on board. They arrived by early evening on the 10th day and by the time their ship had docked, the welcoming escort awaited them.
Among the Dornish soldiers and personal guard of the royal family, Oberyn stood amongst them. His lips pulled back and his charming toothy smirk appeared on his lips as his guests started to walk down the wooden platform.
Of course, his attention was mostly on Visenya as she had arrived without her husband. Their eyes met as she was from the first to walk off the ship and the corner of her lips curled up followed by a faint eye-roll at the impending drama.
"Your Graces," Oberyn greeted Margaery and Tommen once everyone stood on the marble port of Sunspear. "Welcome to Dorne." He extended one hand, motioning behind him to the beautiful structure of Sunspear.
From afar, the sand-coloured castle with its unique thin towers matched the dunes around it but also managed to stand out against them. The sun was blazing, making it look almost fake while its architecture was unique to Dorne; offering a sight that no one else had ever seen before.
"Thank you, Prince Oberyn," Margaery said, one hand wrapped around the elbow of her husband. "Look how beautiful it is, my love," she said with a rather natural smile, having come quite close with the younger boy.
"It is," Tommen said and cleared his throat, looking at Oberyn and remembering his manners. "We thank you for your invite, Prince Oberyn and we have brought you a gift."
"A gift?" the Dornish prince arched a single eyebrow, now intrigued.
He was curious about what kind of gift they could bring him since there was pretty much nothing the other lands could truly offer him, except some very fine ladies and men to mess around with.
Visenya lifted her hand as a Lannister soldier walked closer. He held a rather big object, wrapped in red fabric, obstructing the view of anyone who tried to see what it was.
"We thought it would be the most fitting of presents. A proper chance for a better beginning," Visenya said and she nodded to the soldier.
The man started to remove the red fabric until the item beneath it was exposed. It was a human skull, bigger than the usual one and there was a noticeable gap at the side of the skull; small but a sign of a dagger digging through the bone.
"The Skull of the Mountain," Oberyn said with a grin, taking the item in his hands and observing it. "More than a fine gift." He handed it to one of his guards, the young man feeling uneasy holding the rather big bone structure.
The Dornish prince looked at her, this twinkle of amusement but also joy evident in his dark eyes. He did enjoy the gift and he was not surprised to find out it was Visenya's idea in the first place.
He was curious how she persuaded her dear husband to allow her to take the skull of his precious Ser Gregor but he did not mind. He already knew where he would place it and what its use would be from now on.
"We are happy you approve, Prince Oberyn," the Dragoness said with a small smile. "I suppose you will be our escort?" she asked, feeling how the warm sun was slowly becoming too much for everyone.
"Of course. Please, follow me," he said, offering his charming smirk.
Sunspear was a walled settlement, protected by three massive winding walls, encircling one another and containing miles of narrow alleys, hidden courts, and noisy bazaars.
It was the seat of House Nymeros Martell and also the capital of Dorne. The castle was located on the Broken Arm, north of the Greenblood on the far south-eastern coast of Westeros, surrounded on three sides by the sea, and by the shadow city on the fourth side.
The Threefold Gate, where the gates were lined up one behind the other, avoided the labyrinth, instead allowing straight passage on a brick path to the Old Palace.
Our heroes were led through the shed gate and then guided straight to the Old Palace, where they would reside.
The Old Palace was the main castle; similar to how the Red Keep was in King's Landing. It included two towers, the Tower of the Sun and the Spear Tower, as well as a feast hall and a solar for the Prince of Dorne.
Raising from the Old Palace, one could see from afar, the slender Spear Tower; a massive tower of stone. It thrusted up from the surrounding community, stretching one hundred and fifty feet tall, with a spear of gilded steel atop that adds a further thirty feet.
The Tower of the Sun, on the other hand, has a dome of gold and leaded glass. Beneath the dome, one would find the throne room, a large round room with thick windows and many coloured glass. The floors were made of pale marble and there seemed to be a nice cool atmosphere inside, allowing some relief after being under the hot Dornish sun for so long.
The sound of steps from the opposite corridor drew their attention as the happy betrothed couple made an appearance. Upon seeing her family, Myrcella let go of Trystane's arm, lifted her skirt faintly and walked as fast as she could with her blown stomach towards them.
Tommen, Jaime and Trystan were the first to move and meet her halfway. All three of them stopped themselves before they could hug her, upon remembering her blown stomach that was carrying a child.
"Myrcella," Tommen said, being the first to carefully hug her; the smile on the two children never having been bigger.
"Tommen, oh I am so happy you are here," she said and pulled back, noticing the golden crown on his head. "And you are a King now. I wish I was there to see it."
The boy gave a sweet smile to his older sister. "It is alright. I am here for your wedding, instead," he replied.
"Myrcella," Jaime called her next, slightly hesitant.
He was not the man she used to see. He had been growing a faint subtle of hair on his face, his hair had a few strands of white mixed with the golden locks and of course, his one hand was just a piece of metal.
The girl smiled and almost threw herself into the arms of Jaime, who carefully hugged her back. After she pulled back, the knight bent his knee to be closer to her height.
"Look at you. A grown-up woman and pregnant," he said, placing his good hand gently on her stomach.
"She does look far better than our sister did when pregnant," Trystan commented as he also bent the knee, exchanging a sweet smile with his niece before he also was graced with one of her hugs.
Visenya watched them a few steps behind, being the last to remain back; as Margaery walked forward to finally meet her good-sister. She always used to say she wanted one as a child and now it was evident she was happy that it became a reality.
The Dragoness watched them in silence as smiles and hugs were exchanged. She had a small smile upon her lips but her amber eyes did not fully hide the nostalgia she felt at the sight.
Someone moved to be by her side, a bigger warmth gently touching hers, finger brushing against finger but no further move was made.
"Family, it is always heartwarming when they reunite after so long," Oberyn said in a lower, more serious tone.
"It is. And some of us simply do not have such luxury to personally feel it, do we?" she asked rhetorically and turned her head to the side, looking at him.
Due to their new proximity, their faces were rather close but still held at some distance as their shoulders remained the main obstacle. None seemed to mind at that moment, as their discussion was focused on a rather heavy topic.
Any humour or good mood he had was gone. Seriousness, grief and nostalgia were visible all over his face but were the most predominant in his dark eyes.
"No, we do not," he replied, although it was not fully necessary.
Both had lost people they cared about, never having the chance to fully reunite with them and exchange smiles or hugs. Oberyn had lost his mother, whom he was rather close to and of course his sister; with whom he was practically inseparable.
Visenya had lost all of her family, from her grandparents and parents, to siblings and her nephew; the only one remaining being Daenerys. To her, the Lions had long become her family over those 20 years but that did not mean she forgot her blood-family or their deaths.
Guest Chambers, Old Palace - Sunspear, Dorne - Nightfall
The dark veil of the night had long been spread across the sky above Westeros. The beautiful Sunspear blended with the night but also stood out thanks to the light torches found in most rooms across the city.
A big dinner had taken place just a few hours ago, a proper welcoming of the Royal Family and a chance for everyone to get to know each other. Visenya and the rest of the Lions had the chance to meet all 8 of Oberyn's daughters, reunite with Ellaria and meet some other lords that pledged fealty to the Martells.
After that, everyone was shown to their personal chambers where they would reside while they were at Dorne. All were on the same floor, a narrow corridor the only thing connecting them while walls separated them.
The boys had each their room and so did Visenya, with only the couple to get a room together; since they were married.
Most had already lain to bed, exhausted by the sun and the trip but one was still awake.
Visenya was sitting on the small desk that was part of her chambers and was busy writing to Tywin. He wished to be informed of their safe arrival, their accommodations, Myrcella's condition and she also wished to ask how the Dance of the Dragons was going.
She also wanted to write a letter to Cersei. Mayhap the Lioness would not read it but if she did, she could at least learn that her daughter was happy, healthy and with the belly growing steadily.
Her thoughts and actions were interrupted by a knock on her door. She lifted her head and focused her attention from the paper to the closed door.
"Come in," she said, as her one hand had moved beneath the desk; ready to grab one of her daggers strapped to her calf.
"I hope I am not interrupting," Ellaria said as she walked into the room, holding two goblets filled with sweet Dornish wine.
The Dragoness was surprised by the visit; one that was rather late as well but then reminded herself that Dorne was different from the rest of Westeros. She retrieved her hand and placed her quill back in its place.
"Lady Ellaria, you do not. I was merely surprised by your late-night visit," she said, offering a small smile to the younger woman.
"I apologize for that. I found it best for us to meet now, with no one else around. It has been too long since our last meeting," she said as she sat on the chair across from her. "I brought a gift," she continued, passing her the goblet.
"That is very thoughtful of you," Visenya said, masking her surprise as she accepted the goblet. "What can I help you with, Lady Ellaria?"
"Ellaria is fine. There is no need for titles here," she said and sipped some wine. "I did not have the chance to fully speak with you before. What do you think of Dorne so far?"
Visenya leaned back on her chair, her back remaining straight. She took notice of the very revealing dress the woman wore, similar to the one she had for Joffrey's wedding. Her eyes, though, remained to her face.
"It is very beautiful. I did not have the chance to explore it but I believe there is nothing that I won't admire," she said, twirling the liquid inside the goblet before she took a sip as well.
Dornish wine was sweet and very rich in flavour and also texture. It stood out against any other wine and its sweetness even felt to surpass the sweet wine from Arbor. Yet, the Dragoness knew that such sweet wine could easily make someone drunk.
Ellaria moved her body, lifting one leg above the other; causing her dress to hitch up higher and expose the skin beneath it. All of her moves were slow, calculated and an obvious attempt to draw a reaction from her but the older woman did not seem to be affected in any way.
The Dornish woman took notice and she tilted her head slightly to the side, observing her guest sitting across from her.
"Oberyn was ecstatic by your gift. He has already put it on his desk. I will not lie, it certainly gives a nice feeling having sex in front of that skull," she said, casually speaking of the act of intercourse without much of a care.
Just like their customs, so was their way of speaking when it came to sex. In Westeros, it was taboo and often not brought up in such detail unless that came from a very drunk Lord, who got a little too open with his thoughts.
Of course, Visenya did not seem affected by it. Hearing it was still odd to her but she had been around soldiers a big part of her life and she had heard all kinds of talking, some even while she was present.
"I am sure it must be," she replied, not truly sharing her excitement as she drank some more wine.
"Does this talk make you uncomfortable?"
She lowered her goblet, already seeing right through her act and speculating where this discussion was leading.
"If you mean talking about you sleeping with Oberyn, it does not. Forgive me for being blunt, Lady Ellaria, but allow me to make it clear; for I can see where your mind is going."
This intrigued the Dornish woman, who arched an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Do you?"
Visenya nodded.
"Whatever idea Oberyn might have passed to you, it is not the truth of the situation. I do not have feelings for the Prince, never did and especially now," she started and she could see Ellaria relaxing slowly. "Whatever interest he has with me, that is something I have yet to figure out but I do not encourage it. And no, talking about sex does not make me uncomfortable. I have been around men almost my entire life and I have raised four boys in my life. You can say that I am more than used to it," she finished by drinking some wine, now a little bolder with the amount she consumed.
Her words seemed to have relaxed Ellaria but also intrigued her; evident by how she bit her bottom lip while she silently studied the older woman.
"You are an odd woman, indeed," she said as she let her goblet on the desk and slowly stood up. She then started to walk around the desk, heading her way. "You have the attention of Oberyn and yet you do not have any interest in him. You can have any man with your looks and your body and yet you do not chase it. Even with women, you do not share any interest either," she pointed out, deciding to sit at the edge of the desk, right next to her. "Why is that?"
Visenya had to turn her chair a little bit sideways and crane her neck up, to keep seeing Ellaria's face. Her exposed chest and legs were rather close, visible to her but not once did her eyes choose to roam her body.
She appreciated the beauty of other women and often admired the different ways a body had developed but she never had any carnal desires for it.
"Why is what?" she asked, arching a single white eyebrow.
Ellaria leaned slightly back, placing one leg on the arm of Visenya's chair.
"Why don't you have any of those things?" she asked, making her question a little clearer. "You have wasted all your years with that Old Lion and yet you do not seem to seek any type of release or even fun; maybe even... an escape?"
At last, the Dornish bastard woman finally showed all of her cards. Now, it was quite clear the reasons for her visit, so late at night and along with wine.
The Dragoness did not mind the rather flirty move coming from Ellaria, nor bothered to move her hand from that place as now it was shared by her leg and her arm. She kept her eyes locked with her dark ones.
"Did Oberyn send you? To try and see what you can find about my marriage?" she asked rather boldly, now that she knew what this was all about.
Her words seemed to displease her, now that she was exposed or at least some of her plans had been. She pulled her leg back.
"He did not send me, although now I am sure he wished he had," she confessed with honesty, long gone was the tempting and husky tone of hers. "I came on my own. You are indeed a curious case and I wished to know more."
Now that there were no more lies and acting between them, Visenya offered a small friendly smile at her.
"And what have you come to know until now?" she asked, leaning her cheek on her lifted hand, as the elbow was being supported by the arm of the chair.
Ellaria straightened her back and looked deep into her amber eyes, for a moment admiring the unique shade and the specks of red that were brought out by the candles all around the room.
"A woman rejects all those offers only when she is pleased with what she has," she said, speaking from her personal experience. "There is something more about you and that Lion that Oberyn despises so much. Something more than what you have let others believe."
"Is that so?" she asked, her face giving away nothing as she grabbed the chance to see just how observant and smart Ellaria Sand could truly be.
Her lips curved into a smirk.
"It is. You have feelings for him, don't you?" she asked, although by the tone of her voice, it was evident that she already had her answer; yet still gave Visenya a chance to reply.
She could try to deny it but she would easily give herself away. Ellaria made it clear that she had already connected the dots. Now, how exactly even she was not sure but she was not going to fight it. She knew when a battle had been won and that was one of those cases.
"Mayhap I do. Is it considered a crime?"
Ellaria leaned back to grab her goblet and then fixed her posture, drinking some wine and letting Visenya wait in silence for a moment.
"No. I cannot understand what has truly made you develop feelings for a man as cold as him but, it is not a crime," she said and climbed off the desk, the time for their little talking finally coming to an end.
"Hasn't Oberyn told you? I am a woman full of surprises," she said, a small smirk of amusement on her face.
"Do you plan to tell him that?" Visenya asked, choosing to grab her last chance to also get some answers before her visitor left.
She shook her head.
"No, although, he must have been suspecting it by now. He is not stupid and he has been paying close attention to you and that Old Lion, ever since the wedding," she informed as she started to walk towards the door. "Before I forget," she came to a halt in front of the now-opened door. "I have requested a few outfits for you. Your dresses are unique and might be the standard where you come from, but they are not meant for the Dornish weather."
Without saying anything else, Ellaria closed the door behind her and left Visenya alone in the room, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.
She thought for a moment of their discussion and what information she had obtained, both on Oberyn but also his mysterious and seductive lover, who was clearly far smarter than one would expect of her to be.
Visenya could see what Oberyn truly saw in her, enough to keep her around and even have three out of her eight daughters to be birthed by her. Ellaria had a combination of beauty but also dangerous intelligence, the true characteristics of a snake.
She emptied her goblet in one go and then left it to the side of the desk.
The overly sweet wine hit her head directly and she cleared her throat, keeping her focus. She decided to finish with those letters and simply wonder about anything else once she had laid down.
Although, she was not sure how much she would be able to think before sleep would take her. The trip had been rather tedious to her, mostly because her mind was constantly occupied with the Dance and its outcome.
Yet, one thing was certain to her now.
This was about to become a rather long and maybe interesting stay, for her especially.