The she-wolf and the lion

Chapter 156 - history lesson with the lord of the rock

The next morning, Jaime is breaking the fast with Lyra, Daemon, maester Craylen and Bronn in the great hall.
"Today's lesson will be the history of one of the houses you were born in to, the history of my house, house Lannister, we will hold the lesson in either my study or in the great hall in front of the high seat, the seat of the lord of Casterly Rock and warden of the west, the seat and titles that will fall to you after I'm gone, my seat and my father's seat before me and his father's before him", Jaime tells his son and heir. "Maester Craylen and your lady mother will do us the honor of joining us."
"Yes, father", Daemon says.
"And me, father?" Gerion, walking into the great hall, asks.
"You will join Bronn, helping him to pick out new soldiers and guards for our family", Jaime tells his second son.
"Yes, father", Gerion says.
"I'm sure we will pick out some good men for the army and household guard", Bronn says.
"I'm sure you will indeed, Captain, with such a fine young knight to help you", Jaime says with a smile.
"No need to brag about what fine knights you created in your marriage bed, my dear lord of Lannister", Bronn says and both men chuckle.
"It just proves that they're mine, we all know that I'm the finest knight in all of the seven kingdoms, even at my age", Jaime says.
"You're not that old, beloved", Lyra says, smiling at her beautiful, still golden haired, still strong, sky eyed husband.
"Come sit in my lap, my love", Jaime says, pulling Lyra in to his lap.

Lyra sits comfortably in Jaime's lap, feeling his armor against her back.
"Are you wearing your armor?" Lyra asks.
"I am, so are your sons and Bronn if you didn't notice", Jaime says sweetly. "I can feel that you are wearing your chain mail dress under your dress."
"I am, one of my northern handmaidens helped me dress this morning, she helped me first into small clothes and a petticoat, then my customized chain mail dress and on top of that, this dress that you gifted me", Lyra says.
"Can you wear your chain mail dress with your riding clothes?" Jaime asks. "Or better yet, are you able to wear your armor under your riding clothes?"
"I can wear my chain mail dress with my riding clothes, yes, why?" Lyra asks. "I can wear my armor over my riding clothes as well, with the jacket over it."
"Tell your northern handmaidens to help you in to your riding clothes, then when it's time to get your armor on, call for me and I'll be your squire and help you in to your armor, those ladies are the daughters and sisters of soldiers and knows how to put your riding clothes on you in a way to make it fit nicely under a set of armor", Jaime says.
"Yes, they know how to put it on to give the body a flattering shape even with heavier armor than mine", Lyra says.
"I've seen their handiwork, locking you in to your armor, making your waist looking tiny as a maidens", Jaime says.
"Is it a maiden you want, m'lord? Isn't it enough that I let you take my maiden head all those years ago?" Lyra asks her lord husband with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course not, no more maidens for me, my love, I only want you", Jaime says, realizing what his words sounded like.

When they are finished with their meal, Lyra calls for her northern handmaidens.
"You called for us, m'lady", the ladies say when they come attending to her.
"Yes, help me in to my chain mail dress and my riding clothes, and make it look nice with my armor", Lyra says.
"Yes, lady Lyra...armor, will you be needing our help to put on your armor?" Lyra's handmaidens ask.
"Lord Jaime will help me with the armor", Lyra says lightly, nodding lightly to her husband sitting in the corner of the room.

Jaime's swift fingers locks Lyra into her armor, while Jaime straps her into her breast plate, one of Lyra's handmaiden arranges her hair in a way that keeps it away from her face and keeps it inside her dire wolf's head helmet when she wears it.
"My wife, you look like a warrior", Jaime says, fastening the cloak with Lyra's personal coat of arms and the customized clasps around her shoulders.
"I was born to be a warrior, even though I was born a woman", Lyra says.

Jaime straps the sword belt around Lyra's hips, she sticks her knives in to the belt on her own. When they are done, Jaime holds his arm out to his lady wife, they hold their helmets under their free arms and walk back to the great hall where Daemon waits for them, now dressed in his armor as well.
"Now we can continue our lesson", Jaime says as they walk back into the great hall.
"Why is mother wearing armor?" Daemon asks.
"Because we found it fitting for you to see both of us in full armor", Jaime says. "Part of your lesson will be a demonstration from us."
"My lord father used to have me practice my skill with especially the sword, while he had me practice High Valyrian, the history of house Stark or whatever other lesson he could think of", Lyra says.
"Really?" Daemon asks.
"Yes, your grandfather, lord Benjen of house Stark, the black wolf, would have me practice my lessons with sword in hand from and off horseback", Lyra says.
"Who would you cross blades with?" Daemon asks.
"Usually with your grandfather, one of the finest swordsmen of the north, almost the entirety of my father's household would watch us cross blades, I remember how all the old ladies at Winterfell would huff and puff when they saw their lord crossing bright steel with his daughter, I think those old crones had forgotten that I, even though I was born a woman, was my father's heir and brought up to rule and to lead, I was brought up in the same way as a male heir would've been brought up at Winterfell, like how you were brought up here, and like how your father was brought up here at Casterly Rock", Lyra says proudly.
"I never knew that grandfather is talked about as one of the finest swordsmen of the north", Daemon says.
"It's not something he really brags about, even though he should", Jaime says. "Lord Benjen, the finest swordsman of the north had his firstborn daughter and heir, the wild, willful she wolf of Winterfell, betrothed and married off to the finest swordsman in all of the Seven Kingdoms, the young lion of Casterly Rock."
"He must've known that you would be able to protect me should it be necessary", Lyra says.
"Indeed, but he also knew what a fine warrior he himself had created from his body and he knew that any child of ours would be brought up to be a warrior as well, especially our sons", Jaime says.

The lesson in the history of house Lannister continues the rest of the day. Lyra orders that food and drink are brought to them so they can continue with their lesson for as long as they wish to.