The Stag Queen (on hiatus)

The Rebellion V

It has been a month since Robert left to fight the Greyjoy rebellion, and Cassana was struggling with missing her Father and worrying about her Uncles and Grandfather. She's been having nightmares of her Father or others dying in battle and never seeing them again, so much so that she would sleep with her Mother more often than not. Cassana tried to put a brave face on for Joffrey, but he didn't understand why their Father was gone or why she was upset. Cassana is sitting in Jon Arryn's office reading one of his many books. She is bored and does not wish to do anything other than read, even if she can barely understand the words on the pages. She mindlessly stares at the book in her hands, not reading it anymore, just thinking about anything that comes to mind. She is broken from her thoughts when someone enters the hand's office. Cassana turns and sees that her Mother has come into the room. "So this is where you've been hiding, hmm?" Cassana closes the book and puts it back on the shelf from which she took it. "I'm sorry, mama, I just wanted to read." Cersei smiles at her daughter's words, walks to her, and kneels before her. "It is alright, little dove. I just wanted to check on you, and I thought you might be here."

Cassana smiles at her Mother and wraps her arms around her. She hugs her tightly. Her Mother was her best friend, and she enjoyed being with her, so moments like these were Cassana's favorite. Cersei pulls away from her daughter and kisses her cheek mercilessly, making Cassana laugh and squeal. After Cersei stops her attack, she picks her daughter up and begins walking out of the tower of the Hand. "There is a little surprise waiting for you in the throne room. Should we go see it?" Cassana's eyes light up, and she begs her Mother to walk faster. As they walk through the halls, Cassana asks her Mother questions about what surprise awaits her, but Cersei remains tight-lipped, much to her eldest displeasure. "Mama, won't you just tell me!" Cersei smiles at Cassanas frustration. "It wouldn't be a surprise then, little dove."

Cassana lays her head on her Mother's shoulder, waiting to reach the throne room. Finally, they come to the big doors, and Cersei puts her daughter down before them. Cersei leans down to Cassana's height and puts her hands on her little shoulders. "Are you ready to see your surprise?" Cassana looks at her Mother with a broad smile and nods enthusiastically. Cersei laughs and asks for the doors to be opened. Cassana starts to bounce in anticipation as the doors open slowly. Cassana couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her surprise standing in the dead center of the room.

Cassana squeals and runs, "Grandfather, Uncle Jamie, You're here!" She heads toward her Grandfather first; as he is closer, she runs directly into his legs, which was a surprisingly hard hit for a small child. He lightly laughs, which he only does for his eldest grandchild, and picks her up and into his arms. Cassana looks at her Grandfather and smiles, her biggest since her Father left. "You're really here!" she wraps her hands around his neck and tucks her head into it. He smiles at her words, holds her head to him, and kisses the side of it. "Indeed I am." He looks up to his twins and sees them look at him with small smiles and a somewhat surprised look. Tywin Lannister is a cold and calculating man, but with his little Joanna, as he calls her, he is kind and gentle in everything that involves her. In a way, his children were jealous, not of Cassana but of the fact he could be like that with her and wasn't when they were little. They understood that Cassana brought that out in him.