Knights of the Cardboard Castle

While we suspected that another war would be brewing soon, we did not expect the reprieve to be as short as it turned out to be. Barely a month after the end of the last war, the High Septon at the Great Sept of Baelor calls upon to realm to throw down Queen Daenerys Targaren and crown Mya Stone of The Riverlands instead. Apparently he is quite upset about the acknowledged child of an incestuous marriage being the monarch of the realm. Once again it is a matter of supporting anyone who is not Daenerys Targaryen since the discontented lords who support this claim are mostly the same ones who support the restoration of Prince Gulian to the throne.

Naturally Dorne once again issues a call to arms. Our forces number little more than half of what we had at the beginning of the previous war but having cannily amassed a sizable amount of gold during the years of peace, we are able to supplement our forces with several companies of mercenary soldiers. Although Queen Daenerys is able this time to call upon the levies of the Iron Throne, our side is badly outnumbered as initially House Martell is the only noble house to side with the queen. Ranged against us once more are House Baratheon and House Lannister. This time, as Mya Stone is currently at the court of Riverrun and Lord Paramount Edmure Tully would be able to influence the throne should she become queen, House Tully joins their side. For the first time, House Greyjoy also sends their forces, though their land armies are the weakest of all the great houses.

For months, our side loses battle after battle as we simply cannot muster sufficient forces. But then Lord Paramount Mace Tyrell of The Reach and then Lord Paramount Eddard Stark join us. For a while The Eyrie stays on the sidelines, but though the young Lord Paramount Harrold Arryn declines to defend the Targaryen dynasty, he does take advantage of the chaos to launch a separate war to wrest control of key provinces from House Tully, forcing Riverrun to divert forces to defend their own lands. In May 297, with these reinforcements, the war, which heretofore had been a complete disaster for our side, slowly begins to turn in our favor.

The war is still raging strongly in January 298 when both Queen Daenerys and the son of Doran Martell, Quentyn, come of age and are able to wed. Despite our finances being severely strained by the continued hiring of mercenaries, House Martell generously declines a dowry from the crown. Quentyn, now styled King though Daenerys continues to reign in truth, leaves Sunspear to join the court of his queen at King’s Landing. We hope that the young couple has a child soon to cement the marriage and assure that a scion of House Martell will one day sit on the Iron Throne.

In May 298, Dornish forces successfully seize the strategically and symbolically important castle of Summerhall, which was once used by the Targaryen royal line as their summer retreat and is currently the seat of Prince Gulian Baratheon. Soon we also seize the castles of the minor lords surrounding Summerhall and gain an irresistible momentum. By October 298, the war is won. Many of the leaders of the rebellion are imprisoned by Queen Daenerys, including the High Septon, Lord Tywin Lannister, Lord Renly Baratheon and Lord Edmure Tully.

Yet that is not all of the good news. In November 298, Jon Snow, who is somewhat younger than Arianne Martell, comes of age and they marry. As this is a matrilineal marriage, Snow comes to serve at Sunspear. Living in the deserts of Dorne must make for quite a change for this Northerner. Though young, he shows great promise as a leader of armies and he may prove to be a great asset to House Martell in the future.

And still we have one more marriage to go. In January 299, Lord Renly Baratheon proposes to marry Sarella Sand, one of the daughters of Prince Oberyn Martell. After a great deal of consideration, Prince Doran Martell accepts. We interpret this to be a sign that House Baratheon has had it fill of fighting and after these years of war, Dorne is both exhausted and its treasury emptied. We hope that this marriage will seal the peace and herald the coming of a time for rebuilding and prosperity for all Westeros.

Queen Daenerys appears to agree. Now of age and reigning on her own without a regent, she chooses to make amends with her enemies. Instead of executing or exiling the rebel lords, she releases them, though often only after extracting ransoms in the form of gold or lands. She also chooses to appoint Lord Tywin Lannister as the Hand of the King, and Doran Martell is demoted to the post of Master of Laws. While this is at least partially due to the need to buy peace with House Lannister, still there is no doubting Lord Tywin’s superb stewardship ability. Prince Doran is not entirely happy with this arrangement and this puts Lord Tywin even farther out of the reach of his vengeance. But then Daenerys is the queen and House Martell did not put her on the throne to be a figurehead.

By now Tywin Lannister is 56 years old and Doran Martell has just entered his 50s himself. It seems increasingly likely that one or the other will die before Doran’s oath of blood vengeance can be fulfilled. With Queen Daenerys’ place on the throne now reasonably secure and vengeance seemingly impossible, there are only a few things left for Doran Martell to complete in the remaining years of his life. Of these the most important is to see to the succession of the Martell dynasty and ensure that it does not fall to infighting.