Sansa
As Sansa got her hair prettied by Shae, her handmaiden, Shae asked her a question.
"Why does Loren Lannister want what's good for you?" Shae asked her.
"I don't know." She thought of why. Maybe because he wanted her as a hostage against her brother. Maybe because he loved her. Why would he crown her "Queen of Love and Beauty"? Why did he protect her from Joffrey? She wanted to know.
"I know," Shae replied. Sansa awaited her answer. "There's only one thing a man wants of a girl like you."
"Loren, isn't in love with me." Is he? She wanted the answer to be yes but after everything Joffrey had done to her she didn't believe that would be the answer.
"Love isn't the thing he wants." Shae replied.
"No, he isn't like that," She responded. She knew Loren at least she thought she did.
Then someone came knocking on her door. "Ser Loras Tyrell, my lady."
"I've come to escort you to my sister Lady Margaery and my grandmother Lady Olenna of House Tyrell." Loras announced. All in white and gold.
"Ser Loras, yes I'll join you."
She was walking with Ser Loras when she saw on the edge of the yard, a lone knight with a pair of golden roses on his shield was holding off three foes. Even as they watched, he caught one of them alongside the head, knocking him senseless. "Is that your brother?" Sansa asked.
"It is, my lady," said Ser Loras. "Garlan often trains against three men, or even four. In battle it is seldom one against one, he says, so he likes to be prepared."
"He must be very brave."
"He is a great knight," Ser Loras replied. "A better sword than me, in truth, though I'm the better lance."
"I remember," said Sansa. "You ride wonderfully, ser."
"My lady is gracious to say so. When has she seen me ride?"
"At the Hand's tourney, don't you remember? You rode a white courser, and your armor was a hundred different kinds of flowers. You were defeated by Loren Lannister." She said. She thought of how stupid it was of her to make him remember of the loss.
"Yes, I remember," Loras replied. "When he crowned you Queen of Love and Beauty. And he made the right decision, my lady."
Sansa could only blush. "I remember you unhorsing Ser Robar Royce."
He took his hand from her arm. "I slew Robar at Storm's End, my lady." It was not a boast; he sounded sad.
Him, and another of King Renly's Rainbow Guard as well, yes. Sansa had heard the women talking of it round the well, but for a moment she'd forgotten. "That was when Lord Renly was killed, wasn't it? How terrible for your poor sister."
"For Margaery?" His voice was tight. "To be sure. She was at Bitterbridge, though. She did not see."
"Even so, when she heard…"
Ser Loras brushed the hilt of his sword lightly with his hand. Its grip was white leather, its pommel a rose in alabaster. "Renly is dead. Robar as well. What use to speak of them?"
The sharpness in his tone took her aback. "I… my lord, I… I did not mean to give offense, ser."
"Nor could you, Lady Sansa," Ser Loras replied, but all the warmth had gone from his voice. Nor did he take her arm again.
Only silence fell until she saw Lady Margaery in front of them. "Lady Sansa," she called, "I'm so pleased you came. Be welcome."
Sansa knelt at the feet of her future queen. "You do me great honor, Your Grace."
"Won't you call me Margaery? Please, rise. Loras, help the Lady Sansa to her feet. Might I call you Sansa?"
"If it please you." Ser Loras helped her up.
Margaery dismissed him with a sisterly kiss, and took Sansa by the hand. "Loren told me about you."
"He did?" Sansa asked wide eyed as ever.
"Yes, when I asked him why he didn't crown me Queen of Love and Beauty." She could feel when Margaery spoke about Loren she had a bitter tone in her. "She told me what a great beauty you are. He was right." Sansa couldn't do anything but blush.
"Are you friends with Loren?" Sansa asked her. She hoped they were friends and nothing more,
"Yes, I am. He always cared for me," Margaery answered but then she looked at her and Margaery noticed something. "He cared for me as a friend. I remember one time swimming on Manderly and he told me to not tell anyone that we were highborn. It was the most fun I ever had."
"Did you want to marry Loren, Lady Margaery?" Sansa again asked her. What have I done. I am a stupid girl why did I ask her that? Sansa thought.
Margaery put on a smile and said. "Yes, I did when I was about your age but he refused. I didn't mind and now I am glad I didn't. I am to marry the king."
"Of course, Lady Margaery," How was she lying to a good person? She was to send Margaery to her doom. "King Joffrey is a better match than Lord Loren." She lied again. If Sansa had the choice to choose between Joffrey and Loren. Sh would choose Loren without question. She would have probably chosen his dwarf brother Tyrion before him.
Tyrion
Him and his brother were ready to dine. Dark sausage, chicken, roasted beef and lemon cakes his brother's favorites. His best friend. And only friend. Jaime treated him well but him and his brother were inseparable.
He remembered when his father told Loren that he would be a ward for the Tyrells and he would go to on the morrow. They wept from that moment until he left. Tyrion knew he wept for more days and assumed his brother did the same.
"I've prepared a fine meal for you brother." Tyrion announced. "Now let's dine and dash.
"Thank you, Tyrion." His brother put on a smile. Not the fake smile he learned in Highgarden the one he gave to lords and ladies but his true smile which he gave only to his brothers.
"Pod, give us some wine." And his loyal squire started pouring wine in their cups.
"Tyrion, you know I don't drink." Loren reminded him. He never did. Tyrion didn't remember one time Loren drank wine.
"Who is this squire of yours, Tyrion?" Loren asked him while looking at Podrick who looked confused.
"Podrick Payne. He saved my life in the battle." Tyrion replied.
"Thank you, Podrick," Loren thanked the squire. "You have done me a great service. I would have been bored in my time in King's Landing if you were not to save my brother. Who did you save him from?"
"Ser Mandon Moore, my lord." Podrick answered.
"Who, Tyrion?" Loren asked with his eyes narrowing in skepticism.
"There only two people in King's Landing who can give an order to a Kingsguard."
"Damn that whore," Loren yelled out and Podrick was shook by this. "If she tries to kill you again I will kill her."
"Loren, she is our sister." Tyrion responded.
"No, she will be a kinslayer or dead," Loren said with a cold look in his eyes. "Make the choice."
"Brother, you worry too much." Tyrion gave him a half-smile. "Rest assured brother, I will take care of it."
"I trust you Tyrion." Loren said to him but he still was skeptic.
"My lords," A man interrupted. "The Hand of the King requests you join him in his office."
"Tell him," His brother said while he downed a full cup of wine. "We'll come there in a minute."
Tyrion and Loren entered the room to see their father Tywin and their sister Cersei who wanted them dead equally.
"Is this a family meeting?" Tyrion asked with a laugh.
"I'm afraid not," Loren replied. "Jaime isn't here."
"No, Littlefinger brought us word of a Tyrell plot to spirit Sansa Stark off to Highgarden for a 'visit,' and there marry her to Lord Mace's eldest son, Willas." Lord Tywin addressed to the shock of his children.
"Littlefinger brought you word?" Tyrion leaned against the table. "Not our master of whisperers? How interesting."
Cersei looked at their uncle in disbelief. "Sansa is my hostage. She goes nowhere without my leave."
"Leave you must perforce grant, should Lord Tyrell ask," their father pointed out. "To refuse him would be tantamount to declaring that we did not trust him. He would take offense."
"Let him. What do we care?"
Bloody fool, thought Tyrion. "Sweet sister," he explained patiently, "offend Tyrell and you offend Redwyne, Tarly, Rowan, and Hightower as well, and perhaps start them wondering whether Robb Stark might not be more accommodating of their desires."
"I will not have the rose and the direwolf in bed together," declared Lord Tywin. "We must forestall him."
"How?" asked Cersei.
"By marriage. Yours, to begin with."
It came so suddenly that Cersei could only stare for a moment. Then her cheeks reddened as if she had been slapped. "No. Not again. I will not."
"Sister, you are a young woman, still fair and fertile. Surely you cannot wish to spend the rest of your days alone? And a new marriage would put to rest this talk of incest for good and all." Loren said. Loren wanted to get rid of Cersei and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
"So long as you remain unwed, you allow Stannis to spread his disgusting slander," Lord Tywin told his daughter. "You must have a new husband in your bed, to father children on you."
"Three children is quite sufficient. I am Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, not a brood mare! The Queen Regent!"
"You are my daughter, and will do as I command."
She stood. "I will not sit here and listen to this—"
"You will if you wish to have any voice in the choice of your next husband," Lord Tywin said calmly.
When she hesitated, then sat, Tyrion knew she was lost, despite her loud declaration of, "I will not marry again!"
"You will marry and you will breed. Every child you birth makes Stannis more a liar." Their father's eyes seemed to pin her to her chair. "Mace Tyrell, Paxter Redwyne, and Doran Martell are wed to younger women likely to outlive them."
"No," Cersei said from between white lips. "No, no, no."
Tyrion could not quite suppress the grin that came to his lips at the thought of packing his sister off . Just when I was about to give up praying, some sweet god gives me this. But Loren laughed not caring for their sister a bit.
Lord Tywin went on. "Oberyn Martell might suit, but the Tyrells would take that very ill. So we must look to the sons. I assume you do not object to wedding a man younger than yourself?"
"I object to wedding any—"
"Ser Loras has taken the white and Ser Garlan is wed to one of the Fossoways, but there remains the eldest son, the boy they scheme to wed to Sansa Stark."
Willas Tyrell. Tyrion was taking a wicked pleasure in Cersei's helpless fury. "That would be the cripple," he said.
Their father chilled him with a look. "Willas is heir to Highgarden, and by all reports a mild and courtly young man, fond of reading books and looking at the stars. He has a passion for breeding animals as well, and owns the finest hounds, hawks, and horses in the Seven Kingdoms."
A perfect match, mused Tyrion. Cersei also has a passion for breeding. He pitied poor Willas Tyrell, and did not know whether he wanted to laugh at his sister or weep for her. His brother laughed at her but his father looked to now
"The Tyrell heir would be my choice," Lord Tywin concluded, "but if you would prefer another, I will hear your reasons."
"That is so very kind of you, Father," Cersei said with icy courtesy. "It is such a difficult choice you give me. I shall need a few days to consider. Do I have your leave to go?"
You are the queen, Tyrion wanted to tell her. He ought to be begging leave of you.
"No," their father said. "Stay we have another matter to discuss after this we shall talk again after you have composed yourself. Remember your duty."
She showed rage but yet in the end she will do as father bid. She had proved that with Robert. Though there is Jaime to consider. Their brother had been much younger when Cersei wed the first time; he might not acquiesce to a second marriage quite so easily. The unfortunate Willas Tyrell was like to contract a sudden fatal case of sword-through-bowels, which could rather sour the alliance between Highgarden and Casterly Rock. I should say something, but what? Pardon me, Father,but it's our brother she wants to marry?
"Loren."
His brother gave a resigned smile. "Do I hear the herald summoning me to the lists?"
"It is past time you were wed," Their father said without preamble. "I have given you many choices and much time but you refuse all the same. This time you will be wed whether you like it or not."
He could see Loren's tension building up inside him. "He wants you to wed Sansa Stark, brother."
"She is no more than a child, father." Loren argued but to no prevail.
"She is flowered," Cersei commented. "I assure you."
"Won't the Tyrells see this as a slight?" Loren asked. "After refusing so many times to wed Margaery."
"No, they won't," Tywin replied. "The marriage of Cersei and Willas will ease it significantly."
"See you will marry, bed and put a child on her." Lord Tywin said.
"His Grace the royal pustule has made Sansa's life a misery since the day her father died, and now that she is finally rid of Joffrey you propose to marry her to me. The man who killed her grandfather and his brother too. That seems singularly cruel. Even for you, Father." Loren addressed
"She has shown great affection on you brother," Tyrion tried to make his brother feel easier. "One day we were attacked by small folk and she cried out for your name when they started attacking her."
"If your purpose here is to keep her from the Tyrells, why not return her to her mother? Perhaps that would convince Robb Stark to bend the knee." Loren insisted.
Lord Tywin's look was scornful. "Send her to Riverrun and her mother will match her with a Blackwood or a Mallister to shore up her son's alliances along the Trident. Send her north, and she will be wed to some Manderly or Umber before the moon turns. Yet she is no less dangerous here at court, as this business with the Tyrells should prove. She must marry a Lannister, and soon. The man who weds Sansa Stark can claim Winterfell in her name and alongside you will have Casterly Rock after I die. You'll be the most powerful man in Westeros."
He couldn't believe what his father just said. Tywin's youngest son to be heir of Casterly Rock before his two sons. "I don't want to be the most powerful man in Westeros."
"How!" Her sister yelled after hearing their father. "How is the youngest son taking Casterly Rock?! The son who killed your wife and my mother!"
He saw Loren's face go from anger to sadness in the instant of the moment he heard those words. Loren felt guilt.
"Because he is my son!" Tywin yelled out in a manner in which he did rare at times. He turned and looked at Loren. "This is not a request. This is a command. And you will do your duty."
Just as Loren was to stand up. He saw Loren read a letter their father had wrote and all he could see on Loren's face was disgust and shock. Then he said. "Yes."
The precious look his father had when Loren agreed. It was a face he had never seen. Of shock. Even Tyrion had to admit he was shocked as anyone when he heard that word and his sister too. But his father's face said it all.
CunningSlytherin: Thank you very much for the kind words and about the typos english isn't my first language so I will always struggle with them.
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