+ father
SEND ME + WITH A WORD AND I’LL WRITE A PIECE OF META ON IT
Oberyn means the world to her. Her father is, undoubtedly, the one person she looks up to the most. Nymeria loves him wholeheartedly, and is very proud of being his daughter. That said, she might not have known him as well as she believes she did.
I couldn’t find anything about bastards in Old Volantis, but considering they are so proud of tracing back their lines to Old Valyria, those of the Old Blood likely don’t take well to mixing their blood with that of foreigners. I doubt Nym’s mother was proud of having her, and believe she was most likely relieved to give her to Oberyn and have him take their daughter to Westeros.
I’m just saying that because that too would play a part on her devotion towards her father; because he was a prince, yet he didn’t leave her or her sisters just because they were bastard born — her mother being nobility that wanted nothing to do with a bastard child would only make her more thankful to him for caring for her. As a child, one unwanted by her mother, this would mean a lot. From a young age, Oberyn would’ve been her hero.
Nymeria wouldn’t ever have worried about Oberyn going to King’s Landing; even as an adult, her father seemed invincible to her. Her immediate reaction to the news would be disbelief — she’d doubt it, doubt the letter and the messenger, doubt until she couldn’t deny that was indeed the truth.
Then, I think all of the Sand Snakes chose to be angry over sad, and Nym is no exception. She doesn’t focus on the loss, but on the revenge. It isn’t a healthy way to grief, but as I’ve said, her father meant the world to her and she doesn’t know how else to deal with his loss. So she settles for anger and resentment and seeks revenge; not against one person, but against all of house Lannister, even someone undoubtedly innocent, as Tommen is.
Her father taught her to fight, but when Oberyn himself seemed to lean more towards vengeance than sorrow in his grief for Elia, I doubt what he taught in that sense was much different. I also think Nym never got to see much beneath that, although Oberyn was certainly deeper than that; when she claims Ellaria loved her father but didn’t understand him well, Doran answers “She understood more than you ever will, Nymeria.” and he is likely right — Nym loves Oberyn, but I think her views of him would tend to idolizing, and she wouldn’t have seen the deepest, more concealed parts of him.






