Myrcella Baratheon

	Myrcella Baratheon, by Sacha Angel Diener © Fantasy Flight Games.
Title	Princess
Allegiance	House Baratheon of King's Landing
Culture	Crownlands
Born	290 AC (age 10); Red Keep, King's Landing
Fathers	Robert I Baratheon (legally); Jaime Lannister (biologically);
Mother	Cersei Lannister
Books	The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned); A Game of Thrones (appears); A Clash of Kings (appears); A Storm of Swords (mentioned); A Feast for Crows (appears); A Dance with Dragons (mentioned); The Winds of Winter (mentioned);
Played by	Aimee Richardson Season 1 \| 2; Nell Tiger Free Season 5
TV series	Game of Thrones: Season 1 \| 2 \| 5

Princess Myrcella Baratheon is known to the Seven Kingdoms as the middle child of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister. A member of House Baratheon of King's Landing, her siblings are Princes Joffrey and Tommen.

In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Myrcella is portrayed by Aimee Richardson (Seasons 1 and 2) and Nell Tiger Free (Season 5).

Appearance and Character

Myrcella has golden curls,^[3] emerald eyes,^[4] and full lips.^[5] She is described by her uncle, Tyrion Lannister, as having all of her mother Cersei's beauty, but none of her mother's nature.^[6] Myrcella is delicate, beautiful, and courteous.^[7] For her age, she displays courage, a strong will, and high intelligence.^[8]^[5] She is eight,^[9] or almost eight,^[10] at the beginning of A Song of Ice and Fire. Myrcella resembles Rosamund Lannister.^[11]

History

Following the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day, Myrcella and her siblings traveled with Cersei to Casterly Rock with their grandfather, Lord Tywin Lannister.^[12]

Myrcella has a garden at the Red Keep.^[13]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Princess Myrcella accompanies her father, King Robert Baratheon, north to visit Winterfell and the Starks. She is smitten with Robb Stark during the feast.^[10] She rides in the royal wheelhouse with her mother, Queen Cersei Lannister.^[7]

Myrcella and Prince Tommen do not recognize a dirty Arya Stark when she chases cats in King's Landing.^[3]

Lord Eddard Stark, the new Hand of the King, discovers that Myrcella and her siblings are not the biological children of Robert, but actually of Cersei's twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister.^[14] With Robert dying from being gored by a boar, Lord Renly Baratheon suggests that Tommen and Myrcella be seized and that Robb wed Myrcella. Eddard refuses, however.^[15]

After Robert's death, Myrcella is in the throne room when Eddard confronts Cersei and is betrayed by Lord Petyr Baelish, then arrested.^[16]

A Clash of Kings

Myrcella attends the tourney on King Joffrey's name day.^[17] Announcing his claim to the Iron Throne, Stannis Baratheon declares that his niece and her siblings are abominations born of incest.^[18]

In an effort to win Dorne to the side of House Lannister in the War of the Five Kings, Myrcella's uncle, Tyrion Lannister, offers to marry her to Trystane Martell, the youngest son of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne.^[19] The offer is accepted and Princess Myrcella, accompanied by her sworn shield, Ser Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard, sets sail on the Seaswift for Braavos. Once the princess reaches the Free City, the Braavosi are to bring her the rest of the way to Sunspear. Riots break out after Myrcella's small fleet leaves the harbor of King's Landing.^[8]

A Storm of Swords

Myrcella arrives at Sunspear and befriends Princess Arianne and Prince Trystane, the children of Prince Doran.^[20] Her chambers are in the Old Palace's Tower of the Sun.^[5]

After the death of King Joffrey at his wedding, Prince Oberyn Martell reminds Tyrion that according to Dornish law, Myrcella should succeed to the Iron Throne rather than her younger brother, King Tommen I.^[21]

A Feast for Crows

Along with Ser Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard, Myrcella is accompanied to Dorne by Septa Eglantine, her cousin and handmaid, Rosamund Lannister, and several House Lannister guards, including Dake and Rolder.^[5]^[11] Myrcella recalls that Eglantine had her switch places with Rosamund while on Seaswift and had put brown dye in her hair. The septa said it was just a game, but Myrcella realized it was a precaution in case the ship was captured by Stannis Baratheon.^[11]

Myrcella, Arys, and Eglantine are in attendance when Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, returns to Sunspear from the Water Gardens. Following the death of her father Oberyn, Tyene Sand suggests to her uncle, Doran, that Myrcella be crowned queen in accordance with Dornish law.^[4]

Myrcella adapts quickly to spicy Dornish cuisine, unlike her bodyguard, Ser Arys. Myrcella also enjoys playing cyvasse with Prince Trystane, whom she often defeats. Doran intends to bring the princess with him to the Water Gardens when he departs Sunspear.^[5]

To get revenge against the Lannisters for the deaths of Oberyn and Elia Martell, Princess Arianne Martell schemes to crown Myrcella queen after Joffrey's death, since Myrcella is older than Tommen. Arianne hopes that the Dornishmen will rise to defend her claim for a chance to war against the Lannisters, who would be expected to support Tommen. Arianne seduces Arys into joining the conspiracy.^[5]

Departing the Dornish capital with Myrcella, Arys leaves Rosamund as a decoy in Sunspear. Myrcella is claimed to be suffering from redspots to prevent Trystane and Maester Caleotte from interfering. Arianne and her other conspirators—Ser Andrey Dalt, Lady Sylva Santagar, Garin, and Ser Gerold Dayne—wait for Arys and Myrcella at Shandystone. The Kingsguard does not tell Myrcella about their intentions, so Myrcella is confused when she is called queen upon arrival and Arianne claims that evil men conspired with an unknowing Tommen to steal her throne. Garin and Arianne tell Myrcella about the orphans of the Greenblood.^[11]

When Arianne's party reaches their destination on the Greenblood, Doran's guardsmen are waiting for them, for their conspiracy has been betrayed. Arys attacks the guardsmen, but is killed by their captain, Areo Hotah.^[11] During the chaos, Darkstar strikes at Myrcella to force Doran into a war against the Lannisters. He fails to deal a killing blow, as Myrcella's horse veers away, but the princess is still wounded. Maester Caleotte saves her life, but Myrcella loses an ear and has a hideous facial scar.^[22]

One of the new dromonds for the royal fleet is named Princess Myrcella by Tommen in honor of his sister.^[23]

A Dance with Dragons

Tyrion, fled in exile to Pentos, considers crowning Myrcella, but is convinced by Illyrio Mopatis to support Daenerys Targaryen instead.^[24]

Ser Balon Swann arrives at Sunspear, where he tells Prince Doran that King Tommen wishes his sister to return to King's Landing for a visit, inviting along Myrcella's betrothed, Prince Trystane. Doran assures the knight they will see Myrcella at the Water Gardens.^[25]

During a private conversation with Doran and the Sand Snakes, Arianne tells Obara, Nymeria and Tyene Sand that Myrcella will tell Balon that her Kingsguard, Arys, had been slain by Gerold Dayne, and that Darkstar had tried to kill Myrcella as well. Prince Doran is convinced Myrcella will ask Balon to hunt down Gerold, and that Balon will not be able to refuse. Meanwhile, he decides that Myrcella will, indeed, return to King's Landing, in the company of Nym.^[25]

Reflecting in the riverlands, Jaime Lannister thinks he will need to tell Myrcella the truth about her paternity, though the Dornishmen will not like it.^[26]

During her imprisonment by the Faith, Cersei Lannister learns of Gerold's attack on her daughter from her uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister. Kevan tells her that Myrcella blames Darkstar for both the attack on her, as well as the death of Arys.^[27] During a meeting of the small council, Kevan discusses the preparations to be made for Myrcella's return. The princess has begun her journey to King's Landing with Nymeria.^[28]

Quotes by Myrcella

Joffrey: Don't be childish.
Myrcella: We're children. We're supposed to be childish.^[17]
— Joffrey Baratheon and Myrcella

Why do they call me Grace? Ser Arys, what is this place, and who are they?^[11]
— Myrcella to Arys Oakheart

Andrey: My friends call me Drey, and I should be greatly honored if Your Grace would do the same.
Myrcella: Until I know you I must call you ser.
Andrey: Whatever name Your Grace prefers, I am her man.^[11]
— Andrey Dalt and Myrcella

Andrey: I understand you've fought some mighty battles too, Your Grace. It is said you show our brave Prince Trystane no mercy at the cyvasse table.
Myrcella: He always sets his squares up the same way, with all the mountains in the front and his elephants in the passes. So I send my dragon through to eat his elephants.^[11]
— Andrey Dalt and Myrcella

Quotes about Myrcella

She had all of her mother's beauty, and none of her nature.^[6]
— thoughts of Tyrion Lannister

Sansa: A royal wheelhouse is no place for a wolf. And Princess Myrcella is afraid of them, you know that.
Arya: Myrcella is a little baby.^[7]
— Sansa Stark and Arya Stark

Cersei: Myrcella is my only daughter. Did you truly imagine that I would allow you to sell her like a bag of oats?
Tyrion: Hardly a bag of oats. Myrcella is a princess. Some would say this is what she was born for. Or did you plan to marry her to Tommen?
Cersei: Brother or no, I should have your tongue out for that. I am Joffrey's regent, not you, and I say that Myrcella will not be shipped off to this Dornishman the way I was shipped to Robert Baratheon.
Tyrion: Why not? She'd be a deal safer in Dorne than she is here.^[19]
— Cersei Lannister and Tyrion Lannister

She is so pretty, don't you think? I wish that I had curls like hers. She was made to be a queen, just like her mother.^[4]
— Tyene Sand to Doran Martell

Arianne: I think you love her more than me. The maid is much too young for you. You need a woman, not a little girl, but I can play the innocent if that excites you.
Arys: You should not say such things. I love Myrcella as a daughter.^[5]
— Arianne Martell and Arys Oakheart

The truth was, the princess was braver than her brother, and brighter and more confident as well. Her wits were quicker, her courtesies more polished. Nothing daunted her, not even Joffrey.^[5]
— thoughts of Arys Oakheart

Protect Myrcella with your life. Defend her... and her rights. Set a crown upon her head.^[5]
— Arianne Martell to Arys Oakheart

The girl is brave, and wise beyond her years.^[11]
— Arys Oakheart to Arianne Martell

Ser Arys was still dead, and Myrcella... I never wanted that, never. I meant the girl no harm. All I wanted was for her to be a queen. If we had not been betrayed...^[22]
— thoughts of Arianne Martell

Tyrion: My niece Myrcella is in Dorne, as it happens. And I have half a mind to make her a queen.
Illyrio: What has this poor child done to you that you would wish her dead?
Tyrion: Even a kinslayer is not required to slay all his kin. Queen her, I said. Not kill her.
Illyrio: In Volantis they use a coin with a crown on one face and a death's-head on the other. Yet it is the same coin. To queen her is to kill her. Dorne might rise for Myrcella, but Dorne alone is not enough. If you are as clever as our friend insists, you know this.^[24]
— Tyrion Lannister and Illyrio Mopatis