Disclaimer: I owe nothing but Faye and my mixed up plot bunnies.
Faye picked at a part of her dress that interested her, vines that were embroidered with brown and green silken thread that adorned her blue dress. With a sigh, she stopped picking at the soft threads before anyone noticed. Especially, her Queen Aunt Cersei. By the Seven, Faye couldn't deal with her aunt constantly shooting nasty looks. After a month on the Kingsroad, being stuck in the same wheelhouse as her and her children, she could feel herself going stir crazy. Not that she didn't love her cousins, just not Joffrey.
If she had to hear one more remark from Joffrey-
"Faye, sit straight." The cold voice of Cersei broke through Faye's semi-murderous thoughts. The beautiful blond queen sat regally at the other corner of the wheelhouse, her emerald eyes flashing with annoyance. Nodding her head, the younger girl straightened her spine to sit up straight, all the while thinking what her father, the infamous Imp Lannister, would have said.
'Probably tell me to slouch further to annoy Cersei,' Faye thought.
Tommen and Myrcella, peered out the window as they came upon the large fortress of Winterfell. Their green eyes, the Lannister eyes, wide with childlike wonder as they took in the green and grey setting. Both were so used to the Red Keep in King's Landing, where almost everything is red and tan.
A soldier trotted up on his horse and announced that they would be at the northern kingdom in a few short moments.
"Cousin, have you ever seen something so… green?" little Myrcella asked, eyes still wide and glued to the passing scenery.
With a chuckle, Faye shifted over to sit closer to Tommen, who sat on her side, and looked out at the passing North. "Can't say I have little Princess. But do you know why it is so green?"
Myrcella shook her head.
"Because everything is less crowded than King's Landing. People are more spread out and the rain allows things to grow." She explained with a smile and lightly tapped the younger girl on the chin with a crooked finger. Tommen looked back at Faye and gave a huge smile then looked back to the window clearly more interested in what was going on outside.
Cersei cleared her throat and fluffed up the furs that were wound upon her long graceful neck, this was her subtle reminder for Faye to mind her own station. As a, former, bastard child in many people's eyes, talking to the prince and princess so formally is considered unethical. To Tommen and Myrcella, they view her as their adoring cousin; for Joffrey, he views her still as a bastard, just as his mother does. And, of course, many people of the court hold, not-so secretly, the same views.
"We're here!" Tommen said excitedly.
The whole procession of the royal guard and most of the royal court rode through the opening of the gates that protected Winterfell. The Baratheon children and the Lannister child looked out at all of the town's folk who watched the procession with awe. The procession, for many of these people, was more grand than any they seen in their entire lifetime.
The wheelhouse pulled to an abrupt halt, making the occupants pull from one direction to the other in order to regain their balance. This seemed to serve only to anger Cersei. Faye could have sworn to the Seven that she heard her aunt mutter something about having the driver impaled, or something or another. As the door was pulled open, Cersei and her children exited the wooden confines into the the courtyard, where a horde of high borns were waiting for them.
Allowing another minute for her family, if one can really call half of them that, to disembark, Faye carefully got out of the wheelhouse. She was met with a metal glove, held out gentlemen-like, for her to grab onto. A glance out the corner of her eye confirmed that it was the Hound who did this, his snarling dog helm held underneath his other arm. He stood near a seven feet tall and looked massive in his dark metal suit of armour. She looked to his face. Most people could not see past the scar, forever marked by the fire his dear brother, the Mountain Who Rides, had thought to cook him on. It covered almost an entire half of his head, almost drawing forth the image of melted wax. If a person were to look past the scar he could almost be considered handsome. That is to say, if not for the gruff expression it held.
Taking his offered hand, she twined her arm around his and held fast. She then dainty led him to where her Uncle Jaime, the Kingslayer, stood. He went to pull away but Faye was quick to tighten her hold on his arm. His arm, by the way, was larger then her whole body. He looked down at her with his one eyebrow furrowed in annoyance at being held near the spotlight but she gave him a small smirk and looked forward to where the King had his attention on the Starks.
The Kingslayer looked down to his oldest niece and lean to whisper into her ear. "Did you enjoy the final leg of the journey?"
Giving an unlady like snort, Faye replied out of the corner of her mouth. "The thing I enjoyed the most was spending the whole ride with my doting aunt." This time it was Jamie's turn to snort.
They both watched as King Robert greeted the Stark Family, paying compliments here and there. When he returned to Lord Ned Stark, he started to talk about paying his respects to the dead, completely ignoring Cersei and her comments. As both men were about to leave a little voice broke the fragile silence.
"But where's the Imp?!" a young voice whinned. Another voice told her to shut up, probably in fear of being outspoken in front of the royal family. This caused Robert to stop in his tracks and turn around, his eyes moving across the crowd until they landed on Faye.
"Ah Ned! You must meet the only Lannister I can fucking tolerate!" he boomed happily and nearly dragged his old friend over to the young girl. It was a very amusing site, the fat king dragging over the stocky northerner with the energy of a young child wanting to show their parents their new find.
Ned Stark looked at the girl before him, a true Lannister in looks through and through. Pure golden hair that fell as if it were a curtain to her waist, tall and willowy, and a fair complexion, but she had her father's rumored mismatched eyes. One emerald green and the other as dark as the night sky.
"My lord," Faye gave the Warden of the North a polite greeting and a curtsy. Her arm was still hooked to the Hounds, her curtsey making him stoop further. She held back another snort, he looked utterly ridiculous.
"Ned, this is Faye Lannister, daughter of the bloody Imp." Robert bellowed happily. Faye stood up from her curtsy and gave a sweet smile, playing the part of a lady perfectly.
"My Lord Stark, it is an honor to meet you. I have heard many heroic tales about you from the King."
Ned looked at her for a moment then replied, "Thank you Lady Faye. King Robert likes to exaggerate with old war stories, I hope he did not build me up as some knight of legend."
"Ned! Of course you are as grand as I fucking say!" The King laughed merrily. "Now, I still wish to pay my respects, so if you would..."
Everyone dispersed as the King left with the Northerner, leaving the Stark kids, Faye, the Hound, and Jaime.
"Well, I suppose I should go find your father," Jaime stated to his niece. Faye gave a nod in confirmation and gave his armoured arm a squeeze as he left to find Tyrion, most likely in a brothel.
The Hound tried to take his leave, again, but felt a tug from his arm, tiny Faye was still hanging on. "Let go Mouse, I am still on duty if you didn't realize it."
"Well I am your lady fair, so I think you should escort me to my rooms." she sassed.
"Why the fuck would I do that?!" he exclaimed.
Faye looked to the Stark children, or those that were left that is, she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of these highborn children. At least not in a situation that she couldn't be proud of.
"Come, walk me to my rooms." she repeated tightly and pulled him towards the door to the main building, or at least tried to. The Hound growled but followed the tiny woman, as if she could drag him anywhere. "You could at least learn to play nice in the company of others, Sandor," Faye hissed at the man as they walked through the stone corridors.
Sandor scoffed at her, "I don't play nice with anyone. Why would I play nice with you? Just because the mighty Tywin Lannister decided to stick you with the ugly dog doesn't mean-"
"It is not about that!" Faye yelled, heated anger rushing through her body. She yanked her arm free of his and stood right in front of his to glare fully up at his face. "I am soon to be your wife, something neither of us are really happy about. But we have to work together to at least seem civil in each others presence. You can be your charming self all you want, but act like you tolerate me more than a job. We are both stuck in this deal in-the-making."
Sandor stood silent at the younger girl's tirade, a look of impress and surprise on his heavily scarred face. Usually women of the court would never show such an outward display of unruly emotion. Here stood one of the exceptions to the rule, this lowly bastard girl who dare rise above what birth had set upon her to become legitimate and find a place within the court.
She stood there breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself down. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to go and refresh myself. And as you said earlier, you are still on duty." With that she turned and continue down the corridor, leaving the Hound standing there with a glare of his own forming slowly on his face.
Hello lovely readers, I would like to introduce my first GoT story I had cooking in the back of my head since I binged watched it this summer. I would love to say thank you to my lovely Princess and her roommate for helping me get through this first chapter. And that the roommate suggested that Sandor looks like a burnt potato.