In Stepstones, Oberyn Dryland was suddenly awakened for he heard a scream from across the beach.
"The Dornish army!" the voice screamed. "Their fleet-" And the voice was cut off.
Oberyn jumped off his bed and ran toward his small window that viewed the sea... But he saw no seawater, only a massive fleet of Dornish ships surrounding Stepstones...
His soldiers across the beach were fighting with the Dornish soldiers, and hundreds of burning arrows were being shot from the Dornish fleet upon the beach, killing Oberyn's men.
"Fuck..." Oberyn whispered to himself.
Suddenly he heard someone barge inside of his chamber. It was one of his soldiers, holding his slit open throat with his own hands. Oberyn rushed toward the man and held him by his shoulders, and held his head up so he wouldn't bleed as much... and so the soldier could tell him what the hell was going on their beach.
"My king–" The man choked on his own blood. "The Dornish... A Scorpion... is with them..." And with that, the guard died in Obryn's arms.
A Scorpion?! Oberyn thought to himself as he felt fear crawling across his body in the shape of a shiver. Scorpions are the most elite and brutal assassins that only serve the Prince or Princess of Dorne... Oberyn thought to himself bitterly. Princess Deria and her council want me to die a slow death...
Oberyn grabbed the soldier's sword and stood up. Oberyn opened his chamber door and began running toward where he could hear his men yelling and the sound of clashing swords was at its height.
He found his men engaged in a hallway with a few Dornish soldiers, whom they killed easily, but then Oberyn and his men heard light yet strong footsteps from the end of the hallway.
At the end of the hallway, a woman dressed in black, adorned with a cloak that seemed to blend seamlessly with the darkness, moved with the grace of a predatory cat. Her face was concealed by a fearsome scorpion mask, its pincers menacingly framing her cold and calculating brown eyes. She clutched a gleaming spear in her hands, its deadly point glinting in the candlelights.
As she approached the first group of Oberyn guards, they sensed something amiss, but it was too late. With a swift and fluid motion, she lunged forward, her spear piercing through the air like a viper striking its prey. The first guard fell silently, a gasp escaping his lips as he crumpled to the ground, not believing that his throat was slit... as if he had not noticed the blade.
The woman moved with astonishing speed, her acrobatic prowess allowing her to leap and twirl through the shadows. She dispatched the guards with a lethal combination of strikes and spins, her movements so fluid that it seemed as though the darkness itself had come alive to claim its victims.
The alarm echoed through the fortress as the woman continued her deadly dance. Soldiers rushed towards her, weapons drawn, but she moved with such agility that their attacks met only air. The scorpion-masked assassin twisted and turned, her spear a blur as it parried and struck with deadly precision.
One by one, the guards and soldiers of the King of Stepstones fell before her, their cries silenced by the merciless dance of death. The courtyard was stained with the blood of those who had dared to stand in her way while she was making her way through their stone-made stronghold... all by herself.
As the last opponent crumpled to the ground, the assassin stood amidst the chaos, her scorpion mask betraying no emotion... And her cold brown eyes met Oberyn's, as he watched his men's lifeless bodies.
Obryn looked at the woman with dread and anger in his eyes. "So our whore of a princess sent a Scorpion to end me. I believe she did not want me to slay half of her army before dying of boredom." Obryn raised his sword and pointed at the Scorpion.
"You may kill half, or even the whole of our army all by yourself, Oberyn Dryland. But you will not be remembered as a fierce warrior... Only as a treacherous coward who betrayed his own people for the promises of a dragon prince who has abandoned you." The Scorpion spoke with her cold and sharp voice.
"I'll die as a man who ended the madness of a child-lover pirate king and his pet monster. I should have killed that disgusting child-lover myself." Oberyn spoke coldly. "I lived as a free man and a king for the past eleven years. My mind is clear and my soul is content... But you? You are nothing more than a pet, Scorpion. A weapon aimed at the wrong man."
"I care not how you lived, only how you die." Scorpion answered coldly and began running toward Oberyn. "You will die a slow death, treacherous dog."
The Scorpion moved with feline grace, her acrobatic maneuvers defying the expectations of the spectators. She spun and twirled, the spear an extension of her fluid movements. Oberyn, though skilled, found himself momentarily entranced by her hypnotic dance.
Their blades met in a flurry of strikes, each combatant testing the other's skill. The Scorpion's spear sliced through the air with deadly accuracy, forcing Oberyn to dance nimbly to avoid the lethal thrusts.
Oberyn, determined not to be outmaneuvered, launched a rapid series of attacks. His sword danced like a serpent, but the Scorpion proved elusive. She somersaulted backward, narrowly avoiding Oberyn's strikes. In a swift counter, she lunged forward, her spear finding its mark. Oberyn parried with skill, but the Scorpion's movements were too unpredictable.
Suddenly with a swift move, the scorpion cut Obryn across his belly.
Obryn grabbed his belly and he pressed his teeth together as he fell to one knee, holding his sword with one hand and with one hand holding his belly.
"Did you really believe you could best me, traitor?" The scorpion spoke with her cold and emotionless voice. "If you only knew the thing the council has asked me to do to you..."
"Fuck... you... and fuck that council of fat cunts..." Oberyn spoke as he suddenly reached for his own head, placed one hand on top of his head and the other on his own chin... ready to snap his own neck, so he wouldn't suffer the torture that it was dreamed for him. "... I will die on my own terms."
"You fucking cow–" The scorpion yelled, but it was too late. With a quick move, Oberyn Dryland snapped his own neck, and his lifeless body fell to the ground.
_________
Olyvar Fowler walked toward the Scorpion, with a troop of Dornish soldiers by his side. He could see Oberyn Dryland's lifeless body by her feet.
"After Eleven years, Stepstones is ours again." Olyvar Fowler spoke and smiled and looked at the lifeless body of the Pirate King of Stepstones. "Princess wanted him alive, Scorpion."
"The bastard killed himself before I could stop him." Scorpion spoke with her cold and sharp voice.
"Such a shame." Olyvar Fowler spoke with mockery as he closed his eyes as if he was deeply wounded by Oberyn Dryland's death, as he lowered himself to inspect Oberyn's pale and lifeless body. "He was one of the finest swordsmen that had ever lived... Only if his loyalty was as thick as his sword."
Olyar Fowler stood up and looked at the Scorpion. "Good work on cleaning the castle as we killed every single one of those traitors on the beach. You've done well. You can go home, back to Dorne." Olyvar told the Scorpion. "We will not need your services in what will come next."
The Scorpion nodded and walked away and left Olyvar Fowler with the fort of Stepstones filled with Dornish soldiers and Oberyn's lifeless body.
"Throw his corpse in the sea. Let the sharks feast on the bones of the once-legendary Oberyn Dryland... Last of his ancient house." Olyvar told a group of soldiers, which they obeyed and picked Oberyn's lifeless body and took it away.
"Stepstones is ours, friends!" Olyvar Fowler spoke loud to his soldiers with his usual uneasy smile on his lips. "Now we must be on our way toward Storm lands, and lay siege on Storm's End." Olyvar Fowler spoke with a smile.
"I believe the former Hand of the late king would be more than glad to receive us."
___________________________________
Viserys walked inside of his own chamber door. His bed warmer from the night prior, Androw Norcross, was still asleep in his bed, still as bare as he was last night, as his short dark brown hair covered some of the pillows.
Viserys closed the door and spoke. "Don't you believe you must return to your duties, Ser Androw?" Viserys spoke softly and seductively as he crawled on top of the bed.
"Come to me, my Prince." Androw spoke teasingly as he turned over and pushed some of the blankets off himself, offering his well-defined body to the second-born son of King Aenys.
Viserys chuckled as he reached Ser Androw. Viserys pressed his lips to Androw's lips, and pressed his lean but yet slender body to Andorw's muscular body.
Ser Androw was sent to the court from Reach nearly a month ago, but as he had arrived, he had caught Viserys's attention and captured his desire. For Viserys saw another man for himself to conquer, but yet Ser Androw was quite different. He was a man covered by mystery, and Viserys could not help himself but be intrigued by such a man.
Androw wrapped his arm around Viserys's hip as the two deepened their kiss, and with his free hand tore the buttons on Viserys's shirt, as he picked Viserys up and pinned his back to the bed.
Viserys wrapped his legs around Androw's waist, pulling him closer to himself. But Viserys could feel, that Andorw was searching for something around the bed with his free hand... As if something was hidden underneath... the blanket?
Viserys began to feel an uneasy feeling in his chest.
Androw softly broke their kiss and raised his body from the top of Viserys... And suddenly he pulled out a dagger from beneath the blanket, which was placed there earlier, and with a fast hand move, he brought down his hand.
But Viserys quickly grabbed the hand that Andorw held his dagger with and held Androw's hand and dagger from breaking his chest open. What the fuck?! Viserys thought to himself.
Viserys could see Androw's face, as he was pressing his teeth together, trying to bring the dagger down to Viserys's throat, piercing his throat as the result.
As Viserys felt his arms tiring, with his knee he hit Androw's testicles, which made Androw twitch his face in pain, and as his face twitched in pain, Viserys head bumped him and pushed him off himself, and got on top of Androw and began punching him in the face.
As one of his knuckles landed in Androw's eyesocket, Androw screamed in pain and dropped his dagger to the bed. Viserys immediately grabbed the dagger and shoved it deep into the left side of Androw's throat.
Viserys looked into Androw's eyes as Androw's body began to soften due to loss of blood. Andorw reached for Viserys's throat, trying to choke him with the little strength he had left.
"Soon... your house... will be... nothing... more than ashes." Androw muttered with his last words as he held his wounded throat. "You filthy... silver-haired abominations... Your end... is near..." And with that, Androw's body went cold.
Viserys pulled the dagger out of Androw's throat and yelled.
"Guards!"
_________
The news of the attempt on the King's second-born son in his own chamber devoured the Red Keep like Dragon flames.
Viserys walked inside of the small council chamber. Even from a distance, he could hear the heated argument, but yet the words were unclear.
In the small council chamber, his father, King Aenys sat at the head of the table with a petrified and sickly look on his face. His uncle, Maegor was sitting on the chair of the Hand of the King, Grand Maester Gawen's face was impatient, and his grandfather, Aethan Velaryon's face was reddened with anger as he was standing up.
Upon entering the small council chamber, Aenys stood up and ran to Viserys and embraced him tightly. "My son! Are you well?! Are you harmed?!" Aenys asked worriedly as he pulled away and grabbed Viserys's face, looking for any harm on his face.
"I am well, Father. I promise." Viserys spoke calmly. Only my trust and my heart are broken... Viserys added in his thoughts with a heavy heart.
After a few heartbeats, the small council once more fell into a heated argument.
"Well they cannot stay in the Red Keep now can they?! The King gets poisoned in his own keep! The second son of the King nearly gets killed in his own bed chamber by one of our own knights! Red Keep is no longer safe!" Viserys's grandfather, Aethan Velaryon spoke loud to the council. "I ask for the immediate removal of the twins, Princess Rhaella and Princess Aerea from the Keep!"
"I intend to agree with Lord Aethan, my King." Maegor spoke as he stood up and looked at Aenys's lilac eyes with his deep violet eyes. "Send the girls somewhere far from the Red Keep. Somewhere safe."
"Send them to Lord Orys in the Storm's End." Viserys spoke, and the council fell silent.
After moments of silence Maegor spoke. "Storm's End will soon be under siege, nephew. Dorne launched a full attack on Stepstones and took it back within one night. The reports declare they are moving toward Storm's End now."
Viserys's felt his back freeze. Truly... nowhere is safe any longer... Viserys thought to himself.
"Nowhere is safe, my King! The only solution is to calm the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, by sending the crown prince and princess on the royal progress as soon as possible!" Grand Maester Gawen spoke quickly and sharply. "My King. The sooner the young crown prince and princess receive the blessing of the Seven from High Septon himself, the sooner we could ensure content returning to the seven kingdoms. And let the twin princesses stay in the Red Keep with a dozen trustworthy knights by their side."
"That is not what I can-" Aethan Velaryon never managed to finish his sentence, for King Aenys spoke.
"I agree. I care not how much of the work is done, I want Aegon and Rhaena to be on their way toward Oldtown within a week." Aenys spoke calmly and turned his face toward Viserys. "My beloved boy, you will be by your nieces's side as their shield. Stand by Aerea and Rhaella. Will you do it?"
Viserys nodded and spoke calmly. "Yes, my King. I will protect my nieces with mine own life. No harm shall come to them. You have my word."
Viserys saw Maegor's lips twitch, knowing his uncle was determined that twins to be as far away as possible from the Red Keep, but yet Maegor spoke coldly and calmly.
"I'll have Ser Gawen Corbray to be by the twins." Maegor spoke. "Will you not, old friend?"
Ser Gawen Corbray stood forward and looked at Maegor and spoke. "It will be my honour to protect the princesses, Lord Hand." Ser Gawen Corbray spoke and looked at Viserys. "I'll be honoured to be by your side, Prince Viserys."
"The honour is all mine to stand by a living legend such as you, Ser Gawen." Viserys spoke calmly.
"So what shall we do about Dorne?!" Aethan Velaryon asked angrily. "Shall we send out fleet to Storm's End and our royal army?"
"No. I will mount Balerion and I will fly to Storm's End as soon as Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena are off on their royal progress. Our army will remain in Kingsladning. Where our family is." Maegor spoke coldly, as his feast clenched. "Princess Deria's army will know horror when I rain fire upon them."
King Aenys began coughing... Coughing blood. The proof that poison was still in his veins. He wiped his mouth and looked at his younger brother worried. "But I need you in the Red Keep, brother! I do not wish for you to risk your own life!
"No, Aenys. I will be the only one who will go. Whatever men our uncle Orys has in the Storm's End will be enough with the power of Balerion." Maegor spoke coldly but after a few seconds, he added calmly. "Do not worry. My mother will remain here, by your side and the side of your family. So will Ser Gawen Corbray."
"Then it is decided then." King Aenys spoke softly, and the rest of the council nodded.
"Within a week Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena will be on their way to Oldtown." Maegor spoke coldly. "And Dorne will cry blood when they remember the day they dared to set their foot in our kingdoms."