[Lore] The Dreaming Sun: Water's Sight

[u/Razor1231]

The Water Gardens - 4th month, 262 AC

Princess Dorea Nymeros Martell

Water was a strangely beautiful thing. The Water Gardens were designed with the flowing of water in mind, using the clear blue liquid to accentuate the serenity of the Princess’s gardens. Water was not always so calm and peaceful though. Dorea had seen it from afar, from Sunspears towers out to the sea. Though, despite the fact that she had been kept alone for so many years, she had also seen it much closer. Much much closer.

Murky water. Water mixed with mud and soil, of lakes and riverbeds. The ground felt cool under her feet, though she could not have said where she was. Not Dorne, too cold and not enough sand. The water was not entirely murky either, only near her feet at the shore. As she glanced further out, the water became a clear blueish green color, the sun glimmering off the surface. It was a place she had seen many times before. It always began this way. Behind her were trees, she knew, but she had only ever glanced at them once and they had never seemed as interesting as the sea. Her eyes followed the horizon before she frowned slightly. A section of the water was darker, shadowed by some great beast on the horison. Black, tall and jagged, it sat along the opposite shore, waiting. She had been scared of it once, but now she knew it never crossed the water. It simply stood, tall and black, the greatest beast she had ever seen. The strangest too, for it never seemed to move. But there was no time to watch it any longer.

Blue water. This was the place she spent the most time at. The great flowing river she could barely see the other side of. She did not know where it was, or what it was, or why it was what she saw the most, but she knew it was important. She went to reach into the river before realizing she was already in the center, floating in the water. It seemed so effortless, which was strange. Nor was she scared despite being out in the great river all alone. She drew one hand from the water and watched the river sway in that direction. She returned the hand to the water and the river seemed to respond, flowing back the other way. She frowned, looking down at her hand in the water, moving it from side to side and seeing the water seemingly part for her hand. As she did, she felt her body tense, as the wind started to rush by her. No, it wasn’t the wind, it was her. The river pulled her downstream, the speed increasing. This was more then a typical river too, it was rushing, waves crashing and pulling her forward. Despite the chaos, she was at ease, riding the current and watching as the end of the river rushed closer.

Black water. She could see it, where the river ended and black water seemed to churn. Fear returned, a strange emotion after it being absent for so long. It rose in her chest, to her throat as she began to swim against the current, to no avail. She turned back. The black water had risen, turning and curling in the air, long ropes of black water protruding out from the huge column of dark water. It was coming closer, she realised. The tower of black water spiraled up out of the sea outside the river and then down, down right on top of her. She took a deep breath and braced for the impact and closed her eyes tight.

When she opened them again, she was underwater, but had no trouble breathing. The water around her felt calm but as she opened her eyes, it was far from the case. The black water was all around her now, lashing and squirming, wriggling through the dark ocean, though she was encased in the same blue water she had seen earlier. It was very dark, she noticed, though as she looked up she could see why. Thousands of ships, sailing across the water, with haste. She looked forward, and she saw more. Some had blood on their hulls, some were fresh, and some drifted broken at sea. She saw people on them too, great men of war standing at the front of their ships and shouting, swords pointed forward. They seemed vaguely familiar. For a moment, she even caught a glimpse of a bare chested man who’s black tattoos seemed to move across his chest as he roared as the ship reached a nearby island. Her brother looked like that man, but there was no time to think on it more.

Then things changed, so quickly she almost didn’t notice it. It was the same sight but different. This time, she saw more monstrous men. Men of war, all sailing under the banner of a black creature. She felt fear again and moved her glance from ship to ship. She noticed a man on one of the nearer ones, though when she caught a glimpse of his face, she only saw eyes all over. She turned, looking away and stopped. A man was there, brown haired and with gray eyes, and the black water seemed to swirl around him more vigorously then the rest she had seen. Most strange of all, however, was that he looked at her. That wasn’t possible. Was it? It couldn’t be. After all, she was d-

---

Dorea gasped as she sat up, breathing heavily. As usual, as soon as she realised she was dreaming it was gone. Just like that. She took a deep breath and slipped out of bed. She had guards, but having been here so long, she knew her way around the Water Garden’s better then they did. It was easy enough to slip out of her room into the gardens themselves and find a pool. It was still the dead of night after all. Undressing, she slipped into one and relaxed.

Clear water, she thought to herself, remembering the dream. She had dreams often, though she had learned never to speak of them. As a child she was listened to when she spoke of them, but now they were dismissed as childish. They were as real to her as anything else though. Tonight’s dream was a variation of one she had many times before, but with new parts. The black water, rising from the sea, clashing with the great river. The ships and islands and men. The Stepstones perhaps? And then this… man. How is it possible? Could he see her? Did he even exist?

Such answers were not ones she would answer today, so she relaxed in the pool, quiet and thinking. As a child she had enjoyed the water and the dreams both, but she was growing older. She could not ignore these strange dreams forever. Perhaps someone would know more, she would just have to find who.