Leyton Hightower would like to say that he was surprised to see Olenna Tyrell greeting him at his manse early in the morning. After the events of the previous day, Leyton was just happy to still have his head attached to his shoulders….and also be free.
Of course, it had to come at the cost of his eldest daughter's freedom, but Malora had been eager to join Prince Rhaegal. Outside of her magic studies, it was the first time he had seen his daughter be excited about something, let alone another human being.
His eldest, Baelor, was doing his best to entertain the former Lady of Highgarden as servants prepared some refreshments for them in the common room. Despite the permanent stink of the city, it did house impressive living areas for the lords when large events were hosted. The decorations of the manse were not to his personal taste, but then again he was not going to be staying here for too long.
Olenna did not look too impressed as Baelor stumbled his way through a conversation. Leyton did not know what it even was about as he entered the room.
Right away, the woman zeroed in on him, ignoring his son completely.
"Well, I see you're finally up. How rude to not personally greet the mother of your liege lord."
As if she had given an advanced notice of her arrival.
Ignoring the relief on his son's face, Leyton joined them at the large table in the middle of the room. It was well designed, and it could sit around twenty people.
One of the female servants quickly came in to set down a cup with some tea while another went to bring him his breakfast.
"Forgive me, Lady Tyrell." Leyton tilted his head. "I did not know you were coming today."
"Don't patronize me, Lord Hightower." Olenna snorted in obvious derision. "After the stunt you pulled yesterday, you should have known that a visit from me was inevitable."
"And yet, you waited an entire day."
Leyton knew why. Olenna had waited to see if the king would announce that he had accepted the betrothal between his daughter and Prince Rhaegar. Now that an entire day had passed, the chances of it occurring were low. A part of Leyton had hoped that the king would have accepted it. Or least for Prince Rhaegal to have tried to convince the king of the merits of the proposal. The rest of him knew how foolish such a hope was. After lying to the king and admitting that they were tampering with a dragon egg, there was little hope of the king being so kind to him and his family. This was not considering events of the past.
His ancestors had really screwed up many things for him. Rhaena Targaryen's marriage to Garmund Hightower was not some great success. It was a peace offering that had only come after all other options had closed. Much like the Velaryons, the Hightowers would never again have such a strong influence in court after the Dance.
Leyton sometimes wondered if his house's supposed allies had accounted for that and were happy with it.
So many unanswered questions.
"Your ploy was not half-bad," Olenna remarked, causing Leyton to focus on her again. "With dragons returning, those eggs are worth more than gold."
Ah. She thought the dragon egg itself was the prize, not merely an opening gesture. Of course. For all of Olenna's supposed brilliance, she was still unable to see the bigger picture.
Then again, were it not for his daughter, Leyton would probably still be the same.
Westeros was blind to the true wonders that existed out there.
"However, it seems the king did not take your bait," she openly mocked him. "King Aerys might be short-sighted at times, but he knows his history. And he's a proud man. Do you think that he would have jumped at the opportunity to tie your houses together again?"
The politician in him had held that vain hope, yes.
Leyton did not let his true thoughts show as he said, "We can skip this preamble, Lady Tyrell. We both know what this is about."
"Indeed." Olenna was at least graceful enough to accept his olive branch as she leaned back in her seat to make herself more comfortable. "I have come to you on whether you will accept house Tyrell's offer and bind our houses together."
Some might see it as an act of desperation to have Olenna herself come to him personally with this matter, but Leyton did not. She was hoping to apply pressure and corner him so that he could finally give her a straight answer.
Leyton allowed himself to smile. "You truly mean to secure your son's rule, don't you?"
The Redwynes would back him. Her brother was still Lord of the Arbor, and the next lord would be cousin to Mace Tyrell. Securing a marriage pact with house Hightower ensured that two of the strongest houses in the Reach remained loyal to the Tyrells for the foreseeable future.
It was not a bad gambit, and at this point Leyton had little reason to refuse.
"The future has become more fragile in recent weeks," Olenna said, her tone more subdued. "There are many changes that will come, and it is unknown how they will affect the realm. Powers are shifting, and sides will be drawn. What I do know is that I will not allow the Reach to suffer through it all."
Yes, yes. So noble. It had nothing to do with securing power for her new house whatsoever. Not at all.
"Have you met the crown prince?" Leyton suddenly asked her.
His question threw Olenna off-guard for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "I have not had a chance to speak to him privately, no."
"You might wish to take the time to do so one of these days. You'll come to realize that he has no intention of destabilizing the realm."
Olenna did not answer, her face blank.
Leyton was privately amused. He knew that the woman before him thought the Targaryens were too pompous for their own good. While others saw beauty in their looks, she only saw silliness in human form. Leyton did not know how much of that were her honest feelings or if she held some personal grudge against the house of the dragon, but it was amusing nonetheless.
"I'll take that into consideration," she merely said before leaning in. "Now. Your answer."
She was not going to let up about that.
Leyton knew when he was beaten, and he tired of these petty talks.
"I have no reason to refuse, Lady Tyrell. My daughter shall wed Lord Mace."
---
It was a new day, but the weight of the world did not lessen as Tywin made his way to the training yard of the Red Keep. It was early, but it was not him who had called for a small council meeting on this day. With the arrival of more and more lords, Tywin had assumed that Aerys would busy himself with welcoming them one-by-one in the throne room all day, something that he had been unable to do the previous day.
Instead, a servant had delivered a message while he was still in bed with his wife.
Aerys had called for the small council before the rest of the court opened.
'What are you up to this time, Aerys?'
Tywin couldn't shake the feeling that this was not going to be a normal meeting.
On his way to meet with the king and the others, one of his personal servants, who acted as an informant for him inside the Red Keep, told him of Prince Rhaegal's presence in the training yard. He might be cutting it close, but a meeting with the crown prince right now would be crucial for putting the rest of the pieces together later.
And so, after a quick breakfast, Tywin headed for the training yard with haste. There, just as he had been told, the young prince was in the middle of a practice session with Ser Barristan. The two of them must have been out here for some time now since the prince was covered in sweat, so much so that his silver-gold hair was damp. He was wearing nothing but loose trousers as he moved through the training yard like a man possessed.
'A dragon's fire.' The thought invaded Tywin's mind before he could stop it.
There were many tales of Aegon the Conqueror's drive that had made him conquer Westeros in the first place. A drive that many of his descendants had tried to replicate over the centuries. Tywin had never seen it in Aerys before. His friend was social and certainly charming to an extent, but he was secure in his position. He never strived for more.
The prince seemed to be of a different breed as he clashed blades with the Kingsguard. Despite the prince's young age, Tywin was confident that he already possessed the skill of more experienced knights.
It just so happened that his opponent was arguably the best knight on the continent, so the chances of victory were slim.
Tywin also took a moment to admire the Valyrian steel sword in the prince's hands. Brightflame. It was a thing of beauty. It made Tywin think of Dark Sister, which was no less beautiful but also carried more history with it.
Just like in days past, the Targaryens now possessed two Valyrian steel swords while the Lannisters had none. There were lesser houses out there with a legendary blade, but not the Lannisters. It was such a disgrace that Tywin had to push down the anger that was bubbling inside of him.
There was no reason to be thinking about that right now. He was on a mission that was far more important than a Valyrian steel sword.
Tywin waited patiently for the prince to finish his exercise before announcing his presence.
"Prince Rhaegal. Good morrow to you."
The young prince did not look surprised by his presence as he turned to face him, panting ever so slightly. He still held Brightflame at his side as he inclined his head in Tywin's direction.
"Lord Hand."
"A very active morning I see."
"Yes. I retired early for the night, so I have a lot of energy to burn off right now. I must keep myself ready for the melee."
Ah, yes. Jaime had been talking nonstop about the upcoming tourney. Tywin had never fancied himself much of a warrior. He had trained, certainly, but he let others find glory in the front lines.
The prince took a moment to gather his bearings as Ser Barristan handed him a cloth for his sweat. Tywin was more than happy to just stand back, not wanting to come off as too overbearing.
"Is there something that you need from me, Lord Hand?" the prince asked, his tone curious.
"There might just be." Tywin took a couple of steps toward the prince, eyeing Barristan. "Although this might be a conversation better reserved for just the two of us."
There were no one else around, not this early. No one except for the Kingsguard.
Rhaegal's smile was subtle, but Tywin noticed it. "You don't have to worry. Ser Barristan is one of my most loyal friends. He will not share your secrets." He paused. "Of course, unless you are speaking of some treachery-"
"There is no need for such a joke, my prince." Tywin didn't want to entertain that thought. "I just wanted to offer you a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. About the future."
Rhaegal just looked at him, curious.
"As Lord Hand, I am tasked with managing seven kingdoms, just as your father. So the future is constantly on my mind. Your father has chosen to continue the Targaryen tradition of marrying brother to sister, but I sometimes wonder if that will be wise for the realm. These next few years will be challenging, I'm sure. Many things will change, and the realm will require stability. I cannot help but worry that marrying your sister might be seen as too isolationist by the other lords. House Targaryen will require more allies, do you not agree?"
His words were chosen carefully, or so Tywin thought. Because he was not lying, nor was he being truthful. He was not going to propose what he really wanted, not right now.
Rhaegal did not give a response right away. He just watched him, silent. His eyes were studying him, but Tywin did not budge.
At last, Rhaegal began to speak. "That is a most interesting thought, Lord Hand. Have you spoken of your concerns to my father? He is king."
"I have not had the chance, my prince. I'm on my way to a council meeting right now, but when I saw you I felt compelled to share my concerns with you as well. I know you've sat in our meetings before. You have accomplished much already, and I'm confident that you will continue to do so. You understand how important balance is. You worry for the realm, just as much as I do."
Rhaegal did not give an answer. He just stared at him.
Tywin still did not budge. "It is my hope that you will speak to the king of such concerns as well. For the future of the realm."
Something flashed in Rhaegal's eyes, but Tywin was too slow to pick up on it.
"I will take that into advisement, Lord Hand." He turned away. "I will not keep you any longer. I wish to continue with my training, and you have a meeting to attend."
Yes, he had dawdled here for too long. But he had accomplished what he wanted.
"Thank you for your understanding, Prince Rhaegal."
With those parting words, Tywin turned and began his walk toward the small council chamber, confident that he had taken the first step. Aerys might be stubborn, but his son was more reasonable. In time, the prince would see that the Lannisters could offer more benefits than his sister, even if she was now a dragon rider. For the prince already possessed a dragon. The Lannisters could provide the rest for him.
Now, he just needed to find a way to talk to Aerys about the future as well.
---
Ser Gerold Hightower awoke feeling well-rested. Ser Gwayne Gaunt had taken over his post for the night of guarding the king and queen alongside Ser Harlan. Right now, the two had earned their rest while the others took over.
He'd heard that Prince Lewyn had been summoned by the princess to help her with her archery again. It seemed like Princess Shaena had taken a liking to the Dornish prince. Or maybe she just valued his lessons.
Gerold greeted Ser Oswell who stood watch by the entrance of the small council chamber. While his fellow brothers in white were stationed at their posts, Gerold had to attend the small council meeting as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
As he stepped inside, Gerold found that he was the second to last to arrive. Only the Lord Hand seemed to be missing, which was rare. What was more bizarre was the presence of another who had never been in one of the meetings. Gerold recognized the man. He was one of the so-called pyromancers from the Alchemists' Guild who had accompanied the crown prince to the North.
King Aerys was already in his seat. "Lord Commander."
"Your Grace." Gerold bowed his head before he quickly made over to his seat, all the while glancing at the pyromancer with curiosity.
He was not the only one. As he sat, Gerold noticed the other members looking at the man with open curiosity. None asked any questions, though.
It was quiet inside the chamber until Tywin Lannister arrived a moment later.
"Apologies for my tardiness," he quickly expressed his apologies as he sat down. He did not offer an excuse.
The king waved his hand, unconcerned. "It is no matter. I was the one who summoned you all on short notice."
Tywin took in the presence of the pyromancer. "Your Grace, who is this exactly?"
"I have many news to share today, but I suppose this will be my first. Starting today, wisdom Hallyne will be joining the small council as my Master of Whisperers."
The announcement was met with skepticism, or in the Grand Maester's case wariness.
Gerold could not fully fault them. The position of Master of Whisperers was not always filled, and typically when someone was appointed it was a sign of unrest for the realm. The last one to hold the office was the one ominously known as Bloodraven, one of the bastards of Aegon IV that had been legitimized. There had been many who had hated the man during his tenure.
Hallyne was all smiles as he stood up and bowed before the small council. "My lords, I am very appreciative of this opportunity. I shall do my best to serve the realm to the best of my abilities."
The skepticism remained, but most of the small council just nodded, accepting the appointment for what it was. Something out of their control.
Gerold remained calm. Unlike the others, he would follow his king's wisdom as always.
"I must object to this, your Grace." Surprisingly, it was the Grand Maester who expressed his disapproval. "This man does not deserve to sit on your council. It is bad enough that he and his order have filled Prince Rhaegal's head with nonsense, but this is too much."
"Nonsense?" Aerys turned to the Grand Maester with a glower. "Of what nonsense do you speak, Grand Maester?"
Pycelle seemed to shrink in his seat. It was one of the few moments where he had let his emotions do the talking for him, and it was not for a winnable cause.
"H-He belongs to an order of cravens and l-liars, your Grace!" Pycelle said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Their wildfire is nothing more than a dangerous curse!"
"You-!" Hallyne glared at Pycelle. "You and your order have no right to speak of us! You do not understand the true significance of the substance!"
"How dare you-!"
"Enough!" Aerys slammed his fist on the table, causing both men to go quiet. "I will not allow petty grudges in this council, do you understand!?"
Neither man responded, still eyeing the other with loathing.
Gerold was mentally shaking his head. He did not know much of the history of the Alchemists' Guild, but he did know that they had been rivals of the Citadel and the maesters once upon a time. To think that such an old grudge would still exist.
It was nothing more than idiocy.
"Are you going to question who I place upon my small council, Grand Maester?" Aerys turned his anger toward Pycelle who looked down.
"I would never go that far, your Grace. I merely wished to offer my counsel."
"Then there is no problem." Aerys' eyes narrowed. "Wisdom Hallyne's appointment is settled."
Whether Pycelle truly accepted it or not did not stop the man from nodding as he went silent.
Of course Hallyne was looking triumphant. Gerold knew that the man's guild was only enjoying so much success because of Prince Rhaegal's patronage, but it was not his place to speak on such things.
As Hallyne sat back down, Aerys continued.
"I have several more important announcements to make. Firstly, Rhaegal hatched the dragon egg yesterday, and it successfully bonded with Daeron. My son has chosen to name it Bael, in remembrance of the Black Dread himself. I will have this known."
"Congratulations, your Grace!" Lord Staunton jumped at the opportunity to give his empty praises. "Now every one in the royal family is a dragon rider!"
"Indeed." Aerys looked overjoyed by this fact. "The strength of the Targaryens will be known once more. We are still a house to be feared."
Gerold probably understood that better than any of these men, for he had seen firsthand what Prince Rhaegal was capable of.
Unfortunately, he also knew that Prince Daeron's failure to initially bond with any of the dragons in front of the court would probably be used against him in the future. He had tried to reproach any of the servants whom he overheard speaking of such things, but the damage was already done.
Hopefully the young prince wouldn't take it to heart as he grew.
"This is glorious news indeed," Tywin said calmly.
For Gerold, the Lannister was always the most difficult one to read.
"Yes, but there's more. While on Skagos, my son met with lords from the strongest houses living on the island. They have agreed to bend the knee directly to the Iron Throne. Henceforth, Skagos will belong to the Crownlands and the Targaryens."
The news was met with silence once more as the lords began to trade uneasy glances. Only Lord Velaryon remained undisturbed, as he had already known of this beforehand.
"Taking lands from the North would be-"
"It is already done." Whatever objections Lord Chelsted was going to raise went unheard as Aerys cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Lord Stark has agreed with the annexation. In exchange, the Gift will be returned to the North to do with as they please. The Night's Watch has given their assent over the matter. In the past, I have ignored their pleas for assistance, but to reward them for their obedience the crown will be sending supplies to alleviate their suffering. Furthermore, the Lord Commander and my son have come to an agreement. Moving forward, volunteers to the Watch will not have to serve for life. They can join for short periods of time. I know that there are many third and fourth sons out there looking to make a name for themselves. This will help with the shortage of manpower as well as train many more knights for the realm for any future conflict. There will still be those who can take the vow and join for life if they wish, but that will be their choice."
Gerold took in the expressions of the small council. They were more than a little astonished by this development.
Tywin looked bewildered. "Prince Rhaegal achieved this?"
"He did. And I have approved it." Aerys looked at his Hand with a hint of challenge. "Do you disagree with any of it, Lord Hand?"
"I….no, I do not. I just did not imagine that Prince Rhaegal had such aims when he went to the North," Tywin said, no doubt trying to choose his words carefully.
Gerold could not disagree with that sentiment, even if it was just an excuse to mask what the man was really thinking. On top of managing to hatch several dragon eggs, the crown prince had also negotiated the annexation of Skagos into the Crownlands while making deals with both the Starks and the Night's Watch.
It was more than a little overwhelming.
"These are times of change," Aerys looked dismissive. "The realm has stagnated. I will see it revitalized under my reign."
There were no words of empty praise. No words of agreement. Only silence, for none of these lords knew how to accept such big changes right now. After all, Aerys' reign had been one of stability. No major laws had been passed. No reforms. The kingdoms were stable, and the smallfolk were not starving. But that was it. It was the status quo. It was normal. It was comfortable.
Change was the opposite of that.
"As such, in the coming months, I will be transforming King's Landing into a city that is worthy of being called the heart of Westeros. A city that is worthy of the dragons," Aerys proclaimed with rising vigor. "Thanks to my Rhaegal and his work with the Alchemists' Guild, Westeros now has access to the might of Old Valyria. The forging of dragonstone is now known once more, and with it I will transform King's Landing as well as the Crownlands. In time, I shall do the same with the rest of the realm. Westeros will soon have a highway that competes with the old highways of Essos. I shall herald a new era of construction and beauty!"
The king was enjoying himself. When it came to making boasts, few matched the king's skills. Only these were not empty ones. In the past, Aerys had once said that he wanted to build a new city of pure marble and then never followed through. He had done the same at different times in the past decade with different promises, but for the first time the small council was taking him seriously. These men knew that the crown had access to considerable funds, and this was in addition to the taxes that the crown received from the realm.
It was possible.
The Grand Maester was perhaps the most surprised. "How?"
Hallyne sneered. "That's a secret between the guild and the royal family. You have no need for that information."
Pycelle seemed to want to argue, but a warning look from Tywin made him back down.
Gerold could already tell that these petty back-and-forths would become more common in the small council moving forward.
Lord Chelsted swallowed hard. "Your Grace, such costs-"
"Will be inconsequential," Aerys said with a glare. "Our trade routes will continue to expand. We will ensure that Essos continues to rely more on us as their pointless trading war continues. It is about time that I put my gold to use, and I have decided. Is that clear?"
There were no arguments. The lords understood that Aerys would not be dissuaded, not that Gerold really understood why they would disagree with any of this. These were changes that were going to benefit the realm.
'No wonder I chose to take up the white cloak,' he thought to himself.
The politics of being a lord were not worth it. His nephew Leyton seemed to be doing well at it, though.
A few more details were shared before the small council was dismissed, such as Malora Hightower's new placement in the court with the crown prince. That was also another piece of confusing information, as the king made no announcement of a betrothal with Prince Rhaegar and either of Leyton's daughters. They assumed that this meant that the king had rejected the proposal, but if that was the case then why was Malora Hightower being admitted to the court?
A traitorous part of Gerold had wished that his king would accept the proposal, for he knew that either of his grandnieces would be treated well with Prince Rhaegar. Not to mention that the young prince was gifted, much like his twin. It would have been a great honor to have his house join the Targaryens once more, but it appeared as though that it was not meant to be.
Lord Staunton suddenly found himself with new work as Aerys tasked him with writing the new proclamations and laws that would soon be distributed to the realm.
Needless to say, it would not be a meeting that any of them would soon forget.
---
Cersei knew that she was in love the moment that she laid eyes on Prince Rhaegal, just like the stories spoke of. She had only seen him from afar when he returned from Dragonstone with the rest of his family, but his stature and looks were perfect. It was almost like he was a figure out of a legend, only that he was very real and right in front of her. She could already picture herself riding on his dragon with him, the two of them soaring through the sky like the Conqueror reborn.
He just needed to know of her existence first.
Cersei woke up early that morning with a goal in mind. She had been unable to speak to her prince the previous day because of the commotion that Leyton Hightower had caused. Her prince had vanished from the Red Keep after, and when she heard that he'd finally returned, he was already resting inside his chamber and not able to greet any guests.
The world was cruel! Keeping her away from her promised one was unthinkable.
And so, Cersei was determined to fix that mistake today. She had washed and dressed herself in one of her finest dresses. It was red and gold, symbolizing her house's colors. She briefly considered bringing Jaime along with her but thought better of it. After learning that she was meant to marry the crown prince and become the future queen, he had been acting weird. And Cersei didn't want her brother to distract her while she met her prince for the first time.
She had asked one of the servants whether the crown prince was awake or not, and he confirmed that he was in the training yard with some of his friends.
It was the perfect chance that she needed!
Annoyingly, her guards looked uncomfortable with the idea of escorting her to the training yard without her father or mother knowing, but a sharp glare from her made them cower. Her mother was resting, and she usually awoke later than usual these days. There was no reason to disturb her.
Cersei cheered inside her mind when the guards relented. It was exactly what her father would have done. She was a lioness. She could get whatever she wanted.
"And where are you going?"
Sadly, Cersei's luck ran out as before she could get two steps away from her chamber her aunt caught her.
"Aunt Genna." Cersei did her best to appear innocent as she greeted her. "Good morning. I hope you rested well?"
Genna's eyes were fixed on her as she stood in the hallway. "Not as much as you I see. Already dressed and going out without breakfast? With one of your best dresses too. Where to?"
"The training yard." Cersei knew lying to her aunt would be pointless. Besides, she wasn't doing anything wrong. "Jaime's comments about the Kingsguard made me curious, and I heard that one of them is training over there."
That was believable. She was sure that her aunt would buy it.
"And who is that Kingsguard training?" Genna asked with a raised eyebrow.
Now, wasn't this annoying? Why did she have to ask more questions?
Trying to keep her irritation down, Cersei replied, "I don't know. Maybe another knight? I did not ask."
"Of course."
Cersei knew then that her aunt did not believe her. But how? She was sure that she had sounded convincing enough!
"You will not mind if I accompany you then?" Genna phrased it as a request, but Cersei knew that it was not.
"Of course not, aunt!" She tried to sound cheerful.
Genna nodded as she fell in step next to her before they proceeded to make their way out of the royal apartments and into the training yard area of the Red Keep. It was not a short trip, and the silence between her and her aunt was almost suffocating. Still, Cersei tried her best to appear cheerful as they finally reached an archway that was next to the training yard.
Just as the servant had said, her prince was there. He was in the middle of a sparring session with one of the Kingsguard. He was wielding Brightflame, the Valyrian steel sword that her father had spoken about in letters. It was beautiful, much like her prince was.
Cersei briefly noted that Prince Rhaegar was present as well, as were some others that she had seen in the Red Keep in the last several days. Stannis Baratheon, Tytos Blackwood, and the somewhat charming Oberyn Martell. There was another boy that she did not recognize who was standing next to Prince Rhaegar, but Cersei quickly blocked him from her mind. Clearly he was not important.
Her eyes were focused solely on her prince. His movements were rapid, and he wielded Brightflame with confidence.
"Hmm. He seems to be doing well." Her aunt did not seem surprised by Prince Rhaegal's presence in the training yard.
Cersei looked smug. "Of course, aunt. He's the crown prince, after all."
In her mind, that explained everything.
While she tried to figure out a way to announce her presence without disturbing her prince, Cersei noticed movement from the other side of the training yard. Entering the training yard was none other than Princess Shaena. Unlike Cersei, she wore unflattering trousers and a tunic. She also had no regard for proper behavior as she interrupted the prince's spar with a squeal.
The princess ran and jumped into her brother's arms who struggled to keep them standing upright while talking excitedly about something. Unfortunately, Cersei was too far to hear any of what they were saying. But the sight of the princess acting so familiarly with her prince made Cersei more angry than she had felt in her short life. She was angrier than when her mother had separated her and Jaime after a simple misunderstanding.
She knew that they were siblings, but the fact that they were promised to each other made her jealous. It should be her in the prince's arms right now, not Shaena. She was the one who was meant to be the next queen. So why was she standing on the sidelines while the younger girl hogged all of her prince's attention?
Others began to join her prince in the training yard, but by this point Cersei was too angry to notice any of them. She could feel tears building, but she fought to hold them back.
She was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, Cersei was met with her aunt's sympathetic eyes.
"It's okay, my dear. There are things in life that just do not work out. When you understand this, then you'll be able to be happy with what you have."
Her aunt's words were not comforting to her. They only made Cersei want to cry more.