Game of Thrones: Viserys the Three-Headed Dragon.

Chapter 102: In the North and in the South
Robb stood on the dais.

Today is the day when the King of the North returns triumphantly to Riverrun from the West.

He was the king and he should take responsibility for his honor - for her honor.

He insisted that his new squire, Loram, the new standard-bearer, Ser Reynard, Lady Sybelle, and Jeyne stand by his side, even though they were all members of the Westerling family in the westerlands.

Beside him was his Southern Frontier Grand Marshal, "Blackfish" Brynden Tully, who stood at the front of the podium.

The king wore a bronze and iron sword crown. He had shaved his beard, but his red hair was uncut and fell to his shoulders. He was sixteen years old, and the war had melted away all the soft lines on his face, making him lean and strong.

He felt like a king.

Edmure stood at the bottom of the crowded platform, bowing his head humbly, while Robb was praising his victory. "...The warriors who sacrificed their lives at Stonemill will never be forgotten. It was because of the strength of the North and Riverrun that Lord Tywin felt frustrated and had to turn back to deal with Stannis." These words caused laughter and agreement, and Robb raised his hand to signal silence. "But we can't let our guard down. The Lannisters will surely attack again, and the evil dragon Targaryen has returned. For the safety of the kingdom, we must continue to fight."

The Greatjon in the audience roared, "Hail, King in the North!" He raised an armored fist to the sky.

The lords of the Three Rivers Basin also shouted: "Long live the King of Three Rivers!" The sounds of fist pounding and stomping in the hall were as loud as thunder.

Amid the din, Robb saw his mother Catelyn and Ser Desmond making their way through the crowd. His bannermen spotted them, too, and the hall grew quiet as people jostled each other with their arms.

Although he had prepared himself mentally, the King in the North still felt somewhat guilty when he saw his mother's stern face.

His Southern Frontier Marshal never cared about other people's opinions. He jumped off the platform and took Caitlin into his arms: "It's good to see you home, Kate."

His mother had to struggle to remain calm: "Same to you."

The king greeted his mother: "Mother." He remained dignified.

His mother asked with concern: "Your Majesty, I prayed for your safe return. I heard that you were injured?"

"I was shot in the arm by an arrow during the attack on the Rock, but the wound healed well," he said, speaking out his prepared words, "because I received the best care in the world."

"God bless you." He saw his mother sighed, and then like an ordinary woman who knew she had done something wrong, she explained, "They must have reported my actions to you. Did they also explain my reasons?"

He was already king, and his mother no doubt knew it.

"For two girls," he said, referring to his sister, who was also a girl under the kingdom's rule.

His mother lamented, "I had five children, and now there are only three left."

Before he could utter the words he had expected, perhaps in response to the king's words, Lord Rickard Karstark answered his mother before he could.

"Yes, my lady." Lord Karstark pushed aside the Great Jon and stepped forward. His long face, which resembled the Stark family, was cold and painful. "I also had three sons, but now there is only one left... You have deprived me of the right to revenge!"

His mother said calmly, "Lord Rickard, the death of the Kingslayer cannot buy your son's life, but letting him return alive can ensure the return of my daughter."

Lord Karstark was unconvinced: "Jaime Lannister used you as a pawn and a fool! All you got was a bunch of empty words, nothing more!"

"Come on, Karstark," the Greatjon muttered, crossing his thick arms over his chest. "It is a mother's madness. It is the nature of women."

"My mother's madness?" Lord Karstark turned to face the Greatjon. "I call it betrayal!"

"Enough." The King in the North said sternly, "Do not speak of the Lady of Winterfell as a traitor in front of me, Lord Rickard." He turned to his mother, his voice softening. "I want to bring back the Kingslayer. You let him go without telling me or asking for my consent... but I know you did it all for love, for Arya and Sansa, for the loss of Bran and Rickon. From my own perspective, I have learned that love is not always wise, and it often leads us to foolishness, but we are born to act according to our emotions... regardless of the consequences. Is that right, mother?"

He spoke out.

"Is it? If my emotions led me to act foolishly, I sincerely apologize to you and Lord Karstark," Lord Rickard said angrily. "The Kingslayer murdered my two sons, and you apologize and that's it?"

The king watched Lord Karstark squeeze past the Greatjon and Maegor Mormont and leave the hall.

He said to his mother, "Forgive him, Mother."

His mother looked at him and said, "If you are willing to forgive me."

He agreed: "I have forgiven you. Love is so deep that you can't consider anything else."

"Thank you," his mother said to him.

"We need to talk," the king continued. "You and your uncle and uncle stay and discuss this... and other matters. Steward, declare this meeting adjourned."

As the scepter struck the ground, the steward called for the meeting to be dismissed, and the lords of the Three Rivers and the northerners left together. The hall of Riverrun was empty, with only the king, the queen mother, three Tullys and six Westerlings left.

His mother looked at them curiously: "Ladies and gentlemen, are you new to my son's business?"

He was ready to introduce his wife, Jeyne Westerling of the Rock, to his mother.

-

"Where is my brother Quentin now?"

Arianne was greatly alarmed by the sudden appointment of the acting ruling seat for the entire Dorne, even though the position was indeed vacant, because her uncle Oberyn Martell was accepting the invitation of King's Landing on behalf of his father, summoning noble vassals from all over Dorne to gather at the Bone Road along the way, and forming a team to go to King's Landing to "seek justice".

"Quentyn is in Lord Yronwood's army, stationed at the Boneway." She remembered what her confidant and cousin Tyene Sand had said when she asked her before.

Ah, the Bone Road.

Arianne certainly had no doubt that her uncle, Prince Oberyn, had summoned the vassal statesmen from all over Dorne to gather at the Boneway in order to go to King's Landing to seek justice for Princess Elia. Since the fall of the Targaryen dynasty and the fall of King's Landing, the people of Dorne had always remembered that Elia was killed by the Lannisters, and their desire for revenge had never subsided.

However, what a coincidence. She was allowed to rule without any warning, and Quentin was stationed in the Bone Road, where the nobles of Dorne were gathering.

Will it happen? Is it possible?

Two hundred years ago, the eldest son of King Jaehaerys I of the Targaryen dynasty, Prince Aemon, died. The king decided to choose his second son, Baelorm, as the heir, bypassing Aemon's only daughter, Princess Rhaenys. However, Baelorm also died nine years later. In order to avoid the outbreak of war, Jaehaerys chose to convene a great council to decide on the candidate for the crown prince. Because in the history of the Targaryen dynasty for more than a century, the controversy over the right of female inheritance has never subsided.

This meeting, known as the 101st Great Council, made Rhaenys, who was originally in the lead in the succession, become the "uncrowned queen". Later, during the "Dance of the Dragons" of the Targaryen Dynasty, people generally questioned the original heir, "Light of the Realm" Rhaenyra. Because in the eyes of many nobles, the 101st Great Council established a precedent in the succession law: women or their male offspring could not inherit the Iron Throne.

And now, Arianne has always believed that she is not the heir that her father, Prince Doran, wants, so what is his purpose in giving power to her?
She began to enumerate her current supporters.

The Sand Snake sisters Tyene, Obara and Nymè, Dre, the heir of the Lemon Grove, Garin, the orphan of the Greenblood River, Sylva, the heir of the Spotted Wood, and Fowler's twins
My God, compared to so many nobles in Dorne, what can she and her supporters shake?
Besides, no one could imagine her father's real considerations.

Only she knows.

What should she do?
If the "Uncrowned Queen" was the fate her father had given her, perhaps she should take the initiative to make it clear. When he saw the tears rolling down her face, he might have a new idea.

Or he could ask his mother for help, but unfortunately Lady Mellario was far away in Norvos, and Prince Doran had never listened to his lady over the years.

Perhaps she should take advantage of the opportunity of acting in power to contact more powerful lords in Dorne. But the most powerful lord in Dorne is Anders Yronwood, the Keeper of the Bone Road. Arianne knows very well that this man is the adoptive father of her brother Quentyn.

She had two potential candidates she could try to win over: Harman Uller, Lord of Hellgate, and Franklyn Fowler, Lord of Skyreach and Warden of Prince's Pass.

It's often said that half of the Ullers are mad, and the other half are worse. Ellaria Sand is Lord Haman's illegitimate daughter and Prince Oberyn's mistress. She's on good terms with Uncle Oberyn's Sand Snake daughters, but she's not sure what Uncle Oberyn thinks of her claim to the throne. And Lord Haman and the Ullers are dangerous. Maybe too dangerous. She might put many lives in danger.

Lord Fowler is a safer choice. Nicknamed "Old Falcon", he has always been at odds with Anders Yronwood, and the feud between the two families can be traced back a thousand years ago, when the Fowlers followed Martell in the Nymeria War instead of Yronwood. In addition, everyone knows that the Fowler twins are good friends of Lady Nymeria and have a close relationship with her, the heir to Dorne, but how much weight does this have on "Old Falcon"?
She remembered that she was still the legitimate heir to Sunspear, and before Prince Doran disqualified her, the man she married would one day rule Dorne alongside her. Perhaps she should consider taking the opportunity to ask Prince Doran for a marriage, and now it seemed that a powerful old man might not be a bad choice.

But maybe she should take the initiative to transfer the inheritance rights to her brother Quentin, so that the prince might find a good husband for her to marry as compensation, and she can still be the little girl who ran to her father for comfort when she scraped her knee. She is his seed, his flesh and blood, his only daughter.

"Your Highness, Princess?"

She recovered and looked at the acting city lord, Ser Manfred: "I am listening."

"Okay, Your Highness," Sir Manfred continued to hand her sheets of brown paper one by one, "These, these all need your confirmation and signature, and then explain them one by one to the prince when you meet him in the Flowing Water Garden."

She asked cautiously, "Aren't these already decided? Why do you need me to confirm and sign?"

Ser Manfred replied: "Your Highness, Dorne is ruled by the Martell family. We are only ministers who serve and advise you and your family. If the Lord is not informed and confirmed, and makes decisions on all matters, what can we do?"

“But these days I just look at the documents that have been confirmed and sign them,” she said.

"This means that Dorne is now peaceful and stable, Your Highness."

"."Really? The situation in Westeros is in chaos, with several kings fighting each other, but the acting ruler in Dorne is just reading documents behind a desk?
Perhaps her wish was answered.

Garin, now serving as her attendant, knocked on the door and entered the reception room of the Acting Governor: "Master Mith requests an audience, Your Highness." "Master Mith?" she said immediately, "Let him in."

Maester Myath of Sunspear was charged with handling all correspondence that did not require the prince's personal attention, and the fact that he had come to Dorne's acting governor meant only one thing: he had received correspondence he could not handle.

Sure enough, Bachelor Mis appeared in the reception room of the Acting Ruler with a serious expression: "I request to see you alone, Your Highness."

Ser Manfred gave Maester Myss a strange look and tactfully excused himself: "Then, please allow me to take my leave first, Your Highness."

She nodded politely to Ser Manfred, and waited until he had left before asking, "What letter troubles you, Maester Myles?"

Maester Miss waited until the door behind him was completely closed before he stepped forward carefully. "Your Highness, this is a letter from Dragonstone. Please go to the Water Gardens immediately and tell Prince Darlan about this letter."

She thought dissatisfiedly: I have to go to the prince again. I have to go to the prince for everything. Then what is the purpose of arranging her as the acting ruler? "Show me the letter."

Maester Meath handed her the letter.

She started to read: "!" The letter was short and could be read in one glance. The content of the letter was so outrageous that it shocked her heart. Targaryen? The Dragon King of Dragonstone? "Is this true?"

Maester Myss solemnly informed: "It is a raven from Dragonstone, confirmed."

This was indeed not something she could make up her mind about: "I will set off for the Water Garden immediately."

The only benefit of being the acting ruler is that the restriction of going to Flowing Water Garden twice a year has been changed to a routine visit once a week, and she can go directly when encountering special circumstances. However, she has not been the acting ruler for a full week, so this is her first time to go to Flowing Water Garden as the acting ruler.

When she was about to go to the Flowing Water Garden in her new identity, she didn't even know what to wear.

She knew the situation was urgent, but she still went back to her room. She first chose a gorgeous and dignified purple robe with the Martell family emblem embroidered on the sleeves and bodice, with intricate lace trimmings, and matching jewelry and the crown of a Dornish princess.

But she hesitated.

Then she chose a simple ivory cloth gown, with vines and purple grapes embroidered on the sleeves and bodice, and wore no jewelry.

She was afraid, she suddenly realized, she was afraid to see her father.

What was his purpose in giving her the power? How should she face him?
By the time she was ready, Garen had already called Tyene, Dre, and Sylva to serve as her personal guards, accompanying her from Sunspear City to the Water Gardens just a few miles away.

She and her guards arrived at the Flowing Water Garden and made a report in the courtyard.

Soon, the captain of the prince's guard, He Ta, appeared and took her alone to the prince's study.

Doran Martell sat behind a cyvasse table, his gouty legs resting on a padded footstool, and toyed with an agate elephant, turning it over and over in his swollen hands.

The prince's condition was worse each time she saw him. His face was pale and swollen, and his joints were inflamed and swollen. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. She called him softly, "Father."

Her father looked up at her, his black eyes filled with some inexplicable relief.

Relieved? Arianne wondered, because of her?

“Arianne,” her father called her name. “Do you play cyvasse?”

"I know the rules," she replied.

"Not bad," said my father. "Play a round with me."

Why did he want to talk about games? Did Uncle Oberon come to the Flowing Water Garden to play chess with him?

"I have come to report an urgent matter to you, father," she said.

"Oh," her father smiled at her, "OK. Let's talk business first."

"It's a letter from Dragonstone." She looked at the captain of the guards, He Ta, who was standing beside her father. "Please read this letter alone."

Her father smiled curiously, "Okay, leave us alone, Captain."

Hotah slammed the handle of his axe on the ground and turned away.

When they were alone, she gave her father the letter she had carefully hidden on her body.

Prince Doran stretched out his swollen hand to take the letter, read it again and again, his face calm, only his slightly furrowed brows made her realize that the prince was not as calm as he appeared.

Prince Doran put away the letter and asked, "Has your uncle, Prince Oberyn, set out for King's Landing?"

She replied, "My uncle is in the Bone Road, summoning vassals from all over the place. Perhaps he is still waiting for lords and knights from all over the Bone Road." The parchment she confirmed today seemed to have written which vassals were summoned but had not arrived. She could not remember why for a moment.

"Yes, he will not set out so soon from Yronwood. I know he must bring at least half of the lords' representatives and knights from all over Dorne with him." Prince Doran said, "Immediately let Maester Mys send a raven to Yronwood to delay the team's journey." After thinking for a moment, he said, "No, let the team continue to assemble and march slowly along the Bone Road as planned. Let Oberyn hide his whereabouts and come back to see me. Let's do it immediately."

"Father, can I know what you are going to do? What are you and uncle going to do?" It was like this again. She suddenly felt painful. She was the acting ruler, and she was here. But her father still didn't let her participate in any important matters, nor let her know.

Prince Doran answered her calmly, "You will know, Arianne, but not now."

"Then when can I know?" She saw her father looking at her doubtfully, his black eyes full of confusion. She almost didn't dare to ask again, but her father's look made her suddenly angry. She knew everything, but she didn't understand why her father treated her like this. "Father, what have I done wrong over the years to make you treat me like this?"

She saw her father’s face twitch, as if the words pained him. “What are you talking about, Arianne?”

She didn't mean to be so rude to him, but she couldn't take back the words once they were out: "I know, I've always known, I'm not the heir you want."

She saw her father's face flushed, as if he was angry: "Who is instigating you behind your back, who is it?"

"You are still lying, father. You want to pass Dorne to your son. What's so shameful about that?"

"That's not true."

"No? Why don't you ask my brother?"

"Tristan?"

"Quentin."

"What's up with him?"

"You like him, always have. Not only does he look like you, he 'thinks' like you, and you intend to pass Dorne to him - don't bother to deny it! I saw the letter." Every word burned in her memory like fire. "'One day, you will take my place and rule Dorne.' Those were your exact words. Tell me, father, when did you decide to disinherit me? From the day Quentyn was born or from the day I was born? What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

To her irritation, her eyes filled with tears.

"I never hated you." Prince Doran's voice was as thin as parchment, full of regret and sorrow. "Arianne, you don't understand."

"You deny writing these words?"

"No. Quentin had just gone to Yronwood, and I did intend for him to succeed me, that's true. As for you, I had other plans."

"Oh, yes," she scoffed. "The plans. Giles Rosby, blind Ben Beesbury, Greybeard Granderson—these plans of yours." She didn't give him a chance to explain. "I know it's my duty to provide an heir for Dorne, and I never forget that. I'd love to marry, but the matches you've arranged for me have been an insult, every time. If you had any regard for me, why would you have me marry a toothless old fellow?"

“Because I know you will refuse. When you are old enough, I must be seen to be seeking a mate for you, or suspicion will be aroused. But I dare not suggest anyone you might accept. You are already engaged, Arianne.”

An engagement? Arianne eyed him suspiciously. "What? Another lie? You never told one..."

"The agreement was signed in secret. I planned to tell you when you were old enough... when you grew up, I wanted to, but..."

She was puzzled: "Who is it? Who have I been engaged to for so many years?"

"That's not important anymore. The engagement can no longer be fulfilled."

She was even more confused: "The old guy is so fragile. Did he break his butt, or is it typhoid fever, or gout?"

"She has decided to marry someone else. I miscalculated." Prince Doran made a tired gesture with his swollen hands. "Dorne is yours, I promise you, if my promise still makes sense to you. Your brother Quentyn has his own way."

Arianne eyed him suspiciously. “What else have you hidden? By the Seven, I am tired of secrets. Tell me the rest, father.”

"The Dragon King of Dragonstone," he took out the letter he had just received and another letter hidden in his sleeve, speaking softly, as if to conceal his presence, "sent a messenger to invite me to Dragonstone to attend his and his sister's wedding more than a month ago."

(End of this chapter)