Chapter 229: Dorne

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Dorne

Jacob, Tyrion, and Stiles appeared above Sunspear, suspended in the air by Jacob’s telekinesis. The city sprawled beneath them—a labyrinth of winding streets, mud-brick markets, and gleaming white towers that caught the afternoon sun. The Summer Sea stretched endlessly to the south.

Stiles let out a low whistle. "Okay, I have to admit—this place is gorgeous. Look at those towers! And the water! It’s like a postcard."

Tyrion nodded, his voice carrying a note of appreciation. "Sunspear is unlike any other city in Westeros. The Dornish built their capital to be beautiful as well as defensible. Those three concentric walls you see? They’re called the Winding Walls. Designed to trap and disorient invading armies. But inside..." He gestured to the bustling streets below. "It’s a city of life. Markets, plazas, fountains. The Dornish know how to enjoy themselves."

Jacob surveyed the city with a critical eye. "Well, at least it doesn’t smell as bad as King’s Landing."

Tyrion chuckled. "That’s because the Dornish understand the value of proper sanitation."

Jacob used his x-ray vision, his eyes scanning through the buildings below. He located Doran Martell inside the throne room of the Water Gardens, seated in a meeting with Jaime Lannister, Myrcella Baratheon, and Trystane Martell. Bronn was also present, standing nearby with blood dripping from his nose.

"Found them," Jacob said. "Let’s go."

He teleported the three of them inside.

---

The throne room of the Water Gardens was a masterpiece of Dornish architecture. Pink marble columns rose to a vaulted ceiling, and open archways let in the warm sea breeze. The room was filled with soft golden light, reflecting off the pools and fountains visible through the windows.

Everyone inside looked up in shock as three strangers appeared out of thin air.

Jaime and Bronn’s eyes locked on Tyrion, their expressions a mixture of surprise and disbelief. Tyrion stared back, equally shocked to see them here.

Doran Martell came back to his senses first. "Guards!" he shouted.

Guards poured into the room, weapons drawn, charging at the intruders.

Jacob stepped forward and released his Conqueror’s Haki. A shockwave of energy exploded from his body—black and red lightning crackling through the air—washing over everyone in the room. The guards collapsed first, their eyes rolling back as unconsciousness claimed them.

Then one by one, everyone else in the room fell unconscious—Jaime, Bronn, Trystane, Myrcella, and the servants—all except Prince Doran.

Doran stared at the bodies around him in panic. His hands trembling. "What... what have you done to them?"

Jacob smiled harmlessly. "There’s no need to worry. They just fainted. They’ll wake up soon."

Doran forced himself to calm down, his voice still shaking. "Who are you, sorcerer? What do you want?"

Jacob said, "I’m just here to talk." He turned to Stiles. "Introduce me."

But Stiles was staring at the unconscious Trystane, his mouth hanging open.

Jacob smacked the back of his head. "What are you doing?"

Stiles pointed at Trystane. "I think we found your doppelganger. Look—he looks just like you. He even has the same haircut."

Jacob glanced at Trystane and snorted dismissively. "He looks like a cheap knockoff of me at best. Now stop being stupid and introduce me."

Stiles straightened. "Alright, alright." He stepped forward and cleared his throat dramatically. "I present to you King Jacob of House Alexander, King of Dragons, Future King of Westeros, Protector of Women, the Most Handsome Man Alive, the Demon Slayer, King of the Free Folk and the Giants, the Conqueror. Etcetera, etcetera."

Doran’s eyes went wide again. He forced himself to remain calm, his voice measured. "So you’re the new King in the North that everyone is talking about—Jacob Alexander. Why have you traveled so far from the North to come to Dorne?"

Jacob settled onto a cushioned couch with casual ease. "I want you to pledge your allegiance to me."

Doran opened his mouth to respond, but Jacob raised a hand, cutting him off.

"Listen to what I have to say first. Dorne right now is like a pool of wildfire, Doran. And you are sitting on the edge with a burning torch in your hand."

He leaned forward, his eyes boring into Doran’s.

"People in Dorne are hungry for Lannister blood. They loved Oberyn, and they want vengeance for his death. But what do they see their ruler doing? They see you hosting Jaime Lannister. They see you feeding him, drinking with him. And they will learn from Ellaria that you peacefully handed over Myrcella Baratheon to him like a faithful servant of the Iron Throne. To your people, your caution doesn’t look like wisdom—it looks like cowardice. You have completely lost the loyalty of your own kingdom."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"And if you think you made the wise decision by letting Jaime take Myrcella, then you are a blind fool. Ellaria Sand is not going to let Myrcella leave Dorne alive. The moment that ship sails, that girl will be a corpse. But she won’t stop there, Doran. Ellaria and the Sand Snakes are going to murder you. They will plunge a knife into your chest, cut your son’s throat, and your own palace guards will stand there and watch it happen because they agree with her. You are completely isolated in your own court, and the only reason you are still breathing is because they haven’t struck yet."

Doran shook his head, his voice stubborn. "Ellaria will never do such a thing."

Jacob smirked. "You are naive, my friend. Seventeen years ago, Tywin Lannister ordered the butcher of your sister, Elia. Her children’s skulls were cracked, and she was raped and torn apart. For seventeen years, your people cried for justice, and you gave them nothing. Then Oberyn went for the Mountain’s head and returned in a box. Ellaria loved Oberyn, and she is willing to do absolutely anything to get her revenge."

Doran’s voice was defensive. "Don’t talk to me about Elia. She was my sister, and I also want revenge for her. As for Oberyn, he died in a fair trial by combat."

Jacob shook his head. "Sure. Your brother died in a fair duel. And in my opinion, he was an idiot. Instead of finishing the Mountain, he started playing around and died stupidly because of his own foolishness and ego. But Ellaria doesn’t see it that way. She will stop at nothing to strike back at the Lannisters, and the very first thing she needs to do is remove you from the equation. She will take your head and your son’s to become the ruler of Dorne."

He leaned back, his voice dropping to a cold whisper.

"And believe it or not, the Dornish people are entirely behind her. They will accept her as their new ruler. Even your own guards will bend the knee to her over your bleeding corpse. She doesn’t want justice, Doran. She wants a bloodbath. She wants to see King’s Landing burn, even if Dorne has to burn right along with it. To her, you and Trystane are just obstacles—weak men standing in the way of her war."

He paused, his eyes boring into Doran’s.

"So tell me, Prince Doran. Do you truly believe your people will support a coward like you? Will they bleed for a man who refuses to fight and serves his enemies like a loyal dog? Or will they follow Ellaria and the Sand Snakes?"

Doran’s voice was strained. "And what makes you think they will be willing to follow me if I bend the knee to a stranger like you?"

Jacob’s smile was calm. "Because following me means Dorne will be spared destruction. I’ll give them peace instead of fire. And when they see you standing beside me, they’ll follow your lead—not because they love me, but because they trust you to guide them."

Doran said, "You talk like you could conquer Dorne any time you want."

Jacob said, "I have a dragon. And I just came from Meereen after marrying Daenerys Targaryen. With her three dragons, I now have four—all loyal to me. And if that’s not enough, Cersei was foolish enough to throw both of Olenna Tyrell’s grandchildren into a dungeon. I saved them, and Olenna pledged her allegiance to me. So even if you doubt the rumors about my personal power—that I can defeat a thousand men alone—you should understand that I command a large and powerful army. I have the North. The Vale is as good as mine. I have the Reach. I have thirty-five thousand Free Folk soldiers. I have giants. And I have four dragons. Daenerys also commands a large army of her own." He leaned forward. "So you see, I could take Dorne whenever I choose. You have two options—surrender peacefully, or fight a war you cannot win."

Doran met his gaze. "Many have tried to conquer Dorne before you. None succeeded."

Jacob said, "Do you really think your Dornish army could stop me if I decided to take this land by force?"

Doran’s voice was challenging. "Aegon the Conqueror, along with his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys, couldn’t take Dorne with three dragons—Balerion the Black Dread, Vhagar, and Meraxes. And the Dornish people killed Meraxes, by the way. So tell me, sorcerer—why do you think you can take Dorne with smaller dragons?"

Jacob was bored. He asked one last time. "Are you unwilling to swear your allegiance to me?"

Doran’s voice trembled, but he held his ground. "I have already chosen my king. His name is Tommen Baratheon. You can kill me right here if you wish, Jacob Alexander. But I will not break my word. I will not believe your lies about Ellaria. And I will never swear allegiance to a stranger."

Jacob could smell the fear reeking from Doran. He sighed, shaking his head in disgust. He stood up, looking down at Doran with pity.

"I’m disappointed, Doran," Jacob said, his voice calm but heavy with judgment. "I believed you were a wise ruler. But you’re just a coward. Too afraid to lead your people. Too afraid to avenge your sister and brother. I came here to talk to you because I wanted to avoid dealing with Ellaria. But it seems I misjudged you entirely."

He turned to Tyrion. "What’s the plan with your niece? Do you want to take her with us back to Meereen? Or should I send her to her brother? Or send her with Jaime to Braavos and let them figure out what to do from there themselves?"

Tyrion thought for a moment. "Let me talk to them first."

Jacob nodded. "Alright. Let’s go out of this place."

Tyrion pointed to Bronn. "Can you please take him with us too, Your Grace?"

Jacob shrugged. "Sure."

He wrapped Stiles, Tyrion, Jaime, Bronn, and Myrcella in his telekinesis. Using his x-ray vision, he located Ellaria with her three daughters in her chambers. Then he teleported everyone there.

---

Ellaria Sand and her daughters—Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene—were in the middle of a heated discussion when the room suddenly filled with strangers.

Ellaria’s eyes went wide with fear. The Sand Snakes immediately drew their weapons, aiming them at the intruders.

Ellaria’s gaze swept over the group, landing on Jaime and Myrcella with undisguised hatred. Then she turned to Tyrion, her expression darkening further. Finally, she fixed her eyes on Jacob.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

Jacob’s voice was calm. "I’m Jacob Alexander. I’m sure you’ve heard of me."

Ellaria’s eyes went wide in shock. "I have heard of you. But why are you here?"

Jacob waved his hand, and the weapons in the Sand Snakes’ hands flew across the room, clattering to the floor. "I’m not here to attack you. I’m here to talk."

Ellaria and the Sand Snakes watched his little display of power and swallowed hard. Ellaria forced herself to speak calmly. "Obara, Nymeria, Tyene—don’t be rude to our guests. Pour them some wine."

Tyene nodded and went to a table in the corner of the room. She began filling cups with wine, then brought them to Jacob, Stiles, and Tyrion.

Jacob waved his hand. "I don’t drink." He sat down.

Stiles also shook his head. "I don’t drink." He sat down as well.

Tyrion took a cup. "Thank you."

Jacob smirked. "If you want to die a miserable death, drink what a snake gave you."

Tyrion, who had been about to drink, dropped the cup and looked at Tyene in horror.

Jacob’s eyes glowed red. He released a fraction of his dragon aura at Ellaria and her three daughters, making them terrified. He made a choking gesture with his hand, and Tyene was raised in the air, choking and clawing at her neck.

Ellaria fell to her knees. "Please don’t kill her! I will listen to whatever you want to say... no, I will do whatever you command! Just don’t kill my daughters!"

Jacob let go of Tyene, and she fell to the floor, gasping for air. He looked at Obara and Nymeria. "Take your sister to the corner of the room and sit there without a word. Let me talk to your mother."

Ellaria said, "Obara, Nymeria—go. Quickly."

Obara and Nymeria dragged Tyene to the corner and sat there in silence. They stared at Jacob, their fear slowly giving way to something else—something that looked disturbingly like lust.

Jacob shook his head in amusement and turned back to Ellaria. "Get up from the floor and sit properly."

Ellaria got up and sat on a chair in front of Jacob.

Jacob told her about his plan to conquer Westeros. He told her about his army, his dragons, and that he had conquered the Reach. He told her that Cersei was his enemy. He told her that he had just come from speaking with Doran and that he had told Doran about her plan to kill him—but Doran had refused to believe him.

Ellaria’s voice was careful. "So Doran was your first choice?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes. I need a sane person to govern Dorne for me and enforce my laws here. Not a madwoman who can only think about revenge—to the point that she’s willing to kill innocent little girls." He leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "So let me make this simple, Ellaria—you will swear allegiance to me and rule Dorne in my name, or I will kill you alongside Doran and find someone else who can. Choose wisely."

Ellaria’s voice was desperate. "What about my revenge?"

Jacob’s voice was flat. "The Mountain is just a zombie now. Although still alive, he’s just a mindless beast. Oberyn’s poison almost killed him, but a man named Qyburn turned him into a zombie. He will die when the time comes, but he won’t feel a thing. As for Cersei—she will die, but you will not be the one who gets to kill her."

Ellaria asked carefully, "Is it you who will kill her? Did she do something to you too?"

Jacob shook his head. "Not me. The Starks are the ones who hate her."

Ellaria nodded slowly. "As long as the Mountain dies a brutal death and Cersei dies as well, that’s all that matters to me."

She got up from her chair and prepared to kneel.

Jacob stopped her. "What are you doing?"

Ellaria looked confused. "I want to kneel to you and pledge my allegiance."

Jacob shook his head. "First, I don’t like people kneeling to me, so don’t kneel in front of me again. Second, right now you are just Ellaria Sand. Your allegiance doesn’t mean a thing. You need to take over Dorne first and make all the nobles and smallfolk in Dorne acknowledge you as their ruler. Then you can swear allegiance to me."

Ellaria sat back on her chair. "That won’t be hard. But what should I do with Prince Doran and his son? They will become a problem."

Jacob waved his hand dismissively. "Banish them, or do with them as you please. They are not my concern."

He stood up. "I’ll be back in a few days to give you a way to contact me. I hope to hear good news."

He wrapped Stiles and the others in his telekinesis. "And one more thing—Cersei knows you’re planning to kill her daughter. That’s why she sent her brother Jaime here. She might send some sellswords to kidnap your daughters. Be careful."

With that, he vanished with Stiles and the others.

Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene came to Ellaria. Obara asked, "Mother, should we really accept that man as our king?"

Ellaria sighed. "He could’ve killed us without us having a chance to fight back or even escape. Besides, he’s already conquered the North and the Reach. With the Starks, the Vale is as good as his, like he said. And he said he’s married to Daenerys Targaryen, who has three dragons and a large army. Following a man like that is the right choice."

Nymeria’s voice was dreamy. "He’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen a man like him before."

Obara nodded in agreement. "Yes. He’s very handsome."

Tyene said, "I like Bronn better."

Nymeria snorted. "You like an old, dirty man over a handsome king?"

Ellaria cut them off. "Alright. Let’s deal with Doran and his son as we planned." She stood up, her eyes hardening. "Let’s go."

To be continued... ??

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