The rest of the week was gloriously uneventful. Although he was not excused from work, Tyrion made a point of spending every evening with Sansa in their rooms. They had had a blissful few nights just getting to know each other on a deeper level. He had described Casterly Rock to her before, but now that it might be her future home, she took much more interest than she had before. She loved Tyrion's descriptions of the salty, warm air and the glorious architecture of his ancestral home. It seemed like what she had always dreamed of as a child. She remembered the expectations she had had coming south-about the grand castles and the elegant court... The shock of finding a rancid city and the vulture-like lords and ladies had been disappointing to say the least. But Tyrion's image of the Rock and Lannisport were much more in tune to what she had always dreamed of.
Sansa had gotten spoiled by the solitude she had been allowed this week, but she wasn't surprised when at the end she received an invitation from Margaery for tea and a demand from Cersei to join her to discuss Sansa's new role. She sent a penned note to her friend promising to see her soon and then dressed herself to visit with the queen. With a grimace she pulled on one of the Lannister crimson gowns Cersei had presented to her and sat in front of her vanity to have her hair pulled up into a southron nest. When she made her way to the queen's chambers she felt nothing like herself, though she was used to this disguise. She wasn't looking forward to another afternoon with the queen. She was honestly surprised to even get the summons considering how their last conversation went. Sansa had been hopeful that her demands to spend time with the queen would go unfulfilled. But here she was, on her way.
So to say she was delighted when she walked into the room and saw Margaery and a few Tyrell cousins would be an understatement. The joy Sansa was feeling at the extra company was clearly missing from Cersei's face. The golden queen looked beyond annoyed to be in the Tyrell's presence. Tyrion had told her that Lord Tywin was practically ordering Cersei to entertain the young queen-to-be and Sansa assumed that she had invited her this afternoon grudgingly.
Margaery rose instantly at Sansa's entrance with a large smile, moving forward to hug her friend. Over Margaery's shoulder, Sansa caught the queen's eyeroll. Cersei did not rise from her seat by the window and waited for Sansa to finish with the Tyrell girl before coming and paying her respects, sinking into a curtsy.
"Your grace" Sansa greeted and Cersei waved to the seat closer to her than the flock of roses.
"Tell me, Sansa. How is married life treating you?" Cersei spoke relatively quietly, but Margaery's sharp ears heard and she moved closer to the pair, grinning happily.
"Yes, Lady Sansa, how are you and Lord Tyrion getting on?" Margaery plopped down on the end of Cersei's couch much to the queen's annoyance. Cersei had aggravation clear on her face at the interruption, but said nothing.
Sansa smiled at her friend. "We are doing well, thank you." She remembered that Cersei had sent her the ointment they had spoken of and although the bottle remained unopened, she allowed her eyes to go downcast as she thanked the queen for her help.
"Of course, little dove. Keep it. You'll have need of it again." Cersei's face was for once unreadable as she stared at Sansa intently.
The tense moment lasted a few seconds before Margaery started peppering her with questions about her wedding night and the week that followed. Sansa did her best to be as vague as possible, claiming her modest upbringing for the lack of details. The queen stayed out of the conversation, just sitting there sipping her wine and watching the two ladies like a lion observing it's prey.
Sansa was eager to switch the spotlight off of her and Tyrion's physical relationship so she asked Margaery how she was getting along with the king.
"Oh he is so gallant!" Margaery sighed dramatically and Sansa saw Cersei's knuckles turn white on her goblet. "He has promised to take me hunting! Can you believe that? Me on a horse chasing down a stag!" The Tyrell women all chittered in laughter and Sansa gave a weak smile. Good for her, that Joffrey was still playing the gallant king. She had been grateful that the Tyrell's seemed to keep her outburst that first day in the gardens a secret. It would have been disastrous if they had cancelling the wedding. The Lannister's would have demanded to know why and if they discovered that Sansa had told them the truth about their king...she shuddered at the thought. "I am greatly looking forward to being his wife..." Margaery batted her eyelashes in feigned modesty. "And to be able to help those less fortunate as queen."
Now Cersei was practically seething, though she held herself together. "Yes. Joffrey tells me you stopped your carriage at Flea Bottom on your way back from the sept this morning. Gone to see some orphans?" The queen sneered at her, saying the word as if they were vermin.
"Yes. I paid a visit to an orphanage the High Septon told me about." Now she turned to Sansa. "You see I a great deal of work with the poor back in Highgarden and I'm eager to bring that mentality to Kings Landing. The lowest among us are no different from the highest if you give them a chance and approach them with an open heart."
"An open heart is what you'll get in Flea Bottom if you're not careful, my dear." Cersei snarled. "Not long ago, we were attacked by a mob there. We had a full complement of guards that didn't stop them." Sansa winced at the memory and how close she had gotten to The Stranger. If it hadn't been for Tyrion and Sandor, she would have been raped and probably murdered. Margaery was brave to face that willingly. Suddenly cold, Sansa pulled her shawl a little tighter around her shoulders. Cersei picked up on the movement and a catlike grin came over her features. "We all barely escaped with our lives, didn't we little dove?"
Margaery took in Sansa's fearful gaze and frowned, taking her friend's hand. "Hunger turns men into beasts." She said soothingly. "I'm glad House Tyrell has been able to help in this regard." Now she turned to Cersei and they matched eyes calculatingly. "They tell me 100 wagons arrive daily now from the Reach. Wheat, barley, apples. We've had a blessed harvest. And, of course, it's our duty to assist the capital in time of need. I'm well versed in these kinds of charitable work. I know what I'm doing." She squeezed Sansa's hand comfortingly, winking at her.
"I'm sure you do..." Cersei growled out, draining her cup in one gulp.