A Crown of Winter Roses

Chapter 29

I am going to put a trigger warning here because of death and quite dark themes so please be careful as it gets to the end. As I've said before I do what I do for reasons, I will admit I feel like I've pushed this a bit far, however. Anyways, on with the chapter...

Chapter 29

It was the day of the combat, and Rosie felt like she was quickly running out of time. There was still so much to do with Varys, Tywin, and Nym, that she felt like her mind would explode. Her stomach hung lower, pain radiating from all sides as she gazed out onto the courtyard, whispers from little birds having made their way to her ears. King's Landing wasn't like it was when she was younger, there were far too many secrets lining the walls and distrustful people putting up a front as you pass.

Rosie's hand drifted from the railing as she stepped away, back through the room and towards the bed where her husband was seated roaringly, his eyes alight in excitement. She couldn't understand the thrum of electricity that radiated from his body, why he was so terribly excited - Rosie felt nothing but dread. His beautiful, ornate spears jutted from their pot with poison by their side; her stomach dropped at the sight as she looked back to him.

Oberyn held his hands out, letting her move almost slinking towards him as his larger hands wrapped lovingly onto her hips. "My love." He whispered huskily, her back feeling as though it was going to break as she stood in his arms. The stress wasn't helping the condition, and she felt as though the worst case scenario was coming. They had spent too long in the capital to be back in Dorne for Nym to be born there, the 8 months having almost quickly slipped into the 9 as they waited for the combat to be held. "You look beautiful." He whispered, pulling a twirled strand of dark hair in between his index and thumb, his eyes combing over the hair.

She was dressed in a single, bright orange long dress; no patterns lining the fabric as it graced across her shoulders and down her arms before plunging into a daring swoop of skin at the back; twining snakes embroidered on the back. The skirt, however, was slightly different from the tight fitting top in the way it expanded across the floor like it had been licked with fire, the edges having an almost invisible line of mesh around it, with a singular snake twisting around this piece of mesh. In terms of jewellery, she had stamped leather gracing her neck in a tight choker with a single buckle at the front; the same leather cut into thin strips and entwined throughout the braids of her hair. Rosie was every part of a Martell in this dress, the leather a reflection on her husband's leather.

"Thank you." Rosie muttered, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke.

Oberyn's eyes shifted slightly, his brows dented as his viper eyes trained on her's. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine Oberyn, it's just a little pain." She soothed, running her hand across his forehead softly to ease out the lines that graced it. Oberyn was every bit as beautiful as he watched her; the same small wrinkles dancing around the corner of his dark eyes, thick brows resting on top of those, with gorgeous olive skin highlighting his features. She loved how strong his face was, how it held so many features but always had that fierceness. Rosie reached up, brushing away a stray dark curl that slipped out of it's place, pushing it back to meet his black strands.