Chapter Text
They passed Sunspear on their way to King’s Landing, but the ship was not allowed to land.
“My brother might decide to disappear,” Prince Doran had instructed Jon, but it was now clear that it wasn’t the case. Oberyn seemed to be enjoying the prospect of being king, as much as everyone would. Perhaps, Jon thought, even more.
That smile hadn’t left Oberyn’s face since they had left Essos, unnerving as it was.
“We aren’t stopping in Sunspear?” Prince Oberyn – no, Jon thought, the King – asked, as soon as it was clear that they would not make land. “I thought my dear brother would want to see me.”
“It is important that we arrive as soon as possible, Your Grace,” Jon said, as strange as it was to be calling Oberyn Martell that. Only a few months ago, His Grace had been Robert, and Oberyn the man who hated him most in the whole of Westeros. I’m getting too old for this shit, Jon thought, sighing to himself. “We have been too long without a king already.”
That might be the right moment to broach the subject of a queen, perhaps, but Jon didn’t quite feel bold enough. Maybe he would the next time he got drunk. Really, really drunk.
Oberyn smiled even wider at that. “And here I was,” he said, “thinking that we have been without a king for years now. But that’s what you are for, isn’t it, Lord Arryn?”
Next to them, Archmaester Marwyn chuckled.
“Those courtly types,” the older man said. “Never get anything done, mark my words.”
“Actually,” Jon cut in, feeling the beginning of a headache. Whose brilliant idea had been to send the archmaester with him on that trip? “The council in King’s Landing is already organizing the coronation. It will all be done most swiftly.”
“Really,” Oberyn said. “And will Lord Tywin be there?”
“I’m afraid he will not,” Jon said, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. The truth was that Tywin Lannister had left King’s Landing the moment the next king had been announced, and was now likely shut in Casterly Rock. “He is still mourning his daughter, and Ser Jaime…”
“Really,” the new king repeated, sounding even more interested. “I thought he was busy trying to hire some sellswords.” He paused. “Most of them are… friends, of mine. You should tell Lord Tywin that.”
“Now,” he continued, sparing Jon from trying to come up with a decent answer. “It is a real pity that we didn’t stop in Sunspear because now we will have to stop at the Tor, or our guest would not be able to join us.”
“Our guest.” Jon repeated, slowly. This was the first he heard about it. Which guest was it? Not some Dornish lord, hopefully. They were always trouble.
“Oh yes,” Oberyn said. “The lady Ellaria. You probably have not met her yet, but believe me, Lord Jon.”
“She really will surprise you.”