Chapter 125

Edric felt the developments were somewhat miraculous; he had merely been waiting boredly in Sunspear for a period of time, and then, when the wait ended abruptly, someone told him that their task—one real, one illusory, one heavy, one light—had actually been completed in an instant.

He didn't know why the gods would play this kind of joke on him, or perhaps it wasn't the gods' joke but merely the bad taste of the painful man before him, who was using this way to show his power. He only whispered a couple of sentences and resolved all the vexation and anxiety that dozens of people had felt for nearly a month.

Daolang

"What questions do you have? I can answer you; I still have time and am willing to get to know you better as my son‑in‑law." The prince stared at him.

A warm wind blew in from the courtyard, scattering a strand of the prince's gray hair, which fluttered before his eyes; his dark, bright eyes seemed to flash with light as they quietly fixed on him, making him feel like prey being watched.

Tuoman

"Why would you agree to marry the princess to me? I …"

"The other purple‑eyed man I had arranged for Princess Arianne is dead, and she needs a new one. Although you are not yet fully grown, the situation is turbulent and war never ceases; everyone ought to mature early, and your age is sufficient. Moreover, you are healthier and gentler than the old man or the youngster I previously chose for her, and her only requirement is 'to have teeth.' After learning about it and giving it careful thought, I believe you are the best among them." He looked as if he wanted to smile, but the pain made his face unnaturally twisted, making his originally stern expression even more severe. "When I was thinking about how to resolve the predicament, I received your mother's letter; he reminded me that I still have other options."

Malong

"In keeping secrets from my children, I have done too well, which is why today's difficulty arose; your mother did not do badly either. Therefore, I have resolved not to keep secrets alone any longer. I will answer truthfully whatever you want to know."

Edric felt this was an examination aimed at him; if he performed poorly, today's events might as well never have happened. All great people in the world are the same.

"You just said that Princess Arianne has betrayed you and the Iron Throne. If that's the case, then seeking a husband for her is no longer appropriate." "If that husband were to turn toward Princess Arianne, wouldn't the situation be even worse?" "How could you agree just because of my mother's request?"

"I have a plan. But before I speak of it, I need to explain Arianne's purpose and the current situation."

Gray hair floated above the prince's brow, sweeping across the dark furrows of his forehead. Prince Doran already showed signs of age; Edric struggled to stay composed and listened attentively.

"Arianne has three main goals. The most important is to assert her claim to Dorne's inheritance through this action, which I only understood two weeks after the events began. It's a pity she seems unaware that her right has never been challenged here; her secondary goal is to provoke a war between Dorne and the Iron Throne, using the opportunity to unite her small faction and her supporters, a goal that serves the primary one. She might also want revenge against her uncles, aunts, and their children, but those thoughts are certainly not stronger than mine; the most superficial goal is to draw my attention, which she has already succeeded in doing. So, Lord Dayne, putting it simply, she has only not yet fully achieved her second goal—that is, to start a war."

Tali

"Her claim to inheritance has never been a problem; as long as I explain it clearly to her, it will be fine. So you will one day sit in the chair bearing the sun sigil and rule Dorne together with her—that is also your mother's aim."

Mateer

"Arianne's primary and most superficial goals have already been achieved. Well, she has already accomplished two of her three objectives; if the gods are aware, they will not let an ignorant girl get too far, so her second goal will fail. 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' is my family motto, so she wants me to yield because of her childish, impulsive actions, letting Dorne stand opposed to the Iron Throne and go to war—she is destined to fail, and I will not go to war with the Iron Throne over this. If the regent of King Tommen, the kingslayer, still has sense, he should think the same."

"Is there not even a shred of possibility?" Edric expressed doubt about whether Jaime Lannister actually had any brains.

"The kingslayer will soon realize that ordinary believers of the Faith of the Seven are far more troublesome than he imagines; these fanatics will not submit just because of his slaughter, and even Melisandre with her dragons cannot do it—what can a maimed kingslayer rely on?"

"I returned from the Riverlands; when I passed through the Riverlands, I saw many Faith of the Seven believers, many of whom were gathering toward King's Landing, while some headed south. Their weapons are crude." But their discipline is strong.

"That's a useful piece of information. For the lion, settling the poor gatherings and warrior's sons inside King's Landing does not mean those outside will disappear; pacifying the crownlands does not mean the Stormlands and the Riverlands can rest easy. The death of the Sparrow is merely one of his many troubles. You know his other troubles, right?"

"My lord, I can only guess a little." Edric said nervously.

Whether Prince Doran's argument is actually sound, he is unsure, but the prince's clues are clear, while his own "a little" really is just a little.

"I heard that the kingslayer was defeated by the she-wolf in the Riverlands, causing the Riverlands, at least west of the Red Fork, to break free of the Iron Throne again, and that he cannot resolve it before this winter ends, so the Riverlands should be a problem." He thought it absurd, for Dorne is still sweltering and hardly has any winter at all.

Prince Doran could not deny it, gave a slight nod, but there was hardly any praise to be had here.

"The North? The fighting in the North hasn't started yet; if Bolton fails, it will give him many more troubles … I don't know." He looked at Prince Doran pondering, then skipped the North, saying, "It is said that the lord of the Eyrie in the East has also risen in rebellion, and the large armies of the Vale and Seagard are encircling."

"As for the North and the East, the kingslayer can rely on allies or the opposing factions within his territories to divide and rule them for now; it's nothing much. His core problem lies in Stannis holding Dragonstone; as long as Stannis occupies Dragonstone for a day, King's Landing's trade will be disrupted, making it impossible for him to bring the lion's army south to attack Dorne, especially since Storm's End already blocks his road to Dorne."

"The lion can choose to attack via the Prince's Pass, or he can choose the Turbulent River …"

He felt he had lost his bearings before the prince, and with Storm's End unresolved, the lion could hardly attack Dorne at all. Even the conqueror Aegon with all six kingdoms and the young dragonlord had hit a wall in Dorne; what could the shattered Iron Throne rely on to launch an attack? Just to uphold the Iron Throne's dignity.

Dorne now faces civil war, and he does not know how many earls share the same mindset as the Blackgate.

"The chance of going to war directly with the Iron Throne is small. The Prince's Pass and the Turbulent River are indeed two important routes. The security of the Prince's Pass is closely tied to that of Heaven's Reach and Blackgate; the Frey twins of Heaven's Reach grew up alongside Arianne and are on good terms with her, but Heaven's Reach's stance is decided by Lord Franklin Frey and his heir, Ser Gavin Frey. These details are irrelevant; if the Iron Throne prepares to launch an attack from the Prince's Pass, I will voice opposition, but I would gladly see traitors and madmen bleed."

At this moment he turned to Edric.

"What truly worries me is the Dayne family. Jorro Dayne, with his band of wanderers, has already mustered a small force; coincidentally, you arrived from Starfall to Sunspear at that time, and I am unsure whether you are a sacrifice put forth by the Dayne family, or whether Starfall likewise knows nothing of the Darkstar plot—I now believe it is the latter."

Although Edric did not grasp the details, he basically understood the prince's concern.

Jorro Dayne showed enthusiasm in the process of putting Arianne forward as queen, leading the prince to believe that Starfall and High Hermitage were involved in the plot; thus he worried about the stability of western Dorne. Perhaps he still does not feel at ease, otherwise he would not have arranged for his heir daughter Arianne to marry into Starfall.

He did not know what role his mother played in it, but from the outcome she undoubtedly succeeded.

"I suppose you've guessed it. I can give you something that your mother, Lord Rowan Tully, and the Duke of Tyrell cannot provide, so either she or you could stabilize the west for me, and when danger comes from the west, you could repel the enemy forces for me. Lord Dayne, can you do that?"

"Of course I can; I am your vassal, Prince. However, I heard you say the chance of war is small …" Since it is small, why go to such great expense?

"Arianne's marriage ought to bring more: if the kingslayer has already taken off his white cloak and inherited the title of Lord of Casterly Rock, he obviously also needs a suitable marriage partner; if Arianne could be allied with the kingslayer through marriage, that would at once resolve the conflict between the Iron Throne and Dorne."

"The chance of war between Dorne and the Iron Throne—so long as I am alive—is small, but I do not rule out…… I do not rule out that, should Dorne descend into civil war, the Tyrell family might get ideas. They have just recovered from the turmoil caused by the ironmen, but their levies have not yet been disbanded, and your mother is a Tully of the Riverlands."

Jorro Dayne also raised the Dayne banner in response to the rebellion.

"My father once swore fealty to your mother and to you, Prince." Edric said.

"Lord Dayne, your father is a good man, he speaks of honor and keeps his promises, just like other Daynes in history. But he is dead, and now Starfall is ruled by a woman; before I confirm whether you are still alive, I am unsure whether it is your mother or your aunt, but whoever it is, they are women, and women do not care about promises nor have any honor to speak of. Forgive me for saying this—I know it is unfair and impolite—but given the circumstances, if I let my guard down, Starfall will forever fall into the Riverlands."

"Your Highness, you can trust us." Edric said, blushing.

The prince seemed not to have heard his words.

"The Red Mountains are just as insurmountable for Dornish folk; Arianne's meddling will be digested over time, but losing Starfall would shift the border between Dorne and the Riverlands permanently eastward from the Turbulent River to the Red Mountains. Martell and Dayne share a mother, Nymeria, but that was long ago; if it were not for the hatred of the Lannisters, perhaps this union of the two surnames ought to have been settled long ago."

"I …" Edric felt he had just come of age.

If the prince had decided on the marriage earlier, he would have been merely a child; and if his brother had not died unexpectedly, perhaps he would have been a better match.

"Your mother's letter dispelled my worries; 'Darkstar' will remain Darkstar and will not become 'Dawn.'" His forehead was drenched in sweat, the formerly swaying gray hair now plastered by perspiration, "so my attention and understanding of you go back further than you thought."

Edric somewhat uncomfortably bit his lip.

"Extorting bribes from you is the doing of my subordinates; when I need to unite my bannermen, he still arranges it this way, showing that some corruption is not a passing phase. But knowing that he placed you in the sun‑facing rooms and still made no adjustment, that is my decision. People often reveal their true nature only after suffering injustice, Lord Dayne, please forgive me."

"Your Highness, there's nothing to forgive here. I understand your arrangement." He felt that during this period the steward Malron, Ser Alion, and Ser Harry, among others, had voiced many complaints.

"You are a good child. If I had known earlier about your affairs in the Riverlands, perhaps I would not have arranged things this way. I both believe you are a lord worthy of trust and believe you are a good son‑in‑law." His hand trembled, and after a short while it stopped.

Edric felt both ashamed and a little worried, perhaps Princess Arianne would not be a good wife for him or for the Daynes.

I said I would tell you my plan; now we can start. Lord Daeen, could you pour me a cup of milk from the jar beside you? Just a little bit.

He hurriedly acted, following the direction the prince pointed, and took a small cup. He smelled a sweetness.

After placing the cup in the prince's hand, the prince with difficulty raised the cup and drank it. Aideluoke came over to take the cup and placed it aside.

"Now I can talk about my plan."

He gave a light cough. Aideluoke worried he might collapse at any moment.

"I'm listening, Your Highness."

"Complex plans often fail; I've learned my lesson, learned it the hard way, so this time I'll choose a simple one."

Aideluoke felt his heartbeat quickening, as if he had returned to that cave in Hejian, listening to the underground spring rushing beneath the ancient, pale roots of the fish-beam tree.

"What plan?" he asked.

"It's simple, kill Princess Miserla." Prince Daolang lowered his hand and turned his gaze toward the window.

"Princess Miserla is under the protection of Count Wule at Prison Gate Fortress, how can..."

"The crowned Princess Miserla won't survive." He raised his hand and shook the bell beside him, "Yalianen has a gullible nature, made many friends she thought were trustworthy, and Wulle is arrogant and rash; they will be educated."

The dark-skinned giant guard entered silently from outside the door.

"I will announce your marriage, after which you will follow Sir Daimonshade, lead my army to slaughter the soldiers of the Dark Star, and at Prison Gate Fortress accept Wulle's surrender, you will personally bring your wife Yalianen back to Yangji City. I know she likes handsome, brave men, and you have that potential, Lord Daien."