Dinner with the Martells

Posted on Fri Mar 5th, 2021 @ 12:06pm by Lord Jonah Tully
Edited on on Thu Mar 18th, 2021 @ 3:21pm

Mission: What Came Before...
Location: Snakestone Manor
Timeline: One week before the Funeral

After returning from his meeting with the Lord of Ships another messenger was waiting for Jon at his residence. He had given his horse to the groom when he read it. He had been invited for dinner at the King's Landing residence of House Martell. The note had intimated they wished to discuss certain tolls and tariffs for crossing the Twins. When Joffrey asked what the note said Jon sighed, "The Prince of Dorne has cordially invited me for dinner. Most likely to try and convince me that Dornish traders should cross the river for free, or be paid for the honour."

Hours later he had put on a clean doublet and clean breeches. He swung his leg over his black mare to ride down the street. Next to him, his squire rode. "My lord, what will you expect from me tonight?" The young lad asked.
"Simple, Tommas, hand the horses to the stableboys. There should be a few squires about, and you'll sup with them. Just like at Seagard."
Tommas nodded, "Yes, my lord." Minutes later the duo arrived at the Manor.

As the two men arrived at the stables, two of the stableboys received them with greetings laced with thick accents while one of their rank ran in to inform the Prince and his family that their guest had arrived. Once the horses were duly turned over, two pages escorted the men each to their own place. Lord Jonah was taken to the main entrance of the Manor. As the doors swung open, the smell of spices, meat, and dornish wine passed over the Lord of the Crossing, and he was brought to the royal family of Dorne.

Nymor Martell, the Prince of Dorne, was first in line to greet their guest. He towered at an impressive height and was of an equally impressive, if not softened build. He spoke with a voice which was low and grumbling.

"Lord Jonah, welcome to our home in King's Landing, a little Dornish paradise in the north." he said, a thin smile forming on his lips. He was and had been a man of action, not one of talk, so winning and dinning guests still escaped him. Luckily he had his wife. "May I introduce you to my wife, Princess Tyene."

A woman in her early thirties with dazzling almond eyes stepped forward, extending her hand toward Lord Jon. There was an intoxicating presence about her that marked the moment as a special one. She was a famous beauty in Dorne, beautiful enough that no one really noticed how quiet she was.

"My Lord." was all she said with a captivating smile as she waited for him to courteously kiss her extended hand.

"Your grace." Jon said, bowing over her hand to brush his lips against her hand. "Your beauty is known even at the Twins, and even those tales hardly do you justice." He gave her a broad smile. "And Prince Nymor." He nodded respectfully while releasing the princess' hand.

"This is my son, Edric." Nymor went on, gesturing to the wildly atheletic giant of a man standing next to the Princess.

"We've met before, I'm sure." Edric said, a confident furrow passing his brow. "You're a friend of the tourney, are you not?"

"We've not, Ser Edric. But your reputation, like your mother's, does proceed you. You tilted against my Captain of the Guard, Ser Jeffrey the Green and unhorsed him. Maybe we'll be able to tilt at the new king's tourney when it comes around."

“I would look forward to such a contest, My Lord.” Edric said with a grin. "I remember Ser Joffrey. If I recalled correctly, he was none too happy with having a young upstart knock him off his horse on the first pass."

Prince Nymor leaned in, clearing his throat and redirecting

“And last of those present, my daughter Ashara.” Nymor said, looking to his only daughter with a proud grin.

Ashara Martell, a jewel of Dorne if there ever was one, beamed with eyes much like her mother’s, though where her mother's held holy mystery, hers held unknown sensuality. She was the only child of Prince Nymor and Tyene, and her quietness matched her mother’s as well, except she was exceptionally smart. She wore a thin-fabric green dress inlaid with brown and gold threads which reached the floor in see-through wisps and it left her shoulders, upper arms, and chest bare , making her notable décolletage an eye-catching feature, though it very often was. Though simple and beautiful in design, it made it very hard for any red-blooded man to avert his gaze.

“My Lord”, she said in a confident voice, meeting his gaze with firry eyes masked by a pleasant and polite expression. "I've read of some of your exploits in Essos and, I must say, I am very impressed. I hope we will have time for you to tell me some exciting stories."

"Ashara can't keep her eyes out of books, My Lord." Tyene said with a regal grin. "She must have found you in one of her histories."

"They wrote about a sellsword knight in Essos?" Jon's tone was surprised. "My Lady, you must have found some truly rare books to find those tales. You flatter me." He favoured the young woman with a kind smile. "But I am sure you've heard enough tales of soldiers that mine would not add much to your collection."

"It wasn't a history, per-say." she said, demurring slightly. "It was an account written by someone who fought with your company. He listed names, and yours was among them. I've been very interested in the politics of Essos during the last few moons. I'm afraid I can't remember his name, but his tales were particularly bloody. Forgive me, My Lord, but most sellswords are uneducated men; books written by them are very rare."

Jonah nodded in agreement but wasn't able to answer before the prince spoke first.

"The meal is prepared, Lord Jonah." Nymor cut in, moving toward the two of them. "Are you ready to enter the banquet hall?"

"Lead the way, Prince Nymor." Jon said, gesturing forward.

Nymor did just that, leading the party into the great hall just beyond the next door. There was a large wooden table which looked as if it had been masterfully constructed. Atop it were place decorated with lamb, poultry, and beef with breads to be dipped in the grease from the meat; by the meat were also placed bowls of salt, a necessary staple of any Westerosi table during a visit. There were also vegetables and fruits which had been brought from Dorne. Around the table were sat six chairs. The Prince sat down at the head of the table and, to his immediate left was the Princess. Sat next to her was Edric. To the Prince's immediate right was their guest, Lord Jonah, and next to him was Ashara. The chair on the far end of the table, between Edric and Asahara, was left empty, though a place was set there.

"My son, Arron, seems to be running late." Nymor said, a grin on his face. "He seems to be taking in this strange northern city. There are many places for a man like him to stick his head."

"Many places for many men to stick many things." Edric retorted with a grin of his own as he spooned sliced lamb onto his plate.

"My brother means that in only the most regal and virtuous way, My Lord." Ashara said, her grin forming too as she reached for a tall and elegant carafe filled red liquid. "Some pleasures we must bring from Sunspear, however. Have you ever tasted Dornish Red?"

"I'm sure Edric is a pious man, who never lets his eye wander across the beauties at the Road of Silk." Jon agreed as he seated himself. His eyes explored the expansive meal. "I've had that pleasure only twice. And I'm happy to make that three." He took the goblet and accepted the offered wine. Jon turned to Nymor. "My my, prince Nymor. You've laid quite the feast for my visit. Broke out this..." Jon smelled the filled goblet of wine and smiled appreciatively, "This gorgeous Dornish Red. Thank you for these great honours you do me."

"We treat our guests well, Lord Jonah, and our friends even better." he said, pouring Dornish Red into his own goblet and taking a short pull from it. "Tell me, sir, how do things fair at The Twins?"

"Prosperously." Jon replied as he put the goblet down and studied the meat again. He was hungry but would wait until the host took the first plate, it was only proper after all. "We've seen a record number of caravans come down from the North this last year. We hosted Lord Manderley and his sons a few months back. I've never seen my stores so empty as when they left after the week." Jon chuckled at the memory and the rightful reputation of the House.

"Yes, the Manderleys are known for their skill with a fork. In my later years, however, I intend to match them." Nymor said with a smile as he added vegetables, fruits and bread to his platter. "I hope that Dornish seasonings do not disagree with you, my Lord. We like a little more color and a bit more flavor."

"We had a Maester from the Crossing at Sunspear a while back." Edric said, remembering with interest. "He taught us that game you all play up there, what is it called?"

"The Lord of the Crossing." Ashara said with a bright smile, having just swallowed a mouthful of Dornish Red. "I used to love to play that game in the Water Gardens."

"As long as you were the Lord, you mean?" Edric remarked with amused challenge. "I can't tell you how many times my sister hit me in the head with a stick over your title, Lord Tully."

"Everybody wants to be the Lord of the Crossing. I'm one of very few Lords who has two castles after all." Jon joked. He cut himself a good chunk of the pork roast, and added a few roasted garlics and onions to it.

"Excuse me if I'm overstepping, My Lord," Ashara said with a smile, turning from the fond memory back their guest. "But you take a toll at the Green Fork, do you not? Increased trade from north to south means a great deal of wealth for you."

"Ashara!" her mother hissed from her position directly across from Jonah. She looked at her daughter, her eyes locked in a severe expression. "It is very rude to ask a gentleman about his finances!"

"We take a toll for each crossing." Jon agreed, taking the enquire as a young woman's curiousity. "But a third is taxes, half of it to Riverrun, and half to Iron Throne. But it is still a sizable deal of money that comes in each fortnight. But one mustn't forget that the Twins is a double castle, which does mean a lot of maintenance, and extra guards to secure it all. But it does allow me to sell my own exports at a more favourable rate. I don't pay the toll for my own goods".

"The secret benefit of wealth.." Nymor said, lifting his glass, "is that you get things for free!"

The man chuckled as he drank some of his Dornish Red, then he sat it down on the table and started as his meal again. The rest of the dinner passed with polite conversation, stories, and questions. Once everyone's plates were cleaned, servants came to clear the table and each member of the family, in turn, excused themselves until it was only Prince Nymor and Lord Jonnah still sitting at the table.

"Lord Jonah, there was some business that I would also like to discuss with you if you still have the time?" Nymor asked, his towering size leaned slightly forward onto the table.

Jon emptied his goblet to help swallow the last scraps of bacon away. He felt full, tired, and generally satisfied. He leant back in his chair and nodded. "Of course Prince Nymor. I don't think I would be able to get on my horse right this moment if I wanted."

“Ah, then just where I want you!” Nymor said, roaring with laughter. After his reverie faded, he turned his mind back to business. “Now, sir, I believe that my people have finally made enough inroads in the North that we will soon have much increased trade with them. There are several options for shipping along the roads and waterways of Westeros, but I am looking for the best deal possible; it is quite a long distance after all. I would like to send the majority of our trade through the fork, that is if you were willing to negotiate just a small amount on your toll.”

"There are indeed several options. Traveling the Sunset Sea means harbor fees the Shield Islands, Lannisport, Seagard, and finally Flint's Finger. And there's always the risk of some Ironborn thinking they have a right to your cargo." Jon emptied his goblet and continued. "The Narrow Sea isn't much better. You know better than I the risks of sailing through the Step Stones alone. Then there's the harbour at Storm's End, Driftmark or Dragonstone, Gulltown, the Sisters before you finally arrive at White Harbor. That's a lot of tying up fees, plus rations, sailors, captains, bribes. All the usuals." Jon took the pitcher of wine and poured himself a measure before offering it to Nymor while continuing. "Now the King's Road is not without its dangers. You need to pay guards, taverns, and the occasional independent road tax collector. But I can guarantee the safety in my own lands. And I am amenable to discussing a lowered fee in exchange for a guaranteed number of caravans crossing my bridge."

“That shouldn’t be an issue, my Lord.” Nymor said with a smile, pouring wine into his own goblet and picking it up. He brought it to his lips, eying the other man with interest. “You are a man of honor, class, and some wealth, a member of a very powerful family in Westeros. Why is it then that you are not wedded and with children, if you don’t mind my asking?

"You flatter me, Prince Nymor." Jon smiled and drank some of the wine. "My father died when I was a boy, and pardon my language, he was a right proper bastard of a man. He made very few friends and even less allies. When I was sent away to foster at Riverrun my father's reputation followed me, and Lord Samwell Tully didn't receive many offers either. After that I was dragged off to Essos by Jeremon, Lord Tully's second son for whom I squired. While there are many lovely women in the Free Cities, none I could rightly marry as a boy. After I came home I found my mother mad and the castles filled with beggars and sycophants. I've been spending near two decades rebuilding our reputation and the trust of my bannermen. And well, the Twins still have their own reputation so not many have even sent an offer."

“I’ll be honest, My Lord, I find that surprising.” Nymor said, shifting his gaze to some of the Dornish servants clearing off the table around them, being careful not to intrude or make too much noise. “You seem contented with your castle, Lord Jonah, but I wonder if you’ve ever seen yourself...doing more?”

"Asking that of a riverman makes him think of being gifted Harrenhall." Jon chuckled. "But something tells me you're not planning on offering me a millstone tied to my ankle as a gift."

“I come north seeking allies who will remain true once I journey south again. What better ally than the Lord of the Six Kingdoms?” Nymor asked. “Forget tolls, Lord Jonah. What think you about that?”

"That..." Jon was struck silent for a moment considering the implications. "Do you not seek the throne for yourself, Prince Nymor?"

“I am wedded to Dorne; she is my mistress. I could no more spend such time away from her than away from my wife. A Prince’s place is in Sunspear, beneath the heat of the sun. Edric will hopefully remain here, but a Dornish man on the throne isn’t a welcome idea for many in Westeros. Too much prejudice; too much bad blood. No.. we mean to make marriage with the crown as in days gone by.”

"I agree that a full-blooded son of House Martell on the throne would not be welcomed by many of the noble houses. History has a loud voice, and an even louder echo. But I could not see myself on the throne, if I am honest. My house is sworn to Riverrun, as my name and my banner both show. I don't think my liegelord would allow me to rule over him."

“Take it from a Lord Paramount, he will do it if it benefits him and his realm. There are things you can give him, assurances that can be made, that bring him to you as an eager ally. It will mean wonderful things for his house, especially if we manage to dispense with elections all together. His dynasty could sit the throne for a thousand years.”

"You make a compelling point, your grace. And if I were to throw my lot in for the Throne, Dorne would support my claim?"

“With the right assurances and alliances, indeed.” Nymor answered, looking down at his glass. “Tell me, how did you like my daughter, Ashara?”

"A very bright, attractive young woman." Jon said after drinking another sip of wine. "I admit, I would find her a bit young for myself. But that is luckily a problem that solves itself. But I imagine her hand has been promised to another?"

"Not as of yet, no." Nymor answered with a smile. His daughter was well desired in Dorne, but he was setting her aside for greater things. "If you should see a queen in her, Lord Jonah, than in you, I should see a king."

"Then perhaps we should discuss these possible terms. But I'm afraid tonight may not be the best moment for that, I don't think I could do the sums needed with any proper accuracy." Jon replied before emptying his goblet.

"Then let us do the sums a different day." Nymor relented, lifting his massive frame from the table and standing. "But we should not wait too long, my Lord, lest both of us lose a golden opportunity to the fortune of others."

"Dinner, two nights from now at my manor?" Jon rose with Nymor. "It'll allow us to discuss it proper, and discuss potential friends we might have to tip the elections in our favour."

"A glorious proposition, My Lord." Nymor said, giving a swift motion to his servants to suggest that Lord Jonah's horses should be made ready for travel. "I shall see you then."

"Until then." Jon agreed before stepping towards the door, and his horse. He'd need spend some time thinking this over, and probably discussing it with a few people he trusted.