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Chapter 7
Jamie Lannister stole through the winding, crowded streets of the city. His grubby clothes, matted unwashed hair, and the slump of his shoulders ensured not a second glance was spared. He lead them to a unpopulated side entrance of the castle. Neither he or his Northern guard wanted the publicity of the main gate. The men saw him safely into the castle, and then took their leave. He didn't blame them for not wanting to linger. Even with the truce, there was a history of tension between the North and South.
It had taken a bit to persuade the sentries that he was who he said he was, but they were finally swayed by his sword— which would not have belonged to a common man— and the threat of the Lannister name. Once inside, his first course of action was to find Maester Pycelle. After all that he had endured, it would be a shame to succumb to infection now. Without the clink of his tell-tale armor he was able to reach his destination unnoticed.
Medically cleared, and finally looking court presentable, he had no further excuses to delay finding Cersei any longer. Standing still was impossible as he waited for her to grant him entrance to her chambers. He didn't know how he'd be received after his long absence, nor did he look forward to telling her about his injury. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he was admitted to her room.
"Jamie." Was all he heard before a mass of golden hair filled his vision. He held her close, breathing in her scent. Finally they pulled back and studied one another.
"I'm sorry I took so long." He said finally. She shook her head.
"It doesn't matter, you're here now. At least some things can go back to normal." He tried not to wince at what she was implying, but didn't feel up to ruining her warm welcome now. There would be plenty of time for that later.
"What has changed since I've been away. How is father?" He pressed, hoping to change the subject. Cersei's face grew dark and she let go of him, opting to pace the room.
"It was just announced that not only will Joffrey be marrying the Tyrell whore, but our father is to take the Stark bitch as his wife." She snarled. He assumed by Tyrell his sister meant Margaery Tyrell, the eldest daughter of Highgarden, which in all fairness was a worthy match for the King, and a solid political move as well.
The news of their father would have surprised him greatly if he hadn't been the cause. He was sure his father would not be very happy to see him, blaming his own predicament on his son's inability to use his head properly and stay out of trouble. Now, he had ensured his Lord father's blessing to stay in the Kingsguard unless he wanted Westeros to replace Kingslayer with eunuch.
That was what you've always wanted isn't? He thought bitterly to himself. Jamie could have easily continued down the rabbit hole if Cersei's tirade hadn't interrupted his thoughts.
"Jamie you must come with me. Together we can bring father out of this madness, and put the Stark girl in her place once and for all." She grabbed his arm and made to walk out the door, but Jamie stopped. He was not so keen to see his father just yet.
"What are you doing?" Her surprise was quickly replaced with suspicion at his action.
"Unless you somehow helped this match. You were with Northmen for some time…" She trailed off, but Jamie shook himself.
"No." He said.
"You're right, let's go talk to father." Jamie decided it would be easier to have another witness during the reunion. He steeled himself for the next onslaught of unpleasantness and marched confidently out the door, not daring to look behind him to see if his sister was following.
Arya was prowling behind his desk. Her preferred spot when they were alone in the solar. She didn't want anyone storming in while her back was turned. Her close encounter with the assassin had increased her awareness of all her surroundings. The presence of Needle on her belt also did much to assuage her mind. For his part, Tywin didn't seem to mind his new shadow. She was quiet, and he often forgot she was there, and it gave him extra ears and eyes during meetings. He also found her presence seemed to set his visitors on edge. They rarely saw her at first glance, and her apparent materialization out of the shadows often startled them. And finally, as the future Lady of Casterly Rock now was the perfect time for her to learn how best to deal with these people, and Tywin would not settle for any other teacher than himself.
The Lord and future Lady were talking in low voices when the sound of two pairs of footsteps caught their attention. Their conversation stopped, and the door burst open to reveal an angry Cersei and a reluctant Jamie at her heels. Cersei swept into the middle of the room, breathing heavily from her walk to the tower. She glanced up and caught Arya's eye. Her face darkened and she took an angry step forward.
"What's she doing here?" She hissed. The sudden movement didn't sit well with Arya and she instinctually took a step forward, emerging from the shadow of the chair. She placed one hand on the hilt of her sword, and the other on the desk next to Tywin, as if staking her claim. Cersei stole a quick glance at her father who did nothing despite his close proximity to the girl. The anger and jealously rolled off Cersei in waves. Tywin's eyes bore into his daughters', not the least bit affected by her attempt at intimidation [4].
"I think the real question is, why was she not here in the first place?" His voice was cold, and Cersei had to do everything not to flinch. In her rage she'd forgotten that particular issue, and why she had been avoiding her father until now.
"Well she's here now, and the guards can take her away. There is no need for a Stark traitor here." Cersei said.
"My father was the traitor, as you like to remind everyone." Arya interjected, no longer able to keep quiet. Golden waves fanned out in anger as Cersei honed in on a new target.
"Yes, the oh so honorable Ned Stark turned out to be a traitor to the realm. How embarrassing." She sneered. The knuckles of Arya's hand went white, as she gripped the hilt of her sword.
"My father lived by honor, and he died for it, but I won't make the same mistake."
"Is that a threat?" Cersei asked, her tone mocking and her eyes full of contempt.
"A promise." Arya said darkly. Had anyone been studying Tywin's eyes they might have seen a flash of approval, but no one was looking and his face remained as stoic as ever.
Before the argument could go any further Tywin intervened, ordering his children to sit. Jamie calmly obliged, but Cersei stood there defiantly until she could no longer stand to hold her father's gaze. Finally, she relented and plopped down in the seat next to Jamie with an air of petulance.
"This marriage will go forward, and there is nothing you will do about it. After your son's mindless behavior, and Jamie's unfortunate condition I had no choice but to take it upon myself to make peace with the North and ensure the future of House Lannister. Neither of you have ever shown any desire to uphold the legacy, and I was a fool to think it would be different this time around." He glared at each of his children in turn.
Jamie was staring determinedly at his hands, but froze when his father mentioned his condition. It was the worst possible time for his injury to be brought up, and he cast a quick glance at his sister, wondering if she had caught on to the words. Cersei was glaring out the window. Much to Jamie's relief her next question proved she hadn't been listening to a word.
"Why do you give her a sword? A traitor and hostage shouldn't have weapons. She can't be trusted." Her childish comment made Tywin want to sigh, but years of discipline suppressed it.
"She has done more to prove herself than either of you; seeing the value and necessity of peace between our houses while you adamantly threw us into war." His voice had risen slightly, and even though it still wasn't much above normal levels it was the equivalent of a yell from Tywin Lannister.
"I'd like to see you try and control him." She muttered under her breath.
"I will." The absolute certainty in his voice drove Cersei over the edge, and she proceeded to storm out of the room. Jamie hastily stood up to chase after her, but stilled as his father called his name.
"I expect your condition to remain a secret; a rumor if it must." His tone held no malice, but it was an order all the same. Jamie didn't turn around, but his silence was acquiescence enough.
Endnote
4. The Lion's Share, Startwithsparks, Ch 2 (AO3)
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