The Eminence in GOT-Chapter 36: The Council of Dorne

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***

282 A.D.

The great hall of the Ark of the Sands, the Sun Spear.

«Into the fires of those dragons! - A loud shout belonging to a man dressed in rich silk robes with three black scorpions embroidered on them raged beneath the ceilings of the Martell Great Hall, reverberating and creating numerous echoes. - What good have they done to us? А? Not only did that sucker Rhaegar abandon Princess Elia and run off with some Northern savage, but his father went completely insane! He burned one of the Guardians alive! And strangled his heir! He violated the judgment of the Seven! The gods would have him--

«Shut up Quargil!!! - Another shout, no less powerful, echoed through the halls, and it came from a middle-aged man with a unique appearance in Westerosse - beige hair and bright violet eyes. It was clear who he was, even without looking at the embroidery on the sleeves of his surcoat, depicting a shooting star and a sword. Vorian Dane, the current Lord of Starfall, needed no introduction. - No matter how your family feels about the Dragons they are our kings! And the Starks, Baratheons, Arryns and Tullys have mutinied. We must raise an army and show them what happens when the Dornish are on the warpath.

«Uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.

The rumbling sound briefly drowned out all the sounds in the hall, making it seem as if all the Dornish were just waiting for their chance to ram their enemies down their throats. But the lords saw and understood that the only ones who wanted war were the Dain and their vassals, for their lord's brother, the Sword of Dawn, was a close friend of the Crown Prince.

«Fuck you Dane! - Although the Quargils were not comparable in strength to the Martells, Ironwoods, Fowlers, and Dains, they were not far behind them. Lord Quargil took advantage of this and continued to bicker without hesitation. And while most of the shouting at the beginning was more or less about the rebellion, after a few minutes the assembled lords turned to personal and past offenses they had ever inflicted on each other.

"What is to be done?" - Thought Doran, who sat at the head of the table, began massaging his temples with tension and trying to focus.

Westeros was on fire. King's Landing was flooded every day with the glow of green fires and the screams of those unfortunates caught in the Mad King's eyes. The Vast, the North, the Riverlands, and the Stormlands were gathering armies. Strange stirrings were taking place in Lannisport. That bastard Rhaegar, rumored to have taken Lyanna Stark to some remote place and raped her every day, was missing somewhere. And just recently came even more stunning news - there was the first major battle in the rebellion that had begun.

The Vale of Arryn is called that for a reason. It's the strongest and most monolithic kingdom of the seven that exist today. But life likes to give surprises - the powerful House Grafton, lords of Gull City, the main port of the Vale, remained loyal to the king, and closed its gates to its suzerain. Jon Arryn did not tolerate this and led his troops to storm the city. The city was taken from the first attack, and Robert Baratheon, one of the two instigators of the rebellion, distinguished himself by being the first to climb the walls and the first to kill a noble in the war. Ironically, it turned out to be Mark Grafton himself, Lord Grafton.

Something had to be done. And Martell didn't know what. On the one hand he wanted to send all the Targaryens, especially Rhaegar, to Hell for neglecting his dear sister to the point of mental and bodily exhaustion, and on the other hand he realized that Aerys would soon send him a letter with a simple condition: either you bring an army forward, or Elia would be dead. And that made it even worse.

As he looked once more around the Great Hall, where all the lords, lords-at-arms, lords-vassals, and more or less important knights from all over Dorne were gathered, Doran realized once again that the Dornish would stand shoulder to shoulder only in the event of a general threat, when the factions of the Ironwoods, the Daines, the Fowlers, the Viles, the Quargils, and the Martells themselves would fight for survival, not for another bit of power and wealth.

"I'm so sick of this." - The Sun Spear master thought angrily and slammed his fist on the table with all his might, instantly cutting off the clamor.

Bang...

«Quiet!" His voice, strong and strong-willed, though it did not belong to a strong warrior or an experienced killer, penetrated to the bones, forcing the others to listen and obey. Millennia of ruling over millions of people and proper upbringing had left their mark - despite Doran Martell's rather "ordinary" appearance, only a few people in the great hall did not have goosebumps running down their backs. - I have summoned you, my loyal vassals, here for one purpose only - to decide what Dorne will do in the coming rebellion. And what do I see? A bunch of dim-witted sheep who can't grasp the depths of what's going on. Understand this is not the pathetic rebellion of Lionel Baratheon fifty years ago, crushed by the forces of the Realms alone. Three kingdoms have already risen, and another is on its way. If we don't do something, we could go back to the days of hiding in the wilderness for survival. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The Grandlord was walking on very thin ice. In other kingdoms, with the exception of the North, calling your vassals 'inconsiderate sheep' was a very unwise thing to do. But this is Dorne. A realm of deserts and mountains, scorching and drought. There was no other way to get the others to forget their squabbles and return to the discussion.

There was no one willing to say anything. This meeting had been going on for three hours and all the important lords present had already expressed their opinions.

Except for one man.

«Lord Temper, please. Speak.

«Thank you, my prince. - Replied the man who stood up, dressed in a light black camisole, pants and wicker sandals, with embroidery of sun and flame on his chest, who had previously sat at the end of the table among the other lord vassals.

Felix Temper was familiar in one way or another to all present. Tall, black-haired and young, the man had long since become synonymous among the Dornish as an upstart and the object of black envy. A former Westerner with bright Lannister eyes who had gotten rich selling exotic trinkets to the wealthy of the Free Cities, he was disliked by many, if not all, but he was a force to be reckoned with. He was too wealthy and influential among the Essos merchants, on whom the economy of Dorne was largely based, and his friendship with the Martells, to whom he had given the only Valyrian steel spear in Westeros, and his marriage to the daughter of the Volantian Triarch, considered one of the most (if not the most) beautiful women alive, made his position even stronger.

"Upstart." - Thought most of those present, with the exception of the Fowlers and Ironwoods who had already been favorably involved with the Lord of the Valley of the Sunflame for several years. - "But the upstart is dangerous."

«Dear Lords. I will not make long speeches and will say at once - the Targaryens are doomed to defeat. - The attendees did not even have time to be indignant as a large and detailed map of the Seven Kingdoms with the location of all the major castles, cities, forests, rivers, lakes and mountains and clearly described borders of the kingdoms was taken out of a long tube made of lacquered mahogany. A very rare and expensive item that can only be obtained in the Citadel. - Let's look at the situation from the outside. Disregarding oaths, honor and kinship ties.

At the slightly disgruntled looks of the Martell brothers, Temper only made a shallow bow, with one eye asking to let him finish, and the other lords could not interrupt the one who was given the right to speak by their suzerain. To do so would have been the strongest insult to the House of Sunspear.

«There are four kingdoms on the side of the rebels. The Vale of Arryn, the North, the Riverlands, and the Stormlands. Only Spaceland and Dorne proper have declared loyalty to the Iron Throne. The Iron Islands and the Western Lands are silent for now. - Whatever one might say about Temper, he had a good voice. Most of the lords were already watching the finger moving across the map with interest, with only occasional whispers. - In order for you to understand my point, we must first assess the military potential of each side. Let's start with the Vale. Jon Arryn has already amassed nearly 15,000 soldiers under his command, four of whom are the professional knights' cavalry for which this land is so famous. Now that the Gull City has been taken and Robert Baratheon has sailed to Storm's End to gather his army, the Valeans will quietly gather the reinforcements that have yet to arrive and march into the Riverlands through the Bloody Gate. So to Riverrun, there will be at least 30,000 select Vale soldiers.

«A clatter...

In the complete silence, the sound of a blue falcon-shaped figure colliding with the place designated as the Tully residence seemed thunderous. The numbers named were too large and intimidating, and the lords, the oldest of whom had at most led a thousand warriors during the War of the Nine-Great Kings, were greatly impressed.

«Next we have the North. - Temper continued, looking thoughtfully at the figure made in the shape of a direwolf's head, the Stark family crest. - It's not so bad here. The North is the largest kingdom of the seven, but in their case it does more harm than good. In order to keep the west and east coasts covered, and to defend themselves against wildling raids, they'll have to leave a significant portion of their forces at home. So the maximum the Targaryens will face is 20,000 angry northerners. But I wouldn't underestimate them - half of my soldiers are ex-Northern Highlanders, and they outnumber their Southern counterparts in individual strength.

«Knock...

The figure of a direwolf appeared on the site of Winterfell, and a crowned stag subtly appeared in Temper's hands.

«Baratheons. It is Robert who is chief among the rebels. Surely everyone present remembers who he is to the royal dynasty, and why he has a claim to the throne? - The question was purely rhetorical, for any heir to a noble house is taught from a young age by the Maesters to remember the two family trees - their own and the Targaryens'. - But Robert will have a much harder time gathering troops than his two allies. While the Vale and the North have been under Arryn and Stark rule for millennia, the Baratheons, along with the Tullys and Tyrells, are a young house of only 300 years. They don't have the absolute loyalty of their vassals. Even so, Storm's End will easily gather some thirty thousand warriors under its walls.

«A thud...

Cape Durran was buried beneath the small foot on which the deer was leaning, and again, as if out of thin air, a new figure appeared in the narrator's hands. This time it was a small white trout, with sapphire eyes.

«Tully..." Temper said thoughtfully, looking into the blue eyes of the wooden fish. - The situation is not so clear-cut. I won't say that Brandon's death and the pregnancy of Lord Hoster's second daughter, Lysa..." The rumblings that rose at that moment were quickly stopped by Doran's hand, whose surprise was shown only by his slightly raised eyebrows. Still, this fact was not particularly common and was very much hidden by Riveran's masters, having recently fallen into Lord Osgiliath's hands through servants bribed back in Harrenhal. - ... had at least some influence on all of this, but one simple fact to consider was that many houses, such as the Mutons or the Darrys would surely support the king. They were too friendly with Rhaegar. But even so, the Riverlands will be able to field a twenty-five thousand man army in peace.

«Knock.

«That puts the rebels at 105,000 troops. - Everyone was impressed by this figure. An army of nearly a hundred thousand on this continent had only been assembled in ancient times, in the Expanse, during the dawn of the Gardaner dynasty and their campaigns against the kings of the West, and as a response to particularly successful raids by the Dornish. Of course, many of those present did not take these words seriously - it was too hard for a man to accept what he could not even imagine. But there were exceptions - Doran, Ironwood, Fowler, Dane, Jordain, Vaith... the most powerful lords of Dorne, ruling domains with populations in the hundreds of thousands, were well aware of WHICH army was gathering in the north of Westeros.

«Now let's talk about the men loyal to the king. - Temper, who spoke again, drew his attention back to himself, twirling the figure of a small three-headed dragon between his fingers. - The Targaryens themselves own only the King's Lands. In fact, it is the smallest realm of all nine, with the exception of the Iron Islands. So it can field a much smaller force. Fifteen thousand swords, if you don't count the Gold Cloaks, who no one will let outside the walls of King's Harbor.

«Knock...

A three-headed dragon, spreading its wings and exhaling an amber stylized flame with one of its heads, took its place in the King's Harbor.

«But the Western Lands and the Expanse are not so simple. - Temper said thoughtfully, looking into the ruby eyes of the small figure of the lion. - Tywin Lannister can raise eight thousand Red Cloaks with a word, and in a few days the rest of Casterly Rock's vassals will be at his beck and call. So forty thousand swords, if you don't count the garrison left to defend the coast, the West will have.

«A knock...

The lion took his seat, and in the Osgiliath master's hand appeared the last figure for the day, a very neatly carved golden rose.

«The Tyrrells may raise the largest army in all the Seven Kingdoms, but like the Lannisters they will have to leave a substantial garrison to guard Arbor, the Shield Isles, and the Ocean Road. Still, Balon Greyjoy is a true believer in the Old Law and will not miss a chance to plunder the Greenlanders in troubled times. - With a golden flower between his fingers, Temper kept his gaze on the map, staring at the spot marked Highgarden, making the others realize the importance of his words. - Sixty thousand soldiers, of which at least ten would be heavy cavalry. That's how many the Guardian of the South will bring to the war. Of course, this is only a rough estimate based on the last census and the current power of the noble houses, so the numbers may vary, but not too much.

«A knock...

Rose took her place in the High Garden, marking the end of this part of the story.

There was a brief silence, interrupted by one of the minor lords, a vassal of Manwoody:

«Why did you say the dragons would lose? - He asked, immediately switching to "you". - According to you, the rebels have only a hundred thousand soldiers, while the king, even without our support, has a hundred and twenty thousand. The Targaryens have the advantage.

The chuckles and whispers that followed these words about the "shallowness of one upstart" were quickly interrupted by Doran's hard stare and the predatory smile of Oberyn, sitting next to his brother, who looked more like a dangerous snake than a man because of his strained smile.

«Lord Lowheart, you are wrong about something. - Though Felix's tone had not changed, the coldness and indifference in his every gesture toward Manwoody's vassal was almost physically palpable. - As I said before with the Vast and the West, there are certain circumstances. The first is that Tywin Lannister will never enter the war on Aerys' side.

Having learned from bitter experience that it was better to let the man speak than to incur the wrath of the Grandlord, those present did not make a sound as they listened intently to the former Westerner.

«Yes, the Great Lion and the king were once close friends, having gone through fire and water together during the War of the Nine Kings. But one must remember that the lion is a proud and strong beast, and will not tolerate bullying, even from a dragon. - Gradually, the volume of Temper's voice increased, giving the feeling of a long-rehearsed speech that you want to listen to. - Remember the famous scandals at the tournament in 272, when our king molested Tywin's wife Joanna in public? And the resulting rumors of her infidelity? And what happened four years later at the tournament at Lannisport in honor of Prince Viserys' birthday? Lord Dane, if memory serves, you were there and you heard what our "wise" king said to the Grandlord of the West when he offered to marry his daughter to Prince Rhaegar?

«"You are the wisest of my servants, Tywin, but who would marry their heir to their servant's daughter?" - Vorian Dane, whose eyes were gradually growing wider, said thoughtfully. - I remember it even through the years. Everyone was too shocked by that statement at the banquet after the tournament back then.

«Here. Do you think a lion would tolerate something like that? - Temper asked, smiling ironically as he looked at the gradually pulling faces of the lords present. - And let's not forget the recent initiation into the Kingsguard of his heir, Jaime Lannister. Now Casterly Rock will go to his second son, Tyrion. The dwarf who killed his own mother, Tywin's favorite wife, at his birth. A disgrace to their family. Someone Tywin truly hates. And let's not forget the constant scandals Arys caused while the lion was Hand. If the Shield of Lannisport still treats well someone who humiliated and argued with him for ten years, one might suspect him of being a saint who was inadvertently not elevated by the Seven. What do you think the proud Old Lion's attitude would be towards the current dynasty?

The answer was clear without words - pure and unadulterated hatred. Even the Dornish, far removed from the notion of knightly honor and vassal oaths, understood that no matter how honest and loyal Lannister was, he would not stand up for the Targaryens. Simple human dignity, which men of the Great Lion's level guard like the apple of their eye, would not allow him to do so.

«It's a similar problem with the Vale. Does everyone here realize WHO truly rules Highgarden, after Luthor's recent death? - Another question did not require an answer, for it was obvious. - No matter how much the Tyrells claim their loyalty to the Targaryens, as long as the Queen of Spikes holds the reins of power, they will not truly enter this war.

«Why not? - There was a question from one of the unimportant knights-at-arms sitting in the pews at the far end of the hall, silent most of the time.

«Very simple. - Temper answered and, turning on his toes, turned to a man of venerable age, on whose chest sat a white hawk on a blue background. - Lord Fowler, you've always kept a good eye on the situation in Spaceland, haven't you, and surely you've seen the marriage of Olenna Redwyne and Luthor Tyrell?

«Yes," the Old Hawk said thoughtfully, his hand on his chin, recalling the events of the past few years.

«Would you mind telling me how it happened?

«It happened almost thirty-five years ago. Aegon the Incredible, may the Seven bless his postmortem, had arranged Olenna's betrothal to his youngest son, Daeron, and Luthor was engaged to the king's eldest daughter, Sheera. I was fifteen at the time, visiting as a passing knight in Highgarden, and I had already seen Olenna roaming the Highgarden court. She had set her fiancé up with a squire, making him forget about women, and she had climbed into bed with Luthor, tying the harmless lout to herself. - The eyes of all present gradually grew larger and larger as the story progressed. Not that what Fowler told was some great secret, but such "details" were a revelation for most of them. - As she told her maid of honor, one of whom I was sleeping with, she hated the Targaryens and considered them dangerous madmen unworthy of the Iron Throne.

The silence that followed was almost absolute, punctuated only by the soft sounds of breathing and the pouring of Red Serpent wine into the glass.

«That's why the dragons have little chance of winning. - Finally said Temper, collecting the figures from the table and folding the map. - They're thirty thousand at most, with all their remaining loyalists. Maybe fifty, if we all strain and send all our warriors to help. But even if we win, we gain nothing. The Vale and the North, along with Dorne, are natural fortresses that are very hard to take and avenging the deaths of their lords will take a very long time.

At this point the meeting fell silent. In the days that followed, many words were spoken, many arguments and discussions were held, resulting in a few fights, but time passed and no unified decision was made. There were too many contradictions and resentments among the Dornish to unite and make a single decision.

Two messages decided everything.

A threatening letter from the king and a note from Leaven Martell, asking to hurry and describing the madness of Aerys at its peak.

The decision was made. Felix Temper was heading north into the King's Lands with an eight-thousand-strong muster corps with two orders - to save as many soldiers as possible and to bring Princess Elia home.

***

«Congratulations, your plan has completely worked.

«Thank you, Doran. If it weren't for your trust, I wouldn't have succeeded.

«But how did you get the Ironwoods and the Fowlers to help?

«Money, my lord. Just money. I renewed the Ironwoods' escort contract and I bought seedlings from the Fowlers.

«Not bad. I trust you, my friend. You remember your mission, don't you?

«Leave the other lords' soldiers on the battlefield and organize a kidnapping.

«That's right. But remember, if anything goes wrong and a single hair falls from my sister's head... You're dead.

***

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