The Little Wolf

Chapter 17 | Dorne remembers

Lilia watched the Princess leave towards the door, where a young man was standing at. She watched as Arianne reached him and pressed their lips together, seducing him afterwards. He had silver hair and purple eyes, along with a black streak, which made him a little creepy in Lilia's eyes. He didn't scare her or frightened her, but she did have to admit that he was a little awkward in her eyes.

"I hate that Gerold Dayne lad," Mors said without fear, catching Lilia's attention. "He walks around claiming that he's the Darkstar and that men say that 'he is of the night'. No one calls him that, no one says that about him"

"Arianne is a free spirit, you know that" Oberyn pointed out as he watched his niece seduce the lad. He wasn't a fan of Darkstar, but he didn't hate him either. His brother, Prince Doran, he was a whole different story... He believed that the only reason why he slept with his daughter was that he was hoping he would become a Prince of Dorne. Not even with Oberyn saying that Arianne would never marry him because there is nothing there but lust. Doran simply despised the lad. "Also, hate is a very strong word, my friend. A word that we must reserve to our enemies. For the time being, Darkstar hasn't done anything against you, so stick to not liking him particularly"

"He walks around thinking that he is better than everyone, pretending to be some awful version of Ser Arthur Dayne, The Sword of the Morning" Lilia had heard about him. He was the greatest swordsman to have ever lived and carried a special sword that only members of his family that really deserved it could yield – the Sword of the Morning. "Gods be good and he doesn't lay hands on that sword, he'll never be worthy of yielding it. It would be the disgrace of the Dayne family"

Finally, after ranting all about the lad, Mors Manwoody realized that he hadn't seen Lilia and takes a moment to look at her. He looked at her as if he was making an effort to recall who she was. He wouldn't get there anyway since they had never met and he had never seen her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I've ever seen you, My Lady" he pointed out as his efforts to picture her altered nothing.

"It's only natural, we've never met before and I don't believe you've ever seen me. However, I believe you have heard of me, since everyone in this place seems to have" she pointed out, making him even more confused and more curious. Mors thought that the girl was beautiful, he considered that he had a different kind of beauty from the one he was used to. There was something about her that made him want to look at her for days... "I'm Lilia Stark of Winterfell"

"Ned Stark's daughter?" his eyes focused on her out of disbelief. Mors had known Ned Stark. Even though he had never talked to him, Ned Stark quite the reputation around Dorne. "I'm very sorry about your father, My Lady"

"It's quite alright. You are not the one who should be apologizing" Lilia said as she forced a smile, creating an awkward tension between them. "Did you know my father?"

"Everyone knew your father. Many people didn't talk to him but people sang songs about him" he explained to her as if he recalled it. "He came to Dorne when the Targaryens had been defeated. People say he was angry about the Sack of King's Landing, so once he learnt about it, he rode all the way to Storm's End to free the people from the Siege, and then, he had six of his companions ride with him to Dorne"

"Why would my father ride so far South?" she asked out of confusion. She didn't know if she could trust what the man was telling her, but even if she couldn't, the truth was that he was telling her things her father never even talked about. She hadn't heard much of the Rebellion, the only thing she knew was that's what had brought their parents to marry each other and that her father followed Robert to war because they were like brothers and because he wanted to save Lyanna. She knew about the Sack of King's Landing and the fact that her Aunt Lyanna had died. Everything else was just history.

"Your father knew that your aunt, Lyanna, had been kept in the Tower of Joy, close to the Red Mountains, where I live. He rode South to come to her rescue, but when he got there, it was too late. He had to defeat three King's Guards, Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Gerold Hightower and Ser Oswell Whent. He fought them off but when he reached your aunt, she was dying" he sadly told her, and then, hatred was spilt in the form of words. "Bloody bastard Rhaegar Targaryen had killed her, his children, his wife, OUR Princess... but Dorne doesn't forget, and the Dornishmen don't forgive"

"How do you know all this?" she wondered out loud. How could he know more than she did? Was he one of those companions?

"I drank some cups of wine with your father's best friend, Howland Reed... yeah, that was his name" Lilia had never heard about Howland Reed in her entire life. She knew House Reed was in the North, but she knew nothing else. In her eyes, her father's best friend had always been Robert Baratheon.

"Well, I think it's quite enough of History. That was in the past" Ellaria cut the conversation off, leaving tension in the air. "My love, we must go, don't you think?"

"Fine, but let me fetch someone to keep Lady Lilia some company" Oberyn looked around and then smirked. "Lad, come over here"

"Do you need anything, Prince Oberyn?" a boy with blonde hair and skin as pale as hers came closer, standing in front of them. He looked like a Lannister. He didn't have olive skin like Oberyn, or dark hair and dark eyes like him. Lilia knew that Oberyn wasn't fond of the Lannister, so why would he take a Lannister squire?

It could be for vengeance, but the boy looked like he hadn't been born in that time and Oberyn made it quite clear that one should not condemn a child for his parents' mistakes. On the other hand, it wouldn't even make sense, since Jamie Lannister himself could take the boy as his squire. So, why be a squire anyway?

"I need you to keep Lady Stark company" the boy nodded as he heard the request, looking at his feet with his hands behind his back. "Sorry about him, he's a shy one"

"I'm fine on my own, you don't have to fetch me company" she refused. The last thing she wanted was to be in the same room as a Lannister. Myrcella was a Baratheon, and the only reason why she wouldn't bother being with the girl was that she had met her before the misery her family had been put through before chaos struck the Seven Kingdoms like a war hammer.

"I don't have to but I insist" Oberyn replied, looking at his squire once again, who was looking at his feet out of embarrassment, making Oberyn role his eyes at the boy. "Come on, you've said it yourself, she's a beauty. Enjoy your time with her"

"Yes, Prince Oberyn" the boy agreed. Lilia could see that his cheeks had won a reddish undertone. She couldn't say it was subtle because it wasn't. One could see it since it was obvious.

"Ah, before I go. Lilia, this is my squire, Daemon Sand. Daemon, this is Lady Lilia Stark"