Hello again!
Those are the final words of The sand princess.
Thank you to those who have read it from the beginning and those who will read it all in one go and all those in between!
Enjoy!
Myrcella
Sitting in the Glass Garden surrounded by her daughters, Myrcella felt blessed. Arianne entered the garden with her youngest sister, Alysanne who was already six and only seemed to calm down when she was with her big sister.
"Mother! Can I have a silk gown for Ari's wedding?" The little dark-haired girl with her big violet eyes girl shouted. "Ari says it's really soft but it's too light for the North…"
"You can Alysanne." Myrcella smiled fondly at her daughters. "But you will have to be very careful with it. It is very expensive, so no mud and no running around in it little Lady." Her grin was reward enough for Myrcella. Arianne's wedding to the Yronwood second son was the biggest upcoming event for the family, and for Dorne. The wedding of the Princess of Dorne ought to be.
"Can I have a silk dress too?" Lyarra asked softly. Her blond hair and sweet grey eyes gave her an angelic face, and it was true she was mostly calm, but Myrcella new better. At ten, Lyarra was the wittiest of the pack and her mind was as sharp as any blade, she even managed to surprise her aunt Sansa from time to time and Sansa was not easily surprised.
"Of course, sweetling." Sansa actually responded, I'll make it for you if you want. The older Stark sister had her son, Theon, on her hip. The three namedays old bared the name Stark, Sansa had cried when Jon had legitimized him, though she still refused to tell them who the father was and the fact that he had the same colouring as his mother did not help.
She was followed by the King in the North. "Ladies, your presence has been required in the training yard." Alysanne rushed out excitedly while Lyarra complained. Myrcella walked out last, looping her good arm in Jon's.
"Why is our presence required exactly?" She whispered to her husband chuckling lightly.
"Our little Ned is sure he can bit Rhaegar today and he wanted to have his mother and sisters present." That made Myrcella laugh, it was more likely that the sweet, calm Rhaegar let his younger brother who was more impulsive win.
In the courtyard, her father was already waiting and Alysanne had decided to sit on his lap bouncing up and down excitedly. The two youngest girls were already arguing about something, they always seemed to be arguing.
"Alright ready?" Sandor asked the two boys. They did not wait for his signal to begin and the master-at-arms of Winterfell cursed. At first, Myrcella had been scandalized by the fact that her two sons would be instructed by such an impolite man. But Sansa and Jon had dismissed her concerns laughing. We turned out fine and we were not always around polite people. They were right in the end, the future King of the Seven Kingdoms and his brother turned out fine.
Myrcella absentmindedly watched the two boys, as expected, Rhaegar held back his force and slowed his pace so that the two years younger prince could follow. She felt Arianne inching closer to her. "Do you think Arya will come to my wedding Mother?" She whispered anxiously. Ever sinc their first meeting, Arianne had loved Arya. She had been fascinated by her adventures.
"I think the Lord of the Dreadfort would never miss a trip to Dorne." Myrcella replied playfully. Arianne grinned. After they married – finally – four years before, Gendry and Arya's friends had nicknamed Arya a 'lord' and Gendry her 'lady'. Surprisingly or not, it bothered the young Stark more than her husband.
"Yield!" They heard and saw Ned holding his sword to Rhaegar's neck. His brother conceded the victory. "I won!" The twelve namedays old exulted.
"You did." His father clapped and so did the young Theon Stark grinning wildly next to his mother, this one would want to start training soon. "Soon you'll even be strong enough to beat your mother." Jon gave Myrcella a knowing look.
"He'll need a little more training for that." Sandor boomed. "Now boys, which one of you wants to try against me?" The sparring session resumed under the watchful eye of the whole family, well, except for Lyarra who purposefully pretended that she was not interested. They knew she was though.
"I'm excited to have the whole family in Sunspear." Arianne continued her small talk. "I'm a little sad that Aunt Sansa and little Theon cannot come though."
"There must always be a Stark in Winterfell, darling." Myrcella reminded her eldest daughter.
"I know, I know…" The Queen in the North had learned to know her daughter throughout the years. She never talked that much unless she was stressed out, she was too much of a private person. Myrcella guessed she had to be anxious for the wedding, though she had known her betrothed for most of her life. Yet, she knew that Arianne was also proud, so she did not bring up the subject, she would wait until the young woman was ready to talk for herself.
Myrcella
She had not come to Sunspear since Prince Doran's funerals two years earlier, but she was still acclaimed in the streets as if Dorne was still her home. As if she had not had to leave seventeen years ago. As if her first husband was still alive. Arianne seemed at ease in her role, these were her streets after all now and Prince Doran had prepared her all her life for this. Myrcella regretted all the time she had missed seeing her daughter grow, but it had served Arianne well. Besides, she had had her grandfather and Tyene and Ellaria.
Actually, she had left Tyene in charge while she traveled North. The Sand Snake welcomed the northerners and her princess. "Sunspear is yours Princess." She kissed Arianne on both cheeks before moving on to her dear friend. Myrcella hugged her back. "I missed you, your Grace."
"So did I, next time, you have to come North." She smiled.
"Are the men good there?" Tyene asked skeptically. Her mother scoffed behind her.
"I mean, you noticed Myrcella's children, did you not?" Ellaria Sand commented. Jon reddened next to his wife making Myrcella laugh again.
Daenerys, Margeary and Tommen arrived soon after the northerners. Myrcella's niece and nephew by adoption, Jack and Melinda had not come, it had been a long time since Myrcella last saw them. Jack was travelling through Essos apparently and Melinda worked with Tyrion. The young girl with her curled brown hair she always wore short and her doe grey eyes, wanted to become Master of Coins. She had a talent for numbers apparently. Myrcella could not say her relationship with Daenerys had warmed up throughout the years. There was still much resentment between the two women. Margeary and Tommen though she was more than happy to see again. They had to organize a trip for the couple to come North with their children once Jack came back. Surprinsingly, they had never visited Winterfell. Myrcella only saw her brother when she travelled to the Red Keep once every other year so that Rhaegar could learn of the ways of the capital he would one day rule. In fact, in two years, once he would have turned sixteen, he would move to the Red Keep permanently. Such was the arrangement they had made after his birth.
Days later, in the chamber of the Water Garden where Arianne had gotten ready for her wedding, only the mother, daughter duo remained. Arianne had a few shaky breaths.
Finally, she seemed ready to talk. "Were you nervous? For your wedding with Father?" She asked looking at herself in the mirror. She was magnificent in a white flowy dress in the Dornish style and her golden crown.
"I was." Myrcella remembered that time fondly. "And I thought myself the most stupid of girls for being so nervous. I kept repeating myself that I had no reason to be afraid since I loved your father and he loved me."
"How did you know you loved him?" She asked shily.
"I spent so much time with him that it came naturally." Myrcella replied sweetly. "Our love was made of easiness and good memory."
"And Jon? You do love him don't you?" He eldest daughter questionned.
"I do… But it's very different than with your father. My love with Jon was made of struggle and shared trauma. I was also way older when we married and the circumpstances were not… ideal." She admitted.
"Do you think I will love Artos?" Arianne asked speaking of her betrothed.
"Don't you already?" She reddened at her mother's statement.
"But I don't know if loves me back." She hung her head.
"You will have to learn to communicate and love is something that grows. Give yourself some time." Myrcella cupped her daughter's cheek. "Now don't you have a wedding to attend."
"Gods…" Arianne sighed. "That brings so many more questions. Like will I be a good wife? Worse, a good mother?" She had a look of panic on her face that resembled Trystane's so much.
"I mean… you've seen Arya?" She thought of her goodsister and her recent announcement.
Her comment brought a smile to Arianne's face. They left the room arm in arm to go to the sept Myrcella had been married in all these years before.
Please leave me a review if you have the time!
See you soon for other fanfictions! (Spoiler: another one starts Sunday;))