Chapter 595

Make a decision?

Princess Arianne feigned a thoughtful expression, but in truth, her mind was blank, and she was panicking inside.

She had come north expecting to dip her toes into the game—only to have the entire pot of stew handed to her outright. She was completely overwhelmed.

Sunspear and Highgarden had been bitter rivals for centuries, the bloodshed between them carving a deep, irreparable rift. To Dorne, the Reach was not just a neighboring power—it was an aggressive and hated adversary, a tiger lying right at its doorstep. As long as the two regions remained neighbors, territorial disputes and animosity would never truly end, no matter how much time passed. House Martell could never sit idly by while the already mighty Reach consolidated even greater power by entering the halls of central authority.

From the moment Aegon rejected her overtures and chose Margaery as his queen, making House Tyrell the ruling family’s in-laws, half of Dorne’s political weight had already leaned toward Daenerys’s camp.

Her father had sent her north to meet Prince Aegon, to see if they could form an alliance—perhaps even a union. Negotiating with Daenerys’s faction had been meant for her uncle Oberyn, but Arianne had begged, wheedled, and pleaded for the chance to prove herself. She’d earned this rare opportunity to represent Dorne and make her debut as a negotiator in a major political setting without any elders present to guide her.

She already knew exactly how many soldiers Dorne could muster and what support they could provide; her father and uncle had drilled it into her. She also knew what rewards and benefits they were to demand. Ostensibly, she was here to “negotiate” with Aegor, but in truth, her role was to operate within the constraints her family had set. With the alliance essentially guaranteed, any discrepancies in the final terms would be minor and insignificant.

Her true objective, beyond fulfilling her family’s mission, was to build a personal rapport with Aegor—perhaps even forge a relationship with him. If she could charm him, ensure she left an impression on Daenerys’s most powerful lieutenant, it would solidify her position as Dorne’s future ruler.

If, by some chance, she could seduce him and take him as a lover, all the better. That was why she had brought Tyene Sand along—not just to assist in the negotiations but as a backup. If Aegor didn’t like Arianne’s style, then Tyene could step in.

With their contrasting physiques and appearances, at least one of them was bound to catch his eye. And if he liked them both? Well, Arianne didn’t mind sharing with her beloved cousin. In Dorne, to be the paramour of a world-famous hero like the "Kinslayer of the Night" wasn’t shameful—it was an honor.

...

But Aegor was playing an entirely different game.

The rewards he offered, the demands he made—they went far beyond anything Doran or Oberyn had anticipated. Arianne was utterly thrown off balance, and her first, crude thought was: I came here to seduce you, and you want me to join you in tearing down the Reach?

She exchanged a bewildered glance with Tyene, who whispered in a low voice, “Arianne, these terms are too good to be true. There’s got to be a catch! We can’t make this decision ourselves—we should go back and consult our fathers.”

...

Tyene’s caution was understandable. Anyone in her position would hesitate.

Aegor’s proposal to grant parts of the Reach’s land to Dorne wasn’t without calculation—but it wasn’t a trap, either.

First, it was a means to win Dorne’s trust. Though he framed it as “weakening the Reach,” Aegor’s larger plan for the Crownlands would eventually come to light: a unified kingdom that absorbed the Stormlands, most of the Reach, and parts of the Riverlands. This expansion would bring the king’s direct rule right to Dorne’s doorstep, replacing one hostile neighbor with an even more imposing one. Naturally, this would provoke suspicion and resistance.

What better way to placate Dorne than by offering them a share of the spoils?

By granting them fertile lands in the Reach and the Stormlands, Aegor aimed to secure Dorne’s cooperation—or at least their neutrality—in his grand scheme.

But there was a deeper layer to his plan: control.

Dorne’s geographic isolation made it difficult to subjugate. Nestled behind the Red Mountains, they could easily retreat into the desert and wage guerrilla warfare if threatened, as they had done during Aegon the Conqueror’s reign. To solve this problem, Aegor had studied administrative models from his past life, where political boundaries avoided natural barriers like mountains and rivers whenever possible.

By giving Dorne new lands on both sides of the Red Mountains, Aegor would force them to divide their attention and resources. The wealthy but exposed northern territories would compel them to align more closely with the central government, making defiance far less feasible.

This was no mere negotiation tactic. It was a strategic masterstroke. Even the likes of Varys, Littlefinger, or Doran Martell himself would have struggled to uncover Aegor’s true intentions, let alone resist the allure of such an offer.

If surrendering to the crown brought land and self-sufficiency, House Martell would have raised the Targaryen banner centuries ago.

...

Tyene’s whispers were well-intentioned, but Arianne bristled at the suggestion.

Why? she thought indignantly. Why should I, the Princess of Dorne, the rightful heir to Sunspear, have to run back to my father for permission?

What kind of leader couldn’t make decisions on her own, even in negotiations with outsiders? How could anyone take her seriously if she did that?

Beyond the defiance, another emotion began to stir within her as the shock faded and her mind cleared: fascination.

Everyone had their quirks, their secret desires, and Arianne’s weakness was men who exuded danger. And Aegor—this bold, audacious man who spoke of dismantling the Reach itself—was irresistible.

She had read The Fantastic Adventures of the Night’s Watch like everyone else, and, like most educated people, she had dismissed much of it as embellished nonsense. Yet standing before the man himself, she realized he exceeded even the wildest stories.

He was fearless, cunning, powerful, and commanding—everything she adored.

If she had entered this room intending to make him her prey, the tables had now turned. She found herself captivated, almost intoxicated by him. She wanted his approval, his attention, his favor. She wanted to be part of his plan to tear down the Reach. Hell, she wanted him.

Stop it! she scolded herself, forcing down her sudden lust. She focused instead on the potential benefits: if she could align herself with Aegor and play a key role in his grand scheme, she would not only secure Dorne’s future but also cement her own position as its ruler. No one, not even her father, could deny her claim after such an achievement.

Swallowing hard, she ignored Tyene’s murmured concerns and raised her head, meeting Aegor’s gaze directly.

“Dorne stands ready, Lord Commander. When may we begin discussing the specifics of this plan?”