Sun burn

Breakfast was not as lively as the banquet, many lords have hangovers and would rather gorge themselves on food than talk. As for the younger ones, many are too tired, the trip to the capital and the party last night exhausted them and a night of rest was not enough to recover their energy.

After eating Doran follows his parents to their quarters.

"Today you are going to have lunch with the sons of the Great Houses and the children of Jaehaerys," his mother tells him as she eats some grapes. "Last night you made friends with the Lannisters, Arryn, Stark and Tully. Try to be at least friendly with Aerys and the Baratheon child." She looks at him proudly but winces as she says the last name. Disdain for any stormlander house has spread throughout Dorne, with relations between Dorne and the Stormlands strained since the attempted invasion.

"But you don't have to force yourself, if you don't like them just be polite, and if they annoy you make some excuse to leave." His father's words are accompanied by a wink, Obella hits him in the arm but she agrees with her husband's words.

***

Dressed in an orange doublet he follows a servant girl to the gardens of the Red Keep.

The gardens are beautiful, with all kinds of flowers and various fruit trees. In a gazebo there is a round table with several chairs. Doran recognizes the Targaryen children and the Velaryon heir.

"Prince Doran!" Aerys greets him jovially, "You're the first to arrive, it seems the others are lost." The prince jokes.

"I wouldn't be surprised, Prince Aerys," Doran sits next to Aerys, "These gardens could as well be a maze with how big they are," The others laugh at his joke.

They strike up a superficial conversation, until the Lannisters, Tully, Stark, and Arryn join them in no time and the conversation perks up. They ask him about the desert heat, how they endure it... It's something that many lords have asked him, Doran is bored repeating the same conversation a thousand times but he hides his annoyance and responds politely ("Yes, the days are warm but the nights are very cool so you sleep well", "No, women don't go naked through the streets. Dornishmen are used to the heat and it doesn't affect us so much.",...)

Doran doesn't know where the rumor that women in Dorne go naked because of the heat came from, maybe from some dirty old man, but it irritates him. They're basically saying that Dornish women are shameless, whores.

Aerys is telling them stories about his late uncle.

"- and then uncle Daeron knocked him out with a punch!" Steffon Baratheon applauds loving the batlle story.

Doran doesn't know what to think of the stag boy, Steffon is a cheerful and lively boy but they had some friction since he was the one that mentioned that he had heard Dornish women go naked because of the heat.

***

After lunch some of the children went to the training grounds to show off their swordsmanship.

Doran had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out laughing at the spectacle before him.

Prince Aerys was so swathed in protection gear that he looked as if he had dressed himself in pillows, and Lord Kevan, who was slightly taller than the prince, had trouble keeping his balance in so much gear. They snorted, gasped, and struck at each other with padded wooden swords under the watchful eye of ancient Ser Harren Rykker, the Red Keep's weapons master.

A scream was heard in the courtyard. Kevan had rolled down and was trying to get up without success. With so many protectors he looked like a turtle on the shell. Aerys stood beside him, wooden sword raised, ready to strike again as soon as he was on his feet. Doran noticed that several men, just like him, were holding back their laughter.

No one dares to laugh at a prince openly.

"Ahem," Ser Rykker clears his throat as he helps Kevan to his feet, "Good fight. Loren, Damon, help them take off their protectors."

After it was Steffon and Brynden's turn, the fight was just as hilarious.

Doran for once appreciated his age, being only four years old he hadn't started his martial training yet so he was spared from making a fool of himself in front of the entire Red Keep.

The children congratulated each other on their skill after the combats, and once again Doran had to hold in his laughter.

`Skill? They looked like drunken ducks,` but he also congratulated them for courtesy more than anything.

With each compliment Prince Aerys received he seemed to glow, his chest swelling and he beaming proudly.

`He looks like a peacock`

After the training those who participated went to take a bath before dinner. Doran and Tywin, who did not fight thus they are not covered in sweat, were walking through the gardens when they heard the following:

"-should have died."

"Yes, who wants to live like a cripple?"

"They call him the broken prince!"

The three of them laugh. Doran knows they're talking about his grandfather and clenches his fists. Tywin looks at him warily.

As they move forward they clearly see the three charlatans. They are three children, the youngest seven years old and the oldest nine. The prince sees the Tarbeck, Frey, and Westerling emblems.

The Tarbeck boy is eight years old, the Frey boy 9 years old, and the Westerling boy seven years old.

The three proceed to continue making fun of Arthur, Doran and Tywin listening to them without being seen.

"Who wants to live like that? Worse than a cripple. A grotesque being. I prefer a thousand times a clean death." says the Tarbeck boy.

"Dornish are weird, they prefer to live like monsters."

"Yes, I have seen that the Martell boy made friends like the sons of the cowardly lion." Frey laughs.

`Enough!`

Doran runs in his direction and delivers a flying kick to the Tarbeck boy's groin.