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( KING'S LANDING, THE CROWNLANDS ) EARLY 285 AC
AFTER HAVING TRAVELLED LEAGUES ON THE KINGSROAD, they passed through the Mud Gate on the southeast wall, and took the Hook over to the Red Keep. The bells chimed relentlessly, swinging on their hinges and pulled with ropes. The Kingsroad itself was lined with trees and branching alleys and streets, adorned with manses, arbors, granaries, brick storehouses, timbered inns, merchant stalls, taverns, graveyards and brothels. She had heard plenty about the place: King's Landing was thousands strong, packed with rebels and royalists in close quarters and pre-dawn.
She kept her solace on the inside of the carriage, where things were velvety and safe and yellow like home. Oberyn wrinkled his nose. "I don't like it here. It smells ... odd."
"Odd indeed," Gwendys agreed.
The retinue for Oberyn was the largest she'd seen. As well as herself, there was Larra and her Blackmont twins, Jynessa and Perros, Ser Deziel Dalt, whom Mellario had spoken of during their afternoon tea. Lord Dagos Manwoody, and his sons, Mors and Dickon, as well as Ellaria's father, Harmen Uller, and his brother, Ser Ulwyck — without Doran, nor Oberyn back at Old Palace, Sunspear was left to be administrated by Ser Manfrey Martell, the castellan. She prayed for the safety of her homeland, and that everything would remain at peace in their absence.
As they appoched the Red Keep, Gwendys registered it thoroughly. It was sculpted in a mass of red stone, built by the dragonlords, a washed out crimson. It has seven massive drum-towers crowned with iron ramparts. Massive curtain walls surround the keep, with nests and crenelations for archers. Thick stone parapets, some four feet high, protect the outer edge of the wall ramparts, where the heads of traitors are traditionally placed on iron spikes between the crenels at the gatehouse. The walls have great bronze gates and portcullises, with narrow postern doors nearby. The immense barbican has a cobbled square in front of it. Behind the walls are small inner yards, vaulted halls, covered bridges, barracks of the gold cloaks, dungeons and granaries.
It was all red, all red, everywhere. Red flags, houses, banners, keeps. The colour of passion, intensity, heat. She was not unfamiliar with heat like that, not when Dorne was her home, and the sunlight scorched her with every step from the shade. However, here, it felt as if they draped the Red Keep, as it ran in blood down palace walls.
She breathed evenly out of her nose as they rolled up to the main entrance and the wheelhouse door was opened by a servant. Oberyn smiled kindly, getting out first and offering her a hand down to put her at ease. Justice for Elia, she reassured herself. That was the aim. She was Gwendys' friend: and of many others, she was sure, wherever they were now — but she was Gwen's sister-in-law now, she was part of her family and she had to fight for her.
