Chapter Twelve

Visenya was eight when his younger uncle had left. She didn't remember much from that time, just that she liked playing around the uncle whose height matched hers. She remembered the time he had gotten her a tombs about Dragons, which she still treasured. Unlike his older brother and sister he loved reading books and talking about histories, like her. He was the one to tell her the histories of the three hills in king's landing. But her mother hated her younger brother. She had told Visenya to stay away from him, much to Visenya's dismay.

But now she was sitting beside her mother's estranged younger brother, smiling at his antics and stories. He still has not grown any taller from the last time she saw him. He was seated at the far end of the high table, to Visenya's left, in a feast that was in honor of his company.

From a small age she had learned that Lannisters and Targaryens despised anybody that was not a Lannister or Targaryen. Sometimes they even despised their own blood. Only she and Rhaenys were the only exception.

That was one of the reasons why she could understand her uncle's derogatory japes at his father, lord of Casterly rock.

He should be seated beside her father, the king, as was required, as he was the only one representing the sellsword company at the high table. The feast was announced hastily after her uncle had met her grandfather. From her uncle account of their meeting, it hadn't gone well.

How did he get Grandfather to throw a feast was beyond her.
He still had the Lannister cunning it seems, Visenya smiled at that.

At her side, her uncle had already started drinking from his flask, waving his small hand animatedly, as he described his meetings with her Mother and Grandfather, chuckling at his own jokes.

"Cersei looked at me as if she has seen a ghost, believe me; I have never seen your mother so frightened before. She must have given gold to the destitute in flee bottom-for the first time in her life, after she heard the news about my disappearance, mind you not for my safe return but for my death. I would not be surprised if she went to ask those beggars her gold back." His last words were accompanied by him raising his flask in Mother's direction, smirking at the spiteful glare mother threw him.

He continued, "As for your dear Grandfather, well I must say, two months travelling was nothing compared to that exhilarating exchange." Visenya was taken aback when she saw the almost wicked gleam in his uncle's eyes.

I never knew the extent of hatred was so deep in my mother's family.

Her thoughts about family brought her to the spot in the courtyard where she had witnessed the Stark siblings and Jon snow's banter a while earlier. She had felt jealous of their familiarity and love for each other.

And because she had never imagined to hear Lord stark's gruff laughter.

Would my Father have laugh, if Rhaenys, Aegon, Joffrey and I were in place of the stark children and Jon snow?

Did he ever laugh?

It didn't matter anyway; she knew it was only her wishful thinking. She and Rhaenys were close, even closer than Arya and Sansa but they would never show this side of themselves in front of others. Never mind Joffrey and Aegon. Those two couldn't stand the sight of each other.

Maybe this was the price of being the children of a king.

Then what about Jon snow?

What price did he pay?

Jon snow was seated closest to the door of the packed Great hall of winterfell. A seat farthest away from the raised table of the king. Winterfell's Great hall has the capacity to dine five hundred, but tonight close to six hundred filled the five long tables. The middle table was for the sellswords men, women and children. Instead of sitting at the head of the table, as she expected, Jon had chosen the other end for his place.

While the mercenary table was the most congested, its occupants didn't complaint much. On the other hand, there were lot of complaints and outburst from Westerlands and Reach lords. The noise of so many people was such that she could barely hear her uncle.

Her uncle was one of the most proficient men she had ever met for carrying out a funny conversation. He changed topics frequently but never losing the link between.

As her father had not arrived yet, so they had time, and it was not like she could talk with Joffrey, who was seated at her right.

Tyrion talked to her about his time in free cities of Essos. He asked her about her studies and the books she had read, especially asked about the recently tomes written by maester Marvin. The extensive library she had created and maintained in king's landing, which could rival the one in old town. He asked the state of the different kingdoms and the nature of recent petitioners. She was surprised to know her uncle had visited the Wall and had meet Aemon Targaryen, great-great uncle to her. He mentioned of owning several trades in Pentos and Braavos, even owning large Estates in Pentos and Volantis.

But if Visenya was right, then her uncle was also using his skills with tongue to actually measure her intelligence. She called that out to him, in reply he merely shrugged and told her that he wanted to see if there was at least one living Lannister 'other than myself' that was sensible enough to rule Westerlands. After she asked him if she had passes, he told her,

"Well, only if you could hold your wine."

Visenya liked her dwarf uncle. And she told him so,

"You are currently the most liked family member of mine."

"Not much competition, I believe. Depressed father, mad mother, cruel little brother, power-hungry older brother, promiscuous older sister, boastful elder uncle and not to forget the best of them all, the legacy driven grandfather. Seven Hells! some blood relatives you have got. No doubt you will like your dwarf uncle. At least you can look down upon him."

She had now become familiar with his self depreciating dwarf japes. She even liked them.

"No, I think I like you because you are little of everything. Depressed, mad, cruel, power hungry, promiscuous, boastful, legacy driven and not to mention clever like me. "She said the last part with a sweet smile gracing his lips.

He raised his flask in cheers toward me, the famous Lannister smirk on his face.

"Aye, not to forget, drunk!"

They both laughed as the king entered the hall, and the hall become silent. As her father sat on his chair, uncle Tyrion whispered in her ear.

"I don't think you have ever had Duck meat before. I had asked the king to allow our company's cooks to prepare some for the Lords here. I want them to fall in love with them. You see I own all the duck farms in Essos. A trader should never shy away from drawing attention to his goods." His subsequent grin was devilish.

The king started the feast, servants from king's landing and winterfell started pouring out from the kitchen doors carrying large plates filled with a cooked Ducks. He told her that the ducks were river birds, found in the banks of Rhoynar.

They smelled delicious, and they were adorned with foreign fruits and vegetables.

Various sounds of moaning and approval from all the Lords were heard throughout the hall as the aroma of inviting meat filled the great halls.

"Now, tell me Visenya what can make men forget all their differences and past. Without which there can be no peace around the world", Tyrion asked as the cooked Ducks were eyed with hunger. She answered,

"Meat"

"Just meat?"

Followed by the Duck, came servants carrying of flagons unknown white colored wine.

There was one thing about his small uncle, he had a big head and he knew how to use it.

She smiled knowingly at him and answered,

"You ask father for serving your wine, which, too, you own all throughout Essos. And because you were providing almost half the supplies needed for the feast, Grandfather had to honor it in your name. The lords will love your meat and wine, and then will buy it from you; all the while Grandfather would have to live knowing that he threw a feast for a Sell-sword company belonging to his dwarf Son."

This time Tyrion Lannister grinned with satisfaction.

Though his smile turned into a frown when, he saw that only three plates of ducks and three flagons of wine were kept on the table of the sellswords. In took some time for Visenya to register the meaning of this.

While the duck was in great amount, it was still not sufficient for six hundred men and women present at the hall. So with it, the Starks had provided boar and sheep meat with sweets, ale and bread.

But no such servings were put on the table Jon snow and his mercenary dined. She heard Joffrey tittering beside her, and just like that she knew.

Visenya Looked back on what her mother and Joffrey had said to her in private, after Jon snow had humiliated both of them in front of all the lords.

"I will show him the price of disrespect, and disobedience to the dragons and lions. He is sheep, and he will know his place as a sheep, as sheep is food for the lions. When the butcher provides too much fodder to the sheep, it becomes fat and lazy. It starts to get the wrong idea of its importance, starts to think itself a lion. So what does the butcher do? He starves it slowly, and then kills it. I will make the same fate falls on that wolf's bitch bastard." Cersei Lannister had said those words with malicious resolve.

At that time, Visenya had ignored her mother's pointless ranting, assuming she wouldn't act on her misgivings.

She shouldn't have.

Her mother got up from her seat at his father side in arrogance, smiling smugly.

"In the name of Rheagar Targaryen, king of Seven Kingdoms, I Cersei Targaryen, Queen of Seven Kingdoms, welcome my brother and his companions in Winterfell. We honor them with this feast."

She then turned towards uncle Tyrion, her face not hiding the scorn and disdain she felt for him. She has thrown off her mask.

"I thank my dear brother for his magnanimous and generous contribution in arranging this extravagant feast. As food is scarce in winterfell, Lady stark and I decided not to prepare extra food for our new guest, as they have excess of it. Though, we thank them for sharing it with us."

She threw another smug smile at Tyrion, turning her head towards the crowd, raising her hands towards them as if welcoming them, and announced proudly,

"Enjoy the feast"


Rhaenys glowered at Cersei, wishing to kill her with her glare alone. Mad women, does she even know what she is doing?

If she and that pious Lady stark wanted to exact revenge from Jon snow, couldn't they be little less blatant about it?

They couldn't even come up with a good reason to not serve them.
Just because Tyrion offered them some supplies, they don't need more food.

What a total horse shit!

Rhaenys in her time in King's landing had seen lords fight for petty rewards, arguing with their petty reasons; still she had never thought Cersei would fall to this level of pettiness. The Lannister and Tully women couldn't even think an acceptable reason to insult Jon snow and his men.

And after looking at Cersei's vane smile, Rhaenys wanted to carver her face in that manner. So she remembers this foolishness of her for the rest of her pathetic life.

Other than sound of Joffrey's chuckle, Silence had fallen in the overflowing Great hall of Winterfell. Nobody even tried to pick up their spoons.

Rhaenys saw Lord Stark whispering harshly to his wife, the intensity and urgency of his whispers increasing with every word. His face was the embodiment of fury. Besides him, Tywin was eyeing Cersei, keeping his stony face intact.

So, even the Great Lord Lannister didn't know of his daughter's stupid plan.

She waited for him to intervene, but the old, proud man kept his silence.

Rhaenys knew she can't expect anything from his brothers. Joffrey was enjoying this with delight, while Viserys and Dany were smiling.

Aegon looked irritated at the interruption, feigning boredom as usual.

I know you little brother, you fake boredom and irritation to show that you don't care for the Games we play, but this is all a show to cover up your insecurities and doubts.

But I fear for you brother, because you are wearing that dangerous mask for so long, I think eventually you will become like it.

An uncaring, indifferent, callous, inconsiderate man, Filled with an everlasting feeling of apathy.

Just like our father.

Rhaenys tried to catch his father's eyes, but it was a futile effort. He was gazing blankly towards nothingness, not even realizing what was happening in front of him. Rhaenys knew her father wouldn't even blink if an assassin drew a blade in front of him, or for the matter killed Rhaenys in front of him. He wouldn't even notice. She couldn't fathom to look at his face any longer.

Lord stark voice and anger had only increased; it seems the usually stoic lord had lost his patience for his wife. He had now clutched Catelyn arm, still trying to reason with her. She wanted to tell the Lord it was useless now to reprimand for wife now; instead he should focus on placating this situation.

The occupants of the sellsword table were looking quizzically between Jon snow and the raised table. Not completely understanding what Cersei had done.

Lord stark stopped when he heard Tyrion calling out to Cersei in a low voice. Probably feeling it was his mistake that allowed Cersei and Lady stark to plot this.

"Cersei, the women and children haven't eaten since we broke camp. Don't..." The small Lannister was interrupted by Joffrey.

"It is Queen Cersei for you, dwarf", sneered Joffrey.

That little shit…

Unfazed by his insult, Tyrion Lannister continued, this time facing towards the Lords and Ladies. The little Lannister raised his voice, making sure everybody could hear him.

"How would the Iron throne look like, if the men, women and children in whose honor this feast is, are kept unfed? Where is the Honor of Seven Kingdoms?" The small man nearly shouted the last words, his words filled with emotions.

At least there was one sound, sane Lannister alive.

The Northerners would not take this easily. Lord stark has given them guest rights. And northerners valued their guest right above all else. Keeping your Guest depraved of food was one of the greatest insults to the guest and the Old Gods. And then this was not any money hungry sellsword company, not having any sense of honor or dignity. These men here were not someone to take lightly.

This was not supposed to happen. You don't make allies like this. She had not planned to welcome them this way,
At least not by shamelessly starving them.

She saw the Kingsguard shifting with uneasiness behind her. Ser Arthur met her eyes for a fleeting moment, and turned his eyes away from shame.

It was the shame of not saving her father from himself.

She tried to reach his Father's eyes again and begged.

Please Father, say something. You can't always be in yourself. Get out from your mind.
Westeros is on the verge of collapsing again father, we need the Northerners, and we need this Sellswords.

But Rheagar Targaryen didn't even move.

And before Tyrion Lannister's words could rouse the Lords and Ladies present, Cersei spoke.

"As I told you 'little' brother, this is all the servings we have prepared."

The tolerance of Lord stark broke when he heard that, as he flew from his chair, the scrapping sound his chair jarred her. Lord Stark was on the verge of showing his full anger to her father when the doors of the Great hall were thrown open.