From Dorne without hatred

While he had not been raised to be a sycophant of the Baratheon family, Josmyn Martell held no great hatred for them. Well, no great hatred compared to that he had for the Lannisters. In particular, he could not bring himself to hate Stannis Baratheon, who had been shunned from his family, for all intents and purposes simply because of his personality. While it was not exactly sympathy Josmyn felt for him as Stannis had still remained a Lord of Dragonstone, instead of being banished to the Wall, of all the various kings that were seeking to lay claim to the Seven Kingdoms, Stannis was the one he respected the most. Martell would never bow to any of them, no, but for now, he needed an ally outside of Dorne that would not seek to bring them back into the fold. Perhaps Lord, no, King Stannis could be made to see reason, at least on a temporary basis.

To King Stannis Baratheon, first of his name, King of The Andals, and the First Men Lord of the Six Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm,

As you have no doubt noticed, Dorne no longer recognizes the rule of the Iron Throne. It has become perverted by the Lannisters and so we have withdrawn our alliance with them and any who would seek to rule us that are not of Dornish blood. However, you are a noble man and one that has always done your duty. For this, I write you to offer our assistance on the condition that when you win the Iron Throne, Dorne will be left alone. We do not wish for additional territory. We do not seek rewards, save for the chance to see those that have wronged us put to death and the ability to rule ourselves again, as we have done until the last century.

For our assistance, we request the heads of Ser Gregor Clegane and Lord Tywin Lannister for their crimes against our family. In addition to this, once you are enthroned on the Iron Throne, you will not seek to bring Dorne back under your rule. You will recognize the rule of House Martell as Princes of all Dorne as sovereign leaders in their own right.

After these assurances and promises have been given, Dorne is prepared to offer fifty thousand knights, men-at-arms, and soldiers in addition to our war fleet to help put a leader on the Iron Throne that understands Dorne bows to no one. We aid you on our own terms and we will never be your vassals or bannermen.

If you choose not to accept this generous offer, King Stannis, you will not receive any help from anyone Dornish man or woman. You will break your army upon our spears when you come to rejoin us to your kingdom. Know that you are the only man that we have extended this offer to. We have no interest in either your brother or the Lannister creature that sits on the throne that you so seek. Indeed, King Joffrey has already been informed that we will lift no finger to help him keep his throne.
The choice is yours, King Stannis. I pray you choose well.

Signed,
Prince Josmyn Nymeros Martell, Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear.

As soon as he was finished, the salty Dornishman set the letter aside to let the ink dry. He'd stated his piece and made a strong case for allying with Dorne. The rest would rely on King Stannis. Once the ink was dry, Josmyn folded the letter and sealed it with wax and the Martell signet ring before handing it off to his Maester with a nod. It would be dispatched before the sun had set. All that would remain would be for King Stannis to reply.

WC:634

The uneasy silence that hovered inside the war room located within Dragonstone Keep was only disturbed by the coarse sound of its lord gritting his teeth heavily and incessantly. He read a missive that he'd received from Dorne over and over, with a frown darkening his face like an unyielding storm. Before him was the large tactical map he had created; on either side, Melisandre, the Red Priestess, and Ser Davos Seaworth, his most trusted advisor, tensely observed their King's mood, the former smuggler making a point out of avoiding the foreign woman's gaze all the while. Eventually, Stannis got to his feet, flinging the message on the table with a gesture of disgust. "Look what the bastard whelp deigns fit to tell me!" he snarled, as Melisandre went through the parchment herself and then gave it to the Onion Knight, who squinted at the written words and began following them slowly with the tip of a finger, having started to learn how to read a while before.

"Your Grace, the power of Dorne would aid us greatly..." or so the follower of R'hllor began telling him, before their leader brusquely interrupted her.

"Dorne will either bend the knee or fall, just like everyone else!" he replied, moving away from the table and showing his advisors his back. His jaws were clenched and so were his fists; surely they didn't expect him to just stand there and accept his kingdom to be fragmented for the sake of the whim of some uplifted bastard who was taking advantage of the state of turmoil they were in to make demands that none would even have considered when Westeros stood united.

"Your Grace, no king on the Iron Throne has afforded to pacify those lands, not even the Targaryens with their dragons," added Ser Davos, whom had earned his seat by his sovereign's side by telling him the sort of truths that none else dared speak of, at least not in front of him. The angry grimace he could see on Stannis' face, however, as he turned to look at him, suggested that even he might have crossed the line there, but Melisandre stood and approached him placatingly, as was her subtle way of persuading her Azor Ahai when his iron will clouded his better judgement. "Let us seek council from the Lord of Light, my King," she mellifluously offered, gently guiding him toward the fireplace and crouching before it. No words had to be spoken next, as they both saw something - a vision of victory, perhaps? - for a few fleeting heartbeats, but it was enough to put a strange, ruminating expression on the mug of the eldest surviving Baratheon. "Get out, both of you," he ordered, his voice slightly softer than before, as he returned to his seat and retrieved quill and parchment.


To Prince Josmyn Nymeros Martell, Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear,


Dorne is wise to distance themselves from the abomination that sits the Iron Throne. Your decisions in this matter shall not be forgotten.

The Lannisters are to be blamed for putting the kingdom in a state of turmoil and Lord Tywin will be dealt with accordingly; with his remains you may do what you will. Ser Gregor Clegane has done nought to slight my kin, but we remember his ill deeds and we will offer you both his life and his head to claim should he be captured alive.

We thank you for your offer in troops. Should we come to an agreement, they will keep their officers, but they will answer to me and I will treat them like mine own, neither putting them under greater risk nor protecting them more.

Understand that, if there is aid to be had, we both require it. Not even Dorne may stand alone against Lannister, Greyjoy and Baratheon. Even if they could, none of us wishes to reign over a crippled realm.

After the war is over, I ask that you do not isolate yourselves. I would have a voice from your land to be heard in my council, if you agree to do the same, and we will aid you against those who threaten your borders if you will do the same when we require it. Trade relations need also be maintained. There are greater threats on this world than the armies of man and we will stand against them together or we may not stand at all. Thus, it will fall on the both of us to reinforce the Night's Watch to the best of our abilities.

Finally, as a boon, I ask that the four priests of R'hllor now bound for your borders be granted safe conduct within your borders. If they do anything to threaten or undermine your rule, and only then, they are yours to punish as Dornish law requires.

Do so and I will grant the independence of Dorne, with House Martell as its rightful rulers, once the Iron Throne is returned to me. On this you have my word, under the all-seeing eye of the Lord of Light.


Done in the sight of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, by the hand of Stannis Baratheon, First of his Name


Deciding to go without beating his chest about all the titles he rightfully held, since the runt seemed to know them fairly well already, Stannis blew over the fresh ink and went through what he'd written a few times. It was bad enough that he couldn't just hang Martell for the deserter that he was, since he did truly have need of him, but he still had duties toward the Watch and a greater debt to pay than the rest of Westeros; it was only fitting that some of his resources went to aid the ones he'd abandoned. As for himself, Melisandre had already explained something about the nature of the Others and the god of frost that had made them. Even if he was what she claimed he was, he didn't fancy his chances if the damned things made it past the Wall. Stannis had never been one who knew how to make friends, but he had done his earnest to obtain his first ally - one who didn't fancy the Iron Throne, at least. With such thoughts in mind, he closed the letter, poured wax and sealed it with his royal sigil, summoning Maester Pylos so he could send it on its way.

When the raven returned from Dragonstone, Josmyn was not surprised in the least to see that the self-styled King Stannis had made a few demands of his own. Indeed, it seemed that that was all kings were good for: making demands. The note about the forces answering to Stannis stuck in his craw. He was not offering Stannis men as a bannerman would, nor would he accept the position on the Small council. Indeed, that was too alike to what Joffrey Baratheon had offered him. The Martell prince had meant that the Dornish would fight as allies to Stannis, in Josmyn's name, not as part of the Stag King's army. That point would not do in the least. Still, if this what what was needed to ensure that Dorne kept its independence, Josmyn supposed it would not do well to belabor the point. Still, he would make a mention of it in his next correspondence. After all, while Stannis was a king, Josmyn was a prince in his own right and a Martell prince at that.

As he reread the letter, a response began to formulate as his eyes held on the line about the Night's Watch. Josmyn was certainly going to do his best to reinforce those that he had left behind. While he was grateful to be away from the cold, there were friends he'd been forced to leave behind, such as Jon Snow. It rankled him that he'd had to leave his fellow bastard on the Wall but the young man's obsession with honor had sealed his fate. At least he'd been able to spare the teenager's life. He did not hold any grudges against the Night's Watch and he remembered well the dead men who had risen again. However, he would only ever send men to the Wall that wished to go. Dornish prisoners would no longer be sentenced to the Wall. None would ever have to suffer the cold exile that he had.

King Stannis,

While some of your words have merit, there are others that I do not agree with. The Dornish army will serve in my name, attacking the Reach and the Westerlands, drawing the ire of those that control those areas.When the time comes, we will secede any lands that have fallen under our control to you and return to Dorne. We seek no additional land, only freedom from an arrangement that has only brought pain and suffering to my people.

As for your request that we do not isolate ourselves, I can agree to have an ambassador periodically come to King's Landing but I will go no further than that. To do so would put our independence at risk of being destabilized by virtue of being forced into a conflicted because a Dornish noble was injured in some bit of in fighting within your lands. All our membership in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros has ever brought the Dornish people is injury and suffering. We fare better when we are left to our own devices. This is not a slight to you, merely what history has taught us. We will of course be willing to continue trade with the Iron Throne as we also maintain trade with those on Essos.

Any man seeking to join the Night's Watch will be allowed to do so but we will not contribute by sending criminals or other malcontents to the Wall nor will others be exiled to that cold expanse. However, I do remember the threat beyond the Wall that I saw with my own eyes. I will reinforce the Wall as I am able.

Your priests of R'hollor will be tolerated and not harmed, though I have no love for them. Answer me this, King Stannis, why have you sent them to our borders? What purpose does this serve? Have you now become a missionary? No matter, your four priests will meet with no harm from me and mine.

Signed,
Josmyn Nymeros Martell

There was every possibility that Stannis would reject his terms but it would be highly unlikely that he would drop everything and make a path straight to Dorne. All knew that even the dragon-riding Targaryens had not been able to pacify and conquer Dorne. To try and do so in the middle of a war when he would have to make his way through the hostile territory of both the Crownlands and the Reach ensured that even if the offer was rejected and all ties cut, Dorne would be safe from retribution. At least until the war was over and the Iron Throne had been won and the army was weary from battle. Then, Josmyn did fancy his odds.

WC:779
Total:1413

Pylos came with a new message from Dorne as soon as he had discovered it, if his rushed breathing meant anything. "Sit, wait for something to send the accursed whelp," Stannis commanded, with a rather weary tone of voice, not even having broken his fast yet; he had never been one to eat or drink much, but he had risen that morning without the faintest trace of hunger. The young maester's huffing was soon drowned out by the sound of his lord and sovereign gritting his teeth as soon as he tore the seal open and began reading; he didn't even know whether that which they were doing was a negotiation, much less how to proceed and still gain what he'd been seemingly offered. The Martells had Targaryen blood and they had grown less and less fond of the other six kingdoms over time, that much he knew, just as he knew that he was not a man fit for honeyed words that could sweeten their proud ears enough to make them see reason. Renly would have been better suited for a task like that, but the treasonous little pest had refused to bend the knee, leaving with only the Tyrells and their host for his trouble.

Nevertheless, his baby brother wasn't among his pressing concerns at that point. Abruptly standing up with an uneasy look about him, Stannis broke wind like a thunderclap, feeling his innards growing calmer after having done so. It was the work of the spices Melisandre had offered for his dinner, no doubt, telling him that they would kindle a fire in his soul. They had kindled something well enough, of that there was no doubt, and Pylos very nearly guffawed at his predicament, but the glare he received from his King did short work of any trace of amusement he may have felt. True, he was certain that his advisor wasn't one for jesting, much unlike the only other Red Priest he knew, Thoros of Myr, who was Robert's comrade with sword and tankard alike. Be that as it may, he was going to remember that gift of hers and be more wary in the future. He always remembered - much as he was going to remember the high price he was being asked for support, as well as a few rather insolent words from that Josmyn. It was with such thoughts in mind that he put quill to parchment once more.



Prince Martell,


These are not petty things that we would have of one another, it is true. It is also true that our strikes must needs be coordinated and our plans known in advance, at the least, if we wish to gain victories that last; I mean to bleed this realm no more than is needed to take our true foes down. Even better would be to have an officer with leave to speak for you, if you can spare such a man, and I will confer with him for every decision involving your troops. Mine own as well, if you require it.


The exchange of ambassadors and the continuing of trade will do.


You are right to say that, of all Great Houses, yours have suffered the most under the Iron Throne. We both know the histories. The history Stannis knew, for example, spoke of how the Martells kept their vaunted neutrality during the rebellion and both sides had reason to speak against them due to it, especially the Targaryens, but the grisly deeds done against their blood and bannermen could well have been punishment enough. He decided to say nothing about being slighted or not - deception wasn't his way, but meaningful silence might well have been.


I may not be able to speak to you of Dornish law and custom, but I can speak of the needs of a garrison. If you cannot send many bodies, I shall see to it that they get them from the other parts of Westeros, but there are other things that they should use come winter. Food and arms can be used by any. Coin as well, be they not under siege. Should you tell me where they lack the most, we could see that they have it. We take from our own to give to them, but even they would do better with fewer supplies rather than as wights of the Great Other - and so would we.


These priests are not my creatures to dispatch; only one is mine, of her own choice, and she is with me. They are not of Westeros, but once the Seven were not either and now most in our lands pray to them. As for myself, I am a man who would lead his realm with justice. It is not just that those who would call themselves holy own riches, cow the populace and hold sway over kings, lords and courts while their gods do nought and they who deserve such more go without: that is my truth. Look upon these men, hear their words, then decide about yours. When this war is over, we will still have the threat beyond the Wall to face and I know no better weapon to hold against it.


Done in the sight of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, by the hand of Stannis Baratheon, First of his Name


With that, he gave the letter to the maester to roll up and pour wax on, affixing his royal seal to it and sending the young man on his way. If Josmyn Martell did not see reason, there was little else he could do about it, but he would only accept the alliance if both his remaining requests were met to the slightest of his satisfaction. With the Dornishmen bolstering his troops and the North coming against the Lannisters, he expected to be able to take King's Landing and march on the remainder of the abomination's forces until all bent the knee or gave their life. Then Martell could have his independence, but Stannis would see to it that he paid his due to the order he'd deserted.

As Josmyn read the words Stannis had sent to him, he could not help but feel darkly towards the man. The older Baratheon taunted him about the past, saying he remembered the history of the lands. What could he know of how House Martell had rallied to the Targaryens in an effort to save their beloved Princess Elia. They had stayed loyal to the ones they had married and had served with honor throughout the entire war. It had been the men that had sided with Stannis's own brother that had done horrible crimes. Indeed, there had been Dornishmen present at the Battle of the Trident as well as many of the other skirmishes in the war. Whatever Baratheon might have thought of the Dornish, they were not cowards nor had they hidden until the last like the worthless, opportunistic Lannisters.

Indeed, it seemed that King Stannis was not as well-read or as well-versed in history as he thought he was. Still, the Dornish prince would not reply with malice, nor seek to overtly rebuke the other man. It would not do to anger the Lord of Dragonstone any more than he already had. Still, he would not let the mention pass. After all, he had his pride and the pride of all the Dornish to uphold.

King Stannis,

I would certainly be willing to send to you one of my top strategists to serve as the commander for the Dornish forces so that we may better coordinate our attacks. I agree with you that we should not bleed the realm any more than is necessary. After all, it is not the smallfolk that have brought us to this state of matters. It is the Lannisters who have done this evil to the realm. They are the true enemy.

As for the histories, you well know that we Dornish proudly supported the Targaryens and our Princess by sending armies to aid the late Rhaegar against your brother. This was not done out of hatred for he and his, but to protect our own kin. Perhaps if we had waited until the end, like the cowards that hold the Iron Throne now, my aunt might still be alive, if in exile. Instead, those without honor, the ones that spawned the very woman the late King Robert married defiled my aunt and killed children. That should have been a sign that no one of that bloodline could be trusted.

The Night's Watch, as we speak, are being resupplied with chain-mail made in Westeros and grain from Essos, both bought with Dornish coin. Weapons and armor is always in short supply as is hearty food. To this end, I will pledge monthly shipments of food to the Wall and equipment twice a year. As for men, like I said, I will no longer condemn criminals to the Wall. But I will allow any that wish to take the black to do so.

The Priests of R'hllor will be safe to spread their message so long as they do not seek to impress their beliefs on those who do not want them, myself included. I will hear their words and decide their merit on their own. That is all I can promise, aside from their safety.

If you would have my commander sent to you, send word with your next raven and he and twenty thousand of my men shall be on their way to you. The other thirty thousand will begin marching up through the Reach, forcing the Tyrells to turn their military strength towards holding their own lands, rather than conquering others.

Josmyn Nymeros Martell

As he finished his letter, Josmyn set his seal with wax and his signet ring, hoping that Stannis Baratheon would see reason. Otherwise, this would be nothing but a never-ending stream of ravens. The Dornish were tired of being treated like inferiors. Indeed, there were times when they missed the Targaryen reign, even if Aerys had been a mad king. Rhaegar and Elia and their half Dornish children would have ushered in a new era of the Seven Kingdoms but it had been the Baratheons that had put an end to that new golden age. Josmyn knew, though, that Stannis would never believe such a thing. Indeed, he would not put such things to paper, even if it was what he believe. For that was in the past. Life was the future and that was what Josmyn had to focus on, the future of his people and himself.

WC:751
Total:2164

Oddly enough, even with the arrival of a new message from Dorne in mind, the war room in Dragonstone appeared to be silent - and queerly so, no less. "Find me Ser Davos and get back here," he commanded his young Maester before going to a nearby shelf and retrieving one of the more detailed maps of the surrounding areas. Perusing it with a careful eye, he decided that his just-hatched plan did require the aid of the former smuggler; only he knew of the places his lord and sovereign had in mind.

"You wanted to see me, Your Grace?" The deep voice of the Onion Knight interrupted Stannis from his train of thought and made him look at his man with a rather reproachful expression on his face, but it couldn't be helped; he wasn't to blame.

"Take this and mark me some of your old haunts from around here to the capital," he told him, neatly rolling up the parchment and tossing it his way before sitting down and beginning to work on a reply.


Prince Martell,


I thank you for doing so. It is true that our true foes lie elsewhere and they will all answer for their deeds: you will get the heads you require and I will try the so-called Queen and her vile brood before R'hllor and the Seven, so that all may see her treachery. As for the other Lannisters and their creatures, they will bend the knee or be put to death.


The Dornish followed their leaders, as I did with my brother. I blame them not for doing their duty. That, at least, was true. I will not make his mistakes, however. For all his martial prowess, Robert dreaded anyone and anything what could be traced back to the Targaryens; I do not condone the massacre of innocent women and children.


It is good that you and your realm aid the Watch as you do. I will set the smiths at King's Landing upon forging weapons for the Watch and will send them other foodstuffs, if this is so. Melisandre's spices as well, he told himself. Their recruiters will again walk freely in my kingdom as well.


As for the priests that shall arrive to Dorne, that is all I ask. Soon, we may need to stand together once more and they are able to render good aid.


Thus, I await the arrival of your commander and his troops. With this message you will also find a map; I would have him deploy a third of his men on the points marked upon it, so that we may form a rear guard against any added support the Lannisters may have against our siege. Once the capital is mine, we ride northwards and, if need be, westwards.


Prince Josmyn Nymeros Martell of Dorne, your aid will be remembered and you will have that which you seek of me.


Done under the sight of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, by the hand of Stannis Baratheon, First of his Name


With that, the rightful ruler of the realms he still had gave missive and map akin to Pylos, that he might seal and send them where they belonged, and waited. That which he had seen in the fire emboldened him and, if the alliance did truly come into existence, he expected his vision to become reality.

By the time that Josmyn had received King Stannis's latest letter, the bulwark of Dornish forces had gathered at Sunspear, ready to leave the instant their prince gave the command. As the dark-haired man glanced out of his window in the Tower of the Spear, he could not help but wonder if he was doing the right thing. Still, this was his best option. The Dornish had had no prior quarrel with House Baratheon before the late King Robert's Rebellion and with Stannis being the rational and even-minded man he was, Josmyn was reasonably certain this was the right strategic move for Dorne, at least for the time being. After all, Stannis' younger brother Renly had allied himself with the cursed Tyrells and there was more of a chance that Josmyn would resign the crown of Dorne and return to the Wall than of the Martells aiding both a Baratheon and Tyrell force.

As he read over the letter again, the Martell prince couldn't help but sigh as he wrote back a response. Yes, Dorne could wait out the five kings and their armies but eventually, one of those kings would show up at their doorstep. Josmyn knew that they would be able to repel the invaders but the cost that it would take, not only in lives but in infrastructure and morale could potentially be devastating for his people. It was up to him to see that the battles took place as far away from the lands of Dorne as possible. He summoned his commanders and showed them where Stannis had recommended setting up their force as a rear guard but shifted the position subtly, as to keep the Lord of Dragonstone on his toes.

Soon his forces would be on their way, either to their position as the rear guard, to seal off the mountain passes into Dorne or to join King Stannis at Dragonstone, Josmyn began to put quill to parchment.

King Stannis,

My forces have been deployed as per your specifications and the rest are on their way to join you at Dragonstone under the command of Ser Archibald Yronwood. He will serve as my proxy in matters when time is short and we may not keep each others counsel. War is won by the quick and it will be better for both of us if there is someone that can make decisions on my behalf within earshot of you rather than to wait for a raven, no matter how fast they might fly.

I am grateful that you aid the Night's Watch and that you hold no anger against the Dornish for rallying to the Targaryens during your brother's rebellion. It was no slight to you or even to your brother, it was merely what we had to do.

I am also relieved that you have agreed to our alliance. Dorne, while we are strong and resilent, does not wish to bear the brunt of an attack by all of the rest of the realm. To this end, I have joined with you in an effort to protect and preserve as much of my people and lands as I can. Indeed, we as nobles need to remember our duty to the smallfolk more often and I am glad that you seem to understand this.

May my men find you well and our victories be swift in coming. I raise my glass in toast to you and yours.

Prince Josmyn Nymeros Martell

Sealing the letter, he handed it off again to his maester and gave his new commander a quick nod. The knight knew what had to be done and would do his duty for his House and his kingdom. Josmyn whispered a prayer to the Seven for the protection of the men he was sending into battle and watched as raven wings disappeared into the sky.

WC:641
Total:2805

The pyres that replaced the statues of the Seven cast their light throughout the small island of Dragonstone and they seemed to make the face of its lord look even paler. It was on top of a tower that Maester Pylos, carrying a new message from Dorne, found him; after being fetched fresh parchment and quill, he squinted at the words laid out before him as he pondered upon something appropriate to write. Truth be told, he had nearly as much faith in the Martell as he did in most other lords who'd pledged their support - and their vows of undying loyalty were just slightly fresher than the ones they'd spoken for his baby brother. Nevertheless, he still had to abstain from dealing the King's justice unto them, so he would need to be wary of treason.


Prince Martell,


I thank you for heeding my counsel. Ser Archibald Yronwood and his men shall have my ear and the hospitality of Dragonstone akin until the war is over and they come to be needed at home.


Let the realm be grateful for our aid more than the Watch may ever be, since it is for them that we all do what we do. As for the Dornish aiding the Targaryens, it was duty that brought you to their side and it is a just decision that has brought us together now. Let the aid you render be the first step toward forging a new understanding between the Iron Throne and Dorne.


It is good to see that you would put the duties of a ruler before this foolish game of thrones that pays justice no heed. We may be kings and princes of our own lands or even the world in its entirety, but a rule over war-torn realms of moribunds and wraiths is no rule at all. Such may not till a field, wield a weapon or sell wares; without them, even the likes of us are without food on our tables.


May our victories be swift and our winters vanquished.


Done in the sight of the Lord of Light, by the hand of Stannis Baratheon, First of his Name


"Summon Ser Davos, Salladhor Saan and the lords to the war room," or so the King commanded his Maester, handing him the missive after having rolled and sealed it. Soon, they would go against the capital itself; the Onion Knight would lead the fleet, he decided, and the accursed pirate would finally get the gold he kept asking for. He still needed the support of the outlaws from Essos and it was likely that they would be called upon once more if they would have to take Lannisport and Casterly Rock as well; with the ships in the Arbor sworn to the Tyrells, Stannis preferred to rely on his own, if one could call them by such a lofty name, for what would come after he sat the Iron Throne.