Ellaria Sand

Ellaria Sand is the beloved paramour of Prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne, and the mother of four of his daughters: Elia, Obella, Dorea, and Loreza. After Oberyn's gruesome death at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane during a trial by combat in King's Landing, Ellaria becomes a central figure in the ensuing debate over Dorne's response. She emerges as a powerful advocate for peace, directly opposing the calls for bloody vengeance from Oberyn's bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes.

Role in the Aftermath of Oberyn's Death

Ellaria Sand is present in Sunspear when the skull of Ser Gregor Clegane is delivered as proof of his death. While the Sand Snakes—Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene—celebrate the Mountain's demise as a first step in a wider war against House Lannister, Ellaria is horrified. She confronts them directly, asking where the cycle of vengeance will end. She points out that Tywin Lannister, Robert Baratheon, Amory Lorch, and Gregor Clegane are all dead, and even Joffrey Baratheon, who was not yet born when Elia and her children were murdered, has perished. She questions whether Myrcella and Tommen must also die for the shades of Rhaenys and Aegon to be at rest, and she asks what comfort a skull can bring her in the night.

Voice for Peace and Reconciliation

Ellaria's stance is rooted in a desire to protect the living, not to avenge the dead. She reminds the Sand Snakes that she has four daughters of her own who worship them, and she fears that the cycle of vengeance will consume them all. She argues that Oberyn wanted vengeance for Elia, but that the Sand Snakes now seek vengeance for him, and that their own daughters will then seek vengeance for them, in an endless, destructive loop. She tells Prince Doran that the Sand Snakes will not see reason, and she leaves the council, unable to hear more talk of war and skulls. Prince Doran acknowledges her wisdom, stating that she understood Oberyn better than his daughters ever did, and that a gentle heart may be worth more than pride or valor. He assures her that no harm will come to her girls.