Of Lions, Wolves, and Dragons (Jon Snow)

19. Revelations

Training with Bronn had been difficult and satisfying all at the same time.  Ever since Joellyn told her father that she would marry Oberyn Martell, there had been a substantial increase in the amount of stress in her life.  Of course, this wasn't only because of her impending marriage to a stranger.

Cersei had become insufferable, and it was starting to spread to everyone that she encountered, no longer just Joellyn and Tyrion.  Cersei was not happy about Joffrey's engagement to Margaery Tyrell, and even less happy with the fact that Joffrey seemed to be enamored with her beauty and personality.  Joellyn saw her unhappiness and dissatisfaction for what it really was, though.  Cersei was use to being the one that manipulated and controlled Joffrey.  Now Cersei could see that her hold over Joffrey was waning because of Margaery, and she did not want to lose the power that came from being the most important woman in the king's life.

Cersei also continued to be unhappy with Joellyn.  Joellyn had defied her wishes and continued to let Tyrion stay with her.  Joellyn could tell that Tyrion was ready to move on and be in his own room again, but Cersei had been so insistent that he would only be allowed to stay in the miserable little room that she requested for him that he could not leave Joellyn's chambers.  Cersei had also expressed her unhappiness, many times now, that Joellyn was able to choose the man that she was going to marry.  Joellyn hardly considered it a choice.  A real choice in who she got to marry would mean finding a man, falling in love, and her father having nothing to do with it.  This was more like a choice beteween the lesser of two evils.

Bronn was another frustration.  She had not gotten over how quickly Bronn demanded more money from Tyrion after he had been promoted to the rank of knight.  Training was a good time to try to let out this frustration, but unfortunately it seemed to make her more frustrated with Bronn.  Yesterday they had worked with a bow and arrow some more.  He was finally beginning to be satisfied with her performance with a bow and arrow, but he was still pushing her hard to become better at evading attacks and using her throwing daggers.  While trying to evade his attacks, she ended up in his grasp or on the ground more often than she was successful in actually getting away from him.

After yet another time of ending up caught in his grasp, he released her and exclaimed, "You are not even trying, Lannister!  You've got to think quicker and move faster!"

Joellyn turned to him and let her frustration run over, "Do you think that I have not thought the same things to myself!?  I know that you are quicker than me, I know I should be able to better anticipate your next move!  You reminding me of that is not going to make it happen!"

Bronn's face turned what appeared to be an angry shade of red as he replied, "Well you are clearly not doing a good enough job of reminding yourself, my lady, so I must remind you what you need to do.  You have not progressed any at evading attacks since we began."

Joellyn yelled back at him, "Because you are so much stronger and faster than me!  How am I ever supposed to defend myself against a well trained man?"

Turning away in frustration, Joellyn picked up one of her daggers and threw it, with all the force she could muster, at the target that Bronn had set up.  To both her surprise, as well as Bronn's the dagger sailed true through the air, right to the target, and embedded itself deeply in the center.  Forgetting her previous frustration with the man, she turned around and faced him with a huge smile on her face.

"I've never hit dead center like that before," she exclaimed.

Bronn rolled his eyes, "I think we're done for the day, my lady.  We'll resume again tomorrow."

Joellyn did not need to be told twice.  She returnd to the Keep quickly, so she could clean and dress herself for the day.  One result of having Tyrion stay with her was that she could no longer keep her training secret from him.  She was concerned about what he would think at first, but he seemed more pleased than anything.  Pleased that she had taken the initiative to protect herself and not depend on others to protect her.