Chapter 3: Protect the Family
The Martells came to Castery Rock soon after Tyrion's birth.
Oberyn Martell and his sister Elia Martell, to be precise. By the dazed look in their eyes Naruto knew it was their first time away from Dorne, and neither brother nor sister seemed overmuch fond of anything; not the food, not the weather, not their strange accents, nothing. Not even their own lord father who brought them here in the first place.
He couldn't blame them; the man had gone off do discuss business with Tywin and left the four of them here in the sitting room to "bond" as he put it.
Which left them at a bit of an impasse, you see. They were only children. No one knew what to do. Or say, for that matter...
...well, he did, but he'd prefer not to show his hand just yet.
In truth, he found himself empathizing with the plight of the wayward Martell siblings. They looked lost and wholly out of their depth.
He'd never been to Dorne, but he expected his reaction would be much the same if he visited their kingdom. King's Landing was...crowded to be sure, yet it was nothing compared to the searing heat of the real South.
Jaime leaned over to whisper in his ear. "They certainly seem friendly."
He elbowed his older brother in the ribs. "Be nice. Where's Cersei?"
"With mother." came the sigh. "Where else would she be?"
Naruto winced despite his best efforts. Of course. Cersei disdained such matters. Anyone who isn't us is an enemy, as she was often so fond of saying. She'd only grown more terse these past few weeks.
Joanna's survival had been a near thing during Tyrion's birth, and she'd has never truly gotten over that. Time mended all wounds, but for now her pain was still fresh. She would take awhile to adjust. Until then, he'd need to keep an eye on her...and Tyrion. He didn't think she might be that stupid, but her emotions always ran hot where family was concerned.
Which left him and Jamie to deal with this. So be it. If no one would make the first move, he supposed it fell to him.
"I'm gonna talk to them."
Jaime didn't bother to hide his grin. "Father won't like that.
Oh yes, he could imagine him saying something to that effect: "I didn't raise you to be this foolish."
Tywin Lannister was a force to be reckoned with; at home or abroad, even with his family. But what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
He caught the Martell siblings staring his way, plastered a winning smile across his face, and radiating confidence, walking their way. Jamie followed and let him do the talking, bless his soul.
"Welcome to the Rock." he offered his right hand. "I'm Nathaniel."
Oberyn and Elia exchanged a glance between themselves.
Naruto kept smiling.
These days it was all too easy to slip into the guise of "Nathaniel Lannister" rather than Naruto Uzumaki.
Sometimes he made a game of it, seeing how long he could keep up the act and charm those around him. Oh, he loved his new family, make no mistake, but it was still a bit of a lurch sometimes when he thought of it.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
In his first life he'd been born to nothing. He'd clawed his way to the top with nothing but grit. Naruto Uzumaki became powerful, but he didn't have true power or influence until nearly the end.
Now as Nathaniel Lannister, son of Tywin Lannister he had wealth, influence, power. Son to the second most powerful man in all of Westeros...while retaining nearly all of his abilities from his first life. The world was his oyster.
It wasn't quite the same. He missed Kurama, missed him more than words.
Surely he was out there somewhere in this brave new world. He had to be. And he would find him-
A stray breeze tugged at his face, drawing him back to the present. Someone had clasped his hand while he was lost in his head. Oberyn, no doubt. Tywin said was a bold one...
...it is a great a pleasure to finally meet you, my lord." A smooth voice captured his ears. "Father speaks highly of you."
Heat shot up Naruto's neck, burning into his cheeks.
That voice did not belong Oberyn!
Sure enough, glanced to the right and found Jamie had led him away, striking up a conversation with him. Traitor! He should've known. He didn't like talking to any girl that wasn't Cersei.
Inevitably, his gaze was drawn back to Elia Martell.
He'd once heard Joanna describe her as, and, he quoted: " a gentle, good, and gracious girl, but also frail, due to her delicate health. Kind and clever, with a sweet wit."
Looking at her now, he could see that much. She was a pretty girl. Bright bemused eyes beamed back at him from a dark face framed by curtains of ebony black curls. Her smile held none of Cersei's venom.
And that pale yellow dress flattered her. More than that, she seemed...nice. Not timid, and quite willing to chew him out if he wronged her somehow.
Right, right. Protocol. He raised their hands, fingers still intertwined, and kissed her knuckles. "My lady."
"Oh?" Elia Martel did not titter and flush, but rather laughed and arched a dark brow at him. "Is that how you Westerlanders greet a Dornishwoman?"
"It is how a proper lord greets a beautiful lady, yes." he couldn't quite hide the wry smile behind his retort; less so when she snorted. Sassy girl. He liked her already.
"Hmmhmm." Oberyn's sister lowered her hand, but didn't let go of his and wound up tugging his arm down with hers in the process as her eyes flitted up to meet his. "We've heard curious things about you in the South, Nathaniel Lannister. You live up to your reputation, I'll give you that."
He squeezed her hand. "Walk with me?"
"I believe I shall." Elia accepted with good grace, allowing him to lead her, pausing only to crane her neck and look back. "Oberyn? Can I trust you to behave yourself while I'm gone?"
Her brother snorted. "I could say the same of you, dear sister."
She rolled her eyes.
"Do you have anything like the Water Gardens here?"
"Water gardens?" he chuckled softly as they walked. "Now, we don't have one of those, but we do have a Stone Garden.
The Dornishwoman blinked at him. "How can a garden be made of stone?"
Naruto chuckled a little at her innocence. "Let me show you."
Down through the Rock he led her, into the very bowels of the keep. Elia proved herself both an amiable and inquisitive guest; filling the silence between them with questions as they continued their descent.
At times, it seemed she wanted to know everything; did they still have lions in the keep? Was Lann the Clever real? Had they found Brightroar, their ancestral Valyrian-steel blade yet? It made for good conversation and he reveled in the chance to talk with someone new for the first time in months.
In nearly no time at all they reached their destination.
"Here we are." Naruto swept an arm out before himself. Take a look.
The Stone Garden was a Godswood, nestled in a cave within the Rock. It contained a twisted old Weirwood, whose tangled roots have almost filled the cave, choking out all other growth. The face carved within had its eyes open, unlike some, and those eyes almost seemed to stare their way now, observing the two of them.
Elia clutched at his hand shivered a little. He didn't. He found the old tree comforting. It always felt like something was watching over him here. Protecting him.
He liked to come to this place when he was alone. It brought him small semblance of peace when his heart was troubled. Sometimes Mother joined him. Cersei had on occasion, before Tyrion was born. She'd prayed for a sister.
Instead she got a deformed little brother that nearly killed her mother, a sibling she seemed to hate with all her heart.
"So that's a Weirwood tree...
He looked her way. "You don't have them in Dorne?"
"We do not. Father says they cannot grow in the hot climate."
"What brings you this far west? Not that I'm complaining, mind you...
"Father decided it was high time Oberyn and I saw the other six kingdoms." Elia flicked a strand of dark hair out her eyes. "Casterly Rock is merely the third one stop of many. We've already been to both Storm's End and Highgarden."
Realization broke like the dawn over the Narrow Sea. Traveling this far meant one of two things. Either their father genuinely wished for Elia and Oberyn to see the rest of the continent, or and this was far more likely, they were touring the keeps of each kingdom for a far simpler reason.
To get a better look at the sons and daughters of Westeros. That meant marriage pacts, both for Oberyn and Elia alike. Was that why they were here? To find paramours?
...were they after Jaime?
It made a twisted sort of sense, really. Jamie was heir to Casterly Rock and future Warden of the West. Not him. Why would anyone care about him? A second son was only ever a spare, after all. He shook the ugly thought off and smiled at Elia. "And how do you like the Kingdoms so far?"
"In the case of Storm's End?" she made a face. "Wet. Highgarden was greener, but Oberyn and I were not accustomed to the climate."
A thought occurred to him. He pounced upon it. "Well, if you dislike them, I wouldn't recommend King's Landing, then."
The princess of Dorne tilted her head just so. "And why not?"
"It smells of shit and half a million many people crammed in a small place." he rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "To say nothing of the criminals. Its no place to start a family, let alone rase children."
Elia blanched. "I'll keep that in mind.
"It'll only get colder as you go North, you know."
That earned him a cross look. "We have not been to Winterfell, yet. I do not think we will be. There is nothing for us there but snow and ice."
Ah, yes. He'd heard tales of the illustrious Starks. Grim bunch, they were. Had to be up there. Those Northerners didn't have time to play the Game; there wasn't any time for it.
They were far too focused on survival. He almost envied them at times. A life almost free from endless politicking and dickering about at court. It sounded far simpler than the life he currently led.
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