Even though they don't say it, Myrcella is a prisoner. Ser Meryn is posted outside her door at all times and Ser Arys inside her solar. The only ones permitted to see her are her mother (who Myrcella refuses to see), and Sansa Stark who must accompanied by her ladies, (Lannister spies the lot of them). So Myrcella usually keeps to herself, her stomach growing ever larger, so much so that Myrcella expects to have twins.
So she takes to reading; histories and legends, anything to quell the boredom and when she finished her books she paced. She had yet to hear a scrap of news about Robb and it made her worry. Surely, Howland Reed had sent word to Robb of her capture? After all, she had spied the Lion-lizard following them in the distance all the way to Maidenpool.
Almost always she paced till her feet hurt and then she collapsed on her bed, sending Ser Arys out of her room, and crying quietly into her pillow.
Still the monotony of her room was better than the uncertainty outside; for her brother may be a fool, but he was also a brute who used his knights to brutalize any who stood in his way. Who is to say he wouldn't send them to beat his sister who grows large with a traitor's brood? No, she stays in her room, the walls of her room being the only protection she has left.
She lays in bed, stomach so large she no longer dares to walk, and embroiders a swaddling blanket. Sansa sits at her bedside embroidering a second one; both ice blue depicting a snowy white background.
It is silent in the room, every once in awhile Myrcella glances at Sansa's ladies, all of them ready to run to her mother at any talk of treachery.
That is why Myrcella is surprised when Sansa clears her throat. '' The first snow fall was today.'' Sansa's voice is clear and sharp, so different from her usually whisper soft voice that Myrcella jumps to hear it.
'' So winter is coming to Kingslanding finally.'' Sansa nods and goes back to stitching, but Myrcella sees the slight shake of the younger girl's hands and she knows it is not from fear, but hope.
Her mother comes to her the next day. She dismisses both guards and sits next to Myrcella a polite distance away.
'' The high septon has promised to dissolve your marriage if you give-'' Myrcella abruptly shuts her book.
'' What.'' She seethes, but her mother ignores her and continues.
'' – testimony that Robb Stark raped you and you were married at knife point.'' Myrcella suppresses the need to slap her mother and calmly lays her book next to her, to look her mother directly in the eyes.
'' I would never-'' Myrcella's voice starts to rise.
'' Why not?''
'' Because it's not true!'' Myrcella sits upright her fists clenching at the sheets of her bed, and her mother leans back in her chair at her outburst. '' And no one would believe it to be. He may look Tully, but Robb is a Stark from blood to bones, and every Stark would rather fall on their sword than do what your suggesting.''
Her mother laughs bitterly. '' Yes the famous Stark honor. Honestly how you could fool yourself into loving him-'' Cersai says the last part quietly but Myrcella still hears it.
'' I did not fool myself. Robb was kind and gentle, he treated me well even when he learned the truth of my parentage,'' Cersai tries to object but Myrcella plows on, '' he had every right to lock me up. Instead he married me and gave me a crown.''
Her mother's lips thin, '' that just makes him a fool.''
'' No it makes him a good man.'' Myrcella lays back down, now exhausted, '' How could I not love him?'' Cersai does not answer her, but exits the room without another word.
Myrcella wakes a fortnight later feeling a pain erupting within her, tearing her in two, and wetness spreads across the sheets.
'' Ser Arys.'' The knight rushes through the door a panicked look on his face.
'' Yes Princess.''
'' Get the maester.''
Myrcella grits her teeth as another wave of pain comes, but she refuses to scream. She won't give Joffrey the satisfaction. Midwives surround her and Maester Pycelle hovers at the end of the bed.
Gods it had to him. More than anything Myrcella wishes she were back at Winterfell in Maester Luwin's capable hands.
No. More than anything I wish Robb was here.
In the end Myrcella holds two healthy looking girls to her breast.
Auburn hair and grey eyed, Myrcella doubts there were ever two more beautiful baby girls.
'' Elenei and Lyanna.'' Myrcella breathes.
The twins stay in the room with her. To her relief neither Joffrey nor her mothers come to visit.
Tommen comes with a kitten in each hand.
Sansa comes baring enough clothes to last each twin through the long winter.
Jamie comes with news.
He sweeps into her room while the twins are napping. At first he just looks at them, but then there is the slightest quirk of his lips.
'' Not a drop of Lannister blood in either of them.''
''What are you doing here?'' His face sobers and he looks at with Myrcella with regret. '' You could have left me alone, let me sneak away in the night, but you didn't. Now I don't know if Joffrey will let my children live, much less myself.'' Her hands tighten on the cradle at the thought.
'' I made a mistake.''
'' You have made many.'' He nods his head at that and a choked laugh escapes him.
'' Yes I have.'' He stares at her for a moment before muttering, '' Out of all of you I did not think, from the first moment that I held you in my arms-that you would be the most like me.'' Myrcella's breathe catches in throat and she can't bear took look at him. This was the closest they had gotten to speaking of it.
'' I'm nothing like you.'' The words are bitter, meant to wound, but Jamie shows no sign that her words have affected him.
'' Deny it if you wish, but you are the best of me.'' He is close to her now and he reaches toward her as if he wants to give her some measure of comfort before thinking better of it and laying his hand back down on the cradle. '' Apparently Renly Baratheon was speared through by a shadow and when ser Loras heard he went into quite a rage; killed Stannis and his red woman both. They say your young wolf treated with roses, stroke up quite the deal. Young Margaery and Edric Storm, excuse me Baratheon, were wed and now they make their way to Kingslanding. Their banners were spotted just outside of Duskendale.''
'' Why are you telling me this?'' Myrcella whispers.
Jamie looks to the door where Ser Arys is posted just outside then back to the twins. He puts a hand to their auburn hair and caresses their cheeks with a soft hand.'' When the time comes you will bar your door and you will not open it, not for anything or anyone, until your wolf comes for you.'' He does not give her a chance to answer but instead stalks out of her room.
She does not see Jamie Lannister again.
When the battle comes Myrcella is not awoken by the sound of shouting or of swords clashing, but by Sansa dragging a crying Tommen into her room.
She does not ask where Ser Arys and or Ser Meryn, but bars the door as soon as they cross the threshold.
Several times the door rattles, and nearly cracks, as Lannister soldiers try to force their way through the door, but the doors holds and soon enough she hears the screams of the dying.
'' Sansa! Myrcella! '' There is heavy scratching and the door rattles on its hinges. '' Someone open the damn door before Greywind break it.'' Myrcella opens the door to see the iron born hostage bruised and bloodied, but alive.
'' Where's Robb?'' For a moment Myrcella thinks the worst.
'' He's dealing with…'' Theon looks guilty for a moment but Myrcella nods and ushers him inside. Greywind nudges her and licks Sansa before going over to the cradle. He snuffles both of the twins before licking both their faces. Both Elenei and Lyanna reach for his snout
Theon leans to look in the cradle, '' Bloody hell.'' Greywind howls.
Victory.
Robb comes to her when Sansa has long since been ushered out by her mother and Theon had proclaimed that he would be visiting the street of silk, and that Greywind was more than capable of protecting her if trouble arose.
Myrcella lies on her bed, the twins next to her and Greywind beside them. When he comes he is clean with bandages along his cheek. When she sees him she jumps from the bed and encircles him in a hug.
'' Myrcella.'' He breathes into her hair before pulling her back and crushing his lips to hers.
Like their first kiss.
Greywind barks and it breaks them apart, and sends Elenei and Lyanna into a fit. Robb seems to freeze for a moment before hurrying to the bed and picking up Lyanna in his arms. He cradles her gently in his arms and Myrcella picks up Elenei to show him.
'' They're perfect.'' He whispers hoarsely. Myrcella sees droplets on the swaddling blanket.
''Robb?'' She asks quietly.
He does not look at her, '' they told me you were dead. After I crossed the Twins I received a letter from your brother-'' he takes a shuddering breathe, '' detailing your execution and plans for Sansa's if I did not surrender, I nearly did, I nearly-'' he holds Lyanna tighter to him and brushes a kiss across Elenei's cheek. '' Your uncle, the imp- he had one of the scouts tell me the truth of it.'' Myrcella leans against him and him her, sharing their mutual exhaustion.
'' Are they all dead?'' She asks into his tunic.
The silence is all the answer she needs.
They stay in her bed entwined with each other; Myrcella, tracing scars that weren't there before and Robb pressing kisses on his daughter's stomachs, cheeks, and feet; holding them close as if they would disappear . In return they grab at his tunic and kick at their blankets, and it pierces something in Myrcella and makes her chest ache.
Already she knows that Lyanna and Elenei shall be spoiled rotten.
''Do you hate me what for I did?'' She had finally put the twins back in their cradle and now she lay with her head on Robb's chest; the cool sheets embracing her skin.
'' No I don't, but I don't think I could ever hate you.''
She was more Jamie than she thought, and secretly she was glad for it.
'' Robb,'' he is half asleep but he makes an unintelligible noise and Myrcella knows he is listening, '' I want to go home.''
His arms tighten around her.
In the end Myrcella does not look back but wraps her furs tighter around Tommen.
Let the Tyrell's have the south.
She hears dragons are coming on the wind anyways.