A/N: It's still the weekend (just about), and I have managed to get a chapter finished for you lovely lot. Hope you enjoy it!

unnamed visitor: Thank you, I'm glad you thought it was worth the wait. Yes, Renly is on the way, but rest assured they have plans for him (see this chapter). Amy certainly had inherited a few of Tywin's traits, and I'm glad you like my softer version of Cersei. I really like writing her in this fic. Oberyn may appear if I do any scenes in Dorne, but I have no plans for him to come to the Capitol. There will however, probably be some interaction between Jon and Karenza at some point.

Guest: You're very welcome.

Boramir: Thank you! Margaery is certainly in for a surprise, but maybe not the one you expect (see this chapter), glad you like my version of Cersei too. Given canon it is hard to muster sympathy for her, but she's a different creature in this AU. Regarding Renly, there are certainly plans to keep him in check (again, see this chapter). I appreciate all suggestions though, and I'm glad you're enjoying the read!

Guest: Thank you very much!

Right-ho folks, onwards!

:)

Shift

"Our scouts tell us that Renly is coming along the Kings Road and has already passed Bronzegate," Steffon was saying, "I need men skirting the Kingswood along the coast, I want Storm's End back in loyal hands." Robb glanced at Tywin and saw that he looked suitably impressed as he fixed his eyes on his grandson. "You intend to take it from under him while he is grovelling for your forgiveness?" the queen mother raised one of her brows and Steffon inclined his head. "You didn't mention anything in council," Stannis spoke up with a raised brow of his own. "I don't trust the full council with this plan," Steffon told his uncle and Stannis inclined his head. "I would ask you to go uncle," Steffon continued, "since you will taking the title of Lord Paramount of the Stormlands."

Robb had thought Stannis would look a little happier at the request, but instead he grimaced. "I would like nothing more your Grace," Stannis said gravely, "but I came to dinner tonight to ask your permission to take leave from the council." Steffon frowned at that, and Robb bit down on his lip lightly, hoping that more trouble was not destined to come their way. "Why?" Steffon's question was simple, but Robb could hear the underlying frustration in his voice, seeing Sansa reach her hand over to clench around his forearm. "Selyse has worsened," Stannis said quietly, his eyes meeting his nephew's. Robb saw Steffon's icy eyes soften, sympathy now etched in his expression. "Of course," he said, nodding his head, "you must return to Dragonstone at once and be with your family."

"Thank you, your Grace," Stannis' lips twitched up slightly, "though I fear I will not make good enough time." There was a still silence for a long moment, Robb catching Amy's eye for a moment, seeing in her expression that she was as lost for words as everyone else appears to be. "We will pray for you," Sansa finally spoke quietly, "and for you wife and daughter." Stannis murmured his thanks at that, managing a thin smile for his queen. "If you would excuse me, your Graces, my lords, ladies," Stannis rose up, inclining his head to all of them in general. "Of course, we wish you good speed," Steffon rose up to his own feet and clasped hands tightly with his uncle for a moment before letting him go. No one spoke until Stannis had walked from the room and closed the door firmly behind him.

"It seems your plans will have to be altered," Tywin said in a brisk manner, pouring himself another measure of wine. "Indeed," Steffon said thoughtfully, his eyes finding Robb's and lingering for far longer than he would have liked. Robb shifted slightly in his seat, hoping that his good-brother was not thinking what he thought he was thinking. His eyes flickered to Amy, seeing her attention on her food as she neatly cut up her portion of venison. Only Tywin and the queen mother seemed to have realised where Steffon's gaze was lingering. Cersei sent him a sympathetic smile and Tywin sighed heavily, though to Robb it sounded like a sigh of grudging agreement. "Robb," Steffon said his name softly, almost pleadingly. Not me, anyone but me, please. "I hate to ask this of you…"

He had caught Amy's attention now, Robb saw her head lift from the corner of his eye and he didn't have to look to know that her eyes were likely wide and scared. "Your Grace -," Robb started, unsure what he was even going to say. "I need a man I could trust, someone who knows what they are doing," Steffon said, his eyes boring into his. Robb knew then that there would be no saying no. How could he refuse his king? His father had never been able to. He was all ready to refuse Tywin Lannister when he came calling with his offer of Amy for Robb. His father would have refused Tywin, but when Robert had asked it of him, he had been unable to say no. Robb's eye flickered to his wife, seeing that she was looking towards Steffon with a horrified expression on her face. Robb knew his next words would break her heart, but he had to utter them.

"If you can trust no one else, your Grace," he said quietly, his eyes drawn to the table as Amy's hand clenched around her fork so tightly that her knuckles stretched white. "I only ask that you take control until Stannis is able," Steffon said, holding his eyes. Robb could only nod, unable to look at Amy now. Unable to look at any of them, his eyes boring into the highly polished table top. "Thank you," Steffon said quietly, though it seemed to echo almost ominously around the room. Robb could only nod slightly in response. The next sound was the clatter of Amy's fork hitting the table and the scraping back of her chair. Still Robb could not make his head lift up to look at her. "You must forgive me," her voice trembled when she spoke and his heart clenched unbearably. "I've rather lost my appetite, I think I ought to retire for the night," she continued, and he finally raised his head to see her retreating from her seat. Steffon reached his hand out to clasp around her wrist as she passed him and she paused. Robb distinctly heard him murmur an apology to her and she nodded rather stiffly. He let go then, and Robb could find no words to speak up to stop her from marching out of the room.

The door closed with a thud of finality and he took a great shuddering breath. If the silence had weighed heavily when Stannis had left the room, it was practically suffocating now. So much for a quiet, family meal. Robb could feel all the eyes on him but he had no desire to look at any of them. Instead he reached out and picked up his glass, bringing it to his lips and draining it in one. He set it back down on the table and rose up to his feet. "If you'll excuse me," he said faintly, not even waiting for anyone else to speak before he rounded the table and made his own way out of the door.

"Well, that went well," Cersei commented drily as Robb slammed out of the door, raising her glass to her lips and taking a long sip. "I'm sorry mother," Steffon said heavily, and she sent him a withering look. "Did I not say I wanted a nice, family meal without any council talk?" she almost snapped at him and he sighed. "What could I do? I couldn't have known that Stannis was going to leave…and when he did…" he trailed off, looking distinctly uncomfortably under her piercing gaze. "When he did you decided to send Robb off into a potential battle without any warning?" she supplied to him and he grimaced. "I can't trust anyone else," Steffon said firmly and she shook her head at him. "That may be so, but you could have spoken to him in private about it," she said, "allowed him to break the news to Amy himself instead of announcing it at dinner."

"Cersei, Steffon was merely acting as King," her father tried to interject but she sent him a withering look. "King or not, everyone around this table is family, and it was beyond tactless," she snapped at her father. She was unimpressed with him defending Steffon's actions, especially when she knew damn well how much he doted on Amy. "It's done now," Sansa said quietly, though Cersei could see the unease in her expression and imagined that her good-daughter would be having strong words of her own with Steffon when they were left alone. "You will go to Amy and apologise to her tomorrow, and Robb too for that matter," Cersei said with finality and Steffon nodded his head sheepishly. "Of course mother," he said in an abashed manner, and she was satisfied that she had got through to him. "Good," she said, "now let that be an end to the matter."

She picked up her glass of wine again and sipped on it for something to do. Her appetite seemed to have deserted her. Steffon's decision to send Robb to Storm's End did not rest well with her. If anything were to befall him then she knew damn well that it would rip her family apart, and just as it was all knitting itself so tightly together. "Well," her father spoke up into the tense silence, "at least there may soon be a solution to the Tyrell problem."

"What do you mean?" Steffon asked curiously, but Cersei sighed heavily, knowing exactly where her father was going with this. "If Selyse passes then Stannis will be in need of a wife," her father said, and she rolled her eyes. She had often thought that Steffon's tactless streak came from Robert, now she was wondering if it were not from her own side of the family. Robert could be brash and idiotic at time, but sometimes this the things that came from her father's mouth were damn right heartless. "The woman is still breathing, let alone her not being cold," Cersei said, shaking her head slightly and sharing a look with Sansa. "Of course, my uncle will have to observe a suitable time of mourning," Steffon said almost dismissively, "but then I see no reason why a betrothal could not be announced between himself and Margaery Tyrell."

"Do you think Highgarden will agree?" Sansa asked, resuming daintily cutting up her meat as she spoke. "They would have little choice but to agree after Loras broke the betrothal with Karenza," Steffon answered, "they would not want to be seen to sleight us twice. Even Mace Tyrell is not that foolish." Cersei grudgingly thought that that made sense, and she was pleased that whatever scheming Margaery had been sent here to do would soon be at an end. Such a pity that Amy's plans with the Greyjoy ward were redundant now, she had been rather looking forward to how that would play out. "I wonder if Stannis will agree to it," she said lightly, raising one of her brows and seeing her father send her an exasperated look. "Stannis will agree to it," he said briskly, "it is for the good of the Kingdoms and he is one of Steffon's most loyal supporters. He'll marry her, I'm certain of it."

"Since we met we have never been apart for more than two days," Amy said quietly as soon as she heard the door open and close behind her. She knew without looking that Robb had returned, she could almost see him shifting nervously from foot-to-foot without turning around. "I hated every second of it," she continued when he said nothing. "I hated not knowing where you were, whether you were in danger, where you were sleeping…" her voice caught in her throat and she took a deep, shuddering breath. "I hated every moment I had to lay in our bed alone," she finished, tears stinging at her eyes now as she felt him moving closer to her. She wanted to shrug him away when his hands clasped around her upper arms. She wanted to turn and shove him from her, to scream and shout at him and beg him to reconsider. She wanted to tell him that she would never forgive him if he left her.

Instead she leaned back into him, his arms slipping around her torso and caging her against his chest. She was so angry with him. So angry, and yet so scared at the same time. Scared, and desperate to have him close so she could memorise every inch of him. She closed her eyes and imprinted the feel and the smell of him as he held her so tightly against that it was almost painful. That it almost felt like he would never let her go. "You can't think I want to go," he murmured, his lips fluttering against the top of her head. She swallowed hard, her own hands coming up now to wrap around his forearms, as though she were afraid that if she didn't hold on then he would let go. "You made no word of protest," she said, hearing him sigh heavily against her. "He is the King," he said simply, and that had her digging her fingernails into his arms. Even though they were covered she still heard him hiss in pain.

She really did shrug him away then, ridding herself of his embrace and turning to face him. The look in his eyes almost made her falter but she refused to give into the urge to be back in his arms and giving him her blessing. Amy didn't want to give him her blessing because that would mean she approved of him leaving her. Of leaving their son. "I am your wife," she said simply, each word shaking with a mixture of rage and upset. "And I love you," he said, just as simply, his eyes holding hers. She wanted to crumble then but she refused. She would fight him on this, if not for her own sake then for the sake of their baby boy. "What about Aedan?" she asked him. It was a low blow, bringing their son into it, but what choice did she have? His expression was pained and she instantly wanted to take the words back. "He will be safe here, with you," Robb said, and she bit down on her lip to stop it from trembling.

"It could be weeks before you return," she said shakily, "weeks. We could even be gone to the Rock before you come back and then we will be months without you!" Her voice was rising now, her anger and her fear rising up in her as Robb flinched at her tone. "I will come to the Rock to be with you," he tried to soothe her but she was shaking her head at once. "Unless the King has some other need of you!" she snapped, and his own eyes blazed with fury at that. "You were the one who wanted us to come here!" he snapped back at her. "You were the one who told me that I was needed, that I ought to do my duty for our family!" His words stung, partly because she knew he was right, but mostly because she knew that this here was all her fault. If she hadn't pushed him to the Capitol then he would not be in this position now, contemplating leading an army to bring Storm's End under control. But he would be at the Wall instead.

Either way she would be parted from him. Either way she would have to contemplate sending him out into a potential battle. Either way she could lose him. In her mind she tried to weigh which would have been worse, whether he was in more danger here or back in the North about to face wildlings. It was too much. Her imagination was running away from her and he was cold and still before her eyes. He was laying in the Sept of Baelor while she wept above him, begging him to open his eyes. He was being carried lifeless on a slab into the heart of Winterfell, Lord Stark at his side with tears streaming silently down his face. She gasped. It was too much. Too much. She clutched at her heart as a sob rose up in her chest. "Amy -," his tone was softer now as he stepped forward, and she collapsed all to easily into his arms, her ear seeking out his heart as he pressed her close to him.

"You can't think I want to leave you, either of you," he was gabbling out now, "the thought of being apart from you, of missing so much of Aedan changing…growing. I can't stand it Amy, I can't. I -," she could listen to any more. She didn't want to hear any more, her hands reaching up to cup his face as she pressed herself closer to him. Amy all but dragged his lips to hers, kissing him as though her very life depended on it. He kissed her back just as wildly, his hands clasping into her skirts as he pushed her back up against the wall. Her heart was pounding wildly as he gathered the silks up, his touch soon finding her bare thighs and making her shiver as he ran his hands up them. She let her own hands slide down his chest to the lacing of his breeches. His groan was swallowed up by her kiss, and he responded by lifting her easily and pinning her against the wall.

They were pressed so tightly together that she could barely move her hands to unlace him. Somehow she managed it though, freeing his hardness only to have him buried deeply inside her in the next moment. She gasped out against his lips, her hands coming to grasp hold of his shoulders as he thrust sharply into her. His kisses found her cheek. Her hairline. Her jaw. Her neck. It was like his lips were everywhere all at once, setting her skin aflame as every rock of his hips had her stomach clenching tighter and tighter. She pressed her own clumsy kisses to his face, her hands coming to fist tightly in his hair as he groaned into the crook of her neck, his thrusts getting more and more erratic. In the next moment he made to pull back, to leave her. She tightened her legs around his waist, her lips coming to the shell of his ear. "Don't stop," she panted out, "don't stop, I want you…I want all of you…"

If he had any protest, he didn't voice it. Instead his fingers somehow found their way between her legs and she threw her head back, not even feeling the pain as it hit the wall. She could only feel overwhelming pleasure as her stomach tightened in glorious agony, her thighs shaking and her mouth gasping as he brought her crashing down around him. He twitched within her, thrusting twice more before she felt his end spread through her for the first time in months, her head buried in his neck as she gasped out in indescribable release. She couldn't speak. She didn't want to speak, and she could only imagine Robb felt the same as he uttered not one word.

Instead, he gently pulled her away from the wall, their bodies still entwined, and carried her effortlessly into their bedchamber where he lay them down and held her more tightly than she ever remembered him ever holding her. Tomorrow they would have to talk and she knew she would have to accept his decision. But right now she wanted to forget it. Right now she just wanted to be in his arms, listening to the steady thud of his heart and his even breaths in her ear.

"Come," Tywin called, not looking up from his desk at the knock on the door. He heard it open and close in the next moment but still he didn't look up. "What are you doing?" Cersei's voice questioned him, and he finally raised his head to look at her. She was stood in front of his desk with a slight frown creased across her forehead. "You ought not to frown, it ages one," he said, "that is what Lanette is forever telling me anyway. She even wrote it in her last letter, the cheek of it…assuming…"

"What are you doing?" Cersei asked him again, shaking her head slightly. "For Amella," he stood up, gesturing to the array of jewels spread across his desk. "I can't quite decide though, perhaps you can help me," he continued, meeting his daughter's eyes. Cersei gazed back at him for a long moment before she sighed heavily and shook her head again. "You think jewels will make up for her husband being sent away from her?" she finally asked and he shook his head jerkily. "I think she deserves something fine, do you not agree?" he responded, and she frowned at him again.

"I think she would rather kind words and reassurances than this," she picked up on of the necklaces he was pondering, turning it in her hand for a moment before dropping it back onto the desk. The thud of it almost made him flinch, his hands shaking slightly and causing him to fold them behind his back. "What can I possibly say?" he asked Cersei honestly, not have the strength nor the will to convince his daughter that he was unaffected. "You can tell her that he will be safe, that he will return to her and that the time will pass more quickly than she imagines," she said.

"Lie to her, you mean," Tywin raised his brows and Cersei cocked her head to one side. "We all lie when it comes to the ones we love," she said softly, "you lied to us when mother died, you told us that the grief would pass in time. You told us it wouldn't change anything we had…" She tailed off and he sighed heavily, almost cringing at the memory. He had thought he was helping, that they would believe him because they were so young. He had almost deluded himself into believing the words, somewhere deep inside he had wanted them to be true. Before he could open his mouth to issue any kind of explanation or apology Cersei was speaking again.

"I lied to the girls when Robert was killed, I told them that in time they would think of him and smile. Eleanor still cries herself to sleep some nights and I can see it in Karenza's eyes that she knows I lied to them. And now, I am lying to her all over again, telling her that she will be happy in Dorne and that all her dreams will come true. It doesn't make you a monster to want to reassure the ones you love, and I know you love Amy with all your heart, that's why you're doing this," she gestured to the jewels, "in some misguided attempt to cheer her up. You want to lavish her with finery when I imagine that all she really wants is your embrace."

"She brought light back into my life," he finally confessed after a long moment of silence, unable to look at his daughter. "I grieved for your mother for so long, then Amy came along and the chaos came with her. I couldn't help myself…I learned how to smile again, how to care again. Properly, I mean. I have always cared for you Cersei, and Jaime…even Tyrion in my own way…but Amy, she made me show it. She has no idea what she did for me, and I have no idea how I can ever repay her for it. I look at her sometimes and all I can see is your mother, and I see her with Robb and I wonder…did people look at me and Joanna and envy how happy we were…"

"I always wished that I would find a husband who would make me as happy as you made mother," Cersei whispered, stepping forwards and curling her hand around his wrist. He looked up at her then and saw that her eyes were shining with tears. "And I forced you onto Robert Baratheon, all to make you queen," he met her eyes as he said it and she nodded her head. "And for a time I resented you for it. I resented him and his whoring and his dead love. But it got better for us, and he made me happy for so many years. I loved him with all my heart, I still do…" she shook her head as she tailed off, the hand that wasn't clasped around his wrist coming to wipe a few tears from her cheeks.

"You were a perfect queen, you were made for it, with all your poise and grace," he told her, "I meant to tell you that when you came to the Rock, I just couldn't find the words." She smiled weakly at him in response, more tears falling from her eyes. He realised in that moment just how much it pained him to see her weak and upset, his own free hand coming up to brush her tears away. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered doing that when she was a girl, when Joanna had still been there. Joanna had made it easy for him to show affection, without her it had been all too easy to forget to do it. "You've made me proud all these years Cersei," he said softly, holding her eyes, "and I don't want you to ever doubt that."

A/N: I wrote the Twyin/Cersei part this morning, and I literally have no idea where it came from. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!

:)