Bringing the Dawn

XXII.

Jaeron Targaryen

On route from Starfall to Sunspear, 300AC

Ever since he had been told, Jon could say with certainty he rarely got nervous. But as he and Arthur got onto the boat that would take them to a town outside Sunspear, he could say with certainty he was. He'd always known he wanted to get the Martell's on his side, but now he was attempting todo just that, and it struck him just how unprepared he really was with everything. But as Howland had said to him so many months ago, there was no turning back now. He'd made too many moves to backtrack, the only thing to do now was move forward. They had remained at Starfall for ten days, solidifying how many men could be spared as they were going to support him.

Edric had rode off a few days prior with a small guard surrounding him to meet with Lord Beric Dondarrion. Luckily, the Seat of who he was going to be squiring under was right on the border of the Reach and the Stormlands. They would be heading for Skyreach first, then north through the Prince's Pass to Nightsong, and then east from there to get to their destination. The young Lord had also received a raven a couple of days in that they would be heading to Kings Landing as they were summoned by King Robert. It wasn't going to be long before everything was set in motion. The pieces were all in place, now it was a waiting game to see when the first piece will fall.

Now, he was standing at the prowl, looking out at the Summer Sea. According to Arthur, it would take five days to reach the Seat of the rulers of Dorne. The sun was setting and he watched as the sky turned into a brilliant patten of red, orange, and purple, mirroring on the calm water. Normally, this would be a calming thing for him, but the young male was anything but calm currently. The closer they got, the more nervous he got. And nerves were not a good thing. Hence why two days into their journey, he had pulled Arthur into his cabin and began asking questions about them.

It didn't do much for him considering he didn't know them well. He knew Lewyn Martell well considering he had been on the Kingsguard, but he had gone down during the battle of the Trident. The man had been uncle to Doran and Oberyn, this being how Arthur knew them before Elia had wed Rhaegar. Other than this he'd met them a handful of times in the Water Gardens when they were still children but never knew them. The only thing he knew for certain he had to emphasise on was that even though they were not blood to one another, they did share a blood link through the deceased Prince and Princess. There were times where Jaeron wondered what could have happened if things had worked out in different ways.

What if his father had been the one to strike the killing blow on Robert and not the other way around? What if Brandon hadn't assumed the worst immediately? What if his mother survived the birthing bed? Would she have set things straight or would she have done what duty dictated of her? A part of him doubted it. From the little he had heard of his mother; he knew she would not have taken kindly to being made to wed the Baratheon. Even more so as he had killed Rhaegar. What if Tywin arrived at the capital after Eddard? Would Elia and the babes be saved? And if so, what would she think of him? Would she just see him as a product of a union she never had with her husband, or would she treat him as family? Would his blood siblings have treated him as their little brother or treated him like he was an outsider?

Questions he will never get an answer for, and that is something he needed to make peace with. Even if he hated it. He tried desperately to remember what Arthur had told him regarding them that day he asked in Greywater Watch, but it all seemed a blur to him. It hadn't even been that long ago but it felt like it was years ago with how fast everything was moving. The only thing that stuck out to him was that Elia had apparently broken Oberyn's nose for calling her weak. With the thought in mind, three days into their journey, he finally cornered the Knight.

"Ser, I know it pains you so, and it pains me to ask it of you. But I need to know everything. I can't do this without knowing it all in detail."

Purple eyes dropped down to the deck of the ship before he exhaled hard, softly nodding, and gesturing the younger under the deck to the room he was in. They were the only ones aboard apart from one other guard alongside the captain of the ship. All of which were in on it which he was glad about as it meant they didn't need to hide. If he didn't need to smear that nasty brown paste through his steadily growing back hair he was happy.