Sectumsempra
Chapter 1
"Are you alright my lady?" the maester asked looking at her with some concern.
Blinking, the blonde woman glanced up at him from her folded hands. She had been sitting at the desk in her own solar about to put quill to paper when he had surprised her with the news.
And what news it had been.
"Yes," she said softly almost as if the voice had come from some other mouth but hers. Her voice seemed very far away even to herself. It was like she was speaking from one end of a long tunnel causing the tone to echo and bounce down the walls. Perhaps that was how it felt to be speaking when one's mind was in an entirely different plane of thought. She might as well have been underwater for how much she was taking in. "Would you mind telling me where the twins are?"
The maester frowned, a truly curious look on his young face and she wondered for a moment what his name was again. Taron….Miqen….
Cheron, that was it.
"I believe they are with their nurse maid my lady," he said as if he didn't fully understand the question. "Shall I arrange for them to be sent to you?"
"If you wouldn't mind," the blonde said. "I have a sudden desire to see them."
The maester nodded and hurried for the door of the solar, obviously eager to be gone. He only paused at the threshold when she called after him. "And about Lord Lannister….may we keep this between us for right now? I will tell him in due course."
Cheron turned back towards her, his face relaxing. He looked relieved to be rid of the burden of information though he appeared to be trying mightily to hide it. "As you wish Lady Lannister."
Joanna nodded and then turned back to the window just as the door of her solar shut. She listened to the rapidly retreating footsteps of the maester and wondered if he were trying to control himself not to run.
She knew that the quarters of the maester were on the other side of Casterly Rock whilst her and Tywin's were the farthest away from his that they could possibly be. No matter, she didn't expect to see him for a while. It wasn't as if he had been the bearer of good news.
It was just days after the twins were born and the general atmosphere of Casterly Rock had been one of merriment and joy. Tywin had been all smiles the day his son and daughter were born, prompting Joanna's own expression to be one of constant radiance.
Her husband so rarely smiled but seeing him do so on this joyous occasion caused her own happiness to swell to gargantuan proportions.
And then as if someone had taken a pin and stabbed it into a large bubble rolling back and forth across the surface of the water….all of it had evaporated with the communication of a few sentences.
In truth she didn't know how to react or if she should even react at all. She had done her duty hadn't she? Casterly Rock had an heir now as well as a daughter with which connections could be forged. Many women considered themselves blessed to give birth to one child but two at the same time was rare as it was astonishing.
Nothing else could be expected of her….nothing else should be expected of her.
And yet…..two children were not everything that she wanted.
Joanna had always wanted a large family. The Lannister clan was large enough as it was and Tywin was the eldest of four. Joanna herself had one older brother and then five younger siblings for a total of seven children altogether.
Four would have been nice, perhaps even five. Though she and Tywin had never discussed it, she knew that children were important to him. Connections were important to him and children were one of the main ways in which power was forged in this world.
And power had always been important to Tywin given the way his father and her uncle had nearly ruined their house.
The man was still alive but Tywin had effectively stripped him of all of his power leaving him lord in name only.
It was better that way all things considered. Tytos's marriage of Tywin's only sister Genna to an incompetent and utterly unappealing Frey by the name of Emmon had enraged Tywin to no end, both because he valued his sister's happiness and because of the utterly one sided political marriage.
Tytos was called the Toothless Lion and with good reason. He never made threats, people could get away with almost anything with him and he had dragged their family name through the mud. People had called them weak….people had called them cowards.
Tywin was busy ensuring that they would no longer be called such things.
But would the house of Lannister appear weak if it came out that only two healthy children had been born to it and only two healthy children would be?
She didn't want to think about it.
What would Tywin say?
Would he be displeased that there would be no more? The birth of the twins had been difficult but she had truly never expected something like this.
No….this couldn't be the end.
Suddenly feeling frantic, Joanna got up from her room and began to pace. The maester couldn't possibly be sure about every aspect of this. He just couldn't be. There had to have been something that had been overlooked.
And then she paused as she looked out the large window of her solar down into Casterly Rock. It was a bright sunlit afternoon and even from this great height she could see the residents of her home going out and about with their baskets as they moved from stall to stall, selecting produce or placing fish from a fresh catch into the wicker lined instruments.
It was all so peaceful. Summer had lingered for a long time in the south and winter's touch she had almost forgotten about.
But this news had placed a chill around her heart which seemed to be delaying any action.
She glanced back down at the letter she had been about to write to her friend, the reigning Princess of Dorne who already had a son to her name.
No….now was not the time for dampened joy. She had given birth to two healthy children who would be the pride of Casterly Rock.
Tywin surely would not be expecting another child for another few years. And by then….perhaps all would be well.
This couldn't be the end….it just couldn't.
Ω
Three Months Later….
Joanna proceeded to smile at the shy maiden who had just handed her servant a carefully wrapped fish.
Tywin might have thought these tasks menial and wondered why his lady wife did not simply send the servants out and about to do the shopping but Joanna liked being among the people. She wasn't someone to be locked away in an ivory tower and since the birth of Cersei and Jaime she had felt the need to be doing more with her time.
She was not with child yet but there was time. The twins were only three months old. It would be at least another year yet before her husband might bring up the subject again.
Like on that day when the young maester had given her the truth she had decided she would not heed, it was bright and shining out. Joanna cringed slightly at the memory and then shook it off. She was in a good mood, there was no need for dark thoughts to ruin it.
Fortunately she was provided with a distraction the moment she and her small party left the market area and turned down the street near where the smithies were located. Most women didn't venture down where the blacksmiths held their keeps but Joanna found the noise and the constant ring of the hammers exciting.
She liked going down by the harbor as well and seeing all the wares the fishermen had brought in first hand. Not everyone spoke Westerosi and so hearing the Essosi accents was exotic and different.
But just as she turned the corner, she was confronted with an image far different than she was used to.
Standing on a raised platform about twenty feet down the street in the middle of the stones was a man. He was wearing long red robes with a belt at his waist and strange things were hanging from it. There was a scabbard hanging there empty and in his hand was a sword.
Somehow though as Joanna paused to watch him, she didn't think he intended to use it as a weapon.
A small crowd had gathered about the man as if he were a novelty and Joanna leaned over to one of the red cloaks who was standing to the right of her. "Who is that man?"
The guard bore a rather disgusted expression as he took in the scene before him. "I've only heard stories of them my lady. I believe he is a red priest come from Asshai to spread more of their strange fire religion."
Joanna frowned. "Fire religion? What do you – "
She was cut off when all of a sudden there was a gasp from the watching audience as before their very eyes the sword grasped in the man's hand was suddenly set ablaze.
"How did he do that?" she asked to no one in particular.
"I've heard strange stories about the red priests and priestesses from Asshai my lady," the servant girl who had gone with them said next to her. Her name was Meriva and she was a pretty thing with a kind heart. Joanna had become fond of her for her gentle hand with the twins and had chosen to keep her close.
"What sort of stories?" the lady of Casterly Rock asked warily.
"Stories of people having magic," Meriva replied in a whisper. "They say in Asshai the red priests have power beyond the lot of men and no one knows where it comes from but there are constant fires burning around their great temple there. The people whisper that they can heal the sick, raise the dead….perform miracles."
"Miracles," Joanna murmured under her breath, a sudden problem storming to the front of her mind. "Truly?"
"Pay her no mind my lady," the other guard scoffed. "These stories were likely made up by those same priests to gain power over the people of Asshai. Magic isn't real."
"Then what do you call that?" Meriva asked sharply when the sword of the priests burned with a white flame causing Joanna to think of tangible lightning.
"It's all nonsense my lady," the guard replied though this time he sounded even less sure. "Don't waste your time on such nonsense."
But Joanna wasn't so sure. The antics of the priest certainly didn't seem fake or the work of some trickery. In fact it almost seemed as if he was channeling the magic from somewhere.
And then, just as quickly as the sword was set ablaze, the flames vanished and the blade was ordinary once more.
Except for the fact that the metal bore no scorch marks, nothing tangible to lay testament to the fact that it had been set ablaze.
"There you see?" Meriva said with a strange tone of triumph. "If that's not magic what is it?"
"It is not for me to discern whether or not magic exists," the red cloak snapped in frustration. "Just as its not your place to speak when you are not spoken to!"
"Enough," Joanna snapped momentarily shutting the both of them up. "This was not meant to start a quarrel. Come, let us return to the keep."
"An excellent idea my lady," the guard said returning his attention to his task. "I fear we have lingered here for too long already."
Their small party moved forward through the street keeping to the sides of the buildings to avoid the crowds that were suddenly much more dense.
Joanna had guards on either side of her the whole while so she didn't feel as if nervous as if she were by herself and as such she felt more comfortable in looking about her.
This time however, they had gone no more than ten paces down the street when she felt the hair on the back of her neck and arms stand on end.
It was almost as if a sudden chill had over taken her and she absently rubbed her arms.
They had just passed a stall carrying several exotic looking bolts of fabric when Joanna got the sudden urge to look up.
She almost wished she hadn't.
They were now much closer to the platform bearing the red priest than before, much closer indeed. The man had ceased his tricks for the moment and instead had pushed back the hood covering his face.
Joanna blinked, her eyes widening upon seeing his visage. He was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. His hair was long and lustrous and dark with curls. His skin was tanned and glowing as if he had spent a lifetime under a golden sun and his frame was strong and purposeful.
But then she caught a glimpse of his eyes and she all but stiffened in shock.
They were by far the most striking part of him but also the most frightening as well…they were the sort of eyes that made Joanna feel as if they were staring right into her mind and observing every thought.
For a moment she wondered if he was blind as his stark white eyes certainly betrayed room for no other logic.
But the intentness of his gaze and how long he looked at her made her wonder if he was observing her closely.
She held his gaze for all but a moment and then jerked her head downward again, pulling the silken cloth she usually wore over her blonde locks when she went out further over her face.
She could still feel those strange eyes on her even as they hurried down the street and her form became hidden to him.
And then all of a sudden, it was almost as if a strange presence entered her mind, a thought that was not hers, a thought deeper and darker that didn't sound like her own inner voice came slithering out of a dark shadow.
I know what you want….
If she had felt cold before looking into those eyes it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Joanna began to shiver uncontrollably but by some force she didn't understand, she was drawn to look up again.
This time they were closer to the platform than ever and she might as well have touched it had she reached out a hand.
The priest was still staring at her and then to Joanna's horror, he slowly and methodically reached out a hand and pointed right at her.
Terrified, Joanna shrank back from him and looked frantically at her guards wondering if they would do something.
She was even further flabbergasted by the knowledge that neither of them had looked at the platform as they passed it. Their expressions were curiously blank as was the expression of Meriva and Joanna wondered with a jolt if she was the only one who was seeing what was happening.
But that was impossible….
Wasn't it?
By the time they reached the gates of Casterly Rock again, Joanna had chills all over her body and she was beginning to become more convinced than ever that magic might just be real.
The eyes of the priest had followed her it seemed down the street until she was out of sight but even then she could still feel his gaze on her as if he had the ability to see through walls.
Badly shaken from the events of the afternoon and with those dark words echoing in her mind, Joanna left her servants and guards to their various duties before heading straight to her chambers without a word to Tywin and falling into a deep sleep.
Ω
I know what you want….
With a strangled gasp, Joanna came awake, her hand flying to her throat as if she had been strangled.
The room was dark betraying how long she had slept and the covers were rumpled. She had fallen asleep on the side of the bed but she had been covered with a loose blanket and her shoes had been removed.
Slowly the Lady of Casterly Rock sat up and ran a trembling hand over her messy blonde head.
She couldn't even remember the contents of the dream she had had and yet those words echoing in her mind refused to go away.
A chill similar to the one that she had felt earlier in the day came over her and she took a deep shuddering breath.
Magic wasn't real…was it?
Joanna shivered and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and the blanket as she fought to make sense of all of this.
Fact, the maester had told her that she could no longer bear children after the birth of Jaime and Cersei. There had been a lot of blood she had thought….almost too much.
Fact, she had sent Meriva to every apothecary in the city in order to find something, anything that might cause her womb to bear again.
But months had passed and nothing.
Fact, she knew that soon she was going to have to tell Tywin that there would be no more children and she wasn't looking forward to his reaction.
I know what you want….
The words seemed to whistle on the night air and Joanna shuddered. What she wanted was to continue being a wife and mother. House Lannister had to remain strong. Yes there were cousins and other family members who would take over if something went awry, but Tywin no doubt would be apoplectic if it came to that.
Or suppose….god forbid something happened to Jaime?
Joanna shuddered and ran a hand across her eyes, unsurprised to find moisture there. No mother wants to think about the potential death of one of her children.
All of a sudden the words that Meriva had spoken earlier that day came wafting out of a dark corner of her mind.
They say they can heal the sick, raise the dead….perform miracles.
Miracles….
No, it was insane. Joanna had taken one look at that priest and had been able to sense danger all over him. If it was the fire that seemed to dance about him like a serpent, it was those white eyes of his, the eyes that seemed as if they were blind but had stared at her so convincingly that she had an eerie feeling that he had read every thought in her mind.
Going to a man like that for help….even thinking about going to a man like that for help was insane.
But what if he could help you? A small voice asked that sounded convincing. You don't know what's going to happen in the future. Jaime's life isn't secure. Suppose some unforeseen illness comes upon him or Cersei? You will be barren and have no heirs. Then what will you do? Will Tywin set you aside for another? House Lannister must continue!
That did it.
The thought of her husband setting her aside for another because of her barrenness suddenly propelled Joanna to her feet, a sudden burst of energy over taking.
Hang the risks, hang the danger. If the red priest couldn't help her….than who could She had tried to brush off the voice that had spoken in her head all the way home and nothing had helped.
She had the strangest feeling that he had been speaking to her and she could either confront it or stick her head in the sand until the problems became too big to ignore.
But if I'm going to do this, she thought to herself as she began to pace her chambers, Then I am going to need a plan. No one can ever know what I am about to do, least of all Tywin. This will have to be carried out with the utmost secrecy. I can only trust this message to someone who will not betray me.
And then a name came to her so quickly it was almost as if it had been planted there by someone.
Setting her teeth, Joanna strode for the desk in her chambers, struck a match so she would have some light and set quill to paper, writing what she knew would be a highly dangerous letter.
But it just might be her salvation at the same time.
Ω
"Well?" Joanna demanded. "What did he say?"
Meriva squirmed slightly and glanced back and forth a few times before she cleared her throat.
It was after sundown the following day and her servant had just returned from her secret errand. In truth she had been gone all day, learning the residence of the red priest, when he went out and who he entertained throughout the day.
Finally she had approached him bearing the letter that Joanna had written.
"His name is Qasas and he says R'hllor has heard your request my lady and that he will be happy to help you. He said that tonight as the moon reaches its height, he will be down on the rocks on the south side of the keep waiting for you. Once you arrive, he will perform the necessary….ritual."
"Ritual?" Joanna asked in alarm. "What sort of ritual?"
"I don't know my lady," the serving girl replied. "It was all most unusual and….and disturbing. His eyes….it was like…."
"Like they were reading your every thought I know," Joanna said grimly. She swallowed hard and rubbed the side of her face. You asked for this. You wanted help and you've tried everything the natural way. Now it seems it is time to try something unnatural. You're a Lannister….you can't back out now.
"Very well," she said squaring her shoulders. "I will go. Will you accompany me Meriva?"
The girl blanched, her face turning a horrible ashy grey. But after a moment she appeared to find her resolve and nodded slightly. "Of course my lady."
"Good," Joanna replied. "Of course it goes without saying that we will speak of this to no one. No matter what happens this night, not a word will pass our lips. Do you understand?"
"Yes my lady."
"Good. I will come for you when the time comes."
Ω
It was a quiet night as two women robed in back made their way down the narrow rock steps that lined the outside of the keep heading for the beach.
Joanna's heart was in her throat and she felt as if she would be sick with every step but she determinedly kept going.
If another child was the result of this then it would all be worth it. Hang the consequences.
"Be careful my lady," Meriva who was walking in front of her whispered. "The steps are slick with the water that comes in at high tide. Watch your step."
Joanna nodded even though she knew the girl could see her and made a mental note to reward her when they returned to the keep. She was so far proving her mettle many times over.
It also made sense to her why the priest had chosen this spot to meet.
During the day, water covered this part of the beach but at night, a strange phenomena caused there to be a space of beach that remained uncovered at night.
There would be no evidence that anyone had been there come morning.
Finally they reached the bottom of the steps and found themselves on the beach, the wet sand gathering around their feet.
"This way my lady," Meriva whispered. "He said he would be near the rocks."
Silently the two women made their way forward to the series of rocks that had been lying buried in the sands beneath Casterly Rock for centuries. There were four of them placed in an almost perfect diamond and rather ideal for hiding behind.
No doubt that was what the priest wanted.
Sure enough as they turned the last corner and came within sight of those four rocks, Joanna caught sight of a tall figure dressed in long robes standing in the center of them.
She stumbled forward and was only prevented from falling when Meriva caught hold of her arm and steadied her. "Are you alright my lady?"
"Yes," Joanna stammered. "Yes…just nervous I suppose."
"Perhaps we should go back to the keep – "
"No!" the blonde said sharply. "I need to do this."
Meriva looked as if she didn't quite agree but just nodded. "Very well."
They had just reached the edge of the rocks when the priest turned and caught sight of them. "Lady Lannister. My lord smiles on you today for your boldness in coming to him. Too long have the Westerosi ignored his might."
Joanna ignored the flowery language and somehow found the courage to step forward. "My servant told me you could help me."
"The Lord of Light helps all those who come to him," the man replied. "And he has chosen to look upon you with favor. You will bear more children."
Joanna gasped, her knees weakening. She didn't know why she felt relieved at the news, but the concept of someone telling her there was hope for the future was so unique and foreign that for a moment she forgot all of her reservations.
"What do I need to do?" she whispered, trying desperately to curb her hope.
The priest held out a hand. "Come forward."
Meriva gripped her hand even tighter. "I don't know about this my lady."
Joanna clasped the other girl's hand in hers. "Everything is going to be alright."
Though she wasn't yet convinced of that.
"What are you going to do?" she called out to him over the sound of the waves rolling in and crashing on the shoreline.
"It is not what I am going to do Lady Lannister, but what R'hllor is going to show you through me."
Finding no other excuse to linger, Joanna walked unsteadily forward until she was standing on front of the priest.
In the dark, his eyes appeared as white as two stars and before she could stop herself she opened her mouth. "What happened to your sight?"
"It has been restored by my lord," the priest explained. "He came to me in a dream and told me that if I would but serve him he would restore my sight. He then brought me to a fire and cast me into it. I emerged with my sight returned but my eyes the same color white. He explained to me that this was done so that I would be a sign to all who looked upon me about the power of R'hllor."
"Truly?" Joanna asked. "He healed you of your blindness."
"Indeed," the priest replied. "And he will heal you of your barrenness by his power. The child you shall bear will carry the mark of him all their days. They will possess a power not known to mortal men, a power beyond the understanding of the world. People will fear this child, people will love it. This child will cause the rising and falling of an empire. But let it be known that R'hllor gave her this power."
"Her?" Joanna asked faintly as the terrible words washed over her. "I am going to bear another daughter?"
The priest didn't answer and Joanna nearly jumped when his hand found hers. "What are you doing?"
"Showing you the great and terrible plans of R'hllor!"
All of a sudden there was a deep and guttural roar that seemed to shake the stones where they stood in the sand.
Meriva gave a little scream and fell to her knees as a fire roared to life, seemingly from nowhere and raced about the interior of the rocks, creating a circle of which Joanna and the priest were standing at the very center.
"What are you doing?!" Joanna cried fearfully.
"We offer this child to you R'hllor!" Qasas cried, his hand holding Joanna's in a grip of iron. "Use her for your mighty purpose!"
And then Joanna really did scream for all of a sudden the fire contained in a ring by the stones leapt from its resting place and engulfed her in a burst of flame.
"Lady Lannister!" Meriva screamed.
"It was truly the worst pain that Joanna had ever felt, worse than the birth of the twins. But after momentary pain…there came a feeling of pleasure so intense it almost caused her knees to buckle.
No pleasure she had ever experienced in her life had felt like this and it was as if her very insides were glowing.
And then as quickly as it had come, the pain and the pleasure disappeared leaving Joanna feeling hollow and weak.
She pitched forward towards the sand and would have fallen had Meriva somehow not darted forward and caught her.
"What….What was that?" she asked.
"You are now a worthy vessel for this child," Qasas explained. "Rejoice, you have found favor in the Lord of Light. He has healed you. Nine months from now you will bear a daughter. And you are to call her….Daphne."
All of a sudden there was a breath of wind and Meriva gasped again. "My lady….he's gone! Its as if he was a shadow and the air blew him away!"
Still feeling the effects of whatever treatment Qasas had wrought on her, Joanna somehow managed to get to her feet.
Fear and ecstasy tussled within her as if there was a developing child in her womb already. A child, she would have another child. And if Qasas was right, it would be a daughter.
But then she remembered his terrible words about how this child would be marked by the fire god for all of her life.
What sort of power will she have that he was talking about? A power beyond the lot of mortals. People will fear her….people will love her. And her name shall be called Daphne.
It was a beautiful name, of that she could admit. But the entire experience had been so odd, so shocking, so terrifying that she almost didn't know what to think as Meriva helped her towards the stairs back to the keep.
She didn't feel any different as both pleasure and pain were gone. But somehow Joanna knew that within a year, a child would be resting in her arms.
She glanced up at the silvery full moon as she climbed the stairs back to the keep, her chambers and bed.
She felt tired….so very tired.
And not for the last time as she left the spot of her….healing….or preparation rather behind did she wonder if she hadn't made a terrible mistake.
Ω
Hello Everyone! I was bored and having some writer's block a bit earlier so I decided to try a new idea hoping this would break it. Daphne Greengrass is a character I have yet to make a story about and since she is Slytherin's Ice Queen, I thought it would be fitting if I made her a Lannister. Going up against Cersei is going to be fun. To answer any questions, yes Tyrion is still going to be a part of this story as Daphne is going to be born first. As for the power that Qasas was talking about, well we'll just have to wait and see what that's all about now won't we. As for the pairing, I decided this a while ago and I am going to place Daphne with Oberyn Martell. An interesting idea I know but I have not used him as a romantic interest as yet and I think a romance of this caliber would be decidedly different. As to what she'll look like, I've chosen Celina Sinden from Reign as the model for her. Anyway, that's all for now. Next chapter we will see Daphne's perspective. Don't forget to review and enjoy!
