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“Nym?” Oberyn knocked on the door to his second eldest daughter’s chamber and opened it slowly. “Are you in here?”
Nymeria was sitting on the edge of her bed facing away from him, and she didn’t respond.
“Is something wrong?” Oberyn asked gently, putting a hand on her shoulder and seeing that she had a stack of letters in her lap- letters her mother had written her over the years- and Oberyn noticed the still fresh tears on her face. “Oh, Nym…”
“My eighth nameday was a fortnight past.” Nym’s eyes slid to her dresser, where some of her gifts still sat; the new set of knives Oberyn had given her sat open, next to the clumsily sewn but adorable set of doll dresses little Tyene had made for her sister. “She isn’t going to send even a letter, is she.”
“Perhaps not.” Oberyn wanted to tell her that perhaps it just got lost, but he didn’t have the heart to give her hope where there was none. He rubbed her back gently.
“Why doesn’t she want me.” Nym sniffed.
“I don’t know.” Oberyn didn’t have anything else to say, and she threw herself in his arms and sobbed into his chest.
“I wrote to her all year, and I… she never answered once.” Nym hiccuped.
It was true. After Oberyn had taken Nym back to Sunspear, at first the letters had come regularly from Volantis, even when Nym was too young to write back herself. But slowly they had stopped coming frequently, and the letters that did come were vague and cold. Now they had stopped coming at all. If Oberyn thought there was anything he could do, if he could force Nymeria’s mother to care for her he would ride to Volantis in a heartbeat. But he knew it wouldn’t help. Nym was an embarrassment to her reputation that her mother now seemed to find it easiest to ignore.
“I know.” Oberyn kissed the top of her head of long black hair.
“I’m her daughter, why doesn’t she want me?” Nym was shaking now and Oberyn wished he were better with things like this.
“It is wrong.” He told her. “But you are also my daughter, you will always have a place with me, Nym.”
“You shouldn’t have had me in the first place!” She sobbed angrily. “You didn’t want me either.”
“Nym!” Oberyn said intently, tilting her head up and making her look at him even though she was glaring at him. “Never think like that. You may not have been intended, but from the moment I knew you existed, I have always loved you. You are my daughter. You have Martell blood. Those things will always be true and I will always be here for you.”
“Why doesn’t it matter to her.” Nym turned away and lay on her side.
“I don’t know.” Oberyn repeated, running his fingers through her hair.
It had been easier with Obara. On the surface, anyway. Obara’s mother was dead, and Obara never openly grieved for anything. Sometimes, Oberyn feared that when he had told her to choose between tears and weapons she had chosen too permanently- she seemed to avoid any tears at all expenses; she thought they were a weakness. As far as Oberyn knew, Obara never regretted her choice.
“Is something wrong with Nym?” Tyene’s small, sweet voice sounded and she entered Nym’s chamber through their shared baths at the Water Gardens.
“Go away.” Nym told her, but Tyene didn’t listen, crawling up on the bed and curling against her sister.
“You miss your mother.” Tyene said to her. Oberyn didn’t know if she had overheard or just guessed; his daughters knew each other well.
“I can’t miss someone I never knew.” Nym glared angrily.
“You knew her.” Tyene said. “You just can’t remember.”
Nym didn’t answer.
“I miss my mother too.”
“But yours writes.”
“But she didn’t want me, either.”
“None of them want daughters like us.” Nym said darkly.
“Sarella’s does.” Tyene frowned.
“It isn’t fair.” Nym answered.
“I still want you, Nym.” Tyene hugged her, and went on when Nym didn’t answer. “And Obara still wants you. And father. And Sarella.”
“We always will.” Oberyn told them both. “We love you, Nym.”
Nym stared into the distance for a long while before answering.
“I love you too.” She finally said, sitting up and hugging her father. Oberyn pulled Nym and Tyene both close against him.
“Thank you for wanting us.” Nym said against his chest, and Oberyn couldn’t help laughing.
“Of course I want you! How could I not?” He kissed her forehead. “Thank you for wanting me.”
“Always!” Tyene and Nym told him together, and Nym finally gave him a small smile.
“What do you say we go find Obara and see if she wants so go for one last swim before it gets dark?” Oberyn asked them. Tyene beamed and squirmed away and Nym nodded, letting her sister drag her out the door.
It wouldn’t get easier for a long time, Oberyn knew. Nym and Tyene, and Obara, would always have to deal with the fact that they would grow up without a mother. But at least they could all deal with it together, as a family. Unusual as his family may be, he wouldn’t trade them for the world.