The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

White Cloaks And Lies

Jon Arryn's death plunged the court into a less-than-organised chaos.

Ross was on one of her twice-yearly visits to King's Landing to visit Ren - and, unofficially, see Jaime - when the Hand of the King passed. It was not exactly a tragedy; despite being particularly healthy for his age, Arryn had been in his seventh decade, after all. Nonetheless, Robert had been next to inconsolable at the death of his foster-father, and Ross' heart went out to Ned, who loved the man just as dearly.

That was set to one side, however, because Ross had a bad feeling brewing. In the past month that she had been in the city, she had noticed Lord Arryn spending rather a lot of time wtih Stannis Baratheon, Robert's disagreeable younger brother. That alone would be unremarkable, had Ross not discovered one day that the two of them had summoned Loreon Storm and her own son for an audience. She only found out after the fact, and questioned Ren extensively; he told her that the men were asking questions about his father. Of course, he had nothing to tell them. They hadn't asked Loreon anything at all, which did not make her feel any more at ease.

Why did they care who her son's father was? He was born before she was wed, her husband could hardly complain given he had married her anyway. Unless they wanted to bring down Jaime for whatever reason - he was a sworn Knight of the Kingsguard, after all - but why now, and why bother asking all those questions, if they already knew?

A week later, Jon Arryn was dead. Had anyone known of Ross' inner turmoil, she would have been a prime suspect, for that was far too convinient. Stannis had returned to Dragonstone that day, only heightening the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Not to mention that Lysa Arryn - Lord Jon's widow, and Catelyn's younger sister - had left court for the Eyrie, taking her whole household and her mewling little son with her.

"How odd it all is," Cersei remarked to Ross, both of them sat on her balcony in the summer morning sun. "Lysa left in the middle of the night, you know. No warning, no polite farewells - just ran off without a word to anyone,"

"Perhaps she has something to hide," Ross said. She was joking, and Cersei scoffed, amused.

"As if that simple-minded sow has the wits to murder anyone. I tell you, I won't be sorry to see the back of her,"

Ross smiled into her tea. "Will anyone?"

The Queen laughed. "Oh, you absolutely despised her. I remember, years ago now, when she said some unfunny little insult - what was it again?"

As opposed to Cersei's little insults, which were, of course, hilarious.

"It will have either been about my lack of a bust, my illegitimate son or 'Lady Rosennis, how can you stand having such a distinctive face?',"

"It was something about your face," Cersei said, gleeful. "And I told her I would much rather have your bone structure than a face that looks like it was made of dough. Ha! I believe she cried, did she not?"

Ross did remember. Lysa Arryn was such an easy target that she had deemed long ago that insulting her in return was not worth the inevitable tears, nor worth dealing with the letter Lysa would inevitably send to Catelyn complaining how cruel she had been. The woman took that as she was able to say what she liked to Ross, but Ross had heard much worse and could not care less. However, when she said such things in front of Cersei, it was a chance for the Queen to be spiteful whilst feeling more justified than usual in doing so. She knew Cersei did not do it out of concern for Ross, more dislike of Lysa, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

"Yes," Cersei said impatiently.

The Red Keep's steward stepped inside. "Pardon me, your Grace. I have a message from the King,"