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GOT : Chapter 182
🕑 Added 2025-01-31 09:12:00 +0000 UTC
Though, the most intriguing moment came when Lady Shireen came to sit next to her.
"May I sit here, Princess?" she asked in a sweet voice. "My feet are tired."
"Of course, Lady Shireen." Arianne nudged a little bit over from the sofa that had been prepared for her.
...
Arianne stared at the young girl. She had to be about three-and-ten, with long, black, hair, a square jaw which reminded her of Quentyn's, large ears, but, most striking, grey and black stony skin along her left cheek, remnants of Greyscale.
"It's exciting, no?" Shireen asked. "To wed a Prince?"
"Jon was not a prince when I met him." Arianne smiled. "I never thought of him as such."
"Well, if you are a princess, then he would be a prince regardless? Father told me that when I shall be Queen, my husband shall be a prince. Wouldn't it be the same for you?" Shireen asked.
"Well, in a way…" Arianne chuckled, for once at a loss for words, "But yes, I am excited."
"Indeed, a Targaryen, dragon-rider…" Shireen lost herself in her thoughts for a second. "I am glad. Any lady would be jealous of you."
"I am lucky to have such a fine husband, I agree. Jon is a good man."
"By Jon, you mean Prince Daeron, right?"
"Yes, pardon me, my lady, Prince Daeron," Arianne corrected herself.
"I think all the ladies are swooning over him. He's pretty, with his grey eyes and dark hair. But King Aegon is prettier. His silver-blonde hair and purple eyes are truly dazzling," Shireen said dreamily.
"I much prefer dark brown," Arianne replied.
"I think that as long as both are dragons, many ladies would not care." Shireen shrugged. "Dragons are wonderful to dream about for many."
"Would you have liked to wed a dragonrider, then?" Arianne asked.
"Me?" Shireen looked at her with wide eyes. "No! No, the dragons…they hunt me in my dreams. I have dreams of them coming to eat me, ever since I was a child. I have dreams of fire and dust…it is not pleasant, Princess."
"I am sorry." Arianne tried to be sympathetic. "Nightmares are no fun thing to deal with."
"These nightmares…they didn't feel like it. They felt real," Shireen confessed. "I could feel their fangs sinking in my skin, the flames burning my flesh. I woke my mother and father more than once, screaming. It all felt real, but when I awoke, there was nothing. Just the stony skin on my cheek and a few drops of sweat on my forehead."
Arianne stared blankly at her, dumbfounded.
"Therefore, no, Princess, dragons are not for me." Shireen shook her head. "I do not wish for more than a husband who can assist me the best he can, that is it. But, sorry, I must be boring you with my stories."
"Not at all, my lady." Arianne offered the girl a reassuring smile. "It is not common to see a lady as small as you show enough courage to stand besides the Targaryens and show herself to be so proud and fierce."
"Thank you." Shireen smiled back before looking out the window, into the quickly gathering night. "I must leave you, it is almost time for me to go to bed. If I do not go, Lord Davos will be upset with me. Good night, Princess."
"Good night, Lady Shireen."
Arianne looked on as the small lady, who had been Queen for a few months, left the room.
She looked around, seeing people eating and dancing. On the corner of her eye, she could see Jon talking with a few northern lords. It must be said that in the last few days, that was the only thing he had done, going from one lord to the next to explain what had happened and what would be in their future.
As she looked on, she failed to see Quentyn arrive from the other side.
"Sister." He bowed slightly. "How are you faring tonight?"
"Tired." Arianne sighed, beckoning him to sit. "Pregnancy has taken a toll, though I bear it better than expected."
"It was either bravery or foolishness to decide to come all the way over here, whilst carrying a child." Quentyn looked at her with sad eyes.
"I could not let Jon go off to war without me," Arianne replied simply.
"It seems like you have found a good match. Princess of Summerhall, married to the heir to the throne…" Quentyn chuckled. "In another world, you might have been married anyways."
"I had thought of that too." Arianne smirked "It is odd how fate unites people."
"I'm glad you found someone to love." Quentyn nodded. "I would not wish for anyone to be lost in his life without ever finding the one that possesses the key to your heart."
"A sad fate indeed…" Arianne sighed. "And you, how are you faring? You look…disappointed."
Quentyn stared at her blankly, and just let himself fall down, into the cushions of the sofa.
"I'm just tired," Quentyn confessed. "Tired of this game I have to play. Tired of having to try to convince a child that some games are not worth it, and that, sometimes, making pride concessions is the best thing to do to avoid a bloodbath."
"I take it that you were involved in Queen Daenerys' decision to agree to Jon's terms?" Arianne asked.
"Hah." Quentyn scoffed. "In just three days, I have thought about six-and-ten different treasons on about each side. Just the day before, during the dragon battle, I almost turned my cloak, but I have said too much…"
"No." Arianne looked at him in the eyes. "What did you mean to do?"
"Swear it on your child's life than you shall not tell a soul," Quentyn warned.
"I swear it on my child's life. But what did you do?" Arianne now asked, increasingly worried.
"More like what I did not do." Quentyn sighed. "I had positioned my army to betray Queen Daenerys, should Aegon die. The Valemen would have been cut down, along with the Stormlanders, should they have tried to give battle."
"What?" Arianne looked at him, trying to find if he was jesting, but found nothing to indicate so. "And what of Queen Daenerys? The Iron Throne? The Others?"
"I would've kept Queen Daenerys hostage in Dorne. And for the throne, I would have supported the only man who cares more than I about making a united front against the Others."
Arianne's face went white.
"You can't be serious."
Quentyn smiled back at her.
"I would have made you Queen."
"I never wished to be," Arianne hissed.
"Not when you had Dorne…but now? You cannot tell me that the thought of being Queen does not appeal to you." Quentyn shot back.
"My thoughts are irrelevant on the matter. You risked it," Arianne whispered, trying not to be heard.
"When I saw Rhaegal fall from the sky, the green dragon collapse on the ground, I had almost ordered it out of spite." Quentyn narrowed his eyes at her. "But I stood firm, and chose to wait. I could not believe that Daenerys had…squandered away two dragons and a very capable ruler. No, I would have turned. Aegon was always what kept me loyal. Daenerys was only useful to me because of her small claim and, more importantly, her dragons. Nothing else."
Arianne looked worryingly around the room, trying to see if they were not heard, but found no one to be seen.
"And with Aegon dead, the Golden Company would have also lost faith. He is the true King that I support." Quentyn shook his head. "If Daenerys had lost her dragon too, then she became worthless to me. I need the realm united against the Others, not bickering about whose fault it was for the killing of nobles years ago, and who should have what privileges."
"There lies the problem, she has a dragon. How would you have reacted if she still had a dragon and Aegon died?" Arianne asked.
Quentyn bit his lip, taking a moment to answer.
"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I would've mayhaps just tried to convince her that it was over, and if not…taken the measures that would have been right in this situation. In any case, Queen Daenerys ruling without King Aegon was unthinkable."
"I heard you resigned your position of Master of Coin as well," Arianne commented.
"And Queen Daenerys can now wish good luck on whoever will finance her campaign, because it will not be me." Quentyn laughed. "One dragon killed, one crippled and may never fly again, and two injured. No, truly, the winners of that day were the dead. And for that, I do not care who sits the throne. I care just that we can defeat the Others, save the world, go back to Dorne and stay there. I'm done fighting."
"I fear that we all have just started, as a matter of fact." Arianne sighed.
"Please, do not get me started." Quentyn winced. "I am as scared for the war against the Others as you, but at least I have stockpiled Dragonglass like I was hoarding gold. We know what hurts them, we know where they will be coming from, and, thanks to your husband-to-be, there is a proper line of defence ready to welcome them."
Arianne scoffed. "You are more optimistic than I am." "Because if I am not, the alternative is much worse." Quentyn shook his head. "I am hopeful that Winter and Drogon will soon take to the skies again. Their injuries are minor. As for Rhaegal, we will see, but in the worst of cases, he will stay on Dragonstone."
"You always have a plan, haven't you?" Arianne smiled.
"I wouldn't call it a plan, but, yes, I do my utmost to be prepared for everything."
"And your wedding, I shall hope I will get an invitation too, after Jon and I are wed?" Arianne asked. "I do hope you have a plan for that too?"
"Oh, but dear sister, I am already married." Quentyn half-smiled.
"To Nymeria?" Arianne scoffed. "Come now, brother, you and I both know that even if you both think to be wed, you are not in front of the Seven."
"Not her, no." Quentyn shook his head. "But if I tell you now, it would ruin the surprise. I promise you that it is well worth your while."
Arianne gave a very unladylike snort."Your surprises always have a sour turn…"
"Not all…" Quentyn smiled as he stood up. "Not all…"
"Leaving already?" Arianne asked.
"I'm afraid I promised someone that I would be theirs and only theirs tonight," Quentyn replied slyly. "Good night, sister. Shall I send for Jon to help you?"
"He will be here soon enough." Arianne shook her head. "I will stay a little bit longer."
"As you wish." Quentyn turned away, but Arianne interrupted him with one last question.
"Oh, one more thing, Quent. Jon always told me that the best swords had names. What did you call your own?" she asked without a second thought.
"Oh, well, us Martells love the sun, and hope it is never blocked," her brother said. "As such, my blade is named Sunrise, of course."
