The Red Widow

Cersei I

It was a freakishly hot day, more suited to Dorne than King's Landing.

There was scarcely a cloud in the sky as the sun beat down mercilessly on the city. The smallfolk stayed indoors as best they could and those who could not avoid being outside treasured every moment they could spend in the shadows. Children swam naked in the bay, shrieking with laughter and those who walked barefoot hissed in pain as the heat in the cobbles threatened to burn their feet.

Inside the Red Keep, the heat was stifling. The dark colour of the bricks was unfortunate, as rather than deflecting the heat it absorbed it, causing the rooms and passageways near the outside walls to be thick with humidity. Only in the farthest depths of the castle was there relief, but unfortunately for the labouring mother she was not near any of these small refuges.

Cersei cried out in agony and one of the ladies attending her dabbed the sweat from her forehead with a cool cloth.

The queen's chambers were located near the very top of the Red Keep and had a magnificent view of both the city below and the long stretch of the water to the horizon. This meant however, despite the numerous shutters and doors to her balcony that had long since been cast open to allow in some wind, that these rooms were at the mercy of the heatwave – just as the room's occupants were.

"Things are progressing wonderfully, your grace. The head is free, only the shoulders remain to come!"

The words did nothing to relieve her but she gathered the last remaining strength in her body, clung to her twin brother's hand tightly and pushed with all her might. Her blood seemed overheated but she powered through it, desperate to bring her child into the world. Another rush of pain between her legs was followed by a lusty wail from the babe and Cersei collapsed back on to the cushions gasping loudly.

She could vaguely hear Jaime's voice mumbling something to her as he stroked her hand comfortingly, but she couldn't process anything but the loud crying of her child.

She hadn't meant to get with child so soon after Joff, but these things happened. The pain lanced between her legs as the maester inspected her but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it.

"A healthy girl, your grace!" Pycelle cried out triumphantly, taking the baby from the midwife who had been sponging her clean.

A girl. A princess. She had done her duty and given the realm her golden son, and now the gods had seen fit to complement her darling boy with a little royal sister.

"Let me see her. Give her to me." She said, struggling to sit up in the bed and ignoring the lingering aches.

She held out her arms and Pycelle placed the red, squalling infant in her arms. The girl settled slightly as if recognising her mother, but Cersei could barely see anything past the shock of wet dark hair on the girl's tiny head.

It couldn't be.

She stared in shock at the evidence that this was not a daughter born of the love she shared with her twin. This girl was her husband's get, a Baratheon true.

She had been so careful, drinking moon tea whenever he chose to claim his husbandly rights. She had sworn after her firstborn boy, Steffon, had died so soon after his birth that she would never again give Robert Baratheon another child. Yet here was the proof, in the flesh, that against her best efforts she had broken that pledge.

Cersei looked up to her brother who remained loyal and loving at her side and saw the same dismay she felt reflected in his eyes.

Several hours after the birth she was rested and settled in her bed with fresh linen, her new little daughter in her arms.

Jaime had left soon afterwards, claiming to need to pass the word to the rest of the Kingsguard – but Cersei knew he just needed some time to move past his disappointment.

Disappointment that Cersei felt as well.

The baby was beautiful, she supposed. She had a head of downy black hair and unlike Joffrey when he was born, she was spared the wrinkled face of many new babes. Her eyes had barely opened but the quick glimpse that Cersei had gotten revealed eyes deep blue.

But she had been anticipating beauty of a different sort. She hadn't been expecting the blond hair or emerald Lannister eyes yet, of course, but the immediate and undeniable proof that these things would never appear, that this child was never created out of love broke a small piece of her heart.

A knock on the door broke her out of her revere.

"Enter." She called out quietly, but the babe did not stir.

One of Cersei's ladies, a Lannister cousin by the name of Myielle, slipped quietly into the room, a fair-haired infant held comfortably on her hip.

"Apologies, your grace, but I thought perhaps you might like to see the little prince."

The moment Joffrey spotted his mother across the room he threw out his arms towards her and began babbling loudly. A small smile crossed Cersei's lips before she could hold it back and she nodded her assent for the woman to approach, despite the irritation at being interrupted.

Myielle placed Joffrey down comfortably on the bed next to her and stepped away from the bed to stand ready. Joffrey immediately tried to crawl closer to his mother as he usually did, but he seemed struck dumb when he noticed the small creature in her arms.

Cersei moved the babe's shawl out of the way so that her son could see his younger sister's face better. With her other arm, she held him around his waist and pulled him to sit on her knee.

"This is your little sister, Joff." She said softly, stroking his back gently and watching his reaction.

He stayed in shock for only a moment more. He reached out a chubby little hand towards the sleeping baby and Cersei did not stop him, although she supervised carefully. Almost as if he knew to be careful, his hand slowed down until his fingertips rested on the baby's soft cheek.

The new-born's eyes opened just for a moment, and in that moment Cersei could have sworn that her two children looked into each other's eyes.

Then her eyes fluttered shut. Joffrey looked up at his mother and began to babble again.

The moment had passed, but Cersei knew what she saw. Joffrey and her new daughter loved each other even now, and the reluctant love she had held for the girl since her birth enveloped her heart.

She ran her fingers through Joffrey's fine hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead, before asking her lady to take him back to the nursery. The door shut once more, and she was left all alone with her only daughter.

She lifted the babe to her and bestowed a kiss to her forehead as well.

"You're mine, sweetling. You may have your father's blood running in your veins but in your heart and soul you shall be mine, just as Joff is."

The small lights of the city below twinkled in the darkness. The heat of the day had melted away as quick as it came and the cool air of night blew in fresh off the sea. It was too dark to see the waves, but Cersei could faintly hear them crashing against the cliff below.

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet." Jaime drawled from behind her. She hadn't heard him come in.

His presence appeared behind her and she relaxed back against his chest. One of his hands rested gently on her hip and the other covered her hand where it was resting on the terrace.

She sighed softly and allowed him to steer her away from the night sky and back into her bedchamber. He didn't let go again until she was settled back under her bedcovers, and then he sat with one leg up on the end of her bed, his arms crossed.

"I couldn't stay in bed any longer. I feel like I am going mad."

Jaime rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You gave birth less than half a day ago. Hardly long enough to drive you to madness." He said, the corner of his lips twitching.

"You should try it then, see how little you care for it."

"Childbirth? No thank you." Cersei sighed in exasperation.

"Bedrest, you fool. I guarantee you would be planning an escape within the hour." Jaime inclined his head and the twitch became a full-blown smirk.

"You're probably right." He granted her, and chuckled when she sniffed.

"I usually am."

Silence fell for a moment, before Jaime spoke again. He wasn't an unsure man, but his words were hesitant.

"Where is the child?"

Cersei turned her full attention on him, but couldn't see anything else in his eyes behind his clumsy attempts at being delicate.

"My daughter is with the wet-nurse, brother."

"His daughter, you mean." Jaime said it quickly, but Cersei could recognise the smallest hint of resentment in his voice. She had understood, before.

"No. My daughter. She might be his blood, but she is mine too. Ours too."

He seemed surprised, but shook his head.

"She is not mine, Cersei." He said and she could see the downturn of his mouth.

"She is mine, and that makes her yours. Aren't we one heart, one soul? That makes you her parent just as much as me. And in the eyes of the realm, she is your niece."

Her voice grew hard towards the end, and she knew she had his full attention as she continued.

"You may not be her blood father, but do you really believe that I am going to let that pig have her? Never. She is mine, yours, she is a Lannister in a doe's skin and she will know that in her heart before I ever let her go." She whispered.

She looked down at her hands as they wrung on her lap and then back up to her brother's green eyes, identical to her own.

"Joffrey will be king but she will have the heart of a queen. Nothing will be withheld from her and nothing will be taken from her. If they say she can't have it, she will take it and may the Seven have mercy on those who try to stop her, because I won't. That stag blood in her veins will feed the lion inside her and the fury she was born with will make her the most ferocious lioness of them all."

Her words were words borne from the underlying hatred of Robert and her love for her family - but she meant every word. There was a power to what she was saying, because Cersei Lannister loved her children more than she loved herself. More than she loved her family and just as much as she loved her twin.

Her formidable speech left a hole and for a moment there was silence, until Jaime laughed slightly. It was his usual flippant laugh, but Cersei heard an undertone that made her think her words had the effect she desired.

"She'll need one hell of a name to live up to such a destiny." Jaime said simply, but his smile was warm and she felt like she might have won something today.

"Any suggestions?" She asked, not truly expecting an answer but she was pleasantly surprised when he ran a finger along his chin and hummed.

"I assume you want a Lannister name?"

Cersei smirked. "Would any other do?"

"True. I'll give it some thought sister, that is, if you would like me to?" He said calmly. His eyes betrayed his uncertainty as they darted away and then back.

She reached forward and laced her fingers together with his. She squeezed gently.

"I would. But do not dally brother; our daughter needs a name."

It had been three days since the birth, but Jaime was being reticent. He said he wanted to wait until her husband returned, to ensure that he wouldn't just name the girl himself and ruin it all – but Cersei knew better. Jaime didn't care a whit what Robert thought, he just hadn't decided himself yet. She hoped he let her know soon, but she was willing to let him have his fun. It had been so long since he had felt comfortable teasing her like this, like the way they used to be before she was married. She hadn't seen this kind, playful side of her twin in far too long. They were only just twenty-two namedays, after all – hardly considered old by any count.

Cersei knew that the hunt had returned early that morning. Robert had sent word that he would be to see the baby just after the midday meal. It could be one of his rare attempts at being considerate of her, but it was more than likely he just wanted to rest after his hunt.

The feeling of acute dislike she felt when she thought of her husband flared just as her daughter released her nipple with a gentle pop. Cersei made herself presentable once more and then threw a piece of cloth over her shoulder and held the baby up to herself and rubbed her back firmly.

She could call one of her ladies or the nursemaid to do this. She probably should, being the queen. Queens did not lower themselves to do such menial tasks. Yet Cersei considered herself a mother and a queen, and this was the prerogative of mothers. Her babe finally burped and spat up a spot of milk onto the cloth, so she wiped her tiny mouth and settle her back into her arms.

The door opened without a knock and Cersei composed herself.

Robert entered with all of his usual grace, at least having the decency to catch the door before it slammed off the stone wall.

He looked over her only for a moment before focusing on the tiny bundle she held.

"It's a lass then?"

His face was blank, yet Cersei did not think he was displeased. He rarely made the effort of hiding his feelings.

"Yes, your grace. You have a daughter."

She sat up straighter and invited him to sit on the bed beside her. He did so slowly, and took hold of the girl when she offered her to him. She looked tiny in Robert's large hands. Cersei was not afraid for her. Robert was many things but he had always been gentle with Joffrey and she couldn't seem him being any different now.

He brushed a callused thumb over her tiny nose and through her thick hair (which the maester had confided would likely fall out, but was still an indicator of its future colour) before his eyes crinkled and a huge grin spread across his face.

"She's a little beauty, right enough. Look at that hair!" He said loudly, his voice gruff but the words sweet.

He ran his fingers through it again and seemed enthralled when she gave what sounded like a little growl. A whimper followed, then a whine and within a moment she began to howl.

All Robert did was laugh again.

"And there's that Baratheon fury!" His voice seemed to boom in the small room and he handed the baby back to Cersei who began to rock her gently and shush her.

Baratheon fury wasn't the thought that went through Cersei's mind when she heard her daughter cry, not even the very first time after the girl had been pushed from between her legs and she was screaming with all the strength in her unused lungs.

Hear me roar.

"Does she have a name yet? Perhaps… Lyanna-"

"No." Cersei snapped immediately.

Over her dead body would that name be inflicted upon her more than it already was. She was in no need of the reminder that her kingly husband loved a woman-child corpse more than the warm, soft, living woman he married.

Robert's face turned stormy as it tended to do whenever she displeased him.

"Cersei-"

"No. Let me name her, please, husband. I shall give her a name worthy of her house. Worthy of a princess. You did say you would consider allowing me this should it be a girl, when we last spoke." She pleaded lowly.

Her pride stung sharply at having to plead for his permission, as if she needed his word to be able to give her daughter a name. But she wanted, no she needed, for Jaime to be the one. He had to name her.

Robert's face remained clouded and when his teeth gritted she felt her heart as it sank in her chest.

Damn him, damn him to the seven-

"Fine. But you're not to name her Joanna, Cersei. I won't let my daughter have a damned Lannister name." He said, his tone harsh but unapologetic.

A rush of poison rose to her lips and she was only barely able to stop herself from firing it all at him. He dared to speak ill of her beloved mother? There was no one on this earth she would allow that liberty, not even this whoring drunkard of a king-

The baby growled again in her arms and she allowed her little cub to suck the sting from her words.

"Of course, husband. Thank you."

Robert grunted and stood up from the bed. He stopped at the door and gave her a nod. She wondered if it was supposed to be in respect or gratitude.

"You've done well, Cersei. She'll make a fine princess."

He shut the door behind him before she could reply and she had to resist the urge to throw something after him. Oaf.

It was just before supper when Jaime finally came to her. He looked far too pleased with himself as he took in Cersei and the baby sitting on the cushioned chair by the hearth.

"You took your time, brother. Have you decided yet or will she be grown before you see fit to name her?"

Cersei allowed her words to be sharp, but to her frustration his only reply was to chuckle.

"Don't be so overdramatic, dear sister." He said as he sat on the chair opposite her. He wasn't wearing his white Kingsguard cloak or his armour, so she assumed he was not currently on duty.

"I've made a decision." He continued. "… Can I hold her?"

Cersei looked at him from a moment before she nodded and passed the babe over. The little princess didn't stir from her sleep as she snuggled into his arms, the warmth of his body through his velvet doublet soothing. He looked down at the baby intently before running one long finger down the bridge of her nose and across her lips. He seemed unable to move as she shifted in his arms. She soon settled again and Cersei studied him as he brought his burden up to his lips and whispered something she couldn't hear into the tiny girl's ear.

He caught Cersei looking at him and grinned.

"My apologies, sister. Some secrets have to be kept from mother, isn't that right little one?" He spoke the last part to the babe and waited for a moment as if expecting an answer.

None was forthcoming, but he continued regardless.

"I'll be honest, I have narrowed it down to three."

Cersei rolled her eyes, something she did far too often in the presence of her twin.

"You are testing my patience, Jaime."

"The first is Joanna." He said the name with reverence, much the way she did.

The memory of their mother would always be strong for the both of them. She had been the one person they loved as much as they loved each other and they had lost her too soon. Seven years old was entirely too young to lose a mother.

Cersei appreciated the thought behind the suggestion because she knew Jaime would always respect mother as much as herself.

"Robert explicitly told me I wasn't to name her Joanna. He refuses to let her have a Lannister name."

"To the seven hells with Robert, Cersei. What did he want for her? Cassana after his mother no doubt." Jaime spat, his scowl fierce.

"He wanted Lyanna."

Jaime's face turned puce and his lips turned up in a snarl.

"How dare he. How dare he insult you like that! He refuses mother's name but asks you to name her after the woman who destroyed half the realm? The woman whose name he pants out every night with you like a wounded animal?"

Cersei agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment but their baby was starting to sense her uncle's unhappiness and she decided to calm things down.

"He didn't insist on it, I saw to that. He allowed me to name her on the condition it wasn't Joanna."

Jaime's rage took a while to simmer down but eventually he managed it. He ran a finger lightly across his niece's feathery hair again and it seemed to calm him further.

"The next one I thought of was Alysanne. I assume you don't want to name her after someone still living."

Cersei frowned. The only Alysanne in their family was-

"Alysanne Farman. Our great-grandfather's wife."

Cersei hummed in thought.

"The first one. She gave him no children and lived a thoroughly unremarkable life before dying of fever."

Jaime sighed. "If you dislike it Cersei, all you have to do is say so."

"You were the one who said she would need a name worthy of her. The only Alysanne who has ever done anything remarkable is Good Queen Alysanne and I refuse to name my daughter after a Targaryen. Not only does it bode ill, Robert would have a fit."

Jaime scoffed.

"Suddenly you care what Robert thinks?"

She shot him a toxic look.

"Of course I don't. You know that."

"Do I?"

"Yes!" She hissed.

He threw up one hand in mock surrender and she let it go, not before throwing him another vicious glance.

"I suppose that leaves the last name then. I didn't actually think you would refuse the first two."

Cersei gave him a warning glance.

"What's wrong with the last one?"

Jaime stood up slowly and walked over to her side. He knelt slowly on the floor beside her and offered the baby up. She took her slowly into her arms, Jaime tracing her features one last time before he looked up at his twin and smiled.

"Sister, I'd like to introduce you to Rohanne Baratheon, princess of the seven kingdoms."

A.N. Welcome to my new fanfiction; rife with unreliable narrators, changing circumstances and one small baby who has no idea exactly what is coming. Fair warning: how any one characters feels and acts at the moment they are written is subject to change. They might very well change their mind or opinion as time progresses.

There will be regular updates - I also appreciate any feedback I receive, thank you all for reading!