The New Dragon Age

Chapter 21

"Prince Qoren, I hope I'm not interrupting." Her smile was sweet. "I was not told you have been invited. As far as I know, you were defeated at the Stepstones, a little over a fortnight ago, did something happen that made you become friends with my family?"

"It was a late invitation." The prince gave her a charming smile. "I have to say princess, you are even more beautiful than I was told. I swear you are the most beautiful maiden in the known world."

"Thank you, my prince." He was like most lords she had met. He saw her as a girl and easily manipulated. She enjoyed portraying that image from time to time, people never saw her coming until it was too late. She placed a hand on top of her Valyrian steel sword, Firestorm, making sure that it looked like she was just resting her arms, and not threatening. "I always enjoy being complimented. Is there a reason why my family is restrained?"

"Well, I needed to get their attention."

"There are easier ways to obtain that pleasure." She cocked a hip, bringing his attention to her body. "You have my attention. I suggest you make use of it quickly, I do not keep my attention on one thing for long."

"Well princess, my wife passed away and I require a wife. I was going to wed your younger sister, but looking at you now, I believe you would serve me better, after all, you are older and are of age." Deirys raised an eyebrow. "I will need legitimacy once I take the iron throne."

"Will you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but my grandsire is still king, my mother is the heir, she will be queen after him and I am my mother's heir, so I will be queen after her." This time her smile was mocking. "And I can tell you now, that I would rather let my dragon eat me piece by piece than marry a cunt like you."

"You should watch your mouth princess, you will need my mercy once you are my wife."

"That is not going to happen," Deirys called for Vermithor. Her dragon landed on the farther side of the balcony, partially tearing down the lower balcony wall. Vermithor roared and the soldiers accompanying the prince trembled in fear. The smile never left her face as she turned to them. "I will give you soldiers a choice, you can all leave this instant or I can have why dragon tear you apart piece by piece. Chose!"

The soldiers swallowed and looked from her dragon to Prince Qoren, who also seem to be frozen in fear. Vermithor made for a fearful sight, he had grown even larger in the past four years. Vermithor roared again making some of the soldiers fall back. Deirys stepped farther away from the doorway and the soldiers ran out like the hells themselves were after them. She turned back with a smile, she had a few unsullied ready to take them prisoner before they made it out of the castle. The prince was now pale. He was looking at her guards and back towards her family.

"You can kill me, but Dorne will avenge me." Qoren tried to move closer to her mother and father, but her four knights blocked his way to them. "My daughter will avenge me."

"Gūrogon zirȳla. (Seize him.)" Four of the unsullied moved and before Qoren or Coryanne could react, her guards had disarmed them and had them secured. Deirys moved closer to the Dornish prince. "And which daughter would that be, Coryanne or Alandria?"

"Alandria is dead."

"No, she is not." Her smile was now predatory. "She is very much alive."

"What?" Qoren was scared, he knew what that meant. "No, I was told she had died, I grieved for her and my son."

"Oh please, do not bother." Deirys sent Vermithor away and watched as he took fly, he would not go far. "You sold your daughter and son, sent them to a fate worse than death, and once you found out she was still alive and had escaped you sent the faceless man to kill her. I could not allow that to happen, so I faked her death. I knew you would not stop until you thought she was dead."