✅️ The Last Velaryon - Robb Stark

47 - Chezney Lannister

Tyrion's pov

Entering Haelesa's chambers I found the now short white hair woman rocking in a wooden chair cradling her sleeping daughter in her arms.  It had been some time since I had seen her, my how she had changed.  Her attention didn't dare shift away from the babe in her arms, so focused and protective over her young wolf cub.  It was only when I cleared my throat and announced my presence in the room did she pull her attention away.  "My, my, isn't she precious."

"Tyrion.  Apologies, I did not hear you come in.  I must confess that someone has taken my focus this morning." She raised her head up, uttering out a playful chuckle. rion. My apologies I did not hear you come in. I must confess that someone else has gotten all my attention this morning." She softly chuckles in response.

Crossing the room I set my eyes on the sleeping infant.  She was clearly an equal copy of both her parents' physical features.  "She's very beautiful, Hael.  Just like her mother."

"Thank you, Tyrion." She sent me a grin changing the subject, always being two steps ahead now just like I warned before the Red Wedding. "She's everything to me."

I swirled the wine in my goblet, the silence stretching between us. She knew me well enough to recognize the prelude to a difficult conversation.  I have always been a kind and perceptive soul, hidden beneath layers of cynicism and sardonic wit.

"And what of her future, Haelesa?" I finally asked, his voice low. "Winterfell is... unforgiving. A new mother and her young husband with the spirit of a direwolf..." I trailed off, letting the unspoken anxieties hang in the air.

She sighed, looking down at Cadenza. "I'll find a way," I said, more to myself than to him. "I always do."

I leaned forward, my expression serious. "What if... there was another way? A way to secure her future, and your own, Haelesa?"

Her brows furrowed. "What are you suggesting, Tyrion?"

I took a deep breath. "I've been giving this a great deal of thought, Haelesa. And I know how you feel about Chezney."

Her heart skipped a beat. Chezney. Her dearest friend, my confidante, the woman who had been by her side through thick and thin. They had been inseparable since childhood, sharing secrets and dreams under the watchful eyes of the Old Gods.  She looked at me, confusion warring with a sudden, unsettling flutter of hope. "Chezney? What does she have to do with this?"

"Chezney loves you, Haelesa. I've seen it for years. And you love her too, though perhaps you haven't allowed yourself to admit it. And she's a lady of Winterfell, the loyal lady in waiting to you, Lady Stark. Knowing you, you would never wish to see her unhappy."

I paused, watching her reaction carefully. "Chezney has made it clear to me that she has no interest in a political marriage.  She is a simple girl who wishes to hopefully find love like I have with Robb."

"I'm aware.  And if you'd let me wed her, I promise to keep making her happy with a simple life." He managed a wry smile, but the pain behind it was palpable. "When it comes to wives. They tend to... leave. Or try to kill me."

"I am sorry, Tyrion." She said honestly. She had witnessed enough court intrigue to know it could be brutal.

"Thank you." He said, shaking his head. "Anyway, the point is, I want a wife. A woman I can trust, a woman who can manage my affairs while I am away, a woman who won't try to poison my wine. And frankly, Haelesa, I trust Chezney implicitly. I know her sense of honor, her intelligence, her loyalty. And I love Chezney just as much as you do."

Haelesa rose from her chair calling for a handmaiden nearby.  "Violet!"

"You called for me, my lady." The lady in waiting who had helped her escape Lord Frey gave her a curtsy when she entered the room.

Lady Velaryon handed her baby girl to the woman before grabbing me by the arm and led me out and down the long hallway.  "Watch my baby for a minute.  Let's go find your future wife."

Shortly afterwards we stood outside her chambers door with her best friend kicking opened the door.  Chezney rose from her chair taken back by our presence.  "Haelesa.  Tyrion, is something wrong?"

"Tyrion, here has something to ask you. I have no doubt that you will find it an enjoyable question."

My mind raced. This was madness. I was a Lannister, a man with a past so stained with blood and betrayal that it threatened to consume anyone who dared get close. And yet... the warmth in Chezney's eyes, the quiet strength that radiated from her, was undeniably alluring.

"Tyrion?" Haelesa pressed, her impatience evident. "What do you want to ask her?"

I looked from Haelesa's eager face to Chezney's hesitant hope. I thought of the loneliness that had gnawed at me for years, the constant fear of betrayal, the unending weight of expectation.  And then, I thought of Chezney. Of her quiet strength, her unwavering gaze, her capacity for kindness.

A slow smile spread across my face. "Chezney, after my first marriage failed I thought that I would never find love again.  But that all changed when I met you.  So Chezney, if you are truly willing, I would be honored to call you my wife.  Will you marry me?"

Haelesa squealed with delight, clapping her hands together. Chezney, on the other hand, stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with disbelief.  "You... you do?" she stammered.

"I do," I confirmed, my voice surprisingly firm. "Provided, of course, that you understand the... complexities of marrying a Lannister."

A faint smile touched Chezney's lips. "I am not afraid of complexities, Tyrion," she said, her voice clear and strong. "I am only afraid of... disappointment."

"Then I promise you, Chezney," I said, meeting her gaze with all the sincerity I could muster. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are not disappointed."

Haelesa embraced Chezney, showering her with congratulations. I watched them, a strange sense of peace settling over me. Perhaps, just perhaps, I had stumbled upon something truly precious. Perhaps, in this sun-drenched corner of the world, I had finally found a reason to believe in happiness again.

Chezney suddenly crossed the room sliding down onto her knees, throwing her arms around me with such joy.  "I love you, Tyrion."

"I love you too.  Oh, I have something for you." I hugged her back for a minute before I remembered the ring I had inside my tunic.  Breaking the hug I reached inside, drawing it out as she held out her left hand.  "It's not traditional.  But I could not give you one of my mothers rings."

Haelesa came over hugging both of us at the same time before leaving us alone and going to search for her husband to inform him of the news.  "I'm so happy for you two.  I'll inform Robb and get a Septon here as soon as possible.  Congratulations you guys."

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