So, first of all, hi!

I've been gone lately because of school cause guess what? Turns out senior year is exhausting and it has been draining all the life and time and energy and stuff out of me!

But on a much sadder/happier note (yes, both of them), I bring news that you might enjoy but also hate me for!

This book is coming to an end.

Yes, that's right. The next chapter will be the very last chapter of the book and then I might do another one.

"But Brin, if it's coming to an end, why would you do another chapter?"

Because...

We have another coming up and this one will be much longer since it will follow Lilia's life during the events of the third and forth season (at least)!

We'll still have a chapter 29 and after that chapter, I'll make an introduction to the next book (similar to what I did in the Little Pup's last chapter) AND, depending on you, I might do a Q&A about Lilia, the books, the TV Show...

So, if you would like to know things about anything Game of Thrones related really, let me know on the comment section in this chapter and the next one!

Now, let's get into the chapter itself!

Lilia looked at the gardens from the window inside her chambers. Her dreams had been crushed before her eyes and there was nothing but bitterness in her mouth as well as the fear of what was to come.

She had been locked up as an elite prisoner, almost like when she was back in King's Landing. She would get great food and the servants would treat her well and with kindness. She had been provided with a bath which made her auburn hair fade and her false identity as Melissa Rivers die with it. She had also been provided with clothes and the beautiful sight of the Water Gardens, as well as her direwolf, which was keeping her company. However, she wasn't allowed to get visits from Arianne or any of the Sand Snakes.

She waited for hours while reading some books Oberyn Martell had found a way to sneak in with the help of his little daughter Dorea. She knew as much since the books were delivered with an orange on top, and though that could have been a coincidence and her dessert was going to be an orange, Lilia knew better than that. Dorea was obsessed with oranges and would spend most of her time knocking oranges off trees with the aid of her morning star.

Another person she was not allowed to see under any circumstance was Daemon Sand and that troubled her. She had left Dorne right after he had rejected her and right after their kiss, yet Lilia only thought about him during her first days running away. She supposed it had something to do with the belief she held that they would never see each other again, yet there she stood.

Oberyn had Daemon guarding Lilia's door, or so he intended to have him do, but Doran Martell was smarter than that. It was known that Daemon Sand had fallen in love with the she-wolf of the North and that it was likely that she would come to persuade him to release her, that was if he would not do it himself, which Doran decided not to believe. There was one thing he was sure of, he could not lose Lilia Stark once again.

Arianne had made the job to find them difficult when changing Lilia's Stark physical and, overall, complete identity. The one thing that gave her away was that she herself accompanied that girl.

When Doran found out what their intentions were, he could not believe how stupid his daughter had been to talk the Stark girl into that stupid plot. House Tyrell had declared for House Lannister and Margaery Tyrell was now going to be Joffrey Baratheon's Queen. As soon as they set foot in Highgarden, Lilia Stark would be sent back to King's Landing and served to Joffrey on a plate.

So, he sent Areo Hotah after them along with his own brother and a few more men of his trust, ambushing the girls. What didn't help them was the fact that his own son decided to cooperate with that treason and so, Doran had found himself in a very delicate position with the Iron Throne.

It was only during the next day that Oberyn Martell was allowed by his brother to visit the young girl, only to tell her that the ruling Prince of Dorne wished to see her.

Lilia was caught out off guard since she wasn't expecting for the silent treatment to be over so soon. She had realized that Doran's wish to speak with her could only mean one thing, he had decided or perhaps he had been informed of what was to be her fate, which scared her. But Lilia didn't complain.

She was in no position to say anything whatsoever. She was back to measuring her every move and every word, being cautious every single step along the way. And she couldn't blame anyone else but herself for it.

There were guards escorting both of them, to make sure that they didn't say anything to each other harmful or treacherous. Areo Hotah was not among them but Lilia was sure that he would be standing the whole time next to Prince Doran while they talked.

After minutes that looked somewhat like hours, she arrived at the balcony where the Prince of Doran would spend his time, sitting on his chair and watching the gardens... or at least, so she had heard during her time there.

The truth was that Lilia didn't get to know Doran Martell, just as she had always expected. What she knew about him was common knowledge, by reputation... and that wasn't much considering that had been the first she had ever spent time in Dorne. But one thing she knew, the Prince was beloved... just like the three of his children. It reminded Lilia of her own father, the way that people would look at him with such admiration and patience.

Just like she had been told, the Prince was there with an empty chair next to him that Lilia didn't take. Instead, she walked towards the men and bowed to him with her head down. Doran kept a straight face, almost blank and the Stark girl couldn't read him. Ruling must do that to people, she thought.

"My Prince"

"Lady Stark," he acknowledged her, point at the chair with his straightened hand. She saw a lot of Quentyn in that man, both very quiet and also very cautious, which made them somewhat unpredictable. Nevertheless, Quentyn could easily be manipulated and she couldn't know for sure, but she disbelieved Doran could be as naïveas his son. "Take a seat, you must be tired from your long travels"

"I have been given enough time to rest in the comfort of my chambers, My Prince. I'm grateful for your kindness" she said as blankly as the man while starring at him in the eyes.

"My daughter has told me much about you, just as my brother has. I was never driven for looks or even the most obvious thing, that was for my brother. I always liked the things that I couldn't see, the brain, the wit" he began his speech. Lilia attentively listened to every word as she thought of a way to reply to him. Yet, she decided to talk only when asked of her. "I have met many women, many girls. I have also talked to many of them and one thing I always noticed is that none of them was equal to the last time. But as time went by, I guess I forgot many of them. I forgot their names, I forgot how they looked like and I forgot our exchange of words until one day I realized that women were not serpents or wolves, instead they were flowers. There are two types of flowers in a garden, the flower with no thorns and the flower with thorns. After that, women were all the same in my eyes and I could easily identify them just by talking to them. But what I hear of you conflicts me because I don't know which one you are. My sister was a flower with no thorns, your aunt was a flower with thorns. Is it frequent in your land?"

"It depends, I suppose" she replied. "We are three sisters, three Stark girls all raised by the same woman, all born at a close period of time and all of us different nonetheless. There are three flowers, one has thorns and the other doesn't"

"And what about the other one?" Doran Martell asked awaiting the response to his question. He wondered what type of girl she was and, depending on that, he wondered how he would pull it off.

"That is for other people to decide" internally Doran smiled at it. However, on the exterior, he hadn't change one bit. His expression was still stiff and still observant, watching every move the girl said and weighing every word she would say.

"I find you intriguing, Lilia Stark, which is why I'm speaking to you right now. Otherwise, I would have gotten you in the first ship to King's Landing"

Doran's words didn't surprise Lilia. She knew that was where she was going to end up when the conversation was over. She knew that her head would be on a spike in a few weeks, right at the gates of King's Landing. That was if Joffrey didn't feel like sending her corpse to her brother, which wouldn't shock her anymore.

She had come to figure that Joffrey Baratheon couldn't shock her anymore. After what he had done to her, what she had seen him do to innocent people... there was no room for shock or disbelief. Fear? Perhaps, but a ruler should never inspire fear. He should inspire courage, justice, wisdom... not stupidity and cruelness. That was the same reason why she knew that he wasn't going to last. Some people like vicious Kings, some people like foolish Kings, but nobody like a vicious, foolish King... especially in times of war and division, poverty and death.

"A Lannister and a Martell, a dangerous and unusual combo", Doran Martell pointed out. Lilia's eyes followed his, where she found Myrcella and Trystane playing together and the sight warmed her heart.

"Baratheon" she corrected him. Areo Hotah watched as the girl looked at them, refusing to meet the Ruling Dornish Prince in the eyes. "A Baratheon and a Martell"

Doran did not respond to that. He knew what she sought by that observation, what she wanted him to reply. She was a smart girl and very cautious. No wonder why she has made it so far, Doran thought to himself.

A part of him believed that his brother and Arianne would say that Lilia Stark was interesting because of her looks, which he also believed to be the only reason she was still alive. But he had come to realize that despite the good looks, she was also very smart and able to play her cards well. One of the cards he had figured as one of her favourites was the melancholy.

He had been careful enough to have her watched and the reports were all the same. She would stare at the window thinking or reading poetry and books of prophecy and then she would weep for her family. And from what he had been able to hear, melancholy only made her look more untouchable and angelic.

"My children would like you to stay here. I believe Arianne has come to actually like you, and Quentyn thinks you are a good girl. My brother is also very fond of you and would like you to stay," he began as Lilia's nails dug the palm of her hand in order to release some of the anxiety she felt. "And so would I. I have thought about marrying you to Oberyn just for the paper, so they could not take you out of here. Nevertheless, your attempt to escape has cost House Martell great credibility and unfortunately, you must go back to your sister in King's Landing"

"I understand and I thank you for your hospitality," she said with her head respectfully down as he gave her permission to leave. Oberyn was waiting outside with pity in his eyes.

Lilia Stark walked faster towards her chambers and once she got there, she closed the door and broke down crying. It was her fault and though she was aware of such, now that Tywin Lannister was back in the city, she was never going to be able to stay in Dorne. He would find a way like he always did.

Oberyn didn't let the closed the door or his brother's commands dictate his will. He stormed inside her room without warning and closed the door, only to find the sweet girl weeping for her fate and losing all the composure she had in front of the Dornish Ruling Prince.

"I've tried to convince him but..." he began to justify himself but she didn't let him. She wanted to hear only two words from him and she was going to hear them.

"Help me, Oberyn! Help me go back to my brother! Help me get away!" he was shocked when listening to the desperation in her voice. It made his stomach flip but there was nothing he could do to help her and he knew that. He was powerless in that case. "Because if you will not, I'm not going back there alive!"

He was appalled by those words. The life of Lilia Stark was a weight too heavy for him to carry the blame over. Nevertheless, he had to if that would be the outcome. His brother would learn about it even if he tried and since Lilia Stark was leaving soon, he wouldn't have the time to plan in advance.

"I'm sorry, Lilia"

He left her chambers and let her weep about her fate just as she had learnt not to. But how could she go by the same philosophy that had gotten her into that mess in the first place?

Her fight was over and the best thing for her was to accept that and move forward.

So, let's see what happens next... what do you think Lilia is going to do? Is she going to run away on her own? What about Oberyn?

Let me know your thoughts and any questions you might have on the comment section.

See you in the next chapter, bye!