The courtyard was chaos. The gardens that had only hours ago held a wedding feast were now crawling with Lannister guards. Wedding guests were crying and screaming in protest, held against their will by the crimson soldiers and at the very center of the mayhem was the queen. Cersei never looked more of a lioness, screaming orders, red faced, and fierce. For half a moment, Tyrion stood, shocked at the scene before him, but then the lioness' eagle eyes narrowed in on him. He watched her face glaze over with fury as she pointed a shaky finger at him.
"You...You vile creature...you MURDERER!" Tyrion watched, helpless as she descended towards him, guards following threateningly. She was practically foaming at the mouth, spitting poison as her voice rose, as well as her palm before it collided with his cheek, sending him reeling.
"Cersei!" Their father caught her wrist before she could strike him again and yanked her away. "You will control yourself immediately." He growled thrusting his crazed daughter into Jaime's arms (he had come running at the commotion), who did what he could to contain her.
"Take him!" she screamed wildly towards the guards as she struggled in her brother's grasp. "Take him!" The few guards who had followed her down the steps faltered, stepping forward to do her bidding, but shrinking away when Tywin glared at them.
"They will do no such thing, Cersei. Your brother was not even here when Joffrey was poisoned. He had been gone for over an hour."
"Joffrey is dead?" Tyrion sputtered, equally shocked by the turn of events as he was that his father had defended him.
"Nearly so." Tywin snarled, motioning Jaime to drag Cersei away before she made even more of a scene.
"You told me, you monster!" She shrieked as she was pulled away. "You promised me! That when I was safe and happy, my joy would turn to ashes in my mouth! That I would know the debt is paid! You murdered my son! Kinslayer!" Her accusations rang though the crowd and Tyrion paled.
He could not deny that he hated the boy. They had never had a good relationship, but any sense of familial love had evaporated when Joffrey had tried to rape his wife. But he would never have murdered him! He was Jaime's son. And as complicated as he and Cersei's relationship was, Joffrey was her son as well. The words she was parroting back to him had been spoken in cold anger. She had been so smug, so cruel in how she had tormented and threatened him and he had succeeded in ruining that confidence. But he would never murder her child-even one as rabid as Joffrey.
Once the threat of the queen was eliminated, Tyrion tried to focus. "Nearly so?" he questioned his father, who looked grim.
"Poisoned. Pycelle is with him now, though we shall see if he lives. I doubt he'll have his wits even if he does survive. The poison blocked his airways-the boy was blue when he was carted out of the gardens. Only time will tell"
"And you think me innocent?" Tyrion couldn't help but be suspicious of his father's defense. He would think Tywin would jump at the opportunity to get rid of him once and for all. An accusation of regicide would be a permanent fix to his dwarf problem. But Tywin just fixed him with a hard glare.
"Your sister is quite distraught and knows not what she says. She first accused the Tyrells, now you. I was quick to quiet her then and I am quick to do it now. She shames the Lannister family throwing around baseless accusations as she does. I will not have it said that we are warring against each other. I am sure we will discover the true culprit. You will remain in King's Landing until then. I doubt your wife will object now that ...the threat is gone."
Tyrion's blood turned to ice at the chilling description of his father's recollection. No matter how mad, Joffrey was his grandchild...his first grandchild! He shuddered, reminded without a doubt that Tywin saw them all as chess pieces to move around at will. But he couldn't help also feeling a wave of relief, knowing that Sansa was finally safe. If Joffrey did survive, his brain would be muddled. Tyrion remembered a stable boy from the Rock who had all but drowned. When deprived of air, the brain rots. Joffrey would never hurt Sansa again.
"If I have your leave, I would go and inform my wife of these developments." Tywin nodded, flicking his hand in dismissal as he returned his attention to the guards.
He made his way back to his chambers, collecting Bronn and Chella from the confused, captive party guests. He waddled back to his wife, wondering how he was going to tell her that her biggest tormentor lay on his death bed. He knew he should have some semblance of pity for the boy, but knew he did not. Joffrey had been a monster and the realm would be better suited without him. And Sansa...perhaps with time her nightmares would cease and her smiles would become more frequent. Perhaps fear wouldn't rule her as it did now. He thought back to the kiss they had shared in the gardens. It was completely unprompted by him-her choice and her's only. The passion and tenderness that had passed between them had been real and Tyrion was greatly looking forward to seeing her open up to him more and more. He would never pressure her to do anything she did not explicitly ask for, but he couldn't help but want her. He wanted to comfort her, to hear her laugh. He wanted her to come, willingly, to bring him her joys and her sorrows and her lust. He wanted a true marriage of love with her and for the first time since he informed her of his father's demands, he dared hope she wanted the same.
It was with this optimism that he rounded the corner, only to freeze when he saw their door ajar.
"Sansa?" He stepped forward hesitantly, pushing the door open. But she was not there. "Sansa?!" he called, a bit louder. "I told her not to open the door for anyone..." He murmured, motioning his companions to spread out and look.
"Half-man..." Chella called from down the hall, holding something up. Tyrion quickly waddled closer, his heart sinking as he recognized the scrap of torn fabric in her hands.
Sansa...
A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the new chapter-hoping to get the next one out in a bit of a shorter time. I feel it necessary to have Tywin change a few things in history as I think the character that GRRM created would not let so much go. He would reign Cersei and Joffrey in. Also, keep in mind in my story, he believes Tyrion has obeyed him (and will continue to obey him) by consummating his marriage. He has everything to gain (*Winterfell*) by keeping Tyrion safe. But anyway, please read and review!
