Summary: "A lions still has claws" Thea is a lion, born of House Lannister. In blood and bone, she is the very essence of what her house is. She has spent her days learning to be a proper wife and mother. When the time comes for her to marry, Thea isn't going to go down without a fight. But, with rebellion and corruption rife from the Wall to Dorne, winter is well and truly coming.

Disclaimer: I do not own A Game Of Thrones or A Song Of Fire And Ice. All rights go to their respective owners. The only thing I own is Thea.

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To everyone who has read it already, you guys are unreal and thanks to the 90 or so people who have favorite'd and followed this fanfiction, I couldn't thank you enough!

seven

It had been a month since her trip to the North. Thea Lannister had settled back into her surrounding in Casterly Rock well. Her father had received word of Thea's behavior in Winterfell. He had her confined to her chambers until he spoke otherwise, an act which Thea had obviously protested. In retaliation, Tywin had her pet Lion cub slain. Thea hadn't left her room since then, not even when her father calls her. She confined herself away in peaceful protest, neither her nor her father were willing to break first. Thea never even left her room to eat, having Carys bring her food to her chambers.

Thea had left Winterfell in the wake of the Stark boys accident. While the King and his party intended to stay in the North for another while, deeming it rude to leave at such a time, Thea bid her condolences and farewells to the Starks, promising her prays to the Mother. Not that she prayed much. Her father never believed in the gods and enforced that belief on his youngest child. Thea still took occasional journeys to Casterly Rock's Sept in times of desperation. As he was just a boy, Thea had intended to offer one prayer, yet, her feud with her father raged. She still hasn't made the short trip to the Sept.

Carys entered the bedchambers with a letter in her hand. It was pressed with the Baratheon sigil; her sisters house of marriage.

"My lady, a letter from your Queen sister," Carys told her, giving a polite curtsy. She held out the roll of paper towards the Lannister woman. Thea took the paper and narrowed her eyes at the handmaiden. Thea's mood hadn't improved over the past month. Carys gave another quick curtsy before fleeing the room. She knew better after a month than to stay and face Thea's temper. As her feud with her father rages, she becomes every more restless. Her only human contact over the past month had been with her handmaiden and nobody else. She is itching to leave her chambers, but her pride defuses her. She will not give into her father anymore.

Dearest sister,

I write to inform you of our departure for King's Landing. After a stretched period in the North, my husband, King Robert has finally decided to leave the deary wilderness for the Capital. And we are not alone. Eddard Stark has accepted the position of Hand, after much deliberation from Robert. He rides with us to King's Landing with her two daughter. He shall be bringing them to court, to train them to be proper little Ladies.

Father tells that he hasn't seen you for over a month. He grows more frustrated by the day. He even threatened to send you to King's Landing to court, but Robert won't allow it. He fears that doing so would be an insult to the Starks, so soon after your refused betrothal to their eldest. Father knows that it won't take long to crack Robert. Perhaps you'll be in the Capital with your family before long.

Catelyn Stark grows suspicious. She reckons that her sons fall wasn't an accident. It has set an eerie mood upon an already eerie atmospheric North. I am glad to be rid of the wilderness. Perhaps I'll see you soon, sister.

Your Queen,

Cersei Baratheon.

The party had rested for the evening. After a long days travelling the Kings road, Cersei sat with her children having dinner. The food wasn't as splendid as it was in King's Landing, but it was a step up from the North in her opinion. All that meat and bread had turned her stomach. Southern food appealed her taste buds more than the charred remains of cattle or pigs.

"Message from Casterly Rock, your grace," a squire approached with a scroll in his hand, baring the Lannister sigil. She thanks him and unrolled it.

"Who is it from, Mother?" her youngest, Tommen, asked curiously.

"Your dear aunt in the Westerlands."

My Queen Sister,

I hope your return fairs pleasant for you and the part, sister. I was glad to escape the wilderness when I could. How is the Stark boy? I haven't heard word of a death, so I assume he is still alive. Lady Stark will have to learn that the wrong accusations could cost her her head. It is obvious the boys suffered a horrific fall. Tragic, only a poor young boy.

Court sound more appealing than my current living situation. I grow restless, dear sister. The powerful Lannister pride is the only thing holding me in my chambers. Carys has been a dear, but I see her growing tired. Perhaps a second handmaiden is due.

Pass on my congratulations to the Hand. Inform him that Lady Thea wishes him a long duration as Hand of the King and that the Lannisters send they're regards. I can hear your scheming all the way in Casterly Rock already sister. Don't do anything too hasty. There is already too many rumors surrounding Jon Arryn's death that's to his Tully wife. The Lannister's do not need anymore.

Maybe I'll be there sooner than expected.

Your sister,

Thea Lannister.

Cersei knew she made a good decision to inform Thea of the plot to murder Jon Arryn. Her sister could be trusted with many secrets. For a girl so young, she was a decorated liar and she knew how to keep secrets. The master of secrets, her father called her. It would be a long time before the secrets of Jon Arryn's true demise would escape Thea Lannisters mouth.

As the weeks continued to blur into a mesh of night and day for Thea, she took up reading. She had Carys fetch a few books from the library in the keep and was now furiously working her way through the Histories and Lore of Westeros. To be honest, Thea had never been fond of reading. She claimed she knew everything she needed to know, what was the need for the anything her else. She knew her brother was fond of a good book or two. But, with him at the Wall she couldn't necessarily ask him for a reference.

Thea took no notice when Carys entered her room. It was with the bang of her trunk that her attention was drawn away from the pages in front of her.

"Excuse me," Thea said, turning her head and narrowing her eyes. Carys straightened her back. She had been packing one of Thea's gowns into the trunk. "What in seven hells do you think you're doing?"

"Your Lord Father commands..."

"My Lord Father doesn't command my lady's maid," Thea emphasized. "What does he want?"

"He commands that I pack all your things," Carys confessed, raising Thea's eyebrows. "He's sending you to court, my Lady."

"What?" Thea slammed the book down on the table. Carys stood still in the middle of the room. "Send my Father up to me, Carys." Carys stood confused, not moving a muscle. "Go." And with that she went. It wasn't long before her Father waltzed into her room. Thea didn't turn to greet him.

"You will go to court and that is it," Thea barely reacted to her father's words. She only turned her body to face him. "You will not protest..."

"And what makes you believe that I will do such a thing?"

"Because you're a Lannister," he told her. "You will obey what are told to do, so you can seize bringing shame on our house. You will do as I wish."

"Until I marry, then what?" Thea questioned. "I must do as my husband wishes?"

"You will." Tywin bluntly stated. "You will go to King's Landing and marry a Lord, you will produce sons. Now continue packing, because you are set to depart in the coming days." Thea watched her father leave the room, closing the door behind him roughly. Thea turned back to her handmaiden, who had been standing in the corner of the chambers quietly.

"If you believe so, father."

"You don't seem excited to go to King's Landing, my Lady," Carys said, as she packed away Thea's possessions. Going to court meant that you will not return home until you are married, or betrothed to be married. All the important Lord's and Lady's of Westeros go there to find a suitable match for themselves.

"Not so much, no," Thea said, running the brush through her golden locks. "Why are you?"

"You may say so. I've never been to King's Landing before," her Lady's maid mentioned. "They say it is quite beautiful in the summer."

"Yes, it's quite beautiful if you like the smell of shit and death," Thea said, standing up. "It's not as beautiful as people say. It is a lion's pit, where only the best survive. Children may as well be schooled in lying, it's so common. The honorable Lord Stark does not know what is coming for him. A liars most useful tool is the trust of the innocent. He'll find that out soon, as will you Carys."

"Aren't you excited to meet a husband?"

"Maybe I shall become a Septa," Thea said, sitting herself down on her bed. "Avoid marrying a man with whom I share nothing of interest."

"I hear Lord Lucian of House Tyrell is in King's Landing, my Lady," Carys mentioned, rolling down the bed for her Lady. When Thea was younger and freer, she often spoke graciously about the heir to Highgarden, Lord Lucian Tyrell. I suppose it could have been considered a crush.

"That is exactly what my father wishes," Thea said, resting herself in the bed. "There has always been good relations between the Lannisters of Casterly Rock and the Tyrells of Highgarden. But, I speak freely on the matter. I will not marry when my father commands it."

*thank you guys for reviewing and noticing that I accidentally typed Martell instead of Tyrell. I honestly don't know how I missed it, but thank you for telling me. It's now fixed. I know I confused you guys a little bit, so I'll make the next chapter extra long to make up for it.

Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. Please feel free to review :)

Little NK: Thank you! She is indeed! lol

DamonSalvatorelover: I missed you too! Thanks for the review! Haha, everyone does! :)