Rookery of Sunspear, Dorne

Deria Martell held the scroll in her hands, reading it for the third time to make sure she had not missed anything.

‘’Well…..what does it say.’’ Her youngest brother Olyvar asked impatiently.

‘’Loren Lannister requests we join our armies with his against King Vaemond….in exchange he promises he will recognize and support our independence as a free and independent state as we were in my grandmothers time….he says I would be a Queen again and our alliance would be sealed in marriages and betrothals upon the wars end.’’ Deria replied dutifully.

‘’Let me see.’’ Her youngest son Lewyn said and she handed him the scroll, unlike his older brother Blaise, who had not bothered to rouse himself from his bed at the arrival of the raven, Lewyn took after her with brown skin and black hair, while his older brother Blaise looked more like their Reachman hedge knight father.

Her younger brother, also called Lewyn shook his head ‘’We can't trust the Lannisters Deria…their entire house was built on trickery….they promise alliances but even if we were to win the war they would not act in our defense in the future….I know it….we should not bestirr ourselves in this fight, the men of Dorne don't need to bleed for the Lion or the Dragon.’’

‘’I did not know you presumed to have the gift of prophecy uncle…a shame you did not use it before the battle at Watersmeet….only the gods know the future.’’ Her son said passionately, it did not take much to rile him up.

Deria put a hand on her son's shoulder to calm him.

‘’And what would you have us do?’’ Deria asked.

‘’The time is right mother….Dorne shall be free again, we were not meant to be subjects….with the Lannisters, Arryns and Darklyns at our side we can drive the Dragons from Dorne’’ Her son said confidently.

‘’And what have the Targaryens done to you that has awoken this hatred?’’ She asked him.

Lewyn scoffed ‘’What have they done…..they killed thousands of our people….house Yronwood was nearly destroyed…..they had Lord Blackmont and Lady Toland executed, they are our enemies.’’

‘’And we killed thousands of theirs.’’ Deria said gently.

‘’Our cause was righteous….it is not the same mother.’’ He replied.

‘’Our cause…..I was not aware you fought the Targaryens son….you name them enemies…what have they done to you?’’ Deria prodded.

‘’The smith created the world in a certain fashion….their marriage practices goes against the natural order of things…..they are sinners.’’ The prince responded.

‘’We are all sinners.’’ Deria said before continuing.

‘’The Targaryens have done good as well, though you are loathe to admit….they captured the islands of Sunstone and Bloodstone and expelled the pirates, those pirates harried and raided our coasts even before my grandmothers time…trade with the Stormlands has never been safer…..upon Vaemonds ascension he sent a gift to Sunspear….our family could rise high within the realm, you speak of the war son, but the Targaryens have brought peace to Dorne following the bloodshed, in my grandmothers time we warred constantly with the Stormlanders and the Knights of the Reach….but no more.’’ Deria said.

‘’Deria….we swore an oath…but that does not mean we have to bleed for them, we should not get involved in this war.’’ Her brother Lewyn said.

‘’Mother….this chance won't present itself again…..The Targaryens will be crushed between the Knights of the Vale and the Westerlands, if we join with them the south will be open to our advance….our people could be free.’’ Her son said, clearly of a different mind than his uncle.

‘’We swore the Targaryens an oath to defend the realm, I was only a squire during the war, but I remember the burning of the Yronwoods, how angry it made me….but an oath comes before vengeance….we lost the right to vengeance when we pledged them our spears’’ Olyvar said.

‘’Vengeance is an oath….you would have us bleed for the Targaryens mother’’ Her son said heatedly.

Deria made her way to the window, looking out over Sunspear.

‘’The only thing I care about is our family…..joining with the Lannisters would put our family at risk of the executioner's ax…but even should the Targaryens lose the war, the Lannisters won't have the power to punish those that remained loyal to the crown.’’ Deria said before sofly continuing.

‘’And Dorne shall remain loyal.’’ Deria said, her hands in the windowsill.

‘’Mother?’’ Lewyn asked with shock.

‘’The Martells of Dorne keep their oaths…..raise the banners… we will join with the Targaryens.’’ Deria said, listening to the clamoring of the bazaar below.

20th of 10th Moon, 8023

Council Chambers of the Aegonfort

Vaemond watched cooly as Nestor Royce moved the marble falcon figure from the nearby table onto the large map, signifying the Arryns had sides with the Lannisters, they had just received the Raven from the Eyrie and all their plans from the previous days were for naught and had to be reconsidered with the Knights of the Vales entry into the war.

There were several miniature sculptures on the map. Those representing the loyalists were a Greyjoy Kraken in the Iron Islands, a bronze Dornish sun, a Baratheon Stag, A Tully Trout, an orange shield with the sigil of house Royce in the Vale and a Dragon in King's Landing. The rebels were represented by a gold lion, a marble falcon and a castle representing Duskendale.

An emerald Tyrell Rose and a Stone Wolf stood off to the side of the map, looking ominously at their companions.

Vaemond broke the silence ‘’I suppose we should count ourselves fortunate the Starks have not declared for the rebels….Brandon Stark did not attend my coronation, I know well his disdain for me.’’

‘’No doubt he wishes to see you defeated, but the man is known as the Just in his own lands, he won't break his oath.’’ Corlys Velaryon said confidently.

‘’And the Tyrells…..I had thought them to be among my most loyal Bannermen, but they have not raised their banners….you know Theo Tyrell better than any man here Corlys….why has he forsaken his vows….the Chivalry of the Reach is much needed’’ Vaemond said, looking rather longingly at the Emerald Tyrell Rose figure, sitting uselessly to the side of the map.

Corlys nodded ‘’It's true I know Theo Tyrell, I knighted him in Eastmelt after I slew the bandit leader….I say with confidence that he will not raise his forces against you….he knows his family owes its position to yours, and he was raised for several years in this very keep.’’ Corlys said.

‘’He won't raise forces against me, but he won't raise them for his King and the family he owes so much too, why?’’ Vaemond demanded.

‘’Marriage your grace.’’ Old Rickard Stokeworth, Master of Laws said ponderously.

Vaemond nodded slowly, remembering now and cursing himself silently, he had been in attendance at the marriage of Theo Tyrell and Lorenna Lannister, Lorens own daughter.

‘’The Tyrells are bound by blood to the Lannisters….they won't fight against you but neither will Theo Tyrell raise his banners against his own father-in-law, the Grandfather of his heir Amaury.’’ Stokeworth continued.

‘’Bonds notwithstanding their absence puts us in a difficult situation.’’ Vaemond said, his eyes returning to the isolated silver trout of the Tullys in the Riverlands.

‘’The Tullys are caught in between the Lannisters in the west and the Knights of the Vale and Duskendale in the east….I fear they will bear the brunt of this war….if the Reach was with us we could have the Westerlands surrounded but we don't.’’ Vaemond said.

‘’I know young Samwell Tully…..he will defend his people with all his strength, even if that means a direct assault to keep the war from his own lands.’’ Orys Baratheon said.

Vaemond looked towards the western coast of the Riverlands to the fortress of Seaguard, where he had received a Raven from Matarys ‘’It was a lucky enough thing my brother escaped from Fair Isle, but he will have a difficult time of it avoiding the war making his way back…..if he should tread too close to the Mountains of the Moon….’’

‘’Ser Garmon Hightower is no fool, he will get him back safely.’’ Corlys said.

He turned to his Marshal Lord Nestor Royce, who had been silent for much of the meeting ‘’Lord Royce….I need you to return to Runestone and raise your levies there…..we need to give Orys’s men, as well as the Ironborn and Dornish time to reinforce the Riverlands, perhaps your levies being raised will give the Knights of the Vale pause before advancing on the Tullys, they will not want to leave thousands of men to their rear.’’

Nestor Royce nodded dutifully ‘’Your Grace, I fear I cannot match their numbers in the field, but I will do my duty.’’

‘’Do whatever you can to slow them down, should Loren Lannister be given the chance to join with the Valemen his host will number seventy thousand men, we cannot allow that to happen.’’ Vaemond said.

‘’It will take the Dornish a good while to assemble their men in the deserts and march up the Princes Pass….we can't rely on them joining the war anytime soon.’’ Orys said, nodding towards the bronze sun.

‘’This war will be decided by your men Uncle, and those of the Greyjoys….Vickon has not sent word of what his strategy is but we will need his men to join with yours and the Tullys.’’ Vaemond said.

‘’You will not be accompanying us your Grace?’’ Orys asked with surprise.

The King shook his head ‘’My son Aelyx died as a result of my negligence….I will not make the same mistake twice….I won't march west while there is a wolf in the sheep's pen, Duskendale has some 5000 men and are just a few days hard marching from the capitol, I won't leave them free to raid and pillage at our rear….While you march to meet with the Tullys and Greyjoys, I will march north and deal with Duskendale.’’

‘’Vaemond….Duskendale will have its day….but we will need all the men we can in the west….should the Lannisters and Arryns unite into a single host…..even with 5000 men the Darklyns are no immediate threat to the capitol’’ Corlys said.

‘’My own host will be made up of men from the Crownlands…King or no, do you think they will follow me while their own villages and families are left undefined at the mercy of Duskendale….no I will deal with the Darklyns first.’’ Vaemond said sternly.

The hall went silent at that.

‘’I don't understand why Duskendale is against us….I was good to him, yes I sent his levies to Sunstone but I rewarded Lord Darklyn handsomely.’’ Vaemond said, looking at the large demesne on the map, just north of Kings Landing.

‘’Lannister has been preparing for this for some time i'd guess…..at your mothers funeral I saw him conversing with the Lord Darklyn….talk was that they had formed a friendship.’’ Stokeworth said.

‘’Darklyns a fool if he believes Loren Lannister is his friend…..he's a pawn, his only use to keep me from joining the defense in the west…..Lannister is using him.’’ Vaemond said.

‘’He will recognize his mistake when Duskendale falls.’’ The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard said.

Vaemond nodded and turned to Lord Royce.

‘’Before you leave for Runestone, raise all the banners north of the Blackwater Rush, that should be enough to deal with Duskendale.’’ Vaemond commanded.

‘’What about the men here in the capitol, and south of the Rush, that amounts to near 10,000 men.’’ Corlys asked with a frown.

‘’The levy of Kings Landing will stay in the capitol, If I must leave my family I will see they have thousands of swords and spears guarding them.’’ Vaemond said, he would not risk any harm to his family, not after Aelyx.

‘’And the men of the southern Crownlands, there are several thousand that we could raise your Grace.’’ Nestor Royce asked politely.

‘’They will be a reserve…..have the lords ready to raise them at a moment's notice, but they wont march on Duskendale with us’’ Vaemond said curtly.

Orys understood at once, he drew his dagger and brought it to the map ‘’The King speaks truly, we assume that the Lannisters will advance through the Riverlands, but should they attempt to steal a march through to the south, from Payne Hall into Byford….they would have a straight shot into the capitol.’’

Vaemond nodded before turning to his councilors ‘’My lords….we all have much to prepare for…see to your tasks.’’

The men nodded and left the room.

Vaemond looked to the Dragon Figurine, made of Black Onyx with red rubies, taking it in his hand he moved it north on the map to Duskendale, where the Dragon stood in opposition to the checkered castle of house Darklyn.

Fire and Blood He thought to himself.