Baratheon Born

1

One || The Great, White North

The ride north would take a month. Morganna wished to ride with her father, so her father arranged for Morganna to ride her own horse north instead of in the carriage with her mother and siblings. Her brother, Joffrey, would also ride with them, eager to earn his father's approval.

Morganna had never left King's Landing before their trip north, and she couldn't hide her smile as she took in the sights on the King's Road. She'd learned of the route during her studies, but words on parchment couldn't even compare to the beauty she saw on their way to Winterfell.

Robert didn't let Morganna out of his sight the whole ride, riding beside his daughter instead of ahead of her. On her other side was her guard, Addam Connington, keeping his eye on the princess as they travelled the King's Road.

Addam came from the House Connington, a house from the Stormlands who remained faithful to House Baratheon. He is a third cousin to the current Lord of Griffin's Roost, which put him very far down the line of succession. He didn't want to become a Lord like his cousin, so he requested to join the King's Guard in King's Landing. However, upon arriving in the capital, Robert Baratheon met with him personally.

Robert was relieved when a house loyal to his own had reached out to him around the same time Morganna asked to learn to wield a sword. He agreed to have Addam come to King's Landing to be a member of his guard, and when the boy- who was no older than 15- arrived, Robert entrusted him with the most important task he could think of; protecting Morganna Baratheon.

Addam took his job seriously, knowing how important it was to his king that Morganna be safe and well educated in the art of combat. He planned to be serious whenever he was with Morganna, hoping to come across as intimidating to those who would think to harm the princess. However, he severely underestimated the rumored spell Morganna seemed to put people under. During their very first meeting, under the watchful eye of her doting father, Morganna merely smiled in Addam's direction, and the taller man dropped to a knee and swore to her and her father that he would give his life for hers.

Now, nine years later, Addam and Morganna have formed a friendship that Robert knew they both cherished. Robert could rest easy knowing that should he fail to protect his daughter, Addam would be there to keep her safe. But, that did not stop him from keeping an eye on her anyway.

During the journey north, Joffrey weaseled his way between Morganna and Addam, sparking a conversation with his favorite sister. It irritated both Robert and Addam, but neither voiced their annoyance as Morganna happily obliged her brother. They knew Morganna loved her siblings, but their focus was on Morganna, not anyone else.

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As they neared Winterfell, Morganna smiled excitedly. Those who lived in or near Winterfell lined the road, finding themselves absolutely enamored with Morganna Baratheon's smile. They'd heard rumors of her beauty, but word of mouth did not do the princess justice. She may have come from the south, but they knew that by all standards, Morganna Baratheon's beauty was unparalleled.

Proudly, Robert watched the people fawn over his daughter. He knew she deserved every bit of praise she would receive, as she was beautiful both inside and out. As they drew nearer to Winterfell, Morganna's smile widened, and Robert's heart swelled with adoration for his daughter.

Once their bannermen reached the gates of Winterfell, Joffrey rode ahead with his own guard, Sandor Clegane. Morganna stayed between her father and Addam, smiling broadly at the beautiful castle they would be staying in during their visit. Once her father came into view, the courtyard full of people dropped to a knee, bowing to their king as he rode into their home.