"It's my duty, my God-given birthright and my crown."
- Mary, Queen of Scots
In which Valyria Targaryen returns to the Red Keep and becomes a key player in the game for the Iron Throne.
....or....
In which there isn't a person in the Se...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
130 AC, Sunspear
It took Valyria some time to regain her full strength after giving birth to little Viserys. Once she could finally move around freely again she wasted no time returning to her duties. Cassian, now ten-and-two, shadowed her or Lewyn more of and in only a few years he'd manage to officially take over the duties as the ruling Prince of Dorne.
However, it was never too early to build bridges and create alliances. The Water Gardens, Valyria had realised, was the perfect way for her children to play with the future lords and ladies of Dorne; at the same time it gave them an insight into the lives of the smallfolk's children who also were allowed to play in the pools. As Cassian grew older, it also became important for him to be around the current rulers of the major houses in Dorne, not just the future ones.
Therefore, Valyria – and sometimes Lewyn – often took him with them when visiting other castles or when they held court. Their latest trip together was a feast in celebration of Lord Uller's fiftieth nameday. Luckily the trip to Hellholt, located in the middle of the dornish desert, was much easier when riding a dragon.
Since nobles from all over Dorne made the difficult journey to Hellholt, the feast became a good way for all of them to see Cassian as their future Prince. It also forced Cassian to socialise with dornish noble ladies which Valyria viewed as an opportunity for him to one day – hopefully – find a lady that brought a good alliance.
As Prince of Dorne he'd one day want to marry for an alliance. Valyria truly wished her children would be spared from such fate but considering the Targaryen blood running through their veins they couldn't risk anything. During her visits to King's Landing, several houses offered their daughters' hands in marriage for the dornish prince because despite the common distaste for the southernmost kingdom their daughter would become a princess. But Valyria knew from the moment Cassian was born that he one day would have to marry a dornish lady.
Valyria never openly mentioned to Cassian that he should look for a future wife. She hoped it would be more real if he simply thought he was making smalltalk. That way, he could find someone likeable – someone whose company he'd enjoy – and when they grew a bit older, the prospect of a marriage could be brought up.
Throughout the feast, Cassian spoke with several young nobles – both possible friends and betroths – and Valyria couldn't be more proud of him. The way he acted reminded her so much of Qoren. Nearly everyone in Dorne loved her late husband. His charm was undeniable and somehow he seemed to make friends with everyone he met. Cassian definitely inherited that from his father because even at the edge of twelve, he could easily converse with Lord Uller and the other older lords who were old enough to be his grandfather.
