Chapter 5: Chapter Five: Interventions
The Diligence was a magnificent vessel. It was originally from the Stormlands, specifically House Estermont of Greenstone. It was made of ironwood and cedar, and it had three decks. It was relatively small, as it was not meant to accommodate more than fifty individuals. In spite of its size, it was swift and lithe when at sea.
For his most recent assignment, Gregor had requested the quickest ship that was currently docked in King's Landing. King Robert had granted his request. He had assumed that Ser Gregor only wished to return Princess Elia to Dorne as quickly as possible.
While that was true, the Mountain had another reason for wanting the fastest ship available. Princess Elia Martell and her children were not the only people whose deaths he could prevent. He had a window of opportunity to save a number of knights, noblemen, and a noble lady in Dorne. But he had to move with haste; otherwise he would miss this window.
The previous night, Gregor had sent word to his men that they were leaving the Crownlands. He informed them that they would be sailing for Sunspear in the early morning. As such, they had to be ready to travel at first light.
Sure enough, at daybreak, the Diligence sailed out of Blackwater Bay. After exiting the harbor through the east, it headed due south. Gregor was the only Westerlander onboard; every member of the crew was of the Stormlands. All the same, he had command of the vessel for the duration of this voyage.
Gregor had notified the crew that they would be making only one stop until they reached Dorne. The purpose of that stop would be for them to pick up their passengers.
House Clegane's camp was located on the shoreline southeast of King's Landing. The servants and most of the soldiers would be staying there until Gregor returned. However, Elia, her children, and Gregor's men-at-arms would all be brought aboard.
Gregor had the crew to go below deck when Elia and the others came on-board. That way, none of them would see Princess Rhaenys or Prince Aegon. He also had the crew cleared out of the corridors in the lower decks so that Elia and her children could be moved to their quarters. For lodgings, the three of them were give a private cabin; the crew had strict orders not to disturb Elia under any circumstances.
Two of Elia's ladies-in-waiting had been in King's Landing when it fell. Gregor had opted to bring both of them aboard, as both of them were Dornish, and their first loyalty was to the princess. They were two of only three people who were permitted to enter Elia's cabin.
Gregor was the third.
Despite his enormous stature and his intimidating stride, Gregor Clegane did not frighten Elia Martell. That was not solely because he had saved her and her children from a terrible fate. Even though her opinion of the Westerlords was not especially high due to recent events, he was kind, patient, and sympathetic. He was able to convince her that at least some of the westermen had honor.
Their only unpleasant encounter occurred when Gregor presented her with Robert's "peace offering." Before Gregor left the city, the stag king had given him a locked chest; Gregor was given the key, but he had instructions not to open the chest until he gave it to Elia.
When Elia opened the chest, she and Gregor found Ser Amory Lorch's head inside. The Princess appeared to accept the chest gratefully, but she was clearly disgusted. Gregor was just glad Rhaenys and Aegon had not been nearby at the time. He apologized for causing her discomfort, but she did not blame him for that.
There were approximately 800 miles between King's Landing and Sunspear. Unfortunately, the straightest route was composed neither entirely of land nor entirely of water. Going by boat was the more popular and preferred method of travel.
Once out of Blackwater Bay, the Diligence headed south by southwest. It remained in the Narrow Sea for the majority of the voyage. The crew had to alter course a few times to avoid a number of obstacles, such as Driftmark, Tarth, and Greenstone.
When they passed Shipbreaker Bay, Gregor and the crew spotted an armada to the west. That was the Redwyne fleet; the Reachmen were maintaining the blockade of Storm's End. Luckily, none of Lord Paxter's ships spotted the Diligence.
Gregor was aware that Lord Eddard Stark was currently on his way to lift the siege of Storm's End. He did not know how long that would take, but Gregor was hoping it would not be done quickly. After all, he knew where Eddard would be going after he liberated Stannis, and if Gregor really was going to save the aforementioned lives, he had to get there first.
The Diligence had a maximum sustainable speed of 16 knots. To avoid exhausting the crew or overstressing the vessel, Gregor had the ship keep an average speed of 13.5 knots. That meant it went approximately 15.53 miles per hour.
Due to the various impedients the Diligence had to evade – as well as abrupt changes in wind or weather – the original distance of 800 miles between King's Landing and Sunspear was nearly doubled in this voyage. Luckily, the vessel never had to halt. In the end, it only required slightly more than nine days to reach Sunspear.
Gregor took full advantage of those nine days. He spent a lot of that time with Elia in her cabin. Her ladies-in-waiting remained wary of the Mountain, but her children became comfortable around him. Aegon never cried when Elia let Gregor hold him, and Rhaenys started to call him "Uncle Gweg."
At first, Gregor's conversations with Elia were casual. They talked about their homelands, their upbringings, and their families. Both of them spent a fair amount of time divulging information about their families.
The day before they reached Sunspear, Gregor and Elia were in the latter's cabin. Her ladies-in-waiting were elsewhere; Elia suspected they were getting "acquainted with Chiswyck and Tobbot. Aegon was asleep on the bed, and Rhaenys was playing in the corner. The Mountain and the Princess were having another of their amiable conversations. Like the others, it started out as casual, but by the end, it would be anything but.
"Wait until your first meeting with my brothers," Elia remarked, "Doran will wish to shake hands with you personally."
Gregor smiled at that. Then an odd thought entered into his head. "And Oberyn?"
"Oh…" Elia muttered with a devious smirk, "He'll want to give you much more than a handshake."
"I see…" Gregor commented, gazing awkwardly off to the side. He then turned back to the princess and asked "Will he?"
"Only if you permit him to," Elia assured the massive knight.
"But how does one decline an offer such as that?" Gregor thought aloud.
"Cordially and with a lot of bluntness," Elia advised him.
Gregor Clegane nodded in acknowledgment, folded his arms, and said presumptively "So it's true that your younger brother does not… discriminate on basis of gender in anything?"
"Indeed not," the princess affirmed, "He never has."
The Mountain scoffed a bit at that. That caused Elia to raise an eyebrow and inquire "Do you, Ser Gregor?"
Gregor chose his words carefully: "Generally, I do not. I would argue men are no greater than women, nor women than men. Both are capable of ruling a house, and both should be allowed to train in the ways of war."
"The whole of Dorne shares that perspective," Elia proclaimed. She leaned forward and queried "What about your personal interests?"
"If you must know, I respect my fellow man," Gregor revealed, "But I have no desire to share my bed with him."
"Oberyn would call that ignorance," Elia said cheekily, "All the same, he and I both think every person is entitled to choose their own tastes."
"I must concede there, as well," Ser Gregor declared.
There was a moment of silence. It ended when Elia stated "I assume you like women?"
"You assume correctly, Your Grace," Gregor replied, seemingly nonchalant, despite the strangeness of that question.
"Have you ever lain with one?" Elia enquired abruptly.
Gregor could not fathom what prompted that question. He was not very certain how to answer it, either. As Gregory Welch, he had been intimate with a few women on more than a few occasions. As the Mountain, he had yet to do so even once. He was certain that Elia Martell had not been the original Gregor's first, though.
Ultimately, he admitted to the princess "Alas, I have not. Yet, I mean."
"Most men who enter Dorne as virgins do not leave as such," Elia informed him, "If you are not heedful, that may be the case with you, Ser Gregor."
"I will take your warning seriously, Your Grace," Gregor pronounced, "After all, I have heard tell that the most beautiful women in the realm are from Dorne."
Elia grinned in a sly manner and asked "What do you say to that?"
"Well, pardon my forwardness, Your Grace," Gregor contended, "But if the rest of the Dornishwomen look anything like you…"
He stopped himself there. Up until this point, he and the princess had simply been engaging in friendly banter. Even the remarks about Gregor's… personal life had been relatively informal. But he had inadvertently begun to flirt with Elia. That was a very unwise idea for several reasons. For one thing, Elia was twenty-six years old; he was only seventeen. Furthermore, she was a princess of Dorne and the former Crown Princess of Westeros. He was just the heir to a third-generation knightly house in the Westerlands. It would not do well for him to seek such companionship so far above his station in this life. Aside from that, even if Elia ever did remarry, she would never be able to give her second husband children, and the continuation of one's line was the primary concern of every lord.
Fortunately, Elia did not seem offended in any way. She merely giggled at the expression across the massive knight's countenance and told him "Thank you, Ser Gregor."
"I only speak the truth, Your Grace," Gregor assured her. He had been meaning to address a certain topic with Elia ever since she came aboard. He had not gotten around to it yet, as he had never found the right opportunity. He realized that due to the nature of this conversation, this was perhaps the perfect opportunity. So he decided to address that topic. He spoke very cautiously with "On that subject… I've also heard that in Dorne, marriage is not as strict as it is everywhere else."
"That is true," Elia professed, "Husbands and wives often take paramours, but doing so is not regarded as unfaithfulness."
"Do you agree with that sentiment?" Gregor said inquisitively.
Now it was Elia's turn to look stunned. Raising an eyebrow, she inquired "Why do you ask?"
"There is something occupying my mind, Your Grace," Gregor informed her, "Does the phrase 'the dragon has three heads' hold any familiarity with you?"
Elia seemed taken aback by that question. She enquired anxiously "Where did you hear that?"
"Your husband told me it when I met him," Gregor claimed. That was not true, but only Rhaegar could prove it false. "He never explained it. But I'm beginning to understand what he meant."
"What do you believe he meant?" Princess Elia asked, definitely interested.
Gregor did not give a clear answer right away. Instead, he started his explanation with: "As I recall from my history lessons, several of the Targaryen Kings had two wives. That includes Aegon the Conqueror himself, who wed his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys."
"This is true," Elia Martell coincided with a sigh, "Two of those three people were my children's namesakes. If Rhaegar and I managed to have a third child, we would have named her Visenya."
"I'm sorry that you will never have a third child," Gregor stated sincerely
Based on his emphasis of that word, Elia could tell that he was not referring to both her and Rhaegar. Even so, she did not think much of what he was insinuating. She pointed out "Rhaegar never will either."
"Unless…" Gregor said in response. He had no intention of finishing that sentence; he just wanted to ensure that Elia would listen to him closely and take him totally seriously. That single word had that intended effect.
"Speak your mind, Ser Gregor," she bade him.
The massive knight debated "By combining the Targaryens' polygamous relationships with your… Dornish tolerance, as you might call it, you and Rhaegar would in theory have the most open relationship in the entire country."
Elia shrugged and supposed "One could make that argument."
She may have seemed calm, but Gregor could see that she was becoming a little tense. He remarked bluntly "I must ask you a personal question, Your Grace."
Princess Elia nodded in approval, and Gregor inquired in a very straightforward tone "Was your husband the only one who took an interest in Lyanna Stark?"
Elia's eyes widened in astonishment. She looked as though her voice was caught in her throat.
Her silence was enough for Gregor. That and Rhaenys' reaction to that question. The little girl had looked up from her toys when she heard Lyanna Stark's name. Evidently, she recognized it, but she seemed giddy.
"You do not have to answer that question, Your Grace," Gregor hastily declared, "Just tell me this: am I getting somewhere?"
"Yes, you are," Elia proclaimed.
"That's all I need to know," Gregor murmured. There came another long pause, and at the end of it, he stated "As soon as we dock in Sunspear, I must go somewhere, Your Grace. I would like you and your brothers to accompany me. And your children, as well; if at all possible."
"Ser Gregor, we continue to draw breath because of you," Elia contended, "If you wish it, we'll go with you all the way to the Wall."
"We needn't go that far," Gregor told her, snickering, "We do not even have to leave Dorne. I only ask for you to ride with me to the Red Mountains."
"Very well," Elia conceded, "Might I ask why, though?"
"Because the lives of several good people are at stake," Gregor replied, "Including someone whom I believe you care deeply about, and who cares deeply for you in turn."
Despite the vague nature of Gregor's statements, Elia could fully understand the true meaning behind them. In response to it, she merely nodded her head in both acceptance and confirmation.
Shortly before noon the following day, the Diligence pulled into the docks of Sunspear. Once more, the Stormlander crew was summoned below deck. Then Princess Elia and her children disembarked, along with her ladies-in-waiting, Ser Gregor Clegane, and his men-at-arms.
They were received rather warmly by Elia's brothers. They had already been informed of what the Mountain had done for her sister. A raven from King's Landing had arrived a couple days beforehand. It had contained details of how Elia's children had been savagely murdered by Ser Amory Lorch, but Ser Gregor Clegane had saved Elia by slaying his own ally.
Elia's brothers were delighted to see that Rhaenys and Aegon lived after all. They were also impressed by how Gregor had gone to great length to ensure their survival. Especially since in the process, he had knowingly defied his liege lord at his own risk.
Just as Elia had foretold, Prince Doran had approached him and shaken his hand. He was already in his mid-thirties, but it would be over a decade before his affliction with gout. At this age had a very firm, vigorous handshake.
Elia's other presumption about her other brother proved true, as well. While Oberyn also shook Gregor's hand, he looked as though he wanted to show his appreciation even further by kissing him on the lips. Gregor was just glad he stood a foot and a-half taller than the Red Viper.
At any rate, once pleasantries were exchanged between the Martells and the Mountain, Prince Doran offered to hold a small feast in Gregor's honor. The Mountain claimed that while he was grateful for the offer, celebrating would have to wait. He and Elia jointly explained that it was urgent that they all ride for the Red Mountains.
Fortunately, it took little convincing to win Doran and Oberyn over in this proposal. They agreed to leave at once.
Doran hurriedly assembled a small company of knights and servants. At the head of the company was his captain of the guard, Areo Hotah. Between Gregor's men-at-arms and Doran's retainers, there were about fifty people in their party. Each one had his or her own horse.
Gregor made sure that Maester Caleotte joined them. That was critical, as a maester's services would most certainly be needed when they reached their destination.
Rhaenys and Aegon were brought along, as well. Elia bundled up Aegon and carried him close to her chest as she rode. As for Rhaenys, her Uncle Oberyn shared his saddle with her.
The party rode across the vast deserts of Dorne for thirteen days. They generally restricted their movements to the late morning and the early evening, as it was usually too hot to travel in the middle of the day and too cold to travel by night.
Finally, at the end of an exhausting 400-mile trek, the party came within sight of a majestic stronghold. There were three figures standing watch at the base of the building. They were clad in the white armor of the Kingsguard. They were Ser Oswell Whent, Ser Gerold Hightower, and Ser Arthur Dayne.
Gregor had his men-at-arms remain behind. Doran did the same with his soldiers and servants.
While everyone else set up camp five miles away, Ser Gregor Clegane, Prince Doran Martell, Princess Elia Martell, Prince Oberyn Martell, and Maester Caleotte galloped on to the Tower of Joy.
When they reached the top of the hill that overlooked the Tower, they brought their horses to a halt. By then, the three Kingsguard knights had noticed them, as well.
Elia proceeded onward by herself. Her brothers, the maester, and Gregor watched as she galloped down the hill and approached the Tower of Joy. They observed her as she spoke with Ser Arthur, Ser Gerold, and Ser Oswell.
Gregor could not discern anything they said, but he could imagine it was a fairly heated discussion. More than a few times, one of the four of them raised his or her voice. Evidently, a lot of personal feelings and thoughts were being brought into the matter.
Elia did pull through in the end, however. After nearly an hour of trying and failing to reason with the three Kingsguard knights, they yielded to her logic. Subsequently, Elia turned back to the others and waved them over.
Gregor noticed the look of skepticism and disdain the Kingsguard gave him as he neared the Tower of Joy. He did not believe that was due to anything he personally had done. He assumed that the three of them were simply mistrustful by nature. After all, he had done nothing to warrant their antagonism.
Still, Gregor was hoping he would not have to fight them. He himself was a very adept swordsman, but the skills of these three were well-known, particularly Ser Arthur.
Once Gregor, Doran, Oberyn, and Maester Caleotte caught up to Elia, the Princess and Maester Caleotte went up the stairs to the Tower of Joy. Elia brought Aegon and Rhaenys with them. Gregor would have liked to have gone with them, but he was not about to interfere in what could be regarded as a family affair.
For several days, Gregor waited anxiously as Elia Martell and Maester Caleotte tended to Lyanna Stark. The wolf girl's screams could be heard for over a mile in any direction. Gregor wished he could have done something to relieve her suffering, but he had no idea how to ease the process of childbirth. He could only stand by and hope for the best.
For once, the best actually came about. Eventually, Lyanna's screams subsided. They were replaced with the wailing of an infant. That was when Maester Caleotte allowed the others to enter the Tower. Doran and Oberyn accepted the offer to enter, but Gregor decided to wait. Another prominent group was about to arrive, and Gregor was not going to be absent when they turned up.
Just a few hours later, he spotted seven riders approaching from the north. Quite appropriate, considering their origins. One-by-one, he identified them all. Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Martyn Cassel, his captain of the guard. Ethan Glover of Deepwood Motte, the only member of Brandon Stark's party to survive the Black Cells. Lord Willam Dustin of Barrowtown. Theo Wull of the Mountain Clans. Ser Mark Ryswell of the Rills. Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch.
Only two of them were originally destined to survive. Gregor was determined for all seven of them to.
As the Northmen trotted closer to the Tower of Joy, Gregor stayed out of sight. He did not wish to give them the wrong impression by appearing to be on the side of the three Kingsguard. So he went up to fetch Elia. The Dornish princess was able to pry herself from Lyanna's side long enough to avert this needless loss of life.
Soon enough, the Northmen dismounted their horses and approached the Tower very slowly. Gregor and Elia stood at the top of the steps and witnessed the confrontation between them and the Kingsguard.
"I looked for you on the Trident," Ned said to them.
"We were not there," Ser Gerold answered.
"Woe to the Usurper if we had been," said Ser Oswell.
"When King's Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were."
"Far away," Ser Gerold said, "or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells."
"I came down on Storm's End to lift the siege," Ned told them, "And the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them."
"Our knees do not bend easily," said Ser Arthur Dayne.
"Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him."
"Ser Willem is a good man and true," said Ser Oswell.
"But not of the Kingsguard," Ser Gerold pointed out. "The Kingsguard does not flee."
"Then or now," said Ser Arthur.
"We swore a vow," explained old Ser Gerold.
Ned's vassals moved up beside him, with swords in hand. They were seven against three.
"Now it ends," Ned said with sadness in his voice.
"No," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, with a grin that was wholly uncharacteristic of him, "Now it begins, my lord."
With that, he gestured to the top of the stairs. The wolf lord and his retainers gazed upward, and there Gregor and Elia were, smiling as well.
"Welcome, Lord Eddard," Gregor said cordially, "Your sister awaits you."
Ned Stark and his six companions were notably confused by this sudden development. The seven of them had come, fully expecting a skirmish. Instead, they were being greeted peacefully.
Fortunately, Eddard chose to have faith in Ser Gregor's words. He and his men sheathed their weapons, and they made for the staircase.
"Just you, Lord Eddard," Elia requested, "Lyanna is still recovering."
"Recovering from what?" Eddard asked, perplexed.
"See for yourself, my lord," Gregor proposed in good humor.
Ned kept one hand on the hilt of his sword as a precaution. He swiftly made the ascent up the staircase to the Tower of Joy. There, Gregor held the door open for him, and the Lord of Winterfell passed through.
He found his sister on a bed.
She looked the vision of health. That was all thanks to the persistent efforts of Maester Caleotte. She did not just look healthy; Lyanna was definitely going to live.
Gregor felt a little annoyed. Lyanna's life could have been saved all along if Rhaegar had been smart enough to leave a maester with her. Did he think childbirth was effortless or something?
There were three people there that Eddard had not expected to see at all. They were not Maester Caleotte, Prince Doran, and Prince Oberyn. Instead, they were the small girl sitting on Doran's lap, the tiny babe in Oberyn's arm, and the newborn babe Lyanna was cradling close to her breast.
"Lya…" Eddard whispered, amazed.
He rushed to his sister's bed and embraced her warmly. The wolf girl began to cry tears of joy as she hugged her brother with her one free arm.
When they came apart, Eddard gazed down at the babe in his sister's arms. He asked with a smile "Who is this?"
"The third head," Gregor remarked.
"I beg your pardon, Ser Gregor?" Ned stated.
"I shall explain in time, Lord Eddard," the Mountain asserted.
Eddard Stark was content with that answer for now. When he turned back to his sister, Lyanna informed him "Ned, this is your nephew, Jon. Jon Targaryen."
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