The Golden Twin - A Game of Thrones Fanfiction

Second of her name

Here is the prologue of the fanfiction I told you about in the last Author's Note. Tell me what you think about it and whether I should continue it or not. For any requests or ideas, you can leave them in the comments or text me privately. Thanks and hope you like it!

Thalia of house Florent was lying on her bed, sweat dripping down her forehead, tears in her eyes. She was tired, no, exhausted, from giving birth. She felt as, if with every second that passed, her body grew weaker. She fought the urge to close her eyes and let go, at least until she knew her baby was born and well. Everyone in Casterly Rock was expectant to see the new heir, the Grandson of Tywin Lannister, son of Tyrion Lannister, son of the imp. From the cook to the most ferocious banner-man waited impatiently to know about the babe. Not because they cared about it, but because they were curious to know how it would look. Thalia was not a beautiful woman, she was a plain face, not ugly, but not pretty, just average and well, everyone knew how Tyrion looked like, what he was- as his father and sister would say. 

Thalia pushed one last time with all her strength and, as soon as the cries of her baby filled the chambers, she breathed in relief. She heard a distant voice that said it was a girl. She was happy to hear that.

She and Tyrion were just friends, there wasn't that unconditional love some marriages had, they were two friends who had been forced to marry and have heirs. They both doubted there would be anything else from friendship between them, Thalia was shipped off to marry but still believed that there was true love somewhere in the world, that kind of love you feel the first time you see that person. Not because you feel physically attracted to them, but because you can see their story through their eyes. And, when you touch their hand for the first time, a feeling of warmth surrounds you and your eyes focus only on the person in front of you, because, when you meet your true love, nothing else matters. This, however, was not their case. 

The midwives let Tyrion inside the room, he entered, hesitant at first but more confident when he heard his wife's voice weakly call him. She patted a spot on the bed next to her for him to sit in, he did. Her lids were heavy and her skin a sickly grey colour. Sweat covered her forehead but she still had that dreamy look on her face he sometimes teased her about. 

"Hey." She smiled weakly.

"Hey." He answered, deep down in his heart, he knew what was about to happen. He had dreaded this moment but, some part of him had always known it would happen. He had killed hi mother in childbirth, it wasn't a surprise their child was about to do the same. 

"It is a girl, you know?" He merely nodded, not trusting his voice to say anything without cracking, he didn't love her, at least not romantically but, they had known each other for two years, four days and three hours and had been best friends for two years, four days and two hours and a half. "She has your eyes. Well, one of them, a green one like you and a blue on like me. She is very little. Can I hold her before, you know?" He nodded again, he wanted to tell her she wasn't going to die and that she would have her entire life to see their daughter grow up to a young girl, then a lady and a woman, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to his dying best friend.

Tyrion stood up and went to the wooden crib where the maester had left the now sleeping baby. He stood on the little stool that had been placed so he could reach his daughter and picked her up, she didn't even stir from her sleep. She looked peaceful and innocent, he wondered how long it would be until all of that disappeared at the sight of the terrible world they live in. He walked to the bed where his wife laid and placed the baby in her arms. 

"Promise me you will never let her be ordinary." He looked at his wife with a confused look in his eyes. "She has been born to be legendary, turn her into a good lady. Make her read stories, learn history, make her fight. Let her be who she wants to be, do not force her into a marriage she doesn't want and, please, don't let her become like your sister." Now both had tears in their eyes, she could feel the life escape her body, her eye were heavier than before and, all she wanted to do was go to sleep. Let herself fall into deep slumber. 

"I promise."

Thalia looked at her baby once again and kissed her head gently, at the action, the baby opened her eyes and Tyrion could see what Thalia meant. One eye was emerald green and the other was sapphire blue.  The baby made a gurgling sound at which both parents smiled. 

That was the last sound Thalia ever heard. Tyrion was left alone with the baby, he tried to awaken his wife but, obviously, to no avail. Tears left his eyes at the loss of his best friend.

"It's just you and I, right baby?" In the precise moment he realised he had forgotten to do something he and Thalia had dreamed of since they found out about her pregnancy, naming the baby. She had always claimed they would know when they saw the baby, he didn't believe in those things but agreed for the sake of their relationship. He couldn't name her, he didn't know many girl names and, if he was being honest, he hadn't thought of any until now. He tried thinking of names but none of them seemed to fit, they were either too posh or too vulgar, too long or too short. Why hadn't he thought of this detail when Thalia was alive?

He looked at his wife's limp body which rested on the bed, her expression softened and her lips in what he thought was a small smile. He thought of naming her Thalia, but decided against it since, every time he said the name, he would think of his dead best friend. Joanna, maybe. No, better not, his father would kill him and, while he was always in favour of annoying Tywin Lannister, a small part of him still believed him mother's death had been his fault.

He started thinking of family names until the door blew open with a loud sound which made the baby cry. It was Cersei, the sister he hated. She waddled inside the room with her swollen belly, she was four moons pregnant now with her second child. She approached Tyrion with disgust and mockery, ready to face what she thought would be horrendous, as she considered her brother. But, instead, when she was the little baby wrapped in the golden blanket, she gasped in surprise to see such a beautiful baby. Even red-faced from crying and her hair a little bit dirty, she was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

She immediately took the baby from his arms and cradled her in her arms, she sat in an armchair that stood in the corner of the room. She placed the baby carefully on her own baby bump and stocked her cheek lightly.

"What's the name?' She asked after a few minutes of silence, Tyrion had been so shocked to see his sister not bickering about the child, that hadn't even said a word yet.

"I don't know and, it's a she. She is a girl." Cersei smiled at the little girl. She stared at her mismatched eyes which were filled with curiosity. Then, the newborn moved her little fist and grabbed the older woman's finger with as much strength she could muster, though it wasn't much. Tyrion's mouth was agape, he had never seen his sister act so sweet to anyone, not even Jaime, who was her favourite brother.

"You should decide soon, father wants to announce her to the world, since your wife died and there is no one else willing to marry you, she will probably be named the Lannister heir, unless my unborn child is a son, the he would inherit everything.

"Cersei."

"What?"

"No, not you. That's her name, Cersei Lannister, Second of her name."