Davos I

Sunspear 284 A.C.

The city of Sunspear glimpsed on the horizon as Fury, the royal fleet's flagship approached the port. It was not the first time Davos had seen the city, as he had been there on several occasions during his smuggling years.

Those years are behind us, Davos thought. Now I'm a knight of the Seven Kingdoms, I can't keep thinking about my years as a criminal. Stannis Baratheon had knighted him a year ago, when he brought his shipment of onions to the besieged Storm's End, although due to his years as a criminal, he amputated the first phalanx of the fingers of his left hand. A fair payment for the future he's given me and my family. Once Eddard Stark lifted the siege and the Tyrells lay down their swords, Davos accompanied his new lord to the siege of Dragonstone, in search of the last Targaryen as ordered by Robert, the new king of the Seven Kingdoms after the death of the Mad King, but they came too late. After the failure, Robert ordered Stannis to go to Dorne, the last of the kingdoms that still supported the Targaryens to seek peace with Prince Doran.

"Get me peace with Dorne. Don't fail me again after letting the dragonspawn escape," the king had told his brother.

And here he was, accompanying his lord on a new mission. I hope that after this I can see Marya and the children again, I haven't seen them in over a year, if they don't cut off our heads as soon as we disembark, that is. Prince Doran was furious at the death of his sister, Princess Elia Martell, and her two children in the sacking of the capital by the Lannisters and there were rumors that his brother, Prince Oberyn, planned a Dorne lift in arms and crown Viserys Targaryen.

The helmsman gave the order to slow down the ship as they approached the port. An imposing figure approached his side as the ship docked at the port. This was Stannis Baratheon, the new lord of Dragonstone.

"What is your impression Ser Davos?" commented Stannis in a grave voice. The king's brother was a tall man with dark blue eyes, black hair like his brother, albeit with a noticiable receding hairline and the shadow of a beard.

"About what, my lord?" replied Davos confusedly.

"On peace with the Martells. Do you think it's possible to get it after what happened in the sack of King's Landing?" said Stannis by poking his gaze into Davos.

"Prince Doran is interested in peace, he will not risk opposing the rest of the kingdom now that the Tyrells have sworn allegiance to King Robert. Besides, what happened to Princess Elia was the fault of the Lannisters, not your brother's."

"I hope you are right in your assumptions, or else the kingdom will not find peace in decades. After all, Dorne has never been conquered, even dragons could not subdue it.

The Fury eventually docked at the port and upon their arrival they were received by a Dornish entourage.

"Greetings, my lords" greeted the leader of the entourage in a mocking tone, a high and slender salt dornishman with a red coat in the wind and a round shield with the image of a spear crossing a sun, the coat of arms of house Martell. "We saw your flag and my brother ordered me to come to meet you on his behalf. It is a pleasure to welcome you to Sunspear." So, this is the famous Red Viper…

Davos had only heard of Prince Oberyn Martell, but his reputation was terrifying. Certainly, a statement of intent on the part of Prince Doran. This negotiation is going to be tougher than I imagined. Davos touched the bag that hung from his neck, where he kept the bones of his closed phalanxes.

"I am Lord Stannis Baratheon, I hoped to speak with your brother as soon as possible to discuss a peace agreement so that Dorne will return to the king's peace."

"Wow, you're much less talkative than your brother. It's true what they say about you being just the opposite of him. I met him in Harrenhal, you know? I never imagined it would be someone like him who would bring the end of the Targaryen dynasty. My brother is waiting for you at the Old Palace, Lord Stannis."

Stannis was annoyed by Prince Oberyn's mocking tone, Davos noticed when he saw his teeth grinding, a bad habit quite common in the young lord. Compared to King's Landing or the free cities, Sunspear was nothing more than a village, but it was the closest thing the dornish had to a city. The Triple Gate was open to allow newcomers to pass directly to the Old Palace without having to cross the rest of the city. The journey to the palace passed without much fuss beyond the people swirling around him as they saw Prince Oberyn pass by.

Seeing Stannis not attempting to engage in conversation, Davos tried to cut the ice and try to gain Oberyn's sympathy before they met Prince Doran.

"Prince Oberyn, we have brought with us the bones of Princess Elia and her children, as well as those of your Uncle Lewyn Martell."

"I thank you, but unless you also bring the Mountain's and Tywin Lannister's bones with them, I doubt my brother's wrath or mine will be placated. Who are you, by the way?" replied Oberyn Martell visibly annoyed.

"Davos!" he retorted, forgetting for a moment his new title, "Ser Davos Seaworth my lord."

"Ah, the famous Onion Knight. Here in Dorne we don't usually reward smugglers with titles like yours, Ser Davos.

"I think you're confused, my lord, I was rewarded for helping Storm's End garrison when they were starving, and Lord Stannis has already punished me for my past crimes," Davos replied as they advanced through the city.

"Death to the Usurper!" shrieked suddenly a man from one of the balconies.

"To the spears! Revenge for Princess Elia!" joined others.

They're less than I expected, Davos observed. They seemed just annoying noises compared to the silence in which the city was wrapped. Prince Doran had initially been reluctant to send troops to fight for the Mad King after Rhaegar Targaryen insulted Princess Elia by naming Lyanna Stark Queen of Love and Beauty in Harrenhal and then kidnapping and raping her but ended up ceding and now many parents and husbands would never return to their families. The city is in mourning.

The last of the gates was closed behind them once the castle walls passed. Prince Doran waited on the courtyard along with what looked like much of his court. Davos noticed that next to him was a woman with features indicating that she was clearly not from Dorne, not even from Westeros. Davos was curious about her presence but dared not ask for fear of saying some stupidity, since he did not yet know most of the nobility of Westeros. Next to him were a plump girl and a boy who would not exceed the age of Matthos, the youngest of his three children. From the look of her face, the girl seemed to have had the red spot disease not so long ago. Next to them was a tall and burly man with black hair and a leafy beard, although gray hairs were already beginning to catch a glimpse. In addition, he wielded an imposing halberd. What's a bearded priest from Norvos doing here? wondered Davos uneasy. If there was a bearded priest here, that would indicate that the woman next to Prince Doran was probably Norvoshi.

The entourage stopped and both Davos and the rest went out. It was the first time Davos had accompanied Lord Stannis to see a great lord, so he did not know very well whether to accompany him or wait with the twenty guards who had come with them from King's Landing. His doubts were resolved when Stannis pointed him in with a slight movement of his head to follow him.

"Lord Stannis!" said Prince Doran. "I am pleased to welcome you to Dorne. These are my children Arianne and Quentyn, and this is my wife, Mellario. You arrived earlier than expected, we didn't expect your arrival for at least a couple of days."

"The winds have been propitious to us, Prince Doran, " replied Stannis.

"Unfortunately, you have not given us time to prepare your quarters or those of your guard. You will have some rooms ready in the Tower of the Sun as soon as possible. Your guard can settle into the Sandship for the time being if you wish."

"I thank you for your hospitality. I think the sooner we can deal with the matter at hand, the better for everyone."

"Yes..." answered the weary prince. "It will be best. Accompany me to my quarters, we will be calmer there."

The prince began the journey into the palace, followed by Lord Stannis and the rest of those present, who gradually dispersed. Davos also thought of retiring until Lord Stannis called him.

"You come too Ser Davos; I'm going to need someone to advise me in these negotiations."

"Ah, Ser Davos Seaworth, " said Doran Martell. "I've heard of you. I suppose going from dealing with thieves to dealing with nobles will have brought you a sudden change."

"Not as much as my lord imagines, the truth is that in that aspect, my life hasn't changed much." Davos quietly shut up. Damn, I can't say these things in the presence of the prince of Dorne. I'm not in Flea Bottom anymore. His fear however was mitigated when Oberyn Martell burst into such a laugh that even his brother sketched a slight smile.

"Is it true that you defeated the entire army of The Reach with just five hundred men, Lord Stannis?" suddenly asked Princess Arianne. Her mother looked at her with the intention of rebuking her, but the little princess kept looking at Stannis curiously. He was surprised by the sudden question, though he kept his face impassive. Davos noticed, however, a slight change in his gaze, although he could not identify what it meant.

"I just stopped them from taking Storm's End. I don't think I can say I defeated them," Stannis replied.

"But they gave up, didn't they? That means you beat them," the princess continued. "You must be an amazing warrior."

"Ahem, well..." said Stannis hesitantly.

"We have arrived, my lords, " cut Prince Doran. "Arianne, go with your mother and brother to play, you'll have time to ask Lord Stannis all the questions you want later. Areo, keep an eye on the door, please, don't let anyone bother us." The bearded priest struck the ground with the handle of his halberd and stepped aside following the prince's orders.

Once inside the prince's quarters, they sat in front of a long table. Their seats were padded with colorful cushions and on the table were placed different Dornish dishes, along with four glasses, a jug of wine and another of water. Prince Doran's room was full of silks and Davos observed some jewels whose value he dared not calculate. Davos had only seen such luxuries in the Valkyrie, the galley of Salladhor Saan, a pirate for which he had worked several times, but unlike Sallladhor, Davos assumed that the Martells had not obtained them after looting multiple merchant ships in the Stepstones.

"Eat my lords, let it not be said that the laws of hospitality are not enforced in Sunspear, " said Prince Doran as they sat down. Davos took a piece of bread, just like Stannis did. He knew how spicy Dornish food could be and didn't want to do anything that might embarrass his liege.

"Anyway, Lord Stannis, I'll be as direct as possible. As I'm sure you know, nearly ten thousand Dornish soldiers lost their lives in the Trident fighting for the Mad King. For me all Dornish lives are very precious to me and I would prefer that this conflict between us ended without further bloodshed, " began Doran Martell.

"I'm glad to hear that, in that case..." Stannis replied.

"I'm not done yet, " cut off the prince. "While I would like to end this war once and for all, you will understand that the acts committed by your brother and his Lannister allies against my family complicate it greatly. Do you know how my sister and nephews died, Lord Stannis? I would like to know if the rumors that are told are true."

"I was being besieged in Storm's End when it happened," Stannis replied. "But I have seen the bones of your sister and her children, which makes me think that what is said it's true."

"I told you brother!" squealed Oberyn Martell. "We cannot make peace with Robert Baratheon when he rewards our sister's killer by making his daughter queen. I say we send his brother's crushed head to King's Landing, so he sees how it feels," he continued, pointing to Stannis.

Doran Martell raised a hand shut up his brother. Prince Oberyn turned so red with fury that it looked like he was going to burst at any moment.

"I have just offered our hospitality to our guests. They will not be harmed as long as they are under my roof," Doran said. "However, he has no shortage of reasons to be angry and neither do I" he sentenced looking at them coldly. "What does the new king intend to do to give us justice?"

Davos wondered for the umpteenth time since they had landed what they were doing there. He did not question the king's orders, but he kept wondering if it would not have been better to send someone better to negotiate peace. Lord Stannis was faithful to his brother, but cold, dry and not at all charismatic, not at all a person anyone would send to negotiate. On the other hand, Davos was nothing more than a smuggler, surely another lord might have a better option to come to advise Stannis instead of him, he did not know how to speak to other lords.

"I don't think he is going to do anything, " answered Stannis, sighing. "I'm afraid your sister's murder seemed like an act of justice to my brother, in his distorted vision of it. The only thing I think he regrets is not killing Rhaegar's children with his bare hands."

"This is problematic," Doran said, rubbing his forehead with his hands. "I didn't expect him to give me Lord Tywin's head, but I did expect the Clegane's head at least. What do you offer us then?"

Stannis thoughtfully crouched his head and saw his face darken and then Davos knew. Nothing. Stannis can't offer anything to quell the wrath of the Martells. Not only can't he give them the revenge they want, but he can't do anything to make it up for them either. His hands are tied. And then Davos came up with an idea.

"A marriage, " Davos proposed. "A union between the two houses will guarantee peace between Dorne and the Iron Throne." Doran and Stannis looked at him perplexed while the Red Viper choked on the wine he was drinking.

"Explain Ser Davos, what exactly do you propose?" asked Doran curiously.

"A marriage between the heir to the throne and your daughter. Or maybe between your son Quentyn and a future daughter of King Robert if it suits you better. A marriage to the king's firstborn is something the Martells can hardly refuse. It will be difficult to convince the king to marry one of his descendants with a Martell, but Lord Arryn may be able to do so.

"It's a tempting offer Ser Davos" replied the prince by weighing his answer. "I've heard that Robert has already fathered several bastards in the Vale, so I imagine that sooner or later there will be a little princess Quentyn could marry. However, I don't like to make assumption-based plans, so it's best to promise Arianne. I will lay down my conditions, if you do not accept them, there will be no marriage between you, Lord Stannis, and my daughter."

Now it was Davos' turn to be surprised. Stannis, but I meant... Suddenly Davos understood. He had proposed that Doran's daughter marry Robert's future heir, that is, his first child. But the prince had misunderstood him and believed that he was referring to the current heir, Stannis, the eldest of the king's brothers.

"The wedding will only take place once Arianne has flowered, and since it is my heiress, your future children will bear the Martell name and grow up in Dorne. Only if any of your children receive any inheritance from you will he be able to bear the Baratheon name" Doran continued. "Only then will I accept this marriage."

Only at that moment did Davos realize what he had provoked. Stannis would rule Dorne, but only in name, for it would be his future wife who held power and, also, his children would not bear his name, which was a disgrace to a lord. Stannis won't accept. For him it would be a greater humiliation than he suffered after receiving Dragonstone instead of Storm's End.

"I think they're acceptable conditions. If we can draft the marriage pact now, then I will be able to return to King's Landing to inform His Majesty as soon as possible" before Davos' disbelief.

"I'm glad to hear it. Oberyn, go get Maester Caleotte to write it." Oberyn Martell left the room and by his face Davos sensed that he was as confused by the development of events as he was. "Lord Stannis, Ser Davos, I hope you will grace us with your presence at tonight's banquet. For lasting peace," the prince said as he raised his glass to toast.

"For peace" Stannis and Davos provided, though something in his heart told him that peace in the kingdom would not last long.

Hello there,

I had this idea of a Stannis/Arianne centered fic for a while so finallly I decided to start writing it. It's my first fanfic so please leave a review and let me know what you feel about it. Also, English isn't my native language so there might be mistakes here and there, but I'll try not to make too many.

First story in this site with the Stannis/Arianne tag, I'm kind of surprised, I hope it won't be the last.

I'll try to update it as much as I can, but it's difficult to tell waht kind of pace. I'll crosspost it in AO3.

Thanks for checking this and leave your follows and favs if you liked it.

Till next time.