Chapter 4: Dances with Dragons: A Game of Intrigue and Desire

Jae found Prince Oberyn in the courtyard the next morning, sparring against three knights and making the lot of them look like fools. He observed from a distance for a while, noting the absence of amusement in his expression and finding no trace of the smirk Jae had seen the previous day. Oberyn Martell did not take matters of combat lightly, it seemed.

When the three knights found themselves face-down in the dirt, Jae stepped into the open of the courtyard and, as though feeling his presence, Oberyn turned on his heel.

"Most impressive, Prince Oberyn," Jaehaerys said, his back straight as an arrow with his hands behind his back.

Oberyn made a dismissive sound. "This is naught but child's play, my Prince."

Jaehaerys allowed a small curve of the lips. "I see the stories of your prowess were not exaggerated."

"A rare occurrence indeed," Oberyn replied and eyed Jae up and down. "But it happens."

Jaehaerys could only wonder what they said about him down in Dorne.

"Is there a reason you've decided to visit me, Prince Jaehaerys?" Oberyn asked. Whether he was being rude out of a lack of patience or a desire to test him, Jae did not know.

"I was hoping we could talk, Prince Oberyn."

"Then talk away, my Prince," Oberyn replied.

Ah, so he is testing me. "In private, if you will." Jaehaerys' eyes went to the three knights picking themselves up and Oberyn's squire standing in the shade.

It was then that Princess Arianne appeared in the courtyard, dressed even more promiscuously than the previous day. She wore a yellow silk dress, her fingers covered in golden rings, a tiara holding back her thick curls.

"A Royal request, nuncle," she said. "You dare not refuse. Though I was hoping I could join you for this little talk."

"I have no issue with it," Jae said, glancing at Oberyn to see what he thought. He hoped the Prince would refuse her, but he dared not show it to the man, since it would guarantee the Princess coming along.

Either Oberyn saw right through him, or he genuinely didn't care, for he said, "But of course, you should join us, niece. I have yet to explore the gardens, I do hope they haven't gone to rot since I was here last."

They made their way out of the yard, through an archway, and straight into the Godswood. The Princess had cozied up next to Jae, holding his arm as she leaned against him. She was much shorter, so every time Jae looked down at her, he also enjoyed a prime view of her cleavage.

Jae didn't have much experience with resisting girls. They'd never been very interested in seducing him. After he'd garnered some influence at Court, many young Ladies suddenly desired to get in his bed, but they never tried too hard. His position was similar to Connington's in a way – his position of power might very well come to an abrupt end once Aegon took his throne.

But with the Dornish Princess on his arm, he could very well see himself cracking. He couldn't help but picture the softness of her skin, the taste of her... He blinked rapidly in quick succession, dislodging such thoughts and focusing on the man to his left. The Princess noticed his discomfort and put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Prince Jaehaerys?" Prince Oberyn plucked a flower and examined it.

"I wanted to inquire if you are aware of the situation in these Seven Kingdoms your nephew will one day rule," Jaehaerys said, curious about the Martell's perspective.

"If you are asking if I am aware of the ineptitude of Connington, then yes, my Prince, I am, and so is my nephew," Oberyn said.

Before replying, Jae had to give Arianne a sharp look, raising an eyebrow in reprimand, when she put her hand on his chest as though to feel his muscles. She swiftly pulled her hand back as though burned.

"I see," he said absent-mindedly.

"What is it that you see, my Prince?" Oberyn drawled as they passed the oak weirwood tree that should've symbolized the Royal recognition of the Old Gods. The Targaryens had built the Sept of Baelor to honor the vanity of the Seven, but couldn't even be bothered to plant a proper Weirwood Tree in honor of the Old Gods.

"You think Connington to be of no consequence, yes? King Aegon will simply arrive at King's Landing, undo all his foolish decisions and that will be the end of it. All there'll be left to do is get rid of me and the reign of King Aegon the VI will be secured."

The flicker of surprise on Oberyn's face only confirmed it. They thought they could operate as usual, with the same courtly intrigues and battles for power that have plagued the Crown since Balerion's breath created that damnable chair.

"And what makes you think King Aegon would wish to get rid of his beloved brother?" Prince Oberyn asked. Princess Arianne pulled a face at that. Did she have a problem with Aegon or the superfluous wording?

"A certain song I sang yesterday, for one," Jaehaerys said, eyeing Oberyn through hooded eyes. "You see, unlike our dear Lord Regent, I am not actually stupid enough to ask what you are doing here out loud."

"Which begs the question," Arianne spoke up for the first time, her serious tone at odds with her faux-innocent demeanor. "Why request a private conversation?"

They stopped and turned to Jae together. "My niece raises a good point." 

"A desperate attempt, I suppose," Jaehaerys said. "For you to listen to my words and hopefully heed what I'm trying to tell you."

"And what's that?"

"That if major steps are not made in the way of reunifying this country, King Aegon will not live long enough to have children of his own."

"Is that a threat?" Oberyn asked.

Jae raised his hand. "Peace, my Prince. He won't be the only one. Neither will I, neither will Daenerys and neither will Viserys." He looked him right in the eye. "This country has been through the bloodiest war this continent has seen in generations for what many consider to be a pointless reason."

"Thanks to your Lady Mother." Oberyn started tapping his foot.

"Be that as it may," Jaehaerys said, swallowing a pang of hurt. "Aegon is to be King and he will carry the burden of our father's legacy as much as I will. Those with intent to harm the Royal family will not discriminate in killing the son of Lyanna Stark or Elia Martell. They will be out to kill dragons, and so they will be coming for us both."

"I gather you there is a point to all this?" Oberyn asked.

"You showed your cards yesterday, my Prince. You are an influential man in Dorne. If the Royal Family and the people of Dorne did not perceive me as a threat to begin with, I am sure you made them come around to your way of thinking.

"So I tell you this now; I do not want the Throne, I do not want to be King. And if you do not believe my word, trust the fact that I cannot afford to plot against my brother, for even if I were to be successful, I would not long outlive him. The Royal Family cannot afford to fight an internal battle, we cannot even afford to appear to be fighting one. Outsiders will take advantage of it and pounce."

"Which outsiders would that be?" Arianne asked. "All the realm knows the Dornish stand behind Aegon and the Starks will never move against the Throne while you are the Crown Prince. Arryn is old and feeble and with an incompetent Heir. It seems to me the only threats come from the Lannisters and the Tyrells, both of which can be solved through marriage." She smiled, quite satisfied with her argument. "Besides, the spears of Dorne will throw back anyone who might threaten Aegon."

"A good ruler would never allow it to get that far," Jae snapped back and took a deep breath to steady himself. "And while it is true marriage would solve many issues, the problem is both Houses desire the same marriage – to King Aegon. The family that doesn't get it will be first in line to overthrow him. And you forget about Stannis Baratheon. The man will never start a rebellion on his own, but I doubt he would hesitate to join one if the chance presented itself. The Riverlands are full of hatred for the Targaryens over the Usurper's Rebellion and Jon Arryn, old though he may be, is still a skilled Lord Paramount whose lands have suffered terribly under Connington. It would be in the interest of his people for him to put an end to it."

He looked the Princess right in the eye and said, "Which would leave Stannis Baratheon making sure those spears of Dorne you speak of so proudly can't even get out of the deserts, while King Aegon is left to fend off three Lords Paramount with nothing but the armies of the Crownlands and whichever House he marries into."

"An elaborate plot you weave, my Prince," Oberyn said. "But a great many things would have to go wrong for that to happen."

"Depends on who you ask," Jaehaerys countered, "If I was one of the Lords Paramount, I'd slaughter us all and marry my Heir to Daenerys."

"The Lords Paramount are not as treacherous as you make them seem, my Prince, nor do they court war."

"Are you sure, my Prince?" Jaehaerys asked, "How loyal would you be to the Crown if your own nephew wasn't in line to be the next King?" That drove home his point and drove it hard judging by the way Oberyn's expression turned grim.

Jaehaerys hoped it would be enough.

A sword came rushing at his head and Jae ducked under it, taking a step forth and hitting the man behind the knee. He looked up and deflected the down-swing of the second man and, rolling his wrist, he quickly brought the sword back in the air and slashed downwards, hitting the man on the wrist, forcing the sword from his hand. The third man he could not avoid. Jae leaned to the side so that his shoulder took the blow rather than his head. In a real battle, he would have been lucky to keep his arm.

Ignoring the sting of pain, he launched a flurry of attacks on the third man until he, too, was disarmed and on the ground.

He panted heavily and his body ached all over. They'd been going at it for hours and still he did not want to quit. If there was to be war, he could not depend on Aegon's martial prowess. Jae had to become the best warrior he could be. There would never be any talk of Jaehaerys fighting like the Warrior himself, but with practice, he could reach a level that would at least save him from the peasants wielding pikes and clubs.

"Enough for one day, my Prince," Ser Jaime said from the edge of the courtyard where he'd been watching the fight. "You should stop before you get hurt." Jae took more punishment with each round of fighting as the weariness set in, but then he wanted to see how he fared when his muscles began to burn.

"Afraid of me even me even when I'm exhausted, Ser Jaime?"

Ser Jaime pulled a tourney blade from the rack. "When you're hurting all over before you go to bed, remember you asked for it."

Jae snorted, "As if a puny little lion could land a hit on me."

"I suppose I should be afraid of an over-grown lizard, if only he could breathe fire." Ser Jaime fell into his fighting stance.

Their banter often shocked people, but Jaime's insults only underscored the knight's honesty in Jae's eyes. He twirled his sword and said, "I still have my claws."

"It is a good thing de-clawing men is my specialty," Ser Jaime countered and attacked. The knight liked nothing more than to prove his status as one of the most dangerous men in Westeros.

Jae didn't try to win the fight. His muscles burned with exertion and his legs felt as though he'd attached led weights to his ankles. He kept on the defensive, but he used every trick he knew to keep Ser Jaime on his toes, to make him wonder where the counter-attack would be coming from. It stopped the golden knight from going all out and overwhelming Jae. Minutes went by and Ser Jaime still did not land a hit. Jae felt his frustration grow and so he waited patiently for the mistake, for the opening that would give him a chance at victory.

And then Ser Jaime went for a vicious thrust at his face and Jae found his chance. He jumped diagonally to the right, Ser Jaime's thrust passing harmlessly over his shoulder. But when tried to jump back to the left and finish the knight off with a swing to the head, his weariness showed through and he slipped on the sand. His legs gave out and he crumbled to the floor like a fool.

He could do nothing but lay down on the ground and wait for some strength to return to his legs. He felt the tip of Ser Jaime's sword press to his neck. "Yield?" he asked.

"I yield."

"Told you you've had enough for one day,"

"Luckily for you, or you'd be in dream-land right now," Jae replied. He'd never come so close to victory before.

"True enough." Ser Jaime nodded, a rare show of approval. "A daring move, I like it, though you might end up decapitated if your opponent should expect it."

"You could say that about any move," Jaehaerys grunted as he got back to his feet, doing his best to avoid looking at the faces of all the servants and knights present. No doubt they were all trying not to laugh and doing a poor job of it.

"I'm going to get a bath," Jaehaerys said. "You get some rest as well, I'll see you tomorrow in time for Court."

Jaime nodded and bowed to him, though it was clear he was mocking him. "As you say, my Prince."

Jae rolled his eyes and left, shaking his head in exasperation. He ordered the maids to draw him a bath but they'd gotten so used to it that he found the steaming water waiting for him by the time he reached his chambers.

He stripped off his clothes, soaked with sweat, and lowered himself into the bath, loving the feeling of the scolding hot water on his skin. He slid into the bath up to his neck, rested his head on the edge of it, and allowed his thoughts to wander.

It had been a fortnight since his talk with Prince Oberyn and Princess Arianne and there'd been no movement since. Jaehaerys had observed the situation closely to see if the Prince meant to get rid of any of Jae's allies at Court. Everyone knew that the Commander of the City Watch, Ser Addam Velaryon and the Master of Coin, Lord Florent, were both Jae's allies, appointed thanks to Jae's maneuvering. If Oberyn had wanted to curb Jae's influence, he would have gone out of his way to get rid of them, especially Ser Addam.

So his gambit worked and Prince Oberyn looked to be taking his words of caution seriously. A small victory but an important step forward, because Oberyn could be the conduit between Jae and Aegon, and could be the one who helped make sure his older brother did not view Jae as a threat.

He allowed himself to relax. His eyes became bleary and he slowly drifted to sleep while soaking in that steaming bath.

He woke when he heard the door to his chamber opening and closing. A person approached the bath and he waited until the last moment before his hand lashed out, grabbing a thin arm and pulling the person into the bath, pressing the dagger in his right hand to her throat. Her throat.

Instead of an assassin, he found the Princess of Dorne in his lap, her silky dress so wet it no longer protected her modesty. Her brown eyes were wide with fear, though she quickly schooled her features when he pulled his blade from her throat.

"When the Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms publicly dismisses his only guard for the night, he does not do it by mistake, Princess." He and Ser Jaime had caught their fair share of cutthroats that way. The only reason Arianne got that far was because Ser Jaime allowed her to.

He let go of her arm, expecting her to scamper out of the bath as quickly as she could.

But he forgot who he was dealing with as the Princess grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled herself up. She spread her legs and back down on his lap.

"My, my," she said, "It truly is all tricks and traps with you, isn't it?"

The truth of the situation dawned on him and he pushed her off of him, rising from the bath. He looked to the door. Oberyn would be coming through them at any moment. He didn't even have to fuck the Princess, all they had to do was catch him in a compromised position. A naked Princess in his bathtub definitely counted as one.

 "Calm down, my Prince," she said, making herself comfortable in the bath as she laid on her back. "No one is coming through the door, there is no plot at work."

Jaehaerys remained on guard, but he became far more open to the idea. He pulled a towel from the chair next to the bath and wrapped it around his waist. "I'm sure being so sexually open is a good way to catch nobles left and right off-guard, but you'll have to try harder than that in my case."

"So I see," she said. "I always like a challenge." She stepped out of the bath and walked to him, hips swaying.

"Are you sure you can't relax for the night?"

Jae closed his eyes and sighed. Perhaps he could allow himself this small bit of pleasure.

Hours later, they were laying in his bed, both of them naked as the day they were born. Jaehaerys had long since dismissed all ideas of Oberyn barging into the room, too busy exploring Arianne's body while she did her best to make him forget himself.

He ended up with a cup of wine in his hand, sitting upright in bed, while Arianne laid on her stomach next to him.

"He respects you, you know," she said. Somewhere along the line, their conversation turned to the matters of the Kingdoms. "I think that's why he was so worried for Aegon."

Jaehaerys raised an eyebrow. "And how did I manage to earn the respect of the Red Viper?"

She huffed in amusement. "I forget you grew up in the Red Keep, isolated from the rest of the Kingdoms. You do not know what they say of you."

"That I'm the northern-blooded reason for the war?" he asked and took another sip of wine.

"Some," she confirmed and the expected hurt wasn't there. "Mostly in the Westerlands and the Reach because they're hoping to earn Aegon's favor. The rest sing a different tune."

"It's funny they think they'll earn the King's favor by insulting his brother." The wine he drank made him careless and far too open with his thoughts. He excused his bluntness by telling himself it would only help if he revealed his true self to the Princess, hoping she would take the knowledge back to Oberyn.

She shrugged, unconcerned, and laid on her back. "You've proven yourself formidable, so they all expect Aegon to hate you."

"If I'm so formidable, what are you doing naked in my bed?" Jae asked.

"Helping you enjoy yourself for the first time in your life, most likely," Arianne replied, shooting him a cheeky grin. She was right, too.

Those tits will do that to a man, he told himself. "Be that as it may, you should be returning to your chambers."

The Princess looked at him in mock outrage. "You would have me walk the halls of the Red Keep naked at night." She covered her breast as though horrified by the thought of anyone else seeing them. "Some guardsman might take advantage of me."

"You make it sound as though you're looking forward to it," Jaehaerys replied.

The Princess wasn't joking, though. She got up from the bed in a huff, wrapped a towel around her body, and walked to the door. "I'll have you know, I may act like this for you, but no one else." She opened the door and disappeared through them.

Too tired to think, Jae slid down into his bed and hoped he would be strong enough to resist whatever Arianne would throw at him next.