Baratheon Born

Prologue

Robert Baratheon only loved one woman. He went to war for this woman; usurped a king for this woman. But, the woman did not love him back. Even worse, she had died right after the war was won on her behalf. Naturally, Robert Baratheon became cold, even more so after he was crowned the King of the Seven Kingdoms.

He cared very little for his new title, knowing that his best friend Ned Stark would have made a far better king than he ever would. But, he did his duty and married the daughter of a wealthy lord to strengthen his rule.

He did not love his new wife, but he did his duty and within the first year of their marriage, Cersei Lannister was pregnant with the heir to the throne. Robert knew in his heart that he would never love the child, as a woman who wasn't Lyanna Stark would bear it. So, during his wife's labor, Robert Baratheon left on a hunt, returning the following day with the pelts of his kills for his wife to have made into a new dress.

When he heard the news that his first born was a baby girl, Robert Baratheon cursed silently. He wanted the one child he had with his wife to be a boy, so he wouldn't have to continue trying for heirs with a woman he didn't even care for. He knew it was unorthodox to have a female become the heir to his throne, but after taking a look at his daughter, he changed his views.

The unnamed babe looked nothing like her mother. Despite only being a day old, she had dark hair that Robert Baratheon knew she inherited from him. She had curled into the warmth he was providing, melting the ice that had formed around Robert Baratheon's heart. The king knew, in that moment, that Lyanna was no longer the only woman he would ever love.

It was customary for the royal family to present their new children to the court six months after their birth, as to give the family time to bond before duty took precedence. During those six months, Robert Baratheon refused to let his daughter out of his sight. Cersei tried to bond with her child, knowing that if Robert wouldn't love her, her daughter would. But, the still unnamed babe would cry unless she was in the arms of her father or nursing with the wet nurse. Despite this, Cersei still loved her firstborn.

When it came time to present the baby to the court, Robert proudly held his growing daughter in his arms himself, a rare smile on his features. The smile didn't even falter as Cersei took her place beside him, smiling as well. The pair hadn't discussed names, but Cersei planned to name her daughter after her own mother. However, Robert Baratheon had different plans.

"I present to you, my Lords and Ladies, Morganna Baratheon, first of her name, princess and heir to the Seven Kingdoms." Robert announced proudly, smiling broadly down at his daughter as she rested her head on her shoulder. Cersei's smile faltered, but she hid it as the court applauded the announcement and cheered for her daughter's health and prosperity.

As Morganna grew, Robert's attention was spent on her. He hardly looked at his wife anymore, only going into their chambers well after Morganna was asleep and he was drunk. When Morganna was two years old, Cersei gave birth to another child. Morganna was curious about the baby, but she was the only Baratheon that was. Despite having a son, Robert focused solely on his daughter. Even after Cersei gave him two more children, he spent all his spare time catering to his eldest daughter.

When she was old enough to make her own decisions, she asked her father to teach her to wield a sword. Cersei chastised her daughter, telling her how unladylike it was for her to even consider the notion, but Robert intervened and promised to teach her when he saw a frown form on Morganna's face. He truly did not like to disappoint his daughter, and if she wished to learn to wield a sword, then she would learn.

Along with her royal studies, Morganna learned to fight just like her father. She wanted to be a great warrior like he was, even if she wasn't supposed to be. Her father had promised that she could be anything she wished to be, even going as far as to hire her her own guard at the age of eight so she would have someone else to spar with.

Robert never said no to Morganna. No matter the request, no matter his duties, he would set aside whatever he was doing, and he would appease his daughter. He would often leave his duties to his Hand to take Morganna riding, or sparring, or even hunting. He would do anything just to see a smile on her face.

Cersei despised their relationship. She couldn't fathom the idea that Morganna was the most important thing to Robert, especially after she'd given him three other children. Despite this, Cersei held no ill will for her eldest child. Morganna was, admittedly, Cersei's favorite child. Morganna was unyieldingly kind, and offered most anyone in her company her undivided attention. Cersei would take her children to the beaches near the castle often, accompanied by her own guard, and let her mask drop as she spent time with her children.

Morganna had grown up hearing stories of her father's best friend Ned Stark. She loved hearing of the Quiet Wolf, and how he bravely fought beside her own father in what was known as Robert's Rebellion. Her father spoke highly of the man, going so far as to call the man his chosen brother, and Morganna wanted nothing more than to meet the man her father loved so dearly. But, she would never ask this of her father.

Morganna knew that she could ask for anything, and her father would get it to her. It didn't matter the feasibility of what she wanted, Robert would bend over backwards to please his daughter. If Morganna asked for a dragon, he wouldn't rest until he could give her one. While meeting the Quiet Wolf and his family was far more feasible than getting a dragon, she knew her father couldn't afford to leave King's Landing to take her to the North.

When Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, died abruptly, Robert wouldn't hear of anyone taking up the position. He wished for his best friend to take the position, and wrote ahead to Winterfell so they could prepare for the arrival of the royal family. Secretly, Morganna was excited at the idea of going North, even if it had to happen because of someone's passing.