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[ARYA walks through the door with a tray of oysters. The Brothel Keeper stops her, but a Prostitute asks him otherwise. The Brothel Keeper gestures a nod for ARYA to go on. She walks to the Prostitute and the man she's with. ARYA begins cutting an oyster open for the woman, while the man with her pays ARYA a silver for them. The man places a silver on her tray in exchange for the oysters. ARYA turns and sees TRANT'S men being taken to a back room. ARYA enters the room and peers through a divider to see a prostitute posing for MERYN. The Kingsguard refuses her. More Prostitutes are brought in and MERYN denies them all, calling them 'too old'. The people in the room share uneasy glances as they realize what he's asking for.]
As do the people in the viewing hall.
"Fucking disgusting" Catelyn spat.
"It would explain why he was so eager to hit Sansa" Margaery muttered in equal disgust.
Tyrion and Jaime though were disgusted and enraged for completely different reasons.
"He guards Myrcella" Tyrion spat in disgust. They had been keeping a predator like him so close to the girl all this time...
"Not any more" Jaime whispered in fury.
"Are you okay?" Joanna asked her granddaughter, the worry on her face apparent.
"Yes," Myrcella looked at her a little confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Joanna just smiled and rubbed her gently on the back. Good... the man had not done anything to her...
[One of TRANT'S men crosses to the other side of the divider and confronts ARYA.]
"Fresh? Come on, the lads are hungry."
[The man drags her into the room.]
"Nothing better for your cock stand than fresh oysters."
[MERYN stares at ARYA.]
Arya shifted in her seat in discomfort. The gaze made her feel... dirty somehow. She knew she shouldn't but it did...
Robb's arm around her shoulder calmed her some and she leaned into him.
[The head prostitute brings in a child, which MERYN approves.]
The people made sounds of disgust.
[The head prostitute hands MERYN an hourglass. He hands it back.]
"I'll tell you when we're done."
"Do you think he'd touched the Princess?" Elia whispered to Oberyn.
The Red Viper eyed the girl before shaking his head.
"She does not look it, no reactions whatsoever... Though I don't doubt he's touched himself thinking about her."
Elia smacked him on the arm for that comment.
[DORNE; PALACE]
[DORAN is addressing ELLARIA with AREO standing guard next to the three Sand Snakes. ELLARIA kneels and kisses his ring, crying. NYMERIA and OBARA look disgusted, TYENE'S face reveals less.]
"Good, she's finally seeing reason" Elia muttered.
But Oberyn was not so sure. He knew his paramour well.... she had something planned. He only hoped that it was not something absolutely stupid.
[DORNE; JAIME'S ROOM]
[JAIME is writing a letter in his former cell that is now unlocked. ELLARIA enters.]
"You write like a 7 year old."
"I'm writing with my left hand!" Jaime huffed.
"Your handwriting is shit with your right hand as well" Tyrion pointed out snickering.
Jaime cuffed his brother with a roll of his eyes.
"Your maester kindly agreed to copy it over for me."
"He didn't try to make you pay? Then maybe he's changed. The Queen will be thrilled to know you'll be bringing her daughter home. You love her very much, don't you?"
"Of course, she's my niece."
"I wasn't talking about her."
[JAIME looks up from his writing at ELLARIA.]
"Don't make it so obvious to your enemies" Tyrion rolled his eyes.
"If she is saying it, she already knows. No point in playing coy now" Jaime explained with a sigh.
"You think I disapprove. Why? Because people disapprove of that sort of thing where you are from? They disapproved of Oberyn and me where you are from. Here, no one blinked an eye. 100 years ago, no one would have blinked an eye at you if you had been named Targaryen. It's always changing, who we're supposed to love and who we're not. The only thing that stays the same is that we want who we want."
[ELLARIA pauses, taking walks around the room.]
"I know your daughter had no part in the terrible thing that happened to the man I loved. Perhaps even you were innocent of that."
Now he knew she was plotting something. Why else would she try to get Jaime's guard down like that? It was one of the things Oberyn loved about her, how she would squirm her way in like a snake and when people least expected it she would strike.
Oberyn feared how the woman he loved would strike.
[STANNIS' CAMP; SHIREEN'S TENT]
[SHIREEN plays with her stag figurine next to a fire and on top of her book. STANNIS enters the tent.]
"Father. Aren't you cold?"
"No. What are you reading?"
"The Dance of Dragons."
"What's it about?"
"It's the story of the fight between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon for control of the Seven Kingdoms. Both of them thought they belonged on the Iron Throne. When people started declaring for one of them or the other, their fight divided the kingdom in two. Brothers fought brothers. Dragons fought dragons. By the time it was over, thousands were dead. And it was a disaster for the Targaryens as well. They never truly recovered."
"The dance of dragons? Why is that a dance?"
"You sound like a Maester, asking so many questions you know the answer to" Renly chuckled.
At no response, he leaned forward to look at Stannis. The man looked stoic as ever... but there was fear in his eyes. A surprise to Renly considering how he'd never seen fear in his brother.
What was he afraid of?
"That's just what they call it. I think it's poetic."
"If you had to choose between Rhaenyra and Aegon, who would you have chosen?"
"I wouldn't have chosen either. It's all the choosing sides that made things so horrible."
"Sometimes a person has to choose. Sometimes the world forces his hand. If a man knows what he is and remains true to himself, the choice is not a choice at all. He must fulfil his destiny and become who he is meant to be. However much he may hate it."
"Gods" Stannis muttered in horror. He was going to do it... he was going to do it... HE WAS GOING TO DO IT!
"Father?" Shireen asked softly.
Stannis shook his head and looked at his feet.
"It's alright, father."
"You don't even know what I'm talking about."
"It doesn't matter. I want to help you. Is there any way I can help?"
"Yes, there is."
"Good, I want to. I'm the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon and I'm your daughter."
[They hug.]
"Forgive me."
"Stannis... don't you dare" Robert growled.
Stannis did not answer. What could he say? That nothing was stopping him from burning his only child, that he'd grown so desperate that he was about to do something heinous and disgusting.
"What do you mean?" Shireen looked at her uncle.
Robert's face softened, and he looked away with a shake of his head.
Shireen frowned.