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GOT : Chapter 165
🕑 Added 2024-12-11 09:00:08 +0000 UTC"Lord Arryn lured me into his rooms for he told me that a Dornishwoman had taken ill," Tyene said, between two sobs, which Arianne clearly knew were there to add their little effect for Lord Edmure.
"Having helped some of my fellow Dornish with herbal potions before, I naturally accepted. However, once I reached his rooms, they were empty, and he had closed the door, barring any escape."
...
Arianne took a step forward, but Daemon prevented her from slitting the Lord Paramount of the Vale's throat right then and there.
"He then ripped off my dress and tried to force himself onto me." Tyene looked at Lord Edmure with pleading eyes. "I resisted, and drew a dagger, cutting his cheek, but he overpowered me, and wrestled the dagger away. However, in the struggle, I escaped and Ser Joss was lucky enough to come at the right moment."
"And you, Ser Joss, what do you have to say?" Lord Edmure turned to the Dornish knight, who had completely relaxed his hold on his sword.
"My lady came running to me, visibly panicked, so I asked her what was happening. She told me that Lord Arryn had tried to force himself onto her."
There were jeers from the Valemen.
"Lord Arryn then came down, angrily, from his room," Ser Joss calmly continued, "and asked me to 'hand back his whore', which I, of course, answered with punching him in the jaw. Lord Arryn then reached for his sword, and I mine, and here we are."
"These are liars!" Lord Arryn stepped up to Lord Edmure, "I did not hide my intentions to this lady, nor did she reject my advances. Every act was consensual, until she drew her dagger and sought to rob me. I, of course, answered by disarming her and trying to drag her to the jails, but was stopped by this brute, who took the side of this vile woman and drew steel. I had no choice but to defend myself."
Lord Edmure only nodded, and then turned to Tyene and Ser Joss.
"Were there any witnesses to this?" he asked.
Both shook their heads.
"Then, there is not much I can do."
"Wait!" Arianne cried out, pushing herself forwards through the mass of curious people huddled around the scene.
"Princess Arianne." Lord Edmure bowed. "Did you see anything?"
"No, Lord Tully," she said with confidence, "but I know one thing, that Lord Arryn is a liar."
"What say you?" Harrold Arryn turned to her with a snarl. "You were not there. You are trying to protect your fellow Dornishmen from facing justice!"
"But, by your own admission, my cousin tried to take your coin." Arianne smiled. "What use would she have for coin, when, bastard as she may be, she is richer than you?"
Lord Arryn's expression changed from angry to shocked in an instant, but he kept his composure.
"Be that as it may, that is what she wanted." Lord Arryn frowned at her.
"Princess Arianne is right, Lord Tully," Jon finally made his voice heard. "The Red Viper's daughter has no use for coin, she has no use for favors, and is under both mine and your protection. What would she gain from trying to rob the Lord of the Eyrie, in the middle of his host, with only a dozen men capable of protecting her?"
Lord Edmure considered Jon's words for a moment, and nodded.
"You cannot be considering this!" Harrold Arryn gestured towards Jon, whose demeanor was still as calm as ever. "He's only defending her because that snake has been coiling herself around him for the past few moons!"
"No need for jealousy here, Lord Arryn," Arianne countered.
"Enough!" Lord Edmure interrupted the argument. "Lord Regent Stark has only been truthful and honorable, I do not see reason to distrust him. As you are within my lands and my walls, my judgement is this: Lord Arryn, you are guilty of attempting to despoil Lady Tyene Sand."
"What?" Harrold Arryn angrily reached for his sword, imitated by the few Dornishmen present. Jon himself slowly moved his hand towards his own weapon.
"Please, Arryn, it would be my pleasure to gut you," Ser Joss answered back with a smirk.
"There will be no fighting in my halls, sheath your steel, you fools!" Lord Edmure's voice had completely taken over the walls of the inn, slowly reminding everyone where they stood.
"I demand a trial by battle!" Harrold Arryn stood proud once more.
"There will be no trial by battle." Lord Edmure shook his head. "Lady Tyene and her party were under my protection, and as such, it would have fallen to me to announce a champion. I shall not have any fights between allies at the eve of our greatest test yet."
Edmure Tully turned to Lord Arryn.
"In a true trial, I could have had your sword hand cut off. But I am not a fool, there is little I can do except chastise you on your behavior. These men and women are under my protection, and I swore an oath in that sense. Make sure I do not have to break it again. Are we clear, Lord Arryn?"
"Very, Lord Tully." Harrold nodded, almost growling.
He then turned to the Dornish, and Tyene in particular.
"As for you, I cannot do less than order you to stay away from the Valemen, and only make camp with Northerners or Riverlanders. You have my apologies, but little else."
Ser Joss nodded, and left with the rest of the Dornishmen.
Harrold Arryn, for his part, turned to Jon and Edmure, looked them both in the eyes, but said nothing. That is, until Edmure turned around and left. Then, his eyes still fixed upon Jon's, he whispered: "You and your Dornish whore will pay for this."
Harrold Arryn made way to leave, but Jon grabbed his arm.
"Call her whore again, and I'll have you publicly flogged, Lord of the Eyrie or not."
Arryn gave him a wicked smile.
"Try me, Snow."
"I made you, Hardyng. I can unmake you just as easily."
Harrold just laughed.
"We'll find out, then."
Jon looked confused as Harrold Arryn walked off with his men, but relaxed once she had stepped up to him, Daemon right behind her.
"Jon," she put her hands behind her back, "can we talk?"
"Of course." Jon nodded gently.
Arianne turned around and smiled.
"Daemon, please leave us."
Daemon bowed and left them be, with Jon helping Arianne up the staircase, down the halls, and back to her rooms.
Arianne almost collapsed on her bed, with Jon pushing himself close to her.
"You shouldn't have called him out like that," Jon said softly while grabbing a lock of her hair.
"Tyene was innocent, what did you expect me to do?" Arianne questioned.
"We need him. Arryn has the last fresh host we have. New lord or not, he is still valuable to us," Jon replied.
"And let Tyene be punished?" Arianne's head immediately turned to face him.
"No." Jon shook his head. "If neither said anything, then Edmure could not have judged, it would have been his word against hers. Nothing would have happened."
"Hah." Arianne scoffed. "A bastard and the son of a minor lordling against the word of a Lord Paramount, as upstart as he is? This is not Dorne, there would have been no justice."
"You do not know Lord Edmure very well, then," Jon argued
"I do not, and this is exactly why I spoke up," Arianne replied. "You say that I overstepped, but you told him that you would have him flogged. This is not exactly the actions of someone who wishes to keep an ally close."
"I did not like the way he spoke of you, but you are right." Jon released her hair, sighing. "I overstepped too, but he also insulted a Princess of Dorne. Any justice that I dealt him would've been deserved."
"It would've pained me to see my cousin branded a liar." Arianne sighed.
"I can respect that sentiment," Jon continued, his grey eyes once more piercing hers, "but I still wished you did it differently."
"Jon, I…" Arianne sighed, "I need to tell you something."
"About Tyene? Did you lie during your accusation?" Jon's face curved into one of anguish.
"No…" Arianne sighed. "I didn't lie…at least…I hope I did not. And it had nothing to do with Tyene."
"Seven hells, Ari, you had me scared for a moment." Jon breathed a sigh of relief. "What mischief have you been up to?"
"I am with child, Jon. Your child."
The words came out of Arianne's mouth so easily, she almost herself jumped in surprise.
Jon said nothing, instead looking at her, dumbfounded.
To prove her point, Arianne stood up and undressed herself, taking off the thick wools that covered her, until she was only clad in her beautiful Dornish dress, which only covered her breasts and part of her shoulders, revealing her bulging belly.
Jon stood up as well, moving a shaky hand over it, then raised his grey eyes at her and mumbled.
"Is…is it true?"
"I have laid with no other man than you in half a year, Jon." Arianne looked at him with sad eyes. "It's yours."
Jon opened and closed his mouth, words not coming out.
Instead, Arianne took his hands and brought him back on the bed.
"I…I'm sorry, Jon. It's not what we wanted." Arianne shook her head. "In Dorne, we do not frown on bastards. I will make sure that our child will live a beautiful life in the Water Gardens, and does not lack of anything. I will…"
"No," Jon said, grabbing her hands and putting his on her belly. "I won't have my child be a bastard."
"Then, we can ask for a legitimization. My brother could petition the King and…"
Arianne was silenced by a deep and languid kiss.
She answered it, closing her eyes as she revelled in it, forgetting the issue at hand for a few brief moments.
"I'll wed you, Arianne," Jon said simply. "I'll wed you, and our child will have both a father and a mother that love him very much. Unless…"
Jon's expression changed dramatically.
"Unless you do not wish…"
Arianne gasped, and grabbed his lips again, pushing him on the bed so that he could not run away.
"You fool." Arianne shook her head once she broke the kiss. "I love you. I love you till my dying breath. Of course, I'll wed you. Before the Old Gods, or the New, I don't care."
She sighed, looking over him, into his grey eyes.
"And you, would you leave the North? Your home?"
"For you? Any day," Jon replied softly, putting his arms around her back. "I love you more than the North. I'll talk to Lord Edmure. He will give us rich and fertile lands. It may not be Dorne, but it will be enough to start a new House and a family. The question would be: do you wish to stay so far away from Dorne?"
Arianne sighed for a moment, and whispered right above his lips.
"For you? I'll go anywhere as long as you are there to keep me warm."
Their lips then crashed into each other once more.
