lover's mercy - jaime lannister

THIRTY-EIGHT

              Jaime was in the Kingsguard room when his sister came storming in. She had a smirk on her face; it was victorious and wicked. He hated it.

                 He used to think everything was perfect about his sister. But now he saw all the things he never wanted to see. She smirked and he used to think it was a smile; but, no, Cersei never smiled. There was no joy. She only ever had glorious victories that she wielded over everyone.

                 "Putting together plans to protect our son?" Cersei said.

                  "Your son," he corrected.

                 Joffrey was never his. None of them were. He couldn't even be an uncle to them because of the paranoia that plagued Cersei. It was a sad thing to admit but...they were just seeds to him that grew and lived with his blood.

                   "What are you so overjoyed about?" he asked.

                     Her smirk bothered him. It meant she had some news to hurt someone. He just didn't know it would be him.

                   "You haven't heard?" Cersei questioned.

                    "Heard what?"

              "Elyanna..." she enunciated slowly as her smirk widened. "...is to marry our brother."

_____

Elyanna was the key to the North. Tywin Lannister wanted to secure that key. She was surprised he waited as long as he did but here it was...another marriage.

At least, it was Tyrion. He was good, kind. One of the better Lannisters. She could live with it.

She went to visit him.

"I assume this arrangement is as unpleasant for me as it is for you," Tyrion professed as she entered his chambers.

"Probably more unpleasant for me," she teased a bit.

She went over to the small shelf of books he had, "Do you still read as much?"

"I do," he answered as he sat at the round table in his room. "I try to."

She ran her fingers along the spines of the books before smirking at him, "And do you still partake in whores as well?"

Tyrion drummed his fingers on the table nervously as his lips parted in surprise, "It will end when I take my vows."

She chuckled a bit as she came to sit across from him and he analyzed her, "You don't seem all too broken up about this arrangement?"

She gave him a look, "I expected it."

"Still, being forced to wed doesn't exactly make one smile..."

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked. "Frown until the end of my days?"

"You make a fine point," he said as he poured some wine for the two of them. "I, on the other hand, need a bit more wine to smile as you do."

She raised her cup and made their old toast, "To the beauty and the brains."

He smiled half-heartedly as he clunk his glass with hers.

Suddenly, the door opened and Jaime stepped inside. He completely halted when he saw Elya.

She rose when he entered and she swallowed, "I'll let you two talk."