Among Lions and Wolves • |Book 1|

.chapter twenty-two.

War raged on, war raged on everywhere. Safely kept within the walls of the Red Keep, her mind still on the letter Robb had sent, Rhaella glanced out toward the sea, her nameless fox tumbling about at her feet.

"What shall you do?" The queen mother walked through the doors leading out to the balcony, her silk gown whispering with each step she took. "What ever shall you do?"

She stood up tall, hands on the banister, eyes remaining on the calm ocean. "I shall go home," she finally said, tearing away her gaze from the ocean to look at Cersei. "My father is ill, I must see him one last time."

"It is not safe," Cersei replied, a smug look etched onto her face. "Not while rebels continue to rise and attack us from all sides." 

"And shall I wait until they have captured the capital and me as their prisoner?" She stepped back, "I'll take Zena with me, I will be fine."

"Just wait, little Fox, wait until we have men to spare, then you may go."

"And what if I am too late?" She asked, "My father is dying, your grace. If it were your father dying, would you wait?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line, dark eyes softening as she thought of the answer. Rhaella knew the answer, of course, Cersei would not sit idly by while her father lay dying, she would demand he be healed and remove the head from every man that failed. She would strike fear back into the hearts of men that feared only her father but not her.

But her father was not dying and Rhaella was not Cersei, least not in that aspect.

"I understand you wish to see your father," she spoke in her soft motherly tone, "but think of your father. If you go off now while it is not safe and something is to happen to you, think of how devastated he'd be."

She stared hard at the queen mother, the ice thawing only a little. She hated it when Cersei was right, and she hated it even more when it was in dire situations.

"Fine," she said with a breath of air. "I shall stay until it is safe."

And staying she did. Even when King's Landing was under attack, she stayed. She sat nearest the queen mother, her eyes on the auburn haired girl she had avoided seeing as much as she could.

Sansa was a Stark, and a reminder of them. Arya had disappeared the day Eddard Stark had been captured, but she had surfaced briefly to see Rhaella. Their reunion had been short, but Arya promised she'd stay safe and trusting the young girl, she let her go. She never saw her again after that and she regretted it.

But Arya was a free spirit, unlike her sister. She could not be confined within the keep's walls and she did not dare force her. Cersei would not be kind to Arya and Joffrey had already tormented Sansa. She could not bring herself to think of what would have been done to Arya.

One Stark gone, one dead, and the other barely surviving. Rhaella pitied the girl, she had her head filled with tales only to have them turn into nightmares and now she sat amongst them in the dank dungeon, awaiting for their life to end.

But their end never came and victory rang throughout the capital. Tywin Lannister had come through with his army. Rhaella, though despite her knowledge of the man, had never been gladder to see him in her life.

"I remember when you were only a child," he said to her upon seeing her for the first time. "And now you are a woman grown."

His eyes traveled down her body, hungry eyes.  She no longer felt happy to see him, in fact, she was starting to feel uncomfortable the longer his eyes lingered. She needed away from the capital, and soon.

"There is a matter of which I wish to speak to you about," his eyes flickered up to meet her's, encouraging her to continue. "My father is ill and I wish to see him. May I go?"

Tywin sat down in the wooden chair at the head of the table, his eyes never leaving her. "You may," he said. "When I have gathered enough men to escort you. For now, I have other matters to discuss, you may go."

She was pleased to be dismissed, but none to please to meet the eyes of another that looked at her with lust in his pale eyes.

It seemed everywhere she went the eyes of men followed, lust swimming in theirs. She missed Robb, she missed the security of what it was like while they were betrothed. Men never looked, least not to her knowledge. She had been a woman spoken for, they had little chance. Now men all over the realm had a chance and now she had attracted the eye of the man most powerful of them all.

She wasn't stupid, she knew the look Tywin gave her. He was widowed, his wife long gone. Another marriage had been far from his mind with three children to raise and a mad king to tame.

Tywin had once tried to unite their families, Targaryen and Lannister, one could only pray that would not happen now.

"Little Fox," Cersei's voice echoed in the empty corridor. She turned to face the golden-haired woman with emerald green eyes, a lioness. "You leave tomorrow and you're to return within a month. Linger no longer than that, do you hear?"

"I can go?" Tears of joy welled in her eyes. Cersei nodded her head, noting the warmth returning to Rhaella. She lunged forward, embracing Cersei for the first time in years. "Thank you!"

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I wanted to rewrite this and actually have Rhaella attempt to run away and end up getting caught by Tywin and then put under "house arrest" by Cersei, but I'll sorta stick with the original plot.