In King's Landing, Cersei's problems had only grown. She would have given anything to be that innocent young girl at Casterly Rock longing to be like her brother again. Now, she was married with children of her own. But her children weren't Targaryens. Her husband wasn't even a Targaryen like she had expected. Of course, her father had tried. But the marriage hadn't worked out.
She didn't know what it would be like. It was possible she wouldn't be alive today if that was the case. Most of the Targaryens were dead. The ones that had survived were now in Essos. And she was queen of Westeros, married to Robert Baratheon. But a part of her wondered if she would have been happier with the Targaryens, even if it didn't last. There were things Robert had never understood. There were even things she couldn't tell him, partly because she knew he wouldn't understand.
And Jon Arryn had learned one of those things. Now, he was dead. Maybe it made her a bad person, but she couldn't help being relieved. Clearly, no one else had been told. So her family was safe, even if they were meant to travel to Winterfell.
the North. It was said to be very cold there. King's Landing wasn't the warmest place in Westeros, but she did prefer what warmth there was to the idea of snow and freezing temperatures. But as usual, Jaime seemed to know what was troubling her. "We'll be back before you know it. It's not like Robert's planning to move to Winterfell. We're just visiting."
Cersei sighed. "If my husband has to go up there, why can't he do it alone? Why do we all have to suffer?"
Jaime sighed. "Because this is about all of us. This is about the future of Westeros. It's not just a friendly visit."
Cersei frowned. "I've spent half my life worrying about the future of Westeros. When is someone going to worry about my wellbeing?"
Jaime smiled. "Tyrion and I will be there too. And the children. You won't be alone. You never are."
Cersei closed her eyes, slowly starting to calm. "I know. But sometimes it feels like I am. Don't pretend you don't feel it too." She knew he did. That was one reason the bond between them was so strong. They seemed to have so much, yet it sometimes didn't feel like any of it really mattered. Surely others felt it too. They couldn't possibly be the only ones could they?
