Everything in A song of Ice and Fire belongs to George R. R. Martin.
Myrcella Baratheon: Bride of a Northern Savage
Chapter 02
Bran Stark
Bran Stark walked alongside Princess Myrcella Baratheon, leading her up the dais, just like his father led the queen. Just like her mother, who completely ignored Eddard, Myrcella tried to ignore him, but while the queen did it because of her pride, which according to Bran's mother, was increasing drastically, Bran noticed that Myrcella was very anxious and shy of him, giving him shy looks from time to time. Bran blushed in response. He never really spent any time with a girl, someone outside his family.
Leaving Myrcella along with her siblings and two uncles, Ser Jaime Lannister and Tyrion Lannister, commonly known as the "Imp" due to his size of a dwarf, Bran took his seat at the high table among with his siblings. He saw Robb and his wife Alys sitting together, with Robb looking at her swollen stomach and grinning like a fool. Bran didn't mind though. Robb and Alys were expecting their first child, so, it was obvious that he would be excited. The only thing that ruined this scene were the inappropriate jokes of Theon Greyjoy. Gods, sometimes the ward really irritated Bran with the cocky attitude of his.
'I guess, it's just what these Ironborn are,' Bran thought. Despite being among his siblings, he felt lonely. He really wanted his direwolf Summer to be with him at the feast.
As he started eating, Bran looked to the left, where his younger brother, Rickon, sat. Despite having the Tully hair, there was a little wolf inside that boy. A year after finding the direwolf and her pups, Rickon had already proven himself to be a wild child, especially with his direwolf Shaggydog, or Shaggy. Yet, Bran wasn't worried about his behaviour, since he believed that Rickon was now old enough to understand what was going on and that he needed to behave.
To the right of Bran was Arya, wearing a northern dress, sitting beside her fiancée Ned Umber. Bran looked at the Umber boy with sympathy. Not only he was shy and nervous of the royal party, but also anxious of being with his betrothed. He could tell that Ned was infatuated with his sister, and Bran didn't mind. Since arriving to Winterfell, Ned Umber seemed to be a fine boy, and the two quickly became friends. Arya, on the other hand, was not happy with the perspectives. Bran knew that she didn't want to marry and become a lady.
On the opposite sat Sansa Stark, with her betrothed Domeric Bolton, and her childhood friend Jeyne Poole at her sides. Seeing the look on her face, Bran looked at what she was looking at and immediately understood. Sansa was dreamily looking at the crown prince Joffrey Baratheon. The boy thought of reminding his older sister that she had a bridegroom now and she must marry him for the sake of the North.
Looking at Joffrey, Bran suddenly noticed that Myrcella was looking at him. Seeing that he noticed, the princess immediately lowered her head, avoiding Bran's gaze. Bran rolled his eyes, she was just like Sansa, naïve. Just as he was about to talk to someone, Rickon grabbed a spoon and threw food at Sansa's right cheek.
"Rickon!" she yelled, while the youngest of the Stark children giggled, with Arya joining the laugh.
"It's not funny!" Sansa yelled again while Domeric wiped the food off her face. Rickon's smile faded when Robb grabbed him and pulled him off the table.
"We'll take him to bed," Alys told the others. "And I think me and Robb shall retire for today."
"Of course." Both Domeric and Bran answered simultaneously. Despite Rickon being long gone, Sansa was still complaining. Seeing this, Domeric finally stood up and left, returning later with a harp. As if forgetting of her baby brother's antics, Sansa immediately smiled at the sight of the musical instrument. Bran was eager to listen too. Despite the stern looks Domeric gave since he began fostering in Winterfell, Bran soon discovered that he was a serious, no-nonsense, but a kind, gentle and decent person. During archery practice, when his parents weren't watching and Bran missed another shot, Domeric, apart from Jon and Robb, was the only one who did not laugh at his embarrassing shot, and gave him a pep talk. He stated that maybe he won't be a good archer, but he maybe would become a great swordsman, and maybe even a legendary knight like Ser Barristan Selmy or Ser Arthur Dayne.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Domeric proved himself to be a good singer and player. He brought his own harp to Winterfell when leaving Dreadfort, and during feasts or peaceful evenings, he would entertain the Stark children playing. Sansa was immediately infatuated with his voice. Even Arya began to love Domeric's performance.
The concert that Domeric began, however, did not last long. While the majority within the Great Hall silenced, including the musicians, and even the Lannisters were impressed by the Bolton's talent. The only people who rudely disrupted him were Theon, Joffrey and the king himself. Bran had to expect that from Theon. Shortly after arriving to their home keep, Domeric immediately became close with Jon Snow. The main reason for that was that according to Domeric, he had a bastard brother too. Bran tried to recall his name, guessing it was Ramsay. But he was raised somewhere else and Domeric never knew him. This saddened Domeric since he always wanted a sibling, and he did not care; baseborn or not.
This friendship with Jon led to the two boys sharing a common dislike to the Greyjoy boy. Theon always mocked the Bolton for his serious, no-nonsense attitude, while in return, Domeric calmly reprimanded the "Squidling" for his arrogant and vain personality, and lacking responsibility, with his constant visits to the Wintertown brothel as an example. As a result, Theon would find any reason to pick on Domeric, just as he did on Jon. That included Domeric's talent in playing a harp. Bran remembered a dialogue the two had.
"Ahh, Bolton, you're no fun! Just like the Stark bastard" Theon remarked, grinning at him. Bran clenched his fist at the way Theon still referred Jon. "You'd rather read these old tomes rather than have a sense of pleasure in the arms of the wonderful girls I know around here."
"Maybe," Theon continued to mockingly joke. "You've been castrated, by your own father. Poor Sansa, being married to an Northern eunuch who wouldn't be able to breed her."
Domeric, who was ignoring Theon, finally turned to him. Despite remaining calm, Bran knew that Domeric was deeply offended, by the way Theon joked about his betrothal to Sansa. Finally Domeric told Theon that he doesn't know anything about the Bolton practices, nor anything about running his house.
Domeric then added. "You know, I wonder what it is like to be a ward, but instead of learning how to run a castle and the lands, spending whoring, only to become a failure in the eyes of his ancestors, just like his father, a failed rebel."
"I wonder what it is to be flayed right now, since it has been outlawed for centuries." Theon said with a smirk.
"Never mind Squidling, you just might experience it if you carry on like that." Domeric answered, calm as ever. For some reason, Theon felt a chill when he said that. Seeing this, a satisfied Domeric gently clapped Greyjoy's shoulder before leaving.
Now, he was laughing at Domeric's performance. Joffrey joined along. But the loudest of them was Robert. He was already drunk, surrounded by numerous whores, openly cheating his wife. He immediately called the music, which was a Northern classic, a horseshit, and demanded to play something he liked. He continued to laugh despite Domeric's annoyed look. Bran then noticed Myrcella having a saddened look, and it was as if she was sobbing.
Myrcella Baratheon
The next day, it seemed to be more quiet in Winterfell than it was yesterday, despite the royal party still here and the keep filled with Baratheon and Lannister bannermen. Myrcella was now sitting in a chamber with Lord Stark's daughters, Sansa and Arya, and other young girls who lived at Winterfell. Among them were Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel, Sansa's best friends since childhood. Myrcella was shy to talk with them, considering that they were Northmen too, but they seemed to be nice and gentle girls. She would have loved talking with her younger brother Tommen, but he was in the courtyard sparring with Bran. She searched for her septa, and saw Eglantine talking with Mordane, the septa of Winterfell. Although she was thought that eavesdropping conversations was not polite, the teenage princess approached the two septas, curious of what they were discussing.
As she sat closer to the septas, Myrcella heard Mordane complaining to Eglantine. Since her arrival to Winterfell, Mordane was tasked raising and teaching Lady Catelyn's daughters. While Sansa was a Southern lady by behaviour, Arya was a wild child. Instead of following the true faith, she was following the fake Old Gods just like the other Starks. It became worse for the old septa when Osha, a real wildling (Myrcella almost gasped when she heard that), was brought into the keep. Rickon immediately became close to the savage and she also began caring for the Stark children. Mordane told Eglantine how she tried to encourage her lady see the truth, but Catelyn trusted this wildling.
Having enough of the heat within the room due to the fire, Myrcella stood up and left for outside, feeling lonely. She didn't know where her uncles Jaime and Tyrion were, and she didn't want to be near Joffrey, so, Myrcella headed for the courtyard. As she guessed, Tommen was sparring with Bran, Lord Eddard's second son. Ser Rodrick Cassel stood observing the spar with wooden swords. Myrcella looked at Bran. He seemed to be quite handsome, despite being only fourteen years old, just like her, with the brown hair of his. The princess then looked at her brother, who was a year younger than her. She smiled. For the past six years, Tommen has matured both mentally and physically. He has become a healthy and strong boy. Soon, he would outgrow her. Watching them, Myrcella almost yelped when Bran knocked Tommen down, and pointing his wooden sword straight at the prince's throat. Although the sword was wooden, Myrcella still feared for her brother.
"Do you yield?" Bran asked, looking down at Tommen.
"I yield." Tommen reluctantly answered. Putting the sword away, Bran, to Myrcella's surprise, offered Tommen his hand, which her brother accepted, allowing the Stark boy to pull him up from the ground. The two boys smiled when Jory Cassel came. He was approaching Bran when he noticed that Princess Myrcella was here too.
"Oh, Princess Myrcella," Jory bowed to her in respect. "How fortunate is that I found both you and Lord Bran together. Your father, the king, has summoned you both."
Both Myrcella and Bran looked at each other, sharing a look with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Still, the two followed the Stark bannerman, leaving the courtyard. As they walked, Bran and Myrcella were avoiding to look at each other, while trying to guess why they were summoned. The three reached Lord Eddard's solar, with Myrcella's uncle, Jaime Lannister, guarding the entrance. Myrcella felt fear striking her as she heard her mother's raging voice. From what she understood, her parents were fighting, as usual.
Just as her uncle opened the door, Ser Meryn Trant caught up with them. Seeing that Jory Cassel brought both of the children to the king, he gave the Northman a threatening look. Jory seemed to ignore it. Entering the solar, Myrcella found both of her parents, the king and queen, standing, while Lord Eddard sat behind his desk. When the door closed behind them, Lord Eddard took a deep breath. Though, it was her father who began.
"So, you're both here. Good." Robert muttered. "Since Lord Stark's older children cannot marry any of my children, I'm thereby announcing the betrothal between Ned's son Brandon Stark and my pretty girl, Myrcella."
That was unexpected, well, except for her father and Lord Eddard. Myrcella saw that Bran was shocked too. The princess herself was distraught. She didn't want to marry a Northerner. They followed the Old Gods, and it was viciously cold in the North. By marrying him meant she would live here, in the frost, away from the warm South, away from her family. She was also scared, scared of what would Bran, a savage, as her mother called the Northmen, would do to her.
"How dare you suggest to selling of my daughter to those savage beasts!" she heard her mother raging. "She is a princess, not a wolf's plaything!"
"Yes, she is, and as a princess she will marry a lord." Robert answered.
"How come the Stark's oldest daughter cannot marry my Joffrey?" Cersei asked, pointing at Lord Eddard.
"She is to marry the heir of Dreadfort." Lord Eddard answered in a mild tone, though Myrcella could believe that he was offended by her mother's behaviour.
"I will not allow this!" Cersei continued to protest. "I will not allow to have my daughter to be sold to those filthy barbarians who follow the stupid gods of the woods like a whore. I am the queen!"
"And I am your king, woman! I advise you to remember that!" Robert snarled in response. Myrcella knew that her father was on the verge of hitting his wife in the face. She could not bear it. It was too much for her; the betrothal, her mother's reaction, and her father's abuse of her. Tearing up, she quickly opened the door and dashed out. Myrcella did not know where to go, all she wanted was to be away from everyone. Absentmindedly, she reached the Godswood of Winterfell, collapsing onto the base of the Weirwood Tree, breaking down into tears.
