Sit Still Look Pretty / Tywin Lannister (2.5)

29. Sit Still Look Pretty

"NO!" Rieka demanded. 

"You have another moon, the maesters know best-"

"No this is so stupid!" Rieka begged. 

"Bedrest, for your sake and the babies." Tywin begged her kissing along her cheeks. "Rieka, my dearest, my beloved, my heart," Tywin cooed pulling her into his arms. "Please, if not for me, do it for the baby."

"Come on Tywin. I have never been one to sit still and look pretty."

"You do it so well though." Tywin corrected. Rieka glared back at him. "It's for your health and the health of the baby, don't you want that?"

"Of course but come on!" Rieka whined. "Bedrest? What am I to do until the baby comes? Just sit and read and... I mean before I could have plotted revenge against Joffrey for a moon no problem but he's already dead so what am I do to besides- oh we could set up the nursery." She decided. "When the baby they will be friends with Tommen's future child, I know it. They will be pregnant before you know it- well if Margaery gets out of jail... maybe we start to work on a different approach to unions. Less forcing of unions and more love." 

"I will work on that." Tywin agreed. 

"Our child will marry for love. Give him that chance." Rieka begged. 

"Him now?"

"I always knew it was going to be a boy." Rieka admitted. 

"You did? It is?"

"A really good feeling in my gut and he is living right there so... yeah." Rieka agreed.  Her words brushed against his parted lips, taunting him with their nearness.

There was a gentle vulnerability about her as he cleaned her off. Rieka sat in the tub her stomach protruding from the bubbles, her hair damp from the water and Tywin stroked a gentle cloth over her skin. 

"When this baby comes, I want to get him a puppy." Rieka blurted out. 

"A puppy?" Tywin countered with a laugh. 

"Yes. A puppy." Rieka agreed. "I'm a wolf and after what happened with..."

"I can't apologize enough for that." Tywin added. 

"It's not your fault and besides he's dead." Rieka countered. "I just wish he would have dropped dead before he killed my Avalon."

"We can get him a puppy." Tywin agreed.

"Tommen has a cat, ser pounce, maybe they could be friends." She offered softly. 

"Whatever you want." Tywin agreed. "You may not hold the title of queen but you are my queen."

"The current queen is in the dungeons so, queen is not really high standards anymore." Rieka reminded him teasingly. "But thank you for the sentiment."

It was a long moon. When you are forced to do nothing everything becomes boring even tasks that rieka did enjoy bored her because she knew it was all she could do. But Tywin true to his word stayed by her side. He doted on her constantly and scarcely left the room out of solidarity which left Cersei to be a troublemaker. 

Rieka loved being with Tywin like this. No one else to impress just them. They spoke a lot of names. Rieka gave him the obscure ones first. Threw Tyrion's name in there as a joke and Tywin scowled back at her as he gave her a foot massage. 

But Rieka kept coming back to Robb and Eddard. Tywin knew that the two men most important in riekas life were dead. Both killed by lannister hands. It felt strange to say the least about naming his son after the people they had murdered but killing ned was idiotic on joffrey's part and killing Robb, well Tywin wished he could have undone that after how miserable he made Rieka at the news. 

"ANd if its a girl?"

"It's going to be boy." Tywin corrected. "You already agreed to it." 

"but if my gut is wrong?"

"It won't be." Tywin assured. 

When they woke in the middle of the night to wet sheets Tywin knew it was time. Rieka requested five more minutes of sleep because once this baby came she wouldnt be sleeping again. 

"Rieka!" Tywin declared, she loved how excited he was for this baby. She was excited too, she wished her mother was here to see this, to see her, she wished her father was here to be proud of her for trying to form a proper union for building a bridge between house lannister and house stark. 

She wanted Robb here to take one look at Tywin and laugh out that Rieka was marrying an old man. She wished her family was here to meet the newest little wolf of their pack. 

Tywin stayed with Rieka throughout the birth, he kissed her sweaty forehead and held her hand through her death grip but her grip loosened and her cries stopped as a baby wailed out. 

"Name him Robb," Rieka gasped out, choking for breath. Tywin smiled down at a baby boy lifted up into his arms. "I want him... after my..." 

"Rieka..." Tywin couldnt breathe. Rieka was too pale, she was losing too much blood. "Gods," Tywin choked out. "Do something save her!" he carefully put Robb in her arms. 

"Robbie... Eddard... Lannister." Rieka decided. "I love you." she kissed his gently before it all went black. 

Tywin sobbed into them as the maesters moped up the blood, too much blood, it wasnt stopping. They knew her birth was a risky one for the past moon but she stayed in bed, she did as they instructed. Tywin tended on her hand and foot which she thoroughly enjoyed but this... she wasnt supposed to- she couldnt die. Tywin wouldnt allow it. 

There were so many things in life that Tywin had complete control over but Rieka's labors were not one of them. 

Rieka didn't survive her labors. She died giving birth to a son. Tywin had lost a second wife. A second love to pregnancy. He stared down at the little boy. Rieka and him had discussed names most of which tywin objected but he knew her top choice if they had a boy. She declared it with her last breath. 

"Hello Robb Eddard Lannister."