Cambrian
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Playing the Game Ch. 52 (Game of Thrones)
🕑 Added 2022-08-15 14:23:23 +0000 UTCA/N: And with this, Dorne comes to a close~
-x-X-x-
Unbowed. Unbent. Unbroken. Those were her House’s words. In this instance, those words meant that the Princess of Dorne walked away from the Execution Block and the celebration cropping up around it with her back ramrod straight, her head held high, and her eyes dry as the arid climate Dorne itself was known for.
In the end, the Targaryen King had left Arianne Martell with little in the way of choices. She hated him just a little bit for that. But at the same time, any hatred or dislike was far, FAR outweighed by everything else. Suffice to say, her feelings towards King Jon were… hmph, complicated.
He’d saved her life. There was no denying that. Without his intercession, she would have died, poisoned by her own dead Uncle’s paramour. Of course, by similar logic, if the Targaryen King had never come to Dorne in the first place, then one could presume that Ellaria Sand would never have had cause to poison their entire meal like that.
… But that wasn’t entirely true, now, was it? Ellaria and the Sand Snakes… they had grown to enjoy being in charge. Using her as their proxy, after a fashion. Yet, Arianne was not some puppet ruler, to be danced upon their strings. She was her father’s daughter, and in hindsight, it was only ever a matter of time before they decided to do away with her as well. The poison in her meal, the knife in the back, or the scorpion in her bed, would have come as soon as her use to them was deemed used up.
She was lucky, in a way, that they’d so thoroughly overstepped their bounds before that moment could come. In that way, the Dornish Princess felt some measure of gratitude towards the Targaryen King. He had taken the brunt of the Sand Snakes’ wrath and not so much as flinched. He and his Queen had imbibed poisons that had very nearly killed Arianne without so much as batting an eyelash.
Ultimately, he had exposed their treachery, and after Ellaria’s attempt on her life, forced Arianna to act. Because, in the end… he had refused to act himself. He’d washed his hands of the entire situation and left it up to her to decide their fate. Once the Sand Snakes and Ellaria Sand were all imprisoned, he had been completely silent on what he wanted done with them.
He was the only one, in that regard. The Dornish Lords in Sunspear had brayed for their blood. The Dornish Lords NOT in Sunspear had sent messengers demanding the same by letter. With King Jon silent on the issue, she truly had had no choice. Executing her bastard cousins was the only option. Even exiling them would have likely seen her toppled by her Lords within the year. Letting them live was simply not on the table, not without his intercession.
And indeed, what reason did he have to intercede on their behalf? They were family, but Arianne could admit… she was almost relieved that he’d left it in her hands. Her position as Dorne’s Princess would have been weakened all the same if he had taken matters into his own hands to kill his would be assassins. She couldn’t say she would have blamed him for it, but it would still have left her reputation in tatters.
By giving her the opportunity to make things right all on her own, he had allowed her the chance to repair the nearly burnt bridges between her and her subjects. For that, she supposed she was grateful.
It didn’t make it any easier though, having to order their executions. Having to stand there, to stand tall, as they cried out, as they cursed and spit figurative venom at her right up until the axe went swinging down for each of them.
Her Uncle’s oldest daughters and his last Paramour were dead. The rest of his children would have to be watched very carefully. Technically, they were ALL Sand Snakes… but Arianne refused to let any of them take up their elder sisters’ mantles. If any of Oberyn’s other bastard children stepped even one foot out of line… she would take action.
For now, however, it was done. The Lords of Dorne who were in Sunspear to witness the execution were holding a damn party over the act, and so were the peasants. Not that the peasants truly cared one way or the other, they just took any opportunity they could get to feast and party.
Arianne would not be joining any party or feast on this evening. No, she had somewhere else to be… someone else to see. And so, she reaches the guest quarters for the King of Westeros with her back still straight and her head held high… and knocks carefully, before waiting for a response.
“Come in.”
Stepping inside, the Princess of Dorne is careful not to purse her lips tightly together at the sight of King Jon’s Queen with him. Daenerys Stormborn, the Mother of Dragons, smiles softly, even as she sits in a chair off to the side, nursing a glass of wine. Arianne bows her head in the Queen’s direction, before focusing on the King himself, who is currently sat on the edge of the bed.
She doesn’t let her eyes linger too long on his chiseled form. He’s currently shirtless, wearing only his pants. It was possible he knew what she was here for. If only she got the same courtesy as her wayward cousins, who all got a chance with him alone. But no… no, such thinking was unbecoming of her. She could hardly begrudge either the King and Queen each other’s company after what Ellaria and the Sand Snakes had all tried.
Unbowed. Unbent. Unbroken.
Hands clasped in front of her, Arianne Martell, Princess of Dorne, takes a few steps forward… and bends the knees. As she bows her head, a small part of her pride breaks… but she knows this is necessary.
“You have my deepest apologies for the actions of my cousins and my uncle’s Paramour, Your Grace. There is truly no manner in which I can convey the depth of my sorrow. They wronged you, and whatever you demand of me in recompense, I will do my best to give to you.”
There’s a brief pause, but Arianne doesn’t dare lift her head. Instead, she stares at the floor, a very odd feeling indeed given she had never bowed her head like this to anyone before now.
“They’re dead then? The execution over?”
The Targaryen King sounds… almost concerned. Arianne quickly nods her head, while keeping her eyes fixated on the ground.
“Yes, Your Grace. It is done.”
“Oh, you poor thing.”
Arianne jolts at the words that come not from King Jon, but from Queen Daenerys. Suddenly, the beautiful purple-eyed Queen is at her side, kneeling along with her and… and wrapping her arms around her in a comforting hug?
“You did the right thing, dear. But all the same, nobody should have to put down family like that.”
Daenerys’ words are a strange comfort. It’s odd to have this woman consoling her about ordering the execution of the women who had tried to assassinate her and her husband. A moment later, a shadow falls over them both.
“Lift your head, Princess. Are you not the Ruler of Dorne?”
Blinking rapidly, Arianne lifts her head to see Jon offering her his hand, a smile on his handsome face. She takes it, and together both she and Daenerys rise, as Arianne finds herself in very close proximity to the defacto King and Queen of Westeros.
She’s reminded then, of that night. Of her near-death experience… and the way in which Jon had saved her life. The Targaryen King was more than just a man, she was sure of that. He was… a God.
“I… a-are you sure there is nothing I can do for you? The sins of my family against your person are great, my King.”
Shaking his head, Jon just smiles. Daenerys, surprisingly, is the one who answers her again.
“It’s not about what you can do for us, dear. It’s about what we can do for you.”
Blinking, Arianne looks between the two of them, somewhat confused. Daenerys continues on, unabashed in her wording.
“You have secured the loyalty of your Lords for now, but you are but one woman, and House Martell is… greatly diminished. You will need an heir, won’t you? You will likely be expected to marry one of your Lords if you do not take care of that issue soon. As it so happens, the views on bastards are… laxer in Essos. And my husband and I have brought not just our armies and our court over from that continent, but also some of their beliefs as well.”
Here, Daenerys makes her point perfectly clear as she runs a hand along Arianne’s dusky arm, giving her an encouraging smile.
“You would be welcome as a… semi-permanent member of the King’s Harem, Princess. And in return, Jon can gift you with healthy, strong, able-bodied heirs. That… I can guarantee.”
Arianne has ever considered herself a seductress. She lost her virginity at a young age just to spite her father, and was a promiscuous, sexual creature ever since. But in this moment, she feels a little hounded, her face flushing as she looks between the King and Queen of Westeros and feels altogether like prey, rather than the huntress she’s always seen herself as.
And yet… and yet…
“V-Very well… that would be… most appreciated.”
Unbowed. Unbent. Unbroken. And yet, Arianne does not resist, as Daenerys helps to undress her while Jon undresses himself. She does not struggle, as the Queen leads her over to the bed by the hand and lays her on her back. She is no virgin. She’s had dozens of lovers. And yet, she feels like a hapless maiden as she watches Jon approach her. The Targaryen King who is more than just a King climbs up onto the bed, and moves between her caramel legs, spreading them apart with pale hands.
He gives her a pleased smile, as he presses his throbbing mast against her core. And then, a moment later, he’s inside of her. Arianne can’t help but cry out, throwing her head back in pleasure. It feels shameful to have gone from an execution to… to THIS so suddenly, but in her defense, she has a very good excuse.
Eyes wide as she looks up at him, Arianne feels distinctly vulnerable… and not just because she’s on her back, naked, with the King’s cock buried in her cunt. Truth be told, that part is completely natural for someone like her. Sure, the Targaryen King might be the highest ranking man she’s ever had, but he’s far from her first.
And yet… he is her first in one way.
“P-Please… let me see it again?”
Jon pauses for a moment, and so does Daenerys on the bed beside them. The King and Queen share a silent glance before slowly, Jon nods. Then… then she sees it. It had only been for a moment back at the dinner. But it had also felt like an entire eternity. In the end, what she’d witnessed in that instant as she was healed, as she was Freed of the poisons that were rife through her blood… was divinity made manifest.
She witnesses it again now, as Jon reveals his true nature to her once more. This time, it’s much slower but also much longer. Seconds pass and turn into minutes, and Arianne gasps and mewls, tears of wonder and awe streaking down her cheeks. She cannot deny it. Seeing what she’s seeing, it makes the truth of the world impossible to ignore.
No amount of politicking, no amount of doublespeak or doublethink, will allow her to ignore what’s right in front of her. Westeros’ new King is not simply a man blessed with the proper bloodlines and the good fortune of having armies willing to fight for him and women who love him deeply, and dragons to burn down his enemies.
No, Westeros’ new King… is a God.
Arianne Martell has never been a very religious person before. The Seven were… there, she supposed, but she had never put much faith in them if she was being honest. Dorne in general had some diehard religious fanatics, everywhere did, but at the same time, they were not overly zealous down in Dorne.
And yet, in that moment, Arianne reaches out and welcomes Jon into her arms as he couples with her. As he fucks in and out of her, she embraces God himself, crying out into his shoulder, basking in his presence and glory. And she cums for him. It only seems right, in the end. She cums harder than she’s ever cum before and loses track of everything except for the feeling of him buried deep inside of her.
It’s amazing, being the center of his attention. The Queen is there, but she maintains her distance, clearly enjoying the view seeing how her hands have wandered down her body. She herself does not partake, however. She leaves it all to Arianne. She gives Arianne this moment to be the entirety of the King’s world, and to have a God gazing at her is… is everything, she finds.
Eventually, he returns the favor, filling her with his seed as Daenerys had offered. The Princess of Dorne doesn’t doubt for a second that she will be pregnant very soon indeed. Nor does she doubt for a second that her children will be healthy, and strong, and able-bodied. They will, after all, have the blood of the divine flowing through them.
Eyes fluttering, Arianne falls asleep with a smile on her lips. She may have lost much today… but she’s gained much more.
-x-X-x-
Dorne had fallen in line. It was no surprise. Like a rot being excised before it could reach the heart, the Sand Snakes and Ellaria Sand were removed from the board… and Dorne had the chance to flourish. With his backing, the Princess would remain in power. With his child growing in her womb, Jon did not believe she would prove a problem in the long run.
His hand in seeing the Sand Snakes removed from their positions of power at the Princess’ ear left both the Lords and the smallfolk of Dorne quietly worshipping him, even if they didn’t necessarily see it that way. They were happy that he’d come and would be happy to be his subjects going forward. The power of their faith flowed through him, making Jon all the stronger.
It was probably time to head for King’s Landing. The dark miasma made him leery though. He was strong enough… but was he ready to face what lay at the heart of his Seven Kingdoms?
Comments
Keeper
Looking forward to seeing if Jon gets just a Rock Wife(wife from the islands) or a Salt Wife(concubine) as well ;) The Iron Islands have interesting views on ownership, relationships and women’s rights
Cambrian
Yeah its my intent to make them intersect. There probably won't be a separate Iron Islands Arc after this, rather I'll combine the two with a focus on the Westerlands heh
Keeper
Well, RIP the majority of the active Sand Snakes. Guess Princess Arianne got her little daughter heir from this. Wonder if she names her Elia II? As for the vote, Westerlands work and is pretty close to the Iron Islands. Technically those two plotlines could intersect a bit
DualEquinox
Sarella could be a problem in the future as a result of this - If I remember correctly she is currently infiltrating/studying at the Citadel under the alias of Alleras and the Maesters have never exactly been fans of the Targaryens...
Cambrian
Yeah, after how I set up the Dornish Nobility's opposition to the Sand Snakes and Ellaria in the first Dorne chapter, putting their fate in Arianne's hands (especially after Ellaria tried to poison her) couldonly go one way. Even if Arianne wanted them to live, she had way too much pressure on her by her vassals to kill them for their crimes. And also Jon is the God of Freedom, heh. So keeping them as his broodmares until they broke would be going against his own Domain.
Belly
Ooo didn't see that coming, figured you'd just turn them into Jon's broodmares until they "bend" the knee or break. This is also good, it pretty much washes you of this arc to move in without trying to include them later on again.
