Chapter 119 – Forgiveness

[300 AC]

It was some time after Phenex had dismissed Kevan and instructed one of his Feathers to take the man to meet his son, grandniece, and grandnephew, so that he could tell them about Phenex' arrangements, that Arianne stepped into his solar.

Approaching him with a small smile, the Dornish beauty stole herself a kiss, before she addressed him: "Should I tell my brother the good news, or has the former Hand of the King unexpectantly chosen to pay for his integrity with his life?"

Grabbing his lover by her waist and pulling her into his lap softly, Phenex replied while leaving a small kiss on her neck: "Kevan Lannister is a smart and competent man, though he lacks the cunning of his elder brother. He took the chance I gave him and I do not expect him to try any kind of subterfuge."

Leaning deeper into his embrace and sighing in comfort, Arianne remarked: "Mhhm … You are probably right. Though even if he did, it wouldn't change anything."

"No, it wouldn't.", Phenex agreed, while taking a moment to rest his thoughts with his wife by his side.

Roughly an hour later, just as his Dornish lover had fallen asleep on his chest and he himself was likewise resting, while softly rubbing over Arianne's back and side, Phenex noticed the female leader of his personal guard approach.

Opening the door to his study with his magic, before Mera had the chance to knock and wake up Arianne with the noise, Phenex welcomed her inside.

Quick-witted as she was, the Feather noticed the sleeping Princess in the arms of her Lord and reported in an intentionally soft voice: "Obara and her uncle have returned, my Lord. Should I lead them in?"

Pausing for a moment, the female leader of his personal guard continued with a pointed look at the sleeping beauty: "Though I could arrange for it to be postponed, if you wish, my Lord."

"No, it's alright.", Phenex replied, taking his duty as a ruler as serious as he always did, not to mention that he had asked Mera to inform him of Oberyn's return as soon as possible.

Taking hold of Arianne with his hands and magic, Phenex brought them to the quarters of his Naathi lover.

Missandei looked up from her book in slight surprise at his sudden appearance, the fully-grown shadowcat by her feet doing the same, as it stared lazily at Phenex.

"Phenex.", the golden-eyed beauty greeted with a lovely smile.

Settling Arianne down on the bed to the side and pulling a blanket over her feminine curves to keep her warm, Phenex stepped up to the armchair Missandei was sitting in, before crouching low beside her and taking her lithe hand in his.

Leaving a kiss in her palm, he explained quietly: "I have something to take care of and didn't want her to wake up alone."

A tender look in her eyes, Missandei whispered: "I will keep her company."

"Thank you, my love.", Phenex replied, moving in and capturing Missandei's lips for a soft kiss, before straightening up once again and leaving behind a loving smile, as he vanished from her quarters once again.

…

"Oberyn, Obara, welcome back.", Phenex greeted, as the father-daughter pair stepped into his solar together.

"My Lord.", Obara greeted with a smile and a light bow, while Oberyn was a lot less formal.

"Thank god, you have taken care of the smell in the city, Phenex, or I am afraid I could not have forced myself to step into the capital!", the Dornish Prince remarked with a smile, as he unceremoniously took a seat in one of the two empty armchairs, that stood before the desk the Red God was sitting behind.

Phenex didn't mind this though, as Oberyn, despite his casual attitude, held a fierce loyalty towards him that rivaled even those of his Feathers and priests.

This wasn't too surprising, as the promiscuous Prince had finally taken revenge for what had been done to his sister by killing Tywin and the Mountain with his own spear. Elia and her children may have been revived by him, but that didn't meant that Oberyn's resentment and hate for what had been done to his sister had vanished.

Elia was his older sister by a year and due to her frail nature, Oberyn had been incredibly protective of her in their younger years, which led to her occupying a special place in the Prince's heart. The void her death had left behind had nearly driven him mad with anger and resentment, and even her subsequent revival had not managed to completely quell these emotions.

Phenex knew all that, so he finally had allowed the man to enact his revenge on the Old Lion and his pet knight, even though he knew that he could have most likely gotten Tywin Lannister to swear allegiance to the Red Temple.

In the grand scheme of things though too many people held enmity with House Lannister. It wasn't only House Martell, but also House Stark and House Baratheon, as Eddard Stark's and Robert Baratheon's demise had been caused by the Lannisters. Not to mention the numerous smaller Houses from the North, the Riverlands, and the Crownlands that stood in opposition to the Lords of Casterly Rock.

Tywin's and his children's death would pacify a lot of these great and minor nobles, which would make ruling them harmoniously much easier.

"Well, it will take some time until King's Landing's sewage system can compare to Volantis' or the Lys', so magic is the only way to remove the stench and filth for the time being.", Phenex replied, lamenting the short-sightedness of those that had planned and built this city.

As a capital for the Seven Kingdoms, its infrastructure left much to be desired from an architectural standpoint and it would take years and millions of gold dragons to rectify this problem.

"But enough about that. I have something else I need you both to do.", he announced, which caused the young Feather to straighten herself up in her seat, while Oberyn also sported a more serious expression.

"What do you need us to do, Phenex?", the Dornish Prince asked directly.

"You will take the warriors you brought with you and escort Kevan Lannister back to Casterly Rock.", Phenex stated, "Once there you will help him quell any unrests or rebellions that are sure to emerge as a result of House Lannister's allegiance to the temple. In short, I want you to help the new Lord of Casterly Rock to subdue the Westerlands for the Red Temple."

A surprised look appearing on his face, followed by a frown, Oberyn questioned with slight disbelief: "You want me to go and help a Lannister?"

"Yes.", Phenex stated calmly, "Now that you have had your revenge, I expect you to lay down your resentment for House Lannister, Oberyn. Take this task as a chance to finally make peace with what happened nearly twenty years ago."

"Elia is alive, her children are alive, and those that did them harm are no more. You took their lives with your own hands. It is time to move on, Oberyn."

A complicated look appeared in the Dornish Prince's eyes, while Obara looked at her father with worry and dim hope.

While growing up she had been a witness to her father's restlessness and hidden sorrow from time to time and knew that he still found it hard to let go of this grudge even now. Obara knew that he blamed himself for what had happened to her aunt, as he hadn't been there to protect her.

This perceived failure of his had haunted him for the last twenty years and the young Feather fully approved of Phenex' attempt to help her father finally find peace with it.

Sighing audibly, the Dornish Prince replied in a low voice: "I will do as you command, my Lord."

Before rising from his seat and bowing lightly as he left the solar, needing some time to himself to gather his thoughts.

Phenex released a sigh of his own as he watched Oberyn walk out of his study, while Obara had a concerned look in her eyes.

"He will be alright, won't he?", the young Feather asked the Ruler of the Blessed Lands, worry obvious in her tone.

"Forgiving others is easy, little flower.", Phenex replied, "Forgiving yourself, is not."