"But not now. Let them bleed a little longer. When they are exhausted, a dragon will be the best arbiter."
"You know," Prince Doran began, "I have spent my life playing cyvasse. My opponents were Tywin Lannister, Olenna Redwyne, and those lords of the Seven Kingdoms who thought Dorne could be molded at will. I play slowly, calculating every move several steps ahead. Some say I am cowardly, some say I am indecisive; perhaps they are right. But being a step slow on the board won't kill you; making a wrong move will."
He paused and continued, "However, I am now certain that you are worth betting all my chips on. You will be a good king, and Arianne will have a good home. I hope you can remember what we have said here today."
"I will remember."
Doran nodded, signaling Horta to wheel him back inside. Before leaving, he glanced at Viserys and Arianne. "I will not interfere in how you young people get along, but I hope you will treat her well."
Viserys took Arianne's hand and replied to Doran, "Of course, I will take good care of her."
Doran looked at their joined hands, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening slightly. "It seems you are getting along well."
Arianne's face reddened slightly at discussing such matters in front of her father, but she still responded frankly, "He is my fiancé, Father."
"I know," Doran said. "That is why I am leaving him to you. His Majesty Viserys, I trust you won't mind staying in Dorne for a few more days? My daughter has been looking forward to truly getting to know you for years."
Viserys looked down at Arianne; her dark eyes held a blunt, pleading light.
"Very well," he said.
Doran spoke, his gaze falling on Arianne. "Arianne, escort His Majesty back to rest. Let him see Dorne properly these next few days. When you next meet, I fear it will be when the Seven Kingdoms are plunged into a greater war."
Arianne stepped forward, gave a curtsy, then turned and took Viserys's hand to leave.
Arianne led Viserys on a stroll through the Water Gardens, her arm hooked in his. She walked barefoot on the warm stone slabs, her toes painted with deep red dye.
In the distance, several children dressed in gossamer were playing by the water. These were the children of various Dornish nobles sent to the Water Gardens to be raised. Their laughter carried over the sound of the water, sounding very joyful.
"Father approves of you," Arianne said, her tone carrying an irrepressible delight. "He rarely speaks so much at once."
"He only said so much to test me."
"Of course." Arianne laughed, looking up at him. "But you passed. I know my father; if he were unsatisfied, he would have kept coughing and then had Horta see the guest out."
Viserys looked down at her. The sunlight cast a golden edge on her deep brown curls, her dark eyes sparkled, and the upward curve of her lips held a girl's characteristic cunning.
"And what about you?" he asked.
"Me?" Arianne blinked. "I confirmed it last night."
She stood on her tiptoes, hooked her arms around Viserys's neck, gave him a hard kiss on the lips, then stepped back two paces, her skirt swirling as she let out a crisp laugh.
Viserys reached out to grab her, but she nimbly dodged away.
"Hurry, catch me!" she said, turning to run toward the group of people in the distance.
They walked past the crisscrossing waterways, looked at the statues left by generations of Martell princes, and drank spiced wine in a pavilion.
Arianne was in high spirits. She pointed to various spots, telling Viserys stories of the dusty past: which pool Queen Nymeria herself had designed, which Blood Orange Tree she had climbed as a child, and which places she and her Sand Snake sisters frequented.
"I used to swim here with Nym and the others when I was little." Arianne stood by a pool, pointing at the azure water within. "We would soak here all afternoon, then climb out and lie on the stone slabs to sunbathe until our skin was hot before jumping back into the water."
Viserys looked at the shimmering water in the sunlight, imagining several young girls splashing about.
"And then?"
"And then?" Arianne smiled, her expression a bit mischievous. "Then we grew up. We couldn't swim naked anymore, and we couldn't come here as freely."
Viserys relaxed a bit while spending time with Arianne, and a smile couldn't help but linger on his face.
Arianne looked at his smile, her gaze softening. "You should smile more; you look even more handsome that way."
"Is that so?"
"Mhm." She turned around, looking at Viserys. "Before, you always looked like you were calculating something. But with me, there's no need for calculations—only for enjoyment."
Viserys took her wrists in his hands and looked down at her. "Then what do you want me to enjoy?"
Arianne blinked at him. "What do you want to enjoy?" Her eyes held an unspoken meaning.
The two played in the Water Gardens for quite a while. When they stepped out of the pavilion, Oberyn was standing with his back to the door, turning around only when he heard footsteps.
"Are you finished talking?" he asked.
"We are finished," Viserys said.
Oberyn grinned, a look of relief in his smile. "That's good. Tonight I'm hosting a feast at the Old Palace. Let all of Dorne see what kind of man their princess has chosen."
That evening, Oberyn held a grand banquet at the Old Palace. Nearly all the high and low nobles of Dorne in Sunspear attended. Arianne wore a gold-and-red Dornish gown and sat beside Viserys, receiving everyone's blessings.
The three Sand Snake sisters were also present. Nymeria wore a deep purple low-cut gown tonight. Tyene wore a dark green silk dress, her hair styled in exquisite braids hanging behind her head. Obara had changed into relatively formal attire, but her eyes constantly scanned between Viserys, Arianne, and her two sisters.
The banquet continued late into the night. Both of them had drunk quite a bit of wine. Viserys supported a tipsy Arianne back to her room. She was exceptionally passionate tonight, clinging to him almost as soon as the door closed, her soft lips carrying the sweet scent of Dornish wine.
This night was even more lingering than the previous one. Arianne seemed to want to draw an advance on her share for the coming period, reaching the clouds time and again, and clinging to him once more. It wasn't until the first light of dawn that she finally fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion, curled up in Viserys's arms with a satisfied smile still on her lips.
For the next three days, Viserys stayed in the rooms at the top of the Tower of the Sun, and Arianne came to be with him every night.
The two Sand Snake sisters also came to accompany them every day. Unfortunately, Viserys never 'ate' them; he only slept with them platonically. As for Obara, she seemed to have accepted reality and stood guard for them outside every day.
During these days, Oberyn took him on an internal tour of Sunspear's Triple Winding Walls, showed him the Dornish fleet newly built at the docks, and took him into the Shadow City to experience the local customs and culture of Dorne.
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