Taria smiled in victory as she managed to lighten up her new home with various colored fabrics nailed to the walls created a tent like room. She let out a long and satisfied sigh as she fell backwards onto her bed. The gowns she had sewed together for the princess and the queen had been the proudest moment of her life when she finished them. They were some of her best works.
The queen and especially the princess loved the gowns that were created by Taria. She remembered laughing as she watched Princess Myrcella quickly change into the gown behind the divider, giggling as she did so.
"Isn't she a beauty, Taria," the queen asked her.
Taria nodded in excitement and smiled widely. "She is, my queen, the spitting image of her mother."
Taria gave a kind smile to Princess Myrcella as she happily danced around in her new gown, the gold embroidery glimmered in the sun as she did so. There was this happiness spread across the princess's fate that made Taria envious of her. She wished to be a child once again. Children were happy, they were blissfully in ignorance, untouched by the cruel world and its malicious people.
But even then, it's cruel to the children as well. Perhaps no one is safe after all…unless you have money then you were safe from the evil.
Taria thought of the Targaryens then how quickly they drove fear into the conquered hearts of everyone in Westeros with their dragons soaring fiercely through the skies.
For three centuries, they ruled the Seven Kingdoms thinking that they were invincible until their dragons died and they killed the wrong people.
Their dragons couldn't save them anymore.
Taria considered the possibility that everyone falls from grace eventually. Se wondered if being here would cost her and Marian their lives, would they be executed just like the Targaryens were? Still in their nightgowns...Taria thought then that even if they were murdered, the history books won't write of them. She guessed that Marian didn't want to be forgotten which is why he wanted to be like a knight. He wanted the glory of it all while I wanted to keep myself in the shadows...we were always like night and day...so very different.
Taria felt the queen touch her shoulder very gently that it distracted her from her thoughts and for a moment as she looked up into the soft pale face of the queen, she saw concern.
"You're quiet, little thing," said the queen.
"I am pondering is all, my queen."
This seemed to amuse her greatly as she held a smirk on her face. "What sort of thoughts could bother you, Taria? I am truly confused."
Taria felt like a fool for thinking the queen cared for a moment and she had to remind herself that to them she was nothing and only someone they could use for their wants. Taria felt insulted, but made sure to not show it. Everyone seems to only see her status and never her, they've always treated her like nothing. As if because she is poor, she was nothing.
She jutted her chin out and stood straighter as she replied, "Many pardons, my queen. My mind was on my brother…"
She nodded. "Of course. I trust you are worried much about him. Is he the youngest?"
Taria sighed. "Yes, my queen, I'm older than him."
"Jaime is younger than me, I have many burdens to carry being the eldest and a woman."
"I understand," she found herself saying. "He doesn't listen to me. He thinks he knows what's best for us...he doesn't understand."
The queen held a distant smile on her face. "Then I suppose that it's a perfect match between our brothers...I know what you must think of me and that I don't care for your future, but I do very much, Taria."
Taria let out a low sigh of frustration. "My queen, as I've told you before I don't want the future you talk of if it means someone is hurt."
"Then you will get nowhere and be nothing, but just another one of Littlefinger's whore," she quipped. Taria was at a loss of words as she looked at the queen who sipped her wine. "I know of his promise to you. You'd make him a rich man. I know you've seen the way all men look at you. There's something about you that draws them all to you, like a moth to a flame. You're not a rare beauty, but still you catch their eye."
Taria scoffed lightly and realized the queen's plans for her. "You want me to use my gifts to spy on your enemies. Of course...they won't suspect someone with a face like mine which is what you meant when we last spoke. I'm too nice."
"Too innocent," the queen added with a knowing smile. "You are one of my secret weapons. I need you to spy on Lord Arryn for me, tell me where he goes, who he talks to. Befriend him. Do this and I won't have my brother kill yours, you'll be rewarded handsomely."
She almost wanted to tell the queen that she didn't want her blood money, but she knew that her brother would be faced with death if she refused her. The queen leaned closer and whispered, "He will be like Ser Duncan the Tall. A legend, a knight that history sings about...he wants to be like him, yes?"
Taria gasped in fright at hearing the queen's cruel words since it was what her brother had told her when he told her of his status as a squire, they were at home not a fortnight ago. The queen smiled and said, "I have many spies just remember that when you're making your decision."
Taria gulped nervously and her hands curled into fists and she felt her nails dig painfully into her skin as she did so. She heard the queen dismiss her and Taria quickly curtsied and left the room, she looked at her hands. There were was light bleeding from the moon shaped marks from her fingernails.
As she walked down the hallways, Lord Arryn passed by her and gave her a kind smile that caused his crow's feet eyes to crinkle, stopping her from walking. "My dear, what are you doing in a place like this? It's quite dangerous."
She smiled at him. "I am the new seamstress. My brother is squire to Ser Jaime so we're living in the castle now. I've hardly seen him since we left each other at the gates a fortnight ago."
Lord Arryn nodded in understanding which filled her with guilt as she remembered the queen's warnings and proposition. "Ah, yes, bring a squire is a full time job. He must be everywhere for his knight. His own servant."
"I miss him is all…"
"And?" He drawled out in curiosity before he saw others glancing in their direction. "Come, Taria. Let's take a walk around the gardens, it's a beautiful day and Grand Maester Pycelle says that I need fresh air and exercise my legs."
Taria followed him and would look straight ahead, minding her own business. She could feel the eyes of everyone they passed by, she saw Lord Arryn and how calm he was. She wanted to know how he did that...how he was able to not care what others think of him.
"They're staring," Taria murmured nervously and saw two handmaids giggle at each other after looking their way.
Lord Arryn gave her a kind smile. "I always found that gossip and rumors are like the dusts. For dust can have a large hill of itself, but it's no match for a strong wind. What does wind do?"
"It blows things away."
"Exactly," he said victoriously, pointing his finger to the sky as they walked out of the Keep. "Nothing beats a strong wind. Believe in yourself, you know the truth as do I. We are only walking."
"I'm sorry, my lord, I've caused you troubles," Taria said sympathetically.
He shook his head. "The small council and this place cause me all sorts of trouble, but you my dear do not. You're peaceful. I'm a frail old man and that's all any of us want. Peace in the realm, but no one cares for what we think."
Taria chuckled. "True, but I think that's why no one suspects that an elderly man such as yourself would ever do anyone ever harm."
"Some use it to their advantage," he added in disappointment. "Not me. I'm old, I want peace, and I want to spend time with my family. With Robin."
"Your son?"
Lord Arryn smiled proudly. "Yes, just a boy and I'm afraid that's all he's ever going to be if his lady mother does not let go. I mean to send him to be a ward at Casterly Rock. To learn and be a man."
"If it were in my power, I would not let my brother go to Ser Jaime, I would keep him safe," she began as they turned towards a viewing area of the beautiful glittering blue sea. "But it would eat me alive to know that I was the one who crushed his dreams. He wants to be like Ser Duncan the Tall. He was like us, he came from the dirt off of Flea Bottom and now he's a legend. I can see the appeal."
Lord Arryn nodded in understanding. "Every boy's dream whether they're highborn or lowborn or a slave. It's everyone's dream to be a legend, to not be forgotten."
Taria shook her head vehemently as she looked off into the waters of the sea, surrounded by the colorful and various flowers in the royal gardens. "No. Not me. I would prefer the shadows, if they notice me then I will be theirs to do with as they please. My freedom within their grasps. That is why I'm worried for my brother...I'm the only one who cares for him."
"What of your father and your mother, do they not care?" He asked curiously, genuinely wanting to know Taria Waters.
"My mother doesn't care and I can't hate her for it. She never wanted children, tried to get rid of us, but the gods wouldn't let her. I only care for my brother, he needs to be kept safe from them."
"And your father?"
She exhaled loudly before finding her words. "I don't care to know who my father is or was-he left. End of story."
"You remind me of Lord Eddard Stark. He and the king were my wards when they were mere boys back in the Vale." A look of reminisce came onto his face as he smiled. "He always believed in doing the right thing, honorable even to this day. He is a good man and that surprised me especially after all that's happened. Yes, a good and true man."
"They say the Starks are all that way…"
He nodded firmly. "Yes, good people all of them even Jon Snow."
She heard of Jon Snow, he was a bastard just like her. Taria found sudden comfort in knowing that he too must know what it is like to be ashamed of yourself because of what your mother or father did and have the world judge your entire character even before they got to know you.
He lowered his voice to a whisper as he warned, "Keep your head low and stay away from the Lannisters-Lord Baelish, Lord Varys, Grand Maester Pycelle...all of them. They will not give you what you desire. This place...it corrupts everyone eventually. You remind me of Ned and it would be on my soul forever if I did not at least warn you."
"Can I trust you," Taria asked softly, feeling alone more than ever.
As always, he gave her a kind smile. "If you'd like, I will not betray your trust. I don't want to see you and your brother hurt. You're both nice children. Your mother did well."
Taria stiffened and politely corrected, "My mother did nothing. We got lucky. There are some in Flea Bottom that are good people...they just have bad luck is all."
"Eventually luck runs out," he reminded her, they heard footsteps rapidly come towards them.
They turned and saw a page tried not to puff out too much breath, he inhaled a large amount of air before saying, "My lord hand, the small-"
Lord Arryn laughed loudly. "Oh, that's right! I'm sorry, Taria, I forgot that I had a small council meeting to attend to. When you get to be my age, things slip your mind all the time. No doubt, one of those lords are having a fit though they won't dare say anything to me at least not to my face so who was it who sent you?"
"Um," The page stuttered to say until Lord Arryn waved him off.
"It's fine my boy, I'm sure I'll find out when I get there," Lord Arryn mused. "Taria, we will talk soon?"
She nodded and smiled gracefully at him. "Yes, my lord hand."
Taria watched as the page scurried after Lord Arryn who was much faster at walking than he looked. She almost trusted him, but her mind told her not to, it kept reminding her of his advice in her head. She thought of the queen and her proposition to spy on Lord Arryn. It kept eating at her as to why the queen would want to keep a closer eye on the hand.
In the corner of her eye, she found her favorite flower which was a tiger lily. It always bloomed so beautifully that Taria just had to pick at least a couple and take to her small room. Tiger lilies were a vibrant orange color on ends of the six petals that were shaped into a star with a gold yellow color in the middle.
A man once told her that the flower symbolizes passion which made blush since she never looked twice at a boy, but he was a man. He told her that by giving it to someone that it meant they were saying, "I dare you to love me". She was quite in love with the flower after that. Taria loved them the most because they were strong and beautiful, never going dormant.
As her hand went towards it, she heard someone warn, "They would have your head for picking a flower that takes years to grow."
Taria turned around and saw a man with golden hair and different colored eyes, one of them matched Ser Jaime's and the queen's, he looked similar to them. Her eyes found the lion sigil from House Lannister plastered practically all over his body. "Hello, Lord Tyrion."
"Damn. I hoped to remain a mystery to you. I'm afraid my height gives me away almost all the time," he mused.
"It's the sigil on your breast, on your rings, and your cloak that give you away, my lord, I made a deduction is all."
Tyrion examined her polite smile and kind eyes with curiosity as he smirked at her. "I was only jesting about your head on a spike..and this is why everyone does not like me I'm afraid."
Taria found his humor odd, but enjoyable. "I somehow like your humor, my lord."
Tyrion's brows furrowed yet again as confusion filled his face. "Most people don't find me funny at all, I think it has to do with my height."
"Why should someone's height define their life?" Taria questioned as she looked down at him with the tiger lily still between her fingers. She shrugged before continuing, "Then again people often don't take women seriously because we are little, but I just kick them where it hurts if they try anything with me or my brother."
"Violent little thing, aren't you?" Tyrion chuckled in amusement and surprise at the young girl.
"You are more little than I am."
"Ah, you see," Tyrion drawled out. "I am only half of a man. An Imp."
Taria looked at him and said firmly, "You are Tyrion Lannister to me."
Tyrion glanced around and whispered in sheepiness, "You are being kind, Taria."
"All of my life, I've never actually heard other's call me by my own name...whore, scum, Waters, bastard-I could go on for hours. I swore to myself that I wouldn't do the same to others. I wouldn't embarrass them like that for words have power," explained Taria.
"Only if you give it to them then they do, words are words," Tyrion responded. "If they name you then use it as a shield and it can never be used to hurt you."
"You're a strong man, Lord Tyrion," she complimented with a small smile.
"If only I were taller then I would give you a kiss for your kind words," he said with mirth in his eyes.
"If you were taller, you would be a different man."
Taria bent down and gave Tyrion the tiger lily in her hand, he took it gently in his own small hand. She gave him a soft kiss in the corner of his lips, so softly that he was sure she were a dream. She then whispered to him, "Thank you, my lord."
Taria curtsied and walked away from Tyrion, her wavy hair blowing in the wind. It was then as she looked back at him that he could see Gisella in her, she almost looked like her mother. Tyrion shook his head and tried to put her out of his mind especially Gisella. Tyrion knew that he shouldn't think of Taria especially since he knew she would become Cersei's spy.
She would be forced to, he tried to convince himself of her innocence, but yet even he couldn't bring himself to trust her. Memories of Tysha filled his mind and his heart twisted painfully inside of his chest. She too was innocent, was she not? A whore they said she was…
Tyrion decided then not to see Taria anymore for fear that she would suffer the same fate as Tysha. His lips still tingled as he remembered her soft dream-like kiss. A puzzled look came onto his face as he saw Jaime following the girl though he kept himself out of sight. He wondered if his brother was following her for his own benefit or that of his sister's...he wonder what Cersei had planned for Taria Waters.
TBC…
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I know it's so slow right now and i'm just waiting till I can get to Winterfell cause it gets good tbh! So please stay with me and let's get through this. Next chapter is gonna involve some old faces and a king. A possible relationship with Tyrion? No, but he will like her in that way. I hoped you liked this chapter.
REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time...
