Arianne Martell POV
"What do you think?" She asked, a spark of excitement and pride in her eyes as she gazed over at the new stone roads being constructed in Planky Town.
It was not the only ongoing project in the area. Along with it, a semi-circular Wall was being built at the river along with chain gates that'll stop any enemy vessels from entering the Greenblood River.
And that's not even mentioning the few agriculture techniques she was trying near the Water Gardens. Of course, the ideas for all these projects were taken from 'The Bastard', but the implementation was all hers, so if they succeeded then the credit would obviously go to her as well.
"I think that it's bloody hot out here." Nymeria Sand replied tersely, quelling some of her enthusiasm. "Do you intend to have us stay here all day Arianne, or can we at least go to a place with some more shade?"
She frowned at Nymeria's words, thinking about how Tyene wouldn't have complained to her like this… Oh, who was she kidding. Tyene would have definitely complained. But Tyene would have also understood how important this was to her, and would've supported her all the way.
Except… Tyene was gone. Having left with that bastard for the next seven years. And as much as she wanted her sister in all but name to return to her after those seven years, she knew deep down, that the chances of such a thing happening were slim.
She had noticed Tyene had looked at the bastard. And while a part of her was resented Tyene for going after the man that she desired. The practical part of her realised that had Tyene not seized the opportunity to go after the bastard, then some other Dornish lady would have done so instead.
At least now they have one of their own in the midst of the enemy camp.
Or that's what she told herself.
"Those people," She said, gesturing at the Dornish men who were labouring to build the roads "are building the future of Dorne. If they can stand out here, under the scorching sun, and work all day without complaint, then you can do the same."
'Our revered ancestor, Nymeria Martell, wouldn't complain about having to stand under the sun, and neither shall I.' She thought to herself.
"Yeah, but even they are taking breaks every now and then to rest and drink some water." Jeyne Fowler, the elder of the Fowler twins spoke up from atop her destrier. "Look, I know that you want to show these people that the Princess of Dorne is supporting them, but there has to be better ways to do so than standing all day under the sun."
"Yeah." Jennelyn Flower, the younger of the Fowler twins spoke up next, agreeing with her sister, as always. "look Arianne, I'm all about supporting you in your new mad ventures, but not at the expense of my own beautiful skin."
She bit her lip to stop herself from retorting something harsh and bitter to these girls.
She wanted to lash out at them. Tell them that her ventures might seem mad but they for the betterment of Dorne. That her skin won't dry up after standing under the sun for a few days. That it wasn't all that beautiful in the first place. And if she was so weak as to bow and crumble before the hot Dornish sun, then she can leave and go back to her lands.
But no… Nymeria Martell wouldn't have lashed out at her subordinates for voicing their thoughts, even if those thoughts were worthless and not helpful at all, so neither shall she.
"Then all of you can go. I shall stand here on my own." She said firmly.
Her father might be the one who was funding these new ventures, but they were her ideas (even though they were initially stolen from the bastard). And she'll see them through to the end.
"Don't worry Arianne, I'll stand here with you all day." Andrey Dalt said firmly, and his support would've been more appreciated if he wasn't doing that with the express purpose of wooing her. Or simply trying to sleep with her.
Once upon a time, Arianne had viewed the young man as a potential lover, or at least someone with whom she could engage in some casual flings or exploration.
However, after meeting the bastard and witnessing his effortless defeat of Andrey Dalt and his six comrades, all other men appeared to be pale in comparison. Despite her attempts, she no longer harbored feelings for Andrey, his brother, or any of her other Dornish suitors.
She tried to imagine their faces, their form, while pleasuring herself at night, and all she could envision was their thorough defeat at the hands of that bastard.
It was hard for her to be attracted to these men, when they proved to be so unreliable at her time of need.
But still, these young men loved and supported her. And she would need all the support she could get if her father was indeed planning to give the position of Dorne's ruler to her younger brother.
It sickened her, to use her friends like this. But it wasn't like she had a lot of choice on this matter.
In the last two moons, she has been striving to expand her circle of allies (just as that bastard had suggested). She wrote letters and attempted to create trade relations with the various houses in Dorne. But she was still inexperienced in such matters and thus, it was a slow going process.
'Hopefully, the trading part of forming allies would go a little faster once I establish the first glass-making workshop in Dorne.' She thought to herself.
"I thank you for your support Andrey. And I appreciate it greatly and shall remember it in the times to come." She said, giving a gentle smile to the young knight whose cheeks flushed at her flattery.
'Yes, I shall remember your support and make use of it. But I shall not sleep with either you, or your brother because I feel nothing for you.' She thought bitterly.
"That's cute. But how about we move a little to the left and stand under the shade of those palm trees instead." Obara said, cutting into her thoughts as she gestured at the grove of palm trees in the distance. "That way, you can oversee the construction of the road, and show your support to these workers, while also not turning into black charcoal from the sun's heat."
'I am a Martell and would not turn into black charcoal from a little heat.' She thought with indigence before she realised what was going on.
All her friends wanted to escape the harsh sun. And the only one who wanted to stand with her was someone who was doing so in order to get into her bed.
One of her father's recent teachings came to mind: 'If most of your subordinates are opposed to you, it's time to reconsider your approach. You don't necessarily have to change your ultimate objective, but you should approach it from a different angle.'
'If you persist obstinately without regard for the needs and desires of your subordinates, then when you need them the most, they will abandon you without a second thought. If you don't show any concern for the people you're leading, why would they show any loyalty to you?'
She mentally grimaced as she realised just how crucial that teaching would be in this current situation and gave a small nod to her friends.
"Very well then. Let's go under the shade of those trees." She said. A part of her felt defeated at the thought that she had to listen to her subordinates instead of doing what she wanted.
'Would Nymeria Martell have listened to her subordinates like this and gone under the shade of the trees, or would she have stood her ground under the scorching sun in order to show her support for the people labouring under her?' She wondered, but for once, she was not sure about what her idol would've done.
—
It was evening by the time they returned to Sunspear.
She felt tired and sore from standing under the sun and overseeing the work going on in Planky Town for an entire day. And in desperate need for a refreshing bath. But she had other pressing matters she needed to attend first.
Weary, she trudged her way through the lengthy corridors of Sunspear until she reached the meeting room. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by the leaders of her various projects.
Among the leaders present were Harmen, an elderly Dornishman tasked with the construction of the stone roads; Morren, a middle-aged architect hailing from Myr responsible for building the walls and the chain gate; Timoth, a former maester from the Citadel overseeing the agriculture projects; and Gerris Sand, a Blackmont bastard in charge of the Glass Workhouse.
It had been a challenging process to locate and appoint these men for their respective roles, and she still had doubts about Timoth and Gerris' suitability for their assignments. Nonetheless, she would make the most of the resources at her disposal.
It also made her wonder how the hell did that Bastard got so many loyal, and capable subordinates to work under him.
"Very well," she declared, taking a seat at the head of the table and striving to appear composed despite her weariness. "Let's commence this meeting. Morren, it appears that the construction of the wall is lagging behind schedule. Would you care to explain the cause for this delay?"
Morren gave a curt nod at her words and spoke up. "The bedrock in the river is much further away than I initially anticipated, Princess. We have to take out all that sand and get to the bedrock before we could set a solid foundation. A task that'll now take more resources and time than I had initially anticipated.I humbly apologise for my miscalculation."
"How much more time and resources are we talking about?" She asked as she hid a grimace.
Her father had provided her with double the amount of gold she had requested for these projects. However, he had cautioned her that this sum might still fall short, as unanticipated complications frequently arose during construction. As a result, the final cost of a project could end up being two to three times greater than the original estimate.
In the past, she had dismissed her father as a cautious fool who knew nothing about construction. She believed that the builders he had cited as examples were incompetent and that she could surpass their work with ease.
She even anticipated completing her project for a lower cost than initially projected and utilising the leftover funds for other endeavours.
How wrong she had been.
"That'll depend on how much further the bedrock is your grace." Morren explained. "The bedrock is closer than the estimate at some places while it is much further away in other places."
"Just… just give me a rough estimate." She said, tired of playing word games with these men.
"About half a magnitude more your grace." The man said and she held back a tired sigh. 'A leader must always appear composed.' She reminded herself.
"Very well. Continue with the task as you have been doing so far. And inform me if any more delays occur in this project" She said before she turned to look Gerris Sand. "Gerris, where are the Glass makers that Tyrosh promised us last moon?"
"The Tyroshi people claim that they've have gotten into a dispute with Myr for sending Glass Makers to Westerosi people." Gerris told her, looking even tired than she was feeling. "The Magisters of Tyrosh are demanding more gold, and trade reparations for sending us those Glass Makers. Furthermore, they have placed strict limitations on the types of glass products we are permitted to produce."
Her fists clenched at the audacity of those Tyroshi copper counters.
Do those fuckers think that she was some inexperienced woman that they can string along and demand whatever they want from? That they can indirectly insult her with their actions and she'll do nothing about it?
"Did we not already sign a contract with those Tyroshi magisters for hiring those Glass makers?" She asked, her eyes narrowed as she glared at Gerris.
"We did, Princess." Gerris said with a grimace as he avoided making eye contact with her. "But the city of Myr is now putting pressure on them for this contract."
"Are they? Or is this yt another ploy on their part to extract more benefits from us?" She asked before she shook her head. "No. If these Tyroshi magisters can't deal with us in good faith then we shall not deal with them either!"
"Princess?" Gerris asked, looking surprised.
"Tell these Tyroshi magisters to honour their obligation and send us those Glass Makers, without any further demans." She said firmly. "If they fail to do so before the end of the moon, then we shall consider it a breach of contract and start looking somewhere else for Glass Makers."
"Where else will we look, princess?" Gerris asked, looking rather lost and she once again wondered if he was really the best man for this task or not.
"I'll think of something." She said.
She knew that Volantis had its own glass makers, although they were not as skilled as those in Myr. However, they were proficient enough to produce basic glass. She could utilize her cousin Nymeria's connection with her mother, who resided in Volantis, to negotiate a deal with the Glass Maker guild there.
Or, she could ask her mother in Norvos for a referral. She was uncertain if the Norvosi had glass makers of their own, but asking around won't hurt anyone. She has not had a proper talk with her mother in a while and exchanging letters with her would be good, even though a part of her despised her mother for leaving her behind like this.
Alternatively... if all other options failed... she knew that Bastard had plans to establish glass workshops in Dragonstone. She had no idea how he intended to accomplish this, but she had no doubt in her mind that he would succeed in this endeavour, as he had succeeded in so many others. Perhaps she could ask Tyene to arrange something?
Nymeria Martell failed many times in her quest to find a home for her people before she landed on the shores of Dorne. She could afford to do the same with her projects, as long as she didn't lost heart and continued to move forward with firm resolution.
"What about the artificial ponds? Have we seen any increase in greenery in the land around those ponds?" She asked Timoth. "And what about the plants that we planted on the half clay soil? Have they shown any results."
Unlike the others who seemed unhappy with the progress they were making in their projects, Timoth had a huge smile on his face as he started speaking enthusiastically about the success he'd found in his agriculture work.
She still wasn't sure how these agriculture projects would work out in large scale. If the gold she's willing to pour into these projects will bring any profit or it'll all go down the drain.
But if she could indeed get some success in these agriculture projects, and brought more greenery to Dorne, then she had to potential to be remembered as someone equally great as Nymeria Martell.
'The Princess who made Dorne as rich and fertile as the Reach.' Yes, that has a nice ring to it. Though she'll have to see if Bastard's methods actually work on a larger scale before she makes any decision on her own.
The rest of the meeting lasted for another half an hour before she dismissed those men and brought the meeting to an end.
Then she dragged her tired body to her room where a hot water bath was prepared for her.
And afterward, she was called to her father's solar for yet another one of her evening lessons.
—
"Arianne, are you listening to me?" Her father asked, looking at her with slight concern and she yawned.
"Yes. I am." She said as she blinked and rubbed her eyes. "Just a little tired."
Her father raised an eyebrow at that. "It is good that you are so passionate about your new projects, daughter, but make sure that you don't burn yourself out too quickly."
She bit back the harsh retort at the tip of her tongue and simply nodded.
Although she disliked her father, he was the one funding her ventures, so she couldn't oppose him even if she wanted to tell him to take his concerns and stick them up where the sun doesn't shine.
The father took her silence for agreement and continued speaking. "Now, you have a dispute between House Shell and Briar. House Briar claims that House Shell's fishing vessels entered their part of the sea and fished in those areas regularly. What would you do?"
Ever since her Father recovered from his Gout due to the Bastard's blessings, he has come back from the Water Gardens, and started living in Sunspear once again. And as soon as he did that, he started giving her lessons on ruling every evening.
She wasn't sure why he was doing that when he still hasn't given her a proper response for his letter to House Yronwood. But if he was going to spend his time teaching her, then she'll make the best use of that time and learn as much as she could from him.
"Is the map clear on where their boundaries lay?" She asked and her father nodded.
"It is. But as if often the case with these old houses, there is some overlap in the areas between their lands. Lands, which both of them claim to be their own. And where there is an overlap of land, there is an overlap in sea. A common occurrence in the Houses in coastal regions. So, what would be your decision?"
"Have the fishing vessels of House Shell only fished in this overlapped area, or if they've entered deeper into House Briar's territory?"
Her father smiled at her question. "That's a good question. What do you think their answers will be?"
She grimaced, already knowing what kind of answers the nobles usually give at being asked questions like these.
"House Shell will obviously claim that they're only fishing in their own area, while House Briar will claim that they're going deeper in their territory."
"Yes." Her father nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes and she hated how much that affected her. Just how much she yearned for his attention and acknowledgement despite his betrayal. "Now how would you figure out which one of them is lying? And how would you go about solving their dispute?"
She noticed how he didn't say 'How would you punish them for lying to you?'. Because you don't punish your vassals. Not outright at least, and not until they're given you a direct insult. Because punishing your vassals for small details like that breeds resentment.
No, you play the role of benevolent ruler, and make merry with everyone. Sooner or later, someone will slip up though. And you punish that slip up severely. Setting an example for the other vassals, so that they'll know the price of going against House Martell. And then you can go back to being that benevolent ruler.
According to her father, this was the ruling style King Jaehaerys used in Westeros. And considering how successful King Jaehaerys' 50 year long reign was, his example was worth following.
"I would give a stern warning to House Shell if they turned out to be the aggressor. And the same to House Briar if they turned out to be the liar." She said.
Her father nodded. "A stern warning from their overlord is a good start for minor houses like theirs, but not enough to solve their dispute. What else?"
She thought on it for a moment and gave him her reply.