THE DRAGON QUEEN [ Jon Snow ]

VII.

CHAPTER SEVEN
[ the bannermen ]

THE DAY BEFORE THE MARTELL'S BANNERMEN WERE DUE AT SUNSPEAR, Visenya had Princess Arianne go over each of the lords and ladies who will be attending with her. They sat in the gardens together at mid-morning, Arianne reading the names off of a list in front of her. "Lady Delonne Allyrion of Godsgrace, who will bring her son and heir, Ser Ryon Allyrion, and perhaps his bastard son, Daemon Sand," the girl began, "Lady Larra Blackmont of Blackmont, who will bring her daughter and heir, Lady Jynessa Blackmont. She has a younger son who is a squire, but I imagine he will remain in Blackmont."

"Lady Larra has a son?" Visenya said, brows raising, "and still Lady Jynessa is her heir?"

Arianne smiled in the way she has seen many Dornish smile, in a pitying way, sorry for the rest of Westeros and their silly traditions. Visenya never blamed them for it. Their sense of superiority was not unfounded. "Dorne is not like the rest of Westeros, Your Grace. Girls are not less here."

"If only the rest of the Realm was like Dorne." What a wonderful place it would be, she thought.

"You can make it so, Your Grace, once you sit the throne."

"I can," she said, nodding her head. "I will. Now, who else?"

"Lord Franklyn Fowler of Skyreach, surely accompanied by his twin daughters, Jeyne and Jennelyn. Lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor, with his daughter and heir, Lady Myria Jordayne. Lord Quentyn Qorgyle of Sandstone, with his sons, Ser Gulian and Ser Arron. Ser Symon Santagar of Spotswood and his daughter and heir, Lady Sylva Santagar. Lady Nymella Toland of Ghost Hill, with her daughters, Ladies Valena and Teona Toland. Lord Harmen Uller of Hellholt, who will not be accompanied by any children, for his bastard daughter, Ellaria Sand, is here already."

Yes, Ellaria, Oberyn Martell's paramour. Visenya had met her just after she arrived, and quite liked her. "Any more?"

"Just a few." Thank the gods, Visenya thought, relieved. "Lord Daeron Vaith of the Red Dunes. He has no children to speak of. Lastly, Lord Anders Yronwood of Yronwood, accompanied by his son and heir, Ser Cletus Yronwood."

"I swear I knew all of this once," Visenya breathed, exasperated. "Not only for Dorne, but for each of the kingdoms. I do not know what happened."

"You have been fighting a war for some time now, Your Grace," Arianne said, "no one would blame you for forgetting."

"No one but myself," she gently corrected. "My fath— Ned Stark knew the names of every lord and lady and all of their children in the entire North. That is the kind of ruler I want to be. I will know each man and woman that is sworn to me, even if I must lose sleep to memorize their names."