The Sun Will Shine On Us Again | Oberyn Martell

The Engagement

It was a day just like any other. Robert Baratheon, the current king of the Seven Kingdoms, was spending his days sitting on his throne, drinking, pleasing young women, or doing other things that he cared about more than anything else. And today, while he was out in the city, his wife, Cersei Lannister, was debating with Robert's hand - Lord Jon Arryn. And what were the debates about? Well, they were discussing the future of their eldest daughter Joanna Baratheon who was named after her mother's mother.

Cersei wanted to promise Joanna to one of the members of the House Martell. And why did she want to promise her daughter to someone from the Martell family? The reason was really simple - the better relations between their houses. Cersei even discussed this with the current head of House Martell - prince Doran Martell. He agreed with the engagement between Joanna Baratheon and his younger brother Oberyn Martell.

Even though Oberyn was forty years old and already had kids and his lover whom he loved more than anything, Doran wasn't pleased with the lifestyle his brother had. Oberyn wasn't pleased when he found out about the engagement, but he couldn't take it back. He just had to accept it.

Joanna, on the other side, still had no idea about it. The storm was coming for her, for her parents, but they didn't know it. Not yet. The storm would come at the moment when her mother announces it to her.

"It's arranged now. Robert knows about it, he didn't have a problem with it." Cersei said to the Hand of her husband. Jon Arryn looked at her, the disagreement was visible on his face, and so Cersei smiled at Jon.

"And what do you want me to do, my Queen?"

"Arrange the wedding, that's all I'm asking for."

"As you wish, my Queen." With those words, Lord Jon Arryn bowed and left Cersei alone. The queen's smile faded away when the Hand of the king disappeared behind the door. And now, was the time to announce it to her daughter. Cersei knew that Joanna wouldn't take it really well, but she had no other choice. Just like she was married because of political reasons, her daughter would be married too.

"Forget it! You and father. I won't marry him." Joanna growled at her mother. The queen was standing in front of her daughter, looking at her with seriousness visible on her face. Joanna's temperament was... well, she was hot-headed.

"You will," Cersei said so calmly that she herself couldn't believe it.

Joanna laughed. "I will not. I would rather die than marry some old narcissistic imbecile." She meant it. Joanna was never more serious in her life than she was now.

Cersei came closer to her daughter and hit her without even thinking about what she was doing.

"Don't you dare say something like that ever again, Joanna." She growled through gritted teeth. Joanna had tears in her eyes. The young blonde girl placed a hand on her cheek, on the place where her mother hit her.

Joanna was an exact copy of her mother - she had beautiful long blonde hair, and she also had her mother's green eyes and that provocative smirk that her father, Robert, hated so much. As he used to say, it didn't fit her, Joanna was beautiful, but that smile did not suit her. It was ruining her beauty, so Joanna tried to smile less because it somehow became her biggest insecurity. Thanks to her father.

"You will marry Oberyn Martell, you'll carry his children under your heart and you will be loyal to him." It wasn't a declarative sentence, it was an order.

"Why should I? He has plenty of bastards. He doesn't need another child."

"Marriage is not enough. You'll give birth to his children, it will only strengthen our houses, Joanna. Use your brain."