Chapter 11 16 страница

As they passed through the third gate, Nox found himself tilting his head back as he took in the beauty that they entered. Unlike most of the city or even the land surrounding the city, the grounds of the inner palace area were relatively green and very well maintained. And in the center were three structures. A rather squat structure that stood in stark contrast to the two towers next to it, one of which was easily the tallest tower Nox had seen in his time here on this world.

" The Sandship, the Tower of the Sun, and the Spear Tower, " Prince Oberyn explained, pointing to each tower of note within the center of Sunspear. " My dear brother will be waiting for us in the Tower of the Sun, no doubt in his private rooms as it is still too early in the day for him to hold court. Obara, dear, why don't you bring young Jon here to my squire, Daemon Sand? I'm sure the two will hit it off well in the yard. And then go and find your sisters and cousins. Ellaria, my dear, I know you're itching to see our daughters again, so I will not hold you any longer. I'll come find you and our beautiful girls after my brother is finished with me. "

The three nodded and quickly left, leaving Nox alone with Oberyn and Manfrey. " Come, sorcerer, " Oberyn said, motioning towards the more ornate structure. " My brother is most anxious to meet you. "

Following Oberyn into the Tower of the Sun, Nox took a moment to marvel once again at the elaborate layout presented to him. High vaulted ceiling with marble columns and flooring. A glass and gold laced ceiling that allowed the light of the sun to filter and provide illumination. And at the far end of the main hall was a dais were the twin seats of the rulers of Dorne sat. One inlaid with a spear and the other with a blazing sun. 'A symbol of their heritage, ' he thought as they passed by the thrones. 'If my history is correct, the spear designates House Martell, and the sun is for their Rhoynish roots through Princess Nymeria. Fascinating. And beautiful. '

After leaving the throne room and walking up a few flights of stairs, they found themselves before an open doorway that was guarded by a dark-skinned man that was easily as large as his old companion Khem Val. His sheer mass was pressing outwards against the copper scaled shirt he was wearing. And if Nox had to guess, he would put the axe he held to weigh nearly as much as himself. 'Honestly, ' Nox thought, just barely managing to suppress the chuckle. 'How a preindustrial world can produce men the size of the Mountain and this giant now before me I will never know. Perhaps something in the food? Or maybe it's the Force presence of the planet itself? Who knows? '

" Ah, dear Areo, good to see your smiling face once more, " Oberyn greeted the man joyfully. Though Nox assumed the 'smiling face' was said in jest as the man looked as hard as durasteel.

" Prince Oberyn, " Areo greeted the Prince back before shifting his focus to Nox. " Prince Doran is waiting for you. Not this one or Ser Manfrey. "

" Oh, don't be so formal, Areo, " Oberyn smiled, patting Nox on the shoulder. " This is my new friend, Lord Alim Nox. Perhaps you've heard of him? Or perhaps you've heard of his more well-known moniker, 'the Northern Sorcerer'? My brother certainly has. After all, he sent me out to learn as much as I could. And after meeting him in person, well, I decided that the best way to really get to know someone is to travel with them. And we've had quite the interesting few weeks, haven't we, Nox? "

" That we have, Oberyn, " he responded in the same light tone as Oberyn.

" There, now you know who he is, " Oberyn said, stepping forward. " Now, why don't you move aside my large friend and let me see my brother. "

Areo didn't respond, instead he simply moved aside in order to let Oberyn and Nox pass him by while Ser Manfrey took his leave. 'Interesting, ' Nox thought, giving the man a once over. 'His skill is on par with Oberyn's, or perhaps even more so. And he isn't afraid of me, even knowing my reputation. If he had been born in the Empire, he would've been a shoo-in for the Imperial Royal Guard. '

Inside the room were three men, two of whom were wearing the grey-robes of the Maesters and the third was sitting in a rather primitive but elaborate wheelchair of all things. " Brother, " Oberyn called out, making his way over to the man in the wheelchair and kneeling before him quickly before taking his hand.

" Brother, " Prince Doran greeted back, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. " It is good to see you that you have returned. I was most distressed when the crew you left with returned without you and tales of you running off with the sorcerer of all people. "

" Yes, well, when you are offered the chance to explore the lands of the fallen dragon lords beside a living legend, you can't really say no, " Oberyn replied good naturedly as he rose back to his feet.

" Indeed, and I can see that your venture was indeed a success, " Doran said, nodding towards the spear still in Oberyn's hand.

" Yes, it was, " Oberyn replied, handing the spear over to his brother. " We fought side by side with against beasts straight out of nightmares, raided the vaults of Valyria, killed an undead dragon, and even obliterated a forsaken dragon lord sorcerer. "

" Sounds like quite the adventure, Oberyn, " Doran noted with a quirked eyebrow, handing the spear back to his brother and turning his attention towards Nox. " I take it that I owe you my thanks, Lord Sorcerer, for ensuring that my brother returned to his home unscathed? "

With his naming, both Maesters froze as fear tore through them. Strangely, though, it wasn't the same fear as that which was present in Ser Manfrey. No, this time their fear was all-encompassing. As if he were their very worst nightmare come to life before them.

" In part, Prince Doran, " Nox replied, bowing his head slightly in greeting to hold proper decorum. " In truth, your brother proved himself invaluable to our success in Valyria. "

" Flatter, " Oberyn laughed. " I saw what you did when you leveled a part of Old Valyria. You didn't need any of us, except as pack mules, I suspect. But still, even if that was all I was, it was a privilege to fuck with those dragon lord cunts. "

Leaning back in his chair, Doran waved the two Maesters off. " Caleotte, Myles. That will be all for today. And send out word that I will be in private talks for the rest of the day and will not be holding court. "

" Yes, Prince Doran, " both men said before they all but ran out of the room while trying to keep as much distance between themselves and him as they could.

" Interesting duo, " Nox said, tilting his head towards the fleeing Maesters. " I haven't experienced that level of fear just from my mere presence in some time. "

Grabbing the wheels of his chair, Doran brought himself over towards what Nox recognized as a cyvasse board. " It is a not-so-well-kept secret that the Maesters are wary of all things magic. " Doran explained as he motioned for Nox to join him on the opposite side. " There are exceptions, of course. But most do not view that which they cannot explain in the best light. "

Taking the offered seat, Nox took his time in examining Oberyn's older brother. They shared physical similarities and a fiery passion. But unlike his younger brother, Doran was very in control of himself. And even with just the briefest of passes, Nox could tell that the man had a mind like a steel trap. 'First Tywin Lannister, now Doran Martell, ' Nox thought as Oberyn went about filling a few wine glasses behind him. 'Two of the four top 'players of the game', as it were. And both live up to their reputation. Now, I just need to meet this Jon Arryn and Olenna Tyrell to see if the rumors regarding their prowess are indeed true. '

" Well, " Oberyn said, giving each of them a glass of dark red wine. " I take it that you two have quite a bit to talk about. Most of which I've already heard. So, with your permission, brother, I would seek out my daughters. It has been some months since I last laid eyes on my beauties. "

" Of course, brother, " Doran said excusing Oberyn. " They have been most anxious for your return. But do not think this gets you out of the conversation we will be having soon about your disregard for my instructions. "

" Why, brother, you wound me! " Oberyn cried out dramatically, " I followed your every instruction to the letter. I even went above and beyond by bringing the very man you were interested in home with me. And this is the thanks I get? A scolding. Perhaps I should've just stayed on the Sea Wolf with you, Nox, and gone North. I've heard the women of the North are most eager to keep warm. "

" Enough, Oberyn, " Doran sighed. No doubt used to his brother's antics. " We will talk later. Now leave us and tell Areo that we are not to be disturbed. "

" As you say, brother. Nox, have a good game. And, brother, don't try and play too hard. This man is perhaps one of the best players I have ever met, even if he is new to the game, " Oberyn said with a flourish before making his way out of the room, leaving Nox alone with Doran.

" Well then, " Doran said, placing a screen in the middle of the board so that the two could place their cyvasse pieces where they so desired. " Shall we begin our game, sorcerer? "

Leaning against the arch leading out to her balcony high within the Tower of the Sun, Princess Arianne Martell, eldest daughter of Prince Doran Martell, took a moment to enjoy the warm breeze that fluttered her silken robes around her body while she idly listened to her cousins interrogate their sister who had accompanied her Uncle across the Narrow Sea. To say that her cousin Obara had experienced perhaps the adventure of a lifetime was understatement. Traveling to Valyria in the accompaniment of the Northern Sorcerer of all people. Raiding the vaults of the lost dragon lords and fighting against a dragon! An actual dragon! It made even Arianne's most interesting day seem utterly dull in comparison.

" Do you truly expect us to believe that a boy, a mere boy whose balls probably haven't even dropped yet, was able to take down a dragon, sister? "

Turning her attention away from the landscape of Sunspear and Shadow City, Arianne started paying closer attention to what her cousins were saying. Her companions for today, all of whom were her cousins, were currently lounging around her room. Obara was standing with her back straight as if she were a guard standing watch was usual for her eldest cousin, who was undoubtably the most serious of them. Her second cousin Nymeria was lounging across several cushions, her pale-yellow silken dress hugging her curves tightly while her black long braided hair laid draped across her shoulder and down between the valley of her breasts. Laying in a similar position to her sister, her third cousin and frequent bedmate, Tyene, was listening intently to her elder sister while slowly popping one grape after another into her mouth in an almost sensual manner while her golden hair was done up into an elaborate braid behind her head. And lastly, Elia, the eldest daughter of her Uncle's paramour Lady Ellaria Sand, laid on her front while using her elbows to prop herself up. At only ten name-days, the young Elia idolized her elder sisters and was hanging off every word that left Obara's mouth.

" That is exactly what I am saying, sister, " Obara continued, completely unfazed with the dismissive tone of her sister Nymeria. " While the Sorcerer battled the creature that he claims was responsible for the Doom of Valyria, his Apprentice, Jon Snow, held off the flames of a dragon before cutting the beast down while the rest of us protected him from the stonemen. "

" And how did he manage to cut the beast down? " Tyene asked, her tone lacking the disbelieving tone of her sisters. " The only method that has been successful in taking down a dragon is to use a scorpion or another dragon. Or to kill it in its sleep. "

" He used the Sorcerer's fire-sword, his 'lightsaber' as he calls it, " Obara explained. " He jumped up onto the top of the dragon's head while the beast was distracted, and the sorcerer threw the weapon to him. The moment Snow had it in his possession, he brought the blade to life, plunged it into the dragon's skull, and killed the beast in two blows. "

It was quite the story, one worthy of any bard's tongue. The killing of a dragon was no small feat, and unlike the uncertainty that showed on Tyene's and Nymeria's faces, Arianne knew her cousin's words to be true. Obara wasn't one to shovel horse shit. If she said something happened, it happened. " And what of Jon Snow himself? " Arianne asked offhandedly. " Is he as Nymeria says? A boy whose balls haven't even dropped? "

Sharing a glance between Tyene and Nymeria, she could see just the slightest of an upturning of Obara's lips, while on the floor Elia watched on in ignorance of the full meaning behind Arianne's question.

Three years ago, Arianne had stumbled across an unfinished letter in her father's solar that was destined for her brother, Quentyn, who was fostering at Yronwood to try and improve the relationship between their Houses. In the letter, her father had stated that Quentyn would one day sit in his seat and rule Dorne. Which was a clear violation of Dornish laws of inheritance. She was the eldest! Dorne was hers by right of birth! Not her brothers. Yet still, her father was going to pass her over in favor of her frogged-face brother. At first, she hadn't wanted to believe it. But as she thought on it, the more it made sense. Her father had rejected many of her potential suitors that would serve her well as a Consort. After nearly two moons' off thinking of the letter, she finally confronted her father. The conversation that followed was perhaps the worst of her young life. Her father had not denied the accusation. In fact, he stated that it was his plan to have her brother inherit Dorne! To steal her birthright! And when she pressed on what would happen to her, he simply brushed off her concerns and said that he would find a good place for her.

For nearly a year after that conversation she waged a – in hindsight, anyway – childish rebellion against her father. She stopped listening to him. Stopped taking commands from him. And in the end, she even went so far as to have a brief tryst with her Uncle's squire Daemon Sand. But even then, her father didn't seem to care. After her tryst, she realized just how childish she was being, and decided that if her father wasn't going to give her Dorne, as was her right, she would have to take it from him. She wouldn't kill him; she still loved her father far too much to even consider such an action. But she would make it so that he was left with no choice to name her as his official heir.

To that end, she started paying far more attention in her lessons, learning everything she could of not only Dorne and its politics, but of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms was well. Everything she put her mind to, she excelled at. She even managed to successfully create a new trade agreement between Dorne and Braavos. It wasn't for much, merely a decrease in taxation from Braavos on imports, but still, it was something. And yet, no matter what she did, her father never even so much as gave her an acknowledgement of her deeds.

Just before she reached her six-and-ten name day, it became apparent that her father would never name her his heir. And unfortunately, she simply didn't have the political pull within Dorne to force her father's hand. But she still had one weapon at her disposal. And it could be a powerful one at that. Her hand in marriage. But she needed to be extremely careful with her pick. She needed someone strong. Someone powerful. Someone who no one would even think once about crossing. And as she came to this realization, there was only one person who met that criteria. The Northern Sorcerer and the Butcher of Amory Lorch; Lord Alim Nox.

But while the idea of bedding the powerful man was indeed a fantasy that filled many of her fantasies late at night, she slowly came to realize that he was not necessarily the best option. To be sure, he was powerful, and no one would dare cross him, especially after what he had done for Dorne by helping to give some justice to her Aunt Elia Martell. But that was exactly the problem. He was too powerful. She knew that if she were to marry him, eventually she would become little more than a puppet while he ruled Dorne behind the scenes. And that was not something she was willing to have happen. And there were also the rumors of the man having a woman back in the North. So, as unfortunate as it was, she was forced to conclude that the sorcerer would simply not fit in her long-term plans, at least not as her husband.

That was why it seemed to have been a gift from the gods that, after little more than a moon's turn after acceding that Nox was not a fully suitable option for her, rumors started floating through Dorne regarding Nox and, more importantly, why he was so fixated on staying in the North. The Stark children all had the same type of power as Nox and the sorcerer was training them all. Including Lord Stark's bastard son. And it was the bastard son who drew Arianne's attention. Politically, marrying a trueborn son would be preferable. But in this case, it wasn't feasible. Marrying Lord Stark's heir meant that she would become the next Lady of Winterfell, which was not what she wanted. And the other son was far too young for her needs. That was why she started trying to dig up every scrap of information about the bastard son of Lord Stark as she could. Strangely enough though, this proved far more difficult than she would've liked.

She'd been able to learn that Jon Snow was in fact Lord Nox's favored student. He had also been raised alongside his trueborn brothers and sisters, something that seemed far more Dornish than Northern. But when she tried to find out just who his mother was that was when she hit the proverbial wall. No one was able to answer that question. Even Lord Stark had never seemed to state who Jon's mother was. It was a complete mystery. Naturally, it was one that people started taking a great interest in the moment word started to spread that the Stark children and Jon Snow had the same abilities as the sorcerer.

The most common story she'd heard was that he was the son of Lord Stark and Lady Ashara Dayne. A tale that held some merit. It was well known that the late Lady Dayne and Lord Stark were at the very least interested in one another at the Tourney of Harrenhal. And if that interest had progressed to a physical affection, then the timing would work out that after finding his deceased sister at the Tower of Joy, Lord Stark took his bastard son from Lady Dayne's arms on his way back north. It could also explain why Lord Stark was so hesitant to speak of the boy's mother. After all, it was known that Lady Dayne killed herself after he left, so perhaps the pain of losing her brother, her lover, and her son in one fell swoop was simply too much to bear.

In fact, the story held such merit that her father had recently even reached out to House Dayne to ask to either confirm or deny the story. And they were still waiting to hear back from them on the matter. If he truly was a son of Dorne, then he could be even more useful to her than she'd originally thought.

After nearly a year of collecting every scrap of information she could on Jon Snow, and the Starks in general, she made her decision. Jon Snow was the perfect Consort for her. From what she heard, he was well liked, even loved by his trueborn siblings, giving him close ties to the future Warden of the North. He was also being trained personally by the Northern Sorcerer to wield the same power as he did. And being a bastard meant he stood no chance of inheriting anything from his father without pissing off his Lords. The best he could hope for would be to become a Master of Arms or perhaps live out his life at the Wall or with the Maesters. None of which seemed appealing prospects for one who held so much promise. But most importantly he was still young. Malleable. Someone she could mold into what she wanted. Though, she did hope that he was strong enough to resist somewhat. The chase and seduction wouldn't be as fun nor enjoyable in the end if he simply went along with her every whim. And she wanted someone who was strong enough to rule alongside her. Not a simpleton who would bow to her every wish or a fool who would think that just because he had the cock that he was in charge.

" To call him a boy would be a disservice, " Obara said, bringing Arianne back to the conversation at hand. " While he is young, he has this…aura about him that makes him seem far older. After he killed the dragon, it was like he was a different person. He gave orders and even I was willing to go along with what he said. And despite his boyish looks, he…well, he will grow up to be a…handsome…man. "

" Why, sister! " Nymeria grinned, eagerly leaning towards her sister. " I do believe I see a blush forming on your face! Do you fancy the boy? I didn't know you liked them that young. "

" He doesn't look his age, " Obara muttered quietly, but not quite quietly enough to keep to herself. " If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself. Father left him with his squire in the yard while he and the sorcerer went to talk with Uncle Doran. "

" Then that is exactly what we'll be doing, " Arianne announced with a note of finality, marching towards the door to her chambers and leaving her cousins scrambling to follow.

Just as she was about to pass through her door, she stopped and took a moment to looked herself over in the mirror that'd been gifted to her by her uncle after one of his many trips across the Narrow Sea. At seven-and-ten, she had changed greatly from the little pudgy flat-chested girl she had been. Her olive skin was near flawless, her chest grown to be a thing all admired and her hair had grown into long curls that hung loosely down her back and over her shoulders. In short, she had grown into a beautiful woman. A woman that was desired by men, and even women, from near and far. 'He's barely three-and-ten name days, ' she thought as she took a moment to adjust her dress to accent her curves just the slightest bit more. 'Men twice his age can barely control themselves around me…Let us hope that he is made of stronger stuff. '

Pleased with her appearance, the Princess of Dorne marched out of her chambers with her cousins close behind as she sought out her prey. It didn't take them long to arrive at the training yard, nor did it take long to find her intended target. For standing in the middle of the yard were two young men, both shirtless, and each with a training sword in hand as they worked through a series of movements together side by side. The slightly taller young man was easy for her to identify. After all, she had a rather, if only singular, carnal encounter with him. And while there was no true spark or passion between herself and Daemon Sand, she could at least admit that he struck an impressive sight. His strong jaw, sky blue eyes, sandy brown hair with a close trimmed beard and his well-toned body earned from hours upon hours of training were certainly a sight that could make many a maiden – make any woman – wet themselves with desire.

But while Daemon was impressive, the young man beside him was just was equally impressive. Her cousin was correct. Snow certainly didn't look like a boy of two-and-ten almost three-and-ten. Rather, he looked more like a young man of at least five-and-ten. He was slightly shorter than Daemon, but not by much, merely a hands width if she had to guess. And even with the distance that separated the them, she could tell that in a few years he would indeed be a handsome man. With his long face, his dark hair and dark-grey eyes. And, just like Daemon, his body was nothing to be ashamed of. Lean and well-toned, if slightly paler than she was used to. Daemon was a sight to behold, but this Jon Snow, if given a few years, he would be the thing of fantasies for any maiden, young and old, across the Seven Kingdoms.

'A slight stubble on the cheeks, kept closely trimmed to less than a finger widths, ' Arianne mused as she tried to picture what sort of man he would grow into in a few years while watching the two treat her to an unexpected, but quite welcome, show. 'Let his hair grow and pull it back…Perhaps bound in a tail behind his head…Yes…I can definitely work with this. '

Letting her hand rest lightly on the railing, Arianne slowly walked her way around the upper level surrounding the training yard, keeping herself out of the eyesight of the two strapping men below. As she made her way around the backside of the two of them, she started to realize something. While she was not an expert in martial combat, she did enjoy watching a good fight or watching men and women train. At first, she'd thought that Daemon was teaching Snow a few tricks, but as she watched more closely, she realized it was the exact opposite. Snow was teaching Daemon a few things.

Coming around almost full circle of the yard, Arianne descended the steps leading to the ground level of the yard, emerging just as the two men in the yard appeared to reach a stopping point as Daemon led Snow over to a shaded area of the yard so the two could drink greedily from a flask of water.

Raising her hands, she began to lightly clap, the sound of her hands echoing throughout the empty yard and announcing her presence to the two. Daemon didn't seem surprised to see her as he merely turned to her and bowed his head respectfully. Snow, however, his reaction was everything Arianne could've hoped for. His eyes grew twice their size at seeing her before tracking up and down her body while his face turned a steadier shade of red.

" Well done, you two, " she congratulated the two as she approached. " That was quite the display. "

" I am glad you approve, Princess Arianne, " Daemon said, using her name as a way of subtly announcing her presence to Snow.

The bastard's reaction to her station was even more comical. His eyes, which were already wide, grew even wider as his blush increased and he started trying to look everywhere except where he, and even she, wanted to look. Even more amusingly, he seemed to be suddenly very conscious of the fact that he was standing before her without a shirt on. " I have known my uncle's squire for some time now. But I have never truly seen him take lessons from anyone other than my uncle, let alone from one so young. What is your name? "

" Jon Snow, my Lady…Princess…umm—"

Arianne couldn't help but smile slightly at his stumbling. It was rather cute, in a boyish way that stood in stark contradiction to his physical appearance. " Jon Snow, the son of the Warden and Lord Paramount of the North, Eddard Stark. And the apprentice of Lord Nox, the Northern Sorcerer. I have heard stories about you. "

Snow appeared shocked that she knew of him, until his eyes flickered behind her where she knew Obara was standing, and a look of understanding crossed his face. " I hope what you've heard have been good things, Princess. "

" Arianne, " she corrected, drawing a quick look from the boy. " In a private setting like this, I prefer if my name, not my title, would be used. "

Snow took a step back. " I – I couldn't do that, Princess. It would not be proper for—"

" Not proper? " Arianne asked, taking a step forward to counter his step back, putting her almost within arm's length of him. " I am the Princess of Dorne, am I not? And we are currently in Dorne. So, what I say is proper is what is proper. Let us try again, shall we? I wish for you to call me Arianne, not Princess. Now, try it. "

Snow looked more than a little unsure, but soon enough he relented. " As you wish, Prin – Arianne. "

Letting loose her full smile, Arianne took another step forward, placing her well within arm's reach of the young man. " That's better, " she muttered, looking him up and down. " I see that your training has done wonders for one your age. I may not be an expert with a sword, but I can tell just by watching you that in time you will, undoubtably, be one of the best in the lands. Perhaps even on par with the Sword of the Morning. "

She'd hoped that by mentioning the legendary position given only to those of House Dayne that she would be able to gain some sort of insight on whether the boy knew of his lineage or not. Unfortunately, the boy showed little recognition of his potential mother's family outside of the name and position. 'Shame. Either he doesn't know, or he is a far better at hiding his true thoughts than any young man his age has the right to do so. '

⇐ Предыдущая 13 14 15 16 171819 20 21 22 Следующая ⇒