A P H R O D I T E

Dorne
289 AC

The hallways were filled with the hushed, whispered conversations between the handmaidens. The whispered words were taunting mysteries to the young ears of the Martell twins. Though the castle had never done well at withholding secrets from the girls, it would eventually seep through the walls and into their waiting minds.

Aphrodite held her excitement as best she could though if one knew where to look they would see the slight twitch of her fingers as she awaited the announcement eagerly,

"Whatever is the news that father wanted us so dressed for?" The younger of the two asked as she and her sister walked alongside one another with the grace of queens. They were clad in white silk and though they looked different, they walked at the exact same pace, their hair even swayed the same ways.

"I wish to know as much as you." Athena chuckled fondly at the excitement in her sisters voice, Aphrodite seemed to beam rays of light and that was something that Athena had always been envious of, everywhere her sister went, her presence seemed to be brighter than the sun that lit the earth, it had been muttered since her birth that when Aphrodite Martell smiled the sun seemed to dull, though if that was true the world would live in darkness.

The pair was known for either being a joy or a pain, though they were both ideal lady's, Athena wasn't always aware of how her actions would affect other people, she was a thunder storm. gods know that when she got mad the whole city shook. Aphrodite was a different story, she seemed to be too aware of how much she affected people, where her sister ran through people she went around them, and when she was upset the sun seemed to dull just enough for her sister to come through and rip apart what ever had caused the frown. But they were bonded by blood and where Athena rumbled, Aphrodite shone, they were wise and strong. Their father often laughed that they were his counsel, not the war driven lords that he often spoke with.

"I suppose we will know soon enough." Athena had always been more patient than her sister, often petting her hair and reminding her that rushing was ill-mannered. She had an idea of what it was, there had been word of marriage around the castle, and she knew that as her sister was the youngest she would be the one to unite houses. But Athena was not yet ready to lose her twin, her other half would soon be given to some boy that would steal her away.

"Wouldn't it be great if it were of marriage?" Aphrodite let out a sigh at the end of her words, the words froze Athena's ears, she didn't want to give up her sister just yet. Once she was betrothed it was Aphrodite's duty to spend time with her potential husband and Aphrodite, no matter how young, was always dutiful. Athena would be whisked away into twice the lessons that currently drowned her, all in preparation for her to one day take the throne.

Their conversation was cut short as they approached the door to their fathers bedroom, Athena knocked lightly and then pushed the heavy door open. The twins gasped in unison at what they saw. Seated across from their father, facing them was a beautiful, thin boy with hair white as the snow they had been taught of by the maester. Seated with their mother was a younger girl with identical locks, They were obviously of house Targaryen, the fallen dragons, alive. The girls had never seen any person so fair, everyone around them was kissed by the sun, golden with hair of dark tones.

"Aphrodite, come to me." Oberyn and Doran Martell sat at the table the pair seemed to be anxious as they watched the young girl approach them. Aphrodite smiled as she greeted her father and uncle, then curtsied for the boy prince before she sat. She had all the grace in the world and seemed to hypnotize the light haired boy next to her.

"Aphrodite, may I introduce you to Prince Viserys Targaryen of House Targaryen," Doran introduced the younger girl to the boy that sat next to her, "Viserys, may I introduce you to Lady Aphrodite Martell of House Martell." They both looked up to meet each others eyes and it was as if they had been matched by the gods, the two could not hide the small grins that teased their lips.