The Red Sun

[Maester Caleotte's journal]

When I sent that letter about the black powder to the grandmaesters, I thought that the prince was really talking nonsense, but I was wrong. Since Prince Morian came back from his one year journey, he had locked himself again, but this time, he locked himself in a workshop that had been given to him by prince Doran, and this time, he is actually building something. Prince Doran had given him a couple of craftsmen and engineers, and he began to work. In the first month, it was quiet, there's no news from the workshop, but after two months, the sounds became loud and clear.

The smallfolk started to protest because of the sound. Thundering booms were heard almost daily, fortunately, the work was done before the smallfolk could revolt. He had shown his work to his brother Doran and Oberyn. I was there, it was a big tube, it was so heavy that two horses had to pull it. Prince Morian had told the name of the weapon, a "Cannon" he called it. Capable of shooting an iron ball that weighs over 26 pounds, with only a friction based trigger to activate it. I was sceptical at first, even his brother Doran was sceptical, but we were all silenced when that 'cannon' destroyed a cliff in one shot.

This weapon could change how sieges work, from six months, if a dozen of this weapon was used, even Winterfell could fall in a few days, not to mention the morale damage it would bring in the fields if their enemies heard the loud thundering booms. I know now that it was a mistake to send that letter to the citadel that the prince was talking nonsense, he was but a child then, now, now I couldn't even tell the citadel about this new discovery.

Prince Morian has specifically warned us, especially me, that if the weapon's knowledge ever leaked, his 'friends' would eliminate me. I tried to send a raven, but that damn hawk attacked it. The prince knew that I tried to send a raven, but fortunately for me, he only gave me a warning.

Eventually, it became quiet again, Prince Oberyn was travelling to Yronwood to secure an iron ore supply so the cannons could be mass produced, prince Doran sent some men to recruit and train men to operate the cannons, but Prince Morian, he locked himself again, this time, Doran sent him a few shipmakers to help him. From the looks of it, he wanted to build a ship that can carry that monstrosity. Gods, if the Dornish had a fleet of those ships, even the Royal Fleet can only hold it.

I'm writing this in hopes that in the future, my journal will be discovered, and the maesters at the citadel will know my point of view, and as a reference of the study of the life of Prince Morian Martell. I might not know how long I will survive. The prince had changed, he became more cautious towards me, I don't know why, but I suspect he knows of our plans. To the maesters reading this in the future, hear me, he might become our greatest ally, or our downfall.

—

[Oberyn's journal]

That cunt of a prince had left, bringing Elia with him to King's Landing, it was empty without her here, I missed her hums and songs, and when I heard that she was attacked by bandits on the way to King's Landing, I almost ride alone towards the capital to kill the bastards who wanted to hurt her, alas, the Kingsguard saved her, and half the peace was restored. But not for long. My brother, Morian, had the courtesy to disturb my passionate nights by blowing up his workshop almost daily, even the smallfolk started to protest. But before it turned into something more, he had called us to his workshop, eager to show his invention.

This 'cannon' was magnificent, my ears were bleeding upon hearing it roar, but still magnificent. My brother Doran was also impressed, and asked if they could mass-produce it. Morian surprisingly said no, he said that with our technology, we could at most make these things once a month if we had the same amount of people working on it like now, and the ammo was expensive as well, as it was made out of cast iron or lead.

My brother still agreed to produce it, he said that he'll find some more workers to work on it, so I rode to Yronwood to discuss continuous supplies of iron ores to Sunspear. Now I do not know why I was sent to Yronwood, as I have a… history with them, but my brother insisted that I should be the one to go there.

Eventually, after two weeks of travelling, I arrived at Yronwood, it was a hassle, I have to convince why we needed the iron without telling them about the cannons, Morian was specifically clear that we aren't ready to show the cannons to the rest of Dorne yet, and Doran agreed, so I obeyed.

After a couple of debates and some passionate nights later, I finally got a deal. I travelled back to Sunspear, and once I arrived, Morian said that the design of the ship that he wanted to make was finished, and so they are building it now, while Doran and I trained some men on using the cannons, and actually making more cannons and the ammunition.

Four months before Elia's wedding, it is finally finished. It was but one ship. Morian called it 'The Red Sun'. the symbol of the Martells are in the sails, like the sun was actually floating on the sea. Morian called the ship type a 'frigate'. It has a flat deck, but there was a cabin under it for the cannons. He said that it is not as fast as a longboat, nor as strong as those Ibbenese Whalers, but it can withstand strong weather, and it can carry many things, including the cannons and its heavy ammunition.

And so he said to me with a grin on his face. "Let's hunt some pirates, brother."