Winter's Fire → Game of Thrones

xlix. Bridges

It was time for me to accept Lord Tywin's offer to sit on the Small Council. 

I had given it a lot of thought. I was not just doing this to hold a place of power. I agreed to do it because it is best to keep your enemies close and if Lord Tywin is going to use this position to keep tabs on me than I could do the same to him. That, and it allowed me a foothold in the North that I could use to one day take my lands back.

Lord Tywin was sitting behind his desk as his guards let me into his solar. He did not bother to look up as I approached his desk as he had already been made aware of my visit. He did not even seem to care that I was in the room.

"I assume this is about my offer?" Lord Tywin guessed.

"My answer is yes, My Lord," I said, getting straight to the point. "However, I wish to be kept out of business surrounding Tyrion's trial. It is not the business of the North, and my involvement could be perceived as favoring one side over another."

"A wise decision," he muttered, finally looking up at me. "I will call for you when there is a small council meeting next. You are free to go."

All I did was nod and leave. I did not expect to talk for very long, as Tommen's coronation was set for later in the day. He did not exactly have time to talk and worry about the small council.

As I walked back to my chambers, it was clear that a lot of serving girls were worrying about having everything prepared in time. They were hurrying through the hallways and barely talking to each other for once. It was odd, but it was nice to not be stared at while whispers were shared regarding rumours about myself.

They had been whispering more than usual lately. Apparently word got out that Daemon, Lucien and I left the Red Keep to enter the city of King's Landing. No one knows what we were doing, but that just allowed rumours to run rampant and the serving girls were always the worst for sharing whatever they heard.

Just before I stepped into my chambers, someone grabbed my wrist. I reached for my dagger as I turned around to face the person who had grabbed me.

Before I could draw my dagger, I realised Daemon was the one who had grabbed my wrist. Lucien was with him too. The two of them seemed to be oblivious to the fact that I could have stabbed them for sneaking up on me.

"Are you going to pull that dagger on me?" Daemon asked, a taunting smile on his face. "According to the rumours, I might actually like that. Or maybe Lucien does. Or both of us."

"Ridiculous," I muttered, rolling my eyes at the stupidity of the rumours. 

We sat at the small table I recently asked to be put in my chambers. It only had three chairs at it as I saw no need for more than that. I only really requested it so that Lucien and Daemon could come to my chambers instead of going to one of theirs or sitting in the gardens where there was more people.

"Are you saying that something between you and Lucien is ridiculous?" Daemon questioned, trying to tease us. "I did leave you in that room alone for quite some time..."

"Nothing happened," Lucien insisted. "We just talked."

"Which you would know, if you listened," I added. "You are just as bad as the serving girls."

Lucien sneered at my quip and I sighed in annoyance.

Daemon was insistent that something happened between Lucien and I. If he were half as good at reading people as he thought he would know that. And if he were any good at listening at all. But sadly, neither seem to be talents of the young Baratheon.

The three of us sat in silence for a moment. I was getting sick of being accused of relations with Lucien. I am sure Daemon enjoyed the teasing and Lucien was seeming to take it as an ego boost, but it was infuriating. It was unfair to assume and keep pestering me and there was no basis to it other than former relations with Viserys hinting that perhaps I do not care if I am married to a man before we do anything together.