Disclaimer: I don't own Game of thrones or anything associated with the show or the books.
AN: I apologise about the wait, but over the past couple weeks I have been just a 'little' bit busy, but you guys don't wanna hear about that. Before we move onto Chapter Three I just wanna thank everyone for reading and especially for the reviews/favourites/alerts, they were both helpful and encouraging so thanks. Okay here is Chapter Three I hope everyone enjoys it ;D
Chapter Three.
"Are you aware of the crimes you're being accused of?" Cersei drawled, her upper lip curved into a disgusted snarl as she scrutinised the peasant kneeling on the floor of her chamber. The man was dressed in mud coated rags, the over powering odour wafting up from the thin dark-haired man was enough that Cersei had been forced to have her personal servants to light sticks of lavender and chamomile incense, positioned all around the Queen Regent's chambers in an attempt at hiding the vile smell. They were doing a poor job, everyone inside the chamber was breathing through their mouth, excluding the Hound, oddly enough.
"Treason wasn't it?" The disloyal herald made the mistake of lifting his head, Cersei felt as though she had thousands of tiny ants crawling across her pale skin as she stared at the grinning man, the rot and grim that covered the man's unimpressive body had spread to his teeth. Cersei's bright blue eyes blazed with rage, even as one of her gold-amour plated guards moved forward to backhand the peasant, Cersei smirked slowly as she glimpsed a small spray of blood fly through the air and paint the red tiles covering the chamber floor. She already knew she was going to order her maids to scrub her entire chamber top-to-bottom, if only the memory of the vulgar creature twelve feet away from her polished oak desk would be washed away with such ease.
"You seem awfully proud of your actions" Cersei hissed as she leaned back in her chair, gesturing with a flick of her hand another of her guards moved forward holding an official document, the herald's death warrant. She snatched the square piece of paper out of the guard's black-gloved palm and placed it flat on her desk in front of her, she could tell that it had only recently been drawn up, the smell of fresh ink masked the prisoner's revolting smell far better than the incense. Cersei cast one last calculating glance at the piece of filth, holding his grimy hand to his swollen lip, the muddy brown eyes staring back at her gleamed with satisfaction.
"The 'King' is rotten fruit, born out of incest. Killing me will only convince people of the truth" He shrugged. Cersei eyes flashed, darkening to the point that they resembled a storm cloud and her hands clenched into tight fists on the table top. She was well aware of the poison being spread by Rob Stark and Stannis Baratheon regarding her children's parentage, but she hadn't known that these shameful lies were rife in King's Landing. Gods, how did she stop it?, she couldn't punish everyone for being easily manipulated and ignorant, not that she wouldn't like to.
"Now listen very carefully you naïve fool." Cersei's cold tone would've cut through stone like a hot knife through butter, she smirked as every man in the room shivered, with exception of the Hound, who seemed to enjoy her show of icy command judging from the amused twinkle in his eyes.
"The Iron throne is Joffrey's birth right, Robert Baratheon was the father of all three of my children and anyone who says otherwise will answer to me personally...starting with your family" Cersei hissed venomously, she grinned slowly as panic leaked into the herald's dirty brown eyes, he sputtered helplessly and struggled to get to his feet as Cersei gestured for her guards to return him back to the dark cells, utterly devoid of any light, the same cells Lord Eddard Stark was contained inside weeks ago.
"Don't worry, I'll take very good care of them" Cersei drawled as two bulky soldiers gripped the herald by his skinny arms and began dragging him out of her chamber, leaving a trail of muck in his wake, the man clearly lacked the initiative to bathe upon occasion.
"Please!, they had nothing to do with it, Your Grace please!" The man screamed loudly, struggling against his captors with little effect, Cersei raised her elegant hand and waved at him mockingly before the door to her chamber was slammed shut, the silence that followed was the same heavy fog that accompanied a battlefield once all the death and destruction had been wrought. Cersei reached out slowly for the quill leaning against the rim of her ink well, pulling the thin spine out of the small bottle, she pulled the red sleeve of her dress out of the way as she rested her arm on the table and signed the Herald's death warrant with a flourish and a small smile of satisfaction. A traitor was a traitor.
"You're all dismissed" Cersei replaced the quill inside the ink well, lifting the document she blew slowly on her signature, assisting the ink in it's drying process. The shuffling sounds of armour filled the chamber as each of her guards filed out of the room, to stand as sentry's outside her door, the Hound stayed where he was, standing tall behind her to the right.
"I have a task for you Sandor" Cersei didn't glance over her shoulder as she spoke to the muscular man.
"How may I serve Your Grace?" The Hound rumbled, Cersei glanced down at her hands for a moment, the slender fingers of her left hand were toying with the signet ring adorning the middle finger of her right hand. The quarter-inch thick gold band held the visage of the Lannister sigil, the exquisite workmanship was the envy of all who had the pleasure of looking upon it, but it held more sentimental value to her than anyone would ever know, save for father and Jamie. The ring had been a gift from her mother, along with the pendant that always graced the slender column of her neck night and day, the last gift from her mother. Cersei's chest seized with pain and her eyes cleared of their murderous rage, instead they gleamed brightly with unshed tears. A day didn't go by that she didn't long for her mother, at times she envisioned what she would be like had her mother survived giving life to the imp, she suspected she wouldn't be nearly as cold and calculating, traits installed into her by her father's detachment, she'd learned long ago that if she wanted her father's affections then she had to earn them, by obliterating her ties to everything that could be used against her. No matter how adapt she became at the art however her father always found something to keep her at arms length.
"Tell Sansa I will join her in gardens later and we will be taking lunch with Tommen and Myrcella" Cersei muttered distractedly. The Hound tilted his head, the large pink scar that covered half his face stood out starkly in the early morning sunlight pouring in through the windows behind them.
"Furthermore I want you to find out whatever you can about that Herald, his associates, next of kin and such, focus upon his contacts among the other heralds, if they are sprouting the same nonsense as that parasite they should be silenced with whatever means are necessary" Cersei brushed her thumb over the face of her ring, the document in front of her required the wax impression of the signet before the deed could be carried out. Cersei clenched her jaw tightly as she continued toying with her ring, frustration built inside of her, becoming a solid lump in her throat, she should just finish the task in front of her. The man was a traitor, he had the nerve to suggest that she had been physically intimate with her twin, in the city where she reigned as Regent until her son came of age. Death was the only appropriate punishment for such an insult.
"Would you like me to take the warrant to the head jailer your Grace?" Sandor murmured quietly, wisely keeping his head down as the words fell from his mouth cautiously, Cersei cursed under her breath as she rose up to her feet, she knew why she couldn't bring herself to complete her task. She saw fatherless children and a grieving widow, a family torn apart like the Stark's.
"If you should find other traitors, I want you to take their heads and mount them along the walls for all to see that treason will not be tolerated" Cersei ordered, running her hands over her red dress, tightening the strings of the corset, smoothing the folds of the skirts. It was an redundant action. Everything about her outward appearance was as it always was, perfection, to those around her she was just as untouchable and merciless as she always had been. Inside she felt incredibly disturbed that she was actually concerned about the Herald's family.
"Permission to speak freely your grace?" The Hound asked with some hesitance, he was well aware of what she did to those who questioned her, he'd seen the gruesome results and carried out the vast majority of the deeds himself. Cersei walked around her chair to glance out of the window, overlooking the lush green gardens, with an abundance of colourful flowers and tall tress, directly under her window, sat at a small circular table was Sansa. A small smile spread across Cersei full lips, her lover was so much more at ease since she had made a gift of the small white and grey wolf three days ago, playing a few feet away from her mistress, chasing butterfly's around the garden but she was never quite fast enough to catch them.
"Granted" Cersei whispered, her voice took on a husky tone as she traced the outline of Sansa's body, the redhead was dressed in Lannister red, her long hair was left to flow around her beautiful face, made more stunning by her bright smile. The Queen Regent had kept her promise, she did everything possible to earn a smile from Sansa each day and her tactics had proved more than successful but however much she saw genuine happiness shinning in her younger lover's blue-grey eyes, she always craved more.
"It would be best to make an example of that Herald sooner rather than later." Sandor stated in his deep baritone. Cersei wasn't truly listening, she was more focused on watching Sansa as her younger lover left the table out in the gardens and drew closer to Duchess, Cersei smirked as she glimpsed the small wolf abandon her hunt for butterfly's and turn her attention on her mistress, the pup adopted a playful stance before she barrelled forward and launched herself into Sansa's waiting arms. Cersei could hear Sansa's melodious laugh even from where she stood, overlooking the two from above, a fluttery sensation blossomed in her stomach as Sansa turned with the young wolf clasped safely in her arms, she loved the transformation that had occurred in her lover over the past three weeks, the knowledge that she had played a part in it brought her more joy and blissful contentment than would ever be safe to admit aloud.
"I know Sandor" Cersei said quietly as she attempted to memorise the unique sight in the gardens, she still couldn't put a name to the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her whenever she thought of her lover, but she was no longer cautious of them, rather she had learned to accept that these were feelings that she only felt for Sansa.
"He will be put to death at the end of the day" Cersei swallowed hard as she forced herself to tear her eyes away from her grinning lover and her loyal companion, it was indescribably more challenging than it ought to be, Cersei smiled as she turned away from the window, feeling infinitely better than she had just moments ago, she couldn't bring herself to care that the Hound was looking at her closely, perfectly well aware of who she'd been staring at.
"Come and find me when you have something to report" Cersei instructed the bulky man, the smile left her lips, the warmth fled her blue eyes leaving her to appear every inch the remorseless Queen.
The various political and domestic matters that demanded her personal attention in the council meetings leading up her lunch with her lover and her youngest children proved to be more than a little complicated, taking her hours to devise an effective solution to them all, however they would only neutralise the individual problems in the short term. But it would do for the foreseeable.
"My big sister, the skilful politician. Father really did teach you well didn't he?" Tyrion mused as the other members of the small council filed out of the scarcely furnished chamber, Cersei resisted the urge to follow them out of the chamber immediately, she could tell from the position of the sun shinning brightly through the open balcony doors to the right that it was some time after mid-day. She hated to disappoint her lover and her youngest children, but it she ran to them now, it would only arouse her brother's curiosity and she couldn't risk him discovering her relationship with Sansa, the results didn't bare entertaining, she stifled a shiver of what felt like fear. She cast Tyrion a cool scowl as she reached out for her cup filled with water, she followed her father's footing when it came to meetings, she didn't touch a drop of wine, unlike the imp beside her greedily downing cup after cup of of the finest Dornish wine.
"Forgive me, did you not understand what was said?. Would you like for me to arrange a tutor?, perhaps someone who truly grasps the complexities of governing a Kingdom gripped in civil war" Cersei drawled as she took a dainty sip of water, her fingers were digging into the sides of her cup tightly, enough to hurt, she wasn't in the mood for a sparring match of words with the imp, they always ended in stalemate and she would much rather be with Sansa and her children, she replaced the cup on top of the table and forced herself to smirk mockingly at her brother, glaring up at her indignantly.
"I'm perfectly well aware of how difficult things have been as of late. Besides I think you are doing an admirable job of ruling sister, there is just the small matter of no one likes your son" Tyrion stated bluntly, as was his way, the scent of alcohol was strong on his breath but she didn't believe for a second he was drunk. Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously on the dwarf pouring himself yet another cup of wine.
"You do remember the whore incident correct?, if you would stop seeking to control him, then he wouldn't feel so isolated and he wouldn't lash out at everyone" She bit out angrily, she believed the words passing her lips to an extent, she had to, Joffrey was her son, his recently uncalled-for vicious acts were a phase, one she hoped to nip in the bud. For if Joffrey continued on like this then he might as well be handing Westeros over to the Stannis Baratheon and Rob Stark, Cersei rolled her shoulders in hopes to relieve some of the tension gathering in her lithe muscles.
"The boy isn't isolated!, he has everything he needs and whatever he wants you give to him so quick one would think your life depended on it!" Tyrion growled, taking a healthy sip of his wine, it was miraculous that his speech wasn't slurred.
"He is the King" Cersei said gently, she knew her brother's words were true, Joffrey was spoiled to the point of excess, and it was partly her fault, she had indulged her eldest son and now he was taking things too far. But she had so many things to worry about, too many things.
"Exactly, he should be setting an example for the people, show himself to be a true and just King like we know he can be" Tyrion continued as Cersei raised her elegant palm to pinch the bridge of her delicate nose between her thumb and forefinger, the pressure building in her temples was becoming uncomfortable.
"I will talk to him, again" Cersei murmured, wincing as her head began to pound furiously, she closed her eyes against the harsh light filling the chamber and focused on taking deep breaths.
"'Again'?, what happened?" Tyrion murmured, she flinched when she felt his small palm landed on her free hand, draped over the arm of her chair while she continued her attempt at warding off a headache with the other. She hated it when people touched her, with the exclusion of her children and Sansa, she truly detested it when anyone, even her own family grazed against her without permission. Tyrion withdrew his hand and finished off his wine in a long, single swig.
"It is not of your concern..." Cersei spat, moving her hand away from her face, she cast Tyrion a dismissive glance as she rose up onto her feet, the pressure mounting in her temples threatened to make her unbalanced, she closed her eyes once more, hoping to dispel the painful haze.
"...I will talk to Joffrey, you and your mercenary stay as far away from him as the Keep allows, do you understand?" She turned to glare darkly down at him, he raised his palms in derisive compliance. He wouldn't, she knew it as well as she knew the sun would set later in the day, Tyrion simply couldn't stand not being in the know, and that was why she had to be very cautious, not for her sake, everyone at King's Landing already thought her an incestuous whore with three illegitimate children, but she would not allow a single soul to speak out against Sansa, the redhead had done nothing to deserve the unjust treatment directed at her from near enough everyone. Cersei would put an end to it soon enough, she already had a arrangement scurrying into place, of course it had taken her considerable skills of manipulation.
"Certainly sister, I wouldn't want to end up like the whore now would I?" Tyrion jeered, she forced a careless laugh as she walked around the long, rectangular table. She felt exceedingly light-headed as she moved but she pushed past it, she just needed some fresh air.
"No one would pay for you Tyrion, after all what do you do, except play at being wanted." Cersei felt a twinge in her chest, something like guilt as the offensive words sprang out of her mouth. She raised her head as she walked down the chamber, the guards standing just inside the room opened the set of double doors on her approach and lowered their heads respectfully, she didn't understand why she would feel guilty over insulting her brother, it was what they did, affront each other. She shook her head slowly as she walked out into the hall, eight guards quickly flanked her protectively, it wasn't relevant, what mattered to her, was the three people waiting for her in the gardens.
"Mother!" Cersei gestured for her eight guards to take up positions around the gardens as Tommen and Myrcella jumped up from the circular table they'd been seated at with Sansa and ran over to her, she smiled lovingly as the two smaller blondes threw their little arms around her slender waist and instantly began chattering about their afternoon with Sansa.
"...Sansa helped us draw Duchess!" Myrcella declared excitedly as Cersei ushered her younger children back over to the table, Cersei shared a secret smile with her lover before she sat down beside the redhead.
"Where is Duchess?" Cersei murmured to Sansa as Myrcella and Tommen gathered up their numerous drawings and shoved them into her hands. It had taken long and gruelling hours to soothe Joffrey's petty anger after he'd discovered the small SheWolf that was never far from her mistress's side.
"Over there..." Cersei followed Sansa's outpointed hand to find Duchess looking up at one of the taller trees in the gardens, the pup looked as though she wanted to climb the thick trunk.
"What is she doing?" Cersei asked as she looked through the collection of drawings her children had produced, she smiled at their attempts at capturing the likeness of the small wolf, she could clearly see where Sansa had guided their hands, some of the details were surprisingly detailed.
"She made friends with a squirrel" Sansa smiled fondly, Cersei glanced up from the drawings, she ran her tired blue eyes over the tree until she found a red squirrel, perched on a branch, peaking down at Duchess with wide eyes.
"Indeed..." She resisted pointing out that Duchess probably wanted to eat the little red creature teasing her up in the tree.
"Well it seems that I have two budding artists. They are beautiful my darlings" Cersei smiled brightly passing the pieces of paper back to Tommen and Myrcella, they grinned back at her before they returned to improving the sketches. Cersei traced their perfect features adoringly, they shared her colouring and one could easily see that they were her children, but she still didn't see how people could think her capable of having an affair with her brother. With the exception of her lovers, Robert and Jamie were the only two people in the world who knew of her sexual preferences towards her own gender, her late husband had been shocked at first, but he had given her leave to her occasional dalliances and she hadn't been affected by his. It had been a marriage of convenience to begin with, but she had considered Robert her friend towards the end.
"Your Grace..." Cersei jerked slightly when she heard Sansa calling to her, she glanced at the younger woman, the concerned glimmer in her lover's blue-grey eyes made her chest tighten to the point where breathing became difficult.
"I'm fine..." Cersei shook herself and and smiled reassuringly at Sansa who seemed less than convinced "...Would you two like to clear the table please?" She spoke gently to her children, they were quick to gather up their drawings and pieces of charcoal, Cersei held out her hands for the small bundles, once they were in her possession she clicked her fingers, gesturing for one of her handmaidens standing on the edge of the garden to collect them.
"It seems your creative talents extend beyond dress making little SheWolf" Cersei complimented her lover gently, not that Tommen or Myrcella were listening to them, the little blondes were more focused on the various dishes being carried over to the table by various servants.
"Thank you Your Grace" Sansa smiled, blushing pronouncedly, Cersei bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning in response. There were spies all over the palace, she knew who they were and who they belonged to, there were at least five or six lingering in the gardens, their beady eyes were focused on her, looking for something to report back to their masters about.
"You're welcome Sansa" Cersei murmured leaning back in her chair as the servants placed assorted plates on the rounded table.
"Why isn't Joffrey eating with us?" Myrcella asked loudly as she reached towards the fruit, picking out a handful of fresh strawberries.
"Your brother is watching the games" Cersei answered as she deliberately placed an empty bowel in front of her eight year old daughter with a pointed look, Myrcella smiled innocently before she dropped the strawberries into the bowel.
"But we're not allowed to watch them" Cersei tilted her head at her daughter's persistence, she was much more outgoing than Tommen, her youngest son was sharing quiet conversation with Sansa.
"In a few years, I will let you watch them from dawn until dusk, but until then you will continue with your embroidering and such" Cersei said sternly, Myrcella sighed melodramatically.
"I hate embroidering" The younger blonde muttered taking a pitiful bite of the large strawberry she'd picked up, Cersei tried to stop a loving smile from gracing her lips but she failed spectacularly, as a child she had gone out of her way to avoid such tasks, just like Myrcella, it was hypocritical if her to expect her daughter to enjoy the project.
"But you can do so much with it" Sansa said gently, Cersei glanced over to her lover, a surprised gleam shone in the Queen Regent's azure blue eyes. Cersei nodded her hesitant agreement when Myrcella's eyes, identical to her own, looked to her for confirmation.
"I would much rather go riding like we used to" Myrcella sighed once more.
"It wouldn't be safe outside the walls, not just yet anyway" Cersei said, reaching over to place her hand on her daughter's shoulder, a soft glance told the younger blonde to cease her continuity.
"Can I have a wolf like Sansa's?" Myrcella blurted out with a nervy smile, Cersei chuckled lightly, the previous tension constricting her temples was slowly dispersing in the face of her beloved companions.
"Wouldn't you rather have a cat?" She countered her daughter's query, Tommen nodded his agreement as he picked at some fruit, not native to Westeros.
"I'd love to have a cat, a white one" Tommen said, barely above a whisper, as was his way.
"I'm certain that could be arranged darling. Myrcella?..." Cersei arched a delicate golden eyebrow at her daughter.
"Can I have a lioness?" Myrcella countered after a moment's thought, Sansa and Tommen snickered together, Cersei was blissfully distracted by the sound and sight of her lover and her shy son bonding.
"...You are fierce enough without a lioness at your side, little one" Cersei smiled, Myrcella beamed mirthfully at the compliment from her mother.
"I suppose, can I have a cat that is the same colour as a lioness?" Myrcella inquired with a impish smile.
"I will not rest until you have one" Cersei promised, she had a fair idea where she might find a cat with a creamy, golden brown pelt, of course she would send the Hound to collect it, it wasn't safe for any of her family to step foot outside the Red Keep and it wouldn't be until the war was ended and Joffrey was accepted as the rightful king.
"Can we play catch the fox?" Myrcella requested eagerly, Cersei reached out blindly for a piece of fruit herself, her hand landed on a nectarine cut in half with the single large seed removed from it's centre.
"Why don't we finish eating first?" Cersei suggested, taking a small bite of her sweet fruit, she could see Myrcella begin to protest as she chewed the ripe nectarine slowly.
"I've got a better idea" Sansa interjected before Myrcella could breath a word, Cersei was silently grateful for the intrusion, while she loved her daughter dearly, as she did all of her children, Myrcella could be more than just a handful at times.
"Mmm?" Myrcella murmured, her lively blue eyes were latched onto Sansa like a flower searching for the sun. Cersei narrowed her eyes with mock suspicion when Sansa glanced at her for permission to continue, she crossed her arms over the red bodice of her dress before smirking in way that dared the redhead to finish her proposition to the boisterous princess hanging off the edge of her seat.
"Back home we used to play hide and go seek...with our direwolves" Sansa revealed after sharing a discreet smile with the Queen Regent, Myrcella wore an awed expression and Tommen seemed just as interested in the idea, Cersei leaned back in her chair and indulged in the sound of Sansa's voice, her young lover no longer held the mechanical quality to her tone and actions, she liked the thought that Sansa may be more than just content at King's Landing, maybe her lover was even starting to enjoy her time there.
"Duchess is a far too young to track you over long distances but if you stay in the gardens then she'll play with both of you" Sansa smiled brightly at the expressions on the royal children's faces. Cersei glanced back over at the tree Duchess had been sitting beneath, the pup had given up on the squirrel and instead she was back to chasing butterfly's through the flowerbeds.
"Can we mother?" Cersei glanced away from Duchess, the pup was failing miserably at catching her prey much to the amusement of the Queen Regent. Tommen and Myrcella both wore pleading pouts, defeat was inevitable under the looks she was receiving, she had no idea where they'd learned to manipulate her but she prayed no one else learned how to do it.
"Eat your food, I'll not have either of you running around with an empty stomach" Cersei instructed with a subjugated sigh.
"They are very enamoured with her and you" Cersei murmured softly, still picking at the food laid out in front of her on the circular table, Sansa was leaning back in her chair, somehow ensuring that her posture remained perfect while seeming completely at ease, if pleased her to no end that the redhead had finally learned to relax in her intimidating presence. Tommen and Myrcella were running around the gardens, endeavouring to conceal themselves from Duchess, the small white and grey wolf was managing to find the two wherever they hid, Cersei smiled slowly, her children would stand a better chance if they didn't hide in the same place but she loved seeing them laughing and playing together so she kept her opinion to herself as she watched over them closely.
"I enjoyed spending the afternoon with them" Sansa said with a sad smile, there was a distant look in her blue-grey eyes that roused the Queen Regent's curiosity.
"But..." Cersei prompted, out the corner of her eyes she saw Duchess sit back on her haunches and howl deplorably after discovering Tommen and Myrcella hiding within a bed of tall white roses, she smirked in response, the gardeners were going to fall unconscious when they saw the state of their prized show-pieces.
"Nothing." Sansa shook her head and gestured for Duchess to return to her with a small click of her fingers, the tiny animal's red tongue made an appearance as she trotted back over to her mistress. Tommen and Myrcella were quick to search out a new hiding place while Sansa petted Duchess's silky pelt in way of rewarding the pup. Cersei's eyes narrowed in contempt, under no circumstances was she going to allow her lover to withhold any secrets from her, particularly when they made her smile miserably, but she didn't know how to coax the truth from her SheWolf without appearing emotionless.
"If you don't wish to tell me then I suppose I can't force it out of you" Cersei relented, a frustrated tick formed in her oval jaw as she returned her attention to her children wordlessly.
"...They remind me of Arya" Sansa whispered as she sent Duchess back out to track Tommen and Myrcella. Cersei tilted her head back up at the sky, the blue tones were slowly turning pinkish as the sun lszily descended from it's place above them. Her eyes drifted closed, the sounds of Sansa's shallow breathing and her children laughing flooded her ears as she fought to form an appropriate response.
"I don't where she is Sansa, I've had everyone searching for weeks now" Cersei opened her eyes, she looked closely at her lover so that the younger woman would know that she wasn't lying. Sansa's eyes were shinning brightly as she stared back at her, it felt like her insides were being torn out as she watched a lone tear wend it's way down Sansa's beautiful face.
"What if..." Sansa began, her voice was thick with tears, her lower lip quivered, Cersei reached out before she could register the dozens of malicious eyes watching them, she cupped Sansa's cheek in the palm of her hand, brushing the tear away even as a hundred more threatened to replace it.
"She is not in the city, and she did not escape King's Landing on her own. Arya is probably on her way, safely back to Winterfell even as we speak" Cersei assured her distressed lover, she had long since determined that conclusion, what else could possibly have happened the younger Stark girl?.
"You think so?" Sansa whispered desperately.
"I do" Cersei smiled, brushing her thumb over her lover's high cheekbone, luxuriating in the softness of Sansa's skin, how her hand tingled in awareness of the simple touch, how easy it would be to lean forward, to close the space between them, and brush their lips together in a tender kiss. Desire bloomed in the pit of her stomach, but is was overshadowed by a need to comfort her distraught SheWolf even as she caught a flame of arousal begin to simmer in the younger woman's breath taking eyes.
"Your Grace?" Cersei jerked back when she heard the Hound rumble behind her, she had been so consumed by the intimate proximity between herself and Sansa that she hadn't even heard the Hound's approach. Sansa bit her lip regretfully as Cersei withdrew her hand and turned away to look up at the Hound, she scowled inwardly when she found the Hound had a small smear of blood on his scarred cheek, obviously he had found more traitors among the peasant population of the capital.
"How many?" Cersei asked him bluntly, she kept her question vague so that Sansa wouldn't be able to grasp the meaning of their discussion, she didn't want her lover to be involved in such things not when the redhead was just starting to open up once more.
"Thirteen, not including the one from this morning" Sandor replied, Cersei's eyes widened slowly, thirteen people had been spewing venomous and unfounded lies about her son, it was because of this she had to keep Myrcella and Tommen cooped up in the Red Keep even when they longed to go outside.
"You dealt with it?" Cersei asked, it was an unneeded question, the Hound was among the most loyal of Lannister vessels, the small smirk that crossed the Hound's thin dry lips was only frightening to those who didn't know what it meant, the Hound was in a good mood.
"The walls have new decorations Your Grace" Cersei shared his smirk at the news.
"I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever find a more loyal soldier than you Sandor" Cersei said in way of dismissal, the Hound was momentarily stunned by the compliment from his Queen, recovering with a shake of his head, he bowed deeply in respect before he turned to leave. Cersei turned back to Sansa when the Hound was out of sight, he hadn't gone far though, he never did. The bewildered expression on her lover's face was preferable than the form look old despair, mindful of the onlookers Cersei discreetly reached out for Sansa's hand, she entwined their slender fingers together tightly, holding back a smile she settled for her signature smirk as she felt Sansa squeeze her hand beneath the table, she savoured the connection even as it dawned on her that she had never felt this strong for any of her previous lovers.
TBC. . .
AN: Feedback is always appreciated ;D
