1st Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
Lady Sansa Lannister
It seemed so surreal to Sansa, that Joffrey was dead, the boy who had tormented her for so long was now gone, killed at his own wedding. She knew she should feel something, relief, happiness, joy, those were the emotions she should feel, but all she really felt was tired. So very tired of all of this, of King's Landing and of the games that were being played, she wanted to go home, but where was home? Her home was destroyed, ruined by the Greyjoys, and her family was dead. No matter what that man had said, her family was dead, and she was the only one left. Tommen needed her though, and so she spent time with him.
"Thank you again for helping me Your Grace." She says. "I do not know what I would have done without you."
Tommen waves a hand. "It was nothing. It was the least I could do for you Sansa. You were not guilty of anything."
But I was, I was guilty of praying for his death and for trying to flee, but Ser Dontos did not show. "Still you did something you did not have to do Your Grace. Everyone else seems to think I am guilty because I am married to Tyrion."
Her king looks at her then, his eyes filled with anger. "Everyone else is a fool. They do not know you like I do. And I know you would never do something like this."
Ah but I so desperately wanted to do something such as this, for as long as my father has been dead. Aloud Sansa merely says. "How have you been doing Your Grace? I know this cannot be easy for you."
"Please Sansa, call me by my name. Just because I wear a crown does not mean you cannot call me by my name." her king says.
Sansa blushes then. "Of course sorry, Your…. Tommen. But tell me please, how are you doing? I barely get to see you now, I know this must be very hard for you. Is there any way I can help you?" Sansa has long stopped being surprised at just how much she cares for Tommen, the new king is everything his brother is not, kind, sweet and caring. If only he had been born first, she thinks they could have been happy, and the war would never have happened.
The king looks at her and merely says. "Just sit with me and talk with me Sansa. That is all I ask."
Sansa nods, and leans forward and feels her heart leap when Tommen takes her hand and curls their fingers together. They sit in silence for a moment and then she asks. "What has your mother been saying?"
A pained look comes across Tommen's face then, and she regrets asking the question, but her king replies all the same. "She is convinced you had something to do with Joffrey's death. That because you and my uncle were married that you shared in everything. Despite everything pointing to the contrary. My mother, I fear has gone quite mad with grief. She even told me I was not wanted."
Sansa looks at her king's face, and sees that despite his attempt at nonchalance, his mother's words have deeply stung him. "Oh Tommen," she begins. "Your mother is grieving, surely she could not mean such a thing."
Tommen laughs. "You know, I keep telling myself that, but the more I think about it, the more I think it is true. I do not think my mother ever wanted me. I know for certain my father never did. Mother was always on about Joffrey, he was the apple in her eye, and now he is gone."
"But you are her son, surely she must care for you. This wedding only shows how dangerous it is now. Surely she wants to protect you?" Sansa asks.
"Yes, she wants to protect me by shutting me away inside the Red Keep, and having me watched constantly. She wants to protect me by having those I care most about taken away from me and tried as if they are criminals. Already, she has prepared witnesses to stand against uncle Tyrion. I will not allow her to do the same to you." Tommen says.
"Perhaps it might best if I do so?" Sansa asks. "After all, there will be those who harbour doubts, because of who my father and brother were. If I stand trial, perhaps I can clear my name and make things right."
Tommen squeezes her hand. "That will not work Sansa. My mother is determined to see you burn as well for what she believes was your part in Joffrey's death. I will not give her that chance. And besides despite all of this, you and my uncle are no longer married."
Sansa blinks in surprise then and then she remembers. "You managed to get it done?"
"Yes. I made sure to speak to my grandfather as well as the High Septon. The annulment was made official earlier today. You and my uncle Tyrion are no longer wed." her king says.
There is a moment of relief and then Sansa feels the familiar tendrils of fear begin to engulf her. "What will become of me now? Now that I am not married to anyone?"
Her king squeezes her hand and says soothingly. "You will remain here for a time Sansa, as long as you wish. I will not allow anyone to take advantage of you. Not my mother, not my grandfather and certainly not the Tyrells."
Sansa fights to push down the small feeling of disappointment at her king's words, and then asks. "What of the Tyrells? Surely they are expecting you to now marry Lady Margaery in your brother's place?"
Her king grimaces at that. "They have not mentioned it yet, at least it has not been mentioned to me, but I suppose yes, they do wish for that to happen."
Sansa looks at their joined hands and then asks. "And what do you want?"
Her king looks at their joined hands and then at her and his response takes her breath away. "You. I want you Sansa Stark."
The Shy Maid
Septa Lemore
For many years now, she had worn the veil of a septa, a chaste life, for someone such as her, gods how she knew Arthur would have laughed. Ned would have laughed as well if he could see her now, the great beauty she had been, a septa. It was something, something different and something that might well have saved her life. Being given the chance to help raise Elia's son that was her salvation, her way to make amends for the many crimes she had committed. The ghosts that haunted her dreams and her waking hours, all of it was worth it, if it meant Elia's son would one day sit the throne.
"What word has there been?" she asks.
Griff, the man who was once Rhaegar's friend and she suspects' lover, looks at her with furrowed brows. "It seems that the war in Westeros has begun to wind down, one king is dead, another is somewhere far away, and another is fighting for his life. The Baratheons have won this stage of the war."
She feels something within her tighten at that. "Who died?"
Griff looks at her understandingly. "The Stark boy. Killed at his uncle's wedding."
Lemore closes her eyes for a moment. Ned's boy, gone killed at a wedding. "Who?" she asks.
"The Freys and Tywin Lannister, who else?" Griff responds.
Lemore sighs then. "They always were too treacherous and the Starks too trusting. What has happened in the north?"
"Chaos it would seem. All are fighting all. It seems none know who they wish to fight for, and so are all staking a claim into fighting for power." Griff responds.
"Is the Stark girl not still in King's Landing? Why do they not use her?" she asks.
"She is being saved I believe, being saved for when the north has exhausted itself." Griff replies.
Lemore, opens her eyes then and merely says. "Then we know what must be done then do we not?"
"I believe that is what the eunuch is doing right now. Working to get the girl out of the city before things take a turn for the worst. But there is more news, and that is more pressing right now." Griff says.
"And what is that?" She asks.
"The Golden Company it seems has taken a contract to fight within Slaver's Bay. It seems the slavers are determined to end our King's queen's reign there." Griff says.
The words hit her like a bolt of thunder. "What? Why have they done that? I would have thought Illyrio would have tried to keep them away from the fighting for as long as possible. Them fighting for the slavers does not exactly benefit us, nor endear them to the Queen."
"My point exactly, but it seems Harry Strickland's desire for money outweighs common sense. Something is not right about this, there is something more to it, but I am not sure what exactly, and it is beginning to worry me." Griff says.
"What do you mean? What other reason could there be for the Golden Company abandoning us now, than for Strickland's greed? We both know what that man is, and we both know the company has been torn and divided for the past few years." Lemore says.
Griff looks at her then and says. "Yes, but there is always a reason for that. The company was founded to be a professional force, something that the other companies in Essos might claim to have, but have always failed to deliver. For the past few years, something has been going on, and it seems that they are now coming to a head. Right when we need them the most, they are coming to a point where there might be no turning back."
"What do you mean?"
"Well it is as you said, the company will not exactly endear itself to the Queen by fighting against her, and yet it seems that is what they shall do. This does not seem right, Strickland is many things but he is no idiot, he knows he does not stand a chance fighting against the Queen. Something else is going on here, and I do not know what it is." Griff says.
Lemore looks at the man before her, and she can see the lines of worry all too evident on his face. She leans forward to soothe them, but before she can another voice sounds in the room. "What is it? Why does everyone look so serious? Has someone died?"
The voice of their king snaps them both out of their reverie, and Lemore turns to see Aegon standing there, tall and stocky, not at all like his father, but kind like his mother. "Nothing, just a mere inconvenience." Griff says.
"I would not say that the loss of the company is a mere inconvenience." Aegon says. At the questioning look he gets, he merely says. "Duck told me." he pauses a moment and then asks. "Why would they go back on their promise? They refused my uncle because of it, and now they are fighting my wife to be and not upholding their promise? This does not seem right."
"Nothing has been going right since your uncle died Your Grace. But we must adapt and make new plans. I can speak to the magister about this, and see if he can fix it. He has always had a special appeal with the company." Griff says.
"No." Aegon says. "You will do no such thing."
"Why Your Grace? Surely speaking to the magister might well make this easier for us all?" Lemore enquires.
She has always been able to tell when the boy she raised as a son was going to lie, and she sees it now, in his posture and the way his head leans forward slightly, but then he does not lie and she is surprised. "Because I do not trust him. There is something he is keeping from us, and I want to know what it is."