Lord Francis's Solar, Stoatheart

[The Flint]

A meeting between Lady Tristeza Martell, and Lord Francis Varner

[brigida]

"I will tell you frankly, Francis, that her plans, as she explained them to me, seemed, at the least, precarious, and doubtful." she admitted sincerely to her old friend. "You are right to say I serve Emelia--But my greater service is to Dorne--you must know I will always tend to the orders tendered by Emelia, as far as I can see them to a positive end for our Kingdon--come; what is it you were going to tell me. It may be of importance." She urged him, more out of curiosity than anything else.

[The Flint]

Francis sighs, and takes a leap of faith.

"Has Emelia's recent decision making seemed at all odd to you?" Francis asked. "She told my wife Anne that she would be choosing a third route, and would not ally with Andry, and helps Anne flee the city. Yet the next day she announces her marriage, and raises troops in support of Andry. It does not make sense."

[brigida]

Tristeza processed the chain of events in her mind--she had not been that long absent from King's Landing, yet all of this had transpired since? It had been only three weeks since she had left Sunspear, but it had been far longer since Emelia had exposed to her her iminent engagement to Andry.

She thought of how soon Emelia must have left King's Landing after she, to have beat her to Dorne. "How long ago did this incident with your wife transpire?" she asked curiously.

[The Flint]

"A few weeks ago." Francis says, before holding up a letter.

"This is from Lord Hand Horas Blackwood. It says that the person you believe to be Emelia is in fact a Faceless Man in disguise."

[brigida]

Tristeza had openly questioned Emelia's precense in Sunspear; She was a woman set in her ideas, and it was not like her to have changed her mind as soon as Tristeza had left, and decided to follow her on the Sunspear. But this accusation was one she had not prevously considered--a propsition that brought a whole new set of issues to the proverbial table. "On what evidence does he base this claim?" she asked, with barely the breath to force it out, all pretenses of calm aside.

[The Flint]

"The real Emelia was recently spotted in the Vale." Francis said simply.

[brigida]

"Under what circumstances what she 'spotted'?" Tristeza asked somewhat heatedly, perhaps fearing for her cousin, perhaps dubious that this other woman was the Princess indeed.

[The Flint]

"She was killed. Mistaken for an impersonator. Yet when she died, her body was still that of Emelia of Dorne, so it is definitive. Emelia of Dorne is dead." Francis said with a frown.

[brigida]

Tristeza gaped openly at this confession, unsure what to make of it. She was certain now, after some thought that two Emelia's did exist, or else, had existed. The timeline did not match up if one assumed only one--Emelia had been both with Tristeza and with Lady Varner in the past month. Francis was as close to a friend as she could say she had--perhaps he was not entirely fond of Dorne, or of Emelia, but she was certain that he was, at least in some capacity, a true friend to her, and would not lie if it were possible that that fabrication would ultimately hurt her. "You are quite certain that the Emelia who presides in Sunspear this moment is not the true Emelia at all?" she asked him bluntly, her voice low and staccatto, sharp on every syllable.

[The Flint]

"she is an imposter. We know they have the capability. The only question is what do we do about it? You may stay here if you wish and we will protect you or..."

[brigida]

Tristeza looked at him pointedly. "I had rather choose 'or'" she told him. "This imposter has sent me to the Far Reach on business, if I leave instantly, I may return as though I have lost not time in transit. I will need from you, Lord Varner, all the supplies two horses can carry, and a recommendation as to which ship can bring me to Starfall the fastest, and without interception--it must be well armed, for I have heard tell, and had verification that the Ironborn prowl the seas west of here. I will return to Sunspear as I left, and when I have the first promising opportunity to do so, I will strike." She came suddenly to herself, realizing that she had been looking at nothing in particular, but into her own future. She shifted her gaze to Francis, as she regained her composure. "Earlier today, I looked into the eyes of a man who thought that was was inevitable--I looked into his eyes, and I shared his sentiment openly. If there is any act which can avert this terrible war, this act will be it. " She told him fiercly, a fire of passion smoldering in her focused eyes.

[The Flint]

"It will not be enough to kill this imposter Tristeza. You must assume command. You must take the authority necessary to call off the Dornish Armies. You must become the Princess of Dorne. You have as much blood as any for it, and are older than your siblings. Can you do that?"

[brigida]

In this request, she had not the confidence to assure him the answer he sought. "I will find one worthy of it, and dedicated to a restoration of peace with the North--And if I cannot do that, then I will assume command--I see it my responsibility to see that the Kingdom is in the most capable hands--If I believe those hands are mine when the time comes, it is in my hands it will rest."

[The Flint]

"I do not know of who else's hands I trust, but I will not trouble you with this now, you have much to do. Strike quickly, these Faceless Men are killers better than most you've ever seen. They will be quick and fast, and will not hesitate to open your throat. So strike quickly, and do not let go until whoever you have under your knife no longer looks like Emelia. The change should be obvious enough to all, so you should be quickly exonerated. But be cautious anyway." He smiled, awkwardly. "Good luck." scrawling some instructions on a piece of paper, Francis says, "gives this to Ser Torn or Ser Osmund and they will provide you with anything you need."