The very next day, Tywin with Aldarra on his arm, were walking towards Cersei's rooms and the guards stopped them at the door. The guard said, "The Queen Regent is busy, Lord Lannister." The sounds of someone having sex can be heard.

Tywin hears the voice of Lancel Lannister say, "Yes, my queen!" He pushed away the guard and flings the door open in anger. They both step into the room and Aldarra spins around quickly embarrassed towards Tywin's chest after seeing Cersei engaged naked, having sex with her nephew. Aldarra just looks up into Tywin's angry eyes as he stares back down into her eyes to avoid watching the other two. He could see into the room in his peripheral vision only. Tywin shouts, "Get your damn clothes on and get the hell out!!" The sounds of scrambling can be heard. Lancel bolts for the door flying by them both.

Suddenly, Tommen comes running into the room with a tiny gray kitten in his hands and thrusts it into Aldarra's hands. His eyes are big and afraid saying, "Keep him safe! Please don't let him hurt him!" Aldarra takes a few steps back from Tywin and cuddles the kitten. She automatically pulls Tommen behind her to protect him, when Joffrey comes barreling through the door. He is in pursuit of Tommen enraged and shouting, "I'm going to kill it! Give it to me!" Joffrey sees Aldarra protecting his brother and the kitten in her hand. The King charged up to her and Aldarra turned away with her back facing him. He pulled back and slugged her hard in-between her shoulder blades with his large gold lion's head ring on his middle finger. The force knocked her to the ground as she cried out in pain. She had her arm out to try to block the fall. Tommen runs to get behind his mother as she just stands there smirking in her dressing gown watching but not doing or saying anything. Tywin seizes Joffrey by the scruff of his neck, throws him face down hard into a table top bent over and pinned leaning on Joffrey's back.

Joffrey screams, "You can't do this, I am the king!"

Tywin said low and deadly in his ear, pulling a dagger from his belt, "How dare you touch my ward and betrothed. I will teach you a lesson today and take one piece of you as a reminder of not to touch what is mine." He chopped off the tip of Joffrey's little finger at the first joint. Joffrey screamed, started crying and sniveling. Tywin continued, "Do you understand? Do you, boy?! I heard what you tried to do to her before. You were warned once already."

Joffrey was still sniveling, "Yes, grandfather." Tywin let go of him. He walked over and crouched, gathering Aldarra into his arms bridal style with her holding the kitten and her other arm around his neck.

Tywin said to Cersei holding Aldarra close to his chest, "I came to tell you, that I will be getting married to Aldarra Blackthorne in a fortnight."

Cersei shouted angrily, "Father, you can't! I forbid it! How dare you sully my mother's memory!" He turned and walked out of the room with the guards following after them.

When they got to the tower, Tywin laid her down on his bed on her side and went to get a cold bowl of water and a cloth. He knelt down next to her on the side of the bed and started opening the back of her dress and corset. She wondered what he was going to do to her this time. He saw the impact mark on her back of a red mark turning dark the size of a fist and a white mark in the middle. Tywin put a cool wet cloth on the spot gently and she groaned at the pain. He said, "I don't like seeing you hurt. Are you going to keep the kitten?" She nodded silently. He said, "Then it will need to grow up to earn its keep with getting rid of mice in our quarters."

Aldarra said, "Ok.". He was gently touching her. Tywin wrung out the cloth and reapplied it. After a little while, she sat up holding the kitten and said, "Thank you. I think I'll be ok for now." He dropped the cloth in the bowl and put both his hands up to cupping her neck with his thumbs caressing her cheeks as he gazed into her eyes. He pressed lightly at first on her lips and kissed her deeping it. Tywin thought that it was a good start in behaving civilly in their relationship. He savored the taste of her lips. That evening Aldarra slept with her well fed kitten named Ser Leo, in her bed.

—--

The next day, Cersei swept in with her dress flowing as she entered the Hand's quarters and saw her father at the desk writing on parchment and Aldarra on the couch reading a book with the kitten in her lap sleeping.

Cersei angrily spat, "I can't believe you, father. Marrying that houseless whore. How dare you betray my mother like this, replacing her with that plain ugly woman. Why not just keep her as a whore. She is a nobody because she does not have a title or lands anymore." Aldarra looked up and just watched the exchange.

Tywin said angrily, "You're just jealous because she is beautiful and younger than you. She will be my wife, she is titled, and will bear my name and children soon. Her title does not leave if the lands still exist by inheritance. You will never call her a whore in my presence ever again. Do you hear me?!" Cersei had a sour look on her face. "Do. You. Understand?! I will not tolerate your games that you and your spoiled son play."

Cersei said, with jealousy, "You're going to give away Casterly Rock to her and any little bastards she bears! What of Jamie, your first born?!"

Tywin said incredulously, "What of it?! It's none of your concern. You were Queen and are now Queen Regent, isn't that enough for you?"

Cersei stated nastily, "He is my brother. Of course it concerns me."

Tywin stated looking her in the eye, "You do not inherit, Cersei, and Jamie's inheritance is not your concern. I have the Blackthorne keep for my other children too once we are married. Jamie made sure he would not get an inheritance when he defied me and swore his oath to the King's Guard. You know this already. It's finished. If you wonder why he does not inherit anything, ask him why he did it yourself if we ever get him back. It was his choice. Now leave, I have business to attend to." He had dismissed her, Cersei was frustrated and left in a huff slamming the door.

Tywin turned and looked at Aldarra and asked, "Would you care to have our midday meal together?" She said yes.

—--

A few days later, a white horse left a pile of manure at the doorway leading to the throne room. Lord Tywin Lannister rode the horse in, through the gathered crowd. From his throne, King Joffrey Baratheon arrogantly addresses the room, "I, Joffrey of the House Baratheon, first of my name, the rightful King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, do hereby proclaim my grandfather, Tywin Lannister, the savior of the city and the Hand of the King." Tywin dismounts his horse.

Aldarra was in the front of the crowd in the throne room. As she looked on at the people around her, she thought, 'Such pomp and circumstance just to present a pin of position.' *sigh*

A young page walks up and presents a pillow to Joffrey, who places the Hand's brooch up to Tywin. He bows.

Tywin says formally, "Thank you, Your Grace." He turns, mounts the horse and exits.

Joffrey announced, "Lord Petyr Baelish, step forward." Baelish steps forward and kneels before Joffrey.

Joffrey says formally, "For your good service and ingenuity in uniting the Houses of Lannister and Tyrell, I declare that you shall be granted the castle of Harrenhal with all its attendant lands and incomes to be held by your sons and grandsons from this day until the end of time."

Baelish says smugly, "You honor me beyond words, Your Grace. I shall have to acquire some sons and grandsons." The crowd laughs. Aldarra thought that there was something not quite right with that man and it made her cautious.

Joffrey announced, "Ser Loras Tyrell." Ser Loras steps forward from the crowd and kneels.

Joffrey formally said, "Your house has come to our aid. The whole realm is in your debt, none more so than I. If your family would ask anything of me, ask it, and it shall be yours."

Ser Loras makes an offer saying, "Your Grace, my sister Margaery, her husband was taken from us before... She remains innocent. I would ask you to find it in your heart to do us the great honor of joining our houses." Tywin enters from behind the crowd, joining Aldarra standing behind her by putting a hand discreetly on her hip letting her know he is there.

Joffrey is smiling a smug smile looking over at Margaery, "Is this what you want, Lady Margaery?" Lady Margaery takes a few steps forward.

Margaery says sweetly, "With all my heart, Your Grace. I have come to love you from afar. Tales of your courage and wisdom have never been far from my ears. And those tales have taken root deep inside of me." Aldarra can't believe the sappy sweet fake platitudes of flattery and drivel. It was nauseating to hear.

Joffrey said in fake flattery, "I, too, have heard tales of your beauty and grace, but the tales do not do you justice, my lady. It would be an honor to return your love, but I am promised to another. A king must keep his word." It took all Aldarra could do not to roll her eyes at this.

Cersei addressed Joffrey, "Your Grace, in the judgment of your Small Council, it would be neither proper nor wise for you to wed the daughter of a man beheaded for treason, a girl whose brother is in open rebellion against the throne as we speak. For the good of the realm, your councilors beg you to set Sansa Stark aside." Sansa couldn't believe that she would be able to be free from Joffrey. The crowd murmurs.

The crowd around Aldarra starts chanting, "Margaery! We want Margaery!" Joffrey stands and gestures magnanimously to quiet the crowd.

Joffrey says in a superior tone, "I would like to heed your wishes and the wishes of my people, but I took a holy vow."

Maester Pycelle speaks up saying, "Your Grace, the gods do indeed hold a betrothal solemn, but your father, blessed be his memory, made this pact before the Starks revealed their falseness. I have consulted with the High Septon and he assures me that their crimes against the realm free you from any promise you have made to them in the sight of the gods." Queen Regent Cersei looks smugly across over at Lady Sansa Stark. Cersei is pleased to see that Sansa is looking quite worried.

Joffrey arrogantly speaks with a smug smile on his face, "The gods are good. I am free to heed my heart. Ser Loras, I will gladly wed your sweet sister. You will be my queen and I will love you from this day until my last day." He was making sure to rub it into Sansa's face. The crowd applauds.

Sansa walks away, quite solemn, but smiled once she was out in the hallway alone. Tywin goes up to speak with Joffrey. Aldarra discreetly slips away to see where Sansa went. Once Sansa is out of the view of the throne room of people, she smiles and laughs in relief. Aldarra sees Baelish catch up to her from around a corner. Aldarra stands casually around that corner out of sight just listening.

Baelish says to Sansa, "My lady. My sincerest condolences."

Sansa puts on her fake emotionless mask and replied, "They're right. I'm not good enough for him."

Baelish said deviously, "You shouldn't say that. You'll be good enough for many things. He'll still enjoy beating you. And now that you're a woman, he'll be able to enjoy you in other ways as well."

Sansa looks at him not believing what he just said to her. She said softly with doubt, "But, if he's not marrying me…"

Baelish said condescendingly like speaking down to a child, "You think he'll let you go home? Joffrey's not the sort of boy who gives away his toys. You have a tender heart, just like your mother did at your age. I can see so much of her in you. She was like a sister to me. For her sake, I'll help get you home." Aldarra couldn't believe his audacity to manipulate this little girl and how cruel he was to her.

Sansa sighed and said, "King's Landing is my home now."

Baelish looked around the hallway and said, "Look around you. We're all liars here. And every one of us is better than you. Good day, Lady Sansa." Baelish swept away down the hallway leaving Sansa alone. Aldarra rolled her eyes at what a cruel man he was and came around the corner.

Aldarra took Sansa's hand, pulled her into the throne room and grabbed her two guards. Aldarra said, smiling at her, "Come on, let's get out of here for a while."

Sansa asked as she was keeping up, "Aren't you Lady Aldarra Blackthorne? Where are we going?" Aldarra kept pulling her along.

—--

A little while later, Sansa and Aldarra are sitting on a dock, looking at all the ships coming and going in the huge port.

Sansa said, looking at one of the ships and pointing at it, "Dorne. It's going to Dorne."

Aldarra asked, looking at her, "Why do you say it's Dorne?"

Sansa said smiling, "It's carrying silk and it's supposed to bring back wine in exchange. But it's not coming back, because the captain's tired of risking his life so King's Landing lords and ladies can get drunk on better wine than they deserve. He's going to stay in Dorne instead. Wait out the winter where it's beautiful and warm."

Aldarra said looking at the ship, "I met someone in Dorne once, who didn't look so beautiful and acted not very warm."

Sansa pouted and said, "Don't ruin the game."

Aldarra bumped Sansa's shoulder and said, "Told you I wasn't very good at games."

Sansa pointed to another ship and asked, "What about that one there?"

Aldarra cocked her head to the side and said, "That one? It's going to Volantis."

Sansa asked, "Why do you say there?"

Aldarra, with a faraway look in her eyes, replied, "Because about four years ago, when I got on a ship in Volantis, it looked like that one."

Sansa bumped Aldarra in the shoulder and said, "That's not how the game works. You're not supposed to just blurt out the right answer. You've got to invent a story about where the ship is going and why."

Aldarra giggled and said, "Why should I make up a story when I know the truth? Told you I am not good at games." They both giggled.