"I have heard the tension in the Northwest is escalating, Princess," Ser Roderick said as he ate like he had no intention of stopping anytime soon.
Princess Dareya swirled her wine lazily. "We're returning from a coastal settlement, so I cannot say for certain. But it is nothing new. The Tyrells have always been a nuisance."
Ser Roderick gave a short laugh. "Aye, they do. As if Dorne were only a stretch of sand they neglected to claim properly."
"If that is so," Princess Dareya said calmly, "my father, Prince Nolan, will ensure they are reminded of their place. Around the throat, should he be in a poor mood."
That finally got Thaddues to look up. He'd been eating in peace, perfectly content to stay out of Dornish politics until he heard an unfamiliar name.
"Prince Nolan?"
Princess Dareya glanced at him. "My father. Lord Peverell, current ruler of House Martell. Nolan Martell."
Thaddues paused.
"Oh… then is Qoren Martell your uncle?" he asked.
Princess Dareya let out a small amused breath.
Ser Roderick answered instead, wiping his hands. "Lord Peverell, Qoren Martell is the third prince of House Martell. The princess's younger brother."
That made Thaddues stop.
Third prince.
Not ruler.
Not even close.
That didn't line up with what he thought he knew.
In his memory, Qoren Martell had always been associated with events far later—closer to the Dance of the Dragons, around 129–131 AC. He had therefore assumed Qoren was already the ruling Lord of House Martell.
A mistake, it seemed.
His eyes shifted to Princess Dareya again. The second Princess of Dorne.
"Who's the heir then, Princess?" he asked directly this time.
Princess Dareya smiled like it was obvious.
"I am. Which is why I truly thanked you for saving my life. You have no idea how much my safety matters to my house."
Thaddues gave a faint smile, though his thoughts had already drifted.
House Martell did not care much for the rigid rules of the rest of Westeros. A daughter could inherit just as easily as a son, and no one here acted as if that were strange.
But a rescued second princess now stood as heir. He had not just saved a life—he had changed history as he remembered it. Not by intent, but it was already done.
He could only hope the butterfly effect would not stray too far from the future he once knew.
A while later, Princesa Dareya tilted her head toward Ser Roderick.
"So why are you going to Sunspear?" she asked.
Ser Roderick exhaled through his nose. "I'm escaping marriage."
That got a slow, knowing look from her. "Escaping? In Dorne? That's ambitious."
"I prefer strategic withdrawal," he said.
"In Dorne," Princess Dareya replied, "we call that running with dignity."
"I have dignity," Roderick muttered. "I'm just using it efficiently."
Princess Dareya smirked into her wine. "Lady Rossa must be very persuasive."
"She is," he said grimly. "She's decided I'm to be 'honorably tied' to another house."
"Ah," Princess Dareya said, leaning back. "Nothing says love like being traded before breakfast."
Roderick groaned. "It's not love. It's punishment dressed up as tradition."
"Is she that bad?" Thaddeus asked.
Ser Roderick hesitated.
"…I've seen the girl," he said carefully.
Princess Dareya lifted a brow. "And?"
Ser Roderick sighed like a man recalling a battlefield. "She's… large."
Thaddues blinked. "Large how?"
Roderick gestured vaguely, as if size alone had wounded him. "The kind of large that makes chairs nervous when she enters the room."
Princess Dareya studied him. "That sounds exaggerated."
"It's not," he said quickly. "I watched a bench give up on life."
A pause.
Thaddues tilted his head. "Would you still refuse if she wasn't… large?"
Ser Roderick stared at him for a long moment.
Thaddues didn't wait for an answered. He knew, this Dayne is a scumbag.
The journey stretched on for two weeks before they finally reached Sunspear.
Three carriages moved together under guard. Enough presence that most bandits in Dorne decided the desert was suddenly a very bad place to be ambitious.
The road itself had been simple in the way Dorne often was—harsh sun, endless sand, long stretches of silence broken only by wheels and wind.
When they finally reached the city, it didn't announce itself.
It just appeared.
Sunspear rose from the coast like it had been there forever and simply decided to become visible again. Pale stone buildings, sun-washed towers, shaded walkways, and banners that hung more out of habit than ceremony. The sea sat just beyond it, bright and sharp against the heat, like a reminder that Dorne ended somewhere even if it didn't feel like it did.
Inside, everything moved slower. Not lazy—just deliberate. Like rushing was something other places did out of anxiety.
At the gate, the group finally began to split.
Princess Dareya and the youngest princess would return to the palace quarters within Sunspear. Followed by Ser Roderick.
Before they parted, Princeas Dareya turned to him.
There was no hesitation in her expression—only calm courtesy, measured and sincere.
"You're welcome in the palace," she said.
Thaddues gave a slight nod. "I'll settle in the city first."he said as he stepped out the carriage.
"As you wish," she replied gently, without offense or pressure. "Sunspear can be overwhelming to those unfamiliar with it. It may be best to begin slowly."
A brief pause followed—comfortable rather than tense.
Then she added, "I will speak with my father. You will be sent a proper invitation once it is arranged."
"I appreciate that," Thaddues said.
Her gaze softened slightly, acknowledging the reply.
"Until then, if you require anything within the city, you may ask for assistance in my name," she said. "It will be seen to."
"That's generous of you," he said.
"It is only proper," Dareya answered simply, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
A household guard closed the carriage door for her, the soft click breaking the stillness.
Princess Dareya inclined her head at the window, her gaze briefly finding Thaddeus outside.
"May your time in Sunspear be steady," she said.
"And yours," Thaddues replied.
Then the carriage moved on, swallowed by the winding streets of the city.
Thaddues watched it go a moment longer than necessary.
When it disappeared, he turned away.
TBC
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