The Stag Queen (on hiatus)

Five Years: Day Two

To say Cassana was pissed would be an understatement of the highest order. During her walk with her Father, he told her that during her celebrations, she would be forced to pick a personal guard for the foreseeable future. Cassana enjoyed being as much of a free spirit as being the heir allowed her to be, but with a personal guard, she would be watched at all times, making her feel as if she had a babysitter following her at all hours. She agreed nonetheless, knowing she could not get out of it even if she begged her Father because, on this, Cassana knew he would not change his mind. That was yesterday, and after eating dinner with her family and talking with her Uncle and Grandfather, she went to bed only to be woken up at dawn by Milah to begin her studies early as today Cassana planned on actually training and not playing with her brother's. "You do know you don't have to accompany me every morning for training, Milah." Cassana and Milah walk through the halls leading to the training yard as Cassana finally finished her day's lessons. Milah smiles down at Cassana before placing her arm around her shoulder. "Yes, I know, Cass, for you have told me many times."

Cassana looks at her and rolls her eyes, for which she receives a shove. "Then why do you insist every morning as you do?"  Milah rolls her eyes at the princess in retort before tightening her arm around her shoulder again. "To ensure you do not lose fingers or get hit so hard, you forget your name." Cassana laughs at her Septa before wrapping her arm around Milah's waist. "I can assure you that would never happen. I am too quick on my feet for such a thing!" Milah looked at Cassana with an amused smile and shook her head before a guard opened the door to the training yard. Both were unaware of the five people staring at them as they approached the yard's center. While still laughing and talking to each other, Cassana turns to Milah and starts walking backward. "You'll see Milah today. I plan to outdo myself tenfold."

Cassana puffs her chest in joking matter before continuing. "I'll show both my Father and Mother that I don't need a personal guard and Uncle Jamie that I'm close to matching him in skill." Milah laughs at her charge before noticing members of the royal family, including the King and Queen, changing her demeanor and bowing to them. Cassana frowns at this and notices her family standing behind her. She bows to her parents and Grandfather while her Uncles look to be on the verge of bursting into laughter. "Father, Mother, I wasn't aware you would be watching my training today." Cersei gives her a small smile before nudging her twin with her elbow to stop laughing, which also causes her other brother to stop. Her Grandfather has yet to speak but is watching the interaction between his granddaughter and her parents.

Robert approaches Cassana and touches her shoulder before pulling her close. "Yes, well, I thought I would surprise you and see how you have been improving, and by your talk, it seems to be I will be pleased." Cassana gives her Father a fake smile and nods to him before walking to her Mother. "Why are you two here?" Cassana looks at her Mother with a questioning look. Cersei sighs before kissing her cheek. "I just thought I would see you, my dove, that is all." Cassana pulls away from her Mother and gives her a look that reads, "I don't believe you." Cassana looks at her Father again and sees him looking at the weapons she trains with before returning to her Mother. "You hate that I do this so much that you refuse to come and watch me." Cersei looks at her daughter before giving in. "I heard he was coming to watch. I thought me being here might help with nerves." Cassana looks at her Mother with a small smile before hugging her and whispering. "Thank you, Mama." She pulls away and smiles before looking at her Uncles, who have once again snickered at each other. "I dislike you both very much at this moment." She walks away to see her Grandfather watching her. She smiles and nods to him before grabbing her bow and arrows, surprising her Father, who was unaware of her archery interest. "Ser Barristan, can you put the archery targets up." Ser Barrastion nods, and some guards set up the targets as Cassana turns to the crowd of six and looks at Milah specifically. "Do you remember the Archer I told you I read about?" Milah nods as the royal family looks at Cassana in confusion. "He is the most famous archer Westeros ever had, and no one has been able to do what he did. But I've been reading up on his technique and think I've finally got it." She turns back and notches an arrow back as the targets dressed in armor are ready. She takes a deep breath and relaxes her shoulders before letting her arrow loose. It soars through the air before embedding itself between the arm and hand bracers, right where the wrist would be. Ser Barristan looks at her, impressed, before walking up to the target for a better look. She watches him walk up to it in anticipation. "What do you think?" He turns to her after he pulls the arrow out. "Were this a real man, he would have been forced to drop his sword from the pain and be unable to use his hand, princess." Cassana smiled and nodded to him before turning to her entourage and seeing what they thought. Her Father looked impressed, as did her Mother, who smiled at her, while her Uncle Jamie looked surprised, and Tyrion clapped for her. She looked at her Grandfather and saw him staring at her before he approached her. "Where did you learn that?" Cassana smiles at her Grandfather. "I read a book on the Dance of The Dragons and found a passage about the finest archer Westeros had seen. Robb Rivers stopped a dozen birds from reaching Prince Aemond Targaryen for aid, and he killed Ser Criston Cole at the battle of Butcher's Ball." Tywin looked surprised at all the information his granddaughter just let loose before smiling and placing his hand on her shoulder. "You got that precision from reading a book?" Cassana smiled at her Grandfather before laughing. "No, I looked him up after reading about him. Many of the men who served under him wrote about his technique and the way he shot. I just practiced till I did it the way it read on the pages." Tywin smirks at his granddaughter and smiles before turning back. Cassana smiles before turning back to Ser Barristan. "Why don't you pick the next shot, Ser Barristan?" The knight nods before approaching the princess and turning to the targets. "How confident are you, princess." he smiles at her while she smirks back at him. "Try me, Ser," she smirks and prepares her bow. Ser Barristan thinks before turning to Cassana, "Aim for between the eyes, princess." Cassana smiles at the knight before knocking back her bow; she takes her eyes off her target to look at her family. She sees her Father watching her with a heavy eye and her Grandfather before looking at her Mother, who smiles at her and gives her an encouraging nod. She focuses back on her target and breathes in deeply before closing her eyes to center herself. She opens her eyes and locks on her target before letting her arrow loose. It flies through the air before piercing the target's helmet right between the eyes. She smiles as she settles back into a regular posture and turns to Ser Barristan. "I was hoping for a challenge, Ser Barristan!" He looks at the princess, laughs loudly, and pats her on her shoulder before getting the men to gather the targets. Cassana turns back to her family to hear their thoughts and is pleased to see all of them wear impressed expressions. Cassana returned her bow in its place before walking to her family. Her Mother opens her arms, and Cassana quickly walks into the embrace. "That was perfect, my dove." Cassana smiles up at her Mother and squeezes her in reply before her Father pulls her attention.

"Well done, little stag, I'm impressed. I didn't know you liked archery or were good at it." Cassana leaves her Mother and walks to her Father before doing something that surprises both parents. She then hugs him. Robert looks down at his daughter with a smile, finally feeling as though he is getting her back bit by bit. "Thank you, Father. I plan to be just like you on the battlefield one day." Cassana truly loves her Father, and although she hasn't forgiven him, she will try as she misses him and how they used to be. "Well, I think you have earned a little trust, as you so graciously put it earlier, so whatever you would like, you shall have, but your guard is non-negotiable." Cassana smiles at her Father before stepping back from him to think about it. "Anything?" Robert nods with a smile, while Cersei looks worried because she knows her daughter and senses this is an opportunity for her to cause chaos. "I'd like two things." Robert smiles at his daughter, unknowingly giving precisely what she wants. "Name them, and you'll have them. It's your name day, and I plan on making it your best." Cassana smiles before turning to her Father and Ser Barristan. "I want to pick my guard, and whoever I pick has to be made my guard no matter what." she then turns to the whole family gathered in the training yard. "And I want to compete in the tourney."