**[AERIAN - FROSTHOLD KEEP, THE NORTH]**
The North, Frosthold Keep, 294 AC, Eighth Moon
Aerian sat at his desk, a blank piece of parchment before him and a quill in hand. Writing the letter to Prince Doran Martell required delicacy; one wrong word could turn a valuable ally into an enemy. He had already drafted and discarded three versions, each either too blunt or too apologetic.
Finally, he began to write:
---
*To His Highness Prince Doran Martell, Lord of Sunspear and Prince of Dorne,
It is with great respect and careful consideration that I write to you regarding the betrothal arrangement between myself and your daughter, Princess Arianne.
Six years ago, House Aurelius had the honor of rescuing Princess Elia and her children from King's Landing and providing them sanctuary at Frosthold. Seeing them safely returned to your family remains one of the proudest moments in our house's history. The alliance that grew from that act has brought prosperity to both our lands through the trade routes we established, and I hope our friendship will endure for generations to come.
However, after much reflection and consultation with my father, I have come to believe that Princess Arianne and I would not be well-suited as marriage partners. The North and Dorne are lands of vastly different customs, climates, and cultures. What is celebrated in Dorne may be viewed with suspicion in the North, and vice versa. I fear that such a union, rather than strengthening our houses, might create tensions that would benefit neither.
I have heard tales of Princess Arianne's beauty, intelligence, and spirit. She deserves a husband who can fully appreciate and embrace Dornish customs, which I, as a Northerner raised in our austere traditions, may not be able to do. Similarly, she deserves to live in a land where her nature is celebrated rather than questioned.
Therefore, I respectfully request that we dissolve the betrothal arrangement, while maintaining the strong friendship and trade alliance that benefits both our houses. I have no doubt that Princess Arianne will find a match more suited to her temperament and station, and I wish her every happiness.
Our houses are bound by more than political arrangements; we are bound by the life-debt between us and the mutual prosperity we have built together. I hope this decision will not damage that bond.
With the utmost respect,
Aerian Aurelius, Heir to Frosthold*
---
Aerian read over the letter carefully. It was diplomatic without being obsequious, honest without being insulting. He made no direct mention of Arianne's lovers, which would be crude and unnecessarily inflammatory. Instead, he framed it as a cultural incompatibility, which had the advantage of being partially true.
He sealed the letter with the Aurelius sigil and set it aside. The second letter would be more challenging in a different way.
---
*To Lady Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns,
My lady, though we have never met, your reputation precedes you as one of the most astute minds in the Seven Kingdoms. I write to you rather than to Lord Mace because I suspect you are the one who truly understands the value of strategic alliances.
House Aurelius has risen significantly in recent years. Through innovation and careful management, we have built a trade empire that spans from White Harbor to Sunspear and across the Narrow Sea to the Free Cities. Our annual revenues exceed those of many great houses, and our military strength is unmatched in the North.
Yet for all our success, we remain a Northern house with limited influence in the South. This is where I believe a partnership with House Tyrell could be mutually beneficial.
I am eighteen years old, unmarried, and in need of a wife who is more than merely decorative. I need a partner who understands politics, trade, and the subtle arts of influence, someone educated by the finest political mind in Westeros, perhaps.
I am aware that Lady Margaery is currently twelve years old, which makes an immediate marriage inappropriate. However, a betrothal arrangement with a marriage in three or four years' time would give both our houses the opportunity to solidify an alliance that could reshape Westeros' political landscape.
House Tyrell would gain access to our northern trade networks, superior steel production methods, and a loyal ally in a region where you currently have little influence. House Aurelius would gain the wealth, prestige, and southern connections that only the Reach can provide.
I am not so arrogant as to assume you will immediately embrace this proposal. However, I am confident enough in its merits to suggest a meeting. Perhaps at the upcoming tournament at Lannisport? I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with you in person, and perhaps to meet Lady Margaery herself.
I look forward to your response with great interest.
Respectfully,
Aerian Aurelius, Heir to Frosthold*
---
Aerian sealed this letter as well and called for Maester Thalric. The old man appeared moments later, his chain clinking softly.
"These letters need to be sent immediately," Aerian instructed, handing them over. "The first to Sunspear by raven, the second to Highgarden by the fastest courier we have. I want it delivered directly into Lady Olenna's hands, not lost in the bureaucracy of Highgarden's court."
"As you command, my lord," Thalric said, examining the seals. "May I ask... are you certain about this course of action? The Tyrells are closely aligned with the Lannisters."
"For now," Aerian replied. "But alliances shift, Maester. The Tyrells are ambitious and pragmatic. If they see an opportunity to diversify their alliances and gain access to new sources of wealth and power, they'll take it. Lady Olenna, especially, she doesn't put all her eggs in one basket."
Thalric nodded slowly. "You've certainly given this considerable thought. I'll dispatch these immediately."
After the maester left, Aerian leaned back in his chair and allowed himself a small smile. The die was cast. Within a few weeks, he would know whether his gambit had paid off.
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**[DORAN - SUNSPEAR, DORNE]**
Dorne, Sunspear, Two Weeks Later
Prince Doran Martell sat in his wheelchair in the Water Gardens, the letter from Aerian Aurelius resting on his lap. Beside him stood his brother Oberyn, reading over his shoulder with an increasingly amused expression.
"Well," Oberyn said when he finished reading. "The boy has balls, I'll give him that. Diplomatically rejecting Arianne while reminding us that we owe him our sister's life."
Doran's face was unreadable as he re-read certain passages. "He's clever and tactful. He could have been far more blunt about it, could have thrown the debt in our faces, or made accusations about Arianne. Instead, he frames it as cultural incompatibility while gently reminding us of the service his house did for ours."
"Of course he knows," Oberyn said with a shrug. "Anyone with half a brain and a few informants in Sunspear knows about Arianne and Daemon. The question is, are you offended?"
Doran was quiet for a long moment, watching the children play in the pools. Finally, he spoke. "No. I'm not offended. Disappointed, perhaps, but not offended. And he's right, we do owe House Aurelius a debt that can never be fully repaid. Elia and her children are alive because of them. The boy is being remarkably gracious by not leveraging that debt to demand concessions. He's simply asking to dissolve an arrangement that would make both sides miserable."
"So you'll accept his proposal?"
"Yes," Doran said firmly. "And I'll make it clear in my response that we're grateful for his discretion and understanding. The trade alliance will continue; it benefits both our houses. But I won't push the marriage issue. Arianne would indeed be miserable in the North, and the Northerners would never fully accept her. It would have been a disaster."
Oberyn grinned. "I like the way you think, brother. And what of Arianne? Will you tell her?"
Doran sighed. "Eventually. She'll be relieved, I think. She never wanted to marry some 'frozen Northerner' anyway, her words, not mine."
"She always did have a talent for dramatics," Oberyn said fondly. "Rather like someone else I know. Yet I fear she's going to be regretful in the future once that boy grows into himself fully, the North won't contain him forever."
Doran gave his brother a dry look. "At least my dramatics don't result in duels and dead bodies, and you may be right, especially with the kingdoms as fragile as they are at the moment."
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**[OLENNA - HIGHGARDEN, THE REACH]**
The Reach, Highgarden, Two Weeks Later
Lady Olenna Tyrell sat in her private garden, reading Aerian's letter for the third time. Her granddaughter Margaery sat beside her, practicing her embroidery while trying to appear disinterested in whatever had captured her grandmother's attention so thoroughly.
"Grandmother," Margaery finally said, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. "What is that letter? You've been reading it for half an hour."
Olenna looked up, her sharp eyes studying her granddaughter. "It's a marriage proposal. For you."
Margaery's eyes widened, and she set down her embroidery. "From whom?"
"A young lord from the North. Aerian Aurelius of House Aurelius."
"I've never heard of them," Margaery admitted.
"That's because you don't pay enough attention to the merchant reports," Olenna chided gently. "House Aurelius has become one of the wealthiest houses in Westeros over the past decade. They've created luxury goods—soaps and spirits—that every noble house from here to Braavos wants to buy. They're making a fortune."
Margaery's interest was clearly piqued. "And the lord himself? What's he like?"
"Eighteen years old, by all accounts quite handsome, skilled with a sword, and remarkably intelligent. He fought in the Greyjoy Rebellion at thirteen and impressed Lord Stark enough that he was offered a place at Winterfell. He declined, preferring to focus on building his own house's power."
"He sounds... interesting," Margaery said carefully. "But why would a Northern lord want to marry into House Tyrell?"
Olenna smiled. "That's exactly the question I asked myself. And the answer, I think, is that this young man is thinking several moves ahead. He sees the value in diversifying alliances. He's building an empire, and he needs southern connections to complete it."
"What will you tell him?"
"I'm going to invite him to Lannisport for the tournament Lord Tywin is hosting next month," Olenna said decisively. "I want to meet this Aerian Aurelius in person, take his measure, and decide whether he's as clever as his letter suggests."
"May I come?" Margaery asked, trying to sound casual but failing.
Olenna laughed. "Of course, my dear. You're the one being courted, after all. You should have a say in whether you want to marry this northern wolf."
"Tiger," Margaery corrected. "Their sigil is white tigers, not wolves."
"Someone has been paying attention after all," Olenna said with approval. "Yes, tigers. Even more interesting. The wolves belong to the Starks, but the Aurelius tigers stand apart."
She folded the letter carefully. "This could be exactly what House Tyrell needs, an alliance that doesn't tie us completely to the Lannisters or the crown. A northern house with wealth, ambition, and no entanglements with the chaos in King's Landing."
"You think there will be chaos?" Margaery asked.
Olenna's expression grew serious. "My dear child, there is always chaos in King's Landing. It's only a matter of when it spills over and affects the rest of us. And when it does, I want House Tyrell to have options."
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**[AERIAN - FROSTHOLD KEEP, THE NORTH]**
The North, Frosthold Keep, One Month Later
Aerian was in the training yard, sparring with Sir Lancelot, when Maester Thalric appeared with two letters. The old knight and young lord paused their session, both breathing heavily from the intense practice.
"Letters, my lord," Thalric announced. "One from Dorne, one from Highgarden."
Aerian's heart rate, already elevated from the sparring, increased slightly. These were the responses he'd been waiting for. He took the letters, breaking the seal on Doran's first.
The Dornish prince's response was measured and diplomatic. He agreed to dissolve the betrothal while expressing gratitude for House Aurelius's discretion and understanding in the matter. There was no anger, no sense of insult, just a pragmatic acceptance of political reality accompanied by acknowledgment of the life-debt Dorne owed to House Aurelius. Doran even included a line suggesting that this might be for the best, as it would allow Arianne to find a match better suited to her "spirited nature" while preserving the friendship between their houses.
Aerian couldn't help but smile at that. Doran knew exactly what his daughter was up to, and he was tacitly acknowledging that the betrothal had been doomed from the start.
The second letter made his smile grow wider.
Lady Olenna's response was brief but intriguing:
---
*Young Lord Aurelius,
Your letter was refreshingly direct. I appreciate a man who doesn't waste time with flowery courtesies while making power plays.
I will be attending the tournament at Lannisport next month with my granddaughter Margaery. You will attend as well. We will meet, we will talk, and we will determine whether your ambitions align with House Tyrell's interests.
Do not disappoint me.
Lady Olenna Tyrell*
---
"Well?" Sir Lancelot asked, seeing the expression on Aerian's face.
"We're going to Lannisport," Aerian announced. "Prepare a retinue, I want fifty of our best knights, dressed in their finest armor. We're going to make an impression."
"The Tyrell meeting?" Tharren asked, having approached from the keep.
"Yes," Aerian confirmed, handing his father both letters. "Doran has graciously accepted the dissolution of the betrothal, and Lady Olenna wants to meet me in person."
Tharren read both letters, nodding approvingly. "You've handled this well, son. Maintaining the Dorne alliance while opening negotiations with the Reach, that's skilled diplomacy."
"It's only the first step," Aerian said. "Now I need to actually convince the Queen of Thorns that I'm worth her granddaughter's hand. That won't be easy."
Sir Lancelot chuckled. "You've faced down Ironborn raiders and planned military campaigns. Surely one old woman can't be that intimidating."
"She's not just any old woman," Aerian replied. "She's one of the most dangerous people in Westeros. She's been playing the game of thrones since before I was born, and she's survived every political upheaval by being smarter than everyone else."
"Then you'll have to be smarter than her," Tharren said simply.
Aerian looked at his father, then at Sir Lancelot, and finally down at Kael, who had been resting nearby during the sparring session. The great white tiger opened one eye, as if sensing his companion's thoughts.
"No," Aerian said quietly. "I don't need to be smarter than her. I need to show her that we can be smart together. That an alliance between Aurelius and Tyrell benefits both houses more than any alternative."
He looked back at the keep, his mind already racing with plans and preparations. "We have one month to prepare. I want everything perfect, our appearance, our presentation, our proposal. Lady Olenna is testing me, and I intend to pass that test with flying colors."
As the sun began to set over Frosthold, Aerian felt a surge of anticipation. The tournament at Lannisport would be more than just a martial competition; it would be the stage where he secured one of the most important alliances House Aurelius would ever make.
And if everything went according to plan, he would leave Lannisport betrothed to one of the most politically astute women in Westeros, groomed by the Queen of Thorns herself.