Stephen Baratheon POV
"Oberyn will not be pleased." Prince Doran said as he started the game by moving his Rabble. A Cyvasse piece that was the equivalent of a Pawn piece in chess. Though he didn't know why they didn't simply call it Levy or Smallfolk as that's essentially what it was.
"By the fact that I took two of his daughters under my service for the next seven years?" He asked as he moved his own Rabble forward.
"Yes." Doran said as he brought out his Trebuchets and his Hyper Intelligent mind began to make calculations and what kind of movements it could make and which moves will be the best to counter it. His Multi tasking skill activated and one part of his brain continued to focus on the game while the other part focused on the talk. "Oberyn has always placed great emphasis on freedom. He won't take it well when he learns about his daughter's forced servitude."
He tilted his head as he sent his Light Horse forward. "First of all, the girls signed those contracts of their free will, so it can hardly be considered forced servitude. And second, if you're worried about the girls, then don't be. I have no intention of harming them."
"Words are winds." Doran said as he took out his Heavy Horse to counter his Light Horse. "When Oberyn returns from Essos, he'll come to visit his daughters. Be prepared for that visit."
He rolled his eyes at that. "If you're trying to intimidate me by talking about your brother then save your breath. Unlike many others in Dorne and the rest of the seven Kingdoms, Oberyn has never intimidated me."
"Then you're a rare man indeed." Doran said as he moved another one of his Rabble forward to give his other pieces more space to move around, a tactic that he followed. "Though I would still implore you not to harm any of his daughters. Oberyn is a vengeful man and won't sit idly if you hurt his daughters."
"Is that so?" He asked, feeling amused. "What about your daughter? What would you do if I hurt her?"
Doran raised an eyebrow as he took out one of his Elephants. "You're an intelligent man Prince Stephen. I do not believe that you'll harm my daughter. Not when you're under Guests Right. And not unless it benefits you greatly."
"Maybe the Lannisters paid me to get rid of House Martell." He suggested.
Doran remained composed at his words ands spoke. "I do not believe that you're aligned with House Lannister."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Because you've maintained your distance from the Queen ever since the Battle of Kings Landing. Moreover, I've heard rumours about the Queen trying to sabotage your business and properties in Kings Landing."
"And you put a lot of stock on these rumours?"
"If the rumours come from the lips of the right man."
"Like the men you sent to Dragonstone?" He asked as he took out a dozen copper rings from his pocket and placed it in front of Prince Doran.
The man froze as soon as the rings were produced, then slumped slightly before meeting his gaze. "I did wonder why all of them went silent at once." Doran said with words that held a barely concealed anger.
"I must admit, they were skilled infiltrators and spies," he remarked. "If I hadn't already been suspicious of Petyr Baelish, the Queen, and House Tyrell sending spies to Dragonstone, I might not have caught them," he added.
Doran nodded as he took the rings and studied them more closely, a sigh escaping his lips as he found the Martell mark within them. "Did they die quickly at least?"
He remained silent for a long moment before he said a single word. "No."
Doran closed his eyes. "They were good men and women. I hope that they'll find some peace in the afterlife."
"Afterlife seems like the only peaceful place these days." He said and they fell into silence as they made their moves in the Cyvasse Board.
This continued for a while until he spoke up once again. "Did you put her up to it?"
"Hm?" Doran asked, looking at him questioningly.
"Arianne. Did you ask her to seduce me, or was it her own idea?"
Doran looked down and the board and remained silent for a long moment. He thought that Doran was simply going to ignore this question when the man finally spoke up. "I told her that a union between House Martell and House Baratheon of Dragonstone would be very beneficial to all parties."
"All parties?" He asked, feeling amused. "I believe that a few of them would beg to differ."
"Are you one of those parties?"
"Maybe I am."
"Then prey tell, which house would bring you better benefit than House Martell."
"House Tyrell."
Doran stared at him. "House Tyrell is indeed more powerful than House Martell. But the King would never allow a union between you and Margaery Tyrell. Robert might be uninterested in ruling but he's not stupid by any means. And even if he were so inclined to let this happen, Lord Jon Arryn and the Lannisters would be heavily opposed to it. By marrying into House Tyrell, you'll make powerful ally but also gain many powerful enemies."
"Your words hold some merits. But you seem to be under the false assumption that I won't gain the same enemies if I marry Arianne."
"Oh, House Lannister will still be opposed to you, there is no doubt about that. Our houses have a blood debt between us. One that won't wipe away anytime soon. But Lord Arryn would be more than happy to allow this marriage, if only to bring Dorne back into the fold. And I don't see why the King would oppose this marriage either."
"You make a good case but it still doesn't change the fact that Dorne would only provide me with 20,000 spears at best." He said, "Or the fact that Dorne is at the extreme end of the Continent. An army from Dorne would have to go through the Reach and the Stormlands to even reach the Crownlands."
"You father has a Fleet." Doran pointed out. "And you're building a Fleet of your own. A Fleet that can take a large number of men from Done and land them at the gates of Kings Landing. You've done it once before, and I have no doubt that you're more than capable of doing it again."
"Aye. But if this is really the best you can offer, then why would I not go for House Stark?" He asked. "House Stark can gather a larger army for me. And they're allied to House Arryn and House Tully."
"Their alliance with House Tully is more of a drawback than a benefit." Doran said. "And House Stark is even further away from the crown than House Martell, not to mention that they take a far longer time to gather their levies. But most importantly, Dorne has a better economy than the North, something that you're no doubt well aware of."
"Dorne indeed does have a better economy. A good part of it due to their great relation and close proximity with the Three Daughters." He admitted. "But North produces a far greater number of raw resources. Leather, Wood, Wool, Coal, Iron, Snow, etc. I'm more interested in those raw resources than I am in your spices, dry fruits, and wine. Besides, the Starks have one very important thing that House Martell lacks."
Doran raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"
"Loyalty. House Stark is loyal to their own. If I marry one of their daughter, then I'll be well assured of their support. But I can't say the same for House Martell."
"You think that House Martell will not support you in your bid for the Iron Throne?"
"House Martell has a long history of treachery. Most recently, you only sent 10,000 spears to support Prince Rhaegar in Robert's Rebellion. Had you sent more who knows how the Battle of the Ruby Ford would've ended." He said with a shrug. "With allies like House Stark, I can be rest assured and sleep well at night. But with allies like you, I'll always have to watch my back for the eventual backstab."
"You have a rather low opinion of House Martell." Doran said, his words calm and collected even though Shaper told him that the man was getting rather annoyed on the inside.
"I do," he affirmed, "even at this moment when you're attempting to sell me Arianne Martell to me, despite the fact that you've already betrothal her to Prince Viserys." He observed intently as the man's body stiffened in his chair. He smiled. "Remember that agreement in Braavos, negotiated by Ser Darry and Prince Oberyn, and witnessed by the Sealord of Braavos? Don't tell me it has already slipped your mind."
Prince Doran slowly looked up and gave a sardonic smile. "You have a very active imagination Prince Stephen. "
"Really, is that the best you can do? That I have an active imagination?" He asked and then looked at Areo Hotah. "Not going to have your guard try and silence me? I would even give him one free shot at me, without retaliation. How about it?"
"That will not be necessary." Doran said. "It seems like you've possessed this information for a while. And if you've refrained from disclosing it to His Grace, then you must have your own motives. Additionally, betrothals are frequently dissolved. Or if you're really uninterested in Arianne, then our houses can still form an alliance in some other manner. I see no reason why House Martell can't support House Baratheon of Dragonstone in its pursuits."
"Wise words." He said with a sarcastic smile. "I don't see why House Baratheon of Dragonstone can't ally with House Martell either. Not like Viserys would ever want to sit in the Iron Throne. Or that Dorne will not use a war like that to its own advantage."
Doran hummed at that. "If you are so wary of House Martell, then you can still accept the betrothal offer. If Arianne marries you, then House Martell will support you whoeheartedly."
"Would it?" He asked, giving the man a skeptical look.
Doran nodded. "You have a Fleet, and are a capable army commander. And if rumours are to be believed, then you're capable of defeating an entire army yourself." Doran brought forward his Dragon inside the range of his Catapults, basically sacrificing it to him. "Viserys Targaryen has a name. But name alone does not ensure victory in a war."
He smiled as he ignored Doran's offering of his Dragon piece and moved his own Dragon toward his Light Horses instead. "A good offer. But an offer like this is the main reason why I don't trust you Doran. You're too quick to discard your allies when they're no longer useful to you. Can you imagine how Robert's Rebellion would've turned out, if he had allies like you instead of the Starks and Arryns?"
Doran frowned at his words but didn't rise to take the bait. "House Martell needs to make sacrifices to attain its goals."
"You say that while you sacrifice your allies, instead of something that actually belongs to you." He pointed out as he finally got a better understanding of the game and started going on the offensive. "Tell me, did you ever had any intentions of actually supporting the Targaryens?"
Doran remained silent for a moment as he studied the board and then he made his move, throwing his Rabble into the slaughter. "The future is uncertain. Anything could happen."
"Like Viserys suddenly gaining the support of the Golden Company?" He asked. "Or were you perhaps waiting for Daenerys to hatch a couple of dragons for their cause."
Doran gave him a strange look at those words. "The last time House Targaryen tried to hatch dragons their house almost came to an end. The dragons have been gone for over 160 years, so hoping for someone to hatch them is a folly. But if Viserys truly desires the Iron Throne, then gaining support of the Golden Company is the bare minimum of what he would have to do."
He acknowledged with a nod. "Indeed. As formidable as the Golden Company may be, they alone are insufficient to secure the Iron Throne. History has demonstrated this on numerous occasions. Therefore, they require additional support here in Westeros. And what better support than having an entire kingdom where they can anchor their ships, join up with a new army, and initiate their attack?"
Doran remained silent at his words, staring intently at the game so he continued speaking.
"But even if you combine the Golden Company with the Dornish troops, it would still not be enough to secure the Iron Throne," he noted. "You require more than that. You need the other kingdoms to already be divied, fighting amongst themselves, and weakening each other until victory is assured. Only then will you move. Most men would not be so patient. But you… patience is your strongest virtue, isn't it, Doran Martell?"
Doran remained silent. He was good at that. Remaining silent so that his enemies would continue talking and reveal more information to him. Not that he minded revealing this particular piece of information.
"Your daughter sucks at seduction." He revealed and Doran paused while making his move before he continued. "She tries too hard. Tyene was much better at it."
"Is that why you sent my daughter away?" Doran asked and he shrugged.
"I didn't want you to force me into a marriage due to this incident." He said and then chuckled. "I wonder how Viserys would feel if he learns that you sent his betrothed to warm the bed of one of his enemies. Is this another one of these sacrifices you need to make? Do you even care about your own daughter at this point, or is she just a pawn for you to use however you wish."
"My children are precious to me." Doran said and he smiled.
"Precious, you say. Yet you've alienated your daughter, sent away your son Quentyn, and left your younges son, Trystane, without a mother." He remarked with a chuckle, shaking his head. "My father, Stannis, is a better father than you Doran. And I'm saying this when I only see him once or twice in an entire year. Is the uncertain future really so precious to you that you would piss away your present in its pursuit?"
Doran looked thoughtful at his words before he went back to playing the game. "If you're quite done mocking my skills as a father. Then I would like to move on to the main reason why I called you here."
He moved his Elephant to the side and took out one of his Trebuchets. Losing his Elephant in the process to his Catapults, but giving more free range to his own Dragon. "And what reason would that be?" He asked, even though he had a good idea of what it was.
"Rumours about your miraculous blessings have spread throughout Westeros. Blessings that can heal any wounds, cure any disease or infection, and regrow lost limbs." Prince Doran said. "Yet, you've only given your blessings to House Penrose and House Tarth in your entire voyage. Houses that you've signed rather lucrative trade deals with."
He nodded. "House Penrose offered to supply me with a regular shipment of wood for the next 20 years. And Lord Tarth promised me something… even more valuable."
"Something even more valuable?" Doran asked, looking at him curiously but it was his turn to remain silent.
Doran stared at him for a long moment, searching for answers in his demeanour, but he found nothing and accepted his defeat with a calm nod. "I do not know what could be more valuable than a regular shipment of wood, especially since Tarth is said to be a rather barren Island but your secrets are yours Prince Stephen. Though it makes me wonder, what sort of deal would I have to sign to get these blessings for me and my people?"
"How about the rest of the Sand sisters?" he inquired, not particularly interested in the girls at the moment but rather curious about how Doran would respond to the proposal.
Doran stared at him for a long moment before he shook his head. "I will not sell my nieces for a trade deal."
"Not even if I offer to bless every single person in Sunspear?" He asked and was surprised when Doran immediately shook his head.
"Not even then." Doran said firmly.
And while a part of he admired Doran for not selling his nieces for his own benefit, another part of him wondered if Doran's answer would remain unchanged if Oberyn were to die in an accident
He smiled and raised his hands in surrender. "I was joking. Tyene, Sarella and Asha are already more than I can deal with. I do not want more women in my life right now."
"Then what do you want?" Prince Doran asked and he smiled, showing his teeth in a shark like grin.
"I'm glad you asked." He said as he took out a parchment from his pocket and put it in front of Doran. "Here are my 'requests' in exchange for my blessing."
Doran took the parchment and started reading it, his eyes getting wider and wider the more he read until there was a visible veins throbbing in his forehead as Doran put down the parchment and glared at him.
"This is preposterous." Doran said.
"Is it? I would like to think that it's a fairly lucrative deal that'll benefit all of us."
Doran waved the parchment in front of his face, some of his anger leaking through. "It is indeed a lucrative deal for us, except for the part where you gain a complete monopoly of some of the most lucrative products and raw materials produced by Dorne," he said. "Not to mention the part where all Dornish ships would be 'required' to dock in Dragonstone when passing through that area. Or the part where your merchants would be exempt from paying any trade tax to Dorne. Should I go on?"
"And I assume you overlooked the part where I pledged to pay a fair price for all your products, the part where I offered free docking and discounted repairs for your ships, or the part where I stated that I would eliminate any trade taxes for products sold to Dornish merchants. Shall I continue?" He asked.
Doran shook his head. "I read all that. And on paper, the deal seems fair enough. But this gives you too much power over Dorne. Not to mention all the gold you'll earn from such a deal."
"Power that you can taken away if I break the terms of the contract." He pointed out. "And Dragonstone will not be the only one benefitting from this deal. Dorne will also reap significant benefits."
Doran shook his head again. "No. This deal is too heavily skewed in your favour. If you want me to sign it then you need to make some changes and additions in it."
"On the contrary, I would argue that I'm already being quite generous with the terms of this contract." He said with a cold face even though he was inwardly smiling. "Or shall I bring to mind certain issues I encountered during my short stay in Sunspear?"
Whether Doran knew this or not, they had already reached the negotiation part of the contract. And with how his high Negotiation and other supporting skills were, the fact that the negotiation would end up in his favour was a foregone conclusion. Not to mention the attempt on his life which has really put Doran on the backfoot.
Not that the contract would harm Dorne in any way. It would benefit them, really. But he won't provide them with as many benefits as Doran seems interested in getting.
"I want to buy a portion of the ships that you'll eventually produce in your new shipyards." Doran said as he put down the parchment on the table. "In discount, of course."
"That's impossible." He scoffed and they dove into the negotiations.
…
It took over an entire hour of negotiations before both of them settled into an arrangement which wasn't that different from the one that he wanted Doran to sign anyway.
Doran was good at negotiation, but he was not a master at it. And he has been playing against Masters for over 2 years by this point.
Doran's gazed at him with a hint of reluctant respect as he signed the parchment while he did the same for himself.
"I'll have a servant make copies of this contract." Doran said as he put the parchment away and went back to focusing on the game once again. He moved his Spearmen to take out his Rabble as he spoke. "You're really good at this. I can see how Dragonstone has prospered so much under your leadership."
"Flattering me will not get you anywhere." He said as he made his own moves.
Doran was really good at Cyvasse. But Doran had an Intelligence of 13, which, while impressive when compared to other humans, paled in comparison to his own Intelligence of 102.
The gap in intelligence between them was greater than that between a child and an adult man.
Had he been completely unfamiliar with the game, then Doran may have had a slight possibility of winning it. However, his extensive knowledge of chess, coupled with his ability to simulate hundreds of scenarios in his mind, his aptitude for multitasking, and his other complementary skills have, made it next to impossible for Doran to win this game.
"That was not my intention." Doran said as he sacrificed his Rabble to protect his Heavy Horse for two more turns. "Though I would like to know when you intend to hold your end of this deal."
"This evening. At the Sept of Sunspear."
"You want to make this a public event?" Doran asked as he lost the last of his elephant to his Spearman.
"Yes. Healing only the Prince of Dorne would not look good for me. Doing so would make people think that I'm an evil capitalist that only gives his blessings when it benefits him. It's better for my reputation to heal everyone instead of just the Prince." He said as he manoeuvred his pieces around Doran's crumbling defence. "Bring in all the sick children, the crippled army veterans, and the decrepit old. It'll take time, but I'll bless all of them."
"I'll spread the word." Doran said and then tapped his fingers as his Heavy Horse took out Doran's Catapult and put his King in check.
"Death in two moves." He said and Doran stared at the game for a long moment before he stared up at him.
"Was this really your first time playing the Cyvasse?" Doran asked.
He nodded.
"You're a scary man, Prince Stephen." Doran said as he bowed his head in defeat and started removing the pieces from the board.
As soon as Doran did that, he gained multiple notification screens in front of him.
He gained 1 stat to Int for learning Cyvasse. 1 bonus stat for winning his first game of Cyvasse. 1 more for winning against a Master of Cyvasse.
A total of 3 Int points that took his Int stat from 102 to 105.
Noice!
"Then let's hope that we do not become enemies in the future, Prince Doran." He said as he put his pieces to the side as well and got up from his seat. "This meeting has proved to be rather fruitful. I'll see you this evening in the Sept of Sunspear, Prince Doran."
Doran nodded at his words and he turned and left the Water Gardens.