A/N: And we're back! Sorry for the cliffhanger next time, but this should alleviate that some what. Though who am I kidding, you all who have read my stuff before know what you signed up for. Enjoy!
Chapter 13: Blood Loss
It relieved Cersei to return home from the Charity Ball with no scandal. Joffrey had behaved well enough for the time he was there, and Jaime had handled himself admirably despite all the pestering questions. It seemed even her father was satisfied with how things had gone. At least, he seemed satisfied in his own way.
The only real scandal came from the one who wasn't at the gala. Tyrion was likely still throwing his lavish party, wasting his money again. And to make matters worse, her daughter had gone to the party. Cersei wouldn't have given her permission if she had asked, and Myrcella had probably known that. But if she thought she could keep that a secret, she had been mistaken.
At least her bodyguard is with her, she thought. Still, someone had to do something about Tyrion.
"Are you really going to let him keep doing this?" she asked her father as they passed through the front hall and into the parlor.
"Tyrion wants to provoke a reaction from me," Tywin said. "I refuse to give him one. I've cut him off from the family funds. He'll burn through his money, eventually. Then he'll either crawl back begging for forgiveness or learn to live a simple life. And we know which option he'll choose. He doesn't know how to live without wealth."
"He invests, you know," Cersei said. "He is making money."
"Not enough to last forever," Tywin said. "Probably not even enough to last a few years."
"And until then he continues to cause a scandal," Cersei said. "I thought we were worried about that."
Tywin turned to face her, resting a hand on the grand piano at the far side of the room "No scandal Tyrion causes is anything new. And scandals blow over eventually. You should know that well enough."
Cersei didn't know if he meant the words to sting but they did, as harshly as a slap to the face. Her jaw went taut. "Seven hells... are you ever going to let that go? Almost two decades later, and you still bring it up."
"I'm not bring anything up," he said.
"Aren't you?" Cersei asked. "Jaime and Tyrion do nothing for this company while I work for its future every day. You'd think that would be worth something to you. Maybe a few less passive aggressive reminders about my little mistake."
"This has nothing to do that," Tywin said, feigning ignorance. "You're the one dwelling."
"Right. Of course I am." She strode over to the decanter on the table next to one of the long couches. There was something in it, thank the gods. She didn't care what it was as she poured it into her glass.
"You've had enough to drink tonight," Tywin said firmly, and that tone only made her want the drink more.
"Don't worry, Father." Cersei spun to face him, raising her glass. "If I cause any problems, it will blow over."
She stalked from the room before he had time to retort.
Tywin Lannister had a memory that stretched back until the beginning of time. Her Uncle Kevan used to say that her father's favor, once lost, could never be reclaimed. No matter how much penance they did, he would never truly forget.
And she knew that to be true. He had never really forgiven her one mistake.
She was eighteen when she found herself pregnant with Joffrey, the result of a secret relationship with Robert Baratheon who was over a decade her senior. Or at least, she was pretty sure it was Robert's child, but she couldn't be sure. There had been others at the time, who Cersei had long forgotten. But she said it was Robert's because how could she possibly admit she didn't know? That would have only made the whole thing worse.
When the scandal came to light, her father had practically paid Robert to marry her in order to lessen the stain on the Lannister family name. Cersei did not want to marry him. She knew from the short time she had been with Robert that he would not be a good husband or father. But the possibility of Lannister investment in his company seduced Robert and he had agreed. Cersei had agreed as well, believing she had no other choice.
It was the pressure from her father that made her give in. Because she had made a mistake and she was trying to earn back his favor. So she went through that sham of a marriage for the next ten years and endured Robert's affairs and growing alcoholism and verbal abuse. And once she put herself through law school, she divorced him. She wrote the terms herself. The papers said 'she took everything' in the split and painted her as a villain for it. After all, Robert had a sterling image in the eyes of the press. He was so charming to them. Cersei simply had to be the bad guy.
Cersei didn't care. Her children were free, and she was free and she was more than happy to play their villain. She ended up working for the Lannister Corporation while her brothers ducked responsibility and she did everything—every single thing—to please the great Tywin Lannister.
He rarely told her he was pleased. But he did not miss an opportunity to remind her of her shame. And really, she shouldn't have been surprised.
She hated him for it some days. Forcing the marriage for the sake of the family image when she was too young to fight back. It was a terrible thing to hate someone and want their approval at the same time.
She was halfway across the front hall when her phone rang. She sighed, fishing it from her purse to check. It was Myrcella. She put on a neutral expression and answered.
"Myrcella? Are you coming home soon-"
"Mother? Mother are you there?"
Her daughter's voice was frantic and Cersei's eyes widened.
"Myrcella, what's wrong?"
"Someone... shot Phillip," she gasped out.
Cersei's glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the marble floor, sending glass bits scattering everywhere. "What?"
"They were trying to shoot me. But then Beth shot them and now she's hurt and she won't go to a hospital." Myrcella was crying. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"It's all right, calm down," Cersei said, even though it was not all right. Someone had tried to hurt her daughter. "Who tried to shoot you? Did you recognize them?"
Her father had come out of the parlor now, having heard the glass shatter. There were questions in his eyes but she waved him away, trying to focus on her daughter's voice.
"I don't know who it was," Myrcella said. "I-I think he's dead now. I think Beth got him but..." The phone shifted and the voice changed.
"Ms. Lannister." Beth's voice came through the phone. "We're nearly at the house. Five minutes. Myrcella isn't hurt. I wasn't able to take the assailant alive and I don't know if there are more of them to question, but I can give you the address if you want to send a security team."
For a girl so young, her voice was shockingly calm. "Send Clegane the address when you hang up. Then get back here as fast as you can," Cersei said.
"Yes, ma'am," Beth said. Then the phone clicked off.
"What happened?" Tywin asked.
"Someone tried to kill Myrcella. That's what happened," Cersei found it hard to breathe in that moment and she had to brace herself on the banister. "Fuck."
"She's all right?" Tywin asked.
"According to her bodyguard, yes." Cersei took a deep breath. Calm. She had to be calm. Myrcella was fine. She was almost home. "I'll... I'll handle Myrcella. Can you…?"
"I'll talk to security," Tywin finished. There were some moments she could count on her father. Crisis situations were among those moments. "Make sure Myrcella is safe and get whatever you can from the bodyguard."
Cersei nodded, hurrying toward the front door. Anger and fear burned through her in equal parts. The assassin was lucky he was dead.
Because otherwise, she would have made him regret being born.
The blood loss was getting to Arya. She felt dizzy as she finally pulled the car up in front of the house and turned off the engine. She was aware of Myrcella hopping out and rushing into her mother's arms. She knew she should get out of the car as well, but she was... exhausted and her limbs felt heavy.
A moment later, the driver's side door opened and Arya let her head lull to the side so she could look up at Cersei Lannister.
"Seven hells. Where did they shoot you?"
"The arm. It's just... a deep graze," Arya murmured.
"I'll call an ambulance," Cersei said.
"No," Arya muttered. "No, please. No ambulance. Just... I can take care of it myself if you have the tools. Needle and thread I mean. I don't need... an ambulance."
Cersei studied her for a long while and Arya realized how suspicious that sounded. At least Beth also had reason to avoid hospitals. Beth did not want to run into her abusive family again, and a hospital was too much of a risk.
Beth. I'm Beth. I have to be Beth.
"All right. No ambulance," Cersei said. "But you won't take care of it yourself. We have a private doctor. I'll wake him."
Arya nodded once and eased herself out of the car. Her legs wobbled as she stood. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a much weaker girl. Black spots danced across her vision and she sank to her knees.
"Beth?" Myrcella said frantically. "Beth."
"I'm fine," she murmured. "I'm just..."
She didn't manage anymore words before she lost consciousness.
Arya jolted awake when something pricked her skin, reaching immediately for where she usually kept her gun. She did not find it. Someone had taken it from her and she would have to fight.
"It's all right, Miss Rivers," a voice said. She blinked hard and her vision focused on a man she did not recognize. "It's all right. You're safe. You're in good hands." He held up a needle. "I've nearly finished stitching you up."
"... Oh," Arya managed. Right. Rivers. She was Beth Rivers. "Thank you. I'm sorry." She studied him. "Who are you?"
"My name is Qyburn. I'm the private doctor for the Lannister family," the man said. "And the reason you aren't at a hospital."
"Thank you," Arya said hoarsely.
"Is there a reason you wanted to avoid a hospital Miss Rivers?"
Cersei's voice at the end of the table startled her. She hadn't seen her lurking in the shadows.
"I..." she swallowed hard. Beth. Remember Beth. "Yes. I don't want to make it any easier for my parents to find me... ma'am."
"And why is that?" Cersei asked.
"My father and I... did not get along," Beth said. "There were physical altercations. I ran away from home at sixteen. I try to avoid him."
"Is that why you wear color contacts?" Cersei asked.
A shiver went through Arya. Shit. Qyburn must have seen as he was treating her. She wondered if he had noticed her wig too. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry if that was... dishonest of me. I'm just trying to stay safe." She glanced around. "Myrcella. Is she all right?"
"Yes, she's all right. Shaken, but unhurt," Cersei said. "I have you to thank for that. I asked if you were willing to kill a man if the situation called for it. You said you were willing, and you didn't lie."
"No, ma'am," Beth said. "I am sorry I couldn't bring him in alive for questioning."
"I'll excuse it this time," Cersei said. "Myrcella wasn't able to tell me much about what happened. She was too frantic. I hoped you might know more."
"Not much more," Beth said. "We were on the way back to the car from a party. The assailant fired two shots. One hit Phillip in the head and one hit me in the arm. I got Myrcella behind the car, we exchanged fire, and I shot him twice in the chest. I didn't stop to check the body because I was worried there might be more, so I got in the car with Myrcella and drove here as fast as I could. That's the most I know."
"It wasn't someone from the party then?" Cersei asked. "No one you recognized?"
"No. And I think they came from the street not the party," Beth said. "I'm not sure of motives. I'm sorry."
"It could be a random attack I suppose," Qyburn said, finishing the stitches on Beth's arm. "She wouldn't be the first victim of a murder in King's Landing."
"Yes, but if it wasn't random, that's the issue," Cersei said. "If someone intentionally targeted Myrcella, they could target the rest of our family as well."
"The killer might have something on him that gives him away," Beth said. "Did security pick up his body?"
"Yes."
Arya jumped as Tywin Lannister appeared in the doorway. He was scrutinizing her and felt a flash of fear go through her. Was her disguise still askew? Would he see past it now that she was off her guard?
"The team found the body and brought it back," Tywin continued, stepping fully into the room. "They're searching it now for any hints as to the killer's motives. We'll know soon I'm sure." He looked from Arya to Qyburn. "Any serious injuries?"
"No. Just a good deal of blood loss. But I've stitched her up." Qyburn looked at Arya. "Plenty of fluids for the next few days, Miss Rivers. You'll need it to recover your strength."
She nodded once, not taking her eyes off of Tywin. He was still studying her and it made her feel like he was peeling away her mask with his gaze.
He can't know, she told herself. He's just suspicious because of what happened tonight. It's impossible that he knows.
"You have my thanks for protecting my granddaughter, Miss Rivers," Tywin said. "You'll stay here tonight. I wouldn't ask you to drive yourself home in this state."
"I wouldn't want to impose, sir," Arya murmured.
"Seven hells, girl," Cersei said, standing from her seat. "Take the offer. You've been shot saving Myrcella's life. It's not an imposition."
"No," Tywin agreed. "Consider it a paid debt."
Hairs rose on the back of Arya's neck at those words. This hadn't been the first time a debt had been paid between them. She had paid the last one. He was paying this one. But the way he spoke just then it was almost as if he remembered the last time she was in his office, returning a few coppers and an umbrella.
It's impossible, she thought. Mother did not recognize me tonight. Tywin Lannister certainly won't.
"All right," Arya said at last, letting herself fade back into Beth. "Thank you. Truly." She slid off the table. "I am exhausted."
"I'll have a maid show you to a room," Cersei said opening the door for her. Beth gave her a nod and shuffled out of the room.
She tried to ignore the fact that Tywin was still watching.
Cersei instructed a maid to show Beth Rivers to one of the guest rooms and returned at once to find her father and Doctor Qyburn talking.
"-quite a few scars on her body," Qyburn was saying. "So I see no reason to question her abusive father story. It fits with her reluctance to go to the hospital and with her disguise. However, some wounds are more recent. Too recent to come from her father, especially if she hasn't seen him in years."
"Hmm." Tywin looked to Cersei. "Was she able to give you anything useful about the gunman and their motives?"
"No. But she has also lost a lot of blood," Cersei said. "I'll question her again tomorrow once she's had rest."
"No need," Tywin said. "I'll question her myself. I have quite a lot to ask her and not just about the incident tonight."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cersei asked.
"Just a suspicion," he said. "I think she has a few more secrets to tell."
Arya checked her phone before trying to sleep, looking as usual, for orders. Instead, there was only a single short text from Jaqen. Only two words.
Well done.
A shiver went through Arya. He already knew what had happened. Which meant they were watching. From where? From the party? The street? She didn't know. But it was a subtle warning that she was never alone.
The Faceless Men had eyes everywhere, and if she failed, they would know.
A/N: Suspicious Tywin is suspicious. And there will be a long convo between them next chapter, so it should be fun. Hope you liked the action as well as the update to Cersei's story in the modern day. Review, subscribe and I'll see you next time!