Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or any of it's characters.
Tyrion decides to drink to his new marriage. Many times in a row, actually. The wine empties but his mood doesn't lighten when he stumbles through the corridors of the Red Keep, only slightly drunk. He doesn't even know where he wants to go until he sees the rotten door that he remembers all too well from his childhood. Tyrion and his siblings used to play behind this door when their father dragged them to King's Landing to show them the place where the Lannisters would reign someday. No one ever questioned at what price. A touch of nostalgia hits Tyrion as he opens the door.
Her golden curls swirl around as soon as she hears the noise. Cersei stares equally surprised as disdainful at her younger brother, dropping her wine glass. Tyrion raises his eyebrows. "Sister", he greets her mockingly, "do you come here to drown in the memories of our not so happy childhood as well?"
"I came here to think", Cersei answers harshly, "alone, if you don't mind."
"Actually, I do mind", Tyrion replies without hesitation. "Or do you think the holy halls of our childhood are yours alone? We all used to play here, as peaceful as never again." He takes a seat across from his frowning sister, ignoring the hardness of the chair and enjoying the worked up expression on her face instead. "At least until I was kicked out because your and Jaime's games turned more… private."
"Well, at least I had someone to play these games with", the queen answers sharply, "you couldn't even kiss a women's lips without breaking your neck and you still can't. Sansa will have a hard time being married to you."
"Maybe she will", Tyrion answers thoughtfully, his smug grin suddenly disappearing from his face. He takes a long sip from Cersei's cup. "Killing her family was a dreadful crime, but denying her revenge and forcing her to marry a member of the murderer's family is a cruelty that even the devil himself doesn't have a word for." He shakes his small body in horror. "Besides, she is too young to be bed, let alone be wed or bear a child herself."
"You think you have it bad?" Cersei snorts sarcastically. "I am about to be married to a man who is more attracted to you than he is to me, which is a shame on it's own. Moreover, the whole kingdom knows about his tendencies and will laugh at me for the rest of my life. I am a lioness – I shall not be laughed at."
She turns her head to hide something in her eyes that nearly looks like desperation. Her brother isn't sure what to say. "At least he will not rape you", he mentions, knowing that it is not much of a consolation. "Not like I will have to do with Sansa. My god, I can't!" He grabs Cersei's cup again and empties it with one gulp. His sister looks too tired to protest. "Our family caused her enough hurt already."
The thought alone haunts Tyrion. He has never taken a woman by force and does not intend to do it. But his father will get more suspicious with every month that Sansa isn't with child, up to the point when there will be consequences. Tyrion doesn't know which ones yet, but Tywin Lannister was never known as a kind man.
"Sansa will never be with child then", Cersei states exhausted and refills the cup to drink from it herself. "Neither will I. Not that I wish for it, but father does instantly. Even though it is a mystery to me how he can think that a gay Tyrell will get his daughter who is not so young-"
"-and not so pretty anymore", Tyrion automatically throws in a remark, but immediately shoots Cersei an apologetic look when her deadly glare meets him. There can truly only be doubt about her character, not about her beauty.
" – with child", Cersei angrily finishes her sentence. She stares out of the window embittered. "What great matches father has made for us. Did you tell your little whore yet?"
It stings to hear her refer to Shae. Tyrion didn't have the opportunity or the courage to tell her yet. He knows she will be very angry and even more jealous. No one was ever jealous because of him before. "Why would it matter to her?", he asks intentionally harsh, not letting his sister know about the deep connection that he and Shae share. "I pay her. As long as she holds my gold she doesn't care which woman holds me or my manly parts."
Cersei chuckles joyless, looking at him as if she knows a lot more than she is letting on. "Who are you trying to convince, little brother, me or yourself?" She doesn't even wait for an answer, and for once Tyrion can't come up with a witty remark. A sadness he has rarely seen before creeps into Cersei's green eyes.
"Isn't it embarrassing?", she asks dryly. "We are grown people, queen and master of coin and yet we have to obey our father like powerless children. I'm waiting for the day when I will be not Lord Tywins daughter anymore, but my own person."
"I fear at this day we will attend a funeral", Tyrion responds darkly, "it won't happen before. Until then he will continue to use us for his political goals, pushing us around like puppets."
"I wish I kept myself some of the poison that killed Robert", Cersei mutters under her breath, obviously toying with the idea, yet knowing that it will never be reality. Tyrion ironically raises his eyebrows.
"Killing our father", he says thoughtfully, "would probably be the only event in our lives that could convince us to stand on the same side."
"I'm looking forward to it, brother." Cersei actually shows him a hint of a sad smile before sighing deep. "But these are only dreams. In reality our life will be almost over before we will be free of our father." Her mouth twitches as if she had tasted something disgusting. "But what difference does it make? I knew right from the start that I would never be allowed to marry the man I love."
Her face is so bitter now that Tyrion can't help it to feel sympathy. "There was a time when I actually wished you and Jaime to be married", he confesses gentle, but corrects himself with a joke at the sight of the almost shocked expression on Cersei's face. "Not for Jaime, obviously, but for you."
"Thanks, brother", Cersei replies sarcastically, but it sounds honest underneath. The siblings can't be affectionate with each other without feeling weird. They smile at each other for a split second, realizing that they are not so different as they both like to believe, before feeling ashamed for opening up to each other. Cersei clears her throat and rises from the chair.
"It is late", she states uncomfortably, "I will call it a night and think about how I can kill my new husband tomorrow."
"Good luck", Tyrion responds mischievous, "I am sure the practice with your first husband will help you very much. Good night, Cersei."
"Good night, Tyrion." She nods awkwardly and leaves him sitting in the dark. They rarely call each other by their first names, but tonight they do, feeling slightly closer than they used to be. It is unusual, but also reassuring in a strange way. These moments between them are rare, but they are also golden.