Shona liked to visit the rookery in her free time. She spent many a bored morning helping to feed the ravens. She sent messages to her mother, father, and brothers almost daily at first, but switched to weekly as to not cause annoyance to them. She had been homesick for months, but it grew better the longer she spent in King's Landing amongst new friends. Her days were seldom busy due to Margaery constantly wedding planning with her grandmother. The day was growing close and the capital was booming with preparation. Nobles from all over westeros had come to King's Landing to watch Joffrey wed his bride. The merchants had finally caught a break when the crowds came through, looking for food and valuables. Margaery had made preparations with the fishmongers to feed her thousand wedding guests. They would dine on the finest fish, oysters, and clams come the day and Shona grew eager. After all, she had never attended a wedding of the magnitude in which Margaery's was to be. It was already being dubbed the greatest festivities Westeros had ever seen.
Shona had wrote home to her mother and was walking back to her chambers from the rookery when one of Cersei's appointed maids, Nolene, announced that Lord Lannister's steward had delivered a large wrapped gift inside. She opened the wooden box, already knowing what was housed inside. She chuckled and fingered the strings of the new harp. This harp, however, was superior to the one her grandfather had given her. The dark wood glimmered with golden roses, each painstakingly painted onto its surface. The strings were golden as well, though Shona could not tell if it were real gold or painted to resemble such opulence. Tyrion Lannister had paid his debt twice over, it seemed. I cannot accept this, she thought, it is much too costly.
"Nolene," she started as she headed for her desk, laden with parchment and quills. She wrote a few words in her neat script atop the paper and handed it to the waiting girl, "please give this to Lord Tyrion at once. See that he reads it as quickly as possible."
The girl curtsied before Shona and left the room with hurried steps. Her mistress settled down onto her chaise and consulted the platter seated on the table before her. Cheeses, both hard and soft, black bread, crusty white bread, honey and olive oil speckled with spicy peppers for dipping. Fruits of various varieties. Even a whole ham, which was marbled with fat. For dessert, a towering crystal platter piled high with cherry tarts and decadent chocolate cakes garnished with mint. The sight made her mouth water, but she waited patiently for the knock to sound at her door.
"Do come in," she called out. She adjusted her dress around her ankles, making sure it had not rose up to reveal the shift underneath. The door opened and Tyrion entered. His hair was the usual tousled mess she had grown so used to him sporting. His eyes were even more unnerving than usual, as they appeared bloodshot in the afternoon light trickling in from the glass paned double doors which led forth onto the shaded balcony. She greeted him with a smile of gratitude and gestured for him to take a seat. Tyrion perched across the table, on the edge of a cushioned chair with feet dangling a foot from the carpeted floor.
"My lord, I am sorry to have dragged you away from your studies. I know you have more important things to preoccupy your time, but I wished to thank you in person for the lovely gift," Shona motioned towards the harp still nestled in the crate. "As beautiful as it is, I am afraid I cannot accept a gift of such value. The strings alone cost more than my old harp did."
"Your old harp was a gift from your grandfather which I feel terribly for causing the wreckage of. Even a lavishly decorated replacement cannot take the place of such a cherished possession. It is a debt paid not quite in full, but I am hoping for your forgiveness all the same," Tyrion spoke quietly, with genuine regret clouding his voice. Shona read his expression like a book and almost giggled at how puppy dog like he appeared before her. She looked over to her bed where Blaze laid, his tail thumping with every word the man said, "What do you think, Blaze? Shall we forgive Lord Lannister?"
She was startled by his bark as he jumped to his slender legs. He danced on the feather bed with tail wagging ever the harder. Tyrion chuckled and stated, with eyes dancing in laughter, "I may be wrong, but I think he forgives me."
"I have to agree with your sentiment," she smiled and gestured towards the spread of food littering her table, "and I think I should repay you even so with a light lunch. I do not know why they send me such copious amounts of food. I am but one little girl after all!"
"Cersei might be buttering you up." Tyrion's fingers pinched off a heel of bread which he then dipped in oil. "I do believe she plans to marry Tommen to you. She seems absolutely charmed by you."
Shona smiled at his words, for she truly had hoped to please the queen regent most of all during her stay. She had only briefly spoken to Cersei a handful of times, but she was always greeted with a smile upon arrival to supper. She had been invited to dine at the high table every time after the dinner she spent in Tyrion's company. It was slightly saddening for she enjoyed his company. He was charming, in an odd sort of way, funny, smart, and very much kind. It was obvious he and his family were not cut from the same cloth, though they shared the golden hair of Lannister. Tyrion was studious and she had barely seen him because he spent so much time reading in his chambers. Joffrey liked to mock him, saying he had to appear smart in order to have any meaning at all in life. The words were cruel and had stung Shona, even though it was not her the king was badmouthing. She would never understand the hatred between between the nephew and uncle pair.
They ate quietly for a long moment before she broke the silence, "How long until you and Sansa are to wed?"
Tyrion paused in his chewing and sat down his laden plate with a frown, "The talk is the ceremony will be held tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Shona questioned with a gasp, "Your engagement was only just announced! Sansa has not come to me and spoken of it at all." She was momentarily upset at the information. Sansa had come to her for advice just two nights ago and she had not mentioned the ceremony date being chosen. She was embarrassed by the marriage arrangement and had spent much time alone in her chamber. The maids gossiped that she cried every night. Shona could hardly blame the girl.
"Well, you'd think the groom and bride would be the first to know the ceremony details. They left that to my darling sister though, who decided that instead of waiting until after Joffrey's monstrous affair, we would just kickstart the whole shebang! One big wedding party for the king of darkness." Tyrion was bitter in his tone and he sat his plate down before getting to his feet. She felt badly for upsetting him and got up to see him out, but he held up a hand with a friendly smile, "I can see myself out, my lady. I do thank you for the delicious lunch," he paused by the doorway and said with evident sarcasm, "I believe I will go make sure my future bride has not jumped from her tower. Wish me luck."
She smiled sadly at the tired looking man before her and watched him leave with a heavy heart. Neither of her new friends wanted this marriage. She hoped they could find happiness together though, for Shona felt they were good for each other in truth. He was kind and gentle and well educated, whereas Sansa was sweet, innocent, and demure. Sansa Stark could do a lot worse than Tyrion Lannister, that was for sure. Shona just wished she could get her stubborn friend to realize this, too. The girl was dreading the forced marriage not only because she held spite for the Lannister family, but also because she was afraid of being mocked for being married to a dwarf.
"What if I have a child with him like I am expected to do and it is like him? I cannot bear the thought. He is a monster. I cannot raise a monster child like him."
Even Cersei had given the young girl sweet words the morning of her wedding, "You will grow to appreciate marriage, Sansa. Your children will be lords and ladies. You should be proud that you were blessed," Cersei had smirked then, much like her son did when he mocked Tyrion, "with such a great match."
Shona stood beside Margaery and Lady Olenna as Sansa and Tyrion were wed. Sansa could not even meet her eyes after their hurried ceremony and it broke her heart to see her friend in such despair on her wedding day. Forced marriage or no, Cersei had planned for a feast to be held afterwards. They left the sept and immediately made way for The Red Keep. Margaery shared a box with her ladies, her grandmother deciding to accompany Cersei and Tywin, and had nothing but sweet words for Sansa.
"I feel terribly for the dear girl,"she started with a frown on her usually smiling face, "First, she is publically cast aside for me, then she is forced to marry a man much older than her three days after their engagement is announced. We must try to keep Sansa in a right state of mind, for I think she is depressed. Can we blame her, though?"
Margaery waved her goodbyes as she was swept away by her smirking future husband. Shona mingled with the others for a long moment before saying her goodbyes and seeking Sansa. She could see her from across the room, smiling a half fake smile through her pain. Sansa was much stronger than she would have been in her situation. She perked up as the older girl approached and took her hands in her own with a grin, "Thank goodness. I thought I was going to be alone all night."
Shona smiled her widest smile and held Sansa's hand as they walked towards the long table, heavily laden with platters of food. She squeezed the red head's hand in her own as they both caught sight of Tyrion, "I will not leave you side tonight unless you make me, my friend. Come, let us feast in your honor. I can smell the lemon cakes from here!"
The pair took off to the dessert table, leaving Tyrion in their midst. He watched them for a long moment before sitting down at the head table beside the space his wife would soon sit. Cersei caught his eyes over the crowd and she held a mock toast to him making her son laugh. Tyrion groaned and poured his fifth glass of wine. It was going to be a long night.