"This is not a debate, mother!" I declared with every ounce of authority I could muster. After leaving the most excellent presence of my betrothed, I'd retired to my solar to contemplate and promptly had my space invaded by my mother. Which had launched an argument about why I'd left her out of our luncheon and onto the current topic of discussion - my exiling her back to Casterly Rock where the harm she could do to the realm was minimal.
Unfortunately, she wasn't as receptive to the idea as she could've been. "Once transport has been arranged to send Eddard Stark safely to the Wall, you are to quietly slip away and head to Casterly Rock escorted by Uncle Jaime and half the Lannister soldiers in the city." I paused for a breath. "And once you are there, you will stay there until either I or grandfather say otherwise."
With that I turned to Jaime, who had been witnessing this exchange with a grimace on his face. "If you have to, hog tie her and throw her in her carriage next to my brother and sister."
Yeah, with the shit going on, I thought it best to send Tommen and Marcella away. If there was to be war, they were going to be safely ensconced in Casterly Rock, well away from the action. But close enough to be recalled in a timely fashion if one of them needed to ascend the throne upon my death.
"Duck!" Came Jaimie's cry, breaking me out of my thought process. I just managed to do so as a goblet flew over my head. "You can tell she loves you," observed my uncle-father wryly as I resided the urge to slap her. "It wasn't anything heavy or sharp."
A sigh escaped my lips before I made one final request, "It's a long journey, could you perhaps try talking some gods damned sense into her?"
"Father has been trying for years, I mostly gave up trying while we were still children," offered Jaimie apologetically with a shrug.
"If she stays here, someone's going to try something, or she's going to try something," I offered reluctantly. We both flinched as a bottle of perfect good wine smashed itself into a wall near their heads. "She's safer in the Westerlands and so are my brother and sister if the news from the North is to be believed."
"And it'll be easier for father to run things smoother without her being either as well," observed Jaimie knowingly. I was a little hurt that I wasn't included there, but in fairness I had shown little competence in my rulership thus far, so it was far commentary.
Didn't mean he needed to say it to my face though.
"Quite so," was all I said on the matter. With the desire to leave my own mark on the history of the Iron Throne, and not just as a two-bit Aerys the Mad follow up act. Still, there was much flinching as Cersei practically howled with impotent rage behind me. She was well into her temper tantrum as the sounds of tables and chairs being flipped were heard.
While I found it amusing that she was being the childish one in this situation, I was also ignoring her in the hopes that Jaimie would be able to make her go away.
"How in the name of the Seven could I have raised such an ingrate?" Complained Cersei, becoming increasing put out that I was ignoring her well-crafted outbursts. "To cast me out after all I did for you?!"
Ah, here we were with the accusations again, I thought. Cersei was quickly running out of the usual methods of emotional blackmail if she was going back to the old standby. Crying, rage, throwing things and appeals to my humanity had all failed thus far, so here she was.
"Mother, you are going back home, you're not being banished to the backwaters of Lys!" I replied in as calm and forceful tone as I could muster, my back still to her.
"It's that little Stark bitch isn't it?" Declared Cersei as if it was the only logical conclusion for my desire to banish her. "She seduced you at her father's behest, the redheaded slut is trying to get revenge for my suggestion to banish her father to the wall!"
All right, that was more than enough of that. While I was happy to tolerate attacks on my august person, Sansa was wholly innocent in all of this and deserved absolutely none of the bullshit that was heaped upon her by the Lannisters in the books or the show. "She has not!" I responded with an unexpected anger, finally turning back to look at Cersei. "And if you say such vile bullshit again, to me or anyone else, then you can look forward to never setting foot outside Casterly Rock ever again!"
I stared her down with an intensity born of being the victim of a lifetime of bullying just for being different or not fitting in, and Cersei found herself unable to meet it.
"And it's not like you're in any place to judge, mother," I growled. "Or need I remind you of your torrid little affair with Lancel of all people?"
That got a gasp from both twins.
Whoops, had totally forgotten that Jaimie was still in the room. Sorry about that uncle-father. Nothing I could do about that now, unfortunately.
"I-I don't know what you mean," she declared, her tone changing dramatically.
"Don't lie to me, mother. Do you think me blind and ignorant? I am well aware of the affair the two of you have been having, have been ever since it began." Which was a lie, I was going off memory and had no actual idea when it started. But she didn't need to know that.
"And by the sounds of it, you and Jaimie had more than a few things to talk about," I commented. Leaving a lot of things unsaid there. They didn't need to know everything I knew after all, right? "So, how about Jaimie takes you to your rooms and begins assisting with the packing?"
"And what am I to do? What is to become of your mother, Joffery?"
A small sigh escaped me. "Raise my brother and sister just as you did me, to be Lions. Show them how two Stags can roar!"
She nodded, shamed for the moment. But I could see the look in her eyes. There would be plotting ahead that was for sure. Cersei Lannister would be back. But hopefully with less effect then before.
"Then you are dismissed, my Lady," I finished turned away from her once again.