Homecoming

[Elia's Writing]

In the last month of 278 AC, my little brother suddenly arrived at Sunspear, he was with his mysterious companions, and a cart that was full of strange black powder. He was different, he had grown up, he's not the brother that always locked himself in his chamber anymore, no, his arms are full of scars, his skin became darker because of the Dornish sun. I often think about what had happened to him in the Dornish lands, but he didn't want to tell anyone about it.

My mother had asked him what he learned when he was travelling. He just smiled and said, "Many things mother, many things." He continued to hug mother and me, asking about our well-being. I was fine, I was not as sick as mother, so I said I was fine.

Then, mother brought him to her chamber, where he talked to mother. To this day, I don't know what she had said to him, but when they finished talking, Morian brought mother to the courtyard, where he explained what the black powder was. He shot an arrow that has been lit with fire to one of the pots that is full of that black powder. The result was ear-deafening, the pot exploded, and the sound was so loud that you can probably hear it if you're at the Water Gardens. A lot of the servants then gathered at the courtyard, curious about what that sound was.

Mother eventually dismissed them, leaving only me and my brothers in the courtyard. Morian had said something to mother that made her shake her head. He looked sad, but then he went to Doran to talk about something again. I wanted to hear what they talked about, but mother ask me to bring her to the gardens.

—

[Book Entry]

In the last month of 278 AC, prince Morian and his 10 cloaked men arrived at Sunspear, on the shoulder of prince Morian was a black hawk with blue eyes, and the 10 cloaked men were bringing a cart of pots full of black powder.

The Princess of Dorne along with Elia greeted him. His mother wasn't mad that he left the guards, but instead, she asked him, "What did you learn in your travels?".

The prince thought for a while, before answering. "Many things." The princess was certainly amused. She said that she has a lot of time and she proceeded to command the prince to tell his journey across Dorne, and to explain the black powder that he's bringing.

And so the prince was brought to his mother's chamber, and he sat down with her. The princess asked him again, "What did you learn?"

The Princess became thoughtful, and finally, he compiled what he had learned in a sentence. "I learned how to live, I learned how to see, and I learned how to protect." The Princess then asked the boy to elaborate, but the boy surprisingly refused, and he told his mother to rest, as he saw that her body became thinner and thinner by the day. The Princess shook her head and diverted the topic instead, she had asked what is the black powder that he brought with him.

The boy stood up, and he led his mother slowly to a rather open field. He put a pot full of black powder in the middle of the field, and he lit an arrow with fire. He grabbed his bow, and shot the arrow to the pot. Then, once the arrow makes contact to the top of the pot, it explodes, making a loud boom.

He had covered his mother's ears, so her ears would bleed. He then explained what it was, it was the black powder he had talked about years earlier. "Slow burn in open space, but can be rather deadly if put in an enclosed space," he explained. Because of the sound, a lot of the servants and guards gathered around the field. Even Morian's brothers and sister came in to see.

They had asked what it was, so Morian told them again what that was. He had asked his mother to fund him on his research. He said that if used correctly, "Even Dragons wouldn't stand a chance." his mother just shook her head and said. "I am not dealing with Dornish matters anymore, you should go to your brother about it."

When the prince heard it, he smiled sadly, as he knew that his mother was getting weaker and weaker. The prince just nodded and went to his brother. He walked to his now gout ridden brother.

There, he greeted his brother, and proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with him. A couple of servants were there, so they knew what they were talking about.

Prince Morian examined Prince Doran, and he smiled. "You've grown old."

"You've grown taller." Doran refuted. "Last time I saw you, you were my height."

"Last time I saw you, you were still standing." Morian refuted once more. Both of them had a good laugh about their appearances, they hugged each other, as this was the first time they had met since Morian was ten years old. They sat in front of each other, and the servants brought them drinks and food to enjoy. Doran asked about Morian's experiences while he was travelling. Morian just chuckled. "I've met some good people, met some bad people, and I can't even count the times I was almost dead."

Doran hummed at his brother's words."Dornish lands are unforgiving sometimes."

Both of them shared a comfortable silence after that. Morian looked at his mother, who was sitting in front of the gardens, enjoying her peace.

"How is mother?" Morian questioned.

Doran sighed. "She's getting weaker and weaker everyday," said Doran sadly. "It feels like it's almost time for her rest."

Morian hummed weakly. "Do you hate me brother?" questioned Morian once again. "I did that to her."

Doran just scoffed. "You are but a babe, it is not your fault. I expected the worst, but fortunately, it didn't come."

"How about Elia? How is she?"

"She's fine." Doran nodded. "Mother mentioned that she had struck a deal with someone, next month, her betrothed will come to Sunspear."

Morian frowned once he heard that. "Do you know who it is?"

"Mother didn't say." answered Doran. "She said if she told us, we would've humiliated the groom-to-be once again."

Morian laughed at Doran's answer. "On that, she was right." Morian then continued, this time, asking about Doran.

"How are you though brother? I've heard you've been busy when I was fostered, you have a daughter now."

Doran chuckled at Morian's question. "Oh yes, Arianne, a handful one she is."

"How old is she now? And Where is she?"

"She saw her 3rd name days so far." answered Doran. "She's at the Water Gardens with her caretaker, she loves to play there."

Morian hummed. "Where is Oberyn by the way?"

"I am here." said the Red Viper, suddenly appearing and sitting with his two brothers. He took a grape from the table and ate it. "What a strange thing that black powder is, deadly if used correctly."

Morian shrugged. "That's what I said to mother."

"How do you know how to make it?" questioned Oberyn.

"You remember those parchments in my chamber?"

"Yes, it's still there. Is it one of your 'fictional-inventions'?" Oberyn rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's not fictional anymore is it?" Morian scoffed.

"So? You're going to ask Doran to mass produce it?" Oberyn finally asked the question. Doran was also looking forward to the answer.

Morian just chuckled at the question. "No, not yet at least." answered Morian. "There's still work to be done. I need something else."

"Speak of what you want then brother," said Doran. "I will think about it."

"Then I want Ghaston Grey."

Doran and Oberyn instantly frowned when he heard their brother's words. "Did I hear that correctly? You want Ghaston Grey?"

"I don't want to stay there. I want what's inside of it. The Prisoners."

"What for?"

"You see brothers, science is about experimenting." said Morian innocently. "And I need an experimental subject."

"You want to torture the prisoners inside it?" Doran questioned with a frown in his face.

"Not torture, experiment."

"And what would you want to experiment on?"

"You know I have those parchments brother, you know some of those ideas need to be tested. And I will need those prisoners for that."

Doran was now tapping the table, thinking about it. "You know mother wouldn't agree to this right?"

"But I've been told that you're the ruler now."

Doran sighed. "You need mother's permission first, then I'll give you Ghaston Grey."

Morian hummed. "Very well, I'll talk to her later, for now, I want to hear your journey with Elia Oberyn."

The atmosphere relaxed a bit, and Oberyn proceeded to tell his story. He said that he never found Elia so excited, she was sickly since she was a child and never left Sunspear, so this journey was the most exciting thing in her life yet. Oberyn said that he fended off every man that mother offered her. The only man that came close to his criteria was Baelor Hightower. Oberyn said that Elia was fond of him, but he made a mistake of farting in front of him, and ever since that day, Oberyn called him 'Baelor Breakwind'. The Three brothers then continued to talk until the sun set. They had a good talk, and a good laugh, which was enough for prince Morian, as he had truly missed his home.