Chapter 2

Bronn found himself on the dance floor with the girl in question a short time later. He stood staring down at her, she glared up at him. Couples awkwardly made their way around them dancing to the music.

"I thought all you highborn ladies knew how to do this shit," Bronn finally spoke.

The girl shrugged carelessly. "I only just came out," she snapped back.

"What the hell does that even mean," he wondered.

She sighed impatiently. "It means that we aren't allowed to attend feasts or dances or anything really until we're fifteen. I was fifteen just last month-so I've had lessons but this is the first feast I've been allowed to," she ground out in aggravation.

Bronn's eyebrows shot up. Jesus, she really was young and really had no experience whatsoever in society. He grinned at the thought.

"Why do you have that stupid smile on your face?" she snapped.

"Careful love, you're speaking to your future husband and I expect some respect when you address me," Bronn teased in delight. Oh he had definitely selected the perfect girl-so unsullied, someone he could absolutely mold to his desires.

"Don't be so sure of that," she shot back. "I have some say in this," she continued angrily.

Bronn shook his head. "Nay, I don't believe that's correct girl. As I understand it we give the terms and your father has agreed. And I've told my commander there," and he nodded in the direction where Jamie stood conversing with the girl's father, "that I want you as my wife. And if your father wants to keep his head on he'll agree."

The girl began to stride angrily away but Bronn grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Not so fast lass. I may not know all the ins and outs of this dancing foolishness, but I do know you aren't allowed to leave the floor before the dance is finished."

She jerked her arm in another unsuccessful bid to free herself of his grip. "We aren't even dancing," she protested.

Bronn shrugged. "I don't care, rules are rules and here you'll stand with me until this damned music stops," he replied.

At that moment the music stopped and the girl jerked her arm free and strode quickly over to her father. Bronn followed, curious as to her next move.

Jamie looked up to see the girl approaching, a sullen look on her face. He smirked-Bronn certainly had his work cut out for him if he thought taking a teenage girl as a bride would be easy. He'd dealt with Cersei as a teenager and although he loved his sister dearly-in more ways than one-he'd often thanked the Gods that he was not her husband. Young women were moody, willful, demanding. They had not yet learned their place in the world-they had not yet learned to hold their tongues and obey their husbands. And some women-like his sister-no matter how many hard lessons they'd been given toward that end had still not learned the wise way of keeping their mouths shut and acquiescing to their betters.

Jamie turned his attention to the girl. She was indeed a beauty, he gave Bronn credit for that. Her features also displayed an intelligence most young girls did not. He watched as she argued with her father regarding his arrangement that Bronn was indeed to be her husband-the men of his command were to marry the highborn women three days hence. Hasty yes, but he wanted to be on the move and didn't have the patience to wait the usual month these things took to set up. He didn't care how frustrated or hounded the lord felt over the speed of the event, that wasn't his concern.

Shortly after her arrival she stormed off in the direction of the living quarters, much to her father's chagrin. Bronn smiled indulgently and shrugged and Jamie smothered a laugh. Too bad he would be on the march and not here to view Bronn's disillusionment of his idea of molding the girl to his ideal of a wife. If anything, he felt she would be the one molding Bronn.