Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken

Chapter One: Lady Amara Cantrell

Watching as her father was slowly lowered into the tomb, Lady Amara Cantrell took a shaky breath and tried to hold herself together; she had never imagined that this day would come so soon.

Her father had been ill for many months now and she wasn't surprised that things had worked out the way that they had; she had done her best to care for him when he had been dying.

The sound of someone stopping beside her made her wipe away her tears and peeked at her brother who had stopped by her side; he looked rather regal now that he was Lord of Fairmarsh.

"Sister," Lord Ammett Cantrell greeted watching the coffin disappear beneath the ground, he knew that there was much to be done now that their father had passed.

They were the only children that their father had that had survived to adulthood and they had to carry on his legacy now; it seemed only right that he started to plan now that their father was dead.

He had done his part by marrying his wife, Laerra was heavily pregnant with their first child and he was sure that it would be a son to take over from him.

"Ammett," Amara greeted, she wasn't sure what to expect from him now that he was Lord of Fairmarsh; he looked nothing like the boy that she had grown up with.

It had been such a long time ago that they had been playing in the fields that surrounded their home while their parents watched on; now their father was laid to rest beside their mother in their shared tomb beneath the ground.

The siblings were silent when the tomb was sealed and Amara couldn't help but feel a great sense of loss as the tomb was sealed; her life lay in her brother's hands now and she feared just what he might have planned for her.

Offering his arm to Amara, Ammett started the long walk away from the tomb that their parents shared and back to their home; he had much to discuss with his sister and he knew that there was not putting it off.

Taking over ruling when his father had been too ill to do so, Ammett had known that it was time for his sister to do her part for the family especially now that their parents were gone.

His wife would be lady of the manor now and she had made it clear that she wouldn't put up with Amara meddling in the way that she run things now.

Ammett had no doubts that his beloved sister was only trying to help, the household that Laerra was now in-charge of was a large one but he needed to keep the peace especially now that his wife was pregnant.

This meant that he had been forced to find a suitable husband for her, Ammett was sure that Amara would be happier with a family of her own.

"I have been putting much thought in a match for you sister," Ammett mused while they walked, it hadn't been easy and if he was honest; he could never understand why their father had never pushed for Amara to be married before now.

Ammett had truly struggled to find a House that would take her, they weren't a large house and he was hoping that an advantageous marriage for his sister would change things for them.

"You can't be serious," Amara announced staring at her brother, the news of her betrothal had come as a surprise and she couldn't believe how quickly this had happened.

Her father had barely been buried more than a few minutes and her brother was dropping this on her now; she felt angry that he hadn't waited longer to announce this to her.

Pulling her arm from his, Amara walked ahead wanting to grieve for the father just a little longer before she allowed herself to be pulled into her brother's plotting to make House Cantrell a name to be remembered.

***

"It is a perfect match..." Laerra assured her husband, it was better than they could have hoped for considering that they were a minor House and they had much work to do if they were going to make the House great again.

The match itself had been an unexpected one and Ammett had thought it was some sort of joke when he had first read the parchment that it had arrived on.

The fact that the letter hadn't been some sort of joke and had come bearing the seal of House Martell had only caught Ammett's interest even more and had been the main reason he had accepted.

A knock on the door stopped Laerra from saying more, she pursed her lips as her good-sister stepped into the room and she hoped that Amara would see what a blessing this was for them.

"Amara," Ammett greeted with a nod of his head, he signalled for his sister to come closer so that he could speak with her.

The idea alone of his sister becoming a Princess was enticing enough and there would be great rewards for their house with such a marriage; he couldn't see why she would refuse.

"Father always received many letters from men wishing for your hand, yet I struggled to find many that would willingly marry you now," Ammett started looking down at the letters that were scattered across his desk, most were rejection letters or notes of apology for not wanting his sister.

Laerra was silent as she stood beside her husband, a frown set upon her face and she wondered why her good-father had never pushed for Amara to settle down.

She had done her duty when she was told that she was to marry Ammett, she was now Lady of Fairmarsh and she carried his heir inside of her.

Amara stood quietly, she felt a lump form in her throat and she wished more than anything that her father was here now; he wouldn't force her to do this and had been more than content to let her find a husband when she was ready to do so.

"Prince Doran has written to me... it seems that he is interested in having you marry his brother," Ammett revealed with a smile, it was the perfect solution in his mind and he wanted to make it clear that she was to accept.

Such a great match couldn't be dismissed and it was a great honour that Prince Doran had written personally to ask for her hand so that she may marry his brother; a man who could have any woman that he wanted.

Amara felt her stomach drop at the news, she had heard stories of Prince Oberyn and she very much doubted that this had been his idea in anyway.

The man had a paramour and eight daughters, he had no use for a wife from what Amara knew and yet if what her brother was saying was true then she was expected to marry him.

"It is a rather exciting match," Laerra mused resting a hand on her husband's shoulder, her brown eyes staring at Amara knowing that it would get her out of the manor and away from her.

It would allow her to do things her way without having Amara hovering around or looking over her shoulder all the time telling her about some boring old tradition.

Ammett nodded his head in agreement, there was no way that they could let this go and he had no doubts that the Sunspear would be good for her.

Amara had always wanted to see the capital and this would be even better for her, she would get to live there while doing her part for the family legacy; something that she hadn't done thus far.

"I suppose you have already agreed," Amara stated guessing that her agreement to this match wasn't necessary; she was going straight into the viper's nest and if that was the case then she was going to need to be prepared for the sudden change her life would make.