Chapter 58
Sansa was astonished to see Margaery and Loras Tyrell standing in her home. She looked at the child with them and instantly recognized Tommen. They all wore heavy furs and roughspun wool clothing – not the elegant silks and velvets those of their rank would be expected to wear. Sansa wondered why they were at Casterly Rock and why they were traveling in such a manner not befitting the little king. She had seen that they had arrived on horseback, not in the royal wheelhouse and not with the royal guards. Before she could think on it further, she saw Tommen put the cage he carried on the ground and begin to run toward her.
The red cloaks moved to stop him before he reached her, but she saw Jaime motion for them to stand down. No doubt he also recognized the boy and knew he was no threat to her or Julianna. Tommen wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her fiercely. She was glad to see him as well and knelt down, hugging him with her free arm and stroking his hair as he rested his head on her shoulder. Sansa held Julianna in her other arm and when Tommen pulled away from her, she saw him looking curiously at the babe in her arms, who was also staring back at him, a grin on her face.
As Jaime ordered their guards to leave the room, allowing all of them to speak freely, little Tommen wrapped his arms around Jaime's leg, hugging him and greeting him as "uncle." She watched her husband look down at the child, patting his head, and she couldn't help thinking that he seemed unsettled by the showing of affection from the boy. She knew Jaime had never been allowed to show any interest in any of his children by Cersei, and she wondered if he had ever even hugged Tommen. She suspected that he had not.
"I'm so glad to see you again, your grace," she said quietly and Tommen shook his head.
"You must not call me that," he whispered. "Margaery said no one should know I am king."
Sansa looked at Margaery for an explanation. "We are at war, and there are rebels and soldiers of fortune throughout the realm who would be only too happy to ransom us. It is much safer for Tommen to travel as a commoner, rather than a king." Sansa wondered where the Kingsguard was – only Ser Loras traveled with Tommen. Where are the others? Why does he not have more guards?
"My name is Tom now, while we're traveling," the little boy said conspiratorially. He seemed excited by their adventure. "I've missed you since you left the capitol last year," he said, clearly happy to be reunited with Jaime and Sansa.
Sansa glanced at Jaime and could see that he was unprepared for Tommen's presence at the Rock and was unsure how to respond. She expected the role he played in Cersei's death contributed to Jaime's unease around the little boy. "We missed you, too," she said, speaking for the both of them. "I've thought about you every day. I'm glad you're safe."
"Why are you here, Tyrell?" Jaime said, in no mood to exchange plesantries with Margaery or Ser Loras.
Margaery ignored Jaime and slowly walked toward Sansa, a soft smile on her face. "It is good to see you, Sansa. It has been nearly a year since we last met."
"You look well…your grace," Sansa said quietly, remembering that Cersei had wed her to Tommen, though the marriage certainly had not been consummated. She and Jaime had been traveling through the Riverlands when the hasty marriage of the little king occurred, and they had been mercifully spared yet another King's Landing wedding. "What brings all of you to Casterly Rock?"
She hugged Sansa, careful not to squash the baby between them. "I've come to fulfill my promise to you," she whispered in Sansa's ear, smiling at the baby and running her hand over the child's hair. "This must be your babe. I had heard you had been so blessed. She's beautiful. She looks just like you," Margaery said. She sounded sweet, though Sansa couldn't help reminding herself that the girl had killed Joffrey and somehow schemed to secure herself yet another royal marriage. Don't be so foolish as to trust her. She married an eight year old child in order to be queen. She would have allowed Tyrion to die for poisoning Joffrey - something she did.
"Thank you, Margaery, for speaking so kindly about our dear Julianna" she said, holding the babe close, as she rested her head against Sansa's chest. "Won't you sit? Can I offer you some refreshment?"
"No. We're not staying long," Ser Loras said, his tone and expression decidedly unfriendly. "My sister insisted on fulfilling an obligation to you. At great risk to both of us. We must continue on to Highgarden. As soon as possible."
"Why have you abandoned King's Landing?" Jaime asked in alarm. "Has Stannis reached the Red Keep?" Sansa imagined he was thinking of his Uncle Kevan, who was Hand of the King. As well as the danger of Stannis being so near Casterly Rock.
"Tommen," Margaery said in her sweet voice, "Why don't you check on your kittens, while we've stopped." Sansa watched as Tommen sat on the floor beside the cage he had been carrying and lifted the oil skins covering it, revealing three small cats inside, huddled together for warmth. Tommen's face lit up when he saw them, and he reached in to pet them as they began mewling.
Once the little king was out of earshot, Margaery lowered her voice. "The Dragon Queen is battling Stannis now, at the Wall. Should she be victorious – and it's expected that she will - she'll then proceed to the Capitol. My father thinks it will take but two months for her to arrive in King's Landing, if his sources are correct. He thought it best that I return to Highgarden." She glanced back at Tommen. "He did not intend for…the king…to accompany me but," she met Sansa's eyes, "I did not forget our last conversation."
Jaime looked at Sansa, not understanding what Margaery was saying, but Sansa understood. She had extracted a promise from Margaery when she and Jaime had left King's Landing – that Margaery would look after Tommen. And Sansa had insisted she agree to bring Tommen to Casterly Rock, should there ever come a time when she could not protect him. She means to leave Tommen here with us.
"I expect my father will be very angry that I took him," Margaery said, continuing on. "But, I feared that…should the Dragon Queen succeed in overtaking the keep…" She trailed off and looked at Tommen, an uncertain expression on her face.
"You feared Lord Tyrell would give her Tommen's head. And no doubt secure you yet another advantageous marriage and a place for himself on her small council?"
Margaery didn't respond, but it was clear the answer was yes. "It is difficult, Ser Jaime, for a mere child to hold the Iron Throne – especially when so many others claim it. Perhaps if his mother were still alive to fight for his right to rule. To form alliances for him and to ensure the loyalty of those at court. But she is not. And we both know Tommen is in danger, should a single battle go the wrong way. He is safest with his family. Away from court."
"So you mean to leave him here?" The young queen nodded at Jaime's question. "What of your marriage?"
"What of it? He's only nine, Ser Jaime. It's not as if…it can be set aside later, if need be, should we all survive this war." She looked at Jaime. "You are his…closest relative, now that Queen Cersei is dead. I was so sorry to hear of her death. Such a tragedy," she murmured, looking Jaime squarely in the eye, no doubt suspecting the story of her death that had been sent to the Capitol was not entirely accurate. Sansa saw that Jaime was making an effort to restrain his anger as the girl continued. "Tommen should be with you."
"We should leave now, sister," Ser Loras said coldly.
Jamie glared at the young knight. "I see you take your vows to protect him seriously," Jaime said, clearly disgusted by how little the knight, sworn to the Kingsguard, cared about what happened to Tommen. It was clear his only concern was Margaery and her safety, not the little king he was sworn to protect with his life.
"Are we to leave the Rock already?" Little Tommen asked from his seated position on the floor beside his cage of kittens, disappointment in his voice. She didn't tell him that he's to stay here. Sansa realized that the little boy believed he would continue on to Highgarden with his Queen.
Margaery knelt down beside Tommen. "I think it would be best, for you to stay here, Tommen. With Ser Jaime and Lady Sansa." She saw sadness in the boy's eyes, and it did not surprise her. Sansa expected Tommen had become quite attached to the Tyrells during the past year. Cersei had been imprisoned for a time, and then dead for more than a month. His entire family was gone. Except for Jaime and Myrcella, though she is far away in Dorne. Tommen's eyes filled with tears as Margaery kissed his forehead and told him to be brave.
"No! I shall not stay here. I am to be with my lady wife."
Sansa handed the baby to Jaime and approached Tommen, sitting on the ground beside him. "It's all right, Tommen," she said quietly. "You'll be safe here with us, I promise." She gently rubbed his shoulder and reached to pet one of the little cats with her other hand.
Her heart broke as Tommen turned to her with teary green eyes, so like Jaime's and Julianna's. Looking at him, she could easily see Jaime as a little boy. She knew little Tommen was losing the only stability he'd had in his life for the past year. "But I'm supposed to stay with my lady wife and protect her," he said in a sad little voice.
"I'll protect Lady Margaery," Ser Loras said. "This is what is best and safest, for the both of you."
"You'll have the kittens I gave you, to remember me," she said, gesturing to the three small cats in the cage. Margaery hugged her little husband goodbye before rising to her feet and taking her brother's arm. "Goodbye, Sansa. Ser Jaime."
Margaery and Ser Loras walked toward darkened hall, leading to the Lion's Mouth, where Jaime's guards rejoined them. They had come and gone so quickly, it was almost as if she had imagined their appearance at the Rock. As the red cloaks began to escort them out, Tommen began to cry, walking after them as if to follow. Before Sansa could rise to her feet to go after him, Jaime put Julianna in her lap and reached Tommen in three strides, gripping his shoulders and turning him around, walking him back to Sansa.
"You can't go with them, Tommen," Jaime said firmly.
Sansa tried to distract him from his despair, by asking about his kittens, but Tommen continued to stare at the backs of Margaery and Loras as they walked away from him, tears silently streaming down his little face. She looked at Jaime and saw that he was uncertain about how to act with Tommen – his son – now that he was with them at the Rock and Jaime was responsible for him.
"Can I watch them ride away?" he asked miserably.
"Of course," Sansa said, walking him to the window and helping him up onto the window seat to watch, holding Julianna in her arms. The child rested his hands against the glass and stared down at the long road leading from Casterly Rock to Lannisport. She gently rubbed his shoulder before walking back to stand beside Jaime.
"What are we supposed to do now?" he whispered to her. She looked up at Jaime, not sure what he meant, and saw him looking at Tommen, worry in his eyes. "She thinks he'll not be king much longer, and wanted to be rid of him. So she'll be free for the next opportunity to be Queen."
"He'll be all right. He just needs a little time to feel comfortable here and to know that we're going to take care of him."
"I don't know how to take care of him. He's…I don't have the relationship with him that I'm supposed to have."
Sansa leaned against Jaime, taking his hand. "It will be fine," she said quietly. "He's a good boy and he likes us. He'll come around and be just as happy here as he was in King's Landing."
"I killed his mother," Jaime whispered in her ear.
"You are his father," she whispered back, careful that no one could hear her.
"Sansa," he began, speaking quietly so the boy could not hear them speaking, "You must realize that Tommen's presence here will draw the war to Casterly Rock. Whether it's Stannis or the Targaryen girl…in time they will come here looking for Tommen. His death will assure the legitimacy of their rule. His presence here endangers you and Julianna. I'd not endanger either of you for anything."
Sansa wondered if her shock showed on her face. "You can't mean to send him away? Where would he go? Jaime, he belongs here, with you, more than he belongs anywhere else. The walls of the Rock will protect him. Who better than you and I to protect him?"
Jaime looked at her in disbelief. "You really want to raise my bastard son? Cersei's son? You really wish to take on being his mother?"
"We're all he has," she said quietly, thinking back to when she was all alone in King's Landing and how grateful she would have been for someone to care for her as she was prepared to care for Tommen.
Jaime sighed and asked the guards to bring Lady Alys to join them, waiting until they were alone before addressing the boy. "Tommen? Tommen, it's time to come away from the window."
The boy clearly wanted to continue watching, but he was obedient, and climbed down, walking to Jaime and Sansa. She couldn't stop herself from reaching out and wiping away the boy's tears. "You'll be all right," she whispered, stroking his hair. She met Jaime's eyes and could see he was uncertain how to proceed. She wasn't sure what to do to reassure either one of them.
"Tommen," Jaime began, "While you stay here, we're going to pretend that you're not the king, all right? Just as when you traveled with the Tyrells."
Tommen nodded. "I'm to stay here?" he asked in a small voice.
"Yes. Lady Alys, the wife of my steward, will get you settled. She's a very kind woman and she'll make certain you're comfortable here."
"Can my kittens stay here, too?"
"Of course," Sansa said, seeing that Jaime was a bit out of sorts. Tommen looked at the baby in Sansa's arms, then back at Jaime, unsure of himself. He looked around the large room they were in, with hallways leading to the different areas of the Rock, and he seemed so little and lost. Sansa couldn't help thinking that Jaime seemed just as lost as Tommen did as he told the boy how important it was that no one know he was king. Tommen listened to Jaime and nodded, though he clung to Sansa's hand tightly, desperate for comfort.
Jaime reached to take the babe from her and as he held Julianna against him, Sansa realized that he was holding her to comfort himself. He absently rubbed the babe's back as she nuzzled against his neck. As her eyes flitted between father and son, Sansa saw the same disquiet mirrored in both their expressions. Tommen continued to hold her hand and Sansa reached out and gently touched Jaime, stopping his speech to the boy when he leaned into her touch.
"It's going to be all right," Sansa whispered. "I promise." Jaime nodded at her, but she could see that he didn't really believe her. She supposed it was foolish to think that he and Tommen would magically become father and son, but she was certain that they cared for one another and that the little boy could be a part of their family.
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Next chapter: Sansa tries to make Tommen feel like part of their family