"I'll push harder, don't you bother. Try your best. You can't destroy me."- Indestructible, Britt Nicole
IX. LUCIA
Jaime Lannister was waiting for her outside the dinning hall that evening. Luce's hands fisted in her dark blue skirts and she glared at the man. "What do you want?" she hissed as he offered her his arm.
"Just humor me," he said and Luce froze because he sounded like an odd mixture between happiness, depression, and something that was almost worry. It was more emotion than she had heard in his voice since she had met him.
"Fine," she said and took his arm. She noticed immediately that Queen Cersei was glaring at her. She narrowed grey eyes at the woman until the queen looked away. "Your sister doesn't like me," she told Jaime.
"Hates you," he corrected absently, pulling out her chair for her and sending a glare in Cersei's direction. "And wants to kill you."
"She's welcome to try," Luce responded coolly as he slipped into the seat next to her.
"My sister can kill when it suits her," he warned.
"So can I," she said calmly. "A lioness is fierce but in the north nothing rivals a direwolf."
"But you won't be in the north long," Jaime returned. Lucia had nothing to say to that for a long moment, wondering if he was trying to scare her.
"I'll just have to start carrying a knife then," she said at last and Jaime let out a sigh.
"I didn't mean it like that," he informed her. "I was trying to suggest that we build up some kind of trust before I drag you south." Lucia cracked her first smile since she had met the knight, wondering if she hadn't misjudged him.
"I'll endeavor not to hate you quite so obviously then," she said dryly and she saw Jaime Lannister smirk. Robb and Jon both shot her questioning looks across the room and Lucia smirked at them. "My brother and cousin are questioning whether or not they should come save me as soon as the meal is finished," she informed him, feeling more like herself for the first time in days.
"I don't believe they like me," Jaime said in an unworried tone and Luce had to bite down a laugh. So he could be charming if he wanted to be.
"Neither does Theon," she returned. "He suggested I pray in the godwood for lightning to strike you dead."
"Did you?" he asked.
"No," she said, smirking slightly. "Though I might start praying that it kills your sister."
"Feel free," Jaime said, shooting another glare at Cersei. That made Lucia wonder what exactly was going on between the twins. She knew better than to ask though. Jaime had just begun being civil to her and she didn't want to ruin that by bringing up the conflict with his sister which so obviously had brought about his change of heart. Instead she began to eat, not sure what else to say. There were several long minutes of silence before either spoke again. "I thought we would spend a little time at court before going to Casterly Rock," Jaime told her. "It would give you a chance to see your uncle and cousins settled in before you would have to leave them."
"Thank you," Lucia said, her voice soft and almost choked with emotion. She didn't love Jaime Lannister but she knew at that moment that she could fall in love with him. If he didn't regress to his normal arrogant self by the next morning.
"It's settled then," Jaime said as they both pushed their plates away. "Care to dance?" Several tables had been pushed aside in the center of the hall now and people were twirling about. Lucia saw Sansa dancing with Prince Joffery and Arya was being polite enough to dance with Prince Tommen. Robb whirled Princess Myrcella about and there were several other couples strewn about.
"I suppose we must," she said with a sigh, standing and taking his hand. "It is expected of us."
"You don't enjoy it?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and leading her to the dance floor.
"The only thing about this that I will enjoy is that it will provoke your sister," Lucia admitted honestly. "I have no use for dancing. It doesn't win wars." She and Jaime completed the dance in silence and then Robb took her hand, whirling her about the dance floor. Theon was next and then Jon last, as always. Once she had finished with the dancing, the worst part of formal celebrations in her opinion, she turned to find her way back to Jaime as was expected of her. Instead she found herself face to face with Cersei.
"I don't know what game you are playing little girl but you will lose," Cersei snarled. Luce simply stared into the Queen's eyes as Shadow drifted over to her, lip curled in a silent snarl.
"Don't be so sure," Lucia said coldly. Then she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room leaving a coldly furious Cersei Lannister behind.
