There is a golden path for that that would save us many headaches...
Let's also recruit and befriend Mysaria, besides being a very competent and loyal agent it would be a tremendous power move to befriend both of our dear Uncle Ex's... And then we play matchmakers so that Alys and Mysarya end up together, what could go wrong?
This is a mad scheme I whole-heartedly approve! Why not join the most effective mundane spymaster in Westeros of the era with the Strongest known woodswitch of the generation. What could go wrong?
See, I'm pretty sure she's not of this generation. She said many assume her to be a daughter of Lyonel Strong... which, to me, implies that she's much older than she looks.
This is a mad scheme I whole-heartedly approve! Why not join the most effective mundane spymaster in Westeros of the era with the Strongest known woodswitch of the generation. What could go wrong?
Besides that, even if it pains me to admit it, the best mundane spymaster of the era is Larys Strong (and there is no way I want this psychopathic creep near us), don't get me wrong, Mysaria is pretty great as well, just not as good as him...
Besides that, even if it pains me to admit it, the best mundane spymaster of the era is Larys Strong (and there is no way I want this psychopathic creep near us), don't get me wrong, Mysaria is pretty great as well, just not as good as him...
Aemma was not asked for consent. But the decision was also not on Mellos. Frankly, that is just coping. If we really want to hold someone accountable for what happened to our mother, it would have had to have been Viserys. He made the decision, so we would have had to hold him accountable. Well, we decided to go a different path. So going after Mellos for that now seems like a cheap cop-out.
To be clear, I'm not "holding Mellos accountable" in the sense of "he killed mom." I'm observing that he seems to have a recurring pattern of being at best mediocre as a physician even by medieval standards.
It sounds like Aemma died, not because Mellos chose for Aemma to die, but because Mellos' lack of skill created a situation where Mellos' belief was that he had no realistic choice but to perform a fatal-on-Aemma C-section to save the baby.
Viserys is losing fingers, not because Mellos is poisoning him or anything along those lines, but because Mellos is applying ineffective treatments due to his ignorance.
To me, this isn't about finding someone to behead for the crime of Queen Aemma's death. It's about getting Mellos out of a position where he can get more members of the royal family killed by giving bad medical advice. Rhaenyra doesn't have to be a great scholar herself, or to somehow project "you literally murdered my mom" onto a specific bad doctor, in order to understand the difference between a good doctor and a bad doctor and to prefer good ones to bad ones.
Alys is spooky. I'm curious about her, but she appears to be dangerous as all hell, and also to have us at a disadvantage because we paid for the cool drugs with the inability to remember what happened between us.
Letting sorceresses deliver your children or be closely involved in the pregnancy and birth in general is one of those things you think twice about in a setting like A Song of Ice and Fire unless you're very confident you have a clear idea of what the sorceress' agenda is and how it may impact things.
Letting sorceresses deliver your children or be closely involved in the pregnancy and birth in general is one of those things you think twice about in a setting like A Song of Ice and Fire unless you're very confident you have a clear idea of what the sorceress' agenda is and how it may impact things.
I mean you could argue it ultimately worked out for Dany considering the dragons, but Rhaenyra already has a dragon, so I wouldn't consider it a particularly worthwhile tradeoff.
Letting sorceresses deliver your children or be closely involved in the pregnancy and birth in general is one of those things you think twice about in a setting like A Song of Ice and Fire unless you're very confident you have a clear idea of what the sorceress' agenda is and how it may impact things.
Hey, by all accounts Mirri despite being a sorceress and knower of the higher mysteries she acted as midwife, healer and in general outstanding member of the community for decades in that village...
So.as long as the sorceress doesn't actively hate you and wants revenge on you things are likely to work in the end.
Hey, by all accounts Mirri despite being a sorceress and knower of the higher mysteries she acted as midwife, healer and in general outstanding member of the community for decades in that village...
So.as long as the sorceress doesn't actively hate you and wants revenge on you things are likely to work in the end.
True, but I'm also thinking of other known practitioners of magic in Westeros. A lot of kinds of magic involve shaping people in ways that make them special, but at a price or towards an agenda, to the point where we really probably are better off if Rhaenyra's firstborn doesn't have those kinds of strings attached.
Letting sorceresses deliver your children or be closely involved in the pregnancy and birth in general is one of those things you think twice about in a setting like A Song of Ice and Fire unless you're very confident you have a clear idea of what the sorceress' agenda is and how it may impact things.
Depending on whether you believe the rumors about Visenya being a sorceress this may not be true, as Maegor had infertility issues well before he met Tyanna of the Tower.
Edit: to be fair Maegor's birth was without complications to the best of my knowledge.
You had restrained yourself when Prince Qoren first arrived. From the moment you saw his guards, you knew you wanted to challenge them. To see how well you fared against Dornish steel. But you knew it would have sent the wrong message. You also wanted to challenge the Prince himsel to a fight, see what your prospective husband had in him, but you knew that would make you look like some brute with no thoughts in her head besides violence.
Now though, with negotiations well underway and the Dornish making themselves rather comfortable in the Red Keep, you felt safe enough to be daring.
First though you put more time in the yard. While you had not exactly been neglecting your sword arm recently, in truth you had just barely done enough since the tourney to keep yourself from getting rusty. Ironically, since becoming a knight you had barely touched your sword.
After a few days of absolutely brutalizing straw and wood dummies in the yard, you felt a bit better about things, and more importantly you had attracted attention. The Dornish, both lords who had traveled with Prince Qoren and several of his personal guards, watched as you sliced at your straw enemies. Some of it was admiration of your skill, clearly impressed by how someone so young could be so talented with a blade, but some, particularly the Prince's men and women, were clearly sizing you up, seeing just how much of a threat you could pose to their charge.
Finally, after a few days of training, you felt bold enough to ask what everyone in the yard had been waiting for you to do.
"Would any of you fine Sers and ladies wish to spar with me today?" you asked as you stepped onto the field.
You made sure that Ser Raylon was watching as you gestured to all the Dornish gathered in the training yard.
The man who stepped forward first might have been mistaken for a Targaryen at first glance with his silver hair and purple eyes, but his tanned features and Dornish armor made it clear he was anything but.
"I accept your challenge, Princess," Lord Dayne declared.
A Dayne? Now that was the kind of challenge you sought. Daynes were an ancient house even by the standards of Westeros and they were well known for making warriors, perhaps infamous for it considering how many Daynes over the centuries have been involved in raids and wars against the Reach. The current Lord of Starfall was no Sword of the Morning, there hadn't been one of those for two generations, but his build made it clear the man was an experinced fighter, one with plenty of years ahead of him.
You smiled as he grabbed his training sword. The grip was firm, his stance well practiced, and his expression grew serious. He may have called you Princess instead of, Ser but it was clear he wasn't a fool. This would be a duel between two knights.
Even with practice blades, the clash of steel against steel was so loud you could almost hear a ringing in your ears as your swords met. Each of you swung with not only speed but considerable strength as well.
Lord Dayne was skilled. He wielded the blade like it was just another part of his arm. But there was predictability in his moments. Though you knew your sworn shield would balk if you ever dared say such a thing, but he fought a lot like a Tarly. You knew how to fight a Tarly. And while he wasn't slow by any reasonable measure, he was slower than you.
Within seven breaths you had him disarmed, his sword nearly bouncing as it hit the dirt.
"Well met," Lord Dayne breathed deeply as you lowered your sword. "I am glad to know that your knighthood is well earned."
"And I am glad you gave me the chance to prove it," you wiped the sweat from your brow.
It was a quick fight, but a close one. One bad move could have seen you on the defeat.
"As much as it shames me to admit, that damn Tarly taught you well," Lord Dayne said with a shake of his head. "I wish my sons had a tutor like that."
While Lord Dayne left the circle of spectators that had formed around you, your eyes met with those of Qoren's sworn shield. She looked as stern as always while two other guards were arguing at her. After a moment, she shook her head and smiled though.
"Would the Princess be up for another fight?" she called out to you while the two guards that had been speaking with her seemed rather excited. "The crowd is eager to see us meet spear and sword."
A hungry grin grew across your face. If there was one you had always found just a touch disappointing about your chosen path was how you found yourself entirely surrounded by men. None of the women in your life, even the stronger ones like Rhea Royce, seemed to have much interest in sparring with you. You had hoped the other mystery knight at the tourney was a woman like yourself, but tragically it had just been a boy.
Thankfully, Obara had spared you from any awkwardness that might arise from you being the one to throw down the challenge. No one could accuse you of trying to bully the Prince's bodyguards.
By the time you were ready for the fight, you could not help but notice the crowd of men around the two of you had grown somewhat. It seemed almost every knight and squire in the keep wanted to watch two ladies fight.
"Get used to this," Obara said as she stepped forward with a wood tipped spear, giving it short twirl before adjusting her grip. "Men may claim they don't like women fighting, but nothing gets their blood pumping more than the sight of two women locked in combat."
'Lovely'
The crowd cheered and hollered as the two of you stared at each each other. Qoren's sworn shield began to twirl her spear again, much faster this time and the two of you began to circle each other. You were somewhat surprised that she was being so showy instead of attacking you in earnest, but then Obara struck like lightning.
She turned on her heel, slapping the side of her spear against your shield to force your guard open. You barely had time to realize what she was doing. As she stepped forward to thrust at your armpit, you slapped her spear upwards with your blade, making the strike pass you harmlessly.
Before you could retaliate, she was already gone again. Obara was a strongly built woman, and yet she moved with grace and speed. She danced around you, batting aside your sword thrusts or quickly twisting out of the way, never standing still long enough for you to press the attack.
You tried to think back to your fight with the Water Dancer, but this woman would just not give you the time. She was constantly jabbing at you or circling around you like a predator with a wounded animal, the men howling at every strike. There was a flourish and showiness to her every move, but instead of making it easier to fight her when she wasted so many movements, it made it hard for you to read and anticipate her attacks.
Most of the time, she tried to keep her distance, but even when you managed to close in, it was far from over. Once more, your sword bashed her spear away, but instead of pulling away, she stepped closer. And then she headbutted you. Not hard enough to break anything, especially through the helmet, but enough to hurt and force you back again.
A feral grin appeared across your pale face as the crowd of knights, guards and squires cheered for the two of you. Such moves were allowed, but you had been worried that a stray fist might have offended your Dornish guests. That was no longer a concern.
You traded a few more blows, waiting for the right moment, and then you saw your chance. When she once again forced her spear past your shield, you dropped your blade and instead grabbed it and yanked on it hard. Obara let go almost immediately, but she had lost her balance for a moment and that was all you needed. This time, you rushed it and with a strike of your shield, she was on the ground.
Before she could move again, you rested the tip of her own spear on her chest.
"Well met," you said, as you raised it and instead offered her your hand.
"Aye. A good showing," Obara said as she clasped your hand. "For a northerner at least," she added with a smirk as she got back on her feet. "We should repeat that with other arms at some point."
In the distance you could see Ser Tarly watching, his armored helm giving a slight nod.
Your Prowess Has Improved
New Conversation Unlocked
You retired to your room after the bout with Obara, resting on a chair as you rubbed your face, still sore from the headbutt.
"That was a good show. Defeating a Dayne will put the Dornish on notice," Ser Raylon praised. "Though I must confess the current Lord Dayne seems rather average by their standards."
"It is a shame I wasn't able to fight a Sword of the Morning," you agreed.
Ser Raylon went to his door, preparing to begin his watch, but you noticed a tension in him as he walked. A tension that had existed since the Dornish first arrived.
There was only the two of you at the moment. Alicent's father had called her away this morning for family business. Her late mother's brother was visiting King's Landing.
You saw no better moment to finally breach the topic that had been clearly weighing on your sworn shield.
"Are we going to talk about this?" you asked plainly, causing Ser Raylon to freeze at the door.
"This is not what we had talked about," he sighed, his voice softer than you expected, but it held an air of exhaustion.
"Are we not accomplishing exactly what you wanted?" you asked. "If this works, we'll bring Dorne into the fold."
"On their terms," Tarly said firmly but politely. "Do you think this Prince Qoren will join if your father offers anything but the most favorable terms to Dorne? His Martell pride demands he remain unbent and unbroken. The only way to get Dorne to submit properly is through steel and fire."
"Do you think my father would agree to unreasonable terms?" You asked simply, not wanting to chide your sworn shield too much for the implications of his words.
"Of course not," Ser Raylon's reply was quick. "But Prince Qoren is a man who is skilled with words. I could see him selling an unfair deal to even the sharpest mind."
"Prince Qoren has his charm," you weren't even going to pretend to deny that, "but I do think you overstate his hand. I believe he may be in a tougher situation then you realize."
"I really don't see how," he said bluntly. "He came because he saw a chance to secure Dorne's position in the Stepstones and put one of his children on the Iron Throne."
"Then why did he only send a letter after my tourney win?" you questioned. "I think he's more nervous then he lets on. Something happened between him and my uncle that seems to have spooked him."
You couldn't deny it was rather curious that he only expressed interest after the tourney win, but you had a feeling that was not all of it. While you didn't believe Prince Qoren to be playing you false, you couldn't help but ponder what people in Sunspear had heard about events of the last months.
"Think about it, Ser Raylon," you went on, speaking aloud while you thought it through. "The conquest of the Stepstones is just about finished and I have just proven myself to be more of a warrior than my father ever was. I think Prince Qoren realized that if he did not act soon, he would have dragons to his north and east, and eventually a Queen who was more than willing to use them. I think he believes that if he does not bend willing, then someone will force him or his successors to bend the knees later as Dorne burns around them."
"Then we should wait and force him to kneel in the burning sands!" Ser Raylon said sharply, the anger that had been building inside him finally bursting out. "We should force Dorne to pay for their centuries of crimes against both our families, not bring them to the table and break bread with them."
Ser Raylon quickly calmed, looking somewhat embarrassed at his outburst.
"Princess, I must urge you to reconsider this," Ser Raylon was almost pleading with you now. "I know what you think you can gain from this, but it will not be worth it. And if you want a husband who will not scorn you when you bring a woman to bed, there are plenty of other options. You would hardly be the first ruler who's spouse was forced to tolerate a mistress."
You were more than a little annoyed that he would bring this up. Sure, you might have rejected Qoren's offer if he had not approved of Alicent so, but it was not purely your relationship with her that lead you to this match.
Yet it would not help to point this out to your sworn shield. If you were to convince him, you would need a good argument of your own instead of merely deflecting his. Something to make him understand that you and your father would not let Qoren run all over you.
What is your argument to Ser Tarly?
[] [Tarly] "My children will rule Dorne in time and they will be Dragons. Through blood, Dorne will be conquered."
[] [Tarly] "I have final say on the terms of the marriage and I will not accept a deal I find too lenient to Dorne."
[] [Tarly] "Prince Qoren understands that if he does not marry me, he will be forced to deal with my uncle. He will seek reasonable terms."
[] [Tarly] "Prince Qoren will be my consort and he will do as I say."
[] [Tarly] "Any other man could try to rule in my stead, but Prince Qoren would never receive enough support from the lords of the realm to do so. I will be a stronger queen through this match."
[] [Tarly] Write-in (Subject to QM Approval)
You found yourself in Alicent's quarters as she brushed her hair. The room was smaller than yours and less ornate, but still decently sized and well decorated as befitting the Hand's daughter. A large seven pointed star hung above her window, her shelves full of numerous books largely on the histories and more ancient tales. Numerous examples of embroidery were neatly stacked on her desk. You weren't the best judge of these things, but they seemed quite well made and beautiful, showing a fine use of colors to paint vivid scenes.
Her current project seemed to be that of a knight in black armor, which prompted a small smile to appear on your face.
"So, how was Ser Florent?" you asked casually.
"He was well," Alicent said distantly. "Things between my uncle and my father are always quite tense for some unspoken reason, so the whole dinner was rather stiff. Though Gwayne managed to get a laugh out of him. My uncle has invited us to come to Brightwater Keep once your progress is finished."
"And how do you feel about that?" You were glad to hear her be so open with you about her personal life.
"Personally, I would much prefer we visit Brightwater during the Royal Progress," she said honestly. "However much affection I have for my mother's family, it is not worth so much extra travel after months on the King's Road. I do not wish to spend my entire spring in a carriage bumping through the countryside."
"I'll see what I can arrange," you promised.
"Thank you," Alicent nodded.
You realized there was a subject you had to bring up. You didn't want to mention it, but you knew pretending nothing had changed would be a mistake.
"So. I must ask, what does my dear handmaiden think of Prince Qoren?" you asked sweetly.
"My ancestors would likely be gravely offended if they heard me say this," she replied with a weak smile, "but the man was quite charming, and he has real talent with a brush."
"That's not what I meant," you said as gently as you could as you knelt beside her.
Alicent looked at you, her lips tightly drawn.
"I do not wish our relationship to be what decides your future," her voice was hesitant and worried.
"You are my friend and handmaiden," you assured her. "Even if that was the extent of things between us, I would still be asking. I value your opinion."
Another weak smile appeared on Alicent's face, the strain noticeable this time.
"I am glad to hear it," she nodded. "He seems a solid match, though I worry about the backlash. The Stormlands will hate you for even considering this."
"Borros Baratheon is nursing a grudge over the the Tourney," you remarked with a hint of bitterness. "So, that ship may have already sailed. They should be grateful for this. A marriage pact could end centuries of border conflicts and raids."
"They should be," Alicent agreed, "but in truth I think most of lords of the Dornish Marches prefer things as they are over the most favorable of peaces. Gives them something to wet their blade against when they grow bored."
"Before my family united the realm, there was always at least one war happening somewhere in Westeros," you said, recalling lessons from your history books. "The realm adjusted to the peace dragons brought and they will do so again."
Alicent nodded in agreement, but there was a distant look in her eyes.
"We always knew that you'd have to get married one day," she said almost mournfully. "That this couldn't remain unchanged forever."
You saw her hands come together and you knew she was about to start picking at her fingers. Gently, you grabbed her arm and pulled it towards you.
"He won't get between us, You heard him yourself," you assured her. "And if my father listens to me, the marriage won't even happen until spring. That gives us years where it's just the two of us."
"That is reassuring," Alicent nodded. "But it will change things. You will have duties to your new husband, and I cannot remain your handmaiden forever."
"You can remain my handmaiden for many years," you tried to reassure her. "I doubt your father would seek to have you removed anytime soon."
"No. He may have mixed feelings about your possible marriage with Dorne," Alicent admitted, "but he would not remove me from this position without cause."
Alicent turned away, a fearful look in her eyes.
You grabbed her hand, interlacing your fingers with hers as you stared into those beautiful brown eyes of hers. Her hand felt so soft and smooth compared to yours.
"Tell me what frets you so," you asked gently. "It gives me such worry to see my lady suffer so."
You were waiting for her to tell you not to marry Qoren, that the match scared her too much. Instead, she said something much harder to answer.
"Rhaenyra, I need you to be honest with me," Alicent's voice grew quite serious. "Where do you see this going, long term?"
"What do you mean?" you asked.
"Us! Where do you see us going!?" she pressed. "Is this all just a bit of temporary fun or do you honestly think you'd still feel this way about me in five years or ten? Because if we're doing this, all this running around and keeping secrets for just a fling I-"
The words choked in Alicent's throat, she found herself too afraid to voice the rest of the sentence.
You could tell she had been talking to her brother about this, that his fears of what could happen to her long term because of this relationship had become her fears as well to some extent.
You stared at her intensely. For a brief moment, you felt the urge to tell her you loved her, but you knew it would seem desperate and hollow. You loved her as a friend. You cared a great deal about her and found her deeply attractive, but were you in love? You weren't sure yet and you didn't want to tell her until you were. Regardless, you did not want things to end.
As you considered what you would say to soothe her fears, a bold idea struck you. Perhaps you could talk to her father, be blunt about your relationship with Alicent and bargain with him to keep Alicent at your side. Otto tried to use her to bind your father in marriage. You couldn't offer marriage with Alicent, but surely the Lord Hand would see the advantage of you being indebted to him and agree to not marry Alicent off, or at least keep her nearby.
But that was bold and risky. It suited you just fine, but you weren't sure if Alicent would go for that. Perhaps it would just be better to give Alicent some assurances.
What Do You Say to Alicent?
[] [Alicent] "You are my dearest friend, no matter what happens with our relationship that will hold true and I will always be there for you."
[] [Alicent] "You have a place in my heart and that will never change. I will fight to keep you by my side."
[] [Alicent] "I swore an oath to your brother that I will always protect you, and I intend to keep it."
[] [Alicent] [Defiant] Tell her you will speak to her father and work out a deal to keep her by your side as long as she wishes.
[] [Alicent] Write-in (Subject to QM Approval) QM's Note: I had originally planned to have the Maester in here as well for this update but it felt like it was front loading the updates, so that will be covered next update.
An update! With two fights, no less! We met new peopleeeeee
I have some opinions on the answers, but this is very much my weak point, so I'm just going to guess... pretty much all of Alicent options sound true, although the third one feels like an afterthought compared to the rest, but which one would Alicent actually like the most? Weirdly enough, it feels to me like the first option is the most stable one. Although the second one sounds more passionate. The fourth is both spookily possessive and kind of redundant, a Rhaenyra who Really Cares is a Rhaenyra who will do whatever it takes.
As for Tarly... I don't like implying that Rhaenyra couldn't deal with the grasping of a different husband, I don't like going "well we can just say no"... The children is eeeehhh to me, what matters most is how the child is raised, and giving Dorne dragon-blooded rulers is half an argument against this. What's left is two flavors of "dragons be spooky".
Super hyped to read an update, will now wait for more insightful people to post opinions xD
Edit: lowkey tempted though to go "well, my family did crimes to them first" even though it would be neither helpful nor in-character for Rhaenyra
I think for Tarly, we need to convince him that the bloodless victory wins the longer peace. If I understand him, he hates Dorne, but he also hates the constant border skirmishes. He wants his family to never have to ride into battle against Dornish raiders ever again.
Uniting Dorne with Westeros through marriage and blood means that it will be the Martells helping us put down an anti Iron Throne rebellion. It will be the Martells policing their vassals breaking the Queen's Peace if that ever happens. If we bring the Martells in as invested in a united Westeros (after all Qoren's grandchild will sit the Iron Throne) they will help us win a true and lasting peace.
Perhaps we could still do that through warfare and violence and blood. But Tarly's kin are far more likely to die in such a war.
All of which I will condense into a write-in awaiting both GM approval and someone cleverer with words:
[] [Tarly] Write-in (Subject to QM Approval) Marriage to the Martells will make them invested in my reign and the successful integration of Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms. The Martells will police their vassals - any raiders into the marshes will be pursued from both ends. This wins us a peace that will last for generations with no need for us to spill a drop of blood.
Less sure on the Alicent stuff tbh, I'll leave that to others
I think for Tarly, we need to convince him that the bloodless victory wins the longer peace. If I understand him, he hates Dorne, but he also hates the constant border skirmishes. He wants his family to never have to ride into battle against Dornish raiders ever again.
I don't think that's the right read on Ser Raylon at all. He does not value war as a means to peace, but as an end in itself. Battle is how a warrior wins glory and conquest is how a warrior wins honors. And he does not want Dorne pacified, he wants it subordinated and humbled. Bowed, bent, and broken, or as near as possible. If we want to mollify him, we should emphasize either the Iron Throne's preeminence in the union with Dorne (option 2), House Targaryen's eclipse of House Nymeros-Martell (option 1), or our dominance of Qoren personally (option 4). Probably option 1, since it has the advantage of being true, unlike option 4, and under our control, unlike option 2.
If we want to mollify him, we should emphasize either the Iron Throne's preeminence in the union with Dorne (option 2), House Targaryen's eclipse of House Nymeros-Martell (option 1), or our dominance of Qoren personally (option 4). Probably option 1, since it has the advantage of being true, unlike option 4, and under our control, unlike option 2.
Not sure what the way to convince Tarly is, but I'm seeing some problems with all the Alicent options but one:
The first one emphasizes friendship, but to be friends we don't need the secret-keeping that's pressuring Alicent so.
Talking about the oath to her brother seems out of place, she's stressed about the complications and wants to be sure they're worth it, that includes her own actions. It's about more than being kept "safe".
And about her father might spook her and again is about the logistics of the relationship, rather than its meaning.
So of the default selections I'd go for the following, but a write-in that articulates Rhaenyra's strong feelings about Alicent even more concretely may be better.
[] [Alicent] "You have a place in my heart and that will never change. I will fight to keep you by my side."
Finding an answer to Tarly is tough, because his warrior ideals don't really allow us to appeal to him by talking abaout the long term positives of peace.
We can promise that we will do our best to have good terms, and we can stress that if we suspect treachery from the Dornish we will answer with Fire and Blood.
But beside that, i am not sure what we can say that will appease him.
Personally I'm leaning 2 or 4 with regards to Alicent- I really want to reassure her that this isn't just a fling, and I think that's what those two options communicate.
[X] [Tarly] "My children will rule Dorne in time and they will be Dragons. Through blood, Dorne will be conquered."
[X] [Alicent] [Defiant] Tell her you will speak to her father and work out a deal to keep her by your side as long as she wishes.
Hmm, these choices are all reasonable seeming but hard to tell which is right. I don't think the second or third Tarly answers are correct: I don't think he's actually worried about the terms, he just kinda hates Dorne.
As for Alicent I personally don't want the first option because it makes her see us/this as just a friendship, something non-serious. Talking to Otto is a big jump up from that, though it might not be a bad idea eventually - Otto wants power and knowing that Alicent is our mistress is something that will help his House out greatly, so realistically he should support it. Still, feels a little awkward to do in response to what Alicent is saying here. She's worried about how we feel about her, not about her position.
Finding an answer to Tarly is tough, because his warrior ideals don't really allow us to appeal to him by talking abaout the long term positives of peace.
My read on his call to conquer Dorne is that he cares about more than just the glory of war, he cares about his nephew / grandnephews never having to fight against a Dornish raiding party.
Other's disagree with me and that's perfectly fair I'm not super confident on my read. But sometimes persuading people to your view means changing theirs. And its not like Tarly isn't super loyal, we don't need to be in perfect lockstep.
Hmmm, me thinks we have to remember that a vulture king may appear. Which could cause problems and that most likely that the stormlands will probably also cause the most problems.
Maybe we could take a ride with Syrax to see Boros? Fly around storms end and tell him to play nice or else?
Hmmm, me thinks we have to remember that a vulture king may appear. Which could cause problems and that most likely that the stormlands will probably also cause the most problems.
