WILOW-Ch.415: I Intend to Make Dorne a Kingdom
Water Gardens, Dorne
POV of Doran Martell
"You brought me the murderers of my sister, Lord Bolton. And I'm very grateful for that. But I cannot in good conscience support another Targaryen regime after what happened to us the last time." Doran said as he sipped from a glass filled with Dornish Red while Lord Bolton drank lemon juice.
It was a strange request. Any other lord would have asked for Dornish Red or one of the wines from Arbor. Some of those who have learned that his wife was from Norvos would ask for a taste of the Norvoshi wine as well, even if it doesn't taste all that well.
But no lord before this has ever had lemon juice. It was a strangely refreshing experience for him.
But no matter how much he liked Lord Bolton, he wasn't going to go easy at the negotiation table.
Lord Bolton was silent for a moment, then he looked outside the window at the Water Gardens, where the children had continued their games even as the two Wyverns rested at one corner.
It was truly a fascinating sight.
Lord Bolton took another sip of the lemon juice and nodded before looking at him. "Have you heard about Tyrion Lannister, Prince Doran? And what happened to the peasant girl he married?"
He nodded. He very much doubted that there would be someone in the entirety of Westeros who didn't know about 'that' story.
You have to be living beneath a rock to miss it.
He nodded, "A tragic affair. And one that goes to show the cruelty and depravity Lord Tywin was capable of. But I do not see how this story correlates to our current talks."
"Bear with me, Prince Doran." Lord Bolton smiled, "Many people know about the story. But not many know how it ended."
"And how did it end?" he asked, curious despite himself.
"I found Tysha working in a tavern in Braavos." Lord Bolton said, "It was rather hard to find her. But I did. I brought her to my lands with the promise of a more stable job with better pay. And when Tyrion Lannister came to my lands, I united them."
Then, after pausing to take a sip of lemon juice, he continued.
"Now… they're together. I don't think Tysha could truly forgive and forget what happened to her. But she and Tyrion are married once again. They live in a mansion in Regalis Port, which Tyrion is administering as a castellan."
"You have given the administration of Regalis Port to Tyrion Lannister?" he asked with surprise.
"Tyrion is a Lannister no more." He said, "And he does have a very sharp mind. He has brought great prosperity to the port and the trade, and I expect great things from him in the future. But that is not the most fascinating part of this story."
He raised an eyebrow and gestured for Domeric Bolton to continue.
"After the Lannister soldiers raped Tysha on Lord Tywin's orders… 9 months later, she gave birth to a boy." Lord Bolton said, "Tyrion could have looked at the boy and seen his existence as the proof of his own cowardice and mistakes. But instead, Tyrion accepted the boy as his own. Do you know why that is, Prince Doran?"
"Why?" he asked.
"Because Tyrion doesn't believe that the sins of his parents should judge a child." Lord Bolton said, "The mad king was a horrible person and used Princess Elia and her children as hostages for the cooperation of the Dornish army when he should have sought their protection. Prince Rhaegar, too, failed in his duty as a husband when he kidnapped Lyanna Stark and fled with her, rather than remain content with Princess Elia. But their sins should not be put on the shoulders of King Aegon Targaryen or Jon Snow. I know him. In fact, if you get to know the boy, then you'll learn that he has more in common with Lord Eddard Stark than any Targaryen."
"Lord Eddard Stark fought on the opposite side of the war." He pointed out, "It was because of his and Lord Arryn's help that King Robert Baratheon succeeded in his Rebellion."
"That is true. And you have every right to be vindicated about it." Lord Bolton said, "But you must also remember Lord Stark's reason for joining the Rebellion. He did not join it because he is some warmonger, but because Prince Rhaegar kidnapped his sister, and the Mad King burned his father alive and had his brother strangled to death. What would you have done if you were in his shoes?"
He didn't say anything, and there was heavy silence in the room. After a long silence, he finally sighed.
"It's getting late, Lord Bolton. How about we continue these talks at a later date?"
Domeric Bolton nodded, but then added. "Don't get me wrong, Prince Doran. I didn't tell this story to change your perspective on Aegon Targaryen or Jon Snow, so make you accept his regime."
"So why did you tell me?" he asked, now confused.
"Because I want you to look at him impartially when you two come face to face in the future, rather than approaching him with hatred. After all, if relations between my kings in the Empire sour, it would be a problem for me." Domeric Bolton said.
And Domeric Bolton's words caused his eyes to widen in disbelief. Was Domeric Bolton offering him what he suspected?
"Lord Bolton... You..." He began to speak, but Domeric Bolton cut off his words.
"I know very well that Dorne differs from the other kingdoms of Westeros in many ways, especially both geographically and culturally. Therefore, the rule of these lands should be in the hands of someone who truly knows them. I intend to make Dorne a separate Kingdom, like the North." Domeric Bolton said.
Doran was speechless for a while. He couldn't have imagined such a possibility even in his wildest dreams.
He could understand Lord Bolton giving the kingdom to the North. After all, he needed allies for his imperial claim, and he had pretty good relations with the Starks.
But Lord Bolton had already gathered the necessary support. The five kingdoms of Westeros already supported him.
But…
Dorne. An independent Kingdom.
Even though they would still be subject to the Empire, they would no longer bow to the Iron Throne. And this meant immensely to Doran.
He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, but Domeric Bolton spoke first. "I sensed your hesitation about how you would address me from the beginning, Prince Doran. And for now, I see no problem with you addressing me as Lord Bolton."
"Really?" was all he could manage.
"Yes. But as I said, only for now. When I leave Dorne, I hope you will change the way you address me, Prince Doran. And I hope then I can address you as King Doran then," Domeric Bolton said with a smile.
Then he rose, smoothed the wrinkles from his clothes, and looked at him, saying, "Rest well, Prince Doran. As you said, we will continue this conversation later."
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.416: Sand Snakes
Ch.417: Giving Her Some Hints
Ch.418: Unexpected Visitor