Disclaimer: Game of Thrones is D&D's property, after being GRRM's property. Or else, Lancel would be the happiest kid in Westeros, should it be mine.
Summary: Lancel's wife had a secret, a heavy cross to bear. Lancel would not let her be crushed by any burden ever again.
Author's note: A huge thank you to Assassin Master Ezio 91 who helped in making the chapter guide and in brainstorming with me !
Author's note 2: English isn't my first language, it's french. If you see any mistake or issue with the language, feel free to tell me so that I can improve.
WARNING! THIS FANFICTION CONTAINS MATURE THEMES SUCH AS SEXUALITY AND ABUSE. IF THESE TRIGGER YOU, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS FANFICTION. THANK YOU.
Lost and found
Chapter 10
"Thanks again, Dad." Lancel said as they waited for the trial to begin
"This is the sixth time you thank me, Lancel. We'll be fine. We have a case they can hardly counter." Kevan replied
Amerei was sitting next to her husband, clearly stressed, wanting the day to be over. She was feeling so many emotions at the same time she wondered how she did not crumble. She was feeling pain at the idea of her child hurt, of seeing her after so long. She was feeling anger, desires of murder, hope, fear... Kevan was confident, they indeed had all the good cards in hand, they had a great lawyer, but Life could be so unfair her child could be taken away, back to her abuser.
What if the room Lancel had prepared, for the case of her arrival home, was to be empty as useless? She couldn't fill it herself.
She wondered how her parents-in-law felt about all of this. She knew she had won them over years ago. All that mattered to them was that she genuinely made Lancel happy, which she did. But what were they thinking now? Their first son was to raise a child born from one of the most common porn plot in History. Because he loved her. How did they feel about that? Did they regret trusting her? Did they believe her silence was a trick from her part to get married to Lancel? A known sexual past was one thing, its result another.
She felt Lancel's hand taking hers, gently clasping it, to give her hope. She still couldn't believe he had done all of that, for selfless reasons.
The judge and her court appeared, it was about to begin.
XXXXX
Amerei had fought back her tears when she saw her baby girl in the witnesses' box. Lancel hadn't lied to her, she was her spitting image. To her, she was perfection incarnate. She thought of all the years they had lost and it broke her heart.
"What is your name, little one?" The judge kindly asked
"I have no name."
"Surely you do."
"No. Mrs Grendal says a brat like me doesn't need one."
The court had gasped. Then, the judge asked her to tell her what her foster mother did to her. The child obeyed, like she had been groomed to: never a lie. She didn't go to school, her clothes were old ones, she had leftovers from the table if there were ones. She made the beds, took off the bad weeds in the garden, not wearing a hat in summer while doing so, she scrubbed the floors, dustied. She had no toys, sleeping in the attic on a rug, spiders keeping her company. Amerei felt her heart breaking and could see the outrage in her husband's eyes.
Soon, it was Mrs Grendal's time to speak. To her credit, she didn't deny what the child had said. But to Amerei's dismay, it was natural for her to have a child clean while she enjoyed. Children were a pain and exhausting, so if she could take an advantage here and there...
"And besides, I'm not all that black in that matter. That Lancel over there offered to buy her from me. Thrice the price I paid plus all the expenses I had to do in four years. If my friends are guilty of child market, so is he."
Lancel didn't even budge. Amerei's parents had been the most unrepentant. They had no regards for the pains they inflicted on their daughter or their granddaughter. Amerei was a slut and they had handled her mistakes, going as far as providing a place for the brat she had bore. They were the true victims, good parents cleaning the mess of their irresponsible child.
Amerei was then invited to share her story. She revealed all the abuse she had suffered from her parents. While she swore they had never hit her or her siblings, they always put them down, insulted them, made them feel unwanted, pretending their lost siblings would have been the perfect children. She explained her sexual past. She explained her pregnancy and how it went: locked away at home as soon as it could be seen, with the bare necessities, her sisters forbidden to talk to her, her desire to keep her child violated, how she had to physically fight, while expecting, to avoid a forced abortion, how she had starved herself, afraid they had put moon tea or another product in her food to make her lose her child, how they didn't even let her hold her baby. Her sisters backed her up on everything, adding details,, the story thickening and sickening everyone around.
Lancel was invited to talk as well. He explained how his wife opened up to him after a talk they had about having children together, how this awful birth might have had damaged her ability to bear or even conceive a child. He continued, detailling how he came up with the idea of finding the baby. His goal at first was to simply know his status and gender, so his wife could at ease with herself. When he had seen her child was alive but unwell, he had decided to act.
"Is it true you offered to buy the child back?" The judge asked him
He didn't deny it.
"And why?"
"Because my priority was to get my stepdaughter away from that toxic place as soon as possible. If it had allowed her to reunite with her mother that very day, I would have seize my chance."
Amerei felt a small warmth in her heart. His stepdaughter... Lancel actually considered having her child as his own.
"And what would you have done after buying the child?"
"Filling all the legal paperwork to declare her alive, with a name, an address and all the justifications my sister-in-law had managed to provide me to explain such a gap between birth and registration."
"You know you could be punished for admitting to the desire to buy a human being?"
"I'd gladly take it. My goal here isn't to be whitewashed. It's for this little girl to be in a safer place."
The judge sighed. Lancel's move had been a risky one, borderline illegal, but considering what he had intended to do, the child's situation and the fact that he had been truthful all along, going as far as exposing what was happening, made her decide to not raise any issue. It had been done to save a child from a confirmed abusive area. She had to order silence as Merrett and Mariya were complaining Marissa had stolen from them and wasn't even questioned about it. The jury left and quickly gave their verdict:
Lancel Lannister wasn't to be punished for his try to buy the child away from her abuser. He had done all he could and they actually would have considered him non doing it as not helping someone in a clearly dangerous situation.
Merrett and Mariya Frey were to be jailed for 25 years for child abuse and human traffic. They also had to pay almost their entire saving to their eldest daughter.
Alayne Grendall was to be jailed for 35 years for child abuse, human and child slavery.
Amerei's child was to be given back to her biological mother and her stepfather, as both had made their desire to raise the child clear. Their dedication and concerns about her were genuine.
The child was to be named by her mother and paperwork filled within a month. Police officer Brienne of Tarth, known for being just and honest, was to go to their home regulary to check upon the child's wellfare.
Amerei could scarcely believe it. They had won. Lancel had won. She was to raise her child, like she had always wanted. The child was a bit scared of Brienne. However, Jaime went to her, knelt, asking sweetly if she wanted to see her mommy. She had smiled, nodded, taking his hand.
"Are you my mommy?" She asked
Amerei nodded, with tears in her eyes.
"These people, they were bad? They took me from you?"
"Yes, they did. I always wanted to have you with me."
Amerei could swear on the Seven Gods that this was one of the best days in her life, once her daughter was hugging her, holding her near her heart.
"You remember Lancel, Honey? He is my husband."
"Hello, Mister Lannister." The child replied
"You can call me Lancel, if you want." He smiled
"You're a grown up. I can't call grown ups by their names."
XXXXX
Dorna was waiting for them at Lancel's home, with boxes filled with Janei's old but wornable clothes. It was late and she had went as far as preparing dinner for the little family. She immediately fell in love with her step-granddaughter and she could tell Kevan had taken a liking on the child as well.
"What is her name?" She asked
"Well, we asked her how she felt about some names. She loved one in particular." Lancel replied
Dorna could see how Lancel was already loving this child, that this little one had her stepfather wrapped around her finger already, as he looked fondly upon the sleeping girl.
"Her name is Ashleigh. For now, she has my maiden name, as she was born while I was unmarried." Amerei said
"Ashleigh Frey, then. It's really cute." Dorna approved
"Actually, she has a second name." Her daughter-in-law added
The older woman was all ears.
"Ashleigh Dorna Frey." Lancel revealed
Dorna had small tears of joy in her eyes and nodded. Lancel put the girl to bed and his parents left.
Amerei spent a sleepless night, sitting in her daughter's room, amazed at this sight:
Her baby was alive and she was with her, like it should have always been.
To Be Continued