The Baratheon Girl • Oberyn Martell

11: "Good-ones"

Prince Oberyn was the most handsomest man I had ever seen. It wasn't a secret that we both found each other attractive, in fact Ada had lectured us many times to not show affection outside of our private chambers. With Oberyn, however, that was a hard task. He wasn't a subtle lover by any means, sly touches and quick kisses when he thought no one was watching. He gave the nobles a means to gossip and spread salacious scandals, not that they were entirely wrong though.

So when he stepped from the shadows, stealing my breath away and pulling me into his warm body, my mother wasn't happy. Maybe it was jealousy or maybe it was the built-up anger of not getting her way, nevertheless she took her anger out on Oberyn.

"Get your Dornish hands off my daughter," She cast a look between us, her voice full of poison and hatred rising above the placid silence of the street. "You will ruin Kendra's public image."

"As if you have ever cared for my image." I accused my absent mother, I should've stayed quiet but the day had been long and my temper had grown short.

"If only you knew Kendra, you would understand." Her eyes distant, thoughtful for a moment, then her features contorted into a Lannister grin and her eyes flickered to Oberyn, as if he knew something I didn't. Her scorching stare didn't faze him though, he simply shook his head and swept me away from my mother and into a labyrinth of passageways.

"What did she mean?" I questioned as he stopped abruptly, sitting down in a seated alcove of the wall.

"I'm not entirely sure Sunbeam, but I have my theories." His crypticness made me look up at him skeptically. Throughout my life I had always been the outlier of my family. My brown hair and doe eyes caused me to stand out in the crowd of my golden siblings and extended family.

Thinking back to my childhood, the Court had always treated me differently. It wasn't just mother who noticed the anomaly.

"Okay" I muttered, holding me hands in my lap as I watched something flash beneath the hardness of his expression. There it was again, the feeling of being left out of the equation. I desperately wanted to understand what was so important about my difference which made people awkward around me. Which made them stare and point and speculate.

"I talked to your Father and Ada this morn." He turned to me, his mouth twitching like he wanted to smile.

"Dealing with?"

A shimmer of mischief glazed over his eyes as he spoke, "I asked you father if he could clear your schedule for the day."

"Really?" He nods his head and I let out a relieved breath, the stress my mother placed upon my shoulder slowly evaporating. He stood up and offered me his hand so that I could walk along with him. I smiled up at him, with that he playfully places a kiss on the end of my nose.

"This way, darling." His amused face held no sign of telling me where we were heading and although I found myself trusting his judgement I couldn't help but be a little curious as to what awaited us.

"Where are you taking us?" I asked, albeit timidly. I didn't recognise the twist and turns he was leading us through, then again I wasn't one to wonder around the back alleys of King's Landing. Not after the time I strayed from my Father and the king's guard only to find myself lost in Flea Bottom.

"Am I not allowed to cheer you up?" He peered down at me, an innocent smile gracing his lips.

"Of course," I smiled eyeing him wearily, "but you are being very secretive."

He let lose a hefty laugh before pulling me around a sharp turn, "You need not wait much longer."

I turned away from his gaze and cast a look through the archway before me, I was bombarded with a series of pleasing scenes. Rows upon rows of stalls were lined up against the walls of the Street of Sisters, a road normally used for drunken horse races had been turned into a merchant's dream. Along the walls were streams of vibrant coloured bunting, large banners were pinned behind stalls and confetti floated through the air above the chaotic scene.