Anyone with half a brain gives a princely command due regard, and so did the band of knights assembled by Ser Farien Yronwood, at Prince Maron’s request, to chase after the Braavosi embassy and retrieve the runaway Septa Helia, born Dalt. Ser Valerin Dayne, Ser Jehan Santagar, and Ser Kay Yronwood all joined the future Bloodroyal, along with a number of men-at-arms, in a ride in back-breaking speed through the dusty trails to where a lone, slim gally awaited with a modest crew, so they could give chase to the Braavosi fleet, ever more distant by the day. It was fortunate that the weather was mostly fair -for all the fickleness of autumn- the supplies from the villages in their way not too scant, and their oarmaster a seasoned, hard old man. When they eventually returned, the court heard tales that even the noble knights themselves had rown with the common men, drenched in sweat and generous splashes of saltwater. At long last, as the Broken Arm disappeared behind them, masts appeared in the horizon, and there was all manner of cheer. A cautious few held their tongues, wondering; could the Braavosi ships be sailing slowly enough to still be this south? They weren’t humored by their comrades, however.
And yet, they were right. When the Dornish ship drew closer, it was too late and the errant corsair vessel, on its way out of the Sea of Dorne, like as not, had spotted them and set their sights on this newest plunder. There was not enough time to make a clean escape. After bloody resistance, the pirates were able to launch a storming; one after the other they were making their way to the galley’s deck, and defeat for the Dornish was inching closer, but while luck had abandoned them, they had the aid of the reckless abandon—or mad fear?—of dead men walking. Finally, the vagabonds were repelled and left behind, not without significant loss in men and stolen supplies. A couple of mercy kills had to even be performed on men writhing in agony after being brutally maimed. Of the nobles, Ser Farien was left with a bad, but treatable gash on his leg, while Ser Jehan was hit hardest; being viciously knocked out by a club and left bloodied and unconscious for almost a day. This attack left neither the menfolk nor the ship in good form. By the time they were ready to turn back around, there was no chance to catch up to the Sealord’s fleet, no mission to continue. Their only option was to limp back to port, to Dorne.
On land, Prince Malor had in the meantime duly complied with his brother’s orders; heading a party including his lovely cousin the Lady Leyla Martell, the Blackmont heir Ser Arrant, and Danelle Vaith, he had arrived at Lemonwood to lukewarm, at best, reception. He found there that Ser Dinias, upset though he was at Septa Helia’s shame, had accepted that her father Ser Falion be foremost in the discussions with the Prince’s envoys. The desire at Sunspear was that the Dalts would place their trust at the men dispatched by the Prince and not carry their indignance across the Narrow Sea whatsoever - but avoiding that seemed difficult when news spread that the naval expedition had failed, and the erstwhile Septa was in all likeliihood lost.
Despite the further anger and outbursts that followed, it eventually transpired that princely munificence can paper over even a father’s dishonour. Ser Falion, with the support of Ser Dinias, finally grit his teeth and agreed to stay put and forget the affair, and his daughter. In exchange for his understanding, his son Ser Simon, a household knight at Sunspear, was to be promoted to second-in-command of the castle guard, below only Ser Valerin. It also soothed his pride when Prince Malor took to his grandson Edgar and saw enough skill in the boy to knight him. That was, apparently, the end of tension in the halls of the Dalts. The younger Martell prince was thereafter said to have been gracious enough when faced with these aggrieved relatives, responding to Ser Falion’s bitter complaints with steadfast reassurance that Prince Maron wills a just solution, and confirming Sunspear’s approval via raven before reaching a final agreement.
And so, it is plain sailing for some, like the disgraced Helia and her lover, and less for others, but if reports floating the court’s way from Lemonwood are anything to go by, the dust has settled, the peace will be kept and Prince Maron, as well as his courtiers, can go on with business more important than a tawdry affair.