No one ever thought much of her, in all honesty. In Dorne, she was a second child. For the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, she was a girl. But that gave Vitoria Martell a freedom her older sister and younger brother did not have. Arianne was the heiress to Sunspear, the future ruling Princess of Dorne. Quentyn was the eldest son, and to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms it was he who should inherit. As a second daughter, Vitoria was free.
She grew up happy in Dorne, in the Water Gardens with her sister and brothers and with her Uncle Oberyn's daughters.
She learned how to use a bow and a sword from the Sand Snakes and Arianne, her sister, taught her how her body was the greatest of her weapons.
By her thirteenth name day, she is already a woman grown. Her chest is full and her hips are wide with a tiny waist to compliment them. It's around that same time that Robert Baratheon becomes paranoid about Dorne. It's about that same time that Rober Baratheon begins plotting her marriage.
And one day, Vitoria hears her Uncle Oberyn screaming and her father raging and she knows something has happened. When she bursts into her father's study, they both turn to look at her with grim expressions in their faces.
"Come, my darling sun, we need to talk," her father's voice is soft but she still sees the tense lines on his forehead and knows nothing good will come out of this conversation.
Her Uncle Oberyn shows her the letter sent by Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King. It states that in no uncertain terms, Vitoria of House Nymeros Martell is now betrothed to Robb of House Stark, the heir to WInterfell.
294 AC
The day after Arianne's eighteenth nameday, she leaves Dorne behind with her uncle Oberyn, his paramour Ellaria and a hundred guards. The goodbyes with her father and siblings were so painful she had to restrain herself from crying. She's a princess of Dorne and princesses were not weak!
How can Robert Baratheon be so cruel? She wonders…she is innocent in all of it. She'd been a mere babe when the Rebellion broke out, after all. She has done nothing to deserve her ire, even if she sometimes wished for his death, silently of course.
And he offered her to a Stark. A member of the same family who ruined hers. It was an insult, though she knows it could have been worse if the king had intended for her to marry his brother Renly, who has rumored to prefer the company of his same sex.
It's a long way from Dorne to the North. Almost two months, but she thinks this long period will help her adjust. She did not want to go by ship, even if it would have been faster. She has not wanted to set foot in one since she saw the back of her mother as she abandoned her father, herself and her siblings on a ship that would take her back to Norvos.
The more they go North, the colder it gets and the more she suffers for it. She should have expected it, she realizes as she grits her teeth. Winter is coming are the Stark words and there must have been a reason for those words.
When they are getting close to Winterfell, she insists they stop.
"It's getting dark and I don't want to reach Winterfell at night. We will continue tomorroww."
Her Uncle and Ellaria look at her knowingly. Ellaria shakes her head, before placing her arms around her in a carefree hug, whispering into her ear, "You must not be afraid. Remember who you are. A Martell of Dorne."
And even if she would join the Starks, she would remain a Martell, she thinks. She would remain Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.
294 AC
Vitoria looked down at the small package in her hands; she was sure it was one of the oddest wedding gifts a bride would receive. Arianne had slipped it into her hands before she left Dorne, a sly smile on her face. She looked down at the strange, tiny package, it was as thick as three of her fingers and filled with the blood of an animal., with some compounds mixed in it by Tyene to make sure the blood remained fresh and did not clot.
She, of course, knew why her sister had given her such a gift. So she would crush it in the right moment and leave the proof that in the eyes of everyone in WInterfell she was a virgin.
Vitoria swallowed as she remembered the reason why she needed such a gift. But she pushed those thoughts away, centering herself in the present. Robb was little more than a boy, but some would say the same about her. Yet, she was glad to know her husband would not suspect a thing. He would not know of such inventions as the one she held in her hands. Still, she reasoned, he had no reason to back out of the marriage. They both had much too gain from their union and if anyone stood to lose anything, it was Vitoria.
A knock came at the door and she rose, quickly stuffing the package in the back of the bed, so she would be able to reach for it quickly.
295 AC
Blood. There was so much blood. Lexa could only watch in horror as Vitoria twisted in pain on the bed before her. Vitoria had done her duty as was expected of her by the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. She'd been declared with child not two moons after marrying Robb Stark and had given birth, only that she had failed to give her husband a son. The maester had declared her healthy and that it was safe for her to conceive and three moons after giving birth, Vitoria had been declared with child again, yet it was not meant to be. Before she had even had a chance to rise her child pains began, and her ladies had been in a panic since. Moments like these were times when Lexa wished Ellaria had not returned to Sunspear after the twins' birth. Lexa had expected to be at Starfall, visiting her uncle and cousin when Vitoria had her next child. Vitoria hadn't been lucky. Her leave of court had still been two or three months away, but apparently the Gods had another plan.
"Rena, please fetch me another wet cloth. Hurry!" Lexa passed a blood soaked cloth to Luna as Rena passed her a fresh one.
Arianne held Vitoria's hands, whispering encouragement. Her friend's shrill shrieks deafened Lexa to point where she found it hard to focus, causing her to rely more on Rena, the daughter of a midwife from the Eyrie.
"I can take care of the princess, if I may," Rena murmured.
Lexa gratefully nodded, and Rena took her place beside Vitoria. With another shriek from Vitoria, the babe was in Rena's hands, silent and male. Lexa put her hand over her mouth to hold in a scream of horror. Vitoria lay back, silent from pain. The room itself seemed to hold it's breath as Rena used a dry cloth to rub the body in an effort to revive the child. Lexa took the cloth from her and began rubbing the tiny babe's body herself.
Rena shook her head. "It is no use," She whispered.. "he was born too early."
A cracked voice spoke. "Lexa, let me see my child."
Lexa sighed as she wrapped the child and picked him up in her arms. Vitoria sat up, with some assistance from Arianne and looked over the underdeveloped babe in Lexa's arms.
Her dark eyes stared blankly at her child, and then at Lexa. "It was a boy? Wasn't it?"
"Aye, it was a boy, my lady." Lexa nodded.
Vitoria spoke in Rhoynish so that only Lexa and Arianne would understand. "He is going to kill me. I lost a son. He is going to murder me,"
Her voice cracked, and she broke out into a sob. Lexa could only watch helplessly as she cradled the babe in her arms. Having only spent five moons in his mother's womb, the babe was painfully small with some of its body not fully developed.
Lexa saw Arianne turn to her trusted second in command. "Rena, stay here and comfort Vitoria, the rest of the ladies and I will take care of everything else, understand?"
"Yes, my lady," Rena curtsied and then hurried to Vitoria's side.
Lexa stood and watched at Rena put her arms around Vitoria, whispering gently to her before turning to the rest.
"The rest of you, follow me." Arianne led the ladies to the door and nodded to Lexa to open it for her. Lexa could only walk a few more paces with the dead child before she saw the worst person to appear walking down the corridor: Theon Greyjoy and Robb Stark.
"Of all the moments he could have chosen to come," Luna whispered.
Lexa turned back to nod at the young niece of Lady Stark. She led the curtsy as Robb grew closer.
"My lord," they chorused and rose to stand.
Robb's face was dark as he drew closer to Lexa. "I was informed that my wife gave birth to a child this morning."
"She did, my lord," Lexa nodded.
"How is she?" His blue eyes held fear in them.
Lexa sighed. "She is well, distraught but well."
Lexa tried to walk around him, but he blocked her path. "Was the child a son or a daughter?"
Lexa gulped as she showed Robb the babe. "It was a son. I suggest that you leave your wife alone for a while, she is not in the best spirit to see."
"I must make sure she is alright, she is my wife." He protested.
"My lord, she is quite depressed. I know you wish to see her, but you must allow her to grieve alone." Arianne chirped before Lexa could respond again.
"Princess Arianne is correct, Vitoria is not quite herself at the moment." She added.
"I do not care about that, I should be there to comfort her. It is my duty as a husband." Robb took a step towards the chamber door.
"My lord, please. You will send her into a frenzy." Lexa was now blocking the king.
Robb frowned. "Lexa, you will allow me to see my wife or I shall order you too,"
Arianne nodded to Lexa and she relented.
"Yes, my lord." Lexa stepped aside and allowed for Robb to enter the room.
Luna glanced at Arianne and Lexa with fear. "Are you sure that the princess will not-"
Her statement went unfinished due to screams of terror that could heard from the queen's bedchamber. Arianne placed the dead child in Luna's arms, grabbed Lexa's arm, and ran into Vitoria's chamber.
"Take the child to be buried!" Lexa called to Luna over her shoulder and burst through the door.
Rena was still sitting on the bed, her head turned away from the entrance, instead facing the princess. Vitoria was standing in the corner, screaming as Robb tried to approach her. "I am so sorry, please, please leave me!"
"My love, what causes you to react this way?" He took another step forward.
Vitoria sunk to her knees. "Do not kill me. I do not know why the Gods took the son from my womb. Please…"
She began to sob violently and Arianne looked back at Lexa who only shook her head, appearing shocked by the entire scene.
Robb looked confused. "I am not going to kill you. I only wanted to comfort you, my dear."
"No," Vitoria shook head. "you are going to kill me for losing a son!"
Robb got down on his knees and looked Vitoria in her eyes. "I do not care that you lost a child. I am only thankful that you are still alive."
Rena turned around and smiled at Lexa, clearly enchanted by Robb's care for his wife.
Arianne motioned for her to join her and Lexa near the chamber door. "Go find Luna and make sure the child has been buried."
They curtsied. "Yes, my lady,"
Arianne could hear the door close behind her as the ladies followed her orders. She was watching as Robb helped a whimpering Vitoria to her feet.
He cupped her face with his hand."I love thee. I adore thee. What would give you the slightest inclination that I would commit such a terrible act against you, my love?"
"I fear," Vitoria began.
"Do not fear," Robb interjected. "I told you not to fear anything while I am alive. You have nothing to fear, for you have my love."
Years later, she would remember this moment as the one that solidified the safety of their marriage.
As you might have noticed, I pushed back some dates in order to make them fit in with my story. I have a timeline with the information for this story which I'll update as I go along to make sure things make sense. But basically, Robb and Jon were born two years earlier, in 280. Vitoria was born in 279, a year before them. Vitoria and Robb married in 294.