After making sure that Brandon didn't go to kill Robert and letting Benjen and Holland help her with her broken lip, she send the boys away and locked herself on her room. Lyanna ripped the dress from her body, feeling ashamed and dirty, and threw it to the fireplace, letting it burn. Her braid was almost undone and there were bruises on her wrists. She took a gown of pale blue samite with sleeves of Myrish lace from one of the caskets and let her hair fell loose down her back.
She had dinner with Brandon, Ned, Benjen, Catelyn, Lysa and Howland. The Tully girls were going back to Riverrun that afternoon and Brandon had politely decided to invite them to spend some time at their solar before leaving to Winterfell.
Lysa was telling them a story about a charming friend from the Riverlands, even if Lyanna didn't hear the name of the boy because she was not paying enough attention, when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in" Brandon said.
Oberyn opened the door and came into the room.
"My lords, my ladies" he said and then turned to Lyanna "May I have a word?"
"Sure" she whispered and got up.
She could hear Lysa laughing and telling her sister something about wanting to have a snake on her mouth and Lyanna tried not to think what she meant with that. Catelyn answered by saying that no lady should have those kind of thoughts and Benjen laughed.
Lyanna passed next to Oberyn and led him outside the solar.
They stopped on the middle of the corridor and she turned to face him.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked "We are going to be together for more than a month while travelling to Winterfell. What is so important that you can't wait?"
"Always so annoyingly direct, aren't you?" he smirked, he was not complaining, that was, after all, one of the characteristics that they shared "I want to know how you are"
Lyanna's smile faded away. She didn't want to remember what had almost happen to her that morning. She wanted to forget about it as soon as possible.
"I'm safe" she answered "thanks to you"
Oberyn sacked his head.
"It was your brother who heard you" he explained "Ned, Lewyn and I were talking about Sunspear and The Water Gardens when your brother said he had heard you screaming. Truth be told I didn't heard anything until we were outside the stables, but I'm glad I arrived in time"
Lyanna played with her sleeves, feeling completely uncomfortable. A part of her wanted to change subject but the other part of her wanted to know something and was curious about his answer. Her curiosity won.
"What'd have you done?" she whispered but then her tone became firmer "What'd have you done if Robert had raped me?"
"You mean after poisoning him so he could die a horrible dead?"
Lyanna was about to tell him that she was not joking when she realized that he was not joking either.
"Yes" she said "after that"
"I would have married you" he answered simply, shaking his shoulders.
"But I would have been ashamed" she replied "I…"
He placed his finger on her lips to make her shut up and smiled.
"So what? Would you still be the fiercer girl I'd ever met? Yes. Would you still be the most annoyingly direct? Yes"
Lyanna gave a step back, away from his touch, uncertain of what to do, but Oberyn didn't seem to notice because he continued talking.
"Contrary to popular opinion I don't blame woman for being raped, I blame men for not respecting them enough not to rape them"
It was then when Lyanna realized that she was staring at him. And she found herself thinking how it would be to kiss him. It was not right to think those kind of things, it was not ladylike, but then again, they were going to marry, were they not? It would happen eventually.
"Oberyn"
He widely opened his eyes, almost surprised, because it was the first time since they have met that she had called him by his name.
"Yes, my lady?"
She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.
"Kiss me" she commanded.
"As you wish, my lady"
He took her face gently between his hands and leaned to kiss her. Lyanna closed her eyes, not sure about what to do, and tried not to shake when she felt his lips on hers.
It ended almost too quickly.
When they separated he looked at her as thought he was waiting for her to slap him, even though he smiled.
She smiled back at him and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again. Lyanna shivered in fear when she felt his hand on her lower back, dragging her to him, but it felt so good that she it didn't took long for her to calm down. Her hand went to his neck before she could even notice but then someone coughed.
Elia and Ashara were standing in the middle of the corridor. The princess was trying not to laugh and Ashara pretend not to look.
"Sister, Ashara" Oberyn greeted them, containing a smile.
"Brother" Elia smiled "Would you let go of the lady Lyanna, please? We need to talk to her about the journey to The North"
Lyanna blushed and it was then when she noticed that his hand was still around her waist.
Oberyn smiled, let go of her and took her hand to kiss it gently.
"What can I do for you, You Grace?" Lyanna asked, making her voice sound strong even if she was shaking and afraid that her legs would not hold her for long.
"Ashara and I need some coats for the cold winds of The North and we were wondering if you could provide them" Elia smiled and then spoke louder to make sure that her brother, that was almost at the end of the corridor, away from them, heard it "And, please, call me Elia, we are going to be family soon after all, are we not?"