After the small family reunion between Trystan and his parents, their paths split for a while. The young Lion had left his parents behind and headed for his chambers. Yet, halfway through he changed direction and headed for Sansa's room.
He knew with his father back, such visits would be impossible now and so he chose to return her the handkerchief because by tomorrow he wouldn't; not without raising suspicions from his parents.
He reached his destination sooner than expected and knocked on her door but did not enter; instead, he remained outside while the two Lannister guards stood. Once the door was opened, the young dire-wolf stood face to chest with Trystan; due to their height difference.
Immediately, she took a step back to be able to see him better and offered him a welcoming smile. After the terror she passed, thinking she would be raped by Stannis' men and the butchering of soldiers outside; she was relieved and happy to see him standing and in one piece.
"Ser Trystan" she greeted, giving a formal bow and taking notice of the mud and blood on his armour.
"My apologies for the late hour and the uncomfortable site, Lady Sansa," he said and pulled the familiar white cloth from behind his breastplate. It was rather clean and only had the corners be little wet from the fallen rain outside while fighting. "I do believe this is to be returned to you, now that I have survived the battle"
Sansa felt the need to giggle, truly not expecting him to keep that little promise but yet again...He is a man of honour and promises...a true white knight, she thought.
She kept her smile and took the handkerchief that was supposed to belong to him; although by the looks of it, she was now the new owner of it. "Thank you, Ser Trystan. I am relieved to see that you have returned and hopefully unharmed"
Her smile seemed to be contagious and the corners of his lips were lifted slightly, giving a ghost smile as he moved his hands behind his back again. "Unharmed yes, clean...not so much" he said, somehow the moment having inspired him enough and he tried to throw a weak joke.
Once again, he was successful and the Northern Girl giggled behind her lifted palm; enjoying his joke. "l do believe it is to expected, Ser. Nonetheless, we have won. I heard that your Father brought the relief party at the last moment" she said, the news having reached them the moment those events took place.
Trystan did not comment on it and he was not surprised that she had already learnt the news by now. "That he did, along with the Tyrells. My mother has also joined them and will be present in King's Landing from now on" he informed her. "You do not have to worry much about Joffrey now, my lady. With them around, especially my father, things will change"
There was some relief on her face and the glow of hope in her grey-blue eyes. "l hope so, Ser. Thank you for letting me know" she said, her smile coming even more natural now.
He bowed his head just a tad. "It is late and it has been a long night. I shall let you rest and I will see you tomorrow in the Throne Room"
"Tomorrow?" she asked, confused by his words.
Trystan realized that she was not familiar with how things in the court worked or at least hadn't been told about the events yet. "King Joffrey is to honour my father for saving the city and the Tyrells for their help. It's mostly a ceremony for those that helped and brave men becoming knights for their service in the fight" he explained.
"l see. Thank you for letting me know, Ser Trystan. May you have a pleasant night" she said, afraid she was holding him too long.
The young Lion gently took her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it, making her cheeks involuntarily turn pink. "A pleasant night to you too, Lady Sansa," he said, offered a charming smile and let her hand go.
He then walked back where he came from, letting her slowly close the door and try to hide her blushing cheeks; the white handkerchief still in her hand.
Visenya had managed to remove that armour and had thrown a simple jacket over her breeches and tunic, for she would properly undress when she returned to her chambers. First, though, she had to check upon someone.
Reaching the wooden door that led to Cersei's room, the Lannister Guards let her pass without question since they knew who she was and that she was in charge in the end. Pushing the door open slowly, the Dragoness took notice of the candle lighten room.
Cersei was sitting at the edge of the boy's bed, finishing whispering to him a bedtime story about a lion while the young prince was already fast asleep on his bed. Her hand was gently caressing his cheek with the back of her fingers, her green eyes tired and misty as she was still shaken by the events that took place.
She noticed Visenya entering and closing the door behind her but continued the story until the very end. After she placed a kiss on the boy's head, she slowly pulled up and walked to meet her halfway; a fake tough mask was quickly placed upon her face.
"Good-mother" she greeted and headed towards the table with the wine jug, freshly refilled by the servants. "Wine?" she offered as she was busy pouring her goblet already.
The older woman shook her head. "No, thank you, Cersei"
The Lioness took a few sips and turned to face her good-mother, her back straight but slightly leaning against the small table. "l believe congratulations are in order. You and Father saved the city and he is to be publicly rewarded for his bravery once again" she spat behind a fake smile and drank more wine. "Like his ego was not high enough already" she mumbled but the other woman in the room heard her.
Visenya did not stay on the sarcasm or the passive-aggressive nature of Cersei's words. "We did but I am not here to hear your fake praises, Cersei. I am not your father and I am not here to punish you for the trick you did with Joffrey"
For a moment, Cersei stiffened as she realized that she would not hear the end of it from her father for demanding Joffrey be taken to safety. Yet, she did not care; not at that moment.
Honestly, why did he have to return now? We were fine without him, she thought, even though she was the one agreeing to make him the hand of the King again.
Now that she was reminded how it would be with him around, she regretted that decision but it was too late now. I have no regrets for trying to protect my son, she said in her mind and let out a sigh of exhaustion.
"Then why are you here?" she asked her, her tone becoming more hostile.
"To check up on you" she confessed, surprising the Lioness. "A siege is always the hardest for a mother"
Cersei scoffed at her attempt to try and be a present mother figure, checking up on her. "l am fine as you can see. There was no reason for you to come all this way"
The Dragoness remained quiet for a moment, standing where she was and barely moving. In the end, she tilted her head slightly to the side.
"Of course, you must be. After all, you did not have to poison your son in the end of it" she said, deciding to stop beating around the bush.
The goblet froze midway towards her lips, green eyes looking at her wide with shock. "What? What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to regain control of her poker face but failing miserably.
Visenya lifted something high enough for the Lioness to see, her expression worsening upon recognizing the cracked and slightly broken vial. "A soldier found it and for your luck, he brought it to me and not your father" she said and brought it closer to her nose, inhaling the scent coming from it. "l suppose Pycelle is the only one possessing Nightshade in such amounts"
Slowly, Cersei lowered her goblet and eventually placed it back on the tray; doing her best not to make too much noise and wake up Tommen.
Then, she focused back on her good-mother, her green eyes blazing with a protective fury that came as a reflex; afraid she would be accused of her actions.
"Why do you tell me this, huh? Are you here to gloat? To show me that you have something to threaten me with?" she started, her voice held at a lower volume but the hissing was still audible enough while she took a few steps closer to her. "Well, you can take that vial and go show it to Father, I don't care. I did what was best to protect my child from dying in pain in the hands of savaged animals" she finished, now standing in front of the Dragoness and looking up at her with the same glare she would often give her all those years.
Cersei expected a slap any moment now, that's what her father would do at least. Or perhaps been grabbed by the neck or accused until her head was bowed low enough to reach her knees.
Yet, none of those things came. The Dragoness did not even glare at her, grab her or even interrupt her. She did not scold her for her tone or her accusations, she did...nothing. Instead, she kept looking at her with those terrifying foreign eyes of hers and watching her like a damn predator.
That was one thing Cersei never understood nor liked. She was so passive in almost everything. She did not copy Tywin nor did punish them. She did not force them to accept her as their new mother. She simply watched and talked to them when they would choose to go to her or ask her something.
For the first time after so many years, Visenya did something she had never done to Cersei before...she hugged her. She wrapped her arms around her body and embraced her like a mother would to their child.
It was so sudden that the Lioness forgot to react and when she finally got control of her body, she found her mind betraying her. It had been so many years since someone hugged her that way since a mother hugged her in a comforting way.
She felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes and she returned the hug, arms grabbing the back of her jacket in a deadly grip as she buried her face on her shoulder.
"What you did is admirable," Visenya said at last, breaking the silence existing in the room. "It is the hardest choice a mother can make but at such times, I would have also done the same" she continued and Cersei felt the first big crack in the damn that held her emotions and her tears back. "I am proud of you for standing up for your actions and for being willing to save your child from a fate worse than death"
Another crack and then another and another. Before Cersei knew it, her cheeks started to feel wet as tears once again escaped her eyes. She had been so terrified at that moment, so terrified to lose her child but she knew she had to if worse would come. It was the only way to protect him, to keep him safe and prevent him from seeing his own mother raped and killed by soldiers.
She had felt so guilty at that moment, thinking she was the worst mother and above all...she felt alone. Without Jaime to reassure and protect her, without anyone to help her; she truly thought this was the end.
Now, hearing those words was too much and she finally stopped holding back. She felt her knees shaking along with her shoulder, silent sobs being the cause of it as her tears stained the black jacket of her good-mother.
No woman said another word and merely stood there in silence.
Visenya placed her chin on top of Cersei's head and looked at the fireplace across from her. Her hands rubbed her back and kept her close, letting her release her pent-up emotions.
She knew Cersei would never be the first to approach; she was too prideful and stubborn for that. However, when the Dragoness realized what she had planned; she knew as a mother herself that the Lioness needed someone to check up on her.
She took the risk and hugged her first, ready to take any physical attack from her as a reaction for trying to play it mother to her; something she never wanted in the first place. When she was hugged back, Visenya just spoke as a mother herself and offered Cersei the comforting honest words she needed to hear.
In the end, the prideful lion let her guard down and allowed herself to face her emotions. She had been in the worst situation a woman, let alone a mother could find herself in and no one truly knew.
No one was brave enough or cared to check up on her, no one was perhaps foolish enough to try; except for her.
And so, for the first time in years; Cersei accepted Visenya as a mother even if it was a temporary feeling. For the first time in years, Cersei let herself be hugged by another woman and let her guard down completely.
After that emotional moment, Cersei took her time to calm down and in the end barely whispered a thank you to Visenya. None would speak of that again, knowing the Lioness was too prideful.
She let her undress and hug her son before sleeping next to him, the boy offering her some comfort because no one else would. Jaime was still a prisoner and Joffrey refused to truly be touched by anyone; even his mother.
The Dragoness entered her chambers, finding Tywin standing in front of the fire with his goblet in hand. He was staring at the ember flames, dressed in a simple tunic and breeches; his armour long gone by now.
"You are late," he said, looking from the flames at her as he swirled the red liquid in his goblet.
Visenya hung her jacket on one of the two armchairs close to the fireplace and moved to sit towards the bed. "l checked up on Cersei and that took a while" she explained as she sat at the edge of it and removed her boots.
Tywin drank some wine, his back turned on her. "And how is she? Sour that you chose to visit her or knows she messed it up with Joffrey?" he asked, not seeing the picture.
She was not surprised that she did not truly understand the reasons for her visit because, at the end of the day, Tywin was a man and a very powerful one nonetheless. He would never have to worry about such a situation and she doubted he would ever let himself even feel fear in any case.
She let out a sigh as she removed the second boot. "She is shaken but not because of that. She had a very close encounter with a woman's worst nightmare and even your own daughter has the right to feel something from it"
He finally turned to face her, one eyebrow arched in silent question and a judging look upon his face. "She is a Lannister and she is too prideful to admit fear, as she should be. She will be fine by tomorrow, back to her usual self and make our life harder" he pointed out and emptied his goblet before placing it on the small table between the two armchairs.
When he looked at his wife again, he saw that she was not agreeing with his words. She was instead silently looking at him, giving him time to rethink what he had just said and change it.
However, that technique was something he had taught her and was not going to work on him.
He remained silent in return, challenging her back with his gaze and his dominant stance as he slowly marched her way until he was right in front of her. As he expected, she stood up to be closer to his face as she kept narrowing those captivating eyes of hers.
"She is a woman above all, Tywin" she finally said, her voice stable but her tone strict. "No matter her family name, the fact remains that she is a woman. If we had been delayed even a minute more, those soldiers would have ruined her and most likely in front of Tommen," she continued, tilting her head faintly to the side. "You know personally how soldiers act and what they do to women" she added, no need to go into any details.
He knew what she was referring to, once again bringing that fact up. She often used that incident when she tried to make her point and win the argument, especially because a certain dog was the main topic of discussion.
That did not mean he would always let it go. He would often stop her there; sometimes just placing his hand over her mouth to ensure she would not dare to continue while making his point clear as well.
Now, he was tempted on what to do but her words did pass through his head and were processed by his intelligent mind. In the end, he took a deep breath and held back any annoyance or anger that tried to flare up.
In the end, she was right; even though he would never admit it out loud. Cersei was a woman and men would rape her until someone stopped her or until she would die from the forced intercourse. Tommen would have been taken from her, beaten and maybe even killed while she watched.
"l am surprised each time by the ways you find to include that into new situations" he commented and walked around the bed, heading for his side. Visenya smirked faintly and moved her head to watch him as he sat on the other side of the bed. "Either way, tomorrow she will be back to her normal self for the ceremony and you need to be at your best," he said, removing his boots.
Visenya turned, crossing her legs as she was facing him and tilted her head to the side; her loose white hair following the movement of her head due to gravity. "What do you plan for tomorrow?" she asked him, earning a lifted eyebrow as a reaction from him. "You sound that way only when you have a plan. Considering you are to be rewarded, you must have thought of something to demonstrate your power, obviously"
A scoff of amusement was heard from him, his lips curling into a smirk as he turned his head to look at her but said nothing at first. Rather, just gave her a knowing look; proud that she saw right through him when so many others had failed.
It was something he admired on her and found attractive, although sometimes could be troublesome because he could not keep his ideas quiet or a secret. Truth be told, he could but she would try her hardest, first, to make him tell her of what he had in mind.