Q u e e n ' s Q u a r t e r s
Jamie squirmed as Qyburn roughly fitted the golden hand to his wrist.
"Exquisite my Lord. I dare say a sight better than your old hand."
"Well you're perfectly welcome to chop your own hand off and take it for yourself." Jaime retorts.
"You're such an ingrate." Cersei snaps at her brother. "I spent days with the goldsmith getting the details just right."
"Days?"
"Better part of an afternoon." She sips wine from her goblet and walks to the door with Qyburn. "Thank you so much for this."
"And the other ailments? They have gone?"
"Yes completely. I can't thank you enough master."
"I'm not a maester but always happy to help." Jaime waves at him sarcastically with his gold hand as he leaves and Cersei leans on the desk as she drinks deeply from her cup.
"You drink more than you used to."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Well my husband was killed in a tragic hunting accident..."
"Must of been traumatic for you." Jaime interjects.
"...we endured a siege..."
"A rather short siege."
"...a rather short siege that a didn't expect to survive, my daughter was shipped off to Dorne, I'm supposed to marry Loras Tyrell a renowned pillow biter and my eldest daughter was banished off to Winterfell and fought against her family for Robb Stark who she fell in love with and now father is trying to marry her off again so.." she raises the glass and swigs from it again.
"You shouldn't blame her for what she did in the North."
"Which part? The part where she left the capital to live in a field with Northern savages, or the part where she fell in love with him as he slaughtered Lannister bannermen, or the part where she is carried his children? Maybe the part where she and her husband held you captive for months."
"All of it! You have to forgive her." He sits beside his sister and strokes her cheek lovingly. "I have." She leans into his touch, their noses brushing against each other and their lips almost touching. She pulls away suddenly and stands beside the window.
"She is not your daughter."
"What?! I..." Jaime sighs, he pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration and pushes himself up aggressively. "I have raised that girl from the day she was born Robert had no part in who Avalyn is, or Clay, that was me and you! Maybe you're right maybe she isn't my daughter but as a Lannister do I not have a right to say how she deserves to be treated." They kiss in the passion of the moment before Cersei pushes Jaime away again.
"Not now."
"Not now?! When, I've been back for weeks!"
"You took too long."
"Too long?! I went through hell, I walked for weeks, I lost a hand gods damn it all to get back to you!"
"You turn up here after months with one hand and expect everything to be the same."
"What's changed?!"
"Everything's changed." The click of the door opening makes the two turn only to see Avalyn stood there with her arms folded and a look of disappointment on her face. She turns and walks away, Jaime goes to run after her and Cersei catches his arm forcing him to look at her. There's a timid tap on the door and they both turn shouting together.
"Not now!"
"Come in!"
A handmaiden stands lookin nervous but entitled all the same. "Your grace I hate to interrupt but you told me to come at once if there was anything important..."
A v a l y n
Her uncle Tyrion walks beside her watching her intently. Avalyn agreed to come with him to meet with the Dornish guest for Joff's wedding but she hadn't expected him to be on tender hooks that she might do something rash or ridiculous.
"So how've you been?" He asks casually.
"Excellent. I'm a widower at 21, my only child has been sent to live with the traitors that killed his father and I'm expected to marry again oh and let's not forget my mother hates me."
"Your mother doesn't hate you. If there's one thing Cersei loves it's her children."
"And her brother, but clearly not me." There's a minute of silence where he debates what and what not to say.
"She must love you more than she loves me?" Tyrion jokes and she flashes him a glare as he looks back at the ground. A rugged looking man a few years older than Avalyn's uncle leans on the marking post for Kings Landing and beside him a boy not much older than Avalyn, dressed in squires clothes. "This is my squire Podrick Payne and this is Bronn."
"Lord commander of the city watch." The addresses himself proudly as if to impress the princess.
"How nice for you. Congratulations." She spits sarcastically and he recoils back into his shell, frowning at Tyrion, clearly not used to being turned down.
"This my niece Avalyn." Tyrion announces and they realise who she is.
"Ah, a lady."
"A princess." She corrects him.
"I like this one." The cut throat turns to Podrick. "Got more balls than you." They wait a little longer, just watching the Kings road in silence. "It seems to me the best place to wait should be a tavern. That way if one party's late the other can drink to pass the time."
"I agree." Avalyn reciprocates.
"This is a prince of Dorne we're waiting for not one of your cutthroat friends." They all share a laugh at Bronn's expense then when they look back the banners bearing sigils of Dornish houses appear on the road at the horizon.
"This is it." Tyrion rules the men into standing up tall in straight lines, some holding Joffrey's banners of the stag and the lion. "Can you see any of the sigils?"
"Yellow balls?"
"Lemons in a purple field." Podrick replies.
"He knows his Dornish sigils."
"A vulcher clutching a baby..." he reels off Houses as if they were of second nature to him.
"What about the Martells? Red sun pierced by a spear."
Podrick shakes his head. "I don't see it my Lord." The first Dornish house to reach then gives nods in greeting as Tyrion announces himself.
"What an honour it is to have you with us. Is Prince Doran travelling with you?"
"Prince Doran is not well, he is unable to leave Dorne. He sends his younger brother, Prince Oberyn, in his stead." Tyrion looks down the line confused before looking back to the Dornishman who smirks at the strange little foreign man making a fool of himself.
"I'd love to meet him. Will be arriving shortly?"
"The prince arrived before dawn. Not one for welcome parties." Tyrion nods and allows the families entry to the city. He paces towards their own horses with a curious and frustrated expression.
