The Wolf Of Casterly Rock | Lyanna Stark X Jaime Lannister | GOT/ASOIAF

Part III

Jaime had not been looking forward to this visit to King's Landing. Partly because they were to bring all the children along with them - by royal command, and his father's, which was essentially the same thing - but mostly due to the fact that this was the first time Lyanna would be meeting Cersei in person since she discovered the truth about how they used to be. Neither woman was the type to back down easily, or take an insult lying down, and the two already had a significant level of mutual dislike between them beforehand. It wasn't going to be pretty whichever way you looked at it.

The journey had not been as bad as he feared, though. Small mercies... The twins were seven, and rode well, as did Damon on his pony. Alarra had a pony of her own too, but most of the time rode with Lyanna as she was rather too young at four years old to make such a long journey on horseback; Damon was only a year older, and therefore he too often rode with Jaime, or one of the guards. Jaime was more than thankful that none of the children were whingers when it rained for most of the journey. It was bad enough trudging on horseback through the mud and puddles; if they'd had to do it with four squalling children in tow, Jaime might just have killed someone. Thankfully, they barely seemed to notice the rain, even when they were soaked through and mud-splattered. That must be their Stark blood showing, used to bloody awful weather. Lyanna didn't seem to mind it much, either, and Jaime had to smile when he saw her cantering through the column of miserable looking guards, a grin on her face even as sheets of rain plastered her hair to her head and made her dress cling to her. During the one thunderstorm they had, her eyes were as wild as the sky itself, vibrant and alive.

No one dared attack a party of Lannister men, so they made it unmolested to King's Landing. Lord Tywin was there to greet them at the top of Aegon's High Hill, as cold and calculating as ever, and after they had dismounted they were taken to the throne room to be presented to the royal family. Robert sat on the Iron Throne, looking as sulky about it as ever; Cersei stood at the base of the throne, radiant and beautiful even as she eyed her nieces and nephews disdainfully. Her own children stood beside her. The eldest, Steffon, was the only one that resembled Robert at all, with his dark hair, blue eyes and square jaw. The other three were Lannister through and through, all blonde haired and green eyed; six year old Joffrey, a year older than Damon, Myrcella, a year younger than Alarra and Tommen, a chubby toddler who beamed widely at them all. Despite their looks, Jaime couldn't help but think that his own dark haired twins seemed far more like lions than Cersei's precious golden children.

Introductions were made. The children had been ordered to be on their best behaviour, and even Tya curtseyed like a proper lady - she was quite capable of doing so, when she wanted, and she was in awe enough of the legendary Demon of the Trident to want to then - and though Alarra spoke too quietly to be heard, as was her habit in front of strangers, it couldn't be denied that she came across a sweet little girl. The royal children, of course, were the very picture of courtesy, though Jaime did not like something about the look in young Joffrey's eyes. Robert, thank the gods, made no fuss out of greeting Lyanna, though he did scowl slightly when she returned to Jaime's side and he slipped an arm around her waist, a casual gesture but very deliberate. The king was genial enough with the children, however, even if they were all unmistakably a mix of Stark and Lannister. 

It was clear that Cersei was not pleased with the scar Jaime had gotten on Pyke. Her eyes kept flickering to it, and her expression as she greeted him was one of distaste. He found that he cared very little, however. What really disturbed Jaime most about the whole thing was Lyanna's smile as she greeted Cersei. It mirrored the sickly-sweet false politeness his sister did so well exactly. 

It was at the welcome feast that night that the inevitable happened. Jaime was sat beside Cersei, with his wife to his other side, a less than desirable arrangement for everyone involved, which was made even worse when it became clear that Lyanna was out to cause trouble from the start. Cersei being Cersei hardly helped matters, however.