Game Of Thrones - One-Shots

Oberyn Martell - Protector

"I don't understand why you are suddenly forcing me to wed someone brother. Especially Oberyn Martell. You know of his reputation?"

"Of course I do." Ned gestures to the seat in front of his desk. "I know I'm going against everything I told you, but this would be good for the Stark line. Having a connection to Dorne will be good for our house." You sigh, slumping down in the chair.

"Why now? Why him?"

"His paramour died giving birth to their last child. It has been some time since, but his brother says that he just hasn't been the same. And word of your kindness and charm has spread far and wide sister."

"Okay, but that doesn't answer everything. Why now?" Ned looks down at his lap for a second before looking back towards you.

"I know you wanted to have a say in, but even King Robert has written recently asking about you. He suggested the pairing."

"Of course he had a hand in this." You had never been as fond of Robert as any of your siblings had been growing up. He was to obsessed with your sister for your liking, and he didn't seem like the best person overall.

"You leave at first light."

"Can Jon come with me? I know he has his heart set on the wall, but Dorne is said to be much more excepting of bastard children. I want him to see that he has more choices." Ned is silent, you can see the gears turning in his head.

"I will ask if he would like to accompany you, but the choice is up to him."

"Of course brother. Thank you." With that, you stand up and leave, already trying to prepare yourself for the long journey ahead of you.

——————

"We are almost there," Jon says, coming to stand beside you near the railing of the ship. You can see Dorne quickly approaching, much quicker than you would like.

"I know. That's why I'm standing here. I want to see my new home before I have to deal with wedding things, a soon to be husband, and all of the children he already has." You turn to face him more fully. "I do hope you enjoy it here though, dear nephew of mine. The fighting style is very different than in Winterfell."

"That was one of the reasons I agreed to come." He grins at you, and it reminds you of just how young he really is. He may act mature but he is still just a boy. 

As the ship nears the docks, dread begins to pool in your stomach. You never wanted this, to be wed off to someone, especially to a place as hot as Dorne. You had lived in Winterfell your whole life, only visiting the capitol once for Robert's crowning and wedding. It was going to take time for you to adjust.

Soon enough you and Jon are walking off of the ship. A man, who you assume is Prince Doran, is sitting in a chair with wheels in front of you, and you can only assume Oberyn and his children with him. Oberyn is much more handsome than you were expecting, which shouldn't really be surprising given his reputation. His daughters look at you, some with questioning looks on their faces, others you can't tell what they are thinking. 

"Lady Y/n, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Dorne," Prince Doran says. You smile politely at him. "I am Prince Doran, this is my brother and your betrothed, Prince Oberyn. And his daughters, all but the youngest two."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. This is my nephew, Jon Snow." You grab Jon's arm gently and pull him forward so he is standing next to you instead of behind you. You notice that this catches Oberyn's attention.  Doran just smiles kindly before you all begin the journey to the castle. 

----

Sitting in the gardens and watching Jon train is one of the things that has been the most enjoyable thing for you here. Jon has been training with the sand snakes, Oberyn's children, and has learned many new things. You have as well, though you don't train as often. His daughter loved the fact that you could fight, but the looks you got from some of the high born lords and ladies here really put you off, so you decided to wait until after the wedding when most of them would be gone before training more. 

A movement next to you startles you, causing you to jump slightly from your spot on the bench you are sitting on. You place a hand on your chest, pretending to be breathing faster.  

"Oh, Prince Oberyn, you startled me," you say, hoping that he can hear your teasing tone. 

"My apologies, my lady," he replies in a playful tone, sitting on the bench next to you. "Although I am surprised that I could sneak up on you. I would assume that the training at Winterfell would have taught you to be aware."

"They did. But after my sister's death, I wasn't aloud to train or go hunting. I suppose I am more rusty than I thought."

"Why haven't you been practicing then? I saw that you were the first couple of days here." You can see the genuine interest on his face and sigh softly, looking towards Jon. 

"The other lords and ladies here were saying some cruel things about it, and the looks they gave me were not very kind, to say the least. So I thought it best to wait until after the wedding when most of them are gone." You can feel him tense up beside you so you look towards him again. 

"Who," he asks, sounding and looking very angry. You put a hand on his arm to try to help him calm down. 

"I'm not sure, I don't know everyone's names. I got looks when I was training in Winterfell as well, but it has been so long since then that I just am not used to it anymore."

"That doesn't matter. No one can talk to about you that way, especially not when you are to being wedding me." He gets up suddenly and starts walking away. You stand up and chase after him, grabbing his arm to make him stop. 

"Oberyn, please, just think. Your brother told me my first day here that everyone was hoping that I was a proper lady that would help put more stability in the castle. I'm sure I'm just not what they were expecting."

"That doesn't make it okay." He takes a step closer to you, wrapping an arm around your waist. "You don't need physical protection since you know how to fight. Let me protect you from this." 

You stare up at him, shocked. You barely know him, yet he is already being somewhat protective of you and touching you in a way that you have only really seen husbands and wives touch. Of course, you knew that Dorne didn't care about sex nearly as much everywhere else, but it was still very different. And you weren't sure if it was good or bad. 

"Okay."