Delicate // Jaime Lannister

3. Weak

"You will be queen." Tessa remarked fondly as she brushed Margaery's hair. Margaery chuckled looking back at her in the mirror. "What? It's what you have always wanted... is it not?"

"It is." Margaery assured. "You just... its good to have you back." Margaery remarked. Tessa was only a few years older than Margaery but she always tended to her siblings as though she was ten years older and had all the experience in the world. Mothered them. She had wanted to be a mother for as long as she remembered. She carried around her siblings, dressed them up and tucked them in every night. She would run to their chambers in the morning and get them ready for the day. 

Olenna had hoped her union would be fruitful but she was married off young, to an older man and she was used at his pleasure there was no love. Her grandmother said that once she had a child she would be better off. She would tend her children and her husband wouldnt bother her but that never happened. 

Tessa just grew depressed all alone but now she was with her siblings and they loved her dearly and she got to mother them, try to protect them. Although she hoped they wouldnt need protection here. Not now that Margaery would be the queen. 

'Why have we stopped?' Joffrey demanded peeking out of the carriage gates, last time they walked back from the sept things ended badly so this time they were protected, kept in the carriages, yet they were stopping in the middle of the streets. Joffrey was king, he shouldn't wait for anyone.

'It's lady Margaery and Lady Tessa, your Grace.' The knight told him.

'What is she doing who gave her permission?' Joffrey sneered.

'My lady we should have guards my lady.' Margaery's handmaiden called after her.

"I can protect my sister." Tessa assured as they marched through the streets they were coming back from the sept when Tessa noticed an orphanage.

Margaery knew that Tessa's gaze always shifted to children. Knew that more than anything Tessa wanted a child of her own. 

 'Pardon me,' Margaery said sweetly walking around a large man dung was being dropped onto the streets in front of them, dumping their waste, not on them but in the streets, Margaery looked down at the mess in front of her.

"Big smiles," Tessa offered walking through. Margaery hesitated her face pinching. 

'Stop my lady you will ruin your dress!' Her handmaiden said but Margaery marched through.

'I have others,' Margaery declared, her handmaiden hesitantly followed after her and Tessa.

"There are so many." Tessa whispered. 

"Perhaps you take one home." Margaery offered. 

"Yes, grandmother wouldnt pitch a fit about that." tessa replied as she stared down at their little faces. "I want them all though." 

Margaery was good at pretending, Tessa actually did care about the little lives. When Margaery did her little charity errands she always pretended to be her sister, she thought it helped her get into the character of angelic do gooder. 

'He was a soldier he went to fight in the wars,' a little orphan boy was telling them. Tessa sat on the ground a little girl in her lap smiling up at her. Margaery knew that look, Tessa hugged the little girl to her, resting her chin on the little girls head.  'he was going to Blackwater Bay he never came back,' the little boy told Margaery.

'And your mother?' Margaery questioned.

'She died when she had me.'

'Bad men wanted to come into the city and do terrible things but your father stopped them,' Margaery told them. She gave him a little wooden knight figurine, 'whenever you look at this knight I want you to remember your father.' She said handing it over to him

'He wasn't a knight he was just a soldier,' he corrected.

'But what do knights swear to do? Protect the weak and uphold the good,' Margaery told him 'your father did that be proud of him,' she looked around at all the children 'was your father a soldier to?' She asked and another boy nodded 'you should be proud to,' she told him 'under King Joffrey's leader ship your father saved the city.' Margaery told them 'they saved us off from now on we're going to take care of you.' Margaery declared and little wooden knights were passed out to all the children 'all of you!' They grabbed her hand as they led her out. Tessa clung to a little girl, deep black hair and big dark eyes as they walked out. The children seemed to adore Margaery. Margaery would take care of them. 

'Come to me or my sister, Tessa, whenever you need to feed them clothe them or house then,' Margaery told the woman running the orphanage 'directly to us,' Tessa kissed little girls cheek as they made their way back.

+

'As much as I appreciate a walk in the sunshine your lordship I am wondering why you sent for me...' bronn pondered completely annoyed.

'A number of people in the city want to kill me and you are here to protect me.' Tyrion told him

'I've been doing that for a while now...' Bronn remarked.

'You grow bored protecting me?' Tyrion questioned.

'I grow poor protecting you.'

'Poor? Poor under my patronage you have become a knight and you serve as commander of the city watch.' Tyrion reminded him.

'Briefly.' he added

'I am sure you filled your pockets.' Tyrion told him.

'And now my pockets are empty.' Bronn told him 'you gave me a taste for the finer things and if you want me to carry on protecting you, you have to pay more.'

'I thought we were friends.' Tyrion questioned.

'We are.' Bronn agreed 'but I am sell sword. I sell my sword. I don't loan it out to friends.'

'How much?' Tyrion questioned

'Double. I'm a knight now I must be worth double.' Bronn told him.

'I dont even know how much am I paying you now.' tyrion informed him

'Which means you can afford it.' Bronn said smugly as his gaze shifted. "Who is that?" Tyrion's gaze flickered. 

"Tyrell." Tyrion pondered. 

"Not the one marrying your shithead of a nephew." Bronn pondered. 

"I don't actually know." Tyrion remarked. "My face was nearly sliced in half, recall?"

''I'm going to go say hello." Broon remarked but Tessa was coming right towards them. "Hello." Bronn declared. 

"Hello, Ser, my lord..." Tessa remarked softly. "I'm Tessa Tyrell."

"Oh, my lady very nice to meet you." Tyrion remarked. "Can I do something for you?" 

"I heard you were wounded." Tessa remarked looking at his still healing scar. "Goodness, that must have hurt- Oh I'm sorry, it's not that bad. It's not bad at all." Tessa offered awkwardly. 

"It is bad and hurts like a bitch." Tyrion corrected. 

"We are to be family soon," Tessa remarked. "I had hoped to meet you and your siblings but your sister is a bit intimidating." Tessa remarked softly. 

"And you thought start with the little guy?" Bronn mused. 

"No, thats not." Tessa thought she was really putting her foot in her mouth today. 

"It's alright." Bronn assured. "He's used to it, I'm Bronn."

"Pleasure to meet you Ser." Tessa offered kindly. "I heard your brother is..." Tessa hesitated. "I will pray for Ser Jaimes safe return." She offered. 

"Thank you Lady Tessa."