Chapitre 20: Chapter 20
========== Chapter 20 ==========
Time passed, and the silence continued. No one had said a word since the pot had fallen. The silence was getting oppressive, but there was time to examine the supposed mother. The result was disappointing: not a single feature in common with the Dornish woman. There was not even a hint of any resemblance.
Jon's legitimate siblings were much more like the Tullys, but even they had something of Lord Stark in common. At the very least, the cheekbones, the cut of his eyes, or the shape of his nose.
Willow regarded Jon intently, keeping her gaze on him. Edric looked back and forth at his former nurse and his new friend, waiting for the scene of a family reunion. Finally, the woman was the first to break the silence:
- You're a lot like your father, Ser Snow," she said with restraint.
- You're not the first to tell me that," Snow shifted his gaze to Daisy, remembering their first meeting. - In fact, I came here to meet you.
- Traveled all the way to Dorne from the far North for a commoner? - she asked, as if ignoring Edric's words.
- Lord Dane assumed we were related by milk.
- The young lord is right, Sire.
- So...
- I nursed you," the Dornish woman didn't let John finish. - My breast milk strengthened your body and enabled you to survive the long journey from Dorne to the North. I sang you lullabies at night and cradled you when you were cranky. I bathed you and played with you every day of that long journey. But you did not come out of my womb. I'm sorry, but I am not your mother.
- I didn't see you at Winterfell.
- As soon as your father passed the Moat of Cailin, he sent me to White Harbor with a few of his guardsmen, handed me a purse of gold, and put me on a ship bound for Dorne.
- Well, it was foolish to expect that finding out the secret identity of my mother would be easy," John sighed. Daisy stepped closer and put her hand on his shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. - Please, tell me more about that period.
- I don't remember much...
- Willa, please," Edric looked at her with puppy eyes, the young lord knew the woman would not refuse if he did.
- It all began in the year 283 from Aegon's conquest. The castle castellan came to the village, he was looking for a nurse for the child. I had recently given birth, but my son was born very weak, not even a moon old," moisture began to pool in the corners of the woman's eyes. - I'm sorry.
- It's all right. Please continue.
- At the castle, I was introduced to Lady Eshara. She gave me a bundle with a little boy in it and asked me to take care of you when Lord Stark travels. I myself was surprised at how serious she was then. Lady Dane made me swear that I would do my part to make sure the child reached the north alive and well. A few days later I left Starfall. In the end, I kept my word.
- You swore to take care of someone else's child on a mere request? - John's question didn't express skepticism, but he still doubted the truth of the woman's words.
- Lady Eshara cared for her people. She was kind to the commoners and helped us, on her orders the maester of the castle made medicines for pregnant women and gave them to us free of charge. She did many things in her care, I can't even remember everything. I wanted to repay Lady Dane for her kindness. Admittedly, I had expected to come to Winterfell and use you," Jon arched an eyebrow questioningly. - I wanted you to replace my dead son. But your father thought it would be dangerous to my life and sent me back to Dorne.
- Do you know why Lady Eshara took care of me?
- Commoners don't ask their lords about the purpose of their decisions. But you must admit, it would be strange if your father, a Guardian of the North, was looking for a nurse in Dorne, with which the North was still at war.
- Do you remember anything else that might be important? Any strange behavior on my part, perhaps?
- Nothing besides a very strong interest in my breasts," Willow smiled, and Dacey covered her mouth with her palm, trying to suppress a laugh. John always liked a woman's upper roundness more than her lower ones.
- Is that all you remember?
- Most regrettably.
- Why did Lord Dane think you might be my mother?
- I don't know, Ser Snow. I told him repeatedly that my only child died in infancy. Perhaps he misinterpreted my words," Edric lowered his head in shame.
- 'Thank you,' John thanked the woman, a little less than a minute later Willow was alone in her house again.
- I'm sorry, John," Edric apologized.
- It's alright, at least I learned at least something, - now John was interested in another question. Why had Lady Dane, and not his father, handed the baby to Willa that day?
***
Starfall was a very imposing structure and was one of the finest and most impregnable castles in all of Dorne. The castle had been rebuilt and fortified many times in its long history, and rumor had it that there was a labyrinth of secret passages and tunnels beneath it. The main fortress was surrounded by a crenellated wall, but it did not surround it in a ring, in shape it rather resembled a nine-pointed star, in the obtuse corners of which were placed powerful square towers and round, but smaller - in the sharp ones. In addition, there was another wall, the outer one, which resembled a circle in shape and was one and a half times lower than the inner one.
Inside the walls were placed all the buildings necessary for the castle, including residential ones. The castle had no moat, its function was performed by the river, which in any case had to be crossed to get to the first gate. The castle itself is located on a hill and, according to legend, was built on the site of a fallen star, from which the first of the Dain forged the Dawn ten thousand years ago. The castle has a sept, but despite the fact that the main religion of Dorne is the Faith in the Seven, it is not often used. There is also a Chard Tree, but even with a great stretch the place where it grows cannot be called a bogoroshka.
The architecture of the castle ensured that a certain part of it would definitely be in the shade. The shaded area shifted as the sun moved across the sky, and going there was better than suffering in the hot sun. The Dane residence was quite befitting of the status of the kings of the Bystrove that they once were.
John, along with Edric and his escort, walked down a long, wide corridor, the walls of which were decorated with portraits of the Danes, dozens of generations of the family depicted in the paintings - singly, in pairs, and even in groups of a few. They were mostly members of the main branch, but there were also Danes from the Mountain Abode. According to Edric's words, the original plan was to depict only the Swords of Dawn, but one of them wanted to be depicted with his daughter. Then they began to depict members of each generation.
- John, here's Lady Deanna Dane and her husband. You mentioned them," Edric pointed to a painting of his many-times-slave and King Maekar I Targaryen.
- So the portraits are not in order from oldest to newest? - Snow clarified.
- They're in order, but on this side are only the ladies who passed to other houses after marriage and the younger sons of the Starfall lords. Everyone who was head of house, both ladies and lords on the other side, along with the Swords of Dawn. Sometimes it was hard to determine which wall to place the painting on, as there were several people on it at once.
- Interesting. There are statues in the crypt of Winterfell depicting all the Stark lords, starting with the oldest that carried the titles of Kings of Winter. It was only in the last generation that this tradition was broken, my father had statues erected for my late aunt and uncle, Brandon and Lyanna, who died in the Baratheon rebellion.
- It would be interesting to see.
- Few people feel comfortable there, but we've talked enough, let's move on.
The young Lord Dane and the Winterfell bastard strode further down the corridor. Edric commented on one portrait or another in passing, to which Snow only nodded, letting most of the information pass his ears. This was rather important to the young lord, as he could test how well he knew and remembered his own lineage. At some point Edric fell silent, realizing that his silent interlocutor had stopped near one of the paintings and was looking at it intently, he had to walk back.
A young Dornish woman with a sweet and exceptionally friendly smile was looking at John from the painting. Her eyes, dark blue, almost violet, were full of ill-concealed delight and joy. Her hair was long and blue-black, very soft, falling down over her shoulders, ending near her chest. The girl's figure, slender and rounded wherever necessary, seemed to be created to give passion and affection to the man she loved. The thought crossed John's mind that this girl could outshine even Vel with her beauty. It was a matter of taste, though.
The Dornish woman was sitting on a chair with a girl of about four years old on her lap. Behind them, with his palm on the back of the chair, stood a young man. All three bore a striking family resemblance. The eldest was definitely a brother and sister: they looked very much alike, but the youngest might be the daughter of one of them.
It seemed to Snow that the girl was looking straight into his soul, and did not take her violet eyes off him. From whichever side he approached and looked at the painting, the girl was still looking exactly at him.
- Ertur Dane - Sword of Dawn - along with his sisters Eshara and Alliria Dane," Edric named the people in the portrait, and with that he brought his friend out of his stupor.
- In all the past portraits, all the Daines have been standing up," John pointed out. Edric grinned like a child who was up to no good.
- Aunt Allyria said Uncle Erthur had them painted that way.
- Why?
- Aunt Eshara was very tall, probably even taller than Lady Mormont and thus taller than Uncle Ertur. The Sword of Zari was shy of being shorter than her younger sister.
- And if Lady Eshara is sitting, the height difference isn't noticeable. Not a bad idea.
- Okay, let's move on.
- Yes, let's go," John took one last look at Eshara Dane and followed Edric.
They entered the main hall and the family sword was finally returned to its place.
...
The position of Master Over Weapons in Starfall was held by a man named Dorian Sand. In short, it's no surprise, there are a lot of Sands in Dorne because of the tolerant and even loyal attitude towards the bastards, they are not ashamed to wear this name and are not in a hurry to change it to a new one. The bastards of Dorne wear it with pride, often mentioning that they have thousands of brothers and sisters. Sand was as ubiquitous as snow, rocks, rivers, flowers, and thunderstorms, but it was sand that felt comfortable.
Dorian was a tall, gray-haired old man, he was proficient with almost every kind of one-handed weapon, but he was especially skilled in swordfighting, though he wore a Dornish saber on his belt. The man was already in his sixth decade. According to Lady Alliria, it was he who had once taught Ertur how to wield a weapon.
Sand agreed to give John lessons while he and the northerners stayed in Starfall. Not without help from young Lord Dane, of course. From what could be said of these training sessions, it had been a long time since anyone had wiped the floor with Jon like this. Snow could have defeated him using magic, tu'um, or his own sword instead of his training sword, but he wanted to increase his skill, not kill his teacher. The master over weapons helped the bastard train with sword and dagger, adapting the Dornish style of combat that utilizes two weapons. Snow realized he had not made a mistake in asking for these lessons. After a couple weeks, he was even able to draw a few practice bouts.
In the meantime, Lord Edric, not without help from his aunt, was finishing dealing with the problems that had arisen during his absence. In the castle, preparations for the wedding of Lady Aelyria and Lord Beric, which was to take place in a month and a half, were in full swing. With the death of Herold Dane, the main obstacle had disappeared, and the future newlyweds were clearly intent on getting married as soon as possible. They decided to hold the celebration and ceremony in Starfall, it would be faster than organizing it in the Black Haven, and more convenient. Dane's house will certainly not suffer financially from this decision.
***
Vel's face contorted into a grimace of displeasure for a moment, the clatter of wood against wood growing louder by the minute. The young Lord Dane had probably gotten into a frenzy and was charging at the shielded Daisy with renewed vigor. She predictably knocked the weapon out of his hands with a single lunge and knocked him down with a relatively light kick, followed by a lecture about how "you'd have to be a complete moron to deliberately strike a shield with a sword". The free woman had nothing against the training, except that the noise of the fight might wake John, who was now peacefully dozing with his head on her thighs.
Vel gently ran her palm over the young man's cheek, paying special attention to the scar he had recently acquired. The girl's thumb traveled all the way down the thin line of the scar, which could even be called beautiful, which she did after the first impressions of the fight with Herold had passed. John had decided to keep the scar, since Vel liked it so much, though he could have gotten rid of it, but there was no way to get the piece of ear back.
She flinched for a moment as John's palm rested on top of her own. The boy opened his eyes slowly, the shadow of the girl's breasts keeping the hot Dornish sun from shining in his face. Snow smiled at the thought.
- What are you smiling about? - Vel asked.
- I saw something interesting.
- What was it?
- An eclipse," Jon chuckled at her confused look. - How long was I asleep?
- About fifteen minutes.
John wanted to ask something else, but he was roused from his half-asleep state by the growing rumble of voices and the clatter of many horses' hooves. Two dozen riders under a banner with a red sun pierced by a golden lance rode into the courtyard of the castle. Guests were beginning to move in for the upcoming feast, House Martell having apparently decided to abuse the Daines' hospitality a bit by arriving three weeks early.
Meanwhile, Edric put aside his training sword and stepped forward to greet the guests. Alliria and Beric also hurried down to the courtyard for the same purpose. At least they still had a presentable appearance.
A man with barely noticeable sagebrush in his black hair stepped forward, looking like a "salted Dornier". The guest dismounted, and an exchange of pleasantries began in the courtyard. The man, who appeared to be the Prince of Dorne, greeted his hosts and began to introduce the young girls who had arrived with him.
- Who are these? - Vel asked.
- The Martells are the ruling house of Dorne, like the Starks in the North.
- I know what ruling house means," the wildling snorted.
- At first you couldn't believe there was a kingdom covered almost entirely in sand and asked, "Is this a palace?" pointing to every stone building," Jon clarified.
- Could we get in trouble from them?
- We could, but hopefully we won't.
***
Two days later
The morning of the day was particularly hot and sunny, even for Dorne. It was the longest summer in decades. The locals were relatively tolerant of the heat, but the northerners were not very happy, even irritable. The inhabitants of the largest and coldest kingdom on the mainland knew well that the longer the summer, the longer the winter, and long winters were no good. But what do the people of Dorne know about this? In the southernmost of the kingdoms, snow does not fall even during the fiercest and longest winters, truly a land of mountains and deserts.
The escape from the heat was surprisingly simple: a day on the banks of the Bystrovodnaya, devoted to any available amusement or useful activity, with breaks for bathing. John and Edric sat under an awning, not far from the shore, and played kaiwassa. They were guarded by soldiers dressed in Dane colors.
Meanwhile, Dacey and Vel were swimming in the river, and they were not the only ones who wanted to swim. It was a great way to spend time in the river, and all the northerners had enjoyed bathing in the ice-free water back in Highgarden. A hundred meters away from them, women were washing clothes and looking at the mauve-colored shed with interest.
The peasants, unlike the others, were busy working in the fields and orchards that stretched along most of the river. They grew mostly cherries, plums, oranges, pomegranates, lemons, dates, and peppers. Grapes and olives grew especially well, and Dornish wine was some of the best on the mainland. Even through the sound of the waterfall, Snow could clearly hear the boys herding goats shouting something to each other.
While Edric was careful not to "look" in the direction of the bathing girls or be "distracted" by their contemplation, Jon was contemplating his next move. Lord Dane after the loss of several valuable pieces took a deaf defense and blocked the fields-"passes" with his bishops. Breaking head-on - a matter of ruin, you could attack the elephants dragon, but they were covered by a catapult. But King Edrica was now without its protection and therefore vulnerable to attack.
The plan was quite simple. Throw the militia on the elephants and go around the mountains with a light rider and, when Edric's spearmen "eat" him, Snow would end the game by killing the enemy king with a dragon. Although it was possible to sacrifice the dragon and cut through the "pass" with his help. It would be possible to end the game three moves faster that way, but the first plan is safer.
John was brought out of his musings by a male voice:
- Learning the basics of strategy, Edric? - addressed the man whom Edric had greeted earlier in the castle courtyard.
- Uncle Oberyn! - the young lord said cheerfully, standing up abruptly and nearly knocking over the game board. - I finished practicing and decided to play with John, he plays better than Lady Dacey and Aunt Allyria," he explained.
Prince Oberyn was accompanied by several young ladies. Jon took a quick glance at these ladies and realized that almost all of them bore an outward resemblance to the younger brother of the Dornish ruler. Only one could not be called beautiful, two more were devilishly attractive, and the oldest was probably the prince's mistress. He wouldn't be groping a close relative like that, mores in Dorne weren't that... Targaryenian.
- Jon? - Oberyn finally noticed the bastard.
- Jon Snow, my lord," the boy bowed.
- So it is to you we owe the death of the Dark Star? - Oberyn asked, one of the girls snorted.
- Ser Herold behaved inappropriately for his position and....
- He died like a rabid jackal, but at least he died in battle, not in the gutter. I did not love him, but I respected him: he was a skillful warrior, one of the first swords of Dorne.
- I had good teachers," John replied modestly, and some of the girls had smiles on their faces.
- So your father Lord Stark - one of the instigators of the rebellion that overthrew the old dynasty and killed my sister - taught you well," the smiles faded.
- Prince Oberyn, Jon is a guest of House Dane and he-" Edric hastened to interject.
- You mourn your sister's death because of the rebellion, my father joined it to save his own. But there is no bringing them both back. It's sad, but ironic at the same time, don't you think? - John interrupted him, not letting the boy take sides.
- The sadness of the death of Elia and her children still fills the hearts of the Dornish. I will not sleep well until I have avenged her on all those responsible.
The Dane soldiers could only stare at Edric in confusion, waiting for instructions, but what could they even do in such a situation?
- That commands respect, Prince Oberyn. Blood vengeance plays an important role in both the culture and traditions of my homeland. Children should not be punished for the sins of their fathers, though they may resort to it.
- Are you saying your father had nothing to do with my sister's death?
The question was unnecessary, Prince Oberyn knew very well that Lord Stark was one of the few who condemned the brutal murder of Elia and her children. The Red Serpent wanted to know what kind of killer the Dark Star was, and how he would act if he found himself in a less than ideal position. As the Prince of Dorne, Oberyn could do almost anything he wanted, killing a bastard would be no problem for him, and the bastard understands that.
- My point is that I respect the right of blood feuds and am willing to be called to account for my father's deeds if you deem it necessary. Judgment by duel is my right as much as yours.
Oberyn met his gaze with cold and hard as steel gray eyes. The tension in the air was almost palpable. The boy's eyes showed years of experience and calmness. Even though Snow had no weapons of any kind, danger emanated from him.
- The bastard of Winterfell is very confident in his powers, Uncle," the girl who had previously snorted at the mention of Herold's death broke the silence.
- It is not that, my lady. It's just a way out of the situation that will suit everyone," Snow shifted his gaze to the girl who had spoken.
The girl was different from the others, even if she looked like them. Beautiful and slender, with big brown eyes and olive skin. She was short in stature and barely reached John's shoulders. Her hair was long and blue-black, and she had an hourglass figure that begged his eyes to linger on her. It was as if she were the embodiment of Dornish passion. She wore a multitude of jewelry, including gems woven into her hair, and she wore a dress of the finest white silk, so thin that John could see her nipples and the neat, vertical band of black hair beneath. "And someone said Margaery dresses like a whore," he thought. She addressed Oberyn as "Uncle," well, Jon had met Arianna Martell - the heiress of Dorne.
- Really? - Oberyn wondered.
- If I defeat you, I will earn the glory of defeating the legendary Red Serpent and vindicate House Stark.
- And if you lose, you die," Arianna pointed out.
- I'm a bastard anyway, so it's not a bad option. House Martell's thirst for vengeance will be partially quenched, and you don't have to avenge a bastard, especially if he died in a trial by combat.
- You know, they say that in order to understand what a man is, you have to corner him.
- And what are your conclusions?
- Oh, I haven't drawn them yet, but I'm intrigued," Oberyn laughed, which actually lightened the mood.
- Uncle," Arianna spoke again, and Oberyn tapped himself on the forehead.
- I'd forgotten! Allow me to introduce my eldest daughters, Obara, Nymeria and Tiena, and this is my niece Arianna," Oberyn introduced the girls. Jon kissed the back of each girl's palm in turn, causing half of them to laugh.
- It's a pleasure to meet your sisters," Jon smiled at the incomprehensible look Arianna's expression caused with that phrase.
- You are Sand, like them, you have at least a thousand sisters and brothers here," the oldest of the girls spoke, though it would be more correct to say female. - Ellaria," she introduced herself.
The atmosphere was no longer heated after all, and Jon could get back to the game, even if he felt uncomfortable under so many stares. The Martells and the Sandes stayed under the awning and drank wine, watching the game. There was more than enough food and alcohol there anyway. After about ten minutes, the game was over. Princess Arianna was about to take a seat across from John to play with him, but he looked back toward the river.
- John, come to us! The water's just perfect! - Daisy shouted to him.
Snow apologized and took off his shirt and walked towards the river, wearing only breeches, still he had not yet fully penetrated the Dornish mores. He wasn't even surprised when Oberyn's daughters and the princess ran into the water in front of him. All dressed in their mother's clothes.
- Dornish women..." he shrugged.
...
After they had bathed and dried off, the Northerners, along with Prince Oberyn's relatives, returned to the canopy where Jon formally introduced Vel and Dacey to the Dornish. As the northerners put on their dresses, one of Martell's daughters and Princess Arianna looked at them with a look of ill-concealed lust. Jon didn't even have time to think about it before he caught the prince's appraising gaze, the same one Loras Tyrell had, and the same one that women gave to men. It displeased him greatly, but he remained silent.
Meanwhile, Edric defeated Lady Ellaria in the kaiwassu and gave way to Princess Arianna, who wanted to play with Jon, since she had defeated all of her cousins repeatedly. The prince's daughters began to place their bets, joined by Dacey and Edric. Meanwhile, the game board was blocked off with a screen in the middle so that the players could set up their pieces and mounts on the "home" fields in peace. The attachable fields were then installed and the board took its final form, which would remain fixed for the rest of the game. The interest of the game was that it would never be the same, the arrangement of pieces, mounts and attachable fields was not fixed and opened up thousands of possible tactics.
John arched an eyebrow in surprise as soon as he saw the princess's arrangement of pieces. She had completely blocked off one side of the board with mountains, leaving the other side without natural defenses. The strongest pieces, on the other hand, were placed on the edge of the home field to minimize the distance to her opponent.
- Are you surprised by something, Ser Snow? - Arianna flapped her eyelashes innocently.
- I am accustomed to the Dornish choosing a defensive strategy, creating passes and blocking them with elephants.
- It is my younger brother's favorite strategy. I find it too boring," the princess made a move with her light rider.
- Nevertheless, it is one of the most effective, until I realized it, I thought it was a tribute to tradition. The Dornish build Dorne in miniature on their part of the board," Oberyn laughed upon hearing the remark. Jon brought forward an enthusiastic* militiaman.
- The Northmen should probably do the same. The North is protected by the Wall and the seas, and the only way in is through the marshes of the Isthmus," Martell said with a laugh. The Princess looked like a dragon, flying over the mountains with it.
- I don't do that, because you can leave at least two or three passes in the game. I won't be able to build the North," John answered him feignedly sadly, sending one militiaman to the dragon's certain death.
- But you yourself have not chosen defensive tactics, do you find tradition boring? - the princess has reinforced the rider with crossbowmen.
- Not at all, they are important and should be respected, the same blood feud has been around for centuries and is still respected in the north. Any northern lord who does not know its importance due to his upbringing or a number of other reasons will not rule for long.
Arianna gathered her forces on the mountain-free portion of the board into a single fist for a powerful attack. Jon, on the other hand, had chosen the tactic of bey-bey and was exsanguinating her troops turn by turn. The dragon could not punish his riders for this as he continued to destroy the militia on the other side of the board. The inspired ones one by one jumped straight into his jaws.
- The tradition of treating bastards as trash should be respected including? - John's hand trembled for a moment, but that didn't stop him from advancing the trebuchet into position.
- You know, when I was seven years old, I made a vow to myself.
- You did? What vow? - John's spearman fell at the hands of an elephant, while Arianna's crossbowman died at the hands of a heavy rider.
- I promised I'd never father a bastard. But now I realize that was a very foolish vow," John looked warmly at Dacey and Vel, and with his elephant he forced Arianna's dragon to retreat to the right field.
- You didn't finish your thought.
- I thought my bastard children would experience everything I had to experience as a child. All the hatred imposed by Vera, the intolerance from my stepmother, and the restriction of my seemingly "legal" rights.
- It's a good thing my cousins are Dornish," Arianna said thoughtfully. Meanwhile, John continued:
- When I was nine, I was sent as a pupil to Bear Island, where I lived for nearly five years, now I am in Dorne. I've watched and seen how children are treated there and here, and I've come to a pretty obvious conclusion.
Arianna continued to gather the dragon's bloody harvest until she realized that she herself had trapped the bastard by being greedy. The princess had set it right under her opponent's trebuchet, and Snow hurriedly disposed of her most dangerous figure. The girl snorted disappointedly.
- Would you care to share your conclusion?
- It's simple as hell. The problem of bastards is not in their origin or their birth story, but solely in the attitude of those around them. If a person is not indoctrinated from childhood that they are second class just because their father didn't marry their mother, that person will never feel oppressed and will be able to enjoy their life and perhaps make someone else's happy.
- What interesting thoughts you have. The Citadel would be happy to have a student like you.
- But my stepmother would be more pleased.
- As far as I know, Lady Catelyn--
- She's a bitch," Daisy didn't let her finish. The people under the awning burst into laughter.
Oberyn noted that Snow was willing to stand for House Stark, but not the Lady of Winterfell.
- To summarize, I think traditions are important, but not all of them are useful. Some can even lead to stagnation, both of the kingdom and its people.
Arianna hurriedly rearranged her remaining pieces for better defense and went into a deafening defense. She still had a good chance, as the bastard had lost almost all of his militia, but Snow ended the game in four moves. His light cavalryman outflanked Arianna's pieces, and the dragon flew over the mountains and loomed as a threat to her king.
- Game over, Lady Arianna, checkmate.
- Thank you for such an interesting game, Ser Snow. You might have yielded to the princess.
- Unfortunately, I couldn't do it in such a way that you wouldn't notice I'd lost on purpose. I think it would only offend you more.
John stood up and was almost immediately dragged off to swim again.
***
Starfall, a few days later
This evening Princess Arianna was lingering over a glass of wine with her cousins and new friends from the North. Obara Sand was discussing with Vel their recent spear training, their favorite weapon after all, and the daughter of the Red Serpent had even promised to show the wildling some spear and round shield moves.
Dacey sipped her wine and listened half-heartedly to Nymeria and Arianna's stories, mostly about their sexual escapades. Nymeria Sand had inherited her father's voluptuousness, so she had plenty of stories. Dacey thought she was quite experienced in the matter, as she'd had five different partners before John, which was nothing compared to the number of partners a Dornish woman had. The northerner realized how foolish she would look from the outside if she called her experience 'rich'.
- He liked to hold me down and lick the wine off my skin," Arianna finished the story of the late Herold Dane.
- Do you miss him already? - Nymeria asked playfully, putting her arm around her cousin's waist.
- No, he was a rabid jackal who couldn't take non-powerful rejection well," Arianna said, sipping her wine.
- "Non-violent rejection?" - Dacey didn't understand.
- He's been obsessed with the idea of being my husband. And he couldn't realize that he didn't qualify as a princess of Dornish. Why would I want a Dane from the Mountain Abode? Anyway, the last time he came to ask for my hand in marriage, I had to force him out. He even broke the arm of Damon, my bodyguard.
- Damon asked for your hand, too," Nymeria sang out.
- At least he'd realized he didn't stand a chance after the first rejection. Poor Damon, he thought he could be my husband if he took my innocence, but alas, he's no match for me either.
- Not by status, either? - Dacey asked.
- No, he is a master of one pose, life with him would be extremely boring. And what about you, Lady Mormont, has anyone asked for your hand? - The girl asked, alluding to one bastard, their proximity was obvious to all present.
- Technically, I was promised to Lord Karstark's eldest son. But, as you can see, I'm not sleeping with him. We can only hope he won't be an idiot and call John to account.
- Oh, now we're getting to the good part, please tell me what the northerners like.
Young Mormont felt a certain shame and awkwardness mixed with embarrassment at discussing such a thing, especially in such a large group. But the wine had taken its toll, and the northerner was a little more cooperative than usual.
- John likes my abs. He takes me so that he's face to face.
- Show me," Arianna asked.
- How does he take me?
- No, the abs.
Dacey loosened the lacing of her dress and pulled it down to her waist so her companions could see her belly. Even in this position, she felt more clothed than the Dornish in their translucent and transparent silks. Nymeria whistled admiringly, her gaze read... lust.
- I can understand it, I wouldn't mind a night in the company of such a northerner.
- I'm sorry, I'm only with John," Daisy smiled and looked at Vel, who rolled her eyes.
- No problem," Nymeria replied.
- What?
- What?
- John likes my scars and my tits, tits more, of course. He just loves it when I squeeze his horn with them," Vel turned her attention to herself to allow Dacey to avoid the awkwardness of Nymeria's last sentence.
These revelations weren't something that carried new information for the Nordic woman. Dacey liked Vel's breasts too, as well as her kisses.
- Is Lord Snow enough for the two of you at once, or do you take turns?
- Lately, it's been all of us.
- And how do you..." Obara began to formulate her question.
- How are we what?
- Northerners and Wildlings are longtime enemies. You've killed, raped, and pillaged each other for millennia. How many punitive raids there have been beyond the wall and how many attacks by Kings-beyond-the-Wall. This should especially affect you, Lady Mormont. Your island is dangerously close to the wall. How do you get along?
Dacey was silent for a few moments, trying to formulate the most succinct answer possible:
- Both the Northmen and the Wildlings have the blood of the first men in them, we are more alike than we seem. Yes, we continue to kill each other and fight endless battles. Up to a certain point, I shared the usual Northern views about the wildlings.
- I suppose that moment was significant.
- That moment was the battle for the Dark Forest. The Northmen along with the wildlings were spearmen, less than three dozen of us against nearly a hundred and fifty Ironborn. We stood side by side, staring into the face of approaching death. Most of us were dead, and for those who survived, the old enmity between us had become indifferent.
- Not at all?
- Half of our escort fought that day, you can ask them what they think of Vel. Personally, I don't care that she's a wildling, she doesn't care that I'm a 'worshipper', we care about Jon and we care about him. That's what makes sense, previous disagreements don't matter as much.
Dacey's eyes easily read the girl's belief in what she was talking about, her determination and sadness at the newly experienced memories.
- True friends are made on the battlefield," Vel said philosophically, and the Dornish women fell silent, each absorbed in her own thoughts, the cheerful atmosphere slowly fading. - But Daisy actually likes my tits as much as John does, but she's too embarrassed to admit it," she laughed.
- You've been in Highgarden for a long time, haven't you? - Princess Arianna changed the subject.
- That's right, John and I were in the tournament.
- My uncle has a long correspondence with the heir of Prostor and recently learned of his healing.
- Let us praise the gods for this miracle! Old and new! - Dacey shouted, saluting with her goblet and a look that literally said, "If you want to discuss miracles, don't discuss them with me."
***
The wedding of Lady Aelyria Dane and Lord Beric Dondarrion took place three weeks later. During this time many guests from the noble and influential houses of Dorne and the Stormlands arrived at the Dane residence, there were no guests from the same Spacer to avoid possible confrontations. The fact that the Dornish and Stormlands lords agreed to tolerate each other at least for the wedding could already be called a miracle.
The castle was overflowing with people, so many guests that the northerners even managed to get lost among them. Not far from the village was a small camp, where the soldiers of the lords' escort, who had no place inside the castle walls, were stationed. A perfect opportunity to test your knowledge of heraldry. Snow recognized the banners of the Quargils, the Wheelers, the Blackmounts, the Fowlers, the Manwoodys, the Ironwoods, the Waits, and the Jordains. All the others had been told to him by Princess Arianna. The Storm Lords were fewer in number, with the Bucklers, Fells and Mertins present in addition to all the Lords of the Dornish marks.
The marriage ceremony was not held in the sept but in one of the castle halls, still the former was too small to accommodate all the guests. Faith might have resented such a liberty, but she was not as influential in Dorne, and it would have gotten her nowhere.
Lady Alliria was simply beautiful that day, so much like her late elder sister and yet strikingly different from her at the same time. The bride was dressed in a beige dress with a corsage and various flowers woven into her hair. Lord Beric wore an ornate black camisole with the coat of arms of his house.
The wedding wasn't very long, after all, Dornish people prefer to be on holiday...celebrating rather than listening to boring septon speeches. But all the canons, such as invoking the gods to bless the marriage and the marriage vows, were observed.
Edric, as head of the house, took off his aunt's maiden cloak of purple with the image of a sword and shooting star, and Lord Beric covered her with his, as a sign of patronage. The bifurcated lightning on a black field covered with four-pointed white stars looked more imposing.
- Let it be known that Lady Alliria of House Dane and Lord Beric of House Dondarrion are henceforth one heart, one flesh and one soul. And let whoever wishes to separate them be damned," the septon declared.
- With this kiss I pledge my eternal love to you," the newlyweds said one by one, and then they kissed each other.
John didn't like the way Daisy's and Vel's eyes lit up at that moment. Though he supposed they would be satisfied with the vows in the boghorn as well. After the formal part was over, the newlyweds and guests moved to the main hall where the feast began.
...
The feast was in full swing and was nearing the apogee of fascination and merriment. Two of the Dornish had already had a knife fight over a dish or a servant. One of them was Prince Oberyn. Many lords wanted to meet the Dark Star assassin in person, and just now Jon had no way of avoiding them, which he had successfully done before. Fame is fame, but Snow preferred to "dust himself off" once instead of answering the same questions to different people every other day.
His "wives," meanwhile, were doing their best to keep the young ladies attending the party away from him. This was done very simply. One of them would drag him away to dance or concentrate all his attention on her in one way or another so that the competitors would be left out. "At the very least, you could start hissing and scratching," John thought.
Snow watched as Dacey danced with...Nymeria Sand, and Princess Arianna was flanked by a crowd of suitors, much like Margaery had been a couple months ago. Except the heiress of Dorne has cousins to help her out at a time like this. Vel sat to Jon's left, wrapping her arm around his arm and pressing herself tightly against him as if to say, "He's mine, try and take him away."
- Herold's death has done him some good," came a voice from his right.
The bastard turned his head and saw Lord Beric, who had surprisingly pulled away from his wife. The Lord of the Black Haven pointed to young Edric, who was enjoying the company of Prince Oberyn's younger daughters, all of whom were from Ellaria Sand.
- I'm glad I could help him.
- Lord Dane asked me to discuss something with you," Jon arched an eyebrow in interest. - The boy has grown fond of you over time and thinks you're a good role model.
- Uh... thank you? - John replied, intending to sip some wine.
There was honey on the tables, Lord Mormont had sent a dozen barrels at Jon's request as a wedding gift. But the honey was so sick of both John and Daisy that they couldn't drink it anymore.
- He wants you to take him as a squire," Lord Beric said, timing it just as Snow began to drink, the latter predictably choking on it.
- I'm still Lord Mormont's apprentice myself, and I'm two years away from my majority.
- You have experience of war, you are a knight, and the boy respects you. It is unlikely your father would refuse hospitality to Lord Starfall, much less his son's squire.
- He is your apprentice and your henchman.
- The boy is skilled enough to be a squire, and he wants to go with you to the North to train to become the new Sword of Dawn. Oh, and if he wants it badly enough, as Lord Starfall, he can safely rid himself of my tutelage by having a regent.
- The North is harsh and cold, and you yourself know that life, knight and squire alike, is far from songful romance. It's brutal and short.
- But Sorcerer Snow can make it last. You might even be cousins. And having Lord Starfall as your squire will be good for your prestige and your image. And how Lady Stark will react to that..." Beric knew just what to push for.
- Edric could quickly become disillusioned.
- Not a bad option either, the best warriors are molded by the harsh conditions and the world around them. It would do the boy good to learn about the world outside of Dorne, and if he does decide to retreat, he will always be welcome at the Black Haven.
- What about Starfall?
- My wife and I can take care of him until Edric comes of age, it won't be anything radically new. What's your answer?
- Seventh scorcher, I'm in! - Edric at this moment simply glowed as he saw Lord Beric wink at him.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone