Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken

Chapter Ten: Standing Tall

Stepping into the hall, Oberyn couldn't keep the smile from his face as he moved to greet his brother; he was rather pleased with himself after the night that he'd had and it was all thanks to Ellaria. 

It had come as a surprise to him when she had come to him before he could leave his chambers to go to his wife's; she had made him an offer that he could not refuse. 

"Brother," Doran greeted with a frown, he had not been pleased with the news that had reached him that Oberyn had refused to spend the night with his new wife; he had instead spent the night with his paramour. 

The entire court was gossiping about how he had done so and Doran knew that things weren't going to get any easier for the new Princess of Dorne. 

Oberyn took his seat, rather surprised that his new wife hadn't arrived before him; he had expected to see her seated already speaking with Oberyn and acting like nothing was wrong. 

His dark eyes swept the hall and smiled at the sight of Ellaria as she spoke with her father across the hall; he was pleased to see that she was here and not hiding away. 

"You spent the night with your mistress," Doran stated not happy with the turn of events, he could only imagine how embarrassed Amara had felt when she had heard what her husband was doing. 

No new bride would be so accepting of such a slight and Doran could only imagine what this meant for the future of the marriage if Oberyn was already acting this way. 

"I spent the night with my paramour," Oberyn corrected caring not for the way that his brother had addressed him, he had married the woman that had been chosen for him but he had no intentions of changing who he was for anyone. 

Ellaria had been a major part of his life for many years, she was the mother to four of his children and she would not be displaced by anyone; not even the bride that had been chosen for him.

Doran shook his head and sipped on his goblet of wine, he knew nothing he could say would change his brother's mind but he truly felt that this marriage would bring his younger brother some much needed peace. 

The two sat in silence for a moment knowing that neither would change their mind on the state of things; they would likely clash again over Oberyn's intentions with his wife. 

Helping himself to some food, Oberyn looked around trying to spot where his wife might be; he guessed that she had decided to eat in her rooms that night. 

The doors to the hall opened and Oberyn almost choked as he caught sight of his wife entering the hall; she was dressed in a beautiful yellow gown and was accompanied by Myrcella Baratheon. 

He certainly hadn't been expecting this and apparently neither had anyone else; he watched as the two chatted like old friends, smiles on their faces as they approached the table. 

Doran chuckled seeing the look on Oberyn's face, his eyes completely stuck on the wife that he had spurned in favour of spending the night with Ellaria. 

Oberyn leant back in his chair as the two women approached, he waited for Amara to take her seat beside him and begin her act of the dutiful wife but was surprised when she passed him. 

Instead Amara took a seat beside Myrcella so that they could continue their conversation; a smile never leaving her face as she spoke with Myrcella about her life back in King's Landing. 

The younger woman was thrilled to have someone to discuss the life that she had before coming to Dorne; many looked down on her because of what had happened before she was born and her father and grandfather's actions that lead to the death of Elia Martell.

***

Stepping into her chambers after dinner that night, Amara couldn't help but feel pleased with her day; she had truly enjoyed her trip down to the market earlier that day and she had liked spending time with Myrcella. 

She felt for the younger woman, she had noticed that when Trystane wasn't around that the foreign Princess was often alone with her Dornish ladies often ignoring her. 

The main issue being that the match between the young royals was an unpopular one considering what happened with Elia Martell and her children. 

Myrcella was thrilled to have someone to talk to, someone who didn't care that she was a Baratheon and that some parts of her homeland considered her and her brothers bastards. 

Amara was pleased to have a friend who wasn't likely to take Ellaria's side, she was determined to build alliances that would ensure that she was a force to be reckoned with in the future. 

Amara had to admit that she had enjoyed the sense of power that she had felt when her husband had expected her to pretend that nothing was wrong and act like a dutiful wife only for her to ignore him. 

The looks that he had given her all evening had been amusing but she hadn't acknowledge him at all instead she had enjoyed speaking with everyone else at the table but him. 

Her inattention of him had pulled his attention away from his whore which seemed to annoy the other woman; something that only pleased Amara further. 

If Ellaria Sand had thought that Amara would just roll over and play good wife to a cheating husband then she was in for a shock. 

Amara wasn't going to allow her husband the chance to displace her fully for the other woman; she would not be set aside and she would prove that she could play the game better than those around her.

After her mother's death, it was Amara that had been the Lady of Fairmarsh and she had learnt quite a few things while she had run her family home until her father had passed on. 

Her good-sister had taken over then but most of the staff had preferred how she had run things, she had been kind and loved and that was what she had intended to do here in the Capital. 

"These arrived for you, Your Grace," Herit said moving to show Amara the beautiful flowers that had arrived for her while she had been at dinner; there was no note attached but she assumed they had come from the Prince. 

Amara stared at the flowers, they were beautiful and she was a little surprised to see them; this wasn't what she had been expecting when she returned to her chambers. 

Slowly approaching the flowers, Amara couldn't believe that Oberyn had done something like this; she was sure that the Red Viper didn't send flowers to anyone. 

"Was there a note?" Amara asked curiously, she wasn't sure what to make of this entire situation; she couldn't shake the feeling that something about this wasn't right. 

From what she had heard of Oberyn, this wasn't his kind of thing and Amara didn't believe that he would change just for a woman that he was forsaking for his whore. 

"There wasn't," Herit replied with a shake of her head, she had arrived back from the feast to find them in the chambers and she had assumed that they had something to do with the prince. 

Perhaps this was his way of apologising for hat he had done the night before, even if he had no interest in forsaking his whore that held his attention for now. 

Herit was convinced that Oberyn would grow bored of the aging whore when he realised that Amara was a more perfect match for him; she would be the future while Ellaria slipped into the past. 

Checking the flowers once more, Amara had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last gift that she received.