Great Sept of Baelor, King's Landing, CrownLands - Seat of Power: Officially No one (Unofficially: Tommen Baratheon /Lannister)
The boy King Joffrey Baratheon was dead, murdered in his own wedding allegedly by his own uncle, Tyrion. The realm was in mourning or so everyone expected, while many of the common folk cheered in secrecy now that the tyrannical boy was long gone.
The Lannisters had mixed feelings on the subject, but some did mourn more than others. Inside the Great Sept of Baelor, the body of the boy-king was laid on a table in the centre of the room.
It was customary for the body to be exhibited for a few days, allowing anyone to come to pay their respects before the burial. It was merely a day since the poisoning and yet few truly visited him.
From his family, to pay their respects were Cersei, Tywin, Visenya, and Tommen.
The Lioness was grieving her son, her first-born and the one she truly loved most among her three children. Having him die in her hands, his green eyes looking at her with fear and for help and yet she could do nothing but look at him as he choked and died soon after. She was sleepless and she had not eaten anything, grieving the loss of her child.
Visenya stood not so far away from her, watching her stepdaughter trying to remain strong but failing. She had lost two children and could relate. Rhaegar might have been her nephew, but she saw him as her own son, his loss at the Trident was a memory that still haunted her from time to time.
Then, it was her miscarriage and while she never got to meet the baby; she still mourned its loss and the loss of her ability to bear any more children.
Yet, as she looked at the dead boy in front of her, she could not help but wonder.
Have I fallen that low?
She asked herself, the same question she had been asking for a while.
She had never harmed children, she had made a vow to never do but Joffrey... he was a child but he was a future Aerys in the making. She had grown up with the Mad King, they shared the same blood and she knew the signs better than anyone. She knew that Joffrey would be a danger to all, especially because he was the firstborn and the King.
Perhaps, if he was a second or third-born son; he wouldn't have to die because his character would not threaten the realms.
She wondered what Barristan and Rhaegar; even Rhaella would say if they could see her now. They always praised her for being so noble, so kind-hearted with children and fair. Now... they would be disappointed at what she had become.
Her hands now carried the blood of not one but two children, one truly innocent and the other just unfortunate enough to be born with a character as bad as that.
Tommen was standing by her side, holding her hand as he stared at his dead brother with a passive look. Joffrey had often tormented and bullied him but Tommen never hated him because, in the end, they shared the same blood. He could not believe that he was dead, killed in such a horrific way and now just lying as a body in front of him.
He tightened his grip on Visenya's hand and she could feel her thumb caressing his skin, offering comfort to both of them.
Ever since the murder, the boy had been quiet but he knew what was coming since he was the next in line. Cersei had spent most of her time mourning and wishing revenge, leaving him alone to try and understand the loss.
Visenya had been by his side ever since yesterday and had even walked with him to the Sept. Cersei passively glared but was too occupied with the death of Joffrey to truly bother at that moment.
Tywin stood at the other side of the room, watching in silence for a moment. His face was impassive, back to the usual stoic one he was known for. Long gone was the one filled with rage as he ordered the soldiers to search for Sansa, green eyes blazing with fury and anger.
He momentarily glanced at his wife, none having truly spoken. Tywin had stayed up until late ordering guards and making arrangements and Visenya had long fallen asleep by the time he had returned to their chambers, or at least she pretended to be.
Even in the morning, he did not bring up her small incident and how the sudden flare-up had appeared. He was too busy now to face her and she had confessed to him the last time he asked, that even she did not know what was going on with her.
"Your brother is dead. Do you know what that means?" Tywin asked Tommen, walking towards them and coming to a halt at the other side of the table.
The boy, though, remained quiet; afraid it was a trick question.
"I'm not trying to trick you."
Another hesitation until Visenya squeezed his hand, encouraging him to answer.
"It means I'll become king," the boy, who was just four and ten, answered, eyes not once leaving the corpse of his brother.
"Yes, you will become king. What kind of king do you think you'll be?"
Tommen thought for a moment.
"A good king?" he asked softly, looking at Tywin for a moment but then at Visenya.
The Dragoness offered him a small smile and a head nod.
"Yes. A good King you will be," she answered him.
"You've got the right temperament for it," Tywin commented, making the boy look at him again. "But what makes a good king? Hmm? What is a good king's single most important quality?"
Cersei, who just wished to mourn, spoke up.
"This is hardly the place or the time."
Joffrey had just died, less than a day ago and they were already discussing the next King; right above the boy's body. She knew her father did not truly care for his grandchildren but in her eyes, this was low even for him.
"Holiness?" the young Lion asked.
"Hmm. Baelor the Blessed was holy. And pious. He built this Sept." his eyes scanned the inside of the room. "He also named a six-year-old boy High Septon because he thought the boy could work miracles. He ended up fasting himself into an early grave because food was of this world and this world was sinful."
This put Tommen into thought, who realized his previous answer was not the right one. He was rather smart, even for his age, and one could see his mind working to process his Grandfather's question. He was not sure why the sudden lesson and questioning but he did not argue, merely went along. He did feel a little uneasy but then he focused on the warmth coming from Visenya's hand, which she did not move from his side nor pulled it away from his.
"Justice." The boy answered.
"Yeah. A good king must be just. Orys the First was just. Everyone applauded his reforms. Nobles and commoners alike. But he wasn't just for long" Tywin explained. "Do you know what happened to him?"
Tommen shook his head since it was the first time he was hearing about this Orys.
"He was murdered in his sleep after less than a year by his own brother."
Visenya enlightened him, all too familiar with almost every ruler that existed whether it be after her ancestors conquered Westeros or even before.
Tywin nodded his head, pleased that she got it right and continued his lesson.
"Was that truly just of him? To abandon his subjects to an evil that he was too gullible to recognize?"
Surprisingly, Tommen did not hesitate to answer.
"No."
Visenya and Tywin exchanged a look, both pleased to hear his confidence behind the answer. While to some this questioning and tutoring might seem random, it was not to them.
This was a test, to see the character of the boy they were about to name King. So far, Tommen seemed to be gentler, more open-minded and willing to listen to his elders and above all; intelligent. His green eyes showed that he was capable of a lot, with the proper guidance. The guidance that they could give him and also ensure Cersei did not try to spoil him the way she did with Joffrey.
"What about strength?" the boy asked, looking at his grandparents one by one.
"Yes. Strength."
Tywin started and started to walk around the table, hands behind his back.
"King Robert was strong. He won the rebellion and crushed the Targaryen dynasty," he reminded Tommen, taking notice of the warning look Visenya was giving him.
At that time, she felt there was no need to bring that part up, lesson or not. She did not wish to be reminded of that, let alone hear someone talking of it while she was present.
Careful there, her sharp look was telling her Lord Husband, who merely felt amused by how easily she ticked when that topic was brought up.
Visenya saw that Tommen thought this was the right answer or at least that his father was a proper King and so; she butted in.
"And he attended three small council meetings in seventeen years. He spent his time whoring and hunting and drinking until the last two killed him," she said, her tone coming rather cold.
Tommen looked up at her, seeing her just silently staring at her husband, who stared back at her. He knew that she was the last of her family and that she had suffered the loss of her nephew at the hands of Robert, but in his eyes; he never cared for her origins. In his mind, Visenya was his grandmother, who welcomed him whenever they visited Casterly Rock and read him stories. She was his grandmother, who had been by his side since yesterday; since the death of Joffrey.
It did not matter to him if she was not a Lion by blood or if she was the last Dragon to exist.
Houses were insignificant since in the end, they were all family.
Tywin, eventually, chose to continue now that there were more interruptions. "so, we have a man who starves himself to death, a man who lets his own brother murder him, and a man who thinks that winning and ruling are the same thing. What do they all lack?"
There was silence in the room as Tommen was busy thinking. He took his time, not that any Of his grandparents minded. The fact that he took his time to think, meant that he was thinking it well and was not rushing to say the first thing that came into his mind.
To their surprise, the boy got it right on his first try. "Wisdom." He told them.
" Yes!" Tywin exclaimed, pride audible in the tone of his voice.
This made the young lion smile faintly but did not let that tone influence his ego and remained humble. He did though, feel the pride upon hearing his stone-cold grandfather pleased with his answer.
"Wisdom is what makes a good king." He continued and the boy looked at Visenya.
She seemed equally prideful, her amber eyes almost shining in the low lighting Of the room. She nodded her head again, her smile growing just a tad more as her thumb rubbed the skin of his hand again.
"Very good," she told him, making his smile grow as well.
"But what is wisdom? Hmm?' Tywin asked, making his grandson look at him once again. "A house with great wealth and fertile lands asks you for your protection against another house with a strong Navy that could one day oppose you. How do you know which choice is wise and which isn't?' he continued asking, walking around the table with the body until he stood almost in front Of Tommen. "You've any experience of treasuries and granaries or shipyards and soldiers?"
Tommen lowered his head faintly. "No"
"No. Of course not. A wise king knows what he knows and what he doesn't" Tywin told him, explaining how his answer was the proper one and he should not worry. "You're young. A wise young king listens to his counsellors and heeds their advice until he comes Of age. And the wisest
kings continue to listen to them long afterwards..." he glanced at the body of Joffrey. "Your brother was not a wise king. Your brother was not a good king. If he had been, perhaps he'd still be alive."
Visenya took notice of Cersei and how she was trying hard not to react. She felt bad for her and realized Tywin was not going to bother much about it since there were more important things present; in his mind especially.
She cleared her throat, earning the attention of both her husband but also her grandson.
"Perhaps this conversation can continue outside, Lord Husband? Some fresh air as we go into further details of what is to come," she said, her voice the normal one she always had.
Tywin looked at her and then glanced at Cersei. He seemed to get her point and for her sake, he nodded his head.
"Let us shall, then," he commented and started to walk towards the steps leading upwards towards the exit doors.
"Come, Tommen," Visenya said and wrapped her hand around his elbow as the two of them walked to catch up with Tywin; who eventually fell into sync by the other side of the boy.
Thus, the new King would be seen walking between the two most powerful people currently, two of the most experienced ones when it came to matters of ruling and controlling seven whole Kingdoms.
"Now, as the king, you will have to marry. Do you understand why?" Tywin asked him as they climbed up the stairs slowly.
Tommen nodded.
"A king needs a queen."
"Yes, but why?"
Visenya gave him the answer to that, helping the young boy, who had done surprisingly very well so far.
"To further the family line and to help bring strong allies into his side."
"Like the Tyrells?" Tommen asked, looking up at her.
She nodded.
"Like the Tyrells, exactly."
Tywin chose to comment.
"Do you know how that happens?"
"Yes," the boy replied.
"Yes, but has anyone explained the details to you?"
"I don't think so," he confessed, remembering what his grandfather had told him just a minute ago.
A good king admits what he knows and what he doesn't know.
He glanced at his grandmother, surprised that she was still present when such a topic was brought up, but she did not seem to mind.
Visenya had been the one to educate Rhaegar on the subject with Rhaella. Aerys did not bother to try and the Queen did not have the best experience to truly be able to explain things properly.
This left Visenya, who by the time it happened had already slept with Tywin; even though no one else knew by then. She had also the biggest experience from her travels in Essos, although she never risked her maidenhood until that night at Casterly Rock; a night she never regretted.
"It's all relatively straightforward," Tywin explained and just as they reached the top of the stairs, Jaime entered.
His father offered a small smile out of courtesy while his good-mother offered a more welcoming one. She could see that he had also taken Joffrey's death equally heavily and she planned to visit him later, perhaps help him take his mind off with some sword practice.
"How are you?" Jaime asked Tommen.
"I am all right," the boy answered honestly.
"You are. You will be. I'll see to that," he said, placing his good hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezing faintly.
"Cersei is inside if you also wish to see her," Visenya said, realizing that perhaps this was what her stepdaughter needed.
The Dragoness was not stupid nor was she blind. She had seen since the twins were kids that there was this bond between them, this connection that only twins could share. She, of course, had also heard the rumours of incest about the two of them.
She tried not to believe them, clearly against such practices that had destroyed her family in the very end.
Rhaella had miscarriages because she often carried the baby of her brother and that was, in Visenya's mind, the biggest reason for her condition. Visenya and her siblings had all been the product of incest since their parents were siblings and Visenya often counted herself lucky with how healthy she had been born and always was. For that, she was strictly against incest but she had no proof of the twins practicing it.
Thus, she kept her mind open and tried to ignore those things as just rumours. However, she was willing to observe if more details would ever come to light.
Jaime did not say anything and simply nodded his head before walking inside the Sept, allowing his parents and his son to continue their discussion outside.