It's Time To Go // Criston Cole // Harwin Strong

34. If Looks Could Kill

"Lizzie!" Tommy shouted.

"I dont like this." Aislynn murmured

"Hello, Lizzie?" Tommy said stopping the carriage beside her. "That bag looks heavy. Jump in!"

"It is." Lizzie agreed.

"Hi, I'm Aislynn, This is my nephew Aemond and this is Larys." She introduced. Lizzie smiled back at them. "You like kids?"

"Yeah." Lizzie agreed, Aemond smiled back at her, but Aemond smiled at everyone.

"Good, because John's got four of them." Aislynn reminded her.

"It's all right, I'm not going to try to talk you out of it. I just want to talk." Tommy added. Larys looked between them silently. Old town wasnt so far away but it was- at the least the Hightower siblings were very different from other families in power. Larys loved it.

"Then you're against us?" Lizzie questioned.

"John is his own man. And you're your own woman." Aislynn assured as she danced Aemond's little legs on her lap.

"Now, Lizzie, since I came back from Dorne, I've come to you on many occasions." Tommy remarked and Aislynn scrunched her face up.

"You are too pretty for whores." Aislynn assured him.

"Tommy, you didn't tell him?" Lizzie questioned nervously, she clutched her bag closer to her.

"No, I didn't tell him. Just like you didn't tell him." Tommy assured. "Now, why didn't you tell him, Lizzie? Why didn't you tell him that you've been serving his brother for the past two years?"

"Because the past is the past. I don't want to lose him. He's a good man." Lizzie told them.

"That was the answer I was hoping you'd give. The past is the past." Aislynn agreed. "Everyone gets a second chance."

"You see, our john says you've changed. And I believe him, and that's good." Tommy agreed. "Change is good. These are new times I'm told. So I wish you both every happiness. And I want you to see that as my wedding gift to you and our farewell to pleasures gone by."

"You mean... One last time?" Lizzie questioned glancing to Aislynn and Larys.

"One last time." Tommy agreed and Aislynn knew it was a test. "You and me. It's eight bloody pounds. So where should we go? After I drop them back off that is." Tommy remarked nodding to Aislynn as he handed off the coin.

"Tommy, should we go to my lodging?" Lizzie offered.

"So the past is not the past." Tommy mused and Lizzie tensed. "You can keep the money, Lizzie, just get out of the carriage."

"Tommy, please!" Lizzie begged as he pulled the horses to a stop. Aemond babbled out.

" Just get out."

"I love him, Tommy, really. Really." Lizzie whimpered.

"John will make his own decision. But he will have the facts." Aislynn added.

"Your brother is ten times the man you are." Lizzie shouted at Tommy.

"Of that I have no doubt." Tommy agreed as he slapped the reigns.

+

"I want to borrow the carriage. I want to take Lizzie for a ride in the country with the kids. I'm going to celebrate getting the license." John remarked. Aislynn looked to her father as he held Aemond to him.

"Not a problem, john." Tommy assured. "But... Look, john, you're my brother. There's something I have to tell you." John nodded sitting beside Alicent. "Yesterday, in the front seat of that carriage, I offered Lizzie some money..." John stared back at Tommy. "And, john, she said yes. Now that's a fact. You do with it what you want."