Roman looked at the Targaryen sigil in Oberyn's hand. He knew Dorne had long hoped to use the last Targaryen to take revenge on the Iron Throne, but he had not expected the Red Viper to be quite so direct.
However, Roman no longer wished to entangle himself with the Targaryen name. The last time House Whent had been dragged into the War of the Usurper, they had nearly been wiped out.
Now that he had finally brought order and prosperity to Harrenhal, he had no desire to send his people to die for some distant claim to a crown.
He picked up his teacup, swirled it gently, and stared at his own reflection in the brown liquid.
"The Targaryen era has passed," he said calmly. "People today care far more about surviving the chaos than chasing the title of the Mad King's heir. I'm afraid that argument will not work."
The Red Viper narrowed his eyes, then smiled. "Does Ser Roman mean you would rather pledge loyalty to House Baratheon than to your old masters, the Targaryens?"
"I pledge loyalty only to a monarch who truly cares for all the people of Westeros. Which family they belong to is irrelevant to me."
Oberyn leaned back in his chair, lounging lazily against the armrest with a playful smile.
"Ser Roman, you refuse to follow the former king's heir, you refuse to bow to whoever sits the Iron Throne now, and you speak of a monarch who cares for the people. How many such rulers can even be found in all of Westeros?"
"Can I assume, then, that you intend to set yourself up as king?"
Roman looked at Oberyn and could not help sighing at how difficult the man was to deal with.
Seeing that Roman remained silent, the Red Viper continued.
"House Baratheon has produced three kings. You view Joffrey as an enemy, the pretty vase Renly is already dead, and you clearly have no intention of swearing fealty to the last one, Stannis. Add to that the sweeping reforms you have carried out in your territory… I can only conclude that you have no wish to submit to the Iron Throne."
Roman set down his teacup and gazed eastward, toward the continent where Daenerys and her three dragons waited. If his timing was correct, Prince Doran should have already sent his eldest son to make contact with her.
As for the Red Viper's visit, Roman suspected Doran simply did not want a dragon like him to end up on the opposing side.
If a dragon war broke out in the future, Daenerys's chances of victory would be very low. Traditional dragonriders were limited by their human bodies and always forced their mounts to dodge and maneuver in combat.
Roman was different. He knew his own strength intimately and could target riders specifically.
During his studies at the Citadel, the Red Viper had learned much about dragons. In aerial combat, once the rider died, the dragon lost all direction and became useless.
After observing Harrenhal's battles, Oberyn understood one thing clearly: Roman's speed was unmatched. Especially after the recent incident with Myrcella, any competent military mind in Westeros knew exactly what that kind of speed meant.
The Red Viper sipped his tea while studying Roman. He needed to find a way to ensure the Dragon of Harrenhal would not become an obstacle when Daenerys eventually landed.
"Ser Roman, someone must eventually rule Westeros. As long as the Iron Throne exists, people will fight for it. Right now it is House Baratheon. Sooner or later, Daenerys Targaryen will also enter the fray. When that day comes, you will inevitably become a stumbling block. Why not prepare a path for yourself now?"
Roman remained unconcerned. He looked at the Red Viper and replied,
"Prince Oberyn, both Dorne and Harrenhal share a deep grudge against the Lannisters. In that regard, we can certainly cooperate. But asking me to submit to a family that has been exiled from Westeros for more than a decade… frankly, that is not realistic."
The Red Viper countered, "Aegon the Conqueror was also an outsider, yet he unified the Seven Kingdoms. We have been in contact with Daenerys. Though she is young, she already carries the bearing of a great ruler. Becoming her enemy would not be wise."
Roman smiled faintly. "By that logic, you Dornish also killed Rhaenys and her dragon Meraxes, then resisted the Targaryens for generations until they gave up trying to conquer Dorne by force. You should understand this matter better than most."
The Red Viper looked slightly awkward at having old wounds brought up. After a moment's thought, he tried again.
"Ser Roman, you are also a dragon—the first in history with such intelligence and control. If you cooperated with the Targaryen family, ruling all of Westeros would be no problem. Moreover, Daenerys has a legitimate claim. You would lose nothing."
"With your current status and resources, if you supported Daenerys's claim in the future, you could choose any of the Wardenships you wished. Wouldn't that be far easier than conquering cities and lands through war as you are doing now?"
Wardenships? Roman thought. Easy to say, but once he held those lands he would still have to purge the old nobles and redistribute power. During the current war he could dispose of conquered territories as he pleased. If they became his vassals, such actions would be seen as tyranny.
Still, he reflected, the lands he already controlled were essentially a duchy. The only higher step was the Iron Throne itself. Marriage was impossible. So what exactly could Dorne offer him?
Looking at Prince Oberyn, Roman suddenly felt the man had been given a very difficult task by his brother.
"Prince Oberyn, even the Targaryens must see whether a dragon is willing to follow them before they try to tame it. I am the same. I must see this Daenerys you speak of with my own eyes before I make any decision."
"For now, I am only responsible for my own people and territory. I am open to cooperating against the Lannisters, but I have no interest in pledging loyalty to a Targaryen descendant. Let us end this topic here."
Seeing that Roman was resolute, the Red Viper did not press further. He bowed politely and took his leave.
After Oberyn departed, Fili walked in from the next room, looking nervous.
"Lord Roman, is it really alright to refuse Prince Oberyn like that? Dorne is a powerful kingdom. What if Daenerys really comes with her dragons to deal with us?"
Roman gestured for her to sit beside him, then took ice cubes from the icebox and dropped them into two glasses of pomegranate juice, handing one to the young woman.
"Fili, we usually keep a low profile, but let me ask you—how much land do we currently control?"
"Uh… all the lands around the Gods Eye belong to us. Besides Crackclaw Point, we also hold the northern Crownlands. Our territory now reaches all the way to the Blackwater Rush."
Roman continued, "And what percentage of the population in our territory can we mobilize?"
"Almost all of them."
He asked one final question. "How many standing troops do we have now that can be deployed immediately without conscription?"
"It has already reached… nearly twenty thousand, though they are spread across the territory."
As she answered, Fili suddenly understood why Roman had dared to refuse Dorne so bluntly. She looked up at him with wide eyes while he placed a plate of small cakes in front of them.
Roman said calmly, "House Whent is no longer the small family that could only hide inside Harrenhal. We have already begun to shape the future of Westeros."
"They have requests of us, so we must first calculate the gains and losses before deciding whether to help. After all, everything we possess was built through the hard work of our people. Waste is shameful."
He popped a piece of cake into Fili's mouth, making her squeak in surprise. His own gaze drifted toward the distant Eastern Continent.
"As for Daenerys and her dragons?" He smiled faintly. "Fili, have you forgotten about me? If she is willing to live in peace, she may sit on that uncomfortable Iron Throne. But if she tries to force us into meaningless conflicts… then she can wait until our blades cross."
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