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Face Claim for Queen Sanira: Caitlin Stasey.
Chapter Twenty: Preparations and Mistakes.
Sanira winched as she watched Robin parry, he was being beaten badly but he was slowly improving from what she had witness during her time in the Vale. The boy had never held a sword before now really, Lysa having banned such a thing in fear that her only boy would be hurt during his training and she refused to allow him from her sight.
"Sword up! Attack, my lord! Attack! Don't cross your feet!" the Master of Arms called at Robin in an attempt to instruct him with his training under the watchful eyes on Yohn Royce. It was clear that no matter how much he trained that he was not destined to be a great leader in battle, Gods willing that he would never have to lead his men into such.
"My sons have had swords in their hands from the time they could walk. This one..." Lord Royce stated mournfully with a shake of his head, Lysa had been given too much freedom to control the young Lord Arryn. Her behaviour having proven detrimental to the training of the future Lord of the Vale, he was not destined to be a great warrior but if his training persisted then he'd at least be able to defend himself.
"I am sure that Lord Arryn will improve in time, he's suffered a great loss but under your tutorship he shall improve," Sanira noted watching the scene before her, it made her think of her own son that she greatly missed. It had been so long since she'd seen Karlon, she feared he would not remember her at all while she was away and she received reports daily from Catelyn on his progress. There was no one that she entrusted more with her son, he was well protected in Bereton with her grandmother; no one would go looking for him there and if they did then they'd deal with the Blackfish.
"He swings a sword like a girl with palsy," Lord Royce scoffed with a shake of his head, he knew that the boy would be a great disappointment if he could not lead his men into battle like any of the other great lords. Sanira pursed her lips, perhaps he was right but she was sure that in time Robin would come into her own; she stood from her seat having watched enough and knowing that there was much to be done.
An agreement had been made with the Vale, the Lords having sworn their allegiance to King Robb during their many discussions on the matter; it united three northern kingdoms together under one rule now. Lord Royce followed after the young Queen, a woman that had gained his respect in the short time that she had been in the Vale; she had taken great interest in the welfare of Lord Arryn.
Aiding in his own promotion to Regent of the Vale during the boy's minority, he would be in good hands as far as Sanira was concerned and she was eager to ensure that he was well taught for his future role. It seemed that Lysa had given no real thought to her own son's education as the future Lord of the Vale, seeming happy to hold onto her own power for as long as needed. There was much that Robin would need to learn, his lessons begun now and in time perhaps he would prove a great asset to the future of his realm.
"Goodbye Lord Royce, and thank you for all you've done for me," Sansa Stark said nodding to the man that had provided her greatest protection since her arrival here. Now that Baelish was gone, she knew that it would not be long before she was returned fully with her own family. Catelyn had written of her desire to have Sansa join her in Bereton with Rickon and Karlon, however she had declined in favour of staying with Sanira.
"I have done nothing more than my duty, my lady," Lord Royce replied calmly, he knew that her time with Baelish had been far from easy and he was still suspicious of what Baelish might have filled her head with. There was no missing the obsession that Baelish had with the Stark girl, the way he had reacted during his trial was not hard to miss.
"I have no doubt that upon my return, Robin's skills will have improved immeasurably," Sanira said looking back to where Robin was now practicing against one of the Royce boys. It would take time and if the Gods where good then he would not see combat for many years yet.
"He'll be safe here. As for his skills, I make no promises Your Grace," Lord Royce stated with a bob of his head, he would do what he could for Robin but there were no guarantees.
"It was such a deep, deep shock to us all. Your father was a force to be reckoned with. He truly was. I wouldn't presume to claim to have known him as such..." Ser Loras stated talking to Cersei, his words seemingly going over her head as she stared over his shoulder. Her eyes firmly focused on Tommen who was smiling as he spoke with Margaery, the wife of his late brother in a way that made her stomach turn.
"But just being in his presence was enough to make it so clear just how formidable a person you were dealing with. What a... what a force to be reckoned with," Loras concluded bring Cersei make to him. He had been forced to attend by his father, stating that it was in the best interest of their family that he attend this gathering in memory of Tywin after the many days of mourning for the former Hand of the King.
"Thank you so much for your kind words," Cersei stated before walking away from him, desperate to get away from the vultures that seemed to circle around her where she went in the keep these days. There was no escaping their pity, their claws ready to snatch away all that Cersei held dear after everything that she had done to keep it.
"Deepest condolences, your grace. This tragedy... I never trusted Varys. I often warned..." Pycelle stated upon his own approach, she didn't stop wanting to get away from all of them. There was nothing that they could say that would correct the wrong that had been made when Jaime had held the little beast escape his cell.
He would have been poisoned on her orders for what he had done to her beloved Joffrey and no one would have been any the wiser since he'd have died in his 'chambers'. A barefooted man in a robe walked up to Cersei as her eyes scanned the room for a place to hide away from all of these sycophants.
"Your Grace," the man greeted bowing respectfully to her, his eyes trained on her face although there were no emotions across his as he waited for her to greet him. Cersei inspected him for a moment in an attempt to place the man, a slight look of surprise appearing when she finally realised who he was as he looked rather different than the last time that they'd met.
"Cousin Lancel. I hardly recognized you," Cersei replied, it had been many years since they had last crossed paths and he had disappeared from court after the death of Robert. Of course, they'd been bed mates for a short time while Jaime had been held hostage by the Starks but she couldn't truly place the last time that she had seen him after Robert's funeral. His once shoulder length Lannister locks had been shaved from his head, his once fine clothing replaced with a drab brown robe that did not suit him at all.
"My deepest sympathies," Lancel said to her, his voice soft as he spoke and Cersei couldn't place what it was that was so different about him since the last time that they had conversed. Her life had been filled with things that had needed dealing with in recent months, the death of her father being the latest in a long list of things since Lord Arryn had discovered the truth about her children.
"I apologize for my son's appearance," Kevan Lannister interrupted moving quickly to intercept his eldest son, he had hoped that Lancel would behave himself since he had recently returned to court. Kevan having done his best to cover up what Lancel had been doing since he had left court, it stung to see his eldest son fall in this way especially given his younger brothers were now apparently hostages of Stannis after being taken by the Starks when the war began.
"Uncle, it's quite alright," Cersei replied eyeing the man that seemingly replaced her father now as the most senior member of the Lannister House; she had been far from pleased to hear his claim towards her ancestral home in the wake of her father's death. Lancel walked away before his father could say anything to him, he would not speak with a man that did not understand his calling or his need to repent.
"They call themselves sparrows. Bloody fanatics. Religion has its place, of course, but at a certain point... They never would have come to the capital when Tywin was alive," Kevan noted with a shake of his head. It was a shame that they'd managed to get their claws into his own son, he didn't know what had gotten into Lancel but he was certain that he had been brainwashed by these fanatics. If only his brother had lived then they would not have to deal with this now.
"I'm sure he'll grow out of it. Whatever it is. Excuse me," Cersei dismissed not caring for his excuses, she wanted to be alone away from all these vultures and she walked away from her uncle without so much as another word in his direction. She didn't care what any of these people thought, she knew they were all scrambling into the void in an attempt to seize the power that her father had left behind.
Grabbing a glass of wine on her way out, Cersei didn't stop until she was out of the room and in a side chamber alone with her thoughts; she wore black rather than her traditional Lannister red in mourning for her father and her son. Cersei wasn't sure how long she was alone before Lancel approached her again, she sighed wishing that he would go away and leave her be.
"Your wounds from the Blackwater seem to have healed," Cersei noted recalling that he had been injured during the battle; she had not cared to check in on him, too relieved that her father had arrived. There had been a moment when she was sure all was lost, Joffrey had fled the battle and she had been with Tommen in the throne room prepared to take her own life rather than be a prisoner to Stannis.
"It wasn't my wounds that needed healing," Lancel said dismissively, he stared at her knowing that it was because of her that all his problems had started and she was the one that he also needed forgiveness from.
"What can I do for you?" Cersei asked bored with this now, she wanted him to go away and she wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever he wanted to demand from her. It had been a long few days and even worse, she was forced to watch as Tommen fell under the spell of the Tyrell whore that wasn't worthy of him and was seeking to steal her throne. A lump formed in her throat as she thought of the prophecy that she'd been given by the witch all those years ago, there was no escaping the prophecy it seemed.
"You can forgive me," Lancel stated calmly, his voice gave nothing away as he took a step closer to Cersei knowing that only with her forgiveness could he be free from the burden that had been placed upon him. With her forgiveness, he could be forgiven by the Gods for the part that he had played in all of this.
"What could you possibly have done to warrant my forgiveness?" Cersei asked amused with him, she had to admit that he was a lot more interesting now that he had joined these 'sparrows'; it seemed to have made him less dull by any means. He'd been a quivering mess when she had engaged with him, no more than a distraction at best while she had been all alone in the capital with Jaime.
"I led you into the darkness," Lancel told her shamefully, he wanted nothing more than to atone for all that he had done when he had led her down such a path. He could see now how wrong he had been to act in such a way; the sparrows had opened his eyes to the wrongs being committed in this very city.
"I tempted you into our unnatural relations. And, of course, there was the king. His boar hunt. His wine," Lancel continued on ignoring the quip from Cersei at his words. He could not forget what he had done on her orders, it was him that had ensured that King Robert was too drunk to handle the boar that had attacked him; he remembered watching her horror as he was savaged to death in front of his very eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Cersei denied knowing that this was a dangerous path, no one could know what she had done in the name of surviving. Once Stark had started to talk about telling Robert that her children were not his then Cersei had done what she could to ensure that it was her blood that ended up on the throne.
"I'm a different person now. I found peace in the light of the Seven. You can too. They watch over all of us, ready to dole out mercy... or justice. Their world is at hand. I will pray for your father's soul," Lancel stated stepping into Cersei's path so that she could not walk away from him. He wished her to understand that he was a different man now and that she too could find peace if she submitted to the faith and find peace within herself that she couldn't seem to find.
"The day Tywin Lannister's soul needs your help..." Cersei dismissed with a shake of her head, her father was gone and there was no helping him now; she turned away from Lancel to dismiss him. Cersei took a sip of her wine as she ignored Lancel, who slowly made his leave and she laughed to herself knowing that it would certainly be interesting to see how these sparrows played out.
Days later, Cersei and Qyburn entered the room and taking the open seats on the small council with Cersei taking the head of the table reserved for the Hand of the King. She ignored the looks that she received from those already seated and held her head high, she didn't care what they thought about her at this time.
"You're the Hand of the King?" Kevan Lannister asked leaning back in his seat, his eyes taking in Cersei with displeasure as he wondered if she had completely lost her mind in all this. Tommen should be here, he was the King now and had been crowned as such; it seemed like he was nothing more than a puppet to his own mother now.
"No, Uncle. Clearly it would not be appropriate for a woman to assume that role. I'm merely advising my son until he comes of age and chooses a Hand for himself," Cersei replied calmly, she smiled knowing that again she held all the power in the Kingdom. It was all on her now, she would act as her father had done and pull all the strings; she would prove that the greatest thing that Tywin Lannister had left behind.
"Your Grace, I would be willing to serve provisionally as the King's Hand until he becomes old enough..." Mace Tyrell interjected knowing that he would be more than happy to obtain such a title. It was likely that his daughter would be the Queen again, it seemed only right that he be installed to ensured the rule of his own family; his grandchildren would be the heirs to the throne one day.
"You're a good man, Lord Tyrell, but I don't imagine you'll have the time. In addition to being Master of Ships, the king has appointed you Master of Coin," Cersei dismissed and instructed him wishing to hear him no more. It was just the start of her plans for these Tyrells that seemed to swarm the capital in recent months, something that Cersei was more than happy to put an end to.
"He called your experience and wisdom in financial matters unparalleled. He said he would be honoured to have you represent the crown's interests in the same," Cersei continued on knowing that flattery would make Mace bow to her will here. She knew that sooner or later, the Iron Bank would want their money repaid especially since the Iron Throne was in great debt after the wars that had taken place. Mace flushed with pride and thanked Cersei, he was honoured by her words even if others around the table saw what was happening with much clearer eyes.
"Your Grace, in the past on several occasions, a Grand Maester has served as the King's Hand," Pycelle interrupted, he leant forward as he spoke knowing that his own recent return to this council had not gone unnoticed. He would happily serve the Lannisters in anyway that they needed, he longed to serve as he had done for many years before now.
"The King has named Qyburn the new Master of Whisperers," Cersei continued on, ignoring what Pycelle had said and nodding towards the man that had become her closest allies as of late. It was a shame his experiment on the Mountain had not worked, the man's death caused her great inconvenience at this time since he had been her greatest weapon.
"Your Grace, him? This man? This embarrassment to the Citadel? Your Grace, what qualifications can he possibly have for this post?" Pycelle stated outraged that the man was being promoted above himself. He had been loyal to the Lannisters for many years, his downfall only coming when Tyrion had dismissed him from the council under false pretense.
"The qualification of loyalty, Grand Maester. That's far more than the eunuch ever had. Far more than many ever have," Cersei stated firmly, she would hear this no more and she was bored already. Qyburn would be more loyal to her than Varys had been, the spider having disappeared along with her brother and she didn't want to think what was going to happen if they could not be traced.
"Uncle Kevan, in light of your position as commander of the Lannister armies, it would please the king if you would serve as his Master of War. No man living better deserves the title," Cersei pushed forward ignoring Pycelle's outrage on the matter. She knew that it was a great title for her uncle and she had much need of him at this time, they needed to get Casterly Rock back from the Baratheon bastard that had stolen it from them. It was time to take the fight to Stannis and put an end to him once and for all.
"That is kind of you to say. I would like to hear it from the king himself," Kevan stated staring annoyed at Cersei, how on earth was Tommen to learn to rule if he was not here at these council meetings to make himself heard. He was King now, it was for him to decide who was on his small council not his mother.
"The King is very busy at this moment," Cersei replied staring at Kevan, she had everything under control and this council would answer to her now; she didn't care what any of them thought. Like her father before her, they would answer to her alone and she would ensure her son's rule; she would guide him and make sure all the right decisions were made in these early days of his reign.
"He should be here, learning what it means to rule," Kevan insisted, there could be no greater lesson for the young King than being here in this room. He saw through Cersei, this was a power grab if there ever was one; she was a fool to think she could command them as the Hand of the King in all but name.
"He is learning. On this occasion, in his capacity as ruler, he's asked me to speak on his behalf," Cersei dismissed firmly, she would not hear this and she could not believe that he would dare speak against her. She was the King's mother, there would be no one better in this world to ensure his reign than her; she would not stand by and watch these fools sink their claws into him.
"I returned to the capital to pay my respects to my brother. And to you. And to serve the king. I did not return to the capital to serve as your puppet. To watch you stack the small council with sycophants," Kevan argued with a shake of his head. It was a shambles at best, he knew that his brother would have been enraged to see the foolishness that Cersei was meddling with; she didn't know what she was doing at all.
"Sending your own brother away so he wouldn't be..." Kevan begin wanting to know what Cersei had done with Jaime, he should be here right now with them but word had it he had been sent from the capital in a great time of need. They still needed to deal with Stannis and the growing sparrow issue was not going away anytime soon, he was alone in this matter and Kevan knew that there was nothing that Cersei could say that would sway him on this.
"My brother has left the capital to lead a sensitive diplomatic mission," Cersei stated not wishing to discuss where exactly her brother had gone, she knew there would be no approval in what she had asked of him. It had been her idea for Jaime to fetch back her beloved daughter from the Martells, she didn't believe they deserved to have her darling girl after their idiot prince had saved Tyrion from his fate by fighting on his behalf.
"What mission?" Kevan asked wanting answers, he did not want to guess what sort of mess that Cersei was meddling with at this time especially given her actions here today. No matter how smart Cersei thought she was, she wasn't.
"That is not your concern as Master of War," Cersei dismissed his questioning, she pursed her lips knowing in a matter of days her darling girl would be home again away from the savages that had taken her away from her. The engagement would be broken and Myrcella would never leave her again if Cersei had her way about it all.
"I do not recognize your authority to dictate what is and is not my concern. You are the Queen Mother. Nothing more," Kevan reminded her bitterly, she had no power even if she believed that she held all the card. He stood from his chair and shook his head knowing that he would play no part in this hoax that Cersei was trying to perpetrate under the guise of having control.
"You would abandon your king in his time of need?" Cersei scolded him with a frown, daring him almost to turn his back on her and Tommen when they were offering him all the power that he could want. There was nowhere else for him to go, it wasn't like he could return to Casterly Rock now that it was in the hands of Stannis. Surely that was where their attention should be focused on next, they needed to strike before they ended up with Stannis on their doorstep.
"If he wants to send for me, I will be waiting for him," Kevan told her, he stormed out of the room knowing that there was no way in seven hells that he would be Cersei's puppet in all of this. She could stack the council anyway that she wished but he would have no part in it, if she had any sense then she'd place someone more capable as the Hand of the King and retire quietly away from court.
Kevan didn't want to think about the mess that his niece would cause, she was many things but he feared she'd be more of a liability than his sister Arlenna.
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