- 273 AC -
The marriage discussion took place the next morning.
The Princess of Dorne insisted that Elia and Oberyn be present. Dornish customs allowed them more say in their marriages than most lords of the other kingdoms would find comfortable.
Leonard was already standing at his father's right, and Joanna sat next to her husband when they entered. That told Oberyn more than any announcement could. He was ten years old, yet Tywin had given him a place at the table while discussing alliances between two Great Houses.
Once the courtesies were over, the Princess of Dorne came directly to the matter at hand.
"Joanna and I have long discussed joining our houses. We believe such a union would strengthen both Dorne and the Westerlands."
Tywin's hands rested on the table. He gave nothing away.
"We considered two matches," the Princess continued. "My son Oberyn to your daughter Cersei. And my daughter Elia and your son Leonard. Either would bind our houses. Both would bind them for generations."
"No."
Tywin said it before the Princess had even finished talking. There was no thought behind his refusal, not much calculation. The decision was made before they entered the room. The Princess remained composed at this brusque refusal.
"You have not heard what Dorne would offer with my children."
"No offer will change my answer. Cersei will not marry your son."
"Has Prince Rhaegar agreed?" she asked.
Tywin didn't answer that question, but it was enough for the Princess to get the picture. She knew more about Tywin than she would have otherwise, had she not been the friend of Joanna.
"The prince should be informed. He may believe he has a choice," she jested.
Tywin's expression became colder.
"My daughter will be queen."
Joanna looked at her husband, a bit exasperated. She knew about his steadfast will to wed Cersei to Rhaegar and make her Queen, but she had hoped that he would at least give her friends' children a chance.
"That remains for King Aerys to decide."
"It will happen," Tywin corrected.
Leonard said nothing. Unbeknownst to the Dornish guests, Leonard evaluated every situation with the unparalleled senses of a predator, constantly looking for weaknesses and trains of thought. He had to admit, there was little political value House Lannister would get from marriage to Dorne, especially if he were the groom. Dorne didn't have what other kingdoms had, like the Riverlands or the Reach.
But that didn't mean it was a bad match. Not at all. The Martells were the wardens of Dorne after all; that held weight. On the other hand, Elia Martell was a good match in the Lion's opinion. She wasn't wasted by the Faith of the Seven and wasn't as interested in politics as other ladies might have been.
The Princess allowed the silence to stretch before turning to the second proposal.
"Then what about Elia and your son Jaime?"
Tywin did not answer immediately this time. This time, he truly considered it. His gaze moved to the Princess, his wife, and finally Leonard. He had hoped she would bring this up, since it would have been outrageous to offer your second son to the eldest daughter of House Martell. But they had done it themselves.
"Jaime is seven," Tywin said at last.
Leonard almost smiled at that, hearing how his father played hard to get. It was a dream come true, for a House to have their second son betrothed to a prominent one like the Martells. Anyone else would have agreed right away.
"We speak of a betrothal, not an immediate wedding."
"Elia is nearly a woman grown. By the time Jaime reaches manhood, she will be five-and-twenty."
"And still capable of bearing children."
Tywin looked at the Princess for a moment. She knew what he was thinking, of course.
"If you wish to ask about my daughter's health, Lord Tywin, ask me."
Joanna looked at her husband sharply, but Tywin was not embarrassed in the slightest. It was a perfectly valid question to ask about a woman's health in this world. All that mattered to Tywin Lannister was his legacy, and the duty of a woman was to birth children. If Elia was too weak to do that, she was 'unusable' and therefore not fit for a betrothal to Jaime.
"She was born prematurely. The journey has often left her unwell. Even in Dorne, her health is spoken of."
"You are right, she was born early," the Princess replied, " but not broken. Maesters have expected her to die since her first breath. And yet, she has disappointed all of them."
Joanna smiled when she heard her friend speak like that. She knew of the worries she had had about her daughter.
Tywin's expression did not soften, but it was clear that he was content with this answer... for now.
"Survival and strength are not the same. If she wishes to marry, she will have to give Jaime an heir. If she can't do that, she will be of no use."
The Princess seemed entirely unimpressed by such harsh words and remained perfectly calm. The woman was a snakecharmer; she wasn't going to fold in the presence of an old lion.
"As an authority on the female gender, I can assure you that my daughter knows her duties full well and will give birth to beautiful dornish babes."
The Princess of Dorne placed both hands on the table.
"Dorne offers strong blood, ports on the Narrow Sea and the Summer Sea, passage through the Boneway and Prince's Pass, and an army no southern lord can ignore. We are a shield against the Marches' bandits and a spear aimed at the Reach. More importantly, House Martell does not forget its friends."
"Nor its enemies," Tywin said.
"Precisely."
Tywin leaned back slightly. The Princess's eyes moved briefly towards Leonard. Everyone in Oldtown knew that relations between the Hightowers and Tyrells had worsened during the Silent Lion's stay. From the look Leonard gave the Princess, the Princess didn't get any information, but she understood why he was called the Silent Lion.
Joanna finally spoke.
"Dorne offers friendship, Tywin."
"Friendship is not a term in a marriage contract."
"No," the Princess said. "But neither is enmity, and this marriage would bind our houses closer together."
Tywin ignored the warning and turned toward his heir, interested to see how he would handle this and what his thoughts were.
"And what does the heir to Casterly Rock think?"
No one spoke. Leonard did not appear pleased to have attention turned towards him, nor did he appear nervous. He simply considered the question and then answered bluntly.
"House Tully's own Catelyn Tully would be the most beneficial alliance for myself," Leonard said smoothly. "Its roads connect the West to the centre of the realm. The Reach is larger and wealthier but not in the best state as of now, best kept at arm's length. But Dorne... Dorne is more valuable than others might suggest."
Everyone listened to Leonard when he spoke. There was gravitas in the way he spoke.
"Dorne controls convenient trade routes no other kingdom can easily close. Its ports give access to faster trade beyond the Stepstones, and there are a few things I might think of."
The Princess studied him closely and then asked.
"Then you would accept a match for your brother?"
"Yes," Leonard said, "It would be a good match."
"I agree with my son. Leonard will remain unbetrothed for now. He is my heir, and his match will be chosen when the realm's disposition is clearer," Tywin stated with absolute authority. "But a betrothal between Jaime and Princess Elia is acceptable."
Joanna let out a quiet breath of relief, while the Princess nodded.
"However," Tywin added, his eyes narrowing. "King Aerys has grown... erratic. If he believes we are building a coalition against him, he will act out of spite. The betrothal is sealed between our Houses, but it will remain a private matter. There will be no public announcements until I deem it time."
"We have an agreement, then," the Princess said, a happy smile in her eye.
.
Later that afternoon, the Dornish guests walked through one of Casterly Rock's many galleries. Open arches overlooked the sea, and the wind carried the taste of salt into the mountain. They encountered Leonard, who stood silently observing the crashing waves.
"Ah, Leonard, correct?" Oberyn asked as he walked closer.
Leonard didn't turn around and kept looking forward.
"Prince Oberyn."
"We hear tales of a monster born to the Rock," Oberyn said, leaning against a stone pillar with a casual smirk. "Your youngest brother, it is said. Say, could you show him to us?"
Leonard did not even turn his head to look at the elder boy.
"No."
"Is the Lion of the Rock ashamed of what we might find? Are the rumours right in the end?" Oberyn pressed.
Leonard finally looked Oberyn in the eyes. The look he had was cold and unreadable, and it sent a shiver down Oberyn's spine.
"Family business shall not be discussed with, nor displayed to, outsiders or used to ease your boredom. The matter is closed."
He turned and walked away, leaving the two young Martells standing there on their own. After a moment, Oberyn chuckled.
"He is ten, yet he speaks like an old king. The arrogance of those lions. And now you have the displeasure of marrying one of them. And a child no less."
"Something about him unnerves me. He's a strange one," Elia said.
After hearing what had happened, Cersei approached the two Martells. She had no such reservations about displaying the family's shame and the target of her disgust. She found Oberyn and Elia on their fourth day at the Rock.
"Do you still want to see him?" she asked, a smirk on her lips.
Elia and Oberyn looked at each other for a moment and then nodded.
"Yes," they answered together.
"Then follow me."
Cersei led them through a series of passages towards the family chambers. Jaime trailed behind his twin, shifting uneasily. He was not happy with what they were doing.
"Mother is resting," Jaime whispered. "Leo will be angry if he finds out."
"Leonard does not rule Casterly Rock. He's been gone so long," Cersei snapped, lifting her chin.
They continued until they reached the right room. The nursery was warm and smelled of milk, clean linen, and burning herbs. The wet nurse was absent right now, having gone to get something for the babe. A cradle stood near the centre of the room, and a fire warmed the air comfortably. Cersei approached it with great ceremony and pulled back the blanket.
Oberyn and Elia leaned closer to gaze at the 'monster'.
...
"Huh?"
The child's head was bigger than normal, his limbs were a bit shorter, and one eye appeared a different colour than the other. But there were no claws, no tail, and nothing between his legs except the ordinary parts of a newborn boy.
"That is not a monster," Oberyn said, disappointed. "That is only a babe."
Cersei's smile disappeared as she looked down on Tyrion. She stared at him with disgust and anger.
"He nearly killed Mother," she said. "He is not like us."
She reached into the cradle. At first, Oberyn thought she meant to touch his foot or touch his hair. But then her fingers closed cruelly around the soft flesh of the babe's little cock and she squeezed hard.
"AAAAHHHHH... WAAAHHH... WAAHHHh..."
Tyrion screamed in pain, and Elia held her hand before her mouth in shock. Even Oberyn was surprised to see the young girl commit such a cruel act against her newborn brother.
"Cersei, stop!" Jaime cried.
The air in the room suddenly grew heavy with a terrifying, suffocating pressure. Oberyn's instincts shouted at him, and his hand drifted toward his dagger as he turned around quickly.
The door stood open, and Leonard was suddenly standing there.
With a few steps, he arrived at the cradle and clamped down on Cersei's wrist like a vice. Unadulterated rage rolled off him in waves, scaring everyone who looked at him, but most of all, Cersei. He yanked her hand away from the crying infant, grabbed the front of her collar, and bodily hoisted his older sister into the air with strength for a boy of 10 name days.
Cersei choked in shock, her feet kicking in empty air, her face pale with terror, as she stared into the stone-cold eyes of Leonard.
"Take her to her room," Leonard spoke coldly, practically tossing Cersei toward a stammering Jaime. "And take our guests with you."
Jaime nodded and dragged Cersei with him, looking for Oberyn and Elia. Elia also stepped back, but Oberyn didn't.
Oberyn made use of his usual smirk, finding his footing under the oppressive aura the boy projected. It was his way of compensating and bearing what he was just going through, using humour.
"A rather fierce display for a ten-year-old, don't you think?"
"Leave. Immediately."
Oberyn took a deliberate step forward, a mocking glint in his eye. He fought against his instincts at that moment to remain there, in the presence of this 10-year-old child who somehow embarrassed him. He wasn't going to take orders from a little cub like him.
"And what will you do if we don't?"
Leonard looked at the viper in front of him. There was nothing in those eyes that said he respected Oberyn. In truth, he saw him as a useless waste, who did as he pleased already, using his station to slip through any consequences. He was born a Prince and therefore privileged and is loved by his family and the ladies. And because of that, he thinks he's hot shit.
But in the Lion's eyes... he didn't see the difference between a worm and a snake from his position. They both looked the same from high up.
"Then I challenge you."
Oberyn blinked, his words catching him entirely off guard, before a genuine laugh erupted from his chest.
"Hahahahahaha... I would very much like to see that."
"Courtyard," Leonard stated, before pushing Oberyn out and shutting the door in his face.