A new character, and Jaime meddles.
Disclaimer: I only own my OC.

He wants to call her Jemma, but he is afraid it's too much of a Lannister name, even though everyone knows about his close friendship with Jaime. It might raise more attention than is wise, should she somehow resemble her mother when she gets older. People might draw dangerous connections, and he has to avoid that at all costs.
People will probably expect him to call her Lyanna, but he is simply not ready for that reminder of the war, of the loss, of the betrayal, of the constant guilt. His little girl deserves her own name, her own fate, not overshadowed by a famous aunt. He hopes she will be luckier, happier, lighter, though he wouldn't mind if she were to have the same resilience and a bit of that wildness.

Faramir is Faramir, and his mind has always worked in the most confusing of ways, so it jumps from Jemma to gemstone and from that to the old stories he remembers and has always loved so much - stories about powerful stones, the Silmarils. From the Silmarils his thoughts then move to the lady who decided to protect them, to fight for the good rather than succumb to temptation and evil. An elf-maiden, known for dark hair and grey eyes. A Stark in looks.

So, she becomes Elwing, called after a starry waterfall, which is just a tad ironic given her last name is Waters.
It paints him a little the siblings (he considers Ellard his now, there is no point in not doing it) don't even have the same name, but it's probably for the best. It might add some confusion to the whole thing, and confusion means safety.

Probably the most awkward message is informing the Daynes about the new addition to the family and a confirmation of his promise to take responsibility for Ellard as well. They... well, let's just say their happiness is rather curtailed. He understands, they wonder about his morality, and so does he. He often wonders what he had been thinking, and even more so, how that Elwing could have technically happened. It seems so odd, so unrealistic that he gets more and more convinced some God must have had a hand in this.
She can't be a mistake, she must be a gift.

Ned is inherently disappointed; he doesn't say but his letter still somehow says it. Well, he would have been even more disappointed had Faramir not stepped up, he guesses. Elwing is part of the pack now, somehow, and yet, her father is pretty sure behind his back Jon Arryn is complaining about the girl. Well, what is he about to do? If he were not to take care of her, Jon Arryn would complain as well. He just relishes in having something in hand against him now. Since things are tight between Ned and him anyway, Faramir takes it this is the perfect time to inform him there is another child as well - it might give his brother time to calm down until he will call his little boy to court to join him.
As it turns out, that time will probably be needed: The next letter he receives from the North is truly furious and he wonders whether now Ned will come down and beat him bloody. He doesn't, but communication gets sparse.

He is surprised when he receives Lord Tywin's letter: While he scolds him for his stupidity, it is mostly a reminder that a daughter is always a way for another connection, illegitimate or not. It has probably to do with the fact that Faramir is only his ward and not his son and he won't have children to connect through via Jaime, but there is also something else that Faramir can't really figure out. He is pretty certain though Lord Tywin wouldn't be so happy anymore once he was to hear about the mother's identity.

There are tons of rumours about the supposed mother of the girl, especially since he shoots down any slander very quickly. Let them think what they like, but his girl should never think she is the daughter of a tavern wench. She is supposed to know she's a lady's daughter, even though she'll never know just how high that lady walks in this world. Most people seem to suspect Allyria Dayne, even though that is technically pretty impossible, but nobody mentions Cersei, thank the Gods. It is considered odd, of course, that he decides to raise his daughter himself, especially as an unmarried man. Most would have sent their children to be fostered by a bannerman, in his case somewhere in the North and out of sight. But the news about his disagreement with Ned also spread very quickly, so the general assumption is that the Paramount of the North straight out refused that request. It gives Ned a bit of a reputation, but Faramir doesn't think it's uncalled for - he is a stickler to honour, after all.

Faramir knows Elwing will probably lower his chances of an advantageous marriage, but since he doesn't want to marry anyway, it doesn't matter. There was one woman for him, and that woman is dead. The wetnurse, Nyla, he learns, stays on and is established as part of his household while parts of his apartments become a nursery. It's a change, but it's doable. They will all be fine - as long as Elwing is fine. She is still so little, far too little, he thinks, but after months of worry, she finally starts to take on weight.

It is a bit strange, he has expected talk, of course, as the Master of Coin, and yet, everyone, truly everyone seems to have so many opinions on his daughter it makes his head throb. What is wrong with these people? Why do they care so much?
Rationally, he knows: He just added another bargaining chip into the mix. Now, people are trying to gauge whether there is an opening against him, a man who has until now been seen as somewhat incorruptible. His closest and only ties had been to Jaime and the Lannisters in general, who were protected by their own power and status, and to the North, which is very far away. They don't know yet whether he considers Elwing a burden and rather exchangeable, or precious and therefore a potential weakness.

He already knows she's the second. So, he will take a bit of a page from Tywin's book - threaten and burn everyone who only looks at her wrongly.

This includes Cersei - queen or not, who is at the same time probably the girl's biggest chance and biggest danger. For once, he has no idea how she will react and act over time, if she truly isn't interested, and if that will stay that way. He doesn't know whether it is a good thing or not, and he doesn't know whether she is already playing a long game or is simply overwhelmed and scared. He should get Elwing away from court, but he doesn't really see where especially with the pressure Jaime is not so subtly putting on him. While he is certain the knight wouldn't want to harm them, Faramir also wants to keep at least some kind of positive rapport with him - so for now, she stays.

One thing that surprised him was Cersei's refusal to name the girl and thus her avoidance of laying some sort of claim to her. It's very un-Lannister, which makes him think there truly might be at least partly personal and not political reasons behind the decision to give her up. He deems it proper to inform her about the name he has chosen himself, though truthfully, it's mostly to gauge her reaction. As expected, she tries to keep a blank face, but he can see a spark of approval - he isn't the only one who likes stories.

They still work together and most of the time they manage to ignore anything else that connects them, too focussed on their disagreements and bickering.
She is exhausting, and both are exhausted by sleepless nights from fussy children.

Prince Joffrey is quite a handful, he hears, especially now that he can walk and gets into truly anything he can reach. He throws tantrum after tantrum, just like his father when he wants something, or his mother, for that matter. A mother who indulges him in anything and pours all her love into the child, that much is certain - he supposes like he does with Elwing.
The queen also truly seems to try and make things work with the king, and he isn't quite certain whether she has a bad conscience, whether she wants to make Faramir jealous and wants to prove something, or whether she simply wants to consolidate her power.

In the light of this development, Jaime seems more and more annoyed about Elwing's existence, but Faramir is certain it's not against the girl but against the affair (if you can call it an affair). Opposite to Cersei, however, he is sure the knight would never do anything to hurt his niece, not after the trouble he went through to make sure Faramir was to take care of her.
Overall, things work out rather well, he would say, at least for his little girl whom he tries to shelter as best as possible while he schemes and probably works himself into an early grave.
Then, suddenly the tables turn.

From one day to the other, Elwing is hit by a fever and starts to burn up, more than any child should. He has Maester Pycelle come and examine her, despite his suspicions towards the man, but besides some concoctions and the usual measures, there is nothing he can do. Faramir can only sit at his daughter's bedside and hold her hand and pray, while life seems to leak out of her like the water she is called after.
He is so tired, but he can't go to sleep, because if he does, she might stop breathing and never start again.
His mind tells him that's ridiculous, but his heart tells him that as long as he watches, she will stay.

That little girl, she has to fight, because she is the most precious thing he has in this world and the Gods cannot be so cruel and first give her to him just to take her away. It's almost as if he is living through Ashara's and Lyanna's deaths again, with all the helplessness, but Elwing isn't dead yet.

Suddenly, there is a knock, and when he looks up, he can only see red because his look is slowly getting blurry from exhaustion.
Then, the door closes, and the vision steps closer, and he frowns because why the seven hells does Cersei have to come now to annoy him?

"Not now," he tells her courtly, it's meant to be decisive but only sounds tired, "I'll go over your proposal for the new street as soon as I can. And on the loan Braavos wants us to pay back. And the one to your father - I can't deal with the king right now."
Cersei frowns. "You look horrible. When have you last slept?"

He shrugs, he truly doesn't know.
She sighs. "You need sleep, and something to eat. Now."
"I don't -" he starts to protest, but she lifts her hand.
"You told me once, now I tell you. Fair is fair." She pauses, deliberating her next words. "I can stay, for a bit."

When he doesn't say anything, she scoffs.

"You don't really think that, do you?"

What that is hangs in the air, unspoken. She sighs.

"You do, fine. But I promised my father to look out for you, which now apparently includes looking out for her. I don't want you as my enemy, can you at least believe that?"

He nods, because he can and he's just so tired.

"What about Robert?"
"I believe as mother - of the realm, it is my duty to assist in these situations," she tells him, "regarding the loan, let me handle it. The rest can wait, for once. Now, go, that's an order, I'll have someone get you in a couple of hours."

Faramir manages to smile at least weakly before he gets up and drags himself into his bedroom. As soon as his head hits his pillow, he is out cold. When a servant wakes him, the fever at least hasn't increased further and by the next morning, it finally breaks.
He silently weeps from a mixture of gratefulness and exhaustion next to Elwing's little bed and prays he will never feel again something like that. At noon, Cersei suddenly appears, and he certainly will claim it is lingering tiredness that is blurring his thinking but suddenly he has pulled her into a tight hug, full of emotions and just a little bit of thankfulness as well. She hugs him back, briefly, the smallest acknowledgement of something shared between the two of them other than the reports she has come to remind him about.

Just as he has promised Jaime, Elwing grows up with all the comforts of a lady. While he shelters her, he never locks her up or hides her away - they stroll through the keep and the gardens together, at the beginning with her on his arm, later with her toddling along next to him. It must be a pretty funny picture for most, but he has also heard whispers the king is jealous since Prince Joffrey always cries when he tries to pick him up. Faramir doesn't ask, in fact, they don't really talk about their children at all, other than Robert bragging about his son's achievement and teasing Faramir about Elwing's existence.
It doesn't bother him much, but he notices with some smugness that his child is apparently much quicker in development - but they say bastards grow up quicker, after all. She talks early and once she does, she truly won't shut up anymore, which over time makes him give her the nickname Birdy.

Age wise, the two would be the perfect playing companions, but the general assumption is that Elwing isn't suitable for Joffrey, parentage and all. That's funny, he thinks. Given the ruthlessness the boy shows even at the tender age of not even three years, Faramir isn't too sad about it. He considers Cersei also wants to minimise any interaction between the children because she fears comparisons, but she shouldn't worry - Elwing still shows no sign of Lannister other than the light green sheen in her eyes and the tendency to fussiness that she seems to share with the prince. Still, overall, she is much better behaved which might have to do with the fact that while Faramir certainly indulges her, she isn't spoilt as rotten as the heir to the throne.

Sometimes, he is rather afraid he shows her up too much, despite his attempts of being cautious, but it sort of happens naturally: He loves her, adores her, and he is proud of everything she does. There is also a certain idea behind this, because even though he knows it's unlikely, he doesn't give up on the hope that Robert might legitimize Elwing one day. However, he would certainly need Arryn's and Ned's support for it, and that is not likely to happen. So, he does the next logical thing, he starts to work on Catelyn Arryn. The poor woman has lost another child and is vulnerable to the charms of a pretty, chubby face - with a couple of smiles, Elwing has wrapped her around her little fingers. It doesn't help much, for now, but certainly won't hurt either. The support grows, the base for a steady standing at court.
He is sure they call her nasty things behind their backs, but at least to their faces people are polite, she is Lady Elwing, like she should be.

Cersei doesn't interact with her much, just enough to not seem suspicious, but Faramir is certain she notices more than she would ever admit. Her relationship with Robert deteriorates further, despite all her efforts, and he even feels a little bit sorry for her (and his nerves). He supposes it might have to do with the fact that at least officially there has been no other child yet, despite at least some tries, probably. Truly, it's not his business whether she lets that oaf fuck her, he tries to remind himself, because truly, it isn't.
Sometimes, though, especially when it is getting late and they have been talking for hours, something starts sizzling between them, and echo or a memory, but he always pushes it down.
They went there once, they can't go there again. Their cooperation is far too important to risk it for another tumble in the sheets, no matter how tempting.
Over the last years, the two of them (and Cerenna) have become not really a team but a reasonable alliance that keeps the realm financially afloat and if not out of debt, then at least away from ruin.
And there is Jaime, even though their relationship is certainly more strained than it was before. Faramir doesn't want to risk losing him, not even for experiencing that rush again.

Something good has come out of it though, because Jaime loves Elwing, though he is constantly afraid of touching and hurting her since she once ran into his legs to hug him and bumped her nose on his armour. The following wailing left the knight so panicked it was almost funny - he would face an army, but a crying toddler overwhelms him.

- 0 -

It is a strange connection of circumstances, because around the time Birdy turns two, he gets a letter from Lord Dayne with a reminder of his duties in the south. Maybe it's not the worst thing, he ponders, his daughter is getting a bit lonely, and while the boy is quite a bit older, they still might at least be companions.
When he tells Jaime, his friend isn't surprised, but Cersei almost explodes. It's jealousy, clearly, but he is not certain about what.
About Ashara? About the fact that he cares about his children while Robert doesn't really?
A couple of well-placed threats are uttered over the next weeks - from both - until Ellard finally arrives.

To say he is stressed is an understatement, he is panicking, because alone, in King's Landing, with two children is far from ideal. Even more so, two children of difficult parentage who are nevertheless his to keep safe.

Rumours spread in the moment the boy gets off his pony, officially a ward Faramir has promised to take on since he killed Arthur Dayne in combat. It's no surprise. He is over five years old now, of normal height for his age and so obviously a Stark there is no way Faramir could ever deny the familiarity. Nevertheless, Ashara has given him a bit more elegance and sharpness than the Starks usually have, he thinks, slightly higher cheekbones, darker skin. Ellard sees it, too, Faramir can see the wheels turn in his head as he regards the older Stark, almost his mirror image. Then he sees the little girl with the matching name and the generally equally dark looks and seems to wonder even more.

Elwing takes one look at Ellard and decides he is perfect and Faramir thinks now he will only be her second favourite person ever again.
She attaches herself to him like a barnacle to a ship, but that's fine for now.
He's Lardy to her and while the boy is reserved around Faramir, there is nothing reserved when he plays with his sister. They chase each other in Cersei's fancy rose gardens and the queen complains and Faramir only grins, because they are children and children do these things. Well, the Prince doesn't, apparently, but that is probably mostly due because he simply doesn't have any friends.

~ 0 ~

It could have all been easy, the three of them, Elwing, Ellard and himself, not quite a family yet but something like it, if Jaime hadn't decided to meddle. Well, actually, it is not Jaime who starts it, it is Robert and his increase in dallying with paid companionships, despite Cersei's efforts. The brother has mentioned it before, with much distain, but now he is actually blocking Faramir's way, by all means!

"How is my sister?"
Faramir frowns.
"You just saw her this morning. What would you say? And why do you ask me?"
Jaime sighs.
"I saw her, but I also didn't. She seems to be always on the run, in a rush. But what I do know is that things with Robert aren't good. Not at all. And the only times a day she looks somewhat happy is when she is with Joffrey or when she is with you."

The Stark shrugs. He really wants to get out of this conversation, because talking about Cersei with Jaime, which can only go wrong. Still, his friend pulls him into the shadow of the keep, a corner where he is sure they won't be overheard. With a sigh, he follows.

"She tried to make it work, I suppose he didn't. I am truly sorry. I am not surprised the prince makes her happy. But I think you are mistaken about me. If anything, she is content to have some extend of power or to be able to try and boss me around with her ideas."

Faramir doesn't add that he sometimes quite likes her ideas - while she has a horrible way of pitching them, the content often isn't half bad.

"Well yes, that too. But in the end, it all comes back to you - because you made sure she keeps that position, you let her boss you round just as much as it suits you and slap back if it doesn't." He holds up his hand as Faramir wants to protest. "I have been watching the two of you interact since we were children, you are the people I know best in this world. She would never ever say, but she admires you, sometimes, for a moment. Just like you do admire her, reluctantly. Though you have the best icy face I have ever seen, which is why you are such a good card player. You make everyone believe you can hardly stand her and only accept her for father's, mine and the king's sake."

"Most days I can barely stand her," Faramir mutters, "so, what are you getting at?"

Jaime sighs and now he thinks he really really should run.

"What I am getting at is that I know that you also want her." He looks just a little bit ill at that thought. "And she needs a distraction. Well, she is going to search for one way or the other, the question is just how much damage it will cause."

Faramir gapes at him.

"Hold on - you want ME to have an affair with YOUR SISTER so that she won't have an affair with anyone else."

It takes everything in him to keep his voice low.

Jaime nods. "It sounds horrible, now that I think about it."
"No, it's probably the smartest idea you had in a while," Faramir answers dryly, and he means it, "but there is no guarantee that will work."
"True. But there is a guarantee she will do some stupid stuff if she gets bored, and we both know that. And now there are two children to be kept safe," Jaime tells him.
"But she will get bored with me as well. And then I am involved in that stupid stuff."
"True. Better keep her busy then."

Faramir rolls his eyes.
"Very funny. Very very funny. It's not that easy, though."
"Is it not?"

The problem is, Faramir can't deny that it would be incredibly easy – and that's the risk. He needs to keep his wits together, but he is a realist: Getting swept up is easy, it happens quickly. And Cersei is a tidal wave.