The gardens of the Red Keep were really quite something. Far prettier than any garden at Casterly Rock, of that Lyra was certain. Of course, there were other things that were different about the capitol. The oppressive heat, for one. At Casterly Rock the wind howled off the Sunset Sea, meaning the heat was never too oppressive, but here in King's Landing, the heat just seemed to hang in their air, as did the smell of the city. Lyra scrunched up her nose as she leaned against the wall, gazing out at the city, and the sparklingly ocean beyond. King's Landing really did smell of shit, there was no way to put it politely. Lyra couldn't help but wonder what her uncle might one day do to improve the situation. He'd done wonders with the sewage system at Casterly Rock, although King's Landing was significantly larger.

Lyra wasn't going to mention it. Tyrion had enough on his plate trying to keep Joffrey on his leash, and he didn't need her reminding Joffrey of Tyrion's past duty of being in charge of Casterly Rock's sewage.

"Lyra," an excited voice called out, and Lyra blinked out of her thoughts, turning around, a broad smile breaking out upon her face as she spotted the owner of the voice.

Both of her cousins had grown taller since they had last met. Myrcella, despite being younger, was now taller than Lyra by some amount, while Tommen was quickly growing into becoming a young man.

"Myrcella, Tommen," Lyra cried out as the younger pair ran towards her, capturing her in a tight embrace. Lyra laughed as they almost knocked her off her feet. In the distance she could see a Kingsguard watching them, obviously assigned to protect the Prince and Princess, but she was not sure who it was. There was once a time when she knew all of the kingsguard by sight, and would chatter away to them for hours. Ser Barristan Selmy had been particularly fond of her, despite not liking her father overly much. Ser Barristan had a sweet tooth, and if he came across her during his time off duty, he would often give her some candied fruit or boiled sweet. Now Ser Barristan was gone, having quit the Kingsguard and exiling himself from Westeros, and her father was absent from his duties now as well, captured by Robb Stark.

"It's so good to see you," Myrcella excitedly told her, "so much has happened since we last saw each other."

"It has," Lyra agreed, "I was very sorry to hear about your father."

"Thank you," Tommen replied, "we were very sad about it, but at least we still have mother."

"She's been busy, of cause, now that Joffrey is King, but she still spends time with us every day,' Myrcella offered, "we have dinner with her every day, and sometimes Lady Sansa is there too, as our guest. She is to marry Joffrey soon."

"Joffrey is fighting her brother, and he might kill him, but I don't think that would be very nice for Lady Sansa."

"No, I can't imagine it would be very nice for her," Lyra agreed, "I can't imagine any of this would be very nice for her."

"But she'll get to be Queen," Myrcella frowned, "I thought she wanted that."

"Maybe she did, once," Lyra conceded, "but would you like to be married to someone who ordered your father be executed in front of you, regardless of whether or not your father was a traitor. Would you like to live in a castle where you didn't know who you could trust, or even if you could trust anyone? Would you like to be trapped, friendless, so far from home? Even if I wanted to be Queen, Lady Sansa's position would not be one I would be happy in."

Myrcella's frown deepened, "I…I hadn't thought of it that way."

Lyra rested her hand on Myrcella's shoulder. Cersei had protected her youngest two children from the realities of the world, but Lyra hadn't had that protection growing up. From childhood she had been brought to her Grandfather's solar each day and been drilled on what she'd learned, her grandfather probing and testing her, correcting her when she got an answer wrong, and encourage her to extend herself when she got the answer correct. She'd learned how to see things from the point of view of others, and how to read other people's reactions.

"It's a good idea, to try and see things from other's point of view. It makes you appreciate how fortunate you are, and it also prepares you should the tables turn and you find yourself in a similar situation." Lyra advised.

Myrcella nodded, "I should invite Lady Sansa to have tea with myself and my Septa, and be her friend. We are going to be sisters soon, after all."

"An excellent suggestion," Lyra encouraged, before she ruffled Tommen's hair affectionately, "and what about you?" she asked, "how are you, my prince?'

"Is it true, what they're saying…that the war will come to King's Landing, that Uncle Stannis is going to come and kill us all?"

Lyra paused before responding, not wanting to lie to the little boy, but not wanting to scare him either, "it's possible, but your brother and mother and uncle Tyrion…they won't let anything happen to you."

"And you," Myrcella added thoughtfully, "we've got you to help protect us as well. I remember watching you train with Uncle Jaime. I've never seen a girl that had learned to fight with a sword, other than you."

"Yes, and me…" Lyra nodded, "and I promise that I will do everything I can to make sure neither of you get hurt."

Tommen tightened his grip around Lyra in response to her words, and she rubbed his back soothingly.

"Why don't you show me your favourite places in these gardens," she suggested, "it has been so long since I've been in the city, I confess I can't remember my way around."

"Alright, and then I can introduce you to my cats," enthused Tommen, distracted from his fear about the looming war by the prospect of playing with his beloved kittens. Myrcella nodded brightly, and Lyra let herself be led off, deeper into the gardens, enjoying being in the company of her cousins.

The war was looming, but she refused to let it rule her life, nor the lives of her younger cousins.

A day would come, soon, when there would be no happiness to be found, but they had not reached that day…Not yet.