A/N: The Dragonspawn thing isn't meant to be like Canon. Orys' mind is becoming more feral, less human as the fighting goes on, he doesn't consciously hear what Robert is saying, instead his mind latches onto one part that provokes a response.

Tywin presenting the bodies like that is a shock for everyone, even Robert who reacts unthinkingly, as not only is Rhaegar alive but somewhat of a sympathetic figure among the rebels, a son doing an unpleasant duty out of love for his Father. Tywin will not be looked on favourably for this outside the Westerlanders.

As I said, Robert reacted unthinkingly to a severe shock, he doesn't hate Rhaegar like he did Aerys but hate like that is powerful and is hard to let go in a hurry, he does not agree with Tywin's actions himself and there will be punishment but what this will take is not yet clear.

Oberyn I

The fort was an ugly thing; small, squat but its drystone walls were very thick, far thicker than those of any comparable wall or keep in all of Dorne, meaning it could shrug off punishment that would bring its contemporaries crashing down, the only thing he had that could have done serious damage was the trebuchets, but the blasted thing was too small for them to hit.

Oberyn had to give the Northern designer credit, the little bastard was just small enough to be built cheaply and quickly but large enough you needed several thousand men to attack or siege it.

Armies larger than a thousand died quickly in Dorne.

Attempts had been made to destroy the three forts since Sunspear had first learned of their existence, but all had failed mostly due to the forts relatively superior design and construction, but also due to a force of cavalry that roved between the three forts and attacked traders and farms along the roads attacking from behind or hitting their supply caravans while they sieged the forts.

Neither his Mother nor Brother would act, now it was his turn.

"Prince Oberyn?"

These Northerners fought well…

He dodged a thrust and deflected a second with the haft of his spear, driving his spear tip into the man's shoulder, blood poured from the severed vein, leaking through furs and between plates as he fell, a loud clang heralded the second Northerner falling as he was knocked out by a blow to the head.

Pausing for breath he examined the two Northmen, both had faded blue wolf's eyes painted on their helmets above their own.

Curious, he wondered what that meant.

The metallic song of those accursed steel bows was accompanied by a cheer, looking up Oberyn saw a Northerner wearing the heavier steel armour step out of the door to the stairs, his pauldrons were gilded.

An officer.

A challenge, perhaps?

"Prince OBERYN!"

He reeled as the Northern officer slammed the brow rim of their helmet into his face, barely dodging the thrust and just blocked the backhand.

He regretted wanting a challenge, this Northerner fought less like a man and more like a beast in a man's skin, and a predator at that.

Wait! Is that?

"What's that?" he wondered aloud, squinting to get a better look as the Northerner turned around.

There was a girl on the ramparts, she looked maybe seventeen, pale skin, long black hair blowing in the wind, a full bosom and womanly hips for her age were displayed by the thin dress or long shirt being pressed to her body by the wind as she stumbled round in a daze, walking along the wall guiding herself with her hands pressed to the stone.

Then the wind fell and her hair was no longer in her face.

"The Stark girl?"

The officer turns back to him in alarm but raises his guard too late, the spear tip scythes through his eye, sending the man to the ground, howling in agony as the venom eats at his wounded flesh.

He stalked over to the girl, his blood singing for vengeance for Elia, he can't help a small measure of pity though, the child is clearly dazed and confused, she seems to be barely aware that a battle is raging.

He could see how Rhaegar would be tempted, a rare beauty, that wouldn't save her.

"Justice for you, My Sister," he says aloud, the girl snaps out of her trance as he raises his spear, eyes wide in terror, but something grabs him from behind before he can strike.

He stumbles as the throw sends him into the wall, he barely gets the spear up before an armoured fist slams through it, shattering the shaft a foot from the tip, a second blow strikes his cheek with enough force to send him stumbling several feet.

The hands grasp him again, hauling onto the rampart, his stomach drops as he gazes on his attacker.

It's not the ruined eye that frightens him, he's not a stranger to the effects of his preferred poisons, no it's the animal rage in the other.

He only has time to cry out before he's caught in the Earth's terrible grip, he glances once off the wall before rolling off the curved base and slamming into one of the cavalry obstacles in the ditch at its base with enough force to black out…

"OBERYN GET UP!"

He jerked upright and regretted the movement instantly, groaning in agony as his bruised bones protested.

A snort comes from the doorway, "on your feet, Brother, Mother has summoned us," his brother Doran calls to him, behind Doran is Areo Hotah, Doran's devoted guard.

"I am coming," Oberyn groans, slowly rising from his bed.

It take nearly twenty minutes for the wounded Prince to reach his Mother, strangely she wasn't in her solar.

She seemed to be staring out at Sunspear, but a closer look revealed something horrifying, "What happened to the wall?" he asked in horror.

"The results of your misguided attack," Princess Adrienne Martell retorted, "Sit!"

The two Princes settled into the chairs, idly noting the map from the War room on a table next to their mother.

"I never believed Dorne could be defeated Militarily," Adrienne said, "nor that I would live to see it, but it is to my undying shame it has happened through my Sons."

"Mother…"

"Silence! Your Princess speaks," she barked.

"When the Northern vanguard came, I believed they would act like every other invader," She said, "as did Doran, we did not see the danger in them building defences until it was too late, but by then an attack would be too costly."

For the first time she looked at her sons, "Tell me, what have those forts done to shift the balance in this war?"

Oberyn was confused, he couldn't see a clear advantage.

"Dorne's greatest weakness is the scarcity of water," Doran replied, "by building these forts and, presumably, digging wells for them they eliminate the reliance on supply trains for water, limiting the damage we could inflict on their forces compared to previous invasions, by taking food from the farms they eliminate that issue as well."

"Close, but not quite," Adrienne said, "every previous commander has tried to end their invasions quickly and decisively, which we usually deny them and exploit their reliance on supply lines. The forts establish a permanent presence, not only do the wells inside reduce their reliance on supply lines but those same supply lines are shorter, easier to protect."

"Dorne's economy is fragile," Adrienne continued, "it is in a delicate balance between what food is imported and what little is grown locally, but it is perfect for our needs, disrupt that balance as these forts have and very quickly there are food shortages that cripple us."

"Destroying the forts to free the roads is the only option to restore the balance," Doran deduced, "but that would leave any force vulnerable to the same problems we've used so effectively on attackers before."

"I lost more men to dehydration than combat," Oberyn admitted.

"Leaving us with a vengeful enemy at our gates and depleted forces to face them with," Adrienne concluded, it was then Oberyn noted the army camped beyond the walls.

"We can't surrender!" he exclaimed, "we must fight, For Elia!"

Adrienne held her hand out to her son, palm up, "give me my armies, Oberyn. Give me my men and women with which to smite this foe." Oberyn's eyes dropped to the floor in shame.

"How did they break our walls?" Oberyn asked after a few moments.

"We knew they were digging tunnels," Doran answered, "mining the walls, I have no idea what they used but it sundered the earth under the walls with fire and thunder, I can't believe you slept through it."

"It would seem our time is up," both brothers looked out to see a party of nearly thirty riders approach under a flag of truce.

"This isn't right," Oberyn protested, though he knew terms were the only chance for them.

"We do what we must," Adrienne admitted, "come, this will be my last official act as Princess, I want you both to watch and learn from this."

"Yes Mother."

The first thing he noticed was the mix of banners, the Falcon of Arryn stood by several Northern banners but what stood out were the black and blue armoured men with the Stark Direwolf on their flags, they clearly served a different lord but why not his own symbol.

Those men did not look friendly at all, but stayed curiously close to a Septa of all things and a young girl, an orphan maybe, the group dismounted and save a handful that remained with the horses they followed Areo into the Old Palace.

When they entered he was seated to his Mother's left, Doran on the right, he was in a high backed chair to better support his tender body.

"Lords Arryn and Stark," the herald announced, the party entered with the named Lords leading with their personal guards, behind were the men in black and blue around the Septa.

"Greetings Your Grace," Lord Arryn greeted, bowing respectfully, as did Lord Stark and their guards, the other men gave a stiff half bow, preferring to keep their eyes on both the guards and him.

"Greetings Lord Arryn, Lord Stark," his mother returned the greeting, "To what does Dorne owe the Honour of your presence?"

"Negotiations for the End of Hostilities between Dorne and the remaining Kingdoms," Lord Arryn began, "and preferably a further settlement for Dorne's return to the Kingdom's with the Princess, or Prince swearing an oath of Fealty as the Lady or Lord-Paramount of Dorne."

"But first, we present a gift," the Martells watched in confusion as Lord Arryn gestured to one of the men in black and blue armour, the man nodded and gently took the Septa's arm and led her and the girl forward.

Oberyn wondered what kind of joke they were playing, then he noticed the girl looked very familiar, then the Septa lowered her hood.

"Elia?" Adrienne gasped, tears streamed down her cheeks as she embraced the child she'd believed lost.

He couldn't believe it, his mind refused to believe until the girl wrapped him in a hug and he gazed into a face so alike his little sister's in her youth, he leaned forward and embraced the girl, "Rhaenys? We thought we'd lost you."

"Both of you," Doran agreed.

"How did you escape?" Adrienne asked her daughter after a moment.

"Most of the nobility of the Seven Kingdoms saw Tywin Lannister present your bodies to our new King," Doran pointed out.

"They saw what they were meant to see," Oberyn's jaw dropped as he studied the man. No, it couldn't be…

"How did you survive?" he asked the Northerner in wonder.

The man snorted, "Rage is a hell of a painkiller. That, a Red Priest and being too stubborn to die helps."

"Lord Talion was able to rescue the Princess from Tywin Lannister's men," Lord Stark explained.

"Not before they got the baby," the now named Lord Talion admitted, "speaking off which, I present the heads of Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch, Tywin's preferred attack dogs."

Two boxes were brought forward, judging by the cold feel they were lined with ice, when opened Oberyn recognised the 'Mountain that Rides' in a heartbeat.

"You killed the Mountain?"

"I lost four men dead and seven wounded to varying degrees," Talion scowled, "that thing just wouldn't die."

"I left Elia's Dornish handmaiden, already deceased, and her daughter for the Lannisters to find, I figured they wouldn't search the city for a corpse they already had," Talion supplied.

Adrienne stood to her full height and walked over to the Northerner, then bowed low, "House Martell owes you a Great Debt Lord Talion, such Service will be generously rewarded."

"No," he said plainly, "no debts, no rewards. Hell itself opened onto the streets of King's Landing that night, I saw things there that'll haunt me as long as I live. When I had the chance to save two lives from the atrocities of the night I took it. Part of me died that night, I don't think I could ever look in a mirror again if I hadn't tried to save something… someone from that War Crime."

It was hard not to feel sympathetic to the man at the end, Oberyn could certainly believe he lost a part of his humanity as Talion had fought with an animal rage he'd never faced before, but also because he had heard stories of the Sack from traders, he wondered how he himself might have been changed by it.

"Nevertheless, a debt is owed," his mother insisted.

"Perhaps we should discuss this later," Lord Arryn suggested, "I'm sure your daughter and granddaughter would like to refresh themselves or rest and this war must be brought to conclusion before more lives are lost."

"Of course Lord Arryn," Adrienne agreed, "Oberyn, show Elia and Rhaenys to their rooms and see to their needs, Doran come with me."

Oberyn released his niece and stood gingerly, then walked over to Lord Talion, trying not to be unnerved by the mismatched eyes, "Thank you."

"Tywin Lannister will not leave them be," Talion warned, "he's not used to being defied, he'll come after them once he knows they live."

"He will not take my sister from me again," Oberyn declared.

"Words won't stop him, plan for everything and anything," Talion suggested, "I hope we can meet again in more favourable times."

"Indeed, it has been… interesting," Oberyn agreed, then bowed and followed his sister out, turning back to the most important part of life, Family.