Capítulo 187: Chapter 186: The Princess of Dorne
After appointing the first legion commander, it was Oberyn Martell's turn. The Prince of Dorne had set aside his status to stay in Andalos and made great military achievements, which naturally qualified him to become a legion commander. Having resigned from his position as the commander of the City Watch, Oberyn knew he would definitely be one of the legion commanders.
The army Viserys assigned to him was the Rhoynish forces, later conquered. Oberyn himself also had Rhoynish blood, as his ancestors came from the ancient Rhoynish city-states that were crushed by the Valyrian Freehold.
The legendary Rhoynish heroine Nymeria had married Mors Martell and helped her husband conquer all of Dorne. It was therefore most fitting for Oberyn to command these submissive Rhoynish forces, with loyal Rhoynish general Evan Pass serving as deputy legion commander, assisting Oberyn in managing the entire Second Legion.
"Prince Oberyn, the Second Legion is now entrusted to you," said Viserys, handing over a golden sword-and-shield medal to Oberyn.
"Second Legion?" Oberyn asked, dissatisfied with the name. The curly-haired Prince of Dorne, legs crossed and stroking his soft chin beard, shook his head helplessly. Oberyn had a strong appreciation for the arts and found it difficult to accept such a simple numeric designation.
"Second Legion is just the ordinal number 'two,'" Viserys replied, glancing at Oberyn, not knowing what he was thinking. "The number won't change, but if you want to call it something else in the future... feel free."
"Just don't call it the 'Sweetheart Brigade' or the 'Martell Legion'," Viserys joked. Oberyn grinned broadly, showing a hearty smile.
"No problem," Oberyn said. "Don't worry, I won't come up with such terrible names."
Oberyn accepted the golden sword-and-shield medal from Viserys and wore it on his chest. This novel experience filled Oberyn with enthusiasm. Although Dorne's customs differed slightly from the rest of Westeros, they had never experienced such a divergent system.
Nobles were responsible for governing their territories but could not control their territory's military. Nobles could become military commanders, but this depended on merit, not rank, and they were not allowed to hold positions in their own territories. They also had to undergo regular performance evaluations and rotations.
Moreover, the revenue of a territory was closely related to the nobles' interests. If they neglected governance for too long, the king, with his supreme authority, had the right to take back some of their land as a warning, demote them to commoners, or even execute them at the gallows in the most severe cases.
Although the final power of the state was highly centralized in the king's hands and the nobles' autonomy was greatly suppressed, Oberyn saw that this system benefited the country's development more than it harmed it. This was especially true when the state was still in its nascent stage, as a single voice could better unite everyone and reduce internal strife.
As for whether this system would be applied to Westeros in the future, Viserys had promised Prince Doran that Dorne would continue to maintain its current special status. In fact, since Dorne's submission to the Targaryen dynasty and later the Baratheon dynasty, it had always retained a special status.
Throughout history, the Targaryens and Dorne have joined in marriage multiple times to solidify their rule over this crucial border region.
Thus, it wasn't unusual for Viserys to make such a promise to Prince Doran, but Doran's insistence on arranging a marriage between his daughter and Viserys might not be solely to strengthen their alliance...
Viserys suddenly recalled something that had happened about half a month ago.
Prince Doran sent a letter, stating that in order to facilitate the alliance's marriage pact, his daughter Arianne Martell had boarded a ship from Sunspear to Andalos.
Accompanying her were fifty elite Dornish guards for protection, as well as over a dozen artisans and craftsmen to support Andalos.
"Oberyn, how long until the Princess of Dorne arrives?" Viserys asked.
Upon hearing Viserys' question, Oberyn raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. "About... two more months, I'd say."
Sunspear was far from Andalos, and even traveling by sea took a considerable amount of time.
"Your Grace, what's the matter?"
"Feeling a bit nervous?"
A slightly dark-skinned middle-aged man then sat in a chair, teasing Viserys with a mocking tone, recalling their first meeting.
Viserys' face darkened, and he replied irritably, "No!"
Although Viserys could be serious at times, he was generally easygoing and never put on any airs of royalty.
As Viserys often said, "A king to be respected doesn't rely on his noble blood."
In truth, no one in the room had blood as noble as his.
Ruling a kingdom should depend on the support of the people and the nobility. If one has only "noble blood" but lacks the ability to rule...
Such a person would end up like his father, the Mad King Aerys II, or like the current occupant of the Iron Throne, King Robert.
No matter how noble one's blood, they are destined to lose their throne, or even their life.
"Haha..."
With that little episode, the tense atmosphere in the council chamber relaxed considerably, and the old men present all revealed knowing smiles.
Upon closer examination, their young king was still only fifteen years old, and he would not truly come of age until his sixteenth nameday celebration.
Sometimes, Viserys' maturity and steadiness made them forget that he was just a boy.
Just a...
Fledgling.
"Your Grace, indeed, it's about time for you to become betrothed."
The elderly knight sitting to the king's left wore a pleased smile, feeling as if he were watching his own child grow up. Although he had never married, a sense of accomplishment welled up within him.
"Arianne Martell, the eldest daughter of Prince Doran, is a fitting match for Your Grace."
A Targaryen-Martell union was, after all, a family tradition. Moreover, as the eldest daughter of Prince Doran, there could be no objection.
"Yes, indeed."
The old knight was the first to speak up, and the council chamber filled with murmurs of agreement.
Only Barry Joys, the newly appointed commander of the First Legion, sitting in the corner, did not join in. He sat upright and serious, remaining loyal only to the king's orders and not to anyone else's opinion.
...
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