Bab 18: Arriving at Kings Landing
"We will arrive at King's Landing in a couple of hours"
"Your oarsmen have rendered us a great service, captain" said Obella as she stepped away from the rail with a smile, "Each one of them will receive a silver stag as a token of our gratitude"
"You are too generous, princess Obella" Captain Moreo Taris bowed briefly "The only reward for them is the honor of transporting our ruling family"
"But surely they will accept the silver."
"As you wish," Moreo said with a smile.
The captain spoke with a thick Dornish accent. He told them that he had been sailing the Narrow Sea for twenty years, first as an oarsman, then as an officer, and finally as captain of his own ship. The Golden Spear, a two-masted galley with sixty oars, was a ship with gleaming wood, fresh from the shipyard this year, and ostentatious decoration.
Dorne does not have an official fleet but all coastal Houses have at least a few ships at their service, either for defense against pirates and ironborn or for trade, in many cases both.
House Martell has 32 ships at their service. Of these, seven are currently sailing to Kings Landing. The fleet not only carries the Martell family but also a wide variety of products, Dorna Martell is a practical woman: since she is sending her daughter, her husband and their firstborn as representatives of House Martell to the funeral she is also sending many merchandise to sell in the capital.
The gathering of representatives of all the important houses for the funeral, and the Tourney to be held in honor of the late prince, promises a great opportunity for trade.
Doran is on the bow of the ship enjoying the sea breeze, behind his is his sworn shield, Ser Lothar.
Ser Lothar is a young man, barely seventeen, with pale skin and dark hair. His bright blue eyes always sparkle playfully, he is a handsome and friendly knight. His easy going attitude won the prince over and they became fast friends.
"Will you participate in the tourney Lothar?"
"I don't know your grace, my duty is to protect you, not to show off before all the kingdoms"
"But wouldn't I be better protected if the world knew that my sworn shield is not a man to mess with?"
"You are not wrong my prince." The knight looks at him with a playful twinkle in his eyes "But wouldn't it be more dangerous for you if the Seven Kingdoms knew your protector's capabilities?"
The two look at each other intensely.
Doran is more than aware of the abilities of his protector, Ser Lothar is one of the best swordsmen in Dorne, the prince saw him train more than once against three or four guards at the same time and win; And best of all, Lothar is still young, he is far from reaching his prime.
`As expected of the squire of the Best Sword of Dorne`
Doran has known Lothar forever, the young knight becoming the squire of Trystanne Dayne long before Doran was born. Lothar is very loved by his parents and is a trustworthy man, perfect for protecting the prince during his journey to the vermin nest that is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms.
"One's reputation is his greatest shield and his best weapon"
"Wise words my prince."
"My grandmother said them."
"Of course, our ruler is as wise as she is beautiful," he said with a dreamy smile.
Doran looks at him somewhat amused, he is very aware of the crush he has on his grandmama. Every time Lothar meets Princess Dorna he blushes like a tomato and stutters his words. Seeing the normally confident knight reduced into a fanboy amuses Doran endlessly.
"So we agree."
"Eh?" The knight looks at him confused, still lost in his reverie.
"You will participate in the Tourney"
Ser Lothar tries to protest but is interrupted by the arrival of the heiress Princess. Doran excitedly tells his mother that Lothar will enter the Tourney to make a name for himself, and the princess applauds him for his initiative.
"A good idea ser, as my husband's former squire your ability is not in doubt in Dorne and by making a name for yourself in the other realms your position as Doran's sworn shield will be strengthened." Obella nods, "Well thought Lothar "
The young knight hunches his shoulders, he knows that he cannot back down: he will have to participate in the Tourney.
`Not that that's bad either, I'll earn a name and some coins`
Trystanne appeared on deck at that time.
"My prince I see that you look better" Captain Morea approaches with a jovial smile.
"Yes, it's been almost two days since I wished to die." he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and ruffled his firstborn's hair, Doran complains and fixes his hair again.
It was true that Trystanne looked better. He was a little thinner than when they set sail from Sunspear, but he was almost himself again. The strong winds and harshness of the Narrow Sea had not suited him well, and he almost fell overboard when a storm unexpectedly blew up on them in Shipbreak Bay.
"The captain told me that it is not long before we arrive," says Obella.
"So soon is this wonderful journey over?" he replies with a voice full of sarcasm, Doran and Obella smile amusedly at him.
Lothar pats his former mentor on the back in support, Trystanne nods at him and turns to his son and wife.
"Do you find my misery funny?"
"Pretty much." The princess responds cheekily, Doran nods in agreement.
"Traitors." He mutters in mock pain before lunging at his son, he grabs him with one arm and starts tickling him with the other.
"hahahah papa ahhahah s- stop hahah"
"No, traitors must be punished!"
The others look at them smiling, the atmosphere of the ship seems to shine but the captain's words cut short the fun.
"Kings Landing is in sight!"
Doran wriggles out of his father's arms and runs to the side of the boat to get a better view.
High above them, the lookout shouted something from his post. Captain Moreo strode across the deck, issuing orders left and right, and all around him the Golden Spear was swept into a whirlwind of activity as Kings Landing came into view over the three high hills.
Doran remembers his history lessons: three hundred years ago the hills had been forested, and only a handful of fishermen lived on the north bank of the Blackwater, where the deep, fast river emptied into the sea. It was then that Aegon the Conqueror arrived by ship from Dragonstone. It was there that his army set foot on land and there, on the highest hill, he built his first rudimentary fortification of wood and mud: Aegonfort, which would become the home of the Targaryen dynasty during their first decades in Westeros.
The settlement grew larger and larger and soon the Targaryen rulers replaced the initial design with a new log keep with walls fifty feet high and a cavernous longhall below it. Across from the bailey was a stone kitchen roofed in slate, and the growing castle also had stables and a granary. Its watchtower was doubled in height. As Aegonfort grew, it gained a barracks, an armory, a sept, and a drum tower within its palisade.
Kings Landing grew around Aegonfort, in 35BC the king realized that Aegonfort grew to become a mess of wood, earth, and brick which had outgrown the old log palisades, and came to spread halfway down Aegon's High Hill.
So the Dragon King ordered that the court be temporarily moved to Dragonstone while his home in Kings Landing was destroyed and rebuilt into a dwelling worthy of the King of Westeros.
The construction took years and when Maegor I took the crown he personally supervised the construction of the castle. The Red Keep was completed in 45AC, at the end of the construction King Maegor murdered everyone involved in the proyect to keep the network of tunnels that run through the castle a secret.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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