When Clara of House Frey learned of her fate, she stayed strong to not insult anyone, holding the tears back. She would cry once she went back to her bedchamber, but for now, she remained trapped under the gaze of her grandfather, father, and betrothed, three men she dared not cross, her betrothed most of all.
Was this a punishment? Was this a trick? She would pray for the latter. She would play along at being happy, showing her loyalty to the kingdom and her house, to make them look as if the gods cast a beam of light, blessing them. Blessing all but her more like it. There was only one thing that was more powerful than Clara's sadness, it was her fear.
She was to marry one of the most powerful, most vicious men in the realm, who was a great deal older than her. Tywin Lannister was here to collect her, she was a piece on his chessboard, and she knew well he never wanted her, she was only to marry him because it was part of a bargain which made her fear him even more, what would he do to her?
Her hand for dead Stark traitors, it was an offer Tywin agreed to, and offer Clara had no choice in, as if Walder Frey would give a woman a choice.
While Tywin, her father, and grandfather talked, she simply stood there, looking down at her feet, watching and listening closely, as if she were to be tested on what they said.
At the moment, they were discussing the success of the Red Wedding, an event Clara thanked the gods she was not there to witness. It made her stomach turn to think of what was done to them, even if they were traitors in the end. Adding having to listen to such horrible things to the troubles she faced now, Clara was just working on not throwing up.
At the moment, Clara was in her best gown and had her hair styled in the Southern way, something she would be excited about under ordinary circumstances, but these were no ordinary circumstances, in fact, the circumstances were unfavorable.
Clara's gown was a light shade of lavender with flowering vines embroidered in a darker shade of lavender. The skirt was larger than any of her other dresses, the corset to go with it made her waist a few inches smaller, and the sleeves were in a bell shape. The shade of lavender on the gown set off a great contrast her her dark blonde hair.
Clara should have felt excited, that was the proper way to feel, but alas, she was only terrified of her future, and the future of her future children. To live under a man such as Tywin Lannister would mean her fortunes went from bad to worse. Walder Frey was regularly frightening, but Tywin Lannister was the definition of terror. She had heard stories of what he had done to the Reynes, it made her stomach turn even more.
She felt a tear roll down her cheek.
She within a few moments lost it, sobbing like the pathetic child she was, the talk of violence and marriage was too much for her to bear. She could feel the eyes of her father, grandfather, and betrothed on her, and that energy coming from their eyes was annoyance, anger, and disappointment.
It was then her father gave her a sharp slap to the face, causing her to fall on her side. She only cried louder, so if it was supposed to get her to shut up, it proved fruitless. No one offered to help her up, she she stood back up herself, looking up at them as a streak of blood ran down her cheek. Behind her teary eyes, there was a sharp glare, one that Tywin Lannister was surprised to ever see from such a small girl.
He would never forget that glare, though he would never admit to it.
" Oh dear, you shouldn't have slapped her, she's far more useful to Tywin with her blood on the inside of her than out." Walder joked, just when she thought he had came to her defense, he used her as a joke, she shouldn't have expected kindness from her grandfather. If she weren't a lady, she would have hit each and every of the three men that she stood before.
" Why not, she's an ungrateful little cunt, she should be overjoyed." Her father snapped. " To marry the realm's most powerful man, and what does she do, bawl like a little bitch!" He was about to raise a hand to her again when to Clara's surprise, Tywin roughly grabbed her father's shoulder and jerked him so he faced him.
" Women don't think politically as men do." Tywin spoke with a pause, looking straight into the man's eyes. " I would appreciate it if you stop beating my bride, I do not need the unecesarry rumors to go around it was I who did it."
" I thought that a lion didn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep?" Walder Frey questioned, there was a smirk on his face.
" That does not mean I won't prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading." Tywin replied.
" Couldn't stop the rumor about your children fucking each other, could you?" Clara's father muttered under his breath. Tywin couldn't hear it, but Clara could, she swallowed a lump in her throat, scared that Tywin might have heard it. When she realized he didn't, she let out a silent sigh of relief.
She knew her father was safe, if Tywin killed him for saying that, that would bring more speculation on how true the rumor was. Personally, Clara believed the rumor, but she dared not express it, she would be considered a traitor, and she did not wish to die an early death.
Until now, anyways.
She knew well that Tywin would never love her as a husband should love his wife, and it broke her heart, it was completely unfair in her opinion. She knew stories of his late wife, how she was the best part of him, and how there was a great love in that marriage.
A love that she would never know.
Clara then remembered that it was not her job as a woman to be loved or wanted, it was her job to be needed, to extend the family line, or in her case, provide Tywin Lannister with a suitable heir to Casterly Rock. She knew well he would never give Casterly Rock to the imp, and Jaime was in the Kingsguard, why he didn't remarry earlier to bring a favorable heir confused her. He certainly didn't seem sentimental enough to do it in the memory of his wife.
Yet, he never was caught with a whore, even before he was married. But then again, he was an extremely clever man. If Clara had learned anything in her fifteen years of live, it was that all men had a hunger for flesh that oftentimes triumphed over honor.
" Do you have all that you need, my lady?" Tywin asked. Clara looked nervously up at him and nodded, she saw her servants pass by with her things just before she started to cry. " Then I suggest we get going, it will be a long ride to King's Landing, best we head off while the morning is still young."
" If you do not mind me asking, how long should it take for us to reach King's Landing?" Clara asked.
" It took us two days less than a fortnight to get here, I expect the journey will take longer the second time around now that I have you in my charge." Tywin replied. Clara nodded and thanked him, he didn't reply.
" Thank you father and grandfather, you have provided me with." She paused, her lip quivered. " With a blessed fate." She spoke a little too sweetly. " I will make you all proud of me." Clara said to finish her forced thanks. She curtsied and turned away from her father and grandfather and walked out of the room, her dress trailing behind her as she lifted the front of her skirts so she wouldn't trip over them.
Now that she thought about it, she was ready to walk away from the life she had lived. At The Twins she was just another lady, in King's Landing however, she would be wife of the Hand. It still pained her to know she was to marry a man such as Tywin, but now she realized the good that would come, she would have influence and admirers, which she never had before.