The Conquest

Rhaenys

The azure blue sky of the Dornish lands was bare of any clouds. The sun, looking like a yolk, scorned the vast desert with its scorching rays, condemned all living beings to wither away. It baked Rhaenys's exposed arms, provoking red dots to bloom on her porcelain skin.As the wind tousled her hair and whipped it about her sun-kissed face, the great beast between her thighs purred. Rhaenys felt its throat vibrate with tenor of its cry- Meraxes was tired.

The sun had been in her face when they crossed Prince's Pass, the gateway through the Red Mountains. A host of Dornish spearmen guarded the pass but Rhaenys did not engage them. Now the sun was above her head. Wherever her eyes went, it was trackless stretch of red and the white sands.

Sometime after midday the dragon queen descended upon Vaith to demand its submission. The castle was tall and pale, built in the hills east of the restless dunes of Dorne. 

She found the entry unbarred. From the huge archway hung House Vaith's coat of arms-  three black leopards standing on a yellow pile on orange. Her footsteps echoed on the floor, there was no sign of guards, everything was eerily quiet like the haunted towers of Valyria. The stillness of the castle sent shivers down her spine. The mirthful garden, where children played joyously only a moon ago, the halls, stables and servants quarters, all were empty- as though someone have wiped out their existence.

Eventually Rhaenys came upon the town under the walls. The narrow streets were barren, the stalls were shut as were all of the doors throughout the settlement. The only sound was the soft drip-drip of the water that leaked through the drains which carried water straight from the river Vaith. She gathered them in her palm and splashed the water in her face: they were the blood of the dragon, heat do not affect them the same way as they do common men but the desert sucking the life out of even dragons.

Her heart lurched as she saw a set of curious eyes peering behind the windows of the huts. A few more windows opened and as many heads appeared- all women, some children and few old men. Their eyes were colder than desert at night and unrelenting.

"Where are your Lords?" Rhaenys asked.

"Away." They answered.

Once again Rhaenys mounted her dragon. Meraxes spread out its leathern wings, its pale, ivory scales gleamed in the sunlight. It followed the river downstream to Godsgrace, seat of House Allyrion, but was too met with disappointment. 

On she flew. Down the desert where Greenblood met the sea. The floating city of the Planky Town, where hundreds of poleboats, fishing skiffs, barges, houseboats, and hulks sat baking in the sun, tethered to each other with ropes and chains and planks. Meraxes dropped her off a little away from the city. There too she found only a few old women and small children. They peered up at her as Meraxes circled overhead.

Where are your men? Away.

Finally the queen's flight took her to the shore of the summer sea, to Sunspear, the ancient seat of House Martell established by the Princess Nymeria of Rhoynar, the great warrior and voyager, a queen by her own right and held the admirtion of Visenya.

She found the Princess of Dorne waiting in her abandoned castle shielded by no more than thirty men and women. The back of the throne molded in likeness of sun supported her large structure. She radiated domniance, determination and defiance.  "The Yellow Toad of Dorne," Argilac the Arrogant had named her.

Meria Martell seemed older than the land itself.At her age she should have one foot in the grave. She was very fat, blind, and almost bald, her skin sallow and sagging but her voice never faltered.

"I am glad to find you in good health Queen Merina."

"Princess Merina." The old woman corrected her in rough yet stern voice. "In Dorne, we take the title of Prince and Princess. A custom I understand you are unaccustomed to. Come closer dragon queen. I cannot see you but I can smell your presence. They talk of your beauty from Wall to the Water Gardens. Would that I weren't blind I could witness your beauty.

"But you are not here to entertain the whims of a old woman. Tell me, how may we show our hospitality."

"By not taking up the title Queen as you have always done. We offer your a house chance to seize glory with the greatest dynasty that will ever be. Join our cause and you will forever have a seat in the King's council. Join us and you will never have suffer in the hands of the Lords of Reach."

The Princess laughed. It was dry, shrill and soon turned into a fit of violent cough that was only stopped after a mouthful of wine.

"Look at our history child. Dorne has no short of glory. We had fought in Valyria, in Essos and in Westeros. You offer glory to half of your population. We offer glory to both men and women. In this land we are truly equal where your women cannot set foot out of the the towers they are locked in all life."

Rhaenys marveled at the zeal of the woman. Out of all who had resisted them, she was the most formidable despite never resorting to physical fight.

"I admire spirit I truly do. But you are the leader of your people. Would you watch them being slaughtered because you were too proud to bend the knee."

"My knee has worn off my dear but why'd anyone slaughter my people when we have wronged none?"

"It is not a matter of right or wrong. We have offered you peace, more than once and you still scorn us. Believe me we mean every word we say- anyone that stands in our way, we will vanquish them."

"I will not fight you," Princess Meria declared. "nor will I kneel to you. Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that."

"I shall," Rhaenys replied. "but we will come again, Princess, and the next time we shall come with fire and blood."

"Your words," said Princess Meria. "Ours are Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. You may burn us, my lady but you will not bend us, break us, or make us bow. This is Dorne. You are not wanted here. Return at your peril."

Frustrated, Rhaenys sighed heavily. "Very well. Hide and run away as you had run from Valyria. It is all you can do."

"We do. But we Rhoynar people have survived and lived to watch Valyria perish."