King's Landing 300 AC.
Oberyn Martell.
Elia, he had named her Elia, named her for the woman who had named him her son and if that wasn't just the clearest example of his sister being right to do so, then naming her as his heir only proved him to be a true son of not only Elia Martell but of Dorne itself. At first, he'd not thought he'd heard it right, or that Jae was simply stating a fact. His daughter was his only child and so as of now was the heir to the throne, he should have known better, they all should.
"What do you mean even if you have a son, your grace?" Gormon asked as they sat in the Small Council meeting.
"I mean my daughter is my heir, Grandmaester, my firstborn child and the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Her seat will be Summerhall, the seat of the Crown Princess, and should my wife and I be blessed with a son and brother for my daughter then he will be second in line and sit his own seat in Harrenhal." Jae said.
"The laws.." Gormon began.
"Were written by my family were they not? And while my family has known its share of good and great men and women, it's known its share of those who were not. Allowing Aegon to usurp Rhaenyra was a mistake, a stain on my family that almost brought about its demise. I know far better than most the reason for that mistake and unlike those who took their counsel from men they should not, I'll hold my own counsel on this. Send word to the Citadel and have it proclaimed thorough the realm and let any who takes issue do so with me." Jae said and Oberyn smirked.
Gormon had hurried from the room and the questions had been posed. Was Jae changing the laws on primogeniture and was Dornish law now be the law of the land? His nephew more than ready for the questions and Oberyn and the others had been more than happy with his answers.
"I've been lucky in my life to know some of the strongest, smartest, and most capable women from each and every part of the seven kingdoms. Lady Genna, Lady Ashara and Lady Dacey in the West, my Aunt Ellaria and cousins from Dorne, My wife, her mother and grandmother from the Reach." Jae said nodding to Olenna "Lady Jonelle, Lady Maege, and Lady Dustin in the North. Though I've only had some dealing with her, Lady Anya Waynwood from the Vale seems yet another as of course are mine own aunts and that's not even counting the younger ones such as Lady Shireen, or my sisters and some of their friends."
"You haven't answered the question, your grace." Olenna said to a chuckle from Jae.
"I thought that was how politics worked, Lady Olenna, you speak many words but say nothing?" Jae said to some laughs "I'll not be making Dornish law the law of the land, I will however give the people a choice." Jae said.
"A choice, your grace?" Jaime asked.
"A choice, Lord Hand. Any whom wish to do so can petition the crown to name their firstborn child their heir, be they a boy or a girl, without such a petition then primogeniture remains for now." Jae said.
"For now, nephew?" he asked curiously.
"I have no idea what my daughter will wish to do when she is queen, uncle, perhaps she'll be influenced even more by my aunt and cousins than even I've been." Jae said and Oberyn chuckled, knowing he'd see it so.
He hadn't needed to ask if the queen was on board and nor had anyone else. Oberyn knowing far better than most that Jae wouldn't have made this choice without discussing it and agreeing on it with Margaery. That he had taken the Small Council meeting at all was a clear sign of that and it was something that Jae himself told him later on. Oberyn listening as his nephew said that once he and Margaery had agreed on it, she'd then suggested he let the realm know their decision at the same time they announced Elia's birth.
