Arianne tried to concentrate on her letter but the face of the bastards kept floating in her mind. Finally, she put down her quill and leaned back in her chair.
She closed her eyes, the death of Tywin Lannister and his two children felt right, a just vengeance for Elia. No, it was the execution of the children she struggled with. They were abominations because of the sins of their parents. She had judged Cersei and Jaime Lannister guilty, along with Stannis Baratheon and Mace Tyrell.
They were dead, Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen were next. They were children, just like Rhaenys and Aegon. What did they understand of their situation? Their world had turned upside down and now, they languished in the cells of the Red Keep.
Her father had told her the duty of a Prince of Dorne was to their subjects, high born or low born alike, and that it was always the humbles who suffered the most when nobles played the game of thrones.
She knew why people said he was an old man, afraid, when he was only cautious. Her choices had costs and this time, it was the life of three children. What was it compared the injustice that had been done to her family? She had assisted the execution of the Lannisters because she had pronounced the sentence.
In her heart, she knew she did not want to see three young children die because of her. Her eyes fixed her letter to her father. He would be satisfied with the news from King’s Landing. She had fought him for the Faceless Men. He had only accepted her idea when she had accused him of hypocrisy: “you don’t just want vengeance, you want blood and fire. You want the glory of destroying the Lannisters at the price of our people. Tell me, Father, what do you value more? The gold of Dorne or their lives?”
He had acquiesced to her plan. Uncle Oberyn had wanted to go after the murderers themselves but they had decided to wait for Tywin’s death. By a twist of fate, Amory Lorch had found himself at the wrong end of Garlan’s sword during a melee. He had finished skewered and screaming like a pig. Her cousins had conceded that her husband knew how to be useful.
She could appeal to Jon Arryn for clemency, ask him to send the boys to the Wall and the girl to the Faith. It was a illusion of course, Robert Baratheon could not let them live, their existence was too dangerous for his throne. Arianne shivered, her cousins and her aunt had died for the same reason. No one had protested except Eddard Stark.
The death of the children was inevitable. She could not save their lives but she could try to spare them pain. They didn’t need to be executed in front of all King’s Landing, on the order of man they had called Father. Their death could be merciful.
Arianne made her decision: she would ask Jon Arryn for a painless death. She could convince him, he was an honorable man.
She went back to her letter."The murderers of our family have been punished. Their shades can be laid at rest at last and we can now look peacefully to the future."
