Crowns and Cruel Intentions || Game of Thrones

2| 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔞

the kingsroad, westeros

— MARIANNA FLINCHED AS SHE WOKE, HER BODY INVOLUNTARILY PULLED FROM ITS REST BY THE JOSTLE OF THE CARRIAGE. She was almost certain she'd been dreaming, but she couldn't remember it now. For a second, she couldn't see anything, then her mind caught up and she lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the sunlight peeking through the window. Across from her, her mother watched her with sympathetic eyes while Myrcella was distracted by the passing countryside and occasional market or village. A weight on her legs reminded her that Tommen had fallen asleep shortly before she had with his head in her lap.

"Did you not sleep last night, darling?" Cersei inquired gently.

"Vy wouldn't sleep." She murmured, brushing away the stray locks of dark hair that had fallen into her face. "He's restless."

As soon as the words left her mouth, an indignant squawk sounded at her feet, waking Tommen. The boy sat up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes as Marianna bent down to retrieve the falcon's cage from the carriage floor. He cocked his head at her, curious dark eyes staring into her own. With a little smile, she reached a finger through the bars and he immediately titled his head aside to let her pet his cheek. She'd been feeding him little strips of meat, of course, but he was still unhappy so cooped up and unable to hunt. "Sorry, Vy." she said softly. "Just until we get to Winterfell, I promise."

When she was twelve years old, some palace boy decided it would be funny to pick on the kind little princess, after all, there was no way Marianna Baratheon of all people would tell on him. Unlike her siblings, who'd been born with their mother's golden hair, she bore waves of brown so dark they were nearly black. Only her hazel-ish green eyes gave away her Lannister blood. "Maybe you're a bastard." he'd taunted, and she fled to her room to cry. She wouldn't unlock the door for anyone until her father insisted. When she finally let him in, he crouched down to her eye level and asked her what had happened. Not a day later, he came to her with a covered cage, and when he pulled away the cloth, there was a young hunting bird inside. "You are a Baratheon," he'd told her. "And Ours is the Fury. I don't want you to let them hurt you anymore. I want you to hunt them." and with the weight of the falcon on her shoulder, she suddenly felt strong. So the next time that boy tried to make fun of her, she let out the long, piercing whistle she'd been practising. Vy had chased the boy all the way back to the palace doors before he returned to her shoulder to gently nip at her hair. He was her best friend, and she never had to be afraid when he was with her.

Marianna looked up at her mother as the carriage rocked again. "How much longer do you think it'll be?"

The queen pursed her lips, and wouldn't look at the girl. Marianna knew why. Before they'd left the capital, her father had sat her down and explained the importance of alliances and bonds with all the Seven Kingdoms. She'd known before he said it that the word betrothal was going to leave his mouth. From everything she knew of his father, Robb Stark would be a good man and a good husband. That didn't stop Cersei from despising the idea of parting with her little girl, her firstborn. "Two weeks, I believe. Perhaps less." sensing her distress, Marianna reached her foot over to bump it with her mother's, bringing a small smile to the woman's lips.

"It's not a funeral." She reminded her. "We're still going to see each other. I'm going to send ravens. It'll be fine."

Cersei attempted another smile, but somewhere under that face she was holding up, Marianna knew she was thinking of her marriage. She was sure her mother had once loved her father, but now they hardly ever spoke. They didn't even sleep in the same bed. What should have been a happy alliance had dissolved into threads that barely held together the family and the realm. Marianna was determined to see her life turn out differently.

Until they reached the next inn, she remained quiet, just watching the scenery go by as she occasionally pet Vy and watched Tommen play with small wooden figures. She fiddled with her sleeves and twisted her small golden heart ring and relished the feeling of the breeze against her skin when she finally stepped back outside.

She supposed she could have gone with her mother and siblings to find her room, but she'd much rather stay outside. She walked along a path until it led to a river and sat next to the water. She could feel the weather getting slowly colder the further north they went. It wasn't enough to bother her yet in her southern-style dresses. She wondered what it would be like to live in a place where it sometimes snowed even in the summer. The amusing idea of summertime snowball fights quickly turned to a frightening image of what it must be like during the winter years. Truth be told, she had no idea what to expect, so rather than worry herself over it, she decided to put the thoughts of Winterfell aside. Feeling the beginnings of a headache brushing her skull, she began to tug free the pins holding her braided hair in an updo. After shaking out the last of the braided pieces, she began to weave it back together again, this time in a simple braid over one shoulder.

It must have been about an hour later that her uncle found her. "Ah, my dearest niece!"

She turned at the sound of his voice, a smile already growing on her face. "Hello Uncle Tyrion. Are you escaping mother?"

His mouth opened into an 'o' shape and he placed a hand over his chest in mock offence. "Can a good uncle not just enjoy the company of his favourite niece?" she raised a brow. "Yes, fine, my sister is not the best company. But I am happy I stumbled upon you. Your company is much lovelier."

"Why, thank you." he sat down beside her with a little sigh, looking across the river. "Do you miss the city?"

His gaze turned to her. "I do. But I suspect I'll miss you more when I return. Are you nervous?"

"About meeting Robb Stark?" she chuckled a little. "No. If father is right, Lord Eddard will have raised someone I don't have to fear marrying. It's the idea of getting lost in another palace or tripping in front of one of the Starks that I'm worried about."

Tyrion laughed. "A valid concern." Marianna was not a clumsy girl, but when her nerves got the better of her, she sometimes found herself fumbling for her next step. "I do hope you'll visit, once you're Princess Marianna Stark."

She smiled. "Of course. No matter what my name is, I'll always be a Baratheon, and the Lannisters will always be my family." She thought of her brothers and sisters, and the weight that would rest on them once she was gone. As a woman, she would never inherit the throne, but as the king's firstborn, she still shouldered more responsibility and many more expectant looks than the others. Myrcella and Tommen... She didn't care much for Joffrey. She'd tried her hand at being kind to him before. She always walked away with two regrets: approaching him in the first place and not smacking him before she walked away. And he'll be king someday. She sighed. She supposed that was the biggest upside to being half a continent away from the Red Keep. She wouldn't have to live in it while her brat of a brother ruled.

"You're a good child." Tyrion said gently, his voice sincere. "You will have a good life."

She smiled. "I hope so."

A/N
Woah, two chapter in one night? Me? Impressive *pats self on back*

Anywho. Marianna is my sweet girl, and I'm so sorry for what I'm going to put her through, but no one is spared when it comes to the game of thrones. <3