Red Sands III

(Rhaegon's POV)

[Two Days Later...]

"Ser Rhaegon." A Martell soldier walked up to me, "Obara is here." 

I was sitting down on a stone, Morghul behind me as I was drinking water from a leather canteen, "Good." I said, "Send her over. This heat is obnoxious, I don't know how you lot do it." 

He gave me a slight smirk, "You spent most of your time in the shade at Sunspear, didn't you?" 

I nodded, "That, I did." I said as Morghul let out a rumble, "Stay alert. We don't know where the Dragons are." 

"Our defenses may have deterred them from laying full-on assaults." He said as he looked up to the sky, "Which is good." 

"Yes, it is." I said

"Rhaegon!" I looked over to see Obara walking up to me, holding her spear in her hand, "Have you heard? My Father is missing!" 

I raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? No wonder I didn't hear from him." I said, "I expected him to be leading some of the forces. I was too busy fending off hordes in the south, sorry if I had not gone to check on him." 

I stood up as she approached, she planted her spear on the ground and pulled me in for a hug. 

"I missed you." She said as she wrapped her arms around me, "Two days of constant riding and occasionally fighting the horse-savages..." 

"You've engaged them in combat?" I asked

"Mhm." She said as she pressed tightly against me, "I feared something happened to you...." 

I raised an eyebrow, "Me?" I said, "No, I won't go down against them." 

She looked up at me, "We need to find my Father." She said with a frown, "Please." 

I nodded, "Right, don't worry about it." I said as I patted her cheek, "We will do something about it." 

After two days of constant fighting, I ended up joining a major encampment north of The Scourge, aiding several forces in fending off the Hordes. Considering that they were taken by surprise, the Dornish took some heavy losses at first. But once they got their bearings, they put a beating into the Dothraki, forcing them to retreat like nothing. This was Dorne and not any army can easily traverse it without losing a lot of men. 

The arid temperatures, the ridiculous terrain, and the way these Dornish fought. It's a wonder how the Young Dragon was able to conquer it. He must have been something else, Daeron I. 

And considering that not even Aegon I and his sister-queens were able to conquer it, I am not that surprised that two dragons have not been able to put a major dent into it. They need to add support to their Dothraki forces in order to get major wins but the Scorpion arsenal they have, they have been able to push them away. I find it difficult to believe that any of those dragonriders will so easily risk their dragons getting pierced by the bolts. It was a lucky shot that brought down Meraxes and killed Rhaenys The Conqueror. 

"I am worried about the others." Obara said, "Leaving them must not have been a good idea." 

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, "Bring them here?" 

"I don't know." She said as she pulled away, "This is a time of war. Their place is by our Father. By your side." 

"I don't trust anyone else but you to keep my wife safe." I said with a frown, "You know that." 

"Yes, but it still does not take away from the fact that we need to fight alongside our Father, you know that." She said with a serious expression

"Where is your cousin?" I asked, "Is she being escorted back to Sunspear by House Dayne? What was the man's name? Gerold?" 

"He calls himself Darkstar, what a stupid name." She said

"Darkstar? Alright then, what a strange man." I said as I looked up to the sky and saw the scorching sun, "Nothing dark about this place." 

"Ser Rhaegon!" I heard someone call

I looked to my side to see another Martell soldier walk up to me, "We just received word." He said, "Our scouts spotted a large Dothraki encampment near the Vaith, where the massive black dragon was." 

"Is that so?" I said, "Is there any prisoners there? So I can go and burn it down to the ground, possibly take that dragon down." 

"Are you sure? Is Morghul used to dragon combat?" Obara asked

"No. But we will not lose." I said as I grabbed Fury, which was leaning on the rock

"There is a couple of prisoners from what we know." The Martell said, "We cannot identify them." 

"Well, I suppose I'll go and liberate them then." I said as I turned around, "Obara, stay here." 

"No, I'm coming with you." She said

"No." I said 

I felt her grab my hand, "I am coming with you, Rhaegon!" 

I stopped and looked at her, "You-" 

"I am a warrior, Rhaegon!" She said with a serious scowl, "I need you to stop treating me like some sort of maiden that needs protecting. I am not weak enough to be protected by you!" 

I pulled my hand away, "I am not going to lose you." I said seriously, "You hear me? The last thing I want is to look at your father and tell her that I lost her daughter in action." 

"If I die protecting my country, then my Father will be proud." Obara said proudly, "He will not hold resentment towards you, knowing that I fought valiantly and fiercely as I should. I am Oberyn's daughter, not some common man's. My place is in the battlefield." 

I grabbed her hand and raised it up, "Your place is by my side." I said seriously before kissing it, "And I am serious." 

"If my place is by your side, then let me come with you." She said, "You are a warrior, we are warriors. Please....." 

I looked at Morghul, who was already straightened up, looking straight at me with his golden eyes. He was ready for battle, he has been the entire time we have been in Dorne. He knew, deep down, that we are not here for leisure, that we are here to fight in a war. He can feel my feelings, that one, that I am anxious about this entire thing, to fight in a serious conflict that had been a long time coming. 

I sighed, "Fine..." I said as I patted Obara's cheek, "If you die...if something happens to you...I will never forgive you....." 

She smiled, "If you die, I will not forgive you." 

I chuckled, "Luckily for the both of us." I said, 

"I won't die." 

***********

(Third Person POV)

[King's Landing]

"Your Grace, Dorne is currently being attacked by the Great Khalassar led by a Khal Daegon." Varys said as they gathered in the Small Council Room, "It has been nearly a week since the sudden invasion, the Dornish have managed to muster a counter-attack and they have begun the defensive." 

Tywin leaned on the table, "Dorne has been able to resist even Aegon I's dragons, they won't fall so easily." He said as he looked at Rhaegar who sat on his seat, "And with Rhaegon there, they are sure to succeed in either forcing the Dothraki to retreat or completely obliterate them." 

Rhaegar nodded as he was tapping his finger on the table, "It's not Dorne that worries me...." He said, "How is the situation in the North?" 

"Lord Stark has sent a raven." Varys said, "The Ironborn had begun their assault nearly the same time as the Dothraki. An unknown force is accompanying them, thousands of soldiers clad in black armor." 

"The Unsullied?" Rhaegar asked

"No, Your Grace." Varys shook his head, "The Unsullied have been spotted in Essos prior to this, the timing doesn't seem appropriate." 

Rhaegar sighed, "I cannot believe this." 

"We must stay strong." Tywin said, "An attack on both fronts....this is meant to confuse us. To think that House Greyjoy would betray us this way." 

"It's Euron and Victarion. They must have usurped Balon's seat by murdering him." Rhaegar said, "I knew that the death seemed suspicious....." 

"What should we do?" Varys asked, "Lord Robert has rallied a fleet to go and aid Lord Stark from the east. It should take him a couple of days to reach the North and even more to join the fighting. Stony Shore and Sea Dragon Point were the main targets of the Ironborn's invasion." 

Rhaegar was tapping his finger quite rapidly, looking down, almost as in deep thought. 

"Where is Myrcella? She was left unattended in Summerhall?" He asked, "Rhaegon quickly left to Dorne without sending a message." 

"Prince Viserys brought Myrcella to King's Landing." Varys said, "He then took to the skies and began to fly south to Dorne, to aid Rhaegon. He said he had a bad feeling about everything. Princess Shaena has also decided to fly to King's Landing, Your Grace. She had left Lord Renly in command of Storm's End." 

Rhaegar stopped his tapping, "The North...." He said under his breath

"Your Grace...?" Tywin said

"Varys...." Rhaegar said, "Why would the Ironborn attack the North so carelessly? They know they have been crushed by Ned in the past. It is not a sea battle, they don't have an advantage. Two dragons were spotted in Dorne...aiding the Dothraki...." 

Tywin widened his eyes, "You don't mean...." 

Rhaegar stood up, "Fucking hells...." He said, 

"They have a dragon with them as well!"