CHAPTER IV - THE BLOODLESS WARS
The letters my aunt Allyria had written were spreading. She had the courtesy to send one directly to me in advance of the others, but soon after, most of the lords and ladies of Dorne had heard the news. I still did not believe her words, how could I? To admit to being a bastard son of my mother would be to cede Starfall to my aunt. I would not allow it. As such, I sent ravens of my own, to all the nobility of Dorne, that my aunt's words held no truth not worth. I called upon my mother to ride from the Elbow to Starfall immediately. If I was to find the truth of the matter, I would find it firsthand from the one person who knows it.
Nonetheless, I had to prepare Starfall for what might come next. Lord Gerold and I had agreed that regardless of the truth of the accusations, my aunt was moving to take Starfall from me. My first order of business was to prepare for what now seemed like an inevitable conflict. Having married the lord of Storm's End, my aunt had access to a host much larger than my own. I called a meeting of my small council to discuss the steps we could take to prepare for an invasion.
"Balman, Olyvar", I beckoned, "see to the increasing of taxes throughout my lands, we need to bolster our treasury should we be dragged into conflict with the stormlanders."
Olyvar was my castellan, a wise, old man, and a most devout follower of the Seven. He had seen many winters and witnessed many wars come and go. Balman, on the other hand, was barely twice my age and none too experienced. He had come to me one day, seeking service in my halls, and I granted him that right. I did not know the man, nor his skills, but he carried himself in a way that was most impressive, and he has yet to fail me.
"Lord Gerold, how many fighting men does Starfall have?", I asked of the Darkstar.
"Starfall has two thousand my lord, with another two ready to answer your summons from your vassal's lands."
"Good. We will most likely be in need of them soon. See what you can do about finding some more men willing to take up arms for us."
"As you wish.", the Darkstar replied. I was accustomed to his usual manner of exit, with little courtesy and seldom a bow. But he was different today. Lord Gerold bowed low, said the right words, and left with a smile, not a grin, on his face.
Perhaps he saw in me a worthy leader. The thought made me smile.
With preparations for war underway, a messanger raven arrived in the night bearing news from Sunspear. The rebellion in the Stoneway was finally over, and Yronwood fell in line once more. Our passage to Aegon's side was now clear, on the very eve of our own war. The message also told of news from the Stormlands.
Has Prince Doran sided with my aunt? Has he sent me terms of surrender? The thought turned my stomach. As I read the coarse hand of the message however, the news was far graver. King Aegon, the rightful King of Westeros, has left. He married his aunt, Daenerys Targaryen, and set sail for Meereen to join her wars in Essos. He has left behind a portion of the Golden Company to hold the lands he had reclaimed from King Tommen, but what did that matter now?
With Aegon gone, Prince Doran saw the futility of standing against the Iron Throne, and offered Dorne's forces to aid in the boy-King's many wars. My force was not large enough to assault the host of the Riverlands or the North, so I made the decision to take Seagard for Tommen. Seagard sat West of the Freylands, and as the name suggests, bordered the vast waters to the West of the Seven Kingdoms. While the forces of Seagard would undoubtedly outnumber my own, I knew that with myself in the van and the Darkstar by my side, victory could be achieved. I once again hired a mercenary fleet and set sail for Seagard. The voyage took us passed the Ironborn's holdings in the Reach. Years had passed since the Crow's-Eye had taken Lord Mace's lands, and the results were still to be seen. The land was green-anew, but the buildings told of a hard-fought war. The shadows left behind on the stones told of the razing of many homes and castles.
There is a somber air to this place. King Euron has cast a shadow over these lands. Starfall shall not succumb to this malice. While the Ironborn had made no attempt to enter our lands since their conquest, I would not let my guard down. I would die before I allowed such a fate to befall my own people.
I arrived in Seagard in the first weeks of the year 305 AL, and found a royal host led by one Lord Bayle besieging Seagard.
"Your forces are a most welcome sight, my young Lord.", The old, gruff, man bellowed. "Look to the South, should Gravesham be allowed to ride out, I fear we could not match their combined forces."
With that, I took my men and made the march to Gravesham. The march lasted a few days only, but was long enough to teach me that the Riverlands was no place for the Dornish. The lands were damp and the ground loose, with every step a burden to even the lightest of foot. While I had grown accustom to these lands in my journeys with Lord Beric, my men, had not. Nonetheless, my forces arrived at Gravesham a few days later and laid siege to the castle. Only a few days had passed when the news reached us. Prince Doran was dead.
Upon Price Doran's passing, his daughter, Arianne, succeeded him and called all Dornish forces home. She would take no part in the wars of King Tommen. As such, my siege of Gravesham, and the assault on Seagard proved pointless. I took my men, and after only a few short days in the Riverlands, returned to Starfall. I returned home feeling defeated. There was no battle, and hardly any siege, but it felt like a loss nonetheless. I did not consider Tommen my true king, but with Aegon gone, he was the only king I had. If Prince Doran had not died so soon, or had Arianne not pulled Dorne out of the conflicts immediately, perhaps I could have delivered Seagard to the boy-King within weeks.
What's done is done, I thought.
Best move on.
My few years as Lord of Starfall could be summed up by the sight of a messenger raven. News came and went more often than not, most often concerning far off regions of the Seven Kingdoms that I would likely never see. News reached my halls that Lord Paramount Harrold of the Vale had died in combat, fighting for Tommen in the wars we so recently abandoned. This meant, once again, that Sansa Stark was available for marriage.
But I am already married. I found myself thinking.
I cannot break my vows to my wife. Or can I? Brimstone, the high lordship of my father-in-law, had chosen not to heed Princess Arianne's decision, and remained involved in the Iron Throne's wars. As such Lord Ulwyck was branded a traitor of Dorne.
My wife's family are traitors. Surely that is reason enough to end the marriage? I visited my Septon, and he counselled me to send a raven to King's Landing, asking the High Septon for his blessing. A few weeks later, my request was granted. Ellaria left Starfall and returned home shortly, and I sent a message to the new Lord of the Vale, asking for Sansa Stark's hand in marriage.
A short while later, my request was granted, and Sansa and I were married within the month. The wedding was marred somewhat, by two occurrences. Firstly, my new wife was pregnant with Lord Harrold's child. While I vowed to her that I would raise the child as my own, the marriage could not be consummated that night. Secondly, and far more gravely, was the issue of a murder in my halls. One of my courtiers, Cedra, had slit the throat of my vassal, Lord Alaric. Lord Alaric was a drunkard and a fool, but a capable warrior that would surely be missed on the battlefield. According to Cedra, the Lord had thrust himself upon her, and she would not have her honor so tarnished. While I could understand her grievance, I could not let murder, the murder of a lord no less, go unanswered. She was thrown in the dungeons, and the issue was settled. I came to be informed however that Lord Edric had left no worldly heir to his holding of Nightfall.
What am I to do with the castle now? I pondered.
As I sat at the head of the banquet, a knight approached me in full armor. He was a large man, older than many, with a shield instantly recognizable to my eyes.
"Must you always wear your armor Matarys?", I asked of him, jokingly. Ser Matarys had been a loyal knight in my service since I had returned to Starfall many years ago. The knight removed his helm, and smiled back at me.
"Perhaps that question might not have been asked of me, had I been here a little earlier, m'lord.", the knight replied, clearly referring to the death of Lord Alaric.
We talked a while, as old friends might have done, about battles, warfare and of women. The party was winding down before the knight rose from his seat to finally take his leave.
"Seven blessing to you m'lord, and to you my Lady Sansa.", he said, as he bowed, turned and began his walk away.
I pondered for a moment.
"My Lord, Matarys." I said to him. The old knight turned to me once more, with a look of confusion on his face. "I believe the proper words are 'my lord', when one Lord addressed another."
I thought perhaps my riddles would be easy enough to deduce, but the old knight was known for his skills in battle, not his words at court.
"As you are aware, Lord Alaric is dead. Lord Alaric had no heir, Matarys. You have served me faithfully for many years, my friend. What was once his is now yours."
Matarys dropped to his knee faster than a whore with a gold dragon in her hand. "I am honored m'lor-", he stopped himself. "My lord. I hope I should prove worthy of this great honor." With that, the new Lord of Nightfall rose, and took leave.
A year had passed since my marriage to Sansa Stark when Princess Arianne called us into battle once more. Ghost Hill, a small province to the North-West of Sunspear, had been in rebellion since I was a boy. Prince Doran paid little interest to it, but Arianne tasked me with leading a force to reclaim the territory for Dorne. My march took several weeks, and led us across the vast desert lands of Dorne. By the time my army reached the borders of Ghost Hills, I could already seen another Dornish army approaching. Obara Sand, one of the famed Sand Snakes, the daughters of Prince Oberyn, led a vast host to the gates of Lady Nymella's keep. Obara instructed me that she was to lead the assault on the castle, and that I was to take my smaller force and hunt down Ser Maron. Ser Maron was Lady Nymella's nephew, and had been harassing the lands along Ghost Hill's borders for some time. When Obara's forces arrived, he had fled North into the Stoneway, and I gave chase. Deep into the Red Mountains, my pursuit led me, until finally we had Ser Maron's forces surrounded. With my larger host on one side, and the sharp slopes of the mountains on the other, he had nowhere to run. I set up camp and, along side Lords Matarys and Gerold, devised a plan to best vanquish our foe. A messenger entered my tent, handing me a letter with the seal of Sunspear upon it, unbroken. I read it to myself quietly.
Lord Edric, Lady Nymella has surrendered. I hope this letter has found you before any blood has been spilled. You are to return home to Starfall immediately, Ser Maron will be dealt with in Sunspear. Signed, Arianne Martell, Princess of Dorne. Two wars in as many years had ended without bloodshed for me, and both have felt like defeats. I yearn for a real battle, against an enemy worthy of the forces of Starfall.
My return to Starfall was met with wonderful news- My Lady Sansa was pregnant. My son Olyvar was already walking by the time the news of my second child reached me, but I was filled with joy nonetheless.
A son of ice and of stone. I thought to myself. Just the thought of such a man brought a smile to my face. Perhaps he would be the one to follow in my uncle's footsteps and claim Dawn as his own. The news of my wife's pregnancy had further implications than the ones felt in Starfall. This child, whether boy or girl, would be the rightful heir to the North. Over the years, Galbert Glover had wrestled Winterfell from House Bolton, and declared himself King in the North. An independent North would be of no benefit to my son. If I ever hoped to place my son in Winterfell, I would need to have the Iron Throne on my side. As such, I sent word to King Tommen that I would aid him in his fight against King Galbert. The North would be brought back under the rule of the Iron Throne, and, in time, would be returned to my son... We sail North.
