Chapter 10

She ascended the steps slowly, attempting to bring all her thoughts to bear and mustering herself for the conversation to come.

She had hoped to have the conversation when Tywin returned to Casterly Rock but when the choice was decided that their children were grown enough to travel to the capital, he had declined his yearly return trip.

A guard waited at the end of the stairs which lead into the solar of the Hand. "Has the small council dispersed for the day?"

"It has m'lady," The guard responded.

"And is my lord husband still in?"

"He is m'lady," He responded again.

Promptly entering, she saw her husband behind his great oak desk, reading over documents. The office of Hand of the King was a thankless and tireless job, more so during these trying times, but Tywin was not one to shirk his duty regardless of circumstance.

"Tywin," she said warmly.

"Joanna, how are the children," he replied.

"Jaime and Cersei are restless at the best of times. I daresay Cersei knows all of the Rock better than you or I with how often she is running about but this current confinement is doing them little favor."

"Hm. It is better this way, at least for now. With Aerys the way he is now…"

"I was not chastising, husband of mine. How is the King's condition?" She asked.

"Pycelle reports little change from yesterday but he harkins it as good news."

"How long can he stay like this?"

"A week or so at most. Days before the body itself starts to waste away." He replied in a grim tone.

"Can we do anything about it?" Perhaps speed it along?

"We? Nothing. The King has the greatest healers and menders attending to him day and night. There is nothing for us to do but wait."

"I see." A shame that. Rhaegar would make for a more biddable king.

The two of them lapsed into a comforting silence.

Tywin continued his reading of reports and writing of letters while she thought over the consequences of her daughter's actions.

And it was by her action no doubt. Joanna had not a shred of proof but she knew her daughter was the one who caused the Aerys his fall.

"How are you, Joanna?"

Hmm?

"The shame and insult Aerys delivered onto you and our house that day."

The thought of it made her angry. She was aware the friendship between Aerys and Tywin had long withered to dust but even she couldn't believe how Aerys used her like a whore and weapon against her husband and in front of his court and her children nonetheless.

"I hope he does not wake," the smile she gave was not a kind one.

"In truth, I am of the same thought. I was planning on resigning my office for his actions, heedless of his acceptance or not. "Tywin gave a grim smile. "Yet it seemed the gods themselves took insult and rendered their wrath."

She believed someone rendered their wrath but it wasn't the gods.

Tywin must have seen something because he pressed, "You have something to say, Joanna?"

She swallowed. "Tywin, may we speak privately? Somewhere we can ensure we are not overheard?"

His eyebrows raised at that and he put down the parchment he was reading over.

"My words need care, husband." Her tone brooking no nonsense.

"Come," He demanded. He took her arm in his and led them out the door.

She was expecting some dark room hidden deep within the innards of the Tower of the Hand or perhaps some dusty side passage not used in years.

Instead, Tywin brought her out into the open air of the gardens.

He commanded the guards to perform a sweep and ensure they were neither overheard nor disturbed.

"We are away from prying ears so speak your mind," he demanded.

"I do not believe what befell Aerys was an accident or by the designs of gods. We both know the gods so rarely work their miracles so directly or conveniently." She started.

"A man slipped on a broken brick," Tywin said calmly. "Unless you believe it was some form of improbable assassination attempt."

"This will sound like madness Tywin, and I had hoped to inform you about my thoughts when you returned to Casterly Rock but… There have been whispers amongst the commons. Whispers of sorcery and magicks."

It was a sign of trust that her husband did not immediately dismiss her words and call her mad.

"Sorcery? And you believe it was sorcery that struck Aerys down that day?" He inquired further.

"I do. Has the master of whisperers reported anything to the small council?" Tywin and her kept a close grip in the Westerlands but she was unsure if that fact held true for the throne.

"No. Lord Brune could have a bag of coin and still not be able to pry a secret from a drunken beggar. He is utterly unsuited for the office, a lapdog of Aerys."

"How did he get the seat then? Did you not oppose his ascension?"

"It was precisely my opposition which made his ascension desirable to Aerys. A twisted jape against me," He frowned at the thought of it.

"He would poison his own council like so just to mock you?" Joanna asked in disbelief.

He nodded.

"So no, there were no reports of any such things." He affirmed.

"Then it is up to me."

And so she explained her suspicions. The relentless whispers of sorcery which only seemed to grow stronger year by year instead of fading as rumors tend to do. Of their daughter's constant disappearance into the depths of Casterly Rock with no one able to follow.

Upon the bench, they sat in silence as her husband digested her seemingly mad words.

"Is this the reason why a Septa has not yet been assigned to our daughter?" The question took her off guard.

"Yes. It is a secret Cersei is clearly keeping close to heart so I wished to keep it that way." She said. "Though I believe Lanna knows and may be one such sorceress as well."

"Why do you think that?"

"A hunch. Nothing more, nothing less. I have tried to introduce Cersei to several other young girls of an age with her, daughters of knights, courtiers, and other young ladies, but she has shown little interest in all of them. Only keeping Lanna at her side, even taking her when she vanishes into the Rock. I've had the maids take note of their garbs when they return and they tend to be sweaty and dirtied, as if their time was spent actively."

"They're practicing," he pierced together her thoughts instantly. "You think they are training their abilities."

"Yes." She confirmed.

"Is it safe?" He followed.

"I do not know but they do not seem to be injured. The maids check when Cersei is bathed daily and they report no injuries but slight bruises at times,"

"It sounds like madness…" He said slowly.

"I know, which was why I wished to speak to you of it."

"I will have to think on this matter."

"I understand. Seven know I have spent many a sleepless night over the matter myself."

"Tywin… Should we push Cersei?"

He stopped for a moment, thinking it over before replying. "No, our daughter has a cunning, however childish it is, and enough wisdom to not demonstrate her ability openly. We can leave her for now as we try and get a handle on the matter ourselves."

They lapsed into another silence. No doubt her husband was still mulling over her words.

"I wonder, how many of these people are hidden beneath the gaze of the Iron Throne. You say banditry has been becoming increasingly frequent over the years?" Her husband finally broke the silence.

"Yes." She answered. "Patrols have been increased in response but more and more, we've found ourselves pulling from the Lannisport and Casterly Rock garrison but the problem is still persisting."

"When you return to the Westerlands, you'll bring with you my permission to increase the garrison of both."

She nodded.

"I also believe Jaime knows the truth of the matter. And it was for that I allowed his training to begin early."

"A prudent move, from what you've told me. There may be turbulent times ahead of Westeros."

"What will you do Tywin?" Joanna asked.

"Like before, we must wait. My next decision will depend on whether or not Aerys will awaken. With hope, he'll die. Rhaegar is a more reasonable man and will make for a better King. If Aerys doesn't… I am unsure. The insult he has paid to our house requires a reaction from me, even though our daughter may have stolen a march on me," He chuckled. A rare thing. "Yet the realm sees her action as from the gods and I still must reply in time."

"Do what must be done. This was an insult far greater than anything he has done before."

Tywin's eyes hardened. "I shall."


Time seemed to pass slowly since that day in the throne room. The court was quickly dispersed and everyone was ushered out of the room, including my family except for Tywin.

I hadn't left the Tower of the Hand since the accident but even without needing to do so, I could feel the palpable tenseness in the air. Everyone was in some kind of holding pattern, waiting to see if the King would recover from his wounds.

With each passing day, the guilt only weighed heavier on me.

It was stupid.

It was dumb.

Aerys was not a good man, I bloody well knew that but I couldn't help but wish I wasn't the one who needed to pull that metaphorical trigger.

Perhaps if what happened was intended, I would have felt better about it because it meant I was resolved in hurting him but I wasn't capable of deluding myself into that. I merely wanted him to trip up and maybe shatter that Kingly decorum. Humble him a little bit in front of the entirety of the court as he did Mama Jo and my House.

Instead, the ungraceful fuck slammed his head against the throne.

I felt bad.

I knew I shouldn't but feelings are feelings. Irrational at times they may be, I would have to just deal with them.

I wondered how long could a person stay unconscious. Modern medicine meant a person could stay in a coma for literal decades but here and now…

Days if I had to guess. Maybe a week or so at the most?

The wait was the worst. The will he won't he.

No wait, that made me sound like some pining young maiden shyly hoping a handsome young lord would ask for my hand in a dance.

Fucking hell Aerys, either die already or get up. Stop being inconsiderate and making me feel things! Feeling things makes me feel bad!

There wasn't even anything for me to do to distract myself from my thoughts, locked to the Tower of the Hand as we were. Tywin didn't want his children wandering freely in current times.

The succession was not in doubt at all, but Tywin thought it to be better safe than sorry. Or perhaps he thought it might have been gauche for his children to be running around and exploring the Red Keep while the King lay potentially dying.

Everything was a bit on heightened alert though. There was no doubt to the line of succession but that detail was a bit of a double-edged sword.

Rhaegar was the last male heir to the Targaryen Dynasty, a dynasty that had lasted nearly three hundred years.

If anyone wanted to take a pot shot at ending the Targaryens, now would be prime-time material. A single male heir left and with Rhaella having a known history of failed births, the Targaryen dynasty had never been weaker and at higher risk.

To me, all that meant was I couldn't go bending to blow off steam.

"Lannaaaaaaaaa, Jaimeeeeeeee," I petulantly whined. "I'm boreddddddd."

Lanna and Jaime both rolled their eyes at me.

These two were getting along too well these days.

"There is nothing to be but bored m'lady," Lanna said but I saw Jaime nodding along to her words. "We can only pray to the Seven the King recovers from his ails."

I winced.

I hadn't exactly told Lanna it was my fault. Jaime might have had an inkling about it but he didn't say anything, even as I waited for him to accuse me.

If Aerys recovered, I would likely tell them when we were safely tucked away in the soundproof caverns of Casterly Rock. Definitely not here where Varys was skulking about.

He could have an ear to the stone listening to me right now!

Well, no. He couldn't have since I had already found all the secret passageways and tunnels that littered the Red Keep easily with seismic sense. Or at least the ones inside the Tower of the Hand.

I also discovered the likely reason he employed his little children was because some of those passageways were small enough that only a child could probably fit through. I'd been keeping a lookout for any children randomly hidden in tunnels or skulking about but found nothing.

Canon Cersei was actually onto something when she said people were in the walls because I wouldn't have been surprised if they were.

Still, it was better to err on the side of caution so I commanded Jaime and Lanna to say nothing incriminating. There were still guards out in the hallway after all as well.

"It's just… We're in the Red Keep and we can't even explore it!" I kinda wanted to resume my goody hunt. Dragon eggs in Casterly Rock may have been a stretch but the chances in the Red Keep are definitely somewhere above zero!

Maybe there's a hidden cache some old stuffy Targaryen king had sealed off and filled with Valyrian Steel and dragon eggs for future descendants!

ROB, I am once again asking for your favor.

Make it so, please.

"It is Mother and Father's wish we stay here, Cersei," Jaime said obediently. "I am sure when King Aerys awakens, we shall be allowed free reign."

"It's already been two days though!" I retort. "And you're only saying that because you can go training still!"

Jaime still got to practice and drill with the Lannister armsmen.

"Lanna and I don't! Like a sword in a sheathe, the two of us are rusting away here!" I complained.

"Sorry, Cersei," Jaime looked sheepish at that.

"No, no. It's not your fault." It was in fact mine since I caused this whole debacle with my petty act of vengeance. "Sorry, Jaime. I didn't mean to lash out at you. Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," Jaime told me.

A knock resounded from the door before it opened to show Mama Jo.

"Hi Mama," I greeted her.

"Mother!" Jaime said at the same time.

Mama Jo gave us an open smile. "My children."

She sat on the edge of the bed where Jaime, Lanna, and I were all lying lazily on.

"Mother…" I began hesitantly. "How is the King?"

Her smile thinned.

"Same as yesterday, Cersei."

"I see…" I replied slowly. Damn it, Aerys. Live or die. Pick one already!

"Will the King get better, Mother?" Jaime asked from my side.

"That is up to the gods to decide." I found it impressive that she could speak the words without any of her own emotions leaking into them. She probably disliked Aerys as much as I did considering what he did to her two days past.

"I… Don't think I like the King Mama." Jaime said quietly. "He was very rude."

"The King…" Mother began slowly as she formed her thoughts. "The King is but a man, like you and I. He is flawed like any of us. But yes, it is unfortunate but the friendship between our two houses has frayed."

"What if he dies, Mama?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Then it is by the Seven's will, child. It was a most unfortunate accident after all." It felt like Mama put some weird emphasis in her words but maybe she was just gleeful at what happened to the King. "But enough of that, I have good news."

Oh? Can we finally leave?

"Ready yourselves, children. We'll be visiting an old friend of mine."