Chapter 8: Pity the Living
At dinner the next night, I sat beside Tommen as we were eating our food with Queen Cersei, Myrcella and Sansa. "When will Joffrey and Sansa be married?" Myrcella asked.
"Soon, darling," Cersei answered. "When the war is over."
"Mother says I'll have a new gown for the ceremony and another for the feast," Myrcella added. "But yours will be ivory since you're the bride."
"I bet those dresses would look beautiful on you, Myrcella," I added.
"Thanks, Lyra," she said. "The princess just spoke to you," Cersei said to Sansa.
"Pardon, your grace," Sansa said.
"Myrcella was telling us about her dresses," I said.
"I'm sure your dress will be beautiful, Myrcella," she said. "Lyra just said that," Cersei added, rudely.
"I mean pretty," Sansa said. "I'm counting the days until the fighting is done and I can pledge my love to the King in sight of the Gods."
"Is Joffrey going to kill Sansa's and Lyra's brother?" Tommen asked.
"He might," Cersei answered. "Would you like that?"
"No," he said. "I don't think so."
"Even if he does," Cersei said. "Both Sansa and Lyra will do their duty. Won't you, little doves?"
"I-Of course," I said.
"What duty?" Tommen asked.
"Sometimes you are so thick, Tommen," Myrcella said. "The betrothal between you and Lyra. It's still going to happen, isn't it, mother?"
"But that's years away," he said. "That's when we are both sixteen. We are both twelve now." I see Sansa get up from the table and walk out to go to her chambers.
"I hope you don't mind if I have more food," I added, grabbing the nearest apple. I turned to Cersei and asked, "Your grace, do you want one?"
"No thank you, my dear," she said. "Tell me, child, do you think your brother would die?"
"I don't know," I replied. "He has won too many fights between the Lannisters and the Baratheons."
"You are right, my dove," Cersei adds. "Perhaps there are battles that he may lose."
"Perhaps," I added.
I walked around the gardens taking my usual stroll during the day light hours when I heard someone talking. "My plan is to have Myrcella betrothed to Theon Greyjoy," it was Tyrion Lannister.
"Yes, my lord," someone else said.
"I also told some of the small council that I plan to take Myrcella to Robin Arryn," he said. "But my real plan is that I plan to have Myrcella betrothed to Trystane of House Martell." I felt myself holding back the tears as I walked back into my chambers.
I sat down on my bed as my handmaiden, Shailene came in. "What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
"Myrcella is leaving us," I added. "She's leaving to go to House Martell of Dorne. She's my best friend here and now she's leaving."
Shailene sighed and sits down on my bed as I hugged my pillow tightly. "You have plenty of friends here, my lady," she says. "Sansa, Tommen and I are your friends." "I hardly speak to Sansa anymore," I added. "Joffrey has pushed her away and I only speak to Tommen now." She hugs me as I started crying.
The next day, I walked the gardens with Shailene when Cersei walked towards us. She looked angry. "Your Grace, are you alright?" I asked.
"It's nothing of your concern, Lady Lyra," she answered.
"Please sit down," I said. "I'll get my handmaiden to get you some wine. Shailene, get the finest Arnor Wine for the queen."
"I prefer you over your sister - Sansa, Lyra," she whispered. "You aren't like your family."
"My family is with you now, your grace," I said. "You are my family whether Robb likes it or not."
"I see a lot of me in you, Lyra," she said. Shailene comes back with the wine."You have the Lannister spirit."
"What's wrong, your grace?" I asked. "I heard you were upset since the meeting between you and your brother, Tyrion."
"Tyrion has organised a betrothal between the youngest son of House Martell and Myrcella."
"I heard," I added. "I was walking in the gardens and I heard Tyrion saying that she would be sent to Dorne. It's unfair."
"She has to leave," she said.
"But I heard otherwise," I said. "Someone mention Theon Greyjoy and Robin Arryn."
"He is boosting about his lies about a prick," she said.
Over the next few days, I found myself helping Myrcella pack to go to Dorne. "I hope the next time we see each other again is at Sansa's and Joffrey's wedding," I said.
"Me too," she said. "I don't like this idea."
"Yet, Trystane Martell sounds horrible," I added.
"He is the same age as me," she said. "He may be nice."
"I'll miss you," I said as we packed the last of Myrcella's items.
"Me too," she said. We both hugged each other as I started crying.
I stood on the deck where Myrcella departs for Dorne. I stand with Tommen who was crying as the Septa wipes his tears away. I too start crying seeing Myrcella crying as well.
"May the seven guide the princess on her journey," the High Septon called out. "May the mother give her health. May the crone give her wisdom. May the warrior give her courage." I continued crying.
"You two sound like a little cat mewling for their mothers," Joffrey commented. "Princes and Ladies never cry."
"I saw you cry," Sansa said.
"Did you say something, my lady?" he asked.
"My little brother cried when we left Winterfell," she said.
"So?" he asked.
"It seems a normal thing," she said.
"Is your little brother a prince?" he asked.
"No," she said. "But you are making fun of Lyra crying."
"Of course I am," he said. "And I am the King so I'm allowed to. But my argument about my little brother crying is relevant. He shouldn't be crying."
We departed in a different direction than the King and Sansa. It was daunting because we heard fighting going on between the civilians and the King's Guards. We were lucky enough to miss the violence as we continued walking as soon as we got to the palace we went our separate ways.
"Do you want me to wait with you?" Tommen asked.
"You go on, Tommen," I said to Tommen. "I'll see you later." I suddenly see Sansa looking upset and covered in bruises.
"What happened?" I asked. "We went another way and we heard shouting."
"They tried to rape me," she answered.
"The King?" I asked.
"No the civilians," she added. "I don't like Joffrey anymore."
"I know," I said. "He treats you and I like servants."
"But he doesn't treat you like he treats me," she added. "He doesn't strip you down in front of the entire court. You are lucky, Lyra, your betrothal is nicer than my betrothal. Let's hope he makes a better king than Joffrey."
"I'll sleep in your chambers tonight, Sansa," I said. She nodded as I walked away into the gardens again.
That night, I sneaked inside Sansa's chambers and hopped into bed. "I miss Arya," I said.
"I miss her too," she said. We both eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, I awoke to find Sansa screaming and I see blood on her sheets. "You flowered, Sansa," I whispered. "Let's flip it over." I looked over to see Shae for her to help when we see my handmaiden – Shailene enter.
"Talk to her," I said. "She's bound to tell the Queen or Joffrey." We quickly got dress as Cersei entered. "She was scared," I said. "I made her comfortable." She nodded and sat down.
"Your mother might have prepared you," Cersei said. "You flowered, my dear. No more."
"My mother told me," Sansa added. "But I thought it would be different."
"In what way?" Cersei asked.
"I thought it would be less-less messy," Sansa added.
"Wait until you two bear a child," she added. "You are a woman now. Do you have any idea what that means?"
"I'm fit to bear children for the king," Sansa said.
"A prospect that once delighted you, bringing little princes and princesses into the world, the greatest honour for a queen," Cersei said. "Joffrey has always been difficult."
"You can say that again," I muttered under my breath. Cersei gives me a distasteful look.
"Even his birth, I laboured a day and a half to bring him into the world. I screamed so loudly, I was sure Robert would hear me in the Kingswood."
"His grace was not with you?" I asked.
"Robert was hunting," Cersei answered. "That was his custom. Whenever my time was near, my royal husband would flee to the trees with his huntsmen and his hounds. And when he returned, he would present me with some pelts or a stag's head and I would present him with a baby. Not that I wanted him there, mind you. I had Grand Maester Pycelle, an army of midwives and I had my brother. When they told Jamie he wasn't allowed in the birthing room, he smiled and asked which one of them proposed to keep him out. Joffrey will show you no such devotion. You may never love the King but you will love his children."
"I love his Grace with all my heart," Sansa added.
"That's so touching to hear," Cersei added. "Permit me to share some womanly wisdom with between you and your sister on this very special day. The more people you love, the more weaker you are. You'll do things for them that you know you shouldn't do. You'll act the fool to make them happy, to keep them safe. Love none but your children. On that front, a mother has no choice."
"I understand that, your grace," I said. "But Prince Tommen is much more caring than his older brother." "I agree with you, Lyra," Cersei added. "Tommen is a different case than Joffrey. You'll understand my womanly wisdom once you are of age." "But shouldn't I love Joffrey?" Sansa butted in. "You can try, little dove," Cersei said.
After much consideration and with the help of reviewers, I've decided to have Tommen live. Thank you to everyone that has made this choice easy.
As for this fanfic, I'll be writing a few more chapters for season 2 (two or three) then I'll write one chapter on season 3, around six chapters for season 4, six chapters for season 5 and seven chapters for season 6. I'll try to upload more on season 2 expect the chapters will be up soon probably in a week or so.
Anyway, remember to Fav and/or Review.
