Everything in A song of Ice and Fire belongs to George R. R. Martin.
Myrcella Baratheon: Bride of a Northern Savage
Chapter 10
Myrcella Baratheon
It was another cold, but beautiful day in Winterfell. During her time here, the princess already got used to the cold of the North, and not only that. When she and her family came here, Myrcella was wearing the southern dresses, sewed for warmer seasons only, while having furs put on top of it. Now, Myrcella was wearing a blueish-grey Northern dress, just what a Northern lady would wear, while also always having her hair down, apart from her mother, who preferred the Southern hair style.
Myrcella hummed to herself. It was a Northern song she heard recently. In fact, she was already infatuated everything associated with the North, the home of her betrothed, her beloved Bran. Speaking of him, Myrcella knew that he wasn't in Winterfell. He and Rickon have joined their father to execute another captured deserter from the Wall. So, right now, Myrcella was in the company of women, particularly Osha, Old Nan and the heavily pregnant Alys Karstark.
"Have you and your lord-husband thought of what name give to the child, milady?" the old woman asked Robb Stark's wife.
"To be honest, not really." she answered, rubbing her swollen belly. "But I thought that Robb would like to name the child Eddard, if it is a boy."
"A good name for a Northerner" Myrcella supported Alys, who smiled back. However, her smile suddenly faded as she saw something behind the princess. Myrcella looked around and saw Theon Greyjoy standing at the doorway.
"Theon." Alys simply greeted the Ironborn, though it was clear to Myrcella that she didn't welcome him.
"Good afternoon, ladies." he answered, rather politely, much to the shock of everyone. Osha, Myrcella and Alys shared looks.
"How can we help you, Lord Theon?" Myrcella asked, trying to use her manners.
"Lady Alys," Theon addressed the wife of his childhood friend, his shyness and politeness disturbing the girls. "I would like to apologise for my recent behaviour and my insults addressed to you. Please understand, me and Robb have been friends for a long time. In fact, more like brothers, and with you married to him, he began spending less time with me…"
"You felt lonely." Alys immediately deduced.
"Yes." the Ironborn genuinely answered. "However, that does not excuse my behaviour and attitude. I give you my sincere apologies."
Alys sighed. "I understand, Theon. Robb also misses the times you both shared, and he still sees you as a brother."
Theon nodded, and in order to give him comfort, Alys smiled, but not for long. Suddenly, she gasped and began breathing rapidly while grabbing for her belly.
"Lady Alys?" Old Nan addressed.
"The baby! The baby's coming!" she cried. Everything became a blur for Myrcella as she ended up in Lady Alys' chambers, with the Karstark woman lying on the bed, surrounded by maids, Lady Catelyn, Osha, Old Nan, Myrcella herself, Arya and Maester Luwin. Alys was filling the chambers, and maybe even the whole keep, with her cries and screams.
Myrcella never felt such panic before. In fact, she never attended a childbirth before. When her mother was giving birth to Tommen, she herself was only one year old. Alys was crying and screaming in pain, while Maester Luwin and Lady Catelyn were in charge.
"That's it, Alys! You're doing good!" Lady Stark told the Karstark woman. "You're nearly there!"
"Lady Stark is right!" Osha added. Myrcella herself, held Alys' hand to comfort her. Maester Luwin inspected the womanhood.
"I see the head!" the old maester declared. "Push, Lady Alys!"
Alys cried even louder, while Luwin and Catelyn continued to encourage her to use her strength to push. Myrcella felt that her ears would pop now, while fearing for the safety of Alys and her child.
"Push!" Catelyn continued. "That's it! Push! Push! Push…"
In a minute, the cries of Alys were replaced with cries of an infant. Alys gasped for breath as she heard the cry of her baby.
"Congratulations, it is a boy!" Luwin declared. "Healthy!"
"Oh, Gods!" Alys gasped. Wrapping the baby into a cloth, Maester Luwin gave him to Alys. Myrcella, sitting nearby, took a look. He had the brown hair of his mother. Exhausted and wan, she smiled at her son. At that time, Robb literally flew through the doorway, followed by his father and brothers.
"Alys!" he exclaimed, running to the bed. He froze when he saw the boy.
"It's your son, Robb" Alys breathed. "His name is Eddard."
Robb smiled, tears forming in his eyes. Suddenly, Alys cried in pain once again and Luwin approached her.
"She's having another one!" he declared, shocking everyone. "She's having twins!"
"Twins?!" everyone cried in shock. Everything happened once again. The screams, the cries and the eventual birth. On this day, Alys gave birth to two boys, twin brothers. While Robb held little Eddard, Alys held their second son. Apart from his brother, the second boy had auburn hair, inherited from his father.
"What shall we name our second child?" Alys then asked Robb.
"I think Theon Stark sounds good to me." he answered, turning around and seeing a surprised Theon. He was even more shocked when Robb called him to look at the two boys and even hold one of them. Myrcella, meanwhile, stood with Bran, crying with joy at the whole scene. It was an event she would never forget.
Myrcella smiled, and almost cried when she saw younger brother ride into the courtyard of Winterfell. Compared to the royal visit, Tommen only arrived with Ser Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard and a few Baratheon bannermen. Completely forgetting about manners, the princess ran towards her brother as he was getting off his horse.
"Tommen, you came!" she cried in happiness and immediately embraced him. She still felt that as if only yesterday Tommen was a plump little boy who played with cats. Now in front of her stood a healthy, thin, but tall and handsome boy of age thirteen, who could handle a sword. He was already at least one centimetre taller than his older sister.
"I'm more than happy to see you too, Cella." the prince replied genuinely, hugging her back. The Stark family watched, smiling at the sight. Ser Arys, and the bannermen, meanwhile, also descended from their horses.
"Princess," the knight bowed before her. Nodding in return, Myrcella joined her brother as he went to greet the Starks. As per custom, Lord Stark and his family bowed before the prince.
"Welcome to Winterfell, your highness." Eddard spoke to the young prince, who thanked him in return. Tommen then approached Bran and smiled wider. Without saying a word, the two friends hugged each other tight, making Myrcella happy that two future brothers-in-law were in good terms. She then noticed that Ser Arys joined them.
"Welcome to Winterfell, Ser Arys." Eddard welcomed him too.
"Thank you." the knight spoke in a tone that both royal children and the Starks noticed. It was a mixture of caution and hostility. There was some tension due to this, until Myrcella grabbed Tommen's hand.
"Come with me to the Godswood." she said. "I missed you so much, brother."
As the two golden-haired siblings ran off, while Robb led the bannermen to their places to stay, both Myrcella and Tommen did not notice the deadly look Arys gave to Bran before joining them. At the Godswood, they collapsed at the Weirwood Tree, with Oakheart standing nearby, looking around the Godswood.
"Tell me, how's everything in King's Landing!" Myrcella begged her brother.
"Not much good stuff, to be honest." the prince answered, his smile slightly fading. "Father continues to drink and whore all day long, every day and night. I fear that it is the only thing he is capable of doing. Mother is angry more than usual, considering what is going on in the Keep."
"And what is going on?"
"Since Lord Stark refused to become Hand, father made Uncle Renly to take the position." Tommen explained. "That made mother enraged. I heard her screaming and yelling to Uncle Jaime that she would rather have him or Grandfather as Hand. Though I also noticed that Uncle Stannis wasn't happy either."
Myrcella nodded, understanding to whom Cersei was referring to. She knew that her grandfather, Tywin Lannister, served the Mad King as Hand during Aerys' reign. As for Uncle Stannis Baratheon, Myrcella already knew that there was bad blood between the king and his two brothers.
Tommen continued. "This led to another reason for mother to outburst. Since Joffrey couldn't marry Sansa, thank the Gods, Uncle Renly, through his friend, Ser Loras, found a new bride for Joffrey; Margaery Tyrell."
"I heard of her." Myrcella unintentionally interrupted Tommen, but her brother didn't mind. "They say that she is very beautiful. The Rose of Highgarden they call her."
"Yes. A rose she is indeed..." Tommen agreed, speaking dreamily, which Myrcella immediately noticed.
"You're in love with her?" she asked, only for the prince to nod dreamily, while also blushing.
"She is very beautiful, Cella, and kind." he told her. "I cannot believe that she is to the wife of our brother."
"I agree, being wed to Joffrey will bring her to misfortune, misery and pain." Myrcella replied.
"And I think she loves me too." Tommen then added, blushing. "I once gave her a rose, and she told me it touched her before she kissed me on the cheek."
"I don't know this Margaery Tyrell very well, but I know that sooner or later, you will find your love." Myrcella assured him, with Tommen thanking her.
"How are you doing here in Winterfell?" he then asked.
"I'm doing wonderful!" Myrcella exclaimed. "Oh, Tommen, Winterfell is wonderful. Far better than King's Landing. It is so clean in Wintertown. The people there are kind, clean and modest. Not like the people in King's Landing, filling the streets with the smell of urine and alcohol. The Starks are generous and kind people. Me and Bran have not married yet, but they already treat me like I am part of their family. Lord Stark is a honest and generous man. I sometimes wish that he was my father." she said that with some sadness.
"Yes, I agree with you. How come he and my father, a responsible and honourable man on one side and a fat, womanising drunkard on the other, became friends?" Tommen rhetorically asked.
"Lady Stark is a kind woman." Myrcella then continued. "I have a feeling she already sees me as a daughter. Sansa is so sweet and gentle. Arya is a true Northern lady; brave, gallant and dashing. Rickon is wild, but funny." she giggled, before heaving a dreamy look. "And Bran. Oh Tommen, Bran is so sweet, kind, humble, but also handsome. Like a prince from the tales and songs. I love him."
"I told you he is not a terrible person" the prince told her playfully, smiling. Myrcella giggled in response.
"Yes you did, and you were right" the girl answered. "Oh, Tommen, if only you were the older of the three of us, not Joffrey. You would make a better king, far better than Joffrey, even if he hasn't inherited the crown yet."
"Maybe," Tommen replied. "It's just I don't anything about ruling. Well, I assume Joffrey knows nothing at all either, but at least he had someone to teach him about becoming a king. He was groomed for taking the crown, the throne and the state. But no one taught me. Let alone running a house."
Myrcella sighed. She knew very well that mother always favoured Joffrey, her golden lion cub, while being ignorant of her other two children. She never met a Targaryen, but the princess assumed that whenever Targaryen king would usually have all of his sons study the same subjects, for the second son may have a small possibility of becoming king instead of the firstborn for various reasons. Tommen could become the heir to the throne if something happened to Joffrey one day. However, both the king and queen ignored his studies. Myrcella understood why the king would, he was an ignorant fool and he could not rule even one of the kingdoms, but mother, why did she ignore them, while pampering Joffrey?
Her thoughts were disrupted when suddenly Summer leapt out of nowhere and knocked her down to the ground. Myrcella squealed and laughed as the direwolf began licking her face, tickling the princess. Suddenly, she heard someone unsheathing their sword.
"No!" she heard Bran's voice. Pushing Summer aside and looking up, Myrcella gasped in horror when she saw Ser Arys Oakheart holding his sword, obviously desiring to kill the wolf. Bran jumped on him from behind, grabbing him while trying to keep the knight away from Summer. Ser Arys then knocked the boy off himself. Bran fell on the ground before finding himself at the knight's mercy, with the knight directing his sword at him. However, it was at that moment Summer leapt at Oakheart with his fangs. Bran got up and Myrcella approached him while Arys was resisting the wolf's attacks.
"Summer, come back!" Bran commanded. Summer obediently released his grip on Arys and ran back to Bran. Freed, Arys grabbed for his sword and was about to launch himself at Bran when Tommen stood in his way.
"Ser Arys, halt!"
"Back away." the knight muttered.
"Stop this immediately, Ser Arys." Tommen demanded once again. "I'm a prince and I command you."
Breathing rapidly, Ser Arys glared at Bran, but did not move.
"Explain yourself." Tommen ordered as he stood tall and firm before the taller and stronger knight in armour.
"This boy ordered his savage beast to attack the princess, Prince Tommen" Arys answered. "He must answer…"
"Summer is not a savage beast!" Myrcella yelled in anger. "He was just playing with me, and this boy, as you referred, is Lord Bran."
"Still, he must…"
"Did the queen send you to hurt Bran?" Tommen asked, catching the knight off guard.
"Prince Tommen…"
Tommen, however, cut him off. "Ser Arys, as a knight of the Kingsguard, you must tell the truth when someone asks you a question. Especially from the royal family" he approached the knight closer. "Did my mother send you to hurt my friend and my sister's betrothed?"
Ser Arys did not answer, but from Tommen's look it was clear that he already knew the answer. The knight finally spoke.
"Her grace," he began. "was very disappointed when Septa Eglantine was sent back to King's Landing. The septa told us that the princess was seduced to commit unholy acts and you may not have heard this, my prince, but rumours have been spreading across the streets such as the princess being mated by a real wolf."
Myrcella nearly burst into anger. She knew that people in King's Landing were stupid, but apparently so stupid enough to spread such rumours.
"While I thank you for the concern you have for me, Ser Arys," she finally spoke. "but you have almost ruined the guest rights, and I will not allow you nor anyone hurt my betrothed nor ruin my future wedding. You are dismissed."
Before Ser Arys could object, the princess looked at Bran. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you hard?"
"No, Cella," Bran answered. "I'm alright."
Myrcella, however, continued to inspect her fiancé for injuries, while also glaring at the knight, who looked back with guilt and shame.
Arys Oakheart
Ser Arys Oakheart felt shame and guilt over his latest attitude. He was literally acting foolish, just like the queen, Gods help she didn't hear that. Though, compared to his brothers in the Kingsguard, except for Ser Barristan at least, Ser Arys knew that something was wrong with the queen.
When Prince Tommen decided to visit his sister in Winterfell, Queen Cersei raged across the Red Keep, her screams and shrieks possibly filling the whole King's Landing. She shrieked, demanding the guards to stop her little cub from going into that frozen wasteland of savages. However, she then suddenly changed her mind, and the knight heard that some of the maids saw her having a malevolent grin on her face.
As Prince Tommen was preparing for his journey to the North, Queen Cersei summoned Arys, ordering him to escort the prince and protect him at all costs. This didn't surprise Oakheart, for the knight frequently protected the lives of Prince Tommen and Princess Myrcella before she was betrothed to the second son of Lord Stark and left in Winterfell. However, shortly after being assigned to join the young prince, the next conversation happened.
"Also, Ser Arys, there is another task I have for you." Cersei spoke.
"What is thy bidding, your grace?" the knight asked.
"My daughter, Myrcella, is betrothed to one of those savages." the queen continued. "I fear for her, Ser Arys. When you arrive to Winterfell, I want you to keep a very close eye on both of my lion cubs. I fear that young wildling and the other Northerners already raped her. My husband does not see this, but the Starks are not our friends. When you arrive, I want to make sure that that second son of Stark knew his place. He does not deserve my daughter, let alone a princess. If something happens, I want you to kill him and the whole family, if necessary."
Ser Arys shrugged from what the queen ordered, but she did not notice. He had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, as he frequently protected the younger royal children, he developed a liking to young Tommen and Myrcella, and he would do anything to ensure their safety. However, slaughtering the whole family of a Lord-Paramount was insanity. He knew very well what happened to Lord Stark's father and brother, Lords Rickard and Brandon Stark, and what Prince Rhaegar did to his sister, Lady Lyanna. Slaughtering the whole family could plunge all of the seven kingdoms into another civil war. Not to mention she has ordered him to slaughter innocent children, something he, as a knight, could not do. Still, he had to ensure that the Starks did not hurt the two children.
However, he also wondered why didn't the queen entrusted this task to her brother, the Kingslayer. Yes, her other brother, the Imp, would be arriving to Winterfell from Castle Black, but just like the rest of the Kingsguard, the Small Council and the royal court, Arys knew the queen's hatred of Lord Tyrion very well, and she definitely would not entrust her children to him.
Once he arrived, he immediately became wary of Bran Stark and his closeness with the princess. However, he then saw how Bran treated the princess, and finally saw the truth. Young Bran Stark behaved like a true knight, even if he wasn't. The queen was terribly wrong, both Bran and Myrcella deserved each other. The princess was happy with him, and the knight would ensure that they would be together.
So when he reached the Maester's tower to send a raven to King's Landing, he wrote two letters; one to the queen, and another one to his fellow knight and the queen's brother, Ser Jaime Lannister. Considering the queen's sanity, which already began troubling Arys, he decided to also tell Jaime that his niece was happy with Bran and that she would have a happy married life.
Once he wrote these letters, Ser Arys then felt as if something was going to happen in the royal court. Something to the king. Grabbing an extra paper and the feather pen, the knight began writing to Ser Barristan Selmy, asking him to ensure King Robert's safety, keeping an eye on things, especially on the queen and the king's squire, Lancel Lannister, whom Arys already disliked.
Leaving the tower, Ser Arys found Bran Stark in the courtyard. The boy was stroking the fur of his direwolf. The knight decided to approach them. Seeing him, Bran froze, while the direwolf growled at him.
"Ser Arys?" Bran asked.
"Lord Brandon," the knight spoke. "I bring my apologies for what I have done back then at the Godswood."
"W-What?" the boy stammered.
"I deeply regret my actions, they are not worthy of a knight." Arys continued. "I understand if you do not accept my apology."
"No, no, no." Bran replied. "It's okay, ser. You were only protecting the princess."
"Yes." Oakheart said, before remembering something. "Lord Brandon, Prince Tommen once told me that you desire to become a knight."
"Something I dreamt since childhood." Bran admitted.
"And from what the prince told me, you are trained better than him." Ser Arys then admitted. "This quite amused me, for the prince, who, I shall be honest, is superior in combat than his brother, was trained by me and my brothers in the Kingsguard. I would like to see you and Prince Tommen to spar. Who knows, someday you will be a knight."