"I really mean, where is this northern barbarian, is he late?" she snorted as she and two of her waiting ladies, along with four red Lannister layers were standing in the center of the Red Tower gardens, near the huge oak tree that did duty as substitute prey wood.
"I'm here Lady Cersei," a voice said softly from behind her, sounding as if she was just behind her ear, she and the Red Layers turned, as did her waiting ladies, one of whom tripped over her skirts and almost fell.
She pouted on the girl in annoyance, I mean making a scene in front of this wild half-wild pagan, the shame of everything! The Lord of the North was dressed as he used to be, like a small people if she was honest, his "uniform" gray and a sword and knife on his belt.
"Lady Cersei, Ladies" Lord Stark bowed to them, although the way he had sneaked over them without his guards hearing him was a mystery to Cersei, she would have to complain to her Captain later, they would have to be whipped for this lapse, I mean, what if the big, wild northerner had done them some harm?
And big it was, it was about the same height as King Robert, but the pure physical presence of man dominated his company, it could well have been of a height like the mountain that rides for everything that was imposed on its space. The Lord of the North stood there with the ease of a man completely at peace with his surroundings and sure he could handle anything. Only in Jamie had he seen the same level of confidence, and it bothered him that this Stark presumed to have the same attitude as his perfect twin.
"Lord Stark, you must not sneak around with ladies like this, it is not something a gentleman would do... oh, I forgot that you don't have knights in the north, right?"
"We have some my Lady, House Manderly cleaves to the Seven who are One, they have knights. But you are correct in respect of the rest of the North; we worship the Old Gods and have no knights."
The big man's ruggedly handsome face was split into a grin, but Cersei failed to notice that it never reached his eyes.
The Red Cloaks recovered from their surprise and tried to close ranks and push Lord Stark back, but despite them being armored and him being dressed only in normal clothes the Red Cloaks parted when Lord Stark took a step forwards and stood directly over Cersei. She felt a shiver of pure, naked fear run through her body, the sudden realization that Lord Stark could do anything he wanted to, that her guards had been bullied by the sheer presence of the man into stepping aside. And as soon as the fear chased itself across her consciousness another thought raced after it, desire. Such power, such masculinity, such confidence in one's own physicality, she felt a stirring deep inside her that she had only ever felt for one man.
She quashed the feeling as it threatened to erupt and overwhelm her and she tossed her head back to look up at Lord Stark "Lord Eddard, no flowers, no poetry, no gifts? My but how do you woo your women in the North, or do you just scoop them up and run away with them?"
"And would a poem about a maid and a knight and a bunch of roses have made any difference my Lady? You are a Lioness of Casterly Rock, you are not some timid maid to be wooed, you are to be hunted and brought to heel, conquered by your betrothed" grinned the northern Lord at her.
"Is that so Lord Stark?" replied Cersei in her haughtiest tone, stepping around the man, making sure that her chest was thrust up as much as possible, she had worn her most risqué dress, the one with the lowest cut bodice and which showed the most décolletage. She had expected the Stark to be unable to keep his eyes off her flesh but she noticed that the man had barely even glanced at her cleavage; his grey hunter's eyes seemed to never leave her emerald ones, boring into her soul.
"Well in that case we shall take our walk empty handed then, a shame but you cannot be expected to understand the niceties of courtly life in the south I suppose!"
"I was fostered in the Vale my Lady, I know the South and its customs well" replied Lord Stark, turning to follow her, striding through the Red Cloaks to take his position at her side, far too close for comfort or propriety she thought. She bristled at his presumptuousness, and his imposition on her space, his male presence hulking beside her and making little tremors run through her body. She ignored them, instead thinking that the four Red Cloaks assigned to her were useless; she would have to get them dismissed. I mean that was the second time that Lord Stark had brushed them aside like little boys, what she needed was Jamie by her side, if only Jamie were here this, this barbarian would know his place.
She risked another glance upwards, again his eyes did not wander over her body, despite her angling herself for effect, and they remained fixed to hers. She shuddered, these were the eyes of an animal, who wanted to ravage her, she could imagine him tearing her clothes from her body, pinning her down with his great weight, forcing himself inside her. She shook her head to clear the increasingly heated visions filling it and said in a voice that despite her best efforts wavered slightly "Then why pretend to be the 'gruff northerner' my Lord, surely you are here to woo me for my hand in marriage?"
"Alas not Lady Cersei, your father will determine who you marry, I am merely here to see if your fathers offer of your hand is worthwhile" grinned Lord Stark.
"Why you impertinent savage!" She cried and flashed a hand up to slap him.
Her hand never reached Ned's face, it was intercepted by his own hand, a huge, calloused paw clamping on her arm and stopping her swing dead. She was too flustered to notice that where his hand held her the skin seemed to tingle with a delicious heat, and sensation that was spreading over her whole body.
"Unhand the Lady Cersei you barbarian!" shouted one of the Red Cloaks as they dropped their hands to the pommels of their swords.
Lord Stark paused and released her hand, turning to face the Red Cloaks, gazing at them as they kept their hands on the pommels of their swords.
"You boys think your fast then?" he asked in a level voice before whipping his own sword out of its scabbard before any of the Red Cloaks could draw theirs.
The four Red Cloaks stood shock still before removing their hands from their swords, Cersei noticed that two of them could not hide the trembling in their hands.
"Looks I'm faster than any of you will ever live to be" said Lord Stark, a wicked smile on his face as he sheathed his sword. He turned to look at Cersei more fully, she now regretted wearing such a revealing dress as the Stark let his eyes rove over her body, advancing towards her until he stood mere inches away.
"My Lady" he bowed slightly "Until we meet again."
And with that he sheathed his sword and strolled off, seemingly without a care in the world.
She stood looking at him retreat, heart fluttering in her chest like a trapped bird, a raging dampness between her legs and a head filled with images of Ned Stark tearing her dress from her body and throwing her to the ground and mounting her like stallion mounts a filly.