A/N: Hi Everyone! I appreciate all of you who have read and reviewed Helaena. It means a lot to me! I just want to let you all know that this story as well as all my others will be put on HIATUS for a couple of weeks as I am in the middle of my midterm season and have exams flying at me from every direction. Hopefully I will be back around Halloween. Until then, here is the much awaited chapter to tide you all over. PLEASE R&R, as I would love know to what you think!
xoxo
M
"These roses are pathetic," Helaena disparaged, taking a petal in her hand and tearing it from the flower. The petal was crushed between her finger tips and Helaena dropped it onto the stone ground beneath her.
Jaime rolled his eyes, Helaena had been in a fairly foul mood since the Rosby Incident and had taken to nitpicking everything about the gardens, about the Keep, about anything really as she was unwilling to show her displeasure in front of the Court, "You had your father plant them in Helaena. If you do not enjoy them, get them changed,"
She remembered that day, when her father had planted the roses in her favorite part of the gardens, in the southeast side by the sea, with the cliffs just a few feet away that allowed a person to look over the water and see the crashing waves—and any approaching ships should they appear. It had seemed like ages ago, far before she had left for the Vale, before the madness had started creeping in.
"There!" Aerys declared, arms out wide and hands spread out to show his daughter what he had done, "Roses, just like you wanted—c'mere Princess,"
Only six and still sleight for her age, Helaena giggled and ran delightedly away from her father as the King reached to catch her. Swinging her up into his arms, Aerys placed Helaena on his hip and carried her around to show her the renovations he had ordered to be done this area of the gardens.
"The roses are there, and closer to the cliffs are the daisies and honeysuckle you loved from the Reach," Aerys pointed out, carrying his daughter around to show her everything, "Careful not to get too close to the edge though, the fences might be there but someone as small as you can still slip through on accident,"
"Yes Father," Helaena mumbled, leaning her head against her father's shoulder.
A thunder of footsteps and calls for both their names alerted the two that they were surely about to be interrupted. Which wasn't a surprise, there was always someone intruding on the time the two had together.
"My King, our daughter should have been in her afternoon lessons," the Queen Rhaella made her way up to the pair, glancing passively at the redecoration that had been taken in the gardens, "Give her to the handmaidens so they can take her to her Septa,"
"But I don't want to go," Helaena complained in Aerys' ear, latching onto her father tighter and unwilling to let go even as her mother tried to grab her from him.
Aerys turned away from Rhaella, keeping Helaena from his wife's grasp, "I'm sure missing one day of lessons won't kill her,"
Rhaella rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Rhaegar is at his lessons and in order to be a proper lady, Helaena needs to go to hers,"
"I don't want to be a proper lady! I want to learn how to fight with a sword like Ser Barristan and Ser Arthur!" Helaena declared, signaling for her father to put her down.
"Of course you will sweetheart, it's only right that you learn how to protect yourself," Aerys chuckled, setting down his daughter who was fidgeting quite a lot.
The moment her feet touched the floor, Helaena ran into the thicke of the gardens, away from her mother's grasp, her handmaidens chasing after her.
"You can't keep spoiling her like this. She's a Princess, and soon enough she'll be full grown and needs to know how to be a proper lady," Rhaella admonished harshly, displeased with the cavalier attitude Aerys had taken to raising their daughter.
"She's also a Targaryen—she's not meant to be sipping tea and gossiping like all the rest of those vile witches do. Helaena's meant to rule, and conquer," Aerys insisted firmly, his mind flashing back to what the seer had declared to him when the twins had been born. Helaena would be the salvation of the Targaryen empire and he would raise her to achieve that goal—no matter what or who stood in the way.
"Helaena's not meant to do anything but be a lady and eventually a wife. She's not going to be Queen—Rhaegar's already been promised to one of the Martell girls," trying to reason with her husband was a near impossible task but after all these years Rhaella still felt the need to try.
The Queen felt as if the King had been putting too much of his time into Helaena. Yes, she was their daughter but she was also a girl and a second-born at that. She wouldn't ever be Queen and focusing the time and energy on teaching her how to rule was a waste. Especially when Rhaegar was being neglected in such a way.
"And Rhaegar doesn't care for matters of the State," Aerys countered, crossing his arms against his chest, his eyes flashing darkly, turning his usual purple a darker shade.
"He's only six!" Rhaella defended fiercely.
"And so is Helaena," Aerys pointed out, "But she's already so interested in our family history, in the matters of running an empire. Only six and she asked me just yesterday how our trade networks worked with the North if they were so far away,"
"You're giving her unreal expectations," huffing to herself, Rhaella turned away, "Now excuse me as I look for our wayward daughter,"
As the Queen walked away, Aerys made his way toward the aerie, sitting down on one of the chairs and sighing to himself tiredly. A rustle in the bushes alerted him that he was not alone but he did not look up. Helaena emerged, not a moment later, having heard the whole argument.
Sighing mournfully, Helaena started to walk away from the roses and Jaime followed by her side as he was her sworn guard for the afternoon, "Blue winter roses will never grow this far South. I remember bringing a pot of them back once, after visiting Winterfell,"
"I remember; I also distinctly remember a little love letter from a young Ned Stark attached to those flowers" Jaime teased, recalling the memory vividly.
"Stop," she glared contemptuously at Jaime, "Do you remember what happened to them?"
"They died within days and you were upset for weeks," Jaime supplied, remembering the events clearly as it was one of the larger moments of temper that Helaena had displayed in the past when he had just started the Kingsguard.
It was a shocking sight to see the Princess throw the pot at her Father's head, storming into his chambers and straight past the Kingsguard. At that time, the voices had not started and the King was still very much of sound mind. And so Aerys simply weathered the storm. Laughing lightly at the fire in his Helaena's soul. Praising Rhaella, his sister-wife, for creating such a perfect blaze before taking his daughter in his arms and holding her until she calmed down. The Princess pouted for weeks after the initial upset. Ned Stark had offered to send her more blue winter roses but Helaena had refused to answer any of his letters for weeks as well.
Things weren't the same after Aerys began to go mad. The King would violate Rhaella, accuse Rhaegar of conspiracy and treason at random intervals, and he had taken to striking his daughter in private and before the court. Public favor began to swing heavily toward Rhaegar and Helaena who bore the brunt of Aerys' psychosis during the beginning stages.
"I was stupid. I've been stupid. I knew that the transition would not be easy but I should have been astute enough to know what someone would try to kill me by using wildfire and not just poison," Helaena approached the edge of the gardens on the cliff, overlooking Blackwater Bay, "Jaime, please have a raven brought to me—I want to write a letter,"
Stunned at the use of his given name, as despite being able to the use the Queen's name, Helaena had never addressed him as anything else but Ser Jaime, Lannister, or Kingslayer.
Jaime faltered for a moment and feeling bold decided to ask his question anyway, "Who do you need to write a letter to? Everyone you know is here, in King's Landing. Robert Baratheon's out whoring himself and Ned Stark is trying to plant a son in his wife,"
"Such cheek from a knight in my own Queensguard. But I guess I can't fault you, you are after all just trying to do your job. Keep me safe. Though I don't know how writing a letter could jeopardize that. If I weren't absurdly reasonable, I'd have you strung up by your toes as well," luckily, Jaime knew, at least in this moment, that Helaena was jesting and didn't really have plans to hang him by his toes outside the wall…yet.
"Well if I am to get a raven you can at least tell me who the letter is to," Jaime reasoned, curious to see who the Queen could possibly be contacting.
"A man, a sellsword really, not that anyone will know," turning to face Jaime fully Helaena allowed a small, rueful smile to grace her face. "We'll dress him up as a Lord from a one of the smaller House, he'll be my new companion and he'll protect me,"
"I protect you, your Queensguard protects you," slightly insulted, Jaime couldn't fathom as to why Helaena would want to add another man to her protection detail and moreover, not have everyone know who he is"
"Well, I have other uses for him that none of you can do,"
"Oh, and just what might those uses be, Princess Underfoot?" Jaime waggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing Helaena to smack his arm and huff indignantly.
"Jaime, he isn't here just to protect me,"
"What?"
The look Helaena gives him tickles the edges of Jaime's mind but the Kingslayer isn't thinking this through fully enough to understand. He is still reeling about the Queen's supposition that he and the rest of the Queensguard weren't enough to protect her.
"There's going to be more traitors and no doubt once Varys establishes his little birds more, I will find out about them. But we cannot just bring them to the front of the Court again for all the world to see just how unstable my rule actually is,"
Perplexed, Jaime still did not understand the line of thought that Helaena was entertaining.
"So you want to replace your Queensguard for a sellsword because of House Rosby? Because I can assure you, we would have protected you… and no one thinks you weak or unstable" Jaime assured, still trying to sense exactly what Helaena was trying to achieve.
"That's not it Jaime," Helaena snapped, causing the Kingslayer to shut his mouth afraid to set off Helaena's tempers again.
While they had been decreasing in frequency, they were very much still a possibility. Furthermore, the pair were in public and not in the privacy of her chambers. It would not be smart to lose herself now.
"Bronn is coming in order to ensure that the problem doesn't ever become a problem,"
Finally, a light of understanding enters Jaime's eyes. It would be imprudent to have her Queensguard slinking around and offing men who were trying to usurp their Queen. The order would have looked directly from her and if Helaena really wanted to get rid of the traitors before they even became traitors, she would be basically killing without just cause and only on supposition.
So Bronn (as that was apparently the sellswords name) was there, to investigate and extract if necessary. As a sellsword, he was by far sneakier than any of the members of the Queensguard had trained to be. He could make it look like an accident. As long as Helaena didn't go about killing everyone single person with a dissenting opinion, eventually the Lords who were thinking of rebelling would get the message.
It was clever, and Jaime told her so.
"I know," Helaena answered smugly, "I also know you are want to tell your Father everything but you are my Queensguard, Jaime. I am trusting you to keep my secrets. You are my sworn sword, do not betray my confidence,"
There was a hint of warning in Helaena's tone that Jaime heard but chose to ignore slightly. Instead he focused on the fact that his Queen trusted him, when everyone else had been sneering and questioning his very presence on the Queensguard.
"Quickly now, I need to send that raven and after you must escort me to the make-shift Tyrell encampment that Olenna has set up in my gardens. Willas has asked me to join him for tea and I would much rather see him than Euron fucking Greyjoy standing before my chamber waiting for me,"
Jaime bowed his head and swiftly did as his Queen bid, not paying mind to the unsettling feeling that established in his stomach at the thought of Willas and Helaena having tea together.
…
They were getting closer to Winterfell, already having breached the borders of the North. Ned Stark could feel it in his bones, and in the way that the ground was frosting with each step he and his men took.
The appearance of a child had startled all the men, and Ned was relying on the fact that not many had known his whereabouts the whole entire time during the Rebellion as a way to pretend that Jon was his. The timing wasn't exactly correct, but hopefully they could overlook that.
What Ned was very worried about was how his lady wife would react to this. The Lord of the North contemplated, for a moment, just telling his wife the truth. However, if he did that, who knew who else would find out and if Robert were even to get wind of this development—well, the man would be the first one riding out to go behead Jon himself.
Jon represented everything that went wrong within the past year. Ned, although he dearly loved Lyanna, cursed her for putting her desire over her duty. Honor and duty—that was the Stark way, the Northern way. And she had absconded all that in order to pursue a Prince that was already married. Not that Robert would ever find out that little fact either—making Rhaegar seem like a kidnapper fit the narrative that everyone wanted perpetuated and for once, Ned wasn't going to dissuade anyone from the myth.
Jon's safety hung at the balance.
It was astonishing, how much Jon looked like a Stark. Enough that Ned thanked the old gods every day, because if he were even to look an inkling like a Targaryen, the game would be up. Luckily, there were no purple eyes, no silver hair to be in sight.
Jon Snow, he was destined to be a bastard. But at the very least, Ned consoled himself, he would live.
…
Willas Tyrell was pretty to look at, Helaena concluded. The man had high, defined cheekbones; a structured jaw; beautifully tousled brown curls that looked kissed by the sun; and rather stunning brown eyes that bore into Helaena as his rapt attention was upon her. The heir of Highgarden was fit, dressed in his best Southern clothes, and known to be wonderfully well-read and humorous. All in all, out of all the men who had approached her, he was the most pleasant and would reward her with an alliance with the very plentiful Reach.
The Lannisters were already guaranteed. Helaena had yet to decide whether to marry off Viserys or Danaerys but either way the Lannister alliance was secure. Soon enough she would have the two richest houses in the Seven Kingdoms in the palm of her hand if she decided to pursue a further relationship with Willas Tyrell.
Helaena wanted to laugh. Willas Tyrell either was a very good actor or he was actually interested as he was doing a splendid job seeming genuine in his attentions. Extremely attentive, polite, courteous, humorous and just a bit flirtatious. It was boring her, all the niceties. Willas Tyrell was entirely too polite.
Watching them together was enough to make Jaime vomit. Standing at the edge of the encampment, he watched as Willas and Helaena sat under the canopy and the Lord poured wine for his Queen, waving away the cupbearer who would have done it. The action was enough to send all the Highgarden maidens who had come along with Olenna Tyrell, flitting about into giggles, not that they weren't already giggling and trying to strike up the nerve to approach Jaime who was standing stoically and watching the scene before him unfold.
Jaime felt better that at least for her part Helaena looked entirely unamused. Men had been fawning over her constantly since she had become Queen, even more so when it was announced that Falyse Stokeworth was to take Dragonstone until the Queen had an heir and a spare and maybe a few more. The idea of becoming Consort was tempting to many men, and Willas Tyrell seemed like the most successful so far as no one else had been able to wrangle Helaena into tea.
"Would you like another pastry, my Queen?" Willas asked politely, once again after Helaena had already quickly finished her last one in order to chew and avoid talking.
"No, I am fine Lord Willas. Please have them for yourself though," Helaena waved disinterestedly at the platter before her, welcoming the Lord to whatever he pleased.
"Perhaps when all has settled down more, you may grace the Reach with a visit. Highgarden is beautiful this time of year," Willas offered congenially, no doubt trying to find a way to isolate his time with Helaena—when there wasn't a gaggle of other men trying to vie for her hand as well.
"Perhaps," Helaena answered noncommittally.
Honestly the conversation was boring Helaena but she knew quite a bit about Lord Willas Tyrell and knew for a fact he wasn't always this simpering, flirtatious fool. There was an actual person of substance buried beneath all the scheming, or at least buried beneath his grandmother's scheming.
"Tell my Lord Willas, you are known to breed fine horses—has any foal showed any potential?"
Willas, who also had seemed to be growing bored with the conversation perked up at the mention of breeding and horses, "Actually, one of our mares just delivered a month ago. A fine male—beautiful markings, stood so fast at his birth you would think he had been running all his life,"
"And have you named him yet?"
"Not yet, not until we are sure he can be broken in,"
"I see, well when you do perhaps I can try my hand at riding him,"
Willas nodded excitedly, "Of course my Queen, riding used to be a favorite past time of mine,"
"Before you became crippled?" Helaena was unapologetic in her bluntness and the comment was heard by Jaime who Helaena could see out of the corner of her eye, shoulders shaking with hidden laughter. At least someone appreciated her humor.
"Yes, before my accident. I hope that my leg does not disturb my Queen," the Queen admired the game reply by Willas, who was obviously uncomfortable with the topic of his leg. If he was willing to endure than perhaps she could ease up on him.
"I have watched my Father burn the bodies of great men, their flash charring and peeling off their bones," Helaena replied stonily, "Very little can disgust me now. And if it can, it certainly isn't something as minor as a scarred leg,"
Willas, while a little disconcerted, seemed gratified and a small, genuine smile spread across his lips.
"It doesn't really matter; it will be many years until I can possibly ride the new foal. Until then, I'll just have to stay with the horses that lodge within the Royal Stable," the change in subject nearly gave Willas whiplash. The Queen was being mercurial as always.
Standing, Helaena waited for Willas to stand as well before taking his outstretched arm and placing a delicate hand on his bicep.
"Come, my legs are falling asleep. Let us walk through to the stables so that we may see the horses. I'm sure there a fine few that we can match with yours—it's always good to introduce new blood into a line," Helaena commented lightly as Willas and her walked side by side, albeit a bit slowly because of the Lord's bad leg.
Helaena, however, didn't mind. The leg didn't really detract from Willas's physical attractiveness, his wit (which Helaena knew he had, he was just hiding under layers of courtly decorum) and intelligence, nor his overall personality. If anything it made him more congenial. The Queen thought all this strange and hilarious, but if she wanted to know what Olenna Tyrell was plotting than she needed to be well connected with the Tyrell's.
"Will you be holding a feast or a tourney any time soon my Queen?" Willas asked politely, no doubt wondering why one hadn't taken place.
There was much to celebrate for and even more to mourn for. A tourney would be a great tool to brighten everyone's spirits. However, despite having loved them when she was younger, Helaena now held a particular disdain for tourneys all thanks to her dear brother.
The topic caught the interest of Jaime, who was trailing behind the pair. After being denied the honor of a feast in his name, Jaime wanted to know if Helaena still had plans to hold one. She had yet ot mention anything about a feast or tourney to anyone, and after her initial conversation with him Helaena had not mentioned a feast again.
Helaena shrugged, "Unlikely. I don't think it would be an appropriate time, considering the disaster that was the last Tourney but I can be persuaded otherwise. After all, I am not entirely set against it,"
"It would be tremendous fun. And you could meet my sister Margery if she were to come visit King's Landing. I believe she is five and ten as well and I think the two of you would be great friends," Willas insisted eagerly to Helaena as the pair were approaching the stables.
"I will think on it," Helaena stopped, making Willas stop as well and turn back to look at her, "The stables are just up ahead. Continue on, there are some matters I must attend to,"
Approaching the Queen quickly, Willas took her hand and raised it to his lips, placing a lingering kiss on the back of Helaena's hand. "I want to express my sincere gratitude to you Queen Helaena, for taking time out of your day to spend it with me,"
Helaena gave a little gasp (mostly in shock at his familiarness) at Willas's action, that did not go unheard by the Lord who merely smiled brightly in response.
"Yes, well, you're welcome," was the only response the Queen managed to give before she uncomfortably removed her hand from Willas's grasp and turned away in order to head back to the Keep.
"Well he seemed like a pleasant fellow," Jaime muttered darkly under his breath but it was loud enough for Helaena to hear and she barked out a harsh laugh.
"Roses are pathetic," was the only answer Helaena supplied, causing Jaime to smile a bit as he remembered their earlier conversation and was amused to see that Helaena held the same opinions for roses no matter if they were flowers or people.
"Not all roses can be blue winter roses my Queen," the epithet made Helaena sneer and wrinkle her nose in distaste.
"You are a singularly unpleasant fellow Jaime,"
"Am I?"
"Do you expect any other answer except yes?"
…
"The Iron Bank seems to want to call in the debts we owe them," Tyrion threw down the letter, taking another drink from the goblet of wine as he settled in a seat across from his father.
"Now?" looking up from his papers, Tywin shot the letter an annoyed glance, "We don't have the gold dragons—especially with the new tax that the Queen has levied upon us all,"
"Well the Iron Bank has called us in and a Lannister must always pay his debts," reciting the old montage he had learned since he was young, Tyrion wondered how his father would try to get his way out of this.
During the Rebellion, in order to bring in more men, particularly mercenaries from Tyrosh, Tywin Lannister had decided to borrow money from the Iron Bank. Some of the mines in the Westerlands were starting to dry out and while many of the bannermen were scouting out new potential mines, they had yet to find any and thus the Lannisters were just a little short on gold nowadays than they usually were. Tywin, outwardly, didn't seem all that worried. However, if they didn't find the money soon, the wealth that the Lannisters were known for would soon be nothing but a myth. And Tywin Lannister would sooner kill himself than let an atrocity like that occur.
"Then we'll have to call on the debts that the other Houses owe us," Tywin declared, the list already forming in his head, "There is nearly a dozen different Houses who still owe us money and have yet to pay us back,"
"And the combination of all those Houses is enough to pay off what we owe to the Iron Bank?" Tyrion inquired, unsure of the plan that his father was concocting.
"Maybe. If it weren't for your grandfather we wouldn't be in this position," Tywin cursed. "You remind me of him sometimes—did you know?"
"Dear old Grandfather Tytos? And whys that father?" an amused look passed through Tyrion's face, he was curious as to the reason his father would come up with.
"Because despite inheriting one of the greatest legacies in the Seven Kingdoms, the man didn't know how to run it because he spent all his time drinking and whoring—wasting away all the gold in the family vaults until I had to finally end it," Tywin glared into the space behind Tyrion, resentfully remembering all that his father had put him through.
Tyrion grimaced at the comparison, "Well, I'd like to think I am a bit cleverer than dear old Tytos,"
"You think you've been cleverer than Tytos?" Tywin scorned, ridicule coloring his voice as he gaze at his imp of a son.
Nodding, Tyrion saluted his father with the goblet of wine, "Yes Father, I do,"
"And how's that?"
"Well, you've yet to successfully kill me,"
…
Cersei was getting on his nerves. Jaime had been mainly shifted to guard the Queen during the afternoons, which were the only times Cersei had a break from her lessons. Thus, his twin sister was upset that she didn't get to spend any time with him. Jaime was upset too, and had suggested to Cersei that she ask the Queen for tea or to walk about the gardens. The suggestion had been met with a blank stare by Cersei, as if trying to imply what Jaime suggested as utterly ridiculous.
Jaime couldn't see why. The Queen wouldn't have rejected it outright like all the men who had tried their hand at getting time alone with Helaena. At the very least Helaena would have considered it for more than a second before rejecting the idea. Not that Jaime told this to Cersei, who would have been severely offended.
"I don't understand why you don't just ask to be assigned another shift," Cersei snapped from across the dinner table. The whole family was to sit together for supper but neither Tyrion nor Tywin had arrived yet which allowed Cersei and Jaime time to speak alone.
Shaking his head, Jaime met Cersei's eyes from across the table, "It doesn't work that way Cersei. I am the youngest out of the Queensguard, those with more seniority are allowed first preferences in which shifts are assigned to them,"
"Well then why don't you ask the Queen, you seem awfully close to her," Cersei sneered, turning her face rather ugly in Jaime's opinion.
"I'm not going to ask the Queen to switch my shifts for me," Jaime exhaled in irritation, "You are greatly overestimating the extent of our relationship. I am her Knight, a member of her Queensguard. Nothing more," it was almost bitter, the tone that accompanied the words out of Jaime's mouth but luckily Cersei didn't catch it.
If she did, it was more than likely she would have been jumping down Jaime's throat, and for that the eldest Lannister son sighed in relief.
"Well then at the very least she favors you above the other members so why wouldn't she do this for you?" Cersei pouted, causing Jaime to roll his eyes in annoyance.
How could a woman as clever as Cersei not see the dynamics surrounding Helaena and her Queensguard?
"You haven't been in King's Landing long enough Cersei. Helaena doesn't favor me above any other. If anything, Lord Commander Barristan is her closest confidant,"
"That is very true," the twins turn quickly to see their father walking in through the door, stopping at the head of the table and looking down at both his children.
"The Queen will sometimes only take counsel from Lord Commander Barristan Selmy," a look of displeasure crossed Tywin Lannister's face, "Even as her Hand, in comparison to Selmy, I have very little weight,"
"What's that about wine?" Tyrion hobbled in, already slightly drunk as he always was when he had to have dinner with his whole family.
"No one was talking about wine," Cersei sneered, "Perhaps if you weren't always deep in your cups you would be able to form some type of coherent thought and follow along with conversations,"
"I'm sorry, why are you here again Cersei?" Tyrion asked rhetorically, "Oh yes! Because you are twenty, flowered, and still unmarried. Perhaps before you cast judgments on others you'll wonder why no Lord within his right mind wants to marry you,"
Cersei stood abruptly in anger, her chair clattering behind her, "I'll have you killed one day you little Imp! I'll have you—"
"Stop you bunch of wild heathens!" Tywin Lannister shouted above the screaming match, silencing his two youngest children completely.
Only Jaime sat, silent and unaffected in his seat, with his arms crossed against his chest and a very firm bored look settled on his face. He could be having dinner with the rest of the Queensguard and the Queen right now, as she had taken to inviting them all to dine with her. Either out of sentiment or to avoid any suitors that gave an invitation for supper. Or both. But instead, here he was with his family who hated each other, arguing over matters that honestly seemed trivial to Jaime.
"Silence, the both of you. This isn't the time to squabble over your petty issues," Tywin ordered sternly which silenced both his children, "Cersei, have you tried to befriend the Queen at all?"
Cersei sniffed delicately, "No, all the servants have told me she doesn't answer any missives or invitations to tea and prefers to spend time alone or with her Queensguard,"
"Have you tried at all?"
A brief moment of hesitation from Cersei occurs before the Lannister daughter finally reluctantly admitted, "No…"
Sighing and shaking his head, Tywin sat down at the table in exhaustion, "If you isolate yourself from the Queen, who at the moment has all the most eligible Lords knocking on her door, you might never find yourself married. She can arrange an advantageous marriage, one that you might not have achieved otherwise with the way you had spurned most of your suitors previously,"
"That's because Rhaegar…" Cersei began her protest but was quickly silenced by Tywin, who slammed the goblet he was drinking from against the table, causing Cersei to flinch.
"Rhaegar would have never been yours. He barely acknowledged your existence, if knew you were a person at all. To him, you were just another Lady at court. What you should have done was make friends with the Princess but now she's the Queen and won't be so open to making friendships any longer," Tywin bemoaned, wondering why his two eldest children were so stupid.
For her part, Cersei did not flinch further at the observations Tywin had declared were the true relationship, or lack of relationship, between Cersei and the former Heir. Cersei had always thought she would've been Queen, Rhaegar had treated her nicely. But Rhaegar treated all the Ladies nicely, the only person he really ever had an eye on was Lyanna Fucking Stark.
"You think you are far cleverer than you actually are Cersei," cutting into the food before him, Tywin turned his direction toward his two sons.
"I very much doubt the Queen will marry you Tyrion. And Jaime, you are a member of her Queensguard now. Firmly entrapped in a vow of celibacy and without any titles actually tied to you anymore. You've all failed, no Lannister will sit on the throne until we're long dead—if even that. Even if Cersei should marry Viserys or Tyrion marry Danaerys—neither of them will ever get the throne. None of their children will either,"
Tyrion, undaunted about his Father's supposition that the Queen wouldn't marry him, persisted at least for his brother's cause, "The Queen released the Lord Commander from his vows so that he may pursue Ashara Dayne. Who's to say that she can't release Jaime, if he works on getting closer to her?"
"Except I am not the heir to any prestigious Great House, not anymore. The Queen has to make a beneficial marriage, that will strengthen her house and her position. A marriage with a Knight will do none of that," Jaime countered, actually interested in the conversation now though no one could tell by the impassive look of his face. Only the slight inflection of his voice betrayed any emotion.
"Jaime wouldn't want to marry her anyway," Cersei continued, sending a knowing glance toward her twin who didn't return it, making Lady Lannister raise an eyebrow, "Would you, Jaime?"
Jaime struggled to look for an answer. The Queen wouldn't be a horrible person to marry if he had to. As much as he was in love with Cersei, Jaime couldn't deny the attraction to the Queen that he had. Their banter was humorous and familiar, comfortable even. He knew her moods, knew when Queen Helaena was about to lose her temper. And when he stepped over an unknown, invisible line, Jaime didn't mind either as it afforded a bit of mystery to their relationship.
Yes, Queen Helaena was close to her Queensguard; however, she also spent time now with her Small Council and sometimes one lucky Lord that would manage to wrangle a tea out of her. She was actively seeking to find the Consort that would profit her House and the Throne the most.
"It doesn't matter what he would or wouldn't want to do. What matters is that he and Tyrion are not even in consideration. How I wish you were a boy, Cersei, as a girl you are decidedly useless," saved from having to answer, Jaime breathed a sigh in relief when Tywin cut in but felt badly for his sister who had shrank back in her chair.
A knock at the door silenced all the conversation, and at Tywin's beckoning, the door opened and revealed one of Queen Helaena's ladies in waiting.
Curtsying crisply, the lady in waiting quickly stood again, "My Lord, the Queen requests the presence of all her Queensguard in her dining room,"
Jaime perked up at the news, sitting up straighter, while his siblings turned as they were decidedly interested in this conversation now. Tywin raised an eyebrow at the news as well.
"Is there something the Queen wants?"
The lady in waiting shook her head at Tywin, "Her Majesty did not say, she simply commanded we find all the members of her Queensguard and have them report to her dining room,"
"Well, then I best go," standing slowly, not wanting to seem to eager, Jaime got up from the table and made his way to the door.
"Try not to offend anyone Jaime, we want your pretty head to stay on your shoulders," Tyrion's quip gets a short laugh out of Jaime who, once the door closes and bars his family from seeing him anymore, begins to quickly walk down the hall.
…
Nearly a week later and Bronn had yet to arrive. No feast had been announced but the reconstruction of Summer Hall, the Dragon pit, and the destroyed parts of King's Landing were underway. Falyse Stokeworth had already packed her bags and boarded a ship to go to Dragonstone. She had thanked her Queen profusely, anything to get away from the disappointing looks of her family and her Lord Husband.
It seemed that things were beginning to run smoothly again and for that Helaena was thankful for. Varys had not caught wind of anymore plots and thus Helaena almost sent a letter to Bronn telling him not to come. But something in the pit of her stomach stopped the Queen and she waited for the sellsword to arrive each day. It was frankly, very annoying.
Moreover, the second egg to hatch, from the headless body of Lord Gyles Rosby, was the blue egg. It turned out that inside laid a female and Helaena had stared at her new baby for a very long time before deciding its name.
Sunfyre's namesake had participated in the Dance of Dragons. It was only appropriate that his siblings should be as well. However, Helaena was going to unite the House Targaryen divided and thus named the blue dragon, that had black as its secondary color and thus had black and blue eyes, Meleys after the great dragon mother. Meleys had been ridden by "The Queen Who Never Was" Rhaenys and it was a tribute to her slaughtered niece that Helaena found fitting.
With the addition of Meleys, Helaena now had two live dragons. Meleys, the size of a rather large cat, and Sunfyre, who was a bit bigger than his little sister. When Helaena had introduced Meleys to Sunfyre, her dragon son did not seem all too pleased at having to share the wicker basket and his meals. However, the two eventually warmed to each other and were curled around each other in the wicker basket during the night.
Helaena, in her nightgown, was on the floor sitting in front of the wicker basket. Her dragons would soon become bigger and need more space to fly and hunt. The Dragon pit was nowhere near completion, which meant that Helaena had to find an open, unpopulated field, and soon. Sunfyre was already eating twice the amount of meat that he was eating when he first hatched, and Helaena knew that Meleys would soon follow after.
A knock on her door caught Helaena's attention and she quickly pushed the wicker basket back into the wardrobe and stood to answer the door. Internally, Helaena grumbled on about how everyone was always interrupting her time with her dragons whilst she was in her chambers and maybe she should pass a law that prohibited people from knocking on her door unless it was during dire circumstances.
On the other side, Helaena was pleasantly surprised to see Bronn, looking rather dashing in all black, standing on the other side. Looking around the corner, Helaena noticed that Ser Gwayne Gaunt was sleeping. Helaena huffed in frustration but said nothing, only beckoning for Bronn to come in.
"Took you long enough," the Queen reprimanded, offering Bronn a goblet of wine that she had left out and never drunk.
"Hello to you too Princess," Bronn stopped and considered for a moment, "Or is it Queen now? Sorry sweetheart, you've got so many titles, a sellsword can only try to keep track," the man gave a small bow to Helaena.
Snorting at the informality of Bronn, Helaena made her way to come face to face with the man, "I'll let that go because I'm the one who summoned you here from whatever little shit hole you were frequenting but I'm warning you not to try again Bronn. My patience has been wearing thin, all these high-born Lords thinking they can outplay me, the constant underestimation of my abilities has left me particularly agitated,"
The sellsword could tell that Helaena was serious. And she did look slightly worn down in comparison to the last time he had saw her. Not nearly as wild, though if one looked hard enough and poked at just the right places, Bronn was sure the spit-fire Princess was still there hiding under the Queenly façade.
"Varys seems to think that there are no more conspirators, plotting to oust me from the throne now that I have had Lord Gyles Rosby punished. But I think my Master of Whispers is wrong, there was too much unrest for everything to just suddenly die down. One man's death is not going to stop a group of Lords who think they have the upper hand because they believe me unsuspecting," straight to business, Bronn couldn't help but admire Helaena's no nonsense attitude.
"I know what must be done, Queenie," Bronn smirked, thinking himself rather clever for coming up with that term of endearment, "What I want to know is just how much you're going to pay me,"
Helaena shrugged and smirked, "How'd you like to be Knighted, Ser Bronn?"
"I'm intrigued, please, continue," the sellsword prompted, wanting to see what else Helaena as Queen could possibly offer.
The world was at her fingertips now, she could give him the skies if he did a good enough job getting rid of any and all potential rebels.
"You'll be Knighted, given a large sum of gold, and when the timing is right I will arrange for you to be betrothed to Lollys Stokeworth—she is the younger sister of Falyse Stokeworth, who is the heir of Castle Stokeworth,"
"Now why would I want to marry some second daughter?" Bronn questioned, not understanding Helaena's line of thought.
Helaena smirked, staring rather searchingly at Bronn and seeing how long he could wait before she revealed the next bit of information. Obviously it wasn't very long because Bronn shot her a look of exasperation that made Helaena want roll her eyes, and so she did.
"House Stokeworth has no male heir, thus the title will go to Falyse when her mother dies. Except, Falyse is 30 years old and barren which means any sons you put in Lollys would be the next Lord Stokeworth," running a delicate finger down Bronn's chest, Helaena smiled beautifully up at the man, "And should Falyse come about an accident, Lollys would be the next Lady Stokeworth and you, Lord Stokeworth. Does that sound like good enough payment?"
Bronn grasped Helaena's hand, causing the Queen to merely raise her eyebrow at the action. Placing delicate kisses on her fingertips, Bronn placed one final kiss on the back of Helaena's hand before answering.
"More than satisfactory, my Queen," Bronn bowed deferentially, this time not in jest. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are when you are plotting?"
"No, but please, continue," the Queen wrapped the fingers that Bronn was holding around her own.
"Absolutely stunning. And all for me," twirling her into his arms, Bronn placed a gentle kiss on Helaena's forehead.
"Well for now," Helaena sighed airily, "You'll be Lord Stokeworth soon enough and I'll have my own little Consort to play with,"
Bronn frowned at the news, while travelling along the Kingsroad he had most definitely not heard of Helaena actively looking for a husband.
"You shouldn't frown, you're not nearly as pretty when you do," Helaena tapped a finger against Bronn's lips—causing him to catch it in his mouth.
"That's disgusting," pulling her fingers away, Helaena stepped back, "Well, as entertaining as it was to see you, night has fallen and I need to sleep,"
"Little dragon you've become so formal since the last time I saw you," Bronn placed a kiss on Helaena's cheek, "Whatever happened to the little spitfire who almost impaled me with her sword?"
"I only did that because you snuck up on me," Helaena retorted hotly, "I'm Queen now Bronn, everyone is watching my every move. I cannot misstep in anyway,"
"Helaena we are in the privacy of your own chambers, I very much doubt anyone is watching from the shadows," placing a chaste kiss on Helaena's lips, Bronn waited for the Queen to respond to his attentions.
Although reluctant, Helaena relents. Melting into the sellswords' arms and kissing him back with a fervor and fire in her veins.
It wasn't that she held a particular affection for Bronn. Helaena was just very attracted to him, from the moment that he had stumbled onto her practicing her archery in the woods outside the Kingsroad, Helaena hadn't been able to look away. She didn't particularly trust him, but Helaena knew that as long as she had enough gold to outdo any bidder, Bronn would do as she said. It was just an added benefit that he was an amazing kisser as well.
But as Bronn's hand slipped beneath her nightgown, Helaena stopped him and took several large steps back. Her virtue was for her Consort, after all. And the Queen couldn't have anyone questioning her or her virtue as they would use it as a way to delegitimize her rule. Helaena could hear it now, the Whore Queen who let the man that killed her father live, usurped her brother, and exiled the rest of her family. No, Helaena already had enough on her list of misdeeds, losing her virtue to someone who was not her Chosen Consort was not going to be one of them.
Bronn groaned at the loss but did not protest, knowing that he was already pushing boundaries.
"Goodnight Bronn. Present yourself at Court tomorrow, have you chosen a family name to use?"
"Umber," Bronn supplied, "No one of the North is here, no one in the South has ever even seen an Umber because they never venture further South than White Harbor,"
Helaena nodded in approval, "Good. Leave now, thank you,"
Bowing, Bronn slipped out the door quietly in an effort not to wake the sleeping Queensguard outside.
Going back to the wardrobe, Helaena pulled the wicker basket out and allowed her dragons to wrap themselves around her body before settling back in the bed, with Sunfyre and Meleys wrapped around her.
…
Ned Stark cradled the crying infant against his chest, trying to silence the boy and send him back to sleep. When he had returned to Winterfell he was surprised to find Catelyn already heavy with child and a week later, giving birth to his first-born son Robb.
No letter had come from his lady wife informing Ned of this development. Catelyn had said, when Ned first arrived, that it was supposed to be a surprise. However, with the arrival of Jon, Ned's lady wife had deemed to ignore his and Jon's presence entirely.
Obviously the warm feelings that Catelyn was beginning to feel for her lord husband had started to wither the moment she set her eyes upon Jon Snow.
Thus, Ned was left to his own devices to care for the child. He could have left it to the handmaidens, except this was Lyanna's son, the only thing left he had of his sister. It didn't matter that the time he spent with Jon only managed to antagonize Catelyn more, there was no love between the two and now with the arrival of Jon there likely wouldn't be for a long while.
"Quiet Jon, what has you fussing so noisily?" Ned whispered to the babe in his arms softly, rocking him back and forth in the room he had set up for Jon after bringing him back home.
"Your mother would undoubtedly know what to do," shaking his head, Ned brought Jon over to the window, looking out into his snow-covered home.
"She would have loved you, dearly. And hopefully, Catelyn will find it in her heart to love you too," a wistful look crossed Ned's face. He missed the earlier days when things were easier, when Brandon and Rickon were still very much alive.
The cool air seemed to stop the fussing baby, who's eyes had only recently opened and turned to gaze up at Ned's face. "You have an Aunt you know, she's ruling the Seven Kingdoms now but if she knew about you—I'm sure she would love you," Ned confessed to Jon, so confident in how Helaena would react.
"But Robert would have you beheaded so we have to keep you here and I'll raise you. You're more Stark than Targaryen. The North is in your blood,"
Much to Ned's chagrin at first and Catelyn's distaste, Jon looked more Stark than even Robb. Robb who was born with Tully features, mostly the red tuffs of hair that covered his little head. Meanwhile one could barely tell Jon was even a Targaryen. Every know and then he would make an expression that would resemble Rhaegar, but one wouldn't know unless looking closely.
"Helaena probably misses Rhaegar dearly, you would be the last piece of him she has" Ned contemplated letting the new Queen know.
Having been fostered with her in the Vale, Ned Stark had spent a considerable amount of time with Helaena and he had fallen in love with her fiery spirit and brutal honesty. Despite coming from King's Landing and having fire in her blood, the new Lord could easily have seen Helaena thriving in the North.
He had never told her, never got a chance. Just when he was going to ride South in order to ask the King to court Helaena, Aerys had Brandon and Rickon killed and suddenly Ned was the one betrothed to Catelyn. Ned Stark went from having his future open and full of promises with Helaena potentially waiting at the end, to being trapped with only one road to take. So of course Ned helped Helaena usurp her father, pledge his loyalty as it was the only kind of oath he would be giving to her now.
Jon cooed and Ned glanced down at his true nephew fondly, "Perhaps we should both go to King's Landing, once things are more settled here," maybe it was wishful thinking but Ned could have sworn he saw Jon nod in agreement.
"Helaena won't tell Robert, she'll just be glad to know you exist,"
Snow gently fell in the night, and Ned Stark, with Jon Snow in his arm, gazed out at the lands he was Lord over now. There would have to be a lot of preparation, for the Lord of the North who had just returned, to leave so soon. Perhaps he would wait a few more moons, Ned contemplated, until Jon was a little older and fit enough for such a long journey again.
Maybe he could even bring Robb, Ned though amusedly. But then that would also mean bringing Catelyn as Ned knew without a doubt that his lady wife wouldn't be leaving Robb on his own for long periods of time anytime soon. And the last thing Ned Stark wanted was the woman he loved and the woman he was married to within the same room. Just thinking about the possibility made his headache.