Burning the Dragons

It had been a difficult month in Sunspear. Not only were the Dornish preparing for war, but they were mourning the loss of a beloved princess. Due to grieving, Doran and his advisers spent less time running Dorne and things seemed to slow to a stop for a while, which only made Tabitha restless. She knew that in the North Eddard was making more progress in planning for war, and it wouldn’t be long before word reached the capital. Time was running out, and despite his role in initiating the events, Oberyn was now too distracted to focus on continuing them. Tabitha stood on her balcony, watching the ships rocking gently in the harbour and thinking about how glad she was that Oberyn had not fled to King’s Landing, when the door to her chambers opened. She glanced over her shoulder to see her husband entering, an unfamiliar Dornish woman behind him.

“Tabitha, my love, I have someone for you to meet,” Oberyn announced and Tabitha stepped inside, looking the woman over. Her hair hung just past her shoulders, sitting in luscious black curls, and her face was angular in an attractive manner. “This is Ellaria Sand, a bastard of house Uller.”

“It’s nice to meet you, my Lady,” Ellaria said, but Tabitha remained quiet, suspicious of the beautiful woman’s arrival.

“She is to be your new handmaiden,” Oberyn continued and Tabitha stiffened.

“I don’t need a new handmaiden,” she pointed out. The one she had now tended all of the matters adequately and she was ordinary looking, someone that Tabitha was certain Oberyn would not take an interest in. Ellaria, however, was clearly a different story.

“No, but Ellaria will also take the role as your paramour.”

“Paramour?” Tabitha exclaimed with shock and a tiny smirk crossed Ellaria’s lips.

“Or mistress, if you would rather not have a public relationship,” Oberyn shrugged, not fussed with the details. “She will accompany you to Winterfell when we set sail in a few weeks.”

“I am not bringing anyone to Winterfell but my husband,” Tabitha insisted, completely stunned by his proposal. Such a thing would be an embarrassment to her and Eddard.

“There is a philosophy here in Dorne, that says that a happy woman has an easier time birthing their child. She must be pleased in all aspects of her life, and take what she needs when she needs it,” Ellaria spoke up when Oberyn failed to find the right words to convince Tabitha.

“It is true,” he added with a short nod. “Ellaria is prepared to handle every need you have so our child will be born happy and healthy. I only looked for a paramour for you, not me. I thought you were open to my different way of doing things, I thought you loved that about me.” Tabitha’s eyebrows raised as she paused and thought the situation through.

“She would not be yours? Just mine?” she asked for clarification and Oberyn nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course. I won’t lay a finger on her unless you want me to,” he suggested and Tabitha’s gaze rested on Ellaria.

“And you would do anything I ask of you?”

“Yes, my Lady,” Ellaria agreed.

“Fine. I will do it for our child,” Tabitha agreed and a grin stretched across Oberyn’s face. “But you do not touch her. And if this… relationship does not work, she leaves the second I command it.”

“That’s very reasonable,” he nodded before drawing his wife into a kiss. “I only want you to have company and joy when I am away preparing for war, that is all. I am glad you understand.” Tabitha pulled him into an embrace, savouring the moment.

“I will try it your way. But please, go and plan. I want to see Eddard as soon as possible,” she smiled as she pulled away. Oberyn nodded and kissed her forehead before swiftly walking out of the room, leaving Tabitha alone with Ellaria.

“What would you like me to do, my Lady?” Ellaria questioned with a hint of seduction.

“Firstly, you will call me Tabitha. Secondly, I need my hair to be brushed. I would like it if you would tell me about yourself,” Tabitha proposed and Ellaria nodded before stalking across the room to the mirror. Tabitha watched on, feeling incredibly uneasy about having the alluring, confident woman in her chambers. She hoped that her marriage to Oberyn would not be destroyed by the presence of a third person.