Myrcella was heartbroken; her engagement to Roman had been annulled by her mother, Cersei.
When news reached King's Landing that Jaime had been captured and Tywin had retreated, Cersei became despondent.
Subsequently, news that Jaime's right hand had been severed by Roman spread rapidly across Westeros from the mouths of Northern soldiers, and Cersei became hysterical as a result.
Cersei immediately announced to Westeros that she would find a new husband for Myrcella.
The nobles and commoners of all Westeros were shocked by this maneuver.
"What kind of madness is Cersei spouting? Ser Roman, with the strength of a single family, has attacked The Crownlands and resisted Tywin, all while keeping his own territory prosperous. What is she trying to achieve by tearing up the engagement now?"
"Heh! If Princess Myrcella had married according to the original plan, given Ser Roman's character, he would have had to grit his teeth and accept it even if he disliked the Lannisters. Now, it's all good—Ser Roman can take action without any scruples."
Tywin was defending Casterly Rock and discussing peace terms with his subordinates when he suddenly heard the news of Cersei annulling the engagement. He nearly choked on his breath.
"That fool... That fool! Can't she see the current situation? By doing this, haven't we just given Roman a reasonable excuse?"
"What are Tyrion and Kevan doing? Are they eating shit? Why couldn't they keep an eye on Cersei?!"
Meanwhile, far away in King's Landing, Kevan and Tyrion had never expected that Cersei could still pull off such a stunt after being stripped of her power.
Kevan was so angry he confined Cersei, but the words were already out like spilled water, and now the whole world knew.
Other nobles and commoners watched the spectacle while observing Roman's reaction, while other shrewd nobles began thinking about how to get on the House Whent's bandwagon.
Winterfell.
Sansa had been overjoyed for the past few days. She wandered around the castle humming songs every day, her face filled with daydreams about the future.
Arya couldn't stand Sansa's foolish behavior: "Sansa, even if Ser Roman's engagement to Princess Myrcella is gone, you won't necessarily be able to marry him. There are plenty of noble ladies in the South!"
"Who says! I am now the most suitable and well-matched candidate; Ser Roman will surely notice me!"
Arya couldn't be bothered to argue with this lovestruck girl. She picked up her sword and went to practice with Syrio.
Recently, Syrio had been having trouble adapting to the climate of the North and proposed moving to Harrenhal to live and practice. Arya didn't care where they lived, but when she thought about that girl Sansa tagging along, she immediately pouted.
The Red Keep, Myrcella's bedroom.
The little princess was holding a handful of corn kernels, and right in front of her was the raven that Roman had sent her.
This raven usually wandered outside and only came to Myrcella at fixed times.
Recently, the atmosphere in The Red Keep had become increasingly oppressive. Myrcella could only find a moment of peace while feeding the raven. She knew nothing about the war in Westeros; the princess only hoped that everyone could sit down and talk peacefully.
During this time, Myrcella constantly heard war reports from the Riverlands and witnessed the madness of Cersei and Joffrey every day. She couldn't help but recall the time she spent with her father Robert and Roman.
That was a rare happy time. Because of Roman's intervention, Robert stopped drinking, and father and daughter were able to communicate. She felt like a real princess then, and everything around her was moving in a wonderful direction.
But everything changed after Robert passed away. Cersei began to lose her mind, Joffrey's cruelty became increasingly severe, and her uncles didn't care much about the three siblings because they were busy with important matters. Sometimes, Myrcella even had to protect Tommen from Joffrey's bullying.
It was then that Myrcella realized how rare Roman's character—his willingness to listen to others and empathize with their emotions—truly was. He was just like a protagonist in a knight's tale.
So when Cersei told Myrcella that she was going to dump Roman and find her another husband, the princess was deeply devastated.
Myrcella looked at the raven with its sleek, shiny feathers on the table and couldn't help but ask:
"Is Ser Roman doing well lately?"
The raven stopped pecking at the corn kernels and looked up at Myrcella. Its pitch-black eyes turned, as if it were thinking about how to answer.
"Roman went back to rest after the war subsided. Philia has been taking care of him recently, and there are no problems."
When Myrcella heard the name Philia, her body suddenly trembled. She thought to herself:
Philia, that blonde big sister who was always by Roman's side. Whether it was her figure, appearance, or talent, she was outstanding. Moreover, there were rumors that Roman was going to marry this personal maid.
Myrcella immediately realized that her time spent with Roman was far less than Philia's.
Since the engagement was established, Philia had been silently supporting Roman behind the scenes for so many years. Coupled with the legends of Roman's identity, not many nobles had wanted to marry into the House Whent, so it was perfectly normal for sparks to fly between Roman and Philia.
Myrcella felt as if her heart was blocked by a giant boulder, making it hard to breathe. She wanted to use the raven to notify Roman; Myrcella knew that Roman definitely had the ability to take her away from The Red Keep on his wings.
But she couldn't do that. Myrcella knew that her duty as a princess was to marry into a noble house and seek benefits for her family. She couldn't abandon her responsibilities for love like Prince Duncan the Small.
For a moment, Myrcella was torn, not knowing what to do. She lay on her bed, looking sadly at the blue sky and murmuring to herself:
"Ser Roman, where are you? What should I do?"
————
Compared to Myrcella's distress, Philia was overjoyed recently.
After Roman recovered, Philia had been clinging to him, and the two had been sleeping together for some time recently.
One night, Roman was holding Philia while lying on his side on the bed, and the young girl was stroking Roman's soft skin, unable to stop smiling.
"Philia, haven't you been a bit too excited lately?"
The girl leaned her head gently on Roman's shoulder after hearing this:
"Master Roman, after all, this is one of the few chances I have to have you all to myself. If I don't seize it now, I'll only regret it later!"
"Philia, I..."
Roman wanted to say something, but Philia kissed his lips, interrupting him.
"Master Roman, I know what you want to say. You don't have to worry. I can eat well and dress warmly now, and living in a clean house—all of this is what you have given me. I won't have those unrealistic dreams; as long as I can stay by your side, I am very satisfied. Whatever decision you make, I will support you!"
Roman looked at Philia's beautiful face in the moonlight and was momentarily entranced.
When he first brought Philia with him, it was purely because he saw that the girl's life spark was extraordinary. But over time, Roman had come to regard Philia as one of the most important people in his life.
Philia worked diligently for Harrenhal, took care of him, and was loyal. Such a person was rare in the world.
Roman hugged Philia tighter, feeling the girl's soft, warm body, and said:
"Philia, one of the things I am most fortunate about is meeting you outside of King's Landing. You don't have to belittle yourself, and I am not the kind of scum who abandons others after using them. You know that best."
The girl felt Roman's hot body temperature and his racing heartbeat, and said shyly:
"Then... Master Roman, can I ask you for a reward tonight?"
Roman smiled slightly, suddenly sat up, and pressed her onto the bed amidst Philia's exclamation.
The sheet slipped off, and the moonlight illuminated Philia's graceful and alluring body, leaving nothing to the imagination.
The girl closed her eyes immediately, but still opened a slit to stare at Roman, both shy and yearning.
"Philia, there's work tomorrow, remember not to oversleep."