(King's Landing: 7/31/298 AC) Cersei I
"Where is he?" Cersei muttered to no one in particular, as she paced around her sumptuous chambers, all decorated in various shades of bloody reds and glittering golds. Red, silken, curtains swayed in the breeze, with the numerous candles swaying alongside them. The only hint of Baratheon influence were the dual banners of the dancing stag and lion, draped on either side of the entrance to her royal apartment. 'It's getting late,' she worried, making her way to the balcony and staring out, down towards the shit smelling city. She had dismissed her handmaidens an hour ago, after being unable to stand looking at them for another instant. 'Useless, they are all useless,' she thought. Her plan to get a rise out of Stannis' bitch had apparently failed, after she had received word of the whore arriving to their room several hours ago. In spite of this, she had received no news of Jaime, and it grew troublesome, until she heard a knock at her chamber door. She spun on her heels, and patted herself down to flatten her dress. "Yes?"
"Ser Jaime Lannister, your grace," stated Godwyn, one of her Lannister guardsmen.
"Let him in," she answered, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. The door creaked open, revealing her beautiful, beloved brother.
"Your grace," he bowed, flashing his handsome smile. "If it would not be too much of a request, I should like to speak with my sister."
"Of course," she replied, eyeing Godwyn, "leave us." Her Lannister guardsmen brought his fist to his chest, bowed, and retreated back through the door, shutting it after himself.
The moment the door shut, Jaime began to walk towards her, and a part of her wanted to fall into his arms, but she had more pressing concerns. "What happened?" she demanded, causing Jaime to stop dead in his tracks, a slight smile still at his lips.
"Nothing. She did not take the bait, but she seemed to have wanted me to think she had," her brother replied, gazing at her. "Azula Baratheon is a warrior, no doubt about that. Had I been less experienced in battle I may have missed the subtle changes in her stance. Her control was almost perfect, but she was not getting ready to strike at me. She was preparing to defend Stark."
"So she sees Stark as an ally, as she had Jon Arryn?" she questioned, pacing around her small dining table, tracing the designs across its surface. 'The plan had been simple, enrage the bitch, and have her attack Jaime. With all of the witnesses, he would have been within his rights to strike her down for attacking a member of the Kingsguard, thus removing that particular thorn from my side. Simple, and yet it failed,' Cersei thought in contempt.
"It is almost a certainty, as her position is dependent on Stannis' own, and Stannis position is less than Lord Paramount," Jaime answered.
"She is fishing for allies," Cersei noted, "and if Jon Arryn suspected the truth, then surely she and Stannis do as well?"
"Perhaps," Jaime answered, the frustration evident in his voice. She knew why he had really come, but she needed this done with. "They had never been seen speaking together save for the few times in court, but Arryn's topics of discussion had always been the same. Asking after Stannis' children, the fleet, and the academy. Nothing out of the ordinary. Only once was Jon Arryn rumored to have been speaking of fostering his son on Dragonstone, but that never amounted to anything, seeing as he died shortly thereafter."
"She knows something, Jaime," she whispered menacingly. "It was no mere coincidence that she was waiting outside of the broken tower. I can feel it."
"Perhaps you are overthinking it, sweet sister? It is entirely possible that she really knows nothing, and pursuing her in this regard may alert her to something," he stated, walking over to the fruit bowl atop the small dining table. He procured a few purple arbor grapes, and popped them into his mouth.
"I am not overthinking it!" she hissed, moving to sit down on her gilded chair. "I am Queen, and I cannot leave anything to chance."
"Azula was never seen accompanying Jon Arryn, during his investigations, into Robert's bastards. Neither was Stannis, for that matter," Jaime whispered harshly. "Lord Arryn was alone."
"I know, Varys said as much, but still…" her voice trailed off before snapping back into focus. "Father should have just let her die when he had the chance."
"You know why he didn't?" Jaime questioned.
"A Lannister always pays their debts," she replied with the popular Lannister phrase, often confused for their house words.
"Exactly, what else could father have done? Her assistance prevented the fires at Lannisport from engulfing the entire town. Hundreds had been spared, and had she not arrived with her soldiers to put out the flames, then it would have cost father far more to repair, than it otherwise would have been. Not to mention, how she had allowed her friend, Ty Lee, to establish a small recovery area for treating the wounded. The Bronze statue, the people of Lannisport erected for them, still remains you know?"
"Yes," she grumbled, glaring at her beloved, "a wonderful tribute to the bitch and her whore friend. But my point still stands, father should have let her die. Just that once he should have set his own pride aside and let her claw and thrash her way into a much needed early grave." She saw her brother preparing to respond before she nearly screamed at him, "She hates father, and she hates our family! Father, of all people, should know this! Especially after he convinced Jon Arryn to encourage Robert into granting Stannis Dragonstone instead of Storm's End!"
"She has yet to show any sort of animosity towards us for that presumed slight. She could have left Lannisport to burn, and moved on to crush the Ironborn with Stannis, but she did not. If she had hated us as much as you claim, then Lannisport would've been left to becoming a smoking ruin. I love you sweet sister, but what evidence makes you so certain that she is working against us, that she knows?"
"I don't need any evidence! I know because it is what I would do," she rubbed at her temples, on the verge of dismissing Jaime out of frustration, before another knock sounded at her door. "What is it?!" she snapped.
"Grand Maester Pycelle, your grace," stated Godwyn, apprehensively.
"Come in," she answered, lowering her hands to her lap. As the door creaked open, she heard the rattling of Pycelle's chain.
"Oh! Your grace," he mumbled, crooking forward to bow, before seeing Jaime, "I did not know you had company, I can return later if you wish?"
Pycelle had begun to hobble his way out of her chambers. "No! Stay, and deliver your report," she commanded, wishing to know what had occurred during Ned Stark's first council meeting.
"As you command, your grace," the old man glanced towards her brother, before grunting as he slowly shuffled towards her.
"What was discussed during the small council meeting?"
"Well, your grace, Commander Slynt's replacement, and the Hand's tourney, were what the council placed its energy into discussing. As well as the status of the Crowned Fleet, and the new 'Empire Class Battleship,' the Lady Azula is having built on Dragonstone. The current financial standing of the royal treasury, also held some interest for Lord Stark."
"Slynt's replacement," she stated plainly, "Has anyone put forth a name?" 'I need someone loyal to me, maybe Vylarr or Ser Ilyn, perhaps Jaime if possible, before the others cast their own ideas on who would best fill the position,' she thought.
"Lords Stannis and Renly have put forth the name of the Commander of the Dragonstone household guard the Lady Azula brought with her, Commander Lee," he muttered. "Both of them have even offered to fill the vacancies, left by deceased city watch officers, with some of their own men from Dragonstone and Storm's End. Both claimed that the city watch needed to be comprised of men whose loyalty to the king could not be swayed with coin. Lord Baelish seemed to have taken offense to the statement."
"Of course he did," she scoffed, "What did Stark say?"
"The Lord Hand," Pycelle shifted uncomfortably, "was open to the suggestion for Commander Lee, upon meeting the man. As for the vacancies, he agreed, wholeheartedly."
She felt Jaime lower himself to whisper into her ear, "We should write to father, and request more Lannister guards."
"He will want a reason," she whispered back, "and the only reason we can give him cannot be delivered by raven. It will need to be delivered personally."
She heard Pycelle clear his throat, "As for the Hand's Tourney, Lord Stark has suspended all talk of it, until he spoke with his Grace, King Robert. He claimed it put undue strain on the treasury that the crown could not afford, especially with the royal debt nearing five million."
"How much of the debt is owed to my father?" she questioned.
"I believe Lord Baelish spoke of a figure somewhere in the vicinity of two million?"
"And the rest?" she asked, her beloved shifting at her side.
"One million to the Iron Bank, and," he stuttered, sneering as he spoke, "two million to the Temple of the Lord of Light in Volantis."
"The Red temple," she growled. "Why in the seven hells, does that bloody cult follow that woman?"
"I am unsure, your grace," Pycelle babbled, seemingly disturbed by the question, before he scoffed. "Those fanatics are dangerous, and they cannot be trusted."
'Yes they are, and their loyalty to her seems unshakeable,' she thought in irritation. Cersei rose from her seat, causing both Jaime and the Grand Maester to straighten themselves. "You are dismissed, Grand Maester. I will speak with my brother alone."
"As you command, your Grace," the old maester bent forwards as much as he could in a poor attempt at a bow. As he slowly made his way to the door, Cersei called out, "Godwyn!"
"Yes, your Grace?" answered Godwyn, as he opened the door. "Please see the Grand Maester out, and make sure he does not lose his way."
Godwyn bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Shall I post someone at the door?"
"No need, I have the best swordsman in Westeros protecting me," she stated, causing Jaime to perk up slightly.
"As you command, your Grace," he replied, reaching out a hand to help steady Pycelle.
"Oh thank you, young man," Pycelle reached for his arm and both saw themselves out, shutting the entryway behind them.
As soon as the door shut, she felt him place his hand on the curve of her back. Her passion nearly overcame her anger and annoyance. "Not now!"
She heard him sigh in exasperation, "Must you tempt me so?"
"We cannot be distracted," she felt his strong hands take her by the waist, as he kissed the base of her neck. "Gods damn you Jaime Lannister," she uttered halfheartedly, before turning around and placing her lips fully against his. "We must be quick," she said through labored breaths, "we need to select someone to send word to father."
"Don't worry, my love," Jaime touched and kissed her with such passion and hunger, that she could almost believe that nothing else mattered. "Father will get word of our need for more guards," he stated, as he lifted her up and carried her towards her bed.
