Lady of the West

Chapter Five

Cersei didn't like them.

Well, she did not mind Princess Elia as the older girl had been nothing but courteous since she had arrived but her younger brother made her glad that she never had one, they seemed more trouble than they were worth.

Prince Oberyn showed no interest in anything that Cersei had shown him, not the Hall of Heroes or the Golden Gallery, not even the top of Watcher's Tower where you could see all of the Westerlands for as far as the eye could see.

All the Dornish prince had said to that was. "A lovely view of flat plains, truly you westerners are very easily entertained."

Cersei had to remember all the lessons her aunt had given her about holding her tongue, even when all she wished to do was to tell this prince all she felt. "Women are meant to hold our tongues Cersei," her aunt had told over an early breaking of their fast in her chambers. "It is why so many lords threaten to have their daughters tongues out and send them to the silent sisters, the best way to deal with that is smile, be silent, and think of strangling those who have earned your ire."

The thought of strangling Oberyn Martell was a sweet one indeed, and Cersei made sure her perfect smile was on her face all the while.

Princess Elia at least tried to keep control of her younger brother, though it seemed like her chiding of him only seemed to make him all the worse and the temptation to hit him was getting harder to resist.

"I had heard that Casterly Rock held lions within it, true lions with actual manes, is that not so?" Prince Oberyn asked, interrupting Cersei as she was in the middle of reciting how King Tommen Lannister, the Second of his Name, had gone on a voyage which had caused them to lose their family's valyrian steel sword.

Cersei blinked at him and breathed deep, "My grandfather kept lions in court during his time as lord of Casterly Rock, but most of them died a long time ago."

"Most?" Oberyn Martell asked, with a gleam of interest in his black eyes. "But not all?"

"No, not all," Cersei admitted, Longtooth was the youngest of the lions that had been held within the Rock during her grandfather's day and he was the last one left now. Cersei had only seen him once, when she had snuck down to see him in the dead of night and she had stuck her hand in-between the bars of his cage and she had licked at her hand, making her laugh at the feeling of his rough tongue against her palm.

Uncle Tygett and Aunt Genna had manged to find out that she had gone down into the bowels of the Rock where she was not allowed to go on her own of course and she had been given a smack on the bottom for it but she had not cared, she could still see the great beast's eyes glowing in the darkness and that had been worth anything.

"Can we go and see?"

"Oberyn, we shouldn't." Princess Elia said but Oberyn waved his older sister off and Cersei lead them into the darkness of the Rock, down and down and down again until the sound of the sea crashing into the Rock could be heard like war drums all around them, Princess Elia even had to cover her ears at one point and that made Prince Oberyn stop and ask her if she was alright but she had simply smiled and nodded at him.

It made Cersei wonder what it would be like to have a brother, she knew that she did have one in truth as she had been born a twin but Jaime had died not long after he had been born.

Would he have played with her? Would they have learned how to use swords together with Uncle Tygett? Would they have explored every corner of the Rock together hand in hand and run through the streets of Lannisport together?

Or maybe they would have hated one another and not wish to spend a single moment in one another's company.

Cersei did not know, and she never would. That was the saddest part of all.

She felt tears burning at her eyes but she remembered what her aunt told her to never let anyone see her weep, no-one could ever see her so weak. And this was nothing to weep for, it was not even a ghost. Just a dream.

They finally came to the old holding pens, they had not been used for anything else since her grandfather's day and Cersei had to assume that poor Longtooth was lonely within his cage, she would be.

The old lion was fast asleep and Prince Oberyn was not impressed, "Is that it?" he asked with a frown. "Might as well put the poor thing out of it's misery already, I'd rather someone cut my throat rather than just sit in a cage and wait for death. You could at least let it out and let it die in the wild, so it could taste fresh air and feel the sun on it's back."

Cersei hadn't really thought about that, her eyes glancing over to the cage and the old lion within. She sometimes had nightmares about being locked up somewhere, sometimes her captors were dragons and sometimes they were wolves and sometimes they sparrows of all things but she was always locked up somewhere and no matter how much she commanded or pleaded, she was never let out.

She always hated those nightmares.

"I will ask my uncle to release him on the morrow," Cersei said and both Prince Oberyn and Princess Elia turned to look at her. "There is no reason to keep him, it's cruel to deny him his freedom. He deserves better."

Princess Elia smiled gently at her, and when she spoke her voice was as gentle as a song. "I think that is a very good and noble notion Lady Cersei, Casterly Rock and the Westerlands are very fortunate to have you as their lady."

"You are very kind to say so, Princess Elia." Cersei said in reply, her courtesies polished and perfect after long days and nights of practice with her aunt.

Oberyn Martell seemed to have not had the same practice as his sister, however, as he groaned and threw his head back, the noise echoing through out the cavern. "Yes, we are all very good and kind and genuine, but I am also very bored. And I'm hungry, we might as well go back up and see if we can get something to eat. Though I must say, everything north of the mountains seems very bland to my taste."

Elia sighed at her brother, but she did not argue with his words and in truth Cersei was hungry as well. And so she began to lead them back up into the lighter parts of the Rock, both in terms of there being more light and the weight of the stone itself not hanging so heavy overhead.

They headed to the kitchens first, cook was a plump woman from Lannisport who had always held a soft spot for Cersei, she would always send out extra honey cakes for her without her needing to be asked and she always made sure that Cersei had the ones that were crispy from being baked at the side of the tray.

Cook gave them an eel pie, apples and cheese, bread and butter and an small orange and date cake that seemed to please both Elia and Oberyn so Cersei assumed that it was one of the meals that had been planned for the welcome feast later on tonight, Cersei had also asked for a flagon of apple cider and cook had only been too happy to provide it for them.

They had their meal in one of the small halls and Cersei had to admit that she enjoyed it, partly because it made her feel almost like a woman grown to have a lunch with two older guests and she made sure to remember all her courtesies so as to not do any shame on to her uncle or aunt, or to herself.

Cersei watched as Prince Oberyn helped himself to another honey cake and she found herself wondering what it would be like to be wed to him, she knew what her aunt and uncle had planned for her as they had both told her it, he was a little annoying in truth and she could not see herself living day after day with him.

Cersei was debating if she should have another of the crispy honey cakes when two serving men came into the small hall, one was dressed in the crimson of house Lannister while the other was in the orange of House Martell. "Lady Cersei, I am sorry for interrupting but your aunt Genna and Uncle Tygett wished for me to come and fetch you, they are waiting in the lord's solar."

"Princess Loreza wishes to see you both as well Princess Elia, Prince Oberyn, she is waiting for you both in her chambers." Once the words were said Cersei said her goodbyes to the two Martells and followed the serving man out of the hall and towards the lord's solar.

In truth it should have been called the lady's solar, Cersei supposed. It had been her lord father's solar before he died, she had been told, and because she was lady of Casterly Rock it was hers by rights. But Uncle Tygett used it for most of the day to day running of the Rock, though Cersei was always allowed inside and often read letters to him when his eyes got tired and he put her on his knee when he read maps so she could read them too.

Her aunt and uncle were waiting for her inside and they had another lunchen waiting for her, Cersei pouted as her belly was too full for more but her eyes did land on the honey cakes on the table and she reached out to take one. "Did you have a nice time showing Prince Oberyn and Princess Elia the Rock?" Aunt Genna asked as she sat down, followed by Uncle Tygett who began to cut into the large ham joint in the centre of the table.

Cersei nodded as she nibbled at the cake, "Yes, but could we let Longtooth out of his cage to go outside? He's all alone down there in the dark and he shouldn't have to die like that."

Her aunt and uncle both seemed confused for a moment, but only for a moment as understanding settled in. "Cersei," Uncle Tygett began with a voice like stone. "You know you are not to go down there alone, it's very dangerous."

"But I wasn't alone, I was with Prince Oberyn and Princess Elia and they both asked to see the last lion we had and I did not want to be a poor host by refusing," Cersei turned to look at her aunt Genna with a smile that was all innocence. "You would not want me to be rude, would you auntie?"

Aunt Genna did not look amused, but Uncle Tygett's stony countenance broke and he let out a short laugh and Aunt Genna let out a heavy sigh and shook her head as she reached out for a honey cake of her own. "Lion's are dangerous Cersei, even old and tired ones. He could still hurt someone if they pass by him, and for his own sake it might be better if he stays in his cage, a pack of wild hounds could kill him."

Cersei sighed heavily, her thoughts dwelling on the poor beast down be low. "Could we at least bring his cage further up in the Rock? So he doesn't have to be so alone and can have some light?"

"I suppose we could, we'll see." And with those words from her aunt, that would seem to be that and they continued to eat their food.

"Do I have to marry Prince Oberyn?" Cersei asked as she finally finished her honey cake. "I don't like him, he's annoying and I don't think he would make a very good consort for me."

Her aunt and uncle looked at one another, seeming to have a conversation without any words. Cersei wondered if her twin had lived if they would be able to have conversations like that without the other person needing to say a word to the other, Cersei hoped so.

"Well, if you want it or not doesn't really matter now as Princess Loreza has made it clear she does not intend her son to marry you." Aunt Genna said bluntly and Cersei blinked, had she done something wrong? She was certain that she had behaved perfectly, what reason would Princess Loreza have to deny the match?

"You've done nothing wrong sweetling," Uncle Tygett soothed and it was then Cersei realised, with horror, that there were tears in her eyes and she was quick to blink them away. "Princess Loreza never intended for her son to marry you, that's not why she came."

"Then why did she?" Cersei asked.

"To take Princess Elia as a ward."

End of Chapter Five