"The Wolf, the Stag and the Snake" book 1

Chapter 4

CASSANDRA

That had been the longest, journey that Cassandra Baratheon had ever experienced since she had begun to travel North. The royal family had been traveling North for a month with almost half of the Red Keep court. Cassie's mother, the Queen, of course didn't want to ride on the back of an horse all the way to Winterfell, so she, Mycella and Tommen were traveling inside a huge and windowless wheelhouse, that caused their party to move so slow, that Cassie was sure that by the time they would have reached Winterfell, the winter would have arrived as well.

Cassandra was getting restless as she set on the back of her black mount, caressing its mantle with her right hand, the one covered with black ink lines. Banners of the crowned stag of the Baratheons were passing by her, but they were not the only ones.

The roaring lion of the Lannisters was moved by the cold wind of the North as Cassie could not take her blue glared away from it.

Our name is supposed to be Baratheon, she couldn't stop thinking. There was no other House that got overrun by the consort's guards.

Robert Baratheon might have been the King, but Cassandra's grandfather, Tywin Lannister, had seen it through. He had been able to put a golden lion everywhere in the Capital. Banners and people. Most of the guards were Lannisters' guards. Kings Landing was full of them. Even Sandor Clegane, that had been her mother's personal guard, when she was still a little girl; was now Joffrey's personal guard.

Turning to her left, Cassie could see the shining and golden armor of her uncle, Ser Jaime Lannister. The Lion of Lannister, people called him, or so it was when he was around. Behind his back he went by a very different name; the Kingslayer.

A nasty subject was the part that the Lannisters had during Robert Baratheon's Rebellion against the Targaryens, especially since her uncle decided to kill the King he had sworn to protect.

A vow was a vow and a duty was a duty. There was nothing that Cassandra thought more about that matter.

"Are you always this quite during your journeys to the North, dear niece?"

Dear...

Cassie turn her head to look at the little man, that was now riding next to her, observing the girl with his different color eyes. One black and the other green.

"I usually travel alone, uncle" she answered in a calm tone "I'm not used to have company to share my thought with."

"Not that the perspective on sharing them makes you eager" The man chuckled.

Tyrion Lannister. The youngest of the Lannister brothers. He was known as the Imp, because of his peculiar look. He didn't share his siblings' beauty. He was short, almost half of a man, with shor limb. His legs were crooked and his head was larger than normal. But his mind would made up for his looks. Tyrion Lannister was a smart man, very smart. Even too smart for Cassie's liking. He spoke a lot, usually trying to outsmart everyone. He knew that he could do that, so he did.

"It has been a while, Cassandra since we last spoke" Tyrion said "I always miss you on your journeys south."

That was no lie. When Cassie went South, she much rather stay in her chambers or training alone on the fields or take long walks outside of the Red Keep. She didn't like being in King's Landing, too many eyes and too many spies. The only reason that brought Cassie back to the South was her name and her title. She might not be in the line of succession, but yet she was a Baratheon.

"As I said, I'm not used to talk." she said and he chuckled again.

"Even though I think you've got some knowledge to share."