You're the Head of a Noble House - Dorne Edition IV

[James Steller]

Imagine you're the Lady of a Noble House in Dorne (assume that it's been around for as long as the others). As heir of your house, you married the third son of House Manwoody and your three children took your name. You also have a paramour, and a younger brother who serves as your castellan.

War is upon you. King Daeron Targaryen has invaded Dorne with a mighty host and has broken the power of House Martell. Your husband died while fighting, and your paramour was torturer to death by Emrys Tarly, the vicious younger brother of Lord Tarly. But the war is over. Daeron has taken several hostages back to King's Landing and left Lord Tyrell to rule Dorne. Your eldest son and heir was one of the hostages taken away.

Lord Tyrell, meanwhile, is busy chasing rebels who attack soldiers loyal to the Iron Throne. Emrys Tarly is is right hand man. Lord Tyrell sends Ser Emrys into the Dornish wilderness to hunt such rebels who still fight on, including your brother. Lord Tyrell, meanwhile, goes from one noble keep to another, ensuring the loyalty of the Dornish houses. He arrived at your house yesterday.

You act as host to Lord Tyrell and you must endure his sneers and insults, as well as his long glances at yourself and your 16 year old daughter. She has noticed it too and has approached you in secret. She plans to seduce Lord Tyrell and bed him until the right time when she can murder him while he sleeps. She is prepared to risk anything happening to her in the name of Dorne, using his death as an inspiration for the Dornish people to rise up and fight again. But you cannot help but remember that your son is a prisoner in King's Landing, and should they suspect your loyalty, he will be tortured and killed like your paramour and husband were. Plus your daughter might suffer a worse fate if she even attempts to kill Lord Tyrell.

Your youngest, another son, has also approached you in secret, but with something else in mind. He overheard Lord Tyrell's soldiers reveal that they know where your brother is hiding, and they have sent Ser Emrys to ambush him and his followers. Your son wants to flee and warn his uncle, so that they can either escape or even set up a trap for Ser Emrys. You know that this is a very risky move that could lead to not just his death but your entire household put to the sword in revenge. This includes the smallfolk living around your castle who look to you for protection. Is your brother's life or revenge on Ser Emrys worth risking all that for? 

 

What do you do?

[Ser Frasier of House Crane]

Damn right they took my name. No self-respecting kid of mine is gonna be named “Manwoody.”

 

I tell my daughter that revenge is a dish best served cold. We must endure the Tyrells until we can be certain my son will not be harmed. Plus, guest right.

 

I tell my son not to be hot-headed and rush blindly into what is almost certainly a trap. He will resist and balk, but I tell him that I will not risk another son. With that said, perhaps seducing Lord Tyrell may be a worthy maneuver, but not to kill him, instead planting false information about my brother’s whereabouts. I may try it myself...

[Floki of the Ironborn]

First of all, don't do anything without getting on board with the rest of the Dornish lords, especially the Martells. But if they do give the say-so, I'll fight for the whole of Dorne even if it does cost my son his life.

As for my brother, I find a boy from amongst my smallfolk who resembles my brother. He poses as my son while my boy goes to warn his uncle. But I give him a note filled with strict instructions. My uncle and my son are ordered to avoid Ser Emrys at all costs, flee with their followers and find some place of sanctuary that can shelter as many of my smallfolk as possible. I start evacuating families as soon as they get back to me with a location. If and when the uprising begins, I lay a trap for Emrys and/or the Tyrell lord. They shall die slow deaths for what they did to my family.

[Equilibrium]

Killing Tyrell is pointless, unless he tries to molest me or my daughter, then he goes. Besides, there would be more fitting ways to kill him that don't require my daughter naked in his physical presence, after all I am both woman and Dornish, they would find out that stereotypes exist for a reason. So Tyrell stays alive for the moment, and my daughter gets sent away while he is here, I don't need either of them getting stupid ideas.

My son stays put, who the fuck sends the young teen noble on such a task, I find some trustworthy hunter or scout who knows terrain well and tell him about the Emrys and instruct him to ambush and capture the sadistic cunt. Tyrell has no information linking me with any of this, and it's not my fault his stupid brother got defeated by rebels, if he disagrees his next meal or drink will taste "exactly" the same. Also I tell my messenger to kill himself if he is in danger of being caught and explain to him that Emrys is a sadist and that he would have to be interrogated either way. If somehow native hunter who is aware of the presence of Emrys' squad gets caught by dumb Reach noble who has no idea that messenger is coming he has well deserved any faith.

[Floki of the Ironborn]

 

My son stays put, who the fuck sends the young teen noble on such a task

Well if it gets him away from the occupying forces in my castle, then sure I'll send him away. Personally I imagine he's likely to be a hot blooded Oberyn sort of fellow who'd get into fights easily. And with at least one of my children in the hands of the enemy, I'd rather not keep all the eggs in one basket. 

[Equilibrium]

Well if it gets him away from the occupying forces in my castle, then sure I'll send him away. Personally I imagine he's likely to be a hot blooded Oberyn sort of fellow who'd get into fights easily. And with at least one of my children in the hands of the enemy, I'd rather not keep all the eggs in one basket. 

Still pretty dangerous and ill suited task. I don't think castle is unsafe, besides I already have sent my daughter away, she is in way bigger danger if Tyrell gets drunk and imagines he is the conquering khal instead of the crown's legate. 

Not all Dornish are hot-blooded and Oberyn is extremely calculated for his reputation. I imagine him a sweet kid like Bran, he was exploring and overheard the plan and then he wanted to go on the mission not because he is hot blooded daredevil but because he deeply cares for his uncle. Besides, would really reckless kid really come to his mother first instead of racing of to warn his uncle?

 

[Floki of the Ironborn]

 Besides, would really reckless kid really come to his mother first instead of racing of to warn his uncle?

 

That is a good point, but even Oberyn didn't just go galivanting off to Clegane's Keep all those years. Yes, it's true that a hot blooded man can still have sense and intellect but a temper is still a temper. Same with an impulse.

[purple-eyes]

Dorne ignored the hostages and killed lord tyrell and trapped and murdered daeron by pretending to sign peace terms. 

So I think this is what this lady did. 

She and her daughter seduced lord tyrell and killed him (or made him die like myranda's husband depending on how old and weak lord tyrell is) 

dorne reblled again without thinking too much about their hostages. Then they trapped daeron and murdered him after a bloody war. 

It seems like for dornishmen, freedom and independence are higher than honor and lives(of their own and hostages) 

[James Steller]

Dorne ignored the hostages and killed lord tyrell and trapped and murdered daeron by pretending to sign peace terms. 

So I think this is what this lady did. 

 

She may or may not. The choice is yours. You stand in a position of uncertainty. Your children's lives hang on your actions. You've heard no word from the Martells so do you wait for their say so or do you make a drastic action of defiance which brings a fresh wave of violence into Dorne?

[kimim]

Tyrell was killed when a lord or lady dropped a nest of scorpions upon him. That happened less than a fortnight after he took over.

So...hm. I'm Dornish. Going by that nest of scorpions, I don't give a flying fuck about guest rights or diplomatic flags, so long as I get the guy. I do care about family, though. I'm not going to risk losing my son AND my daughter. I'm very much afraid that my daughter will be told to remain in her own bed this night, unless she has a slow-acting poison which she can administer so that Tyrell dies a few days later, in a way that can't be tracked to me.

Meanwhile, is my youngest son any good at figuring out if he's being tracked? If not, I like the idea of sending someone who is, to warn my brother.

[1000th Lord Commander]

I can't take overt action against Lord Tyrell with out my eldest son suffering for it. I talk with the other Dornish lords, flirt with Tyrell, gain information. find out where he is going next, assemble a force and wipe out his army by ambush after it has left my home. No action can be tied to me, my daughter is safe, and the sands can swallow the Tyrells. Dead? no, they must have gotten lost.

I'm not going to send my youngest after my brother. Likely it is a trap, and if not, he'll probably be too late anyway.

Still a risk to my eldest, but that is the nature of the game

 

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

My House is all that was important, what does it matter if we owe our Loyalty to the Targaryens or to the Martells, it is all the same.

Plus, my son is a hostage in King's Landing and I will not risk my heir in some foolish revenge fantasy.

I forbid my daughter from taking any action against Lord Tarly, in fact I send her on a trip to get her out of the house so that Lord Tarly doesn't get any ideas.

My, son I also forbid him to any action as he is needed in case something happens to my heir.

My plan is that I am going to seduce Lord Tarly in hopes of gaining favor for my House, to get my heir released and try to arrange a marriage between my youngest son and a Tarly daughter.

To gain Lord Tarly's favor, I offer up the location of my rebel brother. His sacrifice will help my house and finally end the war. My House can not prosper with the chance of war erupting on our front steps.