I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire, or any of the characters. Those belong to the amazing George RR Martin.
"You will look so beautiful, my lady," said the seamstress, as she took a few steps back to watch her work. "The color green does favor you, and the golden Myrish lace goes beautifully with your hair. It fits you so perfectly. I believe I'll only ask the apprentice girl to cut up the sleeves..."
"Will it be ready on the morrow?" interrupted Joanna, watching herself with a critical eye on the polished silver glass before her.
"Certainly, my lady," assured the woman, nodding. "I'll bring it myself, as soon as it's ready."
"See that you do," said Joanna. "I mean to take this gown to Dorne, and if it's not ready by the time we leave..."
"Never, my lady!" said the woman, scandalized "I can assure you. Marya and her girls have never failed you, nor will we."
"Good" said Joanna "On the morrow, then."
"Yes, my lady." Joanna nodded, and the woman rushed to finish measuring the gown's last details. She kept babbling, but Joanna wasn't listening anymore. This woman Marya was always talking more than she should, buzzing in Joanna's ear like an annoying fat fly.
The seamstress was pinning needles into Joanna's long sleeves, when a guard announced the arrival of Lady Genna.
"Yes, yes, very pretty," said Genna, interrupting the guard. "She knows very well who I am, thank you very much. And next time you feel like yelling my name, recall that I am Genna Lannister. Frey is for my Lord husband, gods help us all." Joanna couldn't help but smile. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the seamstress. The woman hurried to take the unfinished gown off Joanna, folding it carefully before leaving the nursery.
"Oh, Joanna," said Genna as she climbed down the little tabouret the seamstress used to measure her. "Dear cousin, it gladdens my heart to see you so well," said Genna, taking Joanna's hands into her own. She kissed both her cheeks, and stared at her. "When I first heard how much you struggled to bring little Tyrion into the world, I lit seven candles to the Mother and asked her to spare you. For the children, yes, and for Tywin and house Lannister, but for me and for the realm as well. I do not dare to imagine what would happen to our family if we lost you, my good sister."
"The Mother heard your prayers." Though she took a price as well. Joanna took her embroidered nightgown, and put it on with her cousin's help. "Oh, Genna, you can't imagine how much I needed you."
"Yes, we need a very long talk before you leave for Sunspear," agreed Genna, before turning her head. "But before, where is this nephew I haven't met yet? They tell me you spend most of your days in here, taking care of little Tyrion. Well, I suppose that if you go as far as making the seamstress to come to the nursery to attend you, that part at least must be true."
"I like to have him close to me," said Joanna. "Especially now, that I'll have to leave him while I'm in Dorne." Genna gave her a suspicious look, before walking to the little cradle.
"Yes, I thought as much," said Genna, moving the little curtains that covered the cradle aside. "When Tywin's letter arrived to the Twins, he only mentioned he needed me at The Rock to look after Cersei and your new wards, but he made no mention of Tyrion." She bent over and picked the child up carefully to avoid waking him up. "Yet I thought, 'How could Joanna take Tyrion on such a long voyage?' I knew you would not risk your child's life at open sea, so I gathered I would be looking after Tyrion as well." Joanna stood silent. She had thought of taking Tyrion to Dorne anyway, despite Tywin's orders. What could Tywin do? Lock her away? But a few nights before, Creylen made her come back to her senses.
"He's just a little boy, my lady, a child who hasn't even seen his second nameday," said the maester, rubbing his hands nerviously. "He's strong now, but why would you want to defy the gods like that? What if he catches a chill, or some sailor's disease? After all the pain you suffered to bring him to the world, please my lady, do not risk the child's life."
And please, do not risk Lord Tywin's wrath.
Against all her instincts, Joanna agreed to leave Tyrion at the Rock with the wetnurse, who would look after the child under the careful eye of the maester. Nevertheless, it soothed her heart to know that Genna would be taking care of her son as well.
"So, this is Tyrion Lannister," said Genna, bringing back Joanna from her thoughts. "Second born son of Lady Joanna and Lord Tywin of Casterly Rock."
"Second born, and last," said Joanna, sitting on the window bench beside Tyrion's cradle. "According to Creylen, at least." Genna gave her an odd stare, and sighed.
"Well, three children is more than enough, I believe. Two boys, besides, and a girl who promises to outshine the sun," said Genna kindly. She sat in the cushioned chair in front of Joanna, caressing Tyrion's white hair. "How did my brother take it?" she asked, meeting Joanna's face.
"I... I do not know anymore," said Joanna, massaging her temple. "He has grown cold, but so much has happened..." She stopped herself, unwilling to let her tears come. She took a deep breath before she found her tongue. "He's angry with the gods, and with me, for Tyrion. I think he believed he would die, and when he refused..." a sad smile came unbidden to her lips. "Maybe he'll come back to his senses in a few moon turns." Genna sighed.
"Let us pray he does. He loves you dearly, we all know it." Tyrion started to grunt, moving in his aunt's arms. "But he can be as stubborn as a mule. Just give him time, Joanna." Tyrion woke up with a cry, moving his little arms willfully. "Looks like my nephew is looking for his momma." She gave the child to Joanna, who started to murmur a lullaby to him.
"Well, at least your boy will have a cousin of his age to play with." Genna slapped her belly, and gave Joanna a meaningful look. "My Lord Husband managed to get me with child again. He gets bolder when he's at the Twins, you see," she rolled her eyes, and Joanna laughed. "Dear Emmon, he even insist we share a bedchamber, though I'm not quite sure if that's his idea. It stinks of Lord Walder if you ask me. Oh, he prays for another boy, of course, to play with little Cleos, but I'm not sure if it's fair to keep popping Freys into the world."
"The queen is with child as well," said Joanna. And Tywin prays for a boy as well, so he can sell our daughter to Aerys' son.
"That I did not know," said Genna, staring at Joanna suspiciously. "And Lord Walder is one of the most gossipy men I've ever met. How did you know? Are you in touch with the queen again?"
"You know I don't. Not since she dismissed me." Tyrion kept crying, so she began to walk around the nursery, to sooth him "It was Loree she told."
"The Dornish princess. Of course," agreed Genna. "Where is she now? I thought I would find her here, with you."
"Gerion took her and the children hawking," informed Joanna. When Gerion proposed the expedition to Loreza, she had been worried about leaving Cersei alone with the other children, but there was no way to give Jaime permission and deny it to Cersei, so she could only prayed Cersei would behave herself. Tyrion's cries became louder, as he moved restless in his mother's arms.
"Give the child to me, Joanna. If I'm going to take care of him for the next moon turns, he better get used to his Auntie Genna." She took Tyrion from her mother's arms. The child's anxiety was palpable.
"Momma," babbled Tyrion, extending his little arms to Joanna.
"Hush, love," said Genna, flattening the child's white hair. "Leave your mother to rest." Joanna smiled, as the mismatched eyes of her son studied Genna's face warily. "And tell me, good sister," continued Genna, "who are these girls, Cersei's new companions?"
"Melara Hetherspoon and Jeyne Farman," said Joanna "Jeyne is the only daughter of Lord Farman, of Fair Island. And Melara is the youngest daughter of Ser Tybolt Hetherspoon."
"Ser Tybolt?" asked Genna. "The fool with the spoon on his coat of arms?"
"A landed knight," corrected Joanna. Genna clacked her tongue.
"Only an idiot would make a spoon his sigil, if you ask me. What good is a spoon, especially if your little title demands you to be a warrior? But I guess it doesn't matter how foolish your sigil is, when you are a girl. And two girls are better than none. They'll keep our little lioness occupied, and make sure she doesn't miss Jaime that much." Joanna felt her stomach turning. "And how on earth did you manage to convince Tywin to send Jaime away?"
"Prince Lewin agreed to take him as his squire," said Joanna quickly. "He has never taken a squire before, and he's a great knight. Tywin should feel honored." Genna laughed.
"My brother, honored? He probably believes Prince Lewin is the one who should feel honored." Joanna smiled despite herself. Tyrion grew restless in Genna's arms, trying to kick her to get to the floor. "Can he walk?" asked Genna.
"Whenever he feels like it, with a little help still," said Joanna. Her cousin put the child on the carpet, and he immediately crawled to his wooden blocks. "But he mostly crawls. Creylen says it may take longer for him to walk without aid." Genna sighed.
"And his wits?" she asked.
"Is too soon to know," said Joanna, tossing her golden braid aside. "But Creylen assures me that the child does not show any sign of being simple."
"Thank the gods," said Genna, watching her nephew trying to built a tower with his painted wooden blocks. "When do you leave?" she asked, softly.
"In a couple of days, so we can reach Sunspear in time for Doran's wedding. We are to follow Nymeria's Star, on the Lady Rohanne. And Tygett is to come with us, as well as a few men-at-arms."
"That will break little Darlessa's heart, to be sure," mocked Genna, making Joanna smile again. Darlessa often seemed terrified of his betrothal's ferocious nature. Not that Tygett cared; unlike Kevan's deep affection for his little wife, Tygett did not seem to even notice his young betrothed. Joanna suspected that it wasn't because he wasn't pleased with Darlessa, but because Tywin arranged the betrothal without consulting him. And it will not matter. In the end, we all dance to Tywin's tune. Genna sighed again. "But that can't be helped. We all have our duties to House Lannister, as she will learn, and the sooner, the better."
As we all did.
Hi there! This one took a little longer, but with my finals and thesis, writing has proved, unfortunately, to be a real challenge. Anyway, I hope you like it.
I want to thank the wonderful Mimette, who has been an invaluable help with this story . Again, thanks for reading, your comments and kudos are always appreciated.