command [joffrey baratheon]

[6] "ready" for her son

The next day Joffrey announced our wedding in the throne hall. Despite the demurs of the king's small council, Joffrey kept his word and threatened that he'd let everyone's tongue cut out, if they'd speak deceitful of our proposal ever again.

With all excitement over the upcoming wedding, I forgot to ask him for the date when it would happen.

So, I decided to visit my king after he did the announcement, when everyone except him had already left the hall.

"Your Grace?"

"We've been talking about this."

"My love?"

"Better. Much Better. Yes?"

"May I ask you when we are getting married? It's the brightest day of a lady's life. I am obviously curious."

Joffrey smiled shortly, still sitting on the iron throne. "If I knew I'd tell you. I suppose you need to ask my mother; she's planning everything. It's nothing a king should worry about. I'm protecting the kingdom and...things like such, not dealing with small, insignificant issues like that."

He got up from the iron throne and offered me to accompany me to Cersei's chambers.

With the hound always behind us, linking arms, we arrived at Cersei's bedchamber and Joffrey knocked.

"Mother.", he said loudly, and Cersei's handmaiden opened the door. It was a red-haired young girl, maybe three, four years older than me.

"My lady Lyra asked me about our wedding day. Tell her everything she wants to know. I need to get things ready for my hunting trip tomorrow. Making sure we've got all the weapons and horses set.", Joffrey told us and after he proceeded to kiss my hand, he left with the hound.

I didn't like being alone there with the queen regent and her handmaiden. She always looked like she hated everyone except for her sons. She smiled at me falsely, more disgusted than happy and asked. "So?"

"Your grace, may I ask when Joffrey and I will be married?"

"Little dove, I know it might be complicated for you to understand but we're in the middle of a war. Robb Stark 's army is heading towards us. But with the marriage allegiance of your house, we will have a stronger army and an advanced strategic position. We will win the war and right after my beautiful son and you are married. Our houses will have a great coalition, the two richest houses of Westeros together, but also the safest. You don't want to get stabbed by the Starks at your own wedding, do you?", she explained and I felt increasingly cowed by her knowledge.

"No. I suppose I do not.", I replied.

Then there was a moment of silence.

"Did you bleed yet?", she confronted me, and I couldn't believe how unashamed she could ask that. First I decided not to answer, but then I felt like I had to, because she wouldn't stop staring at me.

"Yes...", nearly whispered.

"Good. You will give birth to Joffrey's children. I only wanted to know if you are ready. You know...when I was your age, I was promised to the king sitting on the iron throne too. I was madly in love with Robert, but after all he was the king. He could do whatever he wanted to. It quickly showed that apparently I was not going to be enough for him and every other day he had brought some whores into our bed. He never got rid of that habit. It never ever stopped. Don't expect too much from my son. Men with that much power allow themselves more than they should or deserve."

I felt sorry for her, when I started imagining that I could bore the king and he'd have whores besides me, too. I tried to move my focus on the important bound between our families. Marrying for safety and wealth, not falling for Joffrey. I needed to do what a queen's responsibilities were and nothing more.

"I am aware that the man who is king can do as he likes. I will be loyal to him and meet his needs and standards. I also want to improve the situation in the city. My house will give a lot of things to the poor. My sister went to an orphan house yesterday and gave toys to the children of the lower classes.", I told my fiancé's mother and smiled brightly.

"I've heard about that...how...nice of you.", Cersei visibly forced herself to smile again.

"Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, queen Cersei.", I thanked her and got up from my chair.

"Be careful, little dove. Make one wrong move and everything will be different than you imagined it.", Cersei whispered through the small door crack before closing the door and fear took control over me.