Savanna Dayne

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Savanna Dayne, born to Harlan Dayne, Prince of Dorne and Lord of Starfall, and “Chatty” Lady Samantha Lannister, is possessed of a beauty rare even among the highborn. Savanna bears the famed luminous purple iris of the Daynes in one eye, while the other is a clear emerald green, inherited from her Lannister mother, an arresting almost unsettling contrast that has inspired no small number of songs and poems. Her hair falls in soft gold waves, catching the sun like beaten coin, and when she smiles it is often said she looks less born than bestowed.

Yet Savanna’s lineage extends beyond Dorne and the Westerlands. It is the outcome of the War of Sun and Stars that places Savanna in a position unprecedented in Dornish history. That conflict, part war, part settlement, part succession crisis, ended the long rule of House Martell and elevated House Dayne to the princely seat of Dorne. With the extinction of rival claims and the careful legality engineered by her grandsire, Arron, Savanna stands as heir not only to Starfall, but to the Dornish throne itself. When she ascends, she will be the first Princess of Dorne from House Dayne, ruling in her own right, not as regent, consort, or placeholder.

The smallfolk adore her. Tales abound of her quiet kindness: she once gave a barefoot peasant girl the embroidered shoes off her own feet, and she never passes a beggar without offering a word and a coin, ignoring the whispers of her maids and noble kin. She is widely considered one of the most enchanting maidens of her generation. Though still young, her grace, charm, and intelligence have already made her a subject of fascination throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Lords speak her name with admiration; even grizzled knights have jested, some less innocently than others, that they would trade ten years of their lives for a chance to win her hand.

She embodies the very ideal of noble femininity in Westeros: delightful without being frivolous, clever without condescension, flirtatious without dishonor. At court, Savanna is gregarious and warm, her laughter unforced, her charm effortless. Among the people, she is known by many names, some affectionate, some reverent, some bordering on worship: Sweet Star Savanna, The Star of Starfall, The Sun-Star Princess, The Soft Heart of Dorne, The Maiden of Mercy, The Grace of Dayne, Starborn Saint.

The War of Sun and Star reshaped the political landscape of Dorne. It was initiated and ultimately won by Arron Dayne, Sword of the Morning and the only legitimate son of Saera Targaryen. A master not only of the blade but of alliances, Arron secured his victory through marriage as much as war, binding his kin to the great houses—House Stark, House Greyjoy, House Baratheon, House Arryn, House Tyrell—until scarcely a house remained untouched by Dayne blood or favor. Of Arron’s own children by Gella Celtigar, only Harlan survived to 169 AC. Ambitious and politically astute, Arron married his daughter Suzana to Oberyn Martell. When Oberyn died, leaving behind only a young daughter, Eselle Martell, the child was declared Princess of Dorne at just four years old. Too young to rule, she was placed under the regency of her grandfather.

On paper, Arron was the perfect regent. He even betrothed Eselle to his son Harlan, seeking to unite Martell and Dayne once more. Yet as the years passed, it became increasingly apparent—or so Arron would insist—that Eselle was unfit to rule. He spoke of her stutter, her struggles with lessons, her inability to grasp the weight of governance. He reminded the court of the long history of Daynes serving as consorts and counselors to Dornish rulers, and of his own Martell blood. The Martells protested. They revolted when Arron continued to rule well past Eselle’s sixteenth nameday, when she was old enough to wed and reign. But their strength had waned, their allies few. Arron’s reach spanned the Seven Kingdoms, and his cousin, King Viserys Targaryen, saw in the conflict an opportunity to finally vassalize Dorne—though that ambition ultimately failed. When the Martells rose, the rebellion faltered, and by the time Eselle came of age, Arron had already secured the title Prince of Dorne by right of victory and recognition.

That was years ago.

The year is now 170 AC. Savanna Dayne was born on the 9th day of the second moon in 154 AC. As the only child of Lord Harlan Dayne, Savanna occupies a position of enormous consequence. She is not merely an heiress, she is the future of Dorne. For years, her father has insisted she not be wed before her sixteenth nameday, a deadline now approached, much to the eager anticipation of the suitors across the Seven Kingdoms. Ravens arrive weekly, thick with flattery, offers of alliance, and promises.

Yet Lord Harlan is no ordinary Westerosi father. He has never pretended that marriage is Savanna’s purpose. In truth, he cares little whether she ever weds at all. He knows his daughter’s intellect, her instinct for people, and he refuses to see her bartered to some aging lord who would treat her crown as his own.

It is not lost on Lady Samantha that this stance is, in its own way, hypocritical. Harlan is sixteen years her senior, after all. When she presses him on this, he counters easily: she was three-and-twenty when they wed, her mind formed, her will intact, and her life, he argues, has turned out well. Why should Savanna not be granted the same grace of time? Harlan has always been an unusual man. He wanted a daughter, not a son, and when Savanna was born, he was delighted beyond all expectation. Because of this, Savanna and her father are exceptionally close. He trusts her judgment more than most men twice her age.

Her mother, “Chatty” Samantha, is exactly that—chatty. Yet she carries much of her husband’s burden. Harlan was never raised to rule. By the time his father had him, his siblings were already grown. It was his older brother, Jon, who was meant to inherit Dorne. But Jon not only failed to produce heirs—he died two years ago. All of which is to say, Harlan is not the most practiced ruler. Samantha, however, is gregarious and charming, though prolonged exposure to her can result in a headache. Still, she is far from foolish. She is wise, perceptive, and skilled at leading people—when she chooses to be. She can be slightly childish, prone to temper tantrums now and then, but where she falters, her husband compensates—and the reverse is equally true.

Savanna is well liked throughout the court, counted as a friend by many rather than feared as a future ruler. She is rarely seen without her two closest companions: Lady Serean of House Martell and Lady Maleah of House Tyrell, both young courtiers raised alongside her at Starfall. The trio is inseparable—three bright figures drifting through marble halls and sunlit gardens. It is said their laughter could wake the dead, and that nothing passes between them without being shared in confidence.

Among those closest to her is also her sworn knight, Ser Cayn of House Hardyng, appointed at her own request a year prior. She first noticed him at a tournament in the Vale, watched him intervene to save a squire from being beaten, and immediately asked her mother if he might be brought into her service—if he wished it. Their relationship is marked by her light, teasing flirtation and his patient amusement. The chemistry between them is undeniable, yet carefully contained—the sort both are keenly aware of but never name. Each knows the other knows, and that knowledge itself becomes the boundary. Neither is foolish, and neither would dishonor the other. For Ser Cayn, the bond carries a sense of debt. He believes he owes her his position, his honor, and perhaps even his future.

Many in Dorne still believe the Daynes are not truly Dornish, and that it is only a matter of time before they allow the Targaryens to conquer the region, given their shared blood. Yet Serean Martell’s closeness with Savanna has done much to mend the fracture between their houses.

Dorne remains unconquered by the Targaryens—unsurprising, as the current king, Aemon “the Understanding,” is no conqueror. There was once a proposal to wed Savanna to Prince Viserys, the king’s second son. Though the two got along well enough, her father ultimately vetoed the match, wary of deepening distrust among his people. Still, there is little bad blood between Dorne and the Iron Throne—for now. Harlan and Savanna are, after all, third- and fourth-generation Targaryens themselves.

In this telling of Game of Thrones, the Dance of the Dragons never came to pass. The fracture that once threatened to tear House Targaryen apart was avoided by a single choice: King Viserys took Laena Velaryon to wife instead of Alicent Hightower. The realm never split into black and green.

Rhaenyra’s path, though spared civil war, was not without sorrow. After Laenor Velaryon’s supposed death, she married Daemon at last, and together they had two sons, Aegon and Viserys. Rhaenyra later died in her forties during a brutal and complicated pregnancy. Not long after, Daemon perished in a fall from Caraxes during a solitary ride. Few believed it an accident. Some claimed he could not bear a world without her; others said guilt drove him skyward one final time.

Jacaerys strengthened the royal line by marrying Princess Rhaenys, daughter of King Viserys and Laena Velaryon. Together they had ten children, though only eight lived to adulthood. Their court was filled with dragonriders and silver-haired heirs. In his forties, Jacaerys contracted a fatal illness and died quietly in his sleep. It is said Queen Rhaenys lay beside him until dusk, then rose without a word and rode her dragon, Moondancer, one final time across the darkening sky. When she returned, she lay beside her husband again—and never woke. It is widely believed she drank some form of suicide tea.

The crown passed to their eldest surviving son, Aemon, now known as Aemon “the Understanding.” He is no conqueror, nor a reveler. At one-and-forty, he is remembered as humble, devout to the Faith of the Seven, and deeply thoughtful. He rides Arrax but prefers prayer halls to tourneys and council chambers to feasts. His nature is gentle yet firm—generous, forgiving, slow to anger. Some mistake his quietness for distance, but those close to him know him as a deeply loving man.

At five-and-ten, Aemon wed his sister Aemma, who was four-and-ten—a match arranged early, but not unhappily. Aemma mirrors her husband in compassion and piety, though beneath her grace lies a sharper pride and a stubborn will. She rides Seasmoke. Where Aemon is measured, she can be resolute to the point of inflexibility. Together they had six children, though only five survived to adulthood: Maegon, who died young; Princess Elaena; Princess Vaella; the twin princes Daemon and Viserys; and Princess Shaera.

The next generation is bound tightly—perhaps too tightly. Princess Elaena was wed at five-and-ten to her uncle Aethan, son of Jacaerys and brother to Aemon, who was then eight-and-ten and later Lord of Rook’s Rest. Now four-and-twenty, Elaena “the Silent” has borne seven children in nine years. It is not a happy union. Court whispers speak of distance—and violence.

Vaella “the Bold,” fierce and headstrong, was betrothed to her younger brother Daemon “Brightflame,” despite being five years his senior. She is now two-and-twenty, while he and his twin, Viserys “the Young Brother,” are six-and-ten. Viserys, gentler by nature, is soon to wed their youngest sister, Shaera “the People’s Princess,” who is but three-and-ten.

Now, in the year 170 AC, King Aemon rules the Seven Kingdoms at one-and-forty beside his forty-year-old queen. The realm is at peace. The dragons still soar. And Savanna is set to inherit Dorne. What will she do with it? Who will she rule alongside?

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(all characters are of legal age, and there is no incest involved in this story. all sibling or uncle titles are by marriage only, not by blood.)