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Chapter 10

News of Lyanna's kidnapping spread fast. Cersei and Jaime were having breakfast when the news reached them. Their father stayed put for a second and immediately went to his solar. Tyrion came to her drawing room. Jaime was by her side. They were discussing Tyrion's upcoming name day feast.

"What would you like for your name day Tyrion?" Cersei asked him as they ate some fruit.

He shrugged, "whatever is good." He said and then looked at them curiously.

"Prince Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna Stark. I heard father say that something is going to happen."

Cersei was not surprised. She kept quiet and wondered why it was not her. She busied herself with Casterly Rock. There were rumors that the King asked had imprisoned Brandon Stark and his companions. They were accused of conspiring to kill the crown prince. She also heard that King Aerys asked for their lord father to answer for their sons' crimes.

Father stayed away from conflict. Cersei thought it wise to do so. She remembered how unhinged the King could be. She remembered how the king had Ilyn Payne's tongue cut off after the man joked that her father was the real king.

Cersei combed her long hair one night and was distracted when father burst into the room. "Get dressed. "We have company."

Cersei frowned and did not have time to fix her hair. She wore a dark blue dress and came down with Tyrion who looked sleepy. Jaime was already glaring at the party who was with their father. Cersei recognized the Stark man and the Stormlord but did not recognize the young woman, and the two older men.

"My daughter Cersei and my youngest son Tyrion." Their father said as introduction.

The Stark man looked at her quickly and then looked away.

"These are Hoster Tully and Jon Arryn." Her father said pointed to the two older men.

"You met Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon in Harrenhal." Their father continued. "Cersei and Jaime are to marry Eddard and Lysa tonight." Her father spoke softly.

Cersei frowned. She looked at Jaime and saw it in his eyes. It was done. It was true. She would not have any say in the matter. Not that anything that she said ever counted. She was powerless in all of it. Cersei refused to cry. She refused to let these strange men see her weak.

Tyrion frowned, "Why?"

It was Arryn who spoke, "Jaime, Eddard and Robert are to take back King's Landing and find Lyanna."

Father chose a side after all. Cersei did not once look at her betrothed. "Cersei, take Lysa to the guest quarters. You both most wash and freshen up for the ceremony."

Cersei walked in a daze and led the girl outside the study. Tyrion was not allowed to go with them. Lysa began to cry in earnest when they reached the rooms.

"I do not want to marry your brother. I want to go home." The simple girl sobbed. Cersei looked at her with disgust.

"You are lucky to have landed my brother." Cersei said quickly.

The redheaded girl frowned, "it is all Cat's fault. She should have waited. Brandon and her should have waited. She got herself with child and is now North. I hope her babe dies."

Cersei looked at her, "what are you saying?"

Lysa looked at her, "you don't know. Brandon and Rickard Stark are dead. The king killed them a week ago. Brandon insisted they married before he and his father answered summons from the King. But I know why. Cat did not have her moon-blood. She's with child and now she's North." The girl was demented.

Cersei left her crying and went to her own chambers. Jaime waited for her there. "Is it true? Are the other Starks dead?"

Jaime nodded, "he's making alliances and bargaining your dowry as we speak."

Cersei paced. "Where is Tyrion?"

Jaime could not quite look at her in the eyes. "They are sending him away after the ceremony. He will be fostered in the Eyrie with the Royces."

Cersei cried then, "why is he doing this? Why is he taking Tyrion away from me?"

Jaime held her, "you mustn't cry. It will ruin your face for the ceremony."

Cersei hit him on the chest, "why are you so accepting of all of this?"

Jaime looked at her, "Tyrion will come back. I agreed to marry Lysa with only one condition. I will have Tyrion by my side, always. He knows that I do not have the head to run the Rock but Tyrion does."

Cersei realized it, Tyrion would need to know how to run lands. "He could have stayed here."

Jaime frowned, "you know very well that father would not stand for it. So Tyrion will go to the Eyrie and learn for a year. He will then come back to me. He will be the lord of Casterly Rock."

Cersei frowned, "what about your children?"

Jaime smiled at her, "I do not plan to have any children with that girl. Father has to die eventually. Tyrion will be ready and I will go away."

"What if father lives to be so old like Walder Frey?" Cersei stated.

Jaime kissed her forehead, "why must you always be so negative?"

Cersei looked down, "what about me? I will have to marry a stranger."

Jaime grabbed her hand and squeezed, "Cersei, you were always going to marry a stranger."

Cersei looked away, "you will stay here until the war ends. Father and Stark have agreed." Jaime said as consolation. Cersei half smiled. He did not understand. How could he? It was not the same for him. Jaime and even Tyrion got to stay. They got some control over their lives even with father being father. Cersei was bargained and sold to a man she never properly met.

She was numb with rage when the handmaidens began their work. A new girl worked on her hair. She put oils to untangle it and work with it. Cersei chose a golden dress while the new girl put emeralds on her braids.

"M'lady, you look beautiful." Cersei did not say anything and waited until she was called. She could not think about Rhaegar anymore. She cried for him since she was a child. It would not do anymore. It simply could not anymore. It felt like she repeated those words over and over and now they would be true. They had to become true.

Her father entered her chambers. He held a heavy red cloak with a golden lion emblazoned.

He looked at her and put it on. His father then looked at her and kissed her forehead.

There were no more words spoken. Father's bet did not pay off and he finally admitted defeat. He aligned himself with the winners. It was self-preservation. What Jaime did not understand was that father knew that the Targaryens were done. It would be Baratheon. He would sit on that throne with Lyanna by his side. What father did not know was that Lyanna would not sit quietly.

Cersei looked at her father once more and decided to be quiet. She was tired of it and wanted this day to be over.

Father grabbed her hand and led her to the sept. "The North is the biggest kingdom out of the seven. Your husband is to inherit."

"Catelyn Tully is with child." Cersei replied. "Why are you giving me away to a second son?"

Her father looked at her quietly, "my hand is forced. I will not give you to a vassal house. You are my daughter."

"Why would I need to be given away?" Cersei said.

Her father looked impossibly old then, "they saw you with him coming out of the forest. Your brothers confirmed it. I will not have a nasty rumor end your possibilities."

Cersei remained quiet. "You will stay with me until Eddard comes back from King's Landing. You will go North with him afterwards."

"What about Catelyn and her child?" Cersei asked.

"Children die every day. The Tully girl is rather sick with grief herself. She may do us all a favor and die with the child inside her belly." Her father intoned before they stepped into the sept.

That was the game he played now. He would take care of Catelyn and make way for Eddard.

Cersei stared blankly at him. It would not do. She would not go North.