The Queen's Hound

Chapter One

Cersei was never more certain that she had ever had a more splendid birthday than the one she had just had. To be sure, she only had less than ten of them and she could not remember her first three at all but she was certain that she had never had a finer one.

It had started out much the same as any other, her lady mother had her handmaidens wake her and Jaime and make sure they were both properly dressed, Jaime in trousers and silk shirt and doublet while Cersei was dressed in her shift, with a dress of crimson silk and cloth-of-gold worn over it with a ruby hairnet to contain her mane of golden curls.

She had wanted to wear her favourite green silk and the emerald hairnet instead but her handmaidens had told her that they had been ordered to dress her in Lannister colours today and that was that.

Jaime got to wear his wooden sword around his waist as well, one of the handmaidens had asked her if she wanted to take one of her dolls with her to break her fast with her family and Cersei had glared at her, trying to do so in the same way she had always seen her father do so to people who had gained his ire, and the handmaiden did not speak without being told too again.

The entirety of their family was at table when Cersei and Jaime walked into the small dining hall, only Uncle Tygett was missing as her father was still angry at him and had not reached out to invite him back to the Rock, this was the time when their family would would give them their gifts before they would be presented to all the lords and ladies of the west.

A part of her had hoped that this nameday would be different, it was not. Jaime was given gifts of new clothes, books and wooden swords and spears with padded ends and even a promised new pony that is waiting for him in the stables which he will be allowed to ride on the morrow.

And Cersei is given dresses and dolls, the dresses are pretty and at least the ones gifted to her by her mother and her aunt Genna are in green instead of the horde of Lannister crimson. She is given jewels as well, mostly rubies but some emeralds as well even though Cersei knows she won't be allowed to wear most of them until she is a woman grown.

Aunt Dorna gives her a set of new sewing needles and a copy of the seven-pointed star and all Cersei wished to do in that moment was scream, but she smiled and thanked her uncle's wife most kindly. Her father and mother were watching, after all.

Her favourite gift was from Uncle Tygett, her favourite uncle might not be welcome at the Rock but that did not stop him from sending a gift all the same. She was surprised that her father had not hidden it away but Cersei suspected that her mother might have managed to convince him other.

Uncle Tygett's gift was a letter and a chest, the chest was filled with gold and the letter made it plain the gold was hers to do with as she wished. Of course, Lord Tywin had made it clear that as his daughter anything she owned was his in truth and he ordered some of the servants to take it down to the vaults and Cersei clutched the letter tightly in her hands till it ripped.

And then once they had finished their morning meal it was time to go to the great hall, to be present before the lords and ladies of the west and to receive their gifts.

Sadly, it was much the same there as well. Jaime got all the things he loved, weapons both wooden that he could use now and steel that would be his to use when he was older but Cersei got dresses and dolls and a few books that she had no interest in.

It just wasn't fair.

Once the seemingly endless amount of gift giving that she did not want was finished Cersei was allowed to mingle, not that she truly wished to do that and so she made sure that she was always moving. When someone called out her name, she was quick to turn and walk in the other direction and acted like she heard nothing at all.

After a little while she slipped away from the hall and made her way to her brother's bedchamber, she knew that Jaime had another wooden sword and so she took it for herself and then made her way to the Stone Garden to go and practice against the ancient and petrified weirwood tree.

Cersei had not been practicing for long when she was interrupted, she had been terrified that the boy would tell father what she was doing but the younger boy had been terrified that she would tell his mother and father that he was wandering along through the Rock, so she agreed to say nothing so long as he did the same for her about playing with Jaime's sword.

And when his mother had found them Cersei understood why he was so afraid, and Cersei had defended him and tried to recall how her father spoke and how he glared when he gave commands.

And her chest puffed up with pride when the woman ran away with her tail between her legs.

Her father's bannermen had not come all this way just for one day of course, the celebrations of Cersei and her twin's birth would be celebrated with a week of feasting and games and through out that week Cersei and Sandor, for that was her new friend's name, would meet up to practice with swords as he had promised her and she would speak with him more than any of the other lords children in public.

"Why him?" Jaime asked her one night, his eyes narrowed and his tone jealous. "His family are barely more than commoners, and he's ugly."

She was used to her brother's jealousy, but she didn't care. "I don't think so," she told him. "And I like him, we practice swords together. Which is more than you do with me."

Jaime's frown deepened at that. "Father said we weren't allowed, and he sent Uncle Tygett away for trying to teach you how to use a sword."

"He did, and I know that if he does anything to Sandor or his family it will be because you tattled," Cersei rose from where she was sitting and pressed a kiss to her twin's cheek before she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "So you better not say anything, I mean it!"

Soon enough however the week was over and the Rock was empty once again and Cersei missed Sandor more than she thought she would, she had only spent time with him because she wanted to properly learn how to use a sword but...

Cersei had learned more about him than she had expected, he was shy and almost always seeming uncertain about correcting her when she did something wrong with her sword but he was always gentle when it came to correcting her, he told her about his brother and sister, his brother he was terrified of and his sister he loved more than anyone else.

He liked dogs, he wanted to have a puppy from his father's kennels but he was terrified that his older brother might do something to the one he picked. He didn't like being forced to dress up for feasts and balls either, he would much rather go hunting or riding. Cersei would like it more too, if she could have a crossbow instead of just being expected to keep her menfolk company on the hunt or take cake and tea with the ladies.

So yes, she missed him.

Cersei had thought to write to him, but if she went to the rookery then Maester Creylen would inform her father even if he agreed to send her message which he was not likely to do so.

So she had no choice, she would need to speak with her father.

Cersei waited until it was simply a private breakfast, just herself, her lord father, her lady mother and Jaime, before she decided to put her plan into action. "I think that I need a sworn shield."

For a moment, there was only silence. Her lord father then put down his goblet and stared at her, her pale green eyes flecked with gold always made her feel even smaller than she was. "Why?" Was all he said, his tone as stony as ever.

"I'm eight years old now," Cersei began, doing her best to not let her voice quiver or break. "In another eight I shall be a woman grown, I am to be a great lady one day married to Prince Rhaegar and great ladies have sworn shields. Surely, it would be better for me to have one now so I could get used to such a thing rather than have it to learn to get used to such a thing quickly."

Her lord father was silent as he considered her words, her lady mother less so. "I think that it is a fine idea Tywin," Lady Joanna said with a gentle smile that was similar and yet different than the one she had for her children. "Cersei will have a sworn shield one day, and it's another way for us to foster ties with another house. Many a second or third son would consider it a great honour."

Lady Joanna always seemed to know how to get Lord Tywin to do as she wished, her words even made Lord Tywin's lips twitch slightly upward in something that threatened to be a smile. "Very well my lady, whom shall we choose for the honour?"

"I have someone in mind," Cersei said and her father looked surprised that she might have an opinion on it. "Sandor Clegane was very nice to me when his family came to honour us on our nameday, I like him."

"The boy is younger than you, has he ever held a sword before?" Her father asked and Cersei didn't know what to say to that, he had shown her how to more properly use a sword that was true but only because he had watched his brother training from afar.

"Oh, it is just a symbolic position in truth Tywin," Lady Joanna said as she cut into her bacon and brought it up to her mouth, speaking once again after she had finished chewing. "Her future husband's guards would be more like to protect her from any true threats and House Clegane is too low to ever expect a marriage from us, but offering their second son a position as a sworn shield proves that House Lannister does not forget loyalty. And the boy can learn alongside her, and he might prove to be loyal to her in thanks."

And that would seem to be that, once the meal was over Cersei returned to her chambers and finished writing her message before she returned to the rookery and sent it off in full view of the maester.

And when Cersei left, she didn't know why she was humming.

End of Chapter One