command [joffrey baratheon]

[2] 'excellent' news

"Sweet sister, where were you?", Margaery asked.
"Nowhere, just viewing their gardens...", I replied. "Is it true?"

"True?", she asked back.

"Do you love him with all your heart? The king?"

"Lyra...we all have to do and tell things to gain people's trust.", she replied and slightly smiled.

"But you will have to spend your entire life with him! How will you be able to do that if he is not the one for you to love?", I couldn't understand her words, so I continued asking her.

"Marrying out of love is a privilege in this world that the only fewest of us get to experience, Lyra.", Margaery's smile disappeared and she looked seriously.

"So we are supposed to put the wealth and well-being of our house and family over everything else?"

"Exactly, little sister. House Tyrell grows bigger and mightier, the more allies we have. Having the chance to bound with Lannisters and Baratheons at once is a chance we might never have again."

With a nod I smiled back at her. Despite both of us having the same teachers and education when growing up, Margaery had always had that sense for understanding people and circumstances first try and I admired her for that. That included things she sometimes wasn't supposed to know about as a lady in her position Such as men.

I realised someone walking up to us, a servant, dressed in Lannister colours.

"M'ladies Tyrell, the king wants me to guide you to the room of the small council. Your grace insists that you're heading there immediately. I wouldn't refuse it...", the servant announced and looked at us.

I felt the fear rising within me as we had only known Joffrey for less than a day and he already insisted on something...

While I was midly paralyzed with fear, my sister smiled at the man politely and asked for the direction to get where we were asked to.

We arrived an the room of the king's small council where Joffrey, his mother Cersei and Loras sat. Loras smiled at us when he saw that we had arrived, the queen didn't even waste one glaze at us and Joffrey just smirked at me weirdly.

"My lady", he greeted Margaery and stepped over to her, kissing her hand.

"Your grace", I curtsied again willing to step aside as I thought he called us because wanted to talk the wedding plans with my sister and brother.

"Please, lady Lyra, sit down. We have an excellent announcement for you as well!", Joffrey grinned at me brigthly and pulled back a seat for me to sit down.

An announcement? Excellent announcement? For me?

"I am sorry, your grace. But I fear I don't know what you mean by that...", I replied.

"Well, it's a rather lucky surprise. My mother and your brother decided to wed you. But we had to make sure you're not marrying some...", he nearly spat the following words in disgust, "peasant or unmeaningful lord. No, you are going to marry my brother, Tommen of houses Baratheon and Lannister. How'd you like that?", Joffrey smiled as if he had just won the war.

I could not help but think about why he was so happy?

"I-, uh, ...your grace, I-....", I went. Me marrying Tommen? The king's brother was merely aged 10, what would I gain from marrying a child?

In seach for help I looked at my siblings, who gave me meaningful glazes. 

The well of our family.

"I am glad that you are regarding me as worth enough to take your brother as my husband. I can't wait to marry him.", I told the king and swallowed.

Rather statisfied he looked over a his mother and then back at me, his eyes never quite leaving mine and I was too afraid to look away. He had something wild in his glaze, something uncontrollable.

"Shall we let the two of them meet each other?", Loras suggested carefully.

I didn't want to meet him. He was too young and  very likely far from my imaginations of a perfect husband.

"Maybe we can delay this important moment to another day as my sister has just arrived today, not long ago. She needs rest. So many things are happening in such a short time. I imagine you can understand that, my beloved king.", Margaery suggested.

"I indeed do understand. We will find another day for that. I hope you'll sleep well tonight.", Joffrey agreed and lowered his head for an understanding nod.

We returned the politeness with a curtsy left for our dorm rooms.

I couldn't believe I was proposed to someone I only knew from my lectures about royal families. Even if he was good looking, he was still way younger than me! Normally it was different. Joffrey and Margaery were perfect on that behalf as she was only slightly older than him, it wasn't like she was marrying a young child.

I had always imagined my life in a different way. Marrying a handsome man, yes. Someone with a royal title, yes. But not like this...

While thinking and looking into the mirror, I slowly realised tears were running down my cheeks, to my closed mouth, over my chin and fell onto the cotton of my dress.

Why was the king making such stupid decisions ?, I started asking myself. Why did Loras even agree? We already had the bloody king on our family's side, whasn't that enough already?

I cried myself to sleep, imagining the life I would have with that child prince and the things I would be forced to do with him as soon as the marriage had happened.

The day I would come to King's Landing was something I had been looking forward to all my life, but all my happiness had seemed to vanish.

Overwhelmed by negative feelings I didn't know yet, that next day was supposed to turn everything around.