The Young Lioness

Winds of War

Joanna Lannister, a slim and tall young woman with beautifull blonde hair that glowed when the sun touched it and curious brown eyes, was in her room drawing a knight battling a dragon, just like she had dreamt last night, when she heard the horses entering through the gates of Casterly Rock. The large gates of the castle only opened to important visitors, it were two massive wooden red doors with a lannister lion carved in gold. She walked to the window to see who was entering. From there she could see the entire Rock and even some part of the blue water sorrounding it. Sometimes she would sit on the chair in the balcony, checking on the movement of the castle or the waves of the sea, watching the people come and go like waves in the ocean. In some beautifull summer nights, she would spend hours there just watching the stars in the black sky above. It remembered her of the time she spent with her siblings in the garden, playing games with Tyrion, talking about her stupid romantic dreams with Cersei and the faces her brothers made when they heard them talking about those things, fighting in yards with Jaime improving her skills with the sword. She was totally suprised and joycefull to see her eldest brother Jaime. He's back, but it might not be for the best reasons. Where is Tyrion or Cersei? she thought to herself while she was getting out of her room.
Joanna ran to the great hall as fast as she could, it would be much easier if her father had allowed her to wear her training outfit or at least a pair of pants instead of that dress she was wearing, eventhough it was a beautifull light brown dress with a little lion embroidered on the chest. She hated wear dresses at home, only in special ocassions would she wear dresses gladly and she would make sure she wore the most beautifull dress in room.
Tywin Lannister was a man who only care about the Lannister name and reputation, it was a shock to everyone when he allowed Joanna to train sword fighting with the knights, even more because he denied it to Cersei. The truth is that Tywin thought she was going to give it up at the first try and she would learn that she should be a lady like her sister, but she did not and even got better with time, she had to thank Jaime for that, although this was unknown to their father.
When she entered the hall, a huge room with a table bigger than any other she had seen, the walls were decorated with Lannister banners and in the midlle of the ceiling was a large candle holder, that room only served for royal or important visits, her father and her brother were already there.
Jaime was just as she remembered, a golden lion with beautifull blonde hair and astoinishing green eyes, which seemed sad to her in that moment.
"Jaime!" she said running to him and giving him a hug. Joanna loved their hugs. She had a special relationship with all her siblings, however the most special one was with her eldest brother, because their personalities were so alike that they understood each other from miles away. "Hey, little lioness. You have grown up since the last time I saw you." he said hugging her back and kissing her head.
Jaime was just amazed by seeing his little sister, she was so wonderfull, with all her personality and spirit. She is so different and really looks like mother. They choose the right name. Has she improved her sword skills? Jaime wonder to himself while hugging her, remembering when they trained for the first time, so many years ago. He loved all his siblings, Tyrion was his little brother and was the one he could always talk about anything, because he would never let him down or he would make a stupid statement to made him laugh, Cersei was his love, they were twins, they came toghether to this world and were always toghether, they had loved each other since they were babies, but Joanna was the one he related to the most, their personalities were praticly the same and he loved every second they spend toghether, talking about swords and battle plans, even about feelings sometimes. He was the only one who knew about Damon, the boy from the stables and Joanna's first love, although he would gladly kill him for breaking his little lioness's heart, he knew that she did not want him to. He still remembered that day, she got home crying and locked herself in her room, he was the only one that was in the Rock that day, Tyrion and Cersei were in KingsLanding and their father was in some other place making some arrangements. She passed through him running and he knew something was wrong, he went after her, but he did not get there in time to stop the door from closing, he knock and asked if everything was allright. At first, she said that she wanted to be alone. However some time later, she opened the door and let him in, she told him what had happened, that she fell in love with the boy and that he told her he would never had anything with her, because she was not a lady and was stronger than him. Jaime was so angry that he could kill the boy right there, however he knew that it was the last thing Joanna wanted, because of that he only comforted her and told her that someday she would find a man that truly loved her for the warrior princess she was.
After they separated from their hug, Joanna was saying " Well, I am 17 years -old now-" "If you two have finished your reunion, we have urgent matters to attend to." Tywin interrupted a little bit angry. She roled her eyes, why is he always like this? She though to herself. "What happened? Why did you return to the Rock? Is everyone allright?" Joanna said ingnoring her father and looking at Jaime, after all her brother had just got back home and she had not seen him in three years. She was also concern, mostly because she had not seen Cersei or Tyrion either. The most important thing to her had always been and would always be her family.
"We can speak all of us in the camp, not here." Tywin said putting a stop to the conversation.
They went to the camp, Joanna and Jaime followed Tywin from behind giggling about something. Tywin, that walked in front of them, managed a small smile when he heard them. He knew his children were more happy when their were toghether. Sometimes he wished the four of them were always toghether.
The field in front of the castle had been filling with tends for almost two years by then, eventhough her father had refused to tell Joanna why. Once in the camp, they walked to Tywin's tend, the largest in the camp and definetively the most comfortable. It was a red tend with a counsel table inside, in wich each of them took a sit, and some candles holder next to it. Joanna was familiar with the camp, because, eventhough her father did not admit it she was his best soldier and a good strategist, at least while Jaime and Tyrion were away. All she knew about strategy and power, she had learnt from Tyrion, he might be small in size but no one she knew was bigger in knowledge.
"Tell us what happened and the reason why you are here." Tywin asked druming his fingers on the table impantiently and with a non emotion tone of voice. He was always like that since their mother died and since Joanna remembered, because mother had died while she was still a baby. They said she was just like her, therefore she tried every day to live up to her name.
Jaime stood up from his sit and walked through the tend, before saying " Well, the Starks have Tyrion", these words have formed a knot in Jaime's throat since he left KingsLanding, if he's not dead yet, he thought without saying a word.
He always felt the obligation to protect his brother, and it had intensified after their mother died, because Tywin's behaviour towards Tyrion got worse after her death and by then, Jaime felt he had failed him.
"The Starks what? Why?" Joanna asked worried with her eyes wide open, why would anyone take Tyrion? The man make friends anywhere he goes, she though and then looked at Jaime's eyes. He felt guilty , but why? Was that why he was sad? He would never put Tyrion in danger and she knew it, these words played in her head since she had seen him in the hall. " Apparently they think he sent a sellsword to kill their younger son, Brandon Stark, who is in a coma." Jaime answered, with a termendous feeling of guilt, never stopping walking, eventhough he did not show it, he had learnt to hide his feelings since everyone had begun calling him Kingslayer, but he knew that he could not hide a thing from Joanna, not when they made eye contact. "And why do they think we have something to do with the boy?" Their father asked, by then with his arms crossed. The eye contact was broken when Jaime stopped and looked at his father, his hand never left the hilt of his sword, in a certain way resting his hand there always calmed him. "Look, I don't know, but it has something to do with Littlefinger." he lied looking to his feet. How could he tell his little sister that he had pushed a boy from a window tower? He could not bare the disapointment in her eyes. "That man is a viper. If they hurt Tyrion, I'm going to kill him!" Joanna said really anoyned, standing up quickly and slamming her fist against the table. Of all the people Littlefinger was who she despise the most, he was a manipulator and shelfist man who only cared about himself. If she notice her brother was liying, she did not show it. Although, he's sad, whish father saved this conversation for later, she thought while looking at her btother.
"You're doing nothing, your brother has done enough by attacking Ned Stark at the streets of KingsLanding! That was stupid enough, don't you think?!" Tywin said in total anger, standing up and looking at both his children furiously.
He never cared for Tyrion, he treated him like he wasn't his own son, his brother and his sisters had always hated that. "He is my brother! I couldn't just let them get away with it! How can you said that, he is your son!" Jaime said, looking at their father with an expression in his face that Joanna had only seen when situations like this happened, and pressing his hand strongly against the hilt of his sword.
Both Lannister children, by then standing side by side, felt the heat rising in their bodies when they heard what their father said. Something that all of them had sworn to do since they were old enough was to protect and defend each other, specially from their father. Jaime and Joanna looked at each other and, at that moment, they had only one feeling in their eyes: anger.
"If you do not send an army to rescue Tyrion, I'll go myself! He is my brother and you know that I am the best fighter you've got, besides Jaime. I will not let you keep me here while Tyrion is out there being held by the Starks!" Joanna said almost yeling at Tywin, before Jaime could say a word. He knew her temper and how touchy she was when one of her family or friends were in danger and no one was doing a thing to help them. By then, she was furious, Tywin always mistreated Tyrion but let him die to the Starks was something she could not tolerate. Tyrion was always there for her, when she was sad, when she was happy, even when she was fighting in the yards, training, he was always there to support her, so it was time for her to do the same for him. Jaime tried to calm her down by putting his hand on her shoulder, however it did not seem to be working.
"They will not kill Tyrion, we have Arya and Sansa Stark in our possesion and we will trade them for him, because we are going to war." Tywin finally said leaning with both hands on the table and looking seriously at his children. Joanna and Jaime were suprised by what their father had just said, the man did not care a damn thing for their brother all their childhood and now he was starting a war to protecting him. Joanna put her hand in Jaime's which was still on her shoulder and then they looked at each other and realised that the statement was the truth. Tywin really was ready to start a war to get his younger son back. "So Jaime will lead the Lannister army and you will go to KingsLanding-" Tywin was saying, walking through the tend, before having been interrupted " You can't be serious! Who is going to be here guarding the Rock ?!" Joanna said, leaving her brother's hand and sitting on her chair again, trying to escape the trip, eventhough she knew that she could not escape it, even more when her father stopped and looked at her, he is only sending me there so I can be more like a lady. At least, I'm going to see Cersei and the kids again, she though to herself. Jaime could not help but smile, he knew who she was and she was no lady, she was a warrior and a soldier. He too sat on his chair again. They were both more calm, by then.
"As I was saying you are going to KingsLanding because you are the second most skilled sword fighter I know and I trust you to protect your sister's life as well as your nephews' and niece's." Tywin said in a calm tone but you could see how proud he was of his daughter in the way he looked at her. Joanna was so pleased with those words, such as she thought she would never hear, that she stood up and walked to her father, giving him a hug and swearing she would never let a thing happen to her sister or her children. Tywin did not like hugs but he could not say no to one that come from one of his children, not even Tyrion.
After that moment, Joanna left the tend leaving her father and brother talking.
Later that day, Joanna and Jaime were in the garden talking and walking side by side. "How is everything in the capital?" Joanna asked trying to figure out what was disturbing her brother, as they sat in a stone bench. "Everything is great. The kids are growing fast and our sister is still the Queen. Of course, things would be better if the Starks weren't there, I mean the children are not to blame, only their father." Jaime answered, with his voice lower and anger at each word, looking down. "We are going to get Tyrion back. Do you hear me?" she said taking his hand in hers and looking at him, she could feel Jaime's hand shaking. " I couldn't protect him. I was so focus on my relationship with Cersei that both of us didn't pay atention-" Jaime said looking at her, at last. "Listen to me, this isn't your fault or Cersei's fault, the only ones that are guilty here are the Starks, and I know you feel guilty, I knew it from the moment I saw you, but you are going to war tomorrow for him, while you are out there remember for whom you are fighting. Fight for this family, fight for Tyrion, fight for Cersei and for your children. Fight with your heart and you will win. And if you don't and get caught, I will be there to save you. Always." She said looking at his eyes. When she was done, Jaime did not know what to say, when they were young he was the one giving the speech, this time it was the other way around. He was just so proud of her. She is so grown up now, he thought.
"I will fight for them and I will fight for you! I want you to know that there is no one I trust more than you to keep our family safe. To keep our sister safe. To keep my children safe. You are a lioness of the Rock, you are as though as me, as our sister and our brother. The place where you are going is not the place where you've grown up, it changed and it's dangerous. Please, be brave because if I and Tyrion do not return, you will have to be the strenght of the family. Father wants me to leave the Kingsguard and become his heir, but you know I can't do that, so you and Tyrion are the future of this family, I know father will never admit it, but we couldn't ask for anyone more suited to do it, so be strong for our house and if it comes to that do as your sister said, show them what Lannisters are!" He said putting both hands in hers and kissed her forehead softly. "I will! And don't paid attention to what father says, your duty is to your heart and to the people you love. I promise, I won't let you down!" she said giving him a hug. She was feeling as this was a goodbye she did not want to say, like it had been years ago, when she had to return to Casterly Rock. Joanna and Jaime stood up walking again through the garden and then agree to go to sleep, while returning to the castle.
Before they went to their rooms, Jaime asked looking at her softly "Do you still have it?" "Of course, I do" Joanna answered looking at him and giggling a bit. "Have you named it, yet?" "Yes, it's Sharp Claw" she said looking down, afraid he did not like the name. "Good name" he said smiling at her. "Thank you. You know you'll never defeat me again." she said teasing him." We will see that, when we see each other again, little sister." he said raising a eyebrow.
After that conversation about swords they both headed to their rooms and went to sleep. They had to leave at dawn.