A Gentle Breeze | Jon Snow | Game of Thrones

Chapter Thirty-Six

||Oathkeeper||

"Where is his wife?" Cersei asked. It was utter chaos, the guards had already taken hold of Tyrion while the  rest of the people were yelling something Zephyr couldn't quite understand. But then it dawned on her. Baelish. She saw Sansa running away with Joffrey's fool, "I-.. I have to go." Zephyr stammered tears still flowing freely. "You're not going anywhere. You're the heir, they'll kill you too if you leave." Tywin stated firmly.

"Bar the city gates and seize every ship on the harbour! No one leaves this city, no one!" Tywin yelled, keeping the princess close to him. Zephyr glanced back down at her brother's now dead body, blood coming out of his nose and eyes.

She knew he had to die if she wanted to be a Queen, but she didn't want him to pass away in pain. 

But there they were. The Lannisters and Zephyr, mouring Joffrey as stones covered his eyes, thanks to the work of the Silent Sisters.

"Your brother is dead." Tywin told Zephyr. "Do you know what that means?"

"It means I'll become Queen." Zephyr said, unable to take her eyes off of Joffrey.

"Yes, you will becomes Queen. Better you than Margaery. What kind of Queen do you think you'll be?" Tywin asked his granddaughter.

"A good Queen?"

Tywin hummed, "I think so as well. You've got the right temperament for it. But what makes a good Queen? hmm? What is a good Queen's single most important quality, hmm?"

"This is hardly the place or the time." Cersei spoke.

"Holiness?"

"Hmm. Baelor the Blessed was Holy. And pious. He built this Sept. He also named a 6 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." Tywin explained.

"Justice." Zephyr tried.

"Mmm. A good Queen must be just. Orys I. was just. Everyone applauded his reforms, nombles and commoners alike. But he wasn't just for long. He was murdered in his sleep after less than a year by his own brother. Was that truly just of him? To abandon his subjects to an evil that he was too guilible to recognise?"

"No."

"No."

"What about strength?" Zephyr asked.

"Yes. Strength. Your father was strong. He won the rebellion and crushed the Targaryen dynasty. And he attended three small council meetings in 17 years, while you attended all of them ever since you could make out the words and read. He spent his time whoring,  drinking and hunting until the last two killed him." TYwin explained.

"So, we have a man who starves himself to death, a man who lets his brother murder him, and a man that thinks winning and ruling are the same thing. What do they all lack?" Tywin questioned.

"Wisdom. They were all too stupid, even father.." Zephyr said without hesitation as Tywin let out a proud yes.

"But what is wisdom?" Tywin then asked. "A House of great wealth and fertile lands ask 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? You've any experience of treasuries and granaries or shipyards and soldiers?"

"No."

"No, of course not." Tywin spoke, "A wise Queen knows what she does and what she doesn't. You're young. A wise young Queen listens to her counsellors and heeds their advice until she comes of age. And the wisest Queens continue to listen to them long afterwards. Your brother was not a wise King."