Nyctophilia|Game of Thrones

3.26

A while later, Joanna walked into the throne room only to find Prince Oberyn Martell standing there looking at the throne.

Joanna wore a stoic expression as she walked up to the man with her hands intertwined behind her back.

After a short walk, she stood just to the left of him as they both look at the throne. "It would seem, that within a month, one day, you will be King Consort," Joanna spoke up causing him to look down at her.

"He agreed?" Oberyn asked as Joanna nodded her head but kept her stoic expression. "You don't seem thrilled. I told you, you did not have to if you did not want to." He told her

"It is not that. I promise... I had a completely different conversation with my grandfather outside of that." She told him softly

"We are to be married. It would seem your burdens should be mine. As mine should be yours. Talk to me." He spoke to her softly

"For as long as I could remember, I've dreamed of sitting on the throne," Joanna told him as she walked up the steps and slowly placed her hand on it. "It seemed everyone around me was able to, but not me. For years, I denied my want for it. My mother, my father, my brother, my uncles, and my grandfather. They all wanted to see me as queen and I often lied and said I did not want it." Joanna explained turning to look at him

"Why?" He asked softly

"Because I was born a girl." She said removing her hand from the throne and walking to rejoin his side.

"But the whole world wanted you there. They still do." He added on

"And I almost was." She confessed "Daemon did everything he could to convince the king to make me his heir. King Robert truly considered it." She explained "I remember standing right there..." she said turning and pointing to the spot on the floor just outside the council room. "All I had to do was walk in and tell him that I wanted to rule. Say that I wouldn't disappoint him. That I would be the best ruler the Seven Kingdoms had ever seen. And he waited. He waited for me to walk in. To plead my case so he could say yes. But I never walked in. I stood in one place as his counsel convinced him that a girl wasn't fit to rule. Then he walked out and I was still standing there. He looked at me with disapproval. And that was the end of our perfect relationship and the beginning of a horrible one." Joanna explained as tears filled her eyes at the memory.

She sighed and turned back to face him once she felt his hand on her back. "You and the king had a good relationship?" He asked shocked as he had only heard of the abuse Robert had bestowed on Joanna.

"The most perfect. We were close. Of course, I always knew Jamie was my real father. Robert had the suspicion I was Jamie's and was only taken in by Cersei but he never cared. Never questioned it. He didn't want to ruin what he and I had. It was perfect. I loved him and he loved me. He gave me the world. Took me with him everywhere he went when he left the capital. That day... that day ruined it all. He wanted to make me his heir. He wanted me to be queen. But I ruined it all because I was scared." Joanna told the man as a tear escaped down her cheek.

This caused the man to pull the woman into a hug. "You will be queen. You will make him proud and happy one day. I will make sure of it." He told her softly causing her to smile into his embrace.

Suddenly they heard the doors to the throne room open causing the two quickly pull away.

"Prince Oberyn. Princess Joanna." Varys spoke up

"Lord Varys..." Oberyn trailed obviously upset that the man had spoiled his and Joannas moment alone.

"Only Varys. I'm not actually a nobleman. No one is under obligation to call me lord." Varys told the man