Traveling along the three-league coastal road, Rhaegar arrived at the Water Gardens from Sunspear.
Located right by the beach, the Water Gardens consisted of gardens and fountains, serving as the private palace for the rulers of Dorne.
The Silver Dragon led its two companions in circling above the Water Gardens, the dragons beating their massive wings as they slowly descended.
Rhaegar leaped from the dragon's back, gazing at the beautiful sanctuary before him.
"Go on, my good friends!" Just as Rhaegar landed, he noticed the restlessness of the Silver Emperor, Balerion, and Balerion. There were too many fountains in the gardens here, and the landing space was too small; the dragons preferred to soar over the sea. Rhaegar patted the head of the Silver Emperor, and with his permission, the three dragons joyfully spread their wings and took flight, heading toward the ocean.
Rhaegar watched the dragons fly toward the horizon; they loved freedom so much. With the spell of the heart, short-distance telepathy was not a problem.
In the Water Gardens, Rhaegar smelled the salty sea breeze, the sweetness of fallen blood oranges, and the rich scent of lemons. The only noisy sounds were the voices of children in the fountain pools.
Children of different classes and families could all come to the Water Gardens, playing together on the beach, in the pools, and among the fountains.
This was a kindness, Rhaegar thought. He liked those playing children; they represented peace and the future.
Compared to the chaos, noise, and crowding of Sunspear, the Water Gardens were simply outstanding.
Rhaegar recalled the Targaryen's former summer palace, Summerhall. Unfortunately, it had been destroyed by fire, leaving behind only a pile of ruins and endless sorrow.
Members of House Martell, wearing robes with orange, yellow, and crimson stripes, along with some noble families of Dorne, walked down from the balcony to welcome him. Leading them were the ruling Princess of Dorne, Elia, and her three children: Doran, Elia, and Oberyn.
The orange, yellow, and crimson colors were also the colors of the House Martell sigil: a golden spear piercing a red sun on an orange field. The golden spear was the ancient sigil of House Martell, and the red sun represented the rhoynar.
Standing on the balcony, one could overlook the numerous pools and fountains. Blood orange trees cast shadows, and pale pink marble floors paved the gardens and courtyards. There were also carved beams, painted pillars, and beautiful arches.
Rhaegar noticed that the ruling Princess and her three children all had the typical appearance of Salt Dornishmen, with distinct rhoynar features: olive skin, dark eyes, and dark hair.
The age gap between the three children was somewhat large; Doran was born in 248, Elia in 257, and Oberyn in 258. The latter two were inseparable during their childhood, and all three were older than Rhaegar.
The three watched the arrival of the silver-haired, purple-eyed Prince, who possessed the typical beauty and presence of a Targaryen.
Rhaegar secured his hair with a silver ring. He wore a coat with a black background featuring dancing red dragons, along with black trousers. At his waist hung a shadow cleaver with a dragonbone hilt. He was tall, handsome, cheerful, and radiant, intoxicating at a single glance.
"It is a pleasure to see you!" Princess Elia examined Rhaegar carefully before smiling. "The hardships of the battlefield are wearing, yet you have not changed much! Congratulations on your victory in the war of the Stepstones. Your mother and I are both proud of you, child."
"The same to you, you look very young as well!" Rhaegar replied.
Rhaegar knew clearly that Princess Elia was no simple person. Although she was a woman, she was proud and arrogant at heart, as irritable and unforgiving as the rest of the Dornish people.
She was currently focused on finding suitable marriages for her younger children. The most likely candidates would surely be from Princess Elia's circle of friends from her time in King's Landing: the children of Rhaella or the children of Joanna.
Rhaegar had come to Dorne not only to serve as an envoy for Prince Aerys but also for his own selfish reasons: he needed the support of Dorne to ensure the better operation of Bloodstone Customs. Rhaegar was currently the supervisor of Bloodstone Customs and was also responsible for the construction and setup of the new customs house.
Next, Princess Elia's children were introduced to Rhaegar one by one, though Rhaegar already knew their names. It was, however, a matter of etiquette.
"My eldest son and heir, Doran." Princess Elia pointed to Doran. Born in 248, Doran was now a young man. He was quiet, reserved, and appeared somewhat gloomy or overly introverted. Because the Princess had lost two sons in infancy, Doran had lived as an only child for a time. Rhaegar greeted Doran, who seemed to have a sour expression that would last from childhood to old age.
"My second child, my little flower, Elia." Princess Elia introduced her daughter.
Rhaegar also expressed friendliness. To be honest, Elia was not a stunning beauty; she had dark eyes and a flat chest. Elia was a kind and elegant lady, but she was also plagued by illness and appeared very frail. Rhaegar knew this was congenital; the girl had been born a month premature, which had left her with a sickly constitution ever since.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince." Elia said somewhat shyly, her face flushing slightly. Frail and sickly, she did not go out often. Although many noble sons surrounded the Princess, none could catch the eye of her brother, Oberyn, who mocked them mercilessly. Furthermore, her proud mother had not found anyone suitable, so the Princess remained unmarried. Compared to those fawning Dornish Lords, Rhaegar was truly a dimension above.
In all honesty, Rhaegar thought that besides the dragon blood and Dornish support, there were few highlights to marrying Elia; the Princess could not be considered the most outstanding in terms of health or appearance. However, fooling around was certainly wrong; he could not give every girl a home.
"My youngest son, Oberyn, is also a warrior!" Princess Elia introduced her youngest son with pride.
Rhaegar exchanged a few words with Oberyn. The boy was thin and tall, like the spears commonly used by the Dornish, and looked very sharp. His dark hair was lustrous, his nose and forehead were sharp, and his eyes were as black as an eternal night, reminiscent of a viper.
Rhaegar hurriedly exchanged pleasantries with the three Martell siblings. A gloomy prince, a sickly princess, and a warrior or viper—the three Martell siblings certainly each had their own unique characteristics.
Surrounded by the crowd, Rhaegar chatted with the three young Martells in a lukewarm manner, neither overly enthusiastic nor overly cold.
"The Water Gardens were a gift from Prince Maron to his beautiful Targaryen bride, Daenerys, marking the union and friendship between the Iron Throne and Dorne. Today, we invite a young, heroic Targaryen warrior to be our guest here, symbolizing the enduring friendship between the Iron Throne and Sunspear!" Princess Elia said.
"Long live King's Landing! Long live Sunspear!" "Long live peace!" "May our friendship last forever!" The crowd cheered.
That was until Oberyn suddenly stepped forward and invited Rhaegar to a duel, a dance of swords.
"Consider it a dance we perform for everyone before the feast, Prince." Oberyn's tone was firm.
Rhaegar did not hesitate and agreed to Oberyn's invitation. He sensed Oberyn's strength: first-class. If one were to add poison and other underhanded tricks, his advantage would be significant. But to the Dragon of Fire, that was all it was.
"Oberyn, you are being a bit rude!" Princess Elia said in a hurry.
But the Dornish crowd still cleared a path for the Prince and Prince Rhaegar; the Dornish were all people who loved to fight and risk their lives.
"Please!" "Please!" Swords flashed, and Rhaegar flicked his Longsword, the dull blade dancing like light.
Oberyn's swordsmanship was not weak; it was fast and poisonous. Oberyn aimed and thrust, focusing on agility. Unfortunately, he had encountered a True Dragon that had been strengthened several times over.
Rhaegar's figure was even more agile, and every strike carried immense power, making Oberyn's arm ache and his shoulder go numb. Iron clashed against iron, emitting a sharp whistle. Oberyn was somewhat surprised; Rhaegar seemed like a giant, with immense and endless strength.
Faced with pure strength and speed, Oberyn struggled after a few rounds and was slowly becoming exhausted. Rhaegar was like a raging fire, his Longsword fierce and unstoppable. Oberyn gradually had no counterattack, and Rhaegar secured an easy victory.
"The Prince's martial arts are already very excellent." Rhaegar said.
"If I had used a spear, I would have had a chance of winning!" Oberyn looked at Rhaegar, refusing to back down.
Applause followed, praising the warriors. Everyone had confidence in Oberyn, and they had not expected this handsome prince to be even fiercer.
Rhaegar wondered why he had provoked Oberyn, then pondered. Perhaps Oberyn was seeking revenge for his sister; Oberyn was somewhat protective of his sister and had been inseparable from her in childhood. Perhaps Oberyn had become angry when he saw that Rhaegar had not treated her with fawning attention—that was very Oberyn.
The guests applauded the friendship and performance of the Prince and the Prince, which served as a fine pre-meal show.
The Dornish had prepared a sumptuous feast for the arrival of the Iron Throne Prince.
The main dishes included long green peppers stuffed with cheese and onions, lamprey pie, honey-roasted capon, fish with gills, and honey-roasted goat stuffed with raisins, onions, mushrooms, and dragon peppers. There was even the Dornish specialty of grilled snake meat; the seasoning for this grilled meat was mixed with mustard seeds and dragon peppers, and sometimes even a drop of venom was added.
Rhaegar, however, found himself enjoying the meal immensely; the spiciness of the Dornish dishes was high, and they were truly unique. The fruits included blood oranges, the beverage was summer red wine, and one could also drink lemon egg soup and flavorful snake soup. Seven different types of snake meat were simmered over a slow fire with dragon peppers, blood oranges, and a little snake venom; the taste was spicy, and the snake meat tasted much like chicken.
Rhaegar looked at the Dornish feast; although not as sumptuous as that of The Reach, it had its own unique Dornish character.
The guests were gathered, and everyone was joyful.
Everything here was quite good, yet there were no traces of magic or runes, Rhaegar thought.
House Martell flowed with the blood of the rhoynar people, yet there were no traces of magic flowing. Having fought for so many years, there was no word of them possessing any dark magic; they relied on guerrilla tactics and attrition warfare to hold their ground.
Perhaps I should go and try my luck with those orphans? Rhaegar thought.