Dove was snuggled in the centre of her bed with one corner of the duvet acting as a pillow, the other was tucked underneath her, and she had stuck one leg out to stop herself from getting too warm.
She was in that phase between awake and asleep, dreaming about silver gowns, Lannisters and tables when Margaery pulled open the drapes.
"Come on time to wake up." Margaery said and Dove groaned in protest.
"What time is it?" Dove asked and pulled the duvet over her head.
"Late," Margaery said and pulled the duvet off Dove's head "You're meant to be having lunch with Sansa in an hour."
"I'd forgot." Dove grumbled and climbed out of bed.
She yawned and stretched, she thought she might have felt relieved after seducing Tywin but she now even more stressed. She was worried now she'd given him what he wanted, he would no longer be interested in her.
"I know I said I'd have lunch with you but Joffrey has requested my presence," Margaery said and did some last minute checks of her appearance in the vanity "So I'm sorry but you'll have to entertain Sansa without me." She finished and before Dove could respond she was out of the door.
Dove sighed and stood up as her handmaidens brought in hot water for her bath.
"I was thinking of using the new hair lotion imported from Pentos." Dove said to her hairdresser, the spy Cersei had sent, as she was the only one who could was her hair without treating it like a dish cloth.
The hairdresser's face lit up with excitement and she picked up the exquisite crystal bottle filled with a thick pink liquid. Dove climbed into the now full bath of water and winced slightly, she felt a little tender after Tywin's rough treatment last night.
The hairdresser gently poured hot water over Dove's hair and then poured on the lotion. She began to massage it in and Dove hummed in appreciation.
"Which dress would you like to wear, my lady?" She asked whilst carefully rinsing out the hair lotion, her hand resting on Dove's forehead to protect her eyes.
"I was thinking either the sunset yellow one or one of my pink ones, what do you think?" Dove questioned.
The room was now filled with the delicate scent of the hair lotion, Dove could distinguish jasmine but was unsure what the other scents were.
"The yellow one really compliments your tan." The hairdresser said honestly.
"That one it is." Dove decided. Her skin was a lovely faint bronze after spending her life in Highgarden unlike the other court ladies.
"Excellent choice, my lady." The hairdresser said.
She seized a towel and careful wrapped Dove's wet hair in it, before picking up a larger one and holding it out for Dove.
"If I plait your hair it should be dry for this evening if you're…" She began but then stopped herself from revealing that half of the court knew she had spent last night with Tywin.
"Meeting Lord Tywin?" Dove asked finishing the sentence for her.
"Yes, my lady." She said quietly.
Dove sat down at her vanity and began to apply her face cream. Her hairdresser started to towel dry her hair, her cheeks now crimson with embarrassment.
"Don't worry there is so many spies in Kings Landing I knew our affair wouldn't stay quiet for long." Dove said with a shrug.
Her hairdresser longed to ask more but kept her mouth shut, and instead brushed her hair in silence. After all Dove knew whatever she confessed to her she was also confessing to Cersei.
"Sansa darling," Dove looked up happily as Sansa walked in "I started to worry you wouldn't come."
Sansa was nearly twenty minutes late which had tested Dove's patience, as it meant she could have stayed in bed longer.
"Forgive my lateness," Sansa said and gave her a weak smile "Is Lady Margaery not joining us?" She asked noticing her absence.
"No Joffrey demanded her presence." Dove said and rolled her eyes.
Sansa sat down opposite Dove unsure whether to laugh or not. Dove sighed hating Margaery for making her suffer this awkward afternoon with Sansa alone.
"Don't look so frightened Sansa you don't have to be afraid of me," Dove said and reached out to take Sansa's hand in hers "I'm not the Queen, I'm not Joffrey and I'm not a Lannister."
Sansa stared into Dove's cool green eyes unsure, she wanted to trust the Tyrell family but remembered trust was foolish in Kings Landing.
"I know you won't trust me immediately but please try," Dove said and removed her hand "Now Margaery told me lemon cakes are your favourite." She said and pushed a plate of them closer to Sansa.
"I'm not very hungry." Sansa mumbled her stomach turning at the sight of the food Dove's servants had arranged.
"Then why did you come?" Dove asked her tone sharp.
"I-I was trying to be polite." Sansa stuttered and looked at Dove's angry expression with alarm.
"By turning up for lunch unwilling to eat anything?" Dove asked her with an unkind laugh "Please Sansa Stark you're a wolf and wolves survive, now stop feeling sorry for yourself and eat something!" Dove snapped and pushed the plate of lemon cakes closer to her.
"My brother and mother are dead I'm sorry if my broken heart offends you!" Sansa yelled feeling something snap inside of her.
Instead of being angry at Sansa for yelling, Dove grinned at her pleased she had got some emotion out of her.
"There I knew you were in there somewhere." Dove said and helped herself to a few grapes.
"But-" Sansa began confused at Dove's change of pace.
"The only thing that offends me is that you're so willing to give up Sansa," Dove explained "I'm sorry if I upset you but please just eat one lemon cake." She finished and there was genuine sympathy in her eyes.
Sansa took a lemon cake finding it odd that Dove had just said what she thought, it was not a common thing to do in Kings Landing.
"I am sorry that Tywin made you marry Tyrion I would have loved us to be sisters, you would love Highgarden as well," Dove said and paused for a moment "Actually would you like me to ask Tyrion if you can visit after my sister's wedding, you could come with me when I return?" She suggested
Sansa froze but her heart leapt at the thought of escaping Kings Landing.
"You would do that?" She asked practically breathless with longing.
Dove nodded her head with enthusiasm and smiled, it stunned her how suddenly Sansa's demeanour changed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Of course if anyone needs to escape the capital it's you," Dove said and poured them both a cup of tea "Besides we aren't that different you and I." She added and put a drop of milk in her tea.
Sansa looked at Dove confused as she added milk and one sugar cube to her tea, she couldn't see any similarities between herself and Dove.
"Don't look at me like that I was once very much like you," Dove said with a chuckle and sipped her tea "I am an older sister born to a great house, expected to do my duty and marry a lord and have babies." She explained and rolled her eyes at the thought of marrying the men Mace had suggested.
"But you're not married." Sansa said stating the obvious.
"Only because I refuse to marry the idiots my father suggests." Dove said with a laugh but Sansa didn't laugh.
"I didn't have a choice." Sansa whispered and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"I know." Dove sighed thinking to herself that she would hate to be in Sansa's position.
They were both silent for a moment and Sansa took a sip of her tea, it was different to the fragrant tea she normally drank.
"This tea is nice." She commented.
"Thank you I have it imported," Dove said glad someone had noticed "I can't stand the swill they drink here." She added.
Sansa laughed and gave Dove a curious look as she helped herself to another lemon cake.
"You're not like anyone else in Kings Landing," Sansa said "Except maybe your grandmother." She added thinking back to the first time she had meet the Olenna.
Dove laughed although she was quite flattered to be compared to Olenna. She carefully thought how to phrase her next question.
"Now what are you wearing for the wedding?" Dove asked her and Sansa's face lit up at being able to talk about girly things with someone for a change.
"Tyrion allowed me to have a new dress made." Sansa answered.
"I should think so he's a Lannister and they're very rich." Dove quipped and Sansa laughed.
"Now that is a lovely sound." Dove said wondering how long it could have been since Sansa laughed with someone.
"What are you wearing?" Sansa asked with a shy smile and picked up another lemon cake.
"Oh Margaery and Grandmother picked my dress," Dove explained, thinking she would have preferred something in a different design "Could I see yours?" Dove asked eagerly.
"I'm having a fitting later if you'd like to come along?" Sansa asked, she was warming to Dove which surprised her as she was a little cold compared to Margaery.
"I'd love to," Dove said relieved Sansa wasn't as boring as Olenna had made out "Plus I want to make sure the little lion is spoiling you enough." She added with a wink.
"Oh Sansa you look beautiful." Dove sighed.
She was perched on the edge of Sansa's bed whilst the seamstress did the finishing touches to Sansa's dress. Sansa was stood on a little box in front of her full length mirror, with the seamstress fussing with seams.
"Thank you." Sansa said to Dove's reflection, as the last time she had turned around the seamstress had told her off for moving.
"How are you going to have your hair?" Dove asked her.
"In the Southern style." Sansa said, inwardly thinking she wouldn't dare to do a Northern style for fear of being called a Northern sympathiser.
"Jewellery?" Dove asked before adding "It needs a necklace." She decided and turned to Sansa's handmaiden who was stood quietly in the corner of the room.
"You…" Dove prompted.
"Shae, my lady." Shae answered with a sullen expression on her face, she was suspicious of how much attention Dove was giving Sansa.
"Shae please could you fetch Sansa's necklaces?" Dove asked her and tried not to laugh at her hostility.
Shae brought Sansa's jewellery box over to Dove and put in her hands a little harder than was necessary. Dove smiled to herself and routed through the little box. She mumbled to herself carefully discarding several necklaces on the bed, before gasped in delight.
"Oh this one is perfect!" Dove exclaimed and made her way over to Sansa, and placed the chosen necklace around her neck. "The blue stones bring out your eyes." She said and made Sansa look closely at her reflection
Dove had put on a waterfall necklace that's light blue stones hung just below Sansa's throat, it was the necklace Ser Dontos had given her.
"It does," Sansa agreed and thought Dove was very observant to notice that "I will wear it for the wedding thank you." She finished.
The seamstress gave them both a withering look, so Dove stepped back and smiled slyly at their reflection.
Dove was on her way back from Sansa's making a detour through the gardens, when she spied Tyrion making his way through as well.
"Lord Tyrion I have been meaning to have a word with you." Dove called and made her way over to him.
"The feeling is mutual, my lady," Tyrion replied and gave her a quick bow "You look lovely." He added liking the colour of her sunset yellow gown, because as Dove had intended it complimented her skin perfectly.
"Thank you." Dove said and gave him one of her perfect smiles.
"I'm sure my father will like it." Tyrion quipped and Dove pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing at his boldness.
"I'm certain he will." She replied and Tyrion liked that his comment didn't faze her.
"Yes apparently you made quite the impression on him," Tyrion started and walked beside her towards one of the entrances back into the castle "My father is famous for not smiling and apparently he nearly smiles when you're in his presence." He finished.
"What can I say Lord Tyrion it must be the effect I have on him." Dove said and batted her eyelashes innocently at him.
"Yes and I'm sure letting him fuck you helped matters." Tyrion whispered loudly to her.
"Manners Tyrion I'm still a lady by birth." Dove scolded but there was a playfulness in her eyes.
"Forgive me," Tyrion said and put his hand on his chest to emphasise his earnest "So why are you fucking my father, my lady?" He asked with emphasise on the word lady.
"Better," Dove said with a chuckle "And you know I couldn't possible tell you why, my lord." Dove said and shook her head at him for even daring to ask her.
"You're one of the few women I don't understand Lady Tyrell." Tyrion admitted, he wondered what possible draw his father had for a prized Tyrell Rose.
"I'm flattered." Dove said and put her hand on her heart dramatically.
"But any woman who isn't afraid of my father is my friend." Tyrion decided and smiled up at her.
"Then let us be friends Lord Tyrion." Dove said and returned his smile.
"Lets." Tyrion said and Dove laughed at his sarcastic tone, she found Tyrion a refreshing change from the flowery men of the Reach.
"I wanted to talk to you about Sansa." Dove said trying to focus on why she had wanted to speak to Tyrion in the first place.
"Oh my poor wife wasting away before my eyes." Tyrion sighed.
"I managed to persuade her to eat earlier." Dove informed him and stopped to admire the garden's pale pink peonies.
"You did?" Tyrion asked astonished.
"There is a distinct lack of flowers in my chambers, I wonder if the gardener would let me have some of these." Dove mused to herself ignoring Tyrion's astonished expression.
"Sansa ate something?" Tyrion prompted her.
"Don't sound so surprised I have my methods." Dove said and frowned prettily at Tyrion.
"So I've heard." Tyrion chuckled.
"Would you allow her to visit Highgarden after the wedding?" Dove asked pausing again to admire some sweet peas "I thought she could come with me when I return home."
"And why do you want to take her to Highgarden?" Tyrion asked a little confused to her motive, which he guessed was Olenna's motive and Dove was just the messenger.
"She will be my sister's aunt and both you and I know that she will be safer in Highgarden." Dove answered honestly.
"Yes you're right," Tyrion agreed "I'll tell her the good news later, who knows she might eat something." He added cheered and a little confused that it had taken his father's mistress to get Sansa to eat.
Dove came to a halt a little distance away from the entrance she needed, and turned to Tyrion.
"Well I must leave you Lord Tyrion." She said and curtsied to him.
"It's been a pleasure Lady Dove perhaps we can have another chat soon," Tyrion said and bowed to her "But I must leave too as I have a meeting with my sister and father." He added with a grimace.
Dove gave him a sympathetic smile and began to walk away.
"Have fun." She called with a playful smile, knowing she was surely going to be the topic of their conversation.
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