Chapter 13: The Wedding of the Lion and the Rose
The atmosphere changed dramatically over the next few days. Sansa and I still grieved but we didn't dwell on our brother's - Robb and our mother's deaths as we found ourselves enjoying the festivities. Sansa had became close friends with Lady Margaery so was with Margaery a fair bit. Meanwhile, I spent most of my time with Tommen or with my handmaidens - Shailene and my new handmaiden - Shae. The main reason why Shae became my handmaiden was with Tywin's and Cersei's influence that she couldn't handle being around Tyrion or Sansa.
As Shae, Shailene and I verged out to the gardens for a stroll a few mere hours before the wedding, we were greeted by a not-so-happy Cersei Lannister. "Hello, little dove," she says, pretending to smile. I knew of course she was stressed about the wedding and that she didn't like Margaery at all. "Out for a stroll?"
"Yes, your grace," I added. "Just walking around before the wedding."
"Understandable," she says. "Weddings are stressful especially when the weddings are two weeks of each other." She sees my handmaidens and faces me again. "I'm afraid that your handmaidens are not permitted to sit at the wedding reception."
"Why?" I asked, angrily. I wanted my handmaidens at the reception just in case I needed to leave (or because I knew that Joffrey would bring about my brother's death).
"We are making room for Joffrey's guards and also because Lady Margaery's handmaidens are not behaving themselves," she replies. "One of them is speaking with my brother - Tyrion. You must know Mira Forrester."
I knew Mira from when she visited Winterfell with her father and older brothers - Rodrik and Asher (before Asher was banished by his family or by the Whitehills). "Indeed, your grace," I added. I didn't see Mira at all in King's Landing mainly as I recall, I avoided Margaery like the plague. "The Forresters swears fealty to the Starks."
"Not anymore," she adds in a matter of fact tone. "They swear fealty to the Boltons. Anyway, I have notice you haven't been attending council meetings. Why is that?"
"Personal reasons, your grace," I answered.
"I understand,"" she says. "But you've hardly seen your family since you've been at Winterfell all those years ago."
I nodded in agreement as Cersei holds my hands. "You must move on, little dove. It is in the past. I must leave now, I've got to meet with Lord Tywin before the wedding. I'll see you at the wedding."
"Of course, your grace," I added. "I'll see you then.
I see Cersei walk away as Shae and Shailene look on. "Don't listen to her, Lyra," Shae said. "Allow yourself time to grieve."
I nodded as I turned back to my handmaidens. "I need help to get ready for the Wedding. Come along, Shae. We have much to do."
"What about me, Lyra?" Shailene asks.
"I'm sure my sister needs your help with her dress," I replied.
The Wedding of King Joffrey and Lady Margaery took place at the Sept of Baelor - I knew from some sources that below the Sept housed Wildfire (thanks to Tyrion's lessons I knew for a fact). I sat next to Tommen as we saw the Wedding proceed without any hesitation.
I sat at the Wedding reception with Tyrion, Sansa and Tommen. I notice Lady Olenna walks towards Sansa sending her condolences about my family and placing Sansa's hair behind her ear and fixing her necklace. I didn't know why she was fixing Sansa up but I suspected something was going on. I then notice two people I recongised - Prince Oberyn Martell and his paramour Ellaria. "Prince Oberyn," I called out to him. He walks over to us and greets me.
"Lady Lyra," he says. "Prince Tommen." Tommen acknowledges Oberyn and begins eating some food.
"How is Myrcella?" I asked.
"Princess Myrcella is an absolute delight in Dorne," Ellaria gushes. "She misses her family deeply."
"I can't wait to see her and to meet your son, Tystane again," I added. "They must be coming to my wedding."
"We'll see to Tystane and Myrcella to come to the wedding," Ellaria says, happily.
"Thank you, Prince Oberyn," I added. "It was nice meeting you, Ellaria."
"My condolences to you and your family, Lyra," he adds. "The Martells send their condolences to you and your family."
"You are very kind," I added.
"Come, Ellaria," Oberyn says. "We must find our seats."
Ellaria and Oberyn leave to find their seats as I started eating and speaking with Tyrion and Tommen. "Everyone silence!" Joffrey shouts. I notice that everyone stops speaking. "Clear the floor. There's been too much amusement. A royal wedding is not an amusement. A royal wedding is history. The time has come for all of us to contemplate our history. My lords... My ladies... I give you King Joffrey..." I hear people shouting. "...Renly, Stannis, Robb Stark, Balon Greyjoy." I see dwarfs running out in the costumes of each of the five Kings. "The War of the Five Kings."
I hear applause and laughter from everyone. I turned to see if Loras was laughing but he looked upset and angry as he sees his dwarf counterpart humping Renly. He looks over at me as I nod for him to leave. I see the dwarf counterpart of my brother - Robb as I felt bitter tears and I become uncomfortable. I notice that Tommen looked on at the performance looking hurt and also uncomfortable.
"Well fought," Joffrey shouts as the dwarfs finish their battle and everyone (apart from Margaery, Sansa, Olenna, Tyrion, Tommen and I) claps. "Well fought. Here you are. Champion's purse." He is about to hand the winnings to the Joffrey dwarf when he says. "Though, you're not the champion yet, are you? Surely there are others out there who will dare to challenge my reign." He turns to Tyrion. "Uncle, how about you? I'm sure they have a spare costume." I hear the crowd laughing at the comment made by Joffrey about Tyrion.
"One taste of combat was enough for me, your grace," Tyrion says, as he stands up. "I would like to keep what remains of my face. I think you should fight him. This was but a poor imitation of your own bravery on the field of battle. I speak as a firsthand witness. Climb down from the high table with your new Valyrian sword and show everyone how a true king wins his throne. Be careful though." He looks to the dwarf who looks a tad bit mad. "This one is clearly mad with lust. It would be a tragedy for the king to lose his virtue hours before his wedding night."
I laughed along with some of the crowd including, Tommen and Sansa. Even Tyrion had a bit of a chuckle. "A fine vintage," Joffrey says, walking over to our table and stands behind Tyrion. "Shame that it spilled." He pours the wine over Tyrion's head.
"It did not spill," Tyrion mutters to himself.
"My love, come back to me," Margaery calls out to Joffrey to distract him from Tyrion. "It's time for my father's toast." I clapped along with the crowd as I see Lord Mace stand up to start his toast.
"Well, how does he expect me to toast without wine?" Joffrey asks. He turns to Tyrion and says. "Uncle, you can be my cupbearer seeing as you're too cowardly to fight."
"Your grace," Tyrion says. "does me a great honour."
"It's not meant as honour," Joffrey spat. "Bring me my goblet." He throws the goblet in a fit of rage as I see the' goblet roll on the ground. Tyrion walks over to the table as Sansa picks up the goblet that rolled on the ground and hands the goblet to Tyrion.
"What good is an empty cup?" Joffrey asks, as Tyrion hands Joffrey the cup. "Fill it." Tyrion fills the empty cup with wine and tries again to hand the wine to Joffrey. "Kneel. I said... Kneel."
"Look the pie," Margaery calls out distracting Joffrey. Everyone claps as we see the pie.
"My Queen," Joffrey says. He cuts into the pigeon pie as I see pigeons fly out and everyone cheers and claps. Joffrey then gloats about his minor victory with the pie.
"Wonderful," Margaery says. "Wonderful. My hero." I smiled as Joffrey looks excitedly at the pie - jumping like a little kid when his father comes home (or in this case a wedding) as he starts eating the pie. "Where are you going?" Joffrey calls out to Sansa and Tyrion as I notice them leave the table. "You're my cupbearer remember?"
"I thought I might change out of these wet clothes, your grace," Tyrion says.
"No, No, No, No, you're perfect the way you are," Joffrey says. "Serve me my wine." Tyrion pours the wine. "Well, hurry up. The pie is dry." Tyrion hands Joffrey the goblet filled with wine as Joffrey drinks the wine. "Mm, good. Needs washing down."
"It it pleases, your grace, Lady Sansa is very tired," Tyrion says.
"No," Joffrey coughs. "No, you'll wait here." He starts coughing violently.
"Your grace?" I called out to Joffrey. "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing," he coughs. He gasps as he grasps onto his life. I notice his body turn purple as his nose gushes out with blood and his face suddenly turns purple and blue.
"He's choking," Olenna observed.
I notice everyone's reactions around me. Margaery tried to run towards her husband but gets knocked back by Cersei who is running forward shouting at the guards to help her son. I see Sansa walking off to greet Dontos as I stand up. "Stay here," he says to me. "You are not a threat to the crown or didn't contribute to the King's death." I nodded as I felt tears dripping down my face.
"Bye, Sansa," I added. "I'll miss you."
"Bye, Lyra," Sansa says. "I'll miss you too."
Sansa runs off as I see Tommen looking upset and uncomfortable. Joffrey was gone - dead - finally.
Finally killed Joffrey guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and this story so far. Next chapter will drift away from the series now. In a few chapters (after Tyrion's trial) Tommen and Lyra will marry.
I incorporated a bit of Game of Thrones TellTales - especially with Mira's character from the TellTales. Make sure you play the game to get more insight. Also I'll be changing it up a bit so expect Mira to become Lyra's handmaiden soon :)
I'll be starting my course soon probably in a few weeks so there will not be any regular updates after my course starts. Next week will be regular (this week wasn't as I've got something on tomorrow for the best part of the day so this will be the next chapter). I'll have the next Make You Stay chapter up in a few days. I've just been so busy with preparing for up and coming competitions for my dancing. Just a reminder, I might not be able to update between 25.7.16 to 8.8.16 because of competitions but I'll try.
Anyway, remember to Fav/Review. I'll have the next Wildside chapter up on Sunday OR Monday depending what is happening.