After Daenerys and Aegor returned south and reached the outskirts of King's Landing, meeting with Aegon and Margaery, the long-standing three-way stalemate south of the Blackwater River finally collapsed and realigned. The day after Margaery was infuriated by the Night's Watch and fled overnight back to the Reach's main encampment, Aegon Targaryen publicly declared himself King. The Reach immediately announced their recognition and support for him, and revealed their plan for a marriage alliance.
The two camps, several miles apart, began to dismantle and move closer, seemingly coincidentally but likely deliberately, as a show of strength. Eventually, they merged into a new grand camp directly across the river from the Long Night Industrial Park. The banners of over forty thousand soldiers formed a sea of color, their presence imposing even across the Blackwater River.
The Dornish army encampment further south had yet to move, as negotiations and discussions were still underway. The Martells had not yet made a clear declaration of support.
Both major Targaryen factions understood this well: the Martells would support whichever side offered the higher price.
...
In the biting wind, Aegor stood at the south gate of Blackwall Keep, adjusting his cuffs and collar with Myrcella's help as he prepared to welcome an old friend at the camp's entrance.
He could easily defeat the over forty thousand men across the river, but under Stannis's watch, he could not afford to divert resources to crush them entirely. Nor could he prevent them from lingering around the outskirts and harassing after being repelled. One cannot rest easy with others snoring beside their bed. To assault the city without worry, the strength of the ten thousand Dornish spearmen—though hard to evaluate—would be a vital force to secure.
He was confident about this.
Aegon would surely offer a high price to win over the Martells, but since the Reach was his primary ally and the power base of his wife's family, the offer he could make would never be higher than Aegor's.
"Lord Commander, they're here! The Dornish envoy's ship has crossed the river and docked!" A scout acting as a lookout came running back in haste to report. "But it's not Prince Oberyn. A woman came ashore. Her attendants called her 'Princess'!"
"Not Oberyn?"
This time, Aegor was truly caught off guard. He had already inquired and confirmed that the commander of the Dornish army was the Red Viper, Oberyn Martell, and his entire negotiation plan had been based on Oberyn as the target. Yet now, it was a princess he did not know? What did that mean?
"There's only one person in Dorne who holds the title of Princess—Arianne Martell, Prince Doran's eldest daughter." Seeing Aegor's surprise, Myrcella immediately reminded him. "According to Dornish law, she will succeed her father and become the ruler of Dorne. So she is certainly the third most important figure in House Martell after Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn. Her coming is just as valid, Lord. There's no need to worry."
I see.
Aegor nodded, feeling somewhat reassured, though still a little displeased.
While the third most important person was certainly significant, she was still one rank below Oberyn. More importantly, Aegor and Oberyn were old acquaintances, while he had never met Princess Arianne. Beyond the disappointment of expecting an old friend and receiving a stranger instead, a deeper concern nagged at him—Oberyn commanded the army, yet did not come. Was he simultaneously negotiating elsewhere, perhaps at the Reach's camp, while his niece came here?
"Fine. Since she's here, we'll receive her as we would Prince Oberyn." Aegor steadied his thoughts and strode toward the gate. "What do you know about this Dornish Princess? Tell me quickly as we walk."
"All right." Myrcella quickly followed, her green eyes flashing with the light of memory. She recalled the relevant information at once. "Although by Dornish law Arianne will be the future ruler, for some reason, Prince Doran once sent her younger brother, Prince Quentyn, to be fostered by Lord Anders Yronwood when they were young. This lord is no ordinary man—he's of noble blood, Guardian of the Stone Way, and the most powerful bannerman in all of Dorne. Because of this, the most common rumor I heard growing up in the Red Keep was that Prince Doran might intend to break tradition and name his eldest son, not his eldest daughter, as heir."
"My next point is personal speculation and analysis... Though Quentyn has since died unexpectedly in Meereen and can no longer compete for the position, that rumor still casts a shadow. And since she has another younger brother still alive, Princess Arianne might feel her position remains unstable. This insecurity can be exploited by you, my Lord."
She took a breath and continued. "If Daenerys becomes Queen, she'll be the first woman in history to rule the Seven Kingdoms. If Westeros can accept a woman as King, then a woman ruling Dorne would naturally be more acceptable too. If Daenerys believes her claim to the Iron Throne takes precedence over Aegor's, then she must also believe Arianne's claim takes precedence over her brother's. That would make Arianne lean toward our side. That's the first point."
The girl was ultimately shorter than Aegor, and talking while keeping pace soon left her breathless. Noticing this, Aegor slowed his stride to make it easier for her to keep up.
"The second point is... Your Grace is not yet married. If you were to hint—just hint—that you might consider a Dornish boy for marriage, the threat her brother poses to her claim would be greatly reduced. After all, if he becomes King, he cannot also rule Dorne. There's no need for you to lie, Lord. Just speak carefully enough to give her that impression."
"I understand." Aegor nodded. "That's all very useful. Anything else? What about her personality?"
"I don't know her personally, so I won't presume to say too much, but there is one thing..." Myrcella hesitated briefly. She wasn't the type to leave things unsaid just to force questions, so she quickly composed herself and continued. "I've only heard this, but... Dornish women are said to be naturally uninhibited. Princess Arianne's private life is not particularly... restrained. She often uses all means at her disposal to get what she wants. She may try to seduce you, Lord, make you her lover and a political asset, to strengthen her claim over her brother's."
She had originally intended to warn him to be on guard and not fall for it, but after some thought, realized that in a matter of mutual consent, who could say for certain whether Aegor would even mind being "seduced"?
After pausing briefly, she finished with, "Lord, you should weigh the pros and cons and make the choice that best serves your interests."
So it's that woman.
After hearing Myrcella's explanation, Aegor recalled her himself. Yes, there was indeed such a figure in Dorne. While learning about someone through another person was never completely reliable, it was better than being caught off guard.
He began to feel somewhat fortunate that he had kept Myrcella by his side. Offering advice only requires intelligence, but recalling the personal histories and political dynamics of noble houses—these were things that common-born followers like Qyburn, Nina, or Neil, no matter how sharp or capable, could not do as easily as the Little Princess.
"How old is she now? Still not married?"
...
It turned out that slowing his pace to hear Myrcella's report had been the right decision. Their conversation had only ended half a minute before they reached the south gate of the Industrial Park near the port, where the group of Dornishmen arriving for negotiations had just stepped ashore.
Beneath the fluttering golden sun-and-spear banner, in front of several Dornish warriors with spears and round shields, the young woman in a richly adorned dress immediately drew Aegor's eye. Princess Arianne had black eyes, black hair, a full figure that wasn't overweight, and smooth, olive-toned skin. She exuded an exotic charm. For some reason, she reminded Aegor of Princess Jasmine from the story of Aladdin in his previous life.
"They say 'Dornish warriors are as numerous as the sand,' but I think that's incomplete. Dornish beauties are even more so. Today, I'm honored to meet one of them." Aegor greeted her with a warm smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Princess Arianne. I am Aegor West, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Upon learning that House Martell had brought an army north in support, Queen Daenerys personally entrusted me with representing her in all negotiations regarding the alliance."
"I've heard of Lord Commander's great deeds. Now that I see you in person, your reputation is well deserved." Princess Arianne, who stood just about 1.6 meters tall, was nearly a full head shorter than Aegor. She returned his smile with a touch of charm. After exchanging pleasantries, she quickly added, "Oh, it's dreadfully cold up north. Can we talk inside?"
(To be continued.)
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