Lion's Game

CH 5

Amara Lannister woke to the morning light streaming into her room and the sounds of her handmaidens drawing her a bath. She sits with a groan and gives the young girls a narrow-eyed stare. The young woman begins to stutter when she sees that Amara is awake and displeased to find strangers in her room.

"Apologies My Lady, Lord Tywin requested that we help you get ready." The stuttering young maid flushes red with embarrassment. Amara pulls back the covers and sighs, whatever her father wished to speak with her about she had no doubt it had to do with what Elia was speaking of last night. She stripped herself of her nightgown and walked towards the bath as she dismisses the handmaids. Amara closes her eyes as she soaks in the tub, taking in the scent of lavender she ponders what exactly her father could want.

Elia would have no cause to seek her out unless she was truly concerned her betrothal was in danger. King Aerys had rejected her father's proposed betrothal once before, but if the king felt as though he were to be taking something away from her father. Every lord in the Seven Kingdoms would praise the gods if their daughter could marry into the three-hundred-year-old Targaryen dynasty. But they had little idea what danger lurked just beneath the surface, it was simply a risk her father was prepared to take that risk

Amara dresses in a simple crimson and gold long-sleeved gown. She allows her handmaid to fasten her favorite necklace around her neck, it was a gold necklace with a small golden lion with rubies for eyes. The last gift she and Cersei shared with their mother.

"You wished to see me, father?" Amara askes as she stands in the doorway to her father's study. Tywin Lannister looks up from his papers, his eyes silently follow as his eldest daughter sits before him. In truth, he was pleased the gods had blessed him with a daughter like Amara she was going to fulfill his every ambition. It was about time the crown chose to align itself with its loyal and most powerful ally. Amara had always been the more shy and humble of his daughters, she was obedient and clever but had nowhere near the amount of ambition of her younger sister. He had doubted her in the beginning, his daughter was content with running Casterly Rock in his absence as her mother had been. But as always, Amara had done her duty to her family, they might yet have a Lannister on the throne.

Lord Tywin lays his quill aside and clears his throat. "King Aerys wishes to reconsider betrothing you to the prince. It would seem you have changed his mind about your worth." Amara couldn't help but look at her father with a raised brow. Any compliment her father made was sure to be followed by a critical remark.

"I had hoped you might have made more progress by now."

"My apologies father, the king has also seen fit to gift me with responsibilities that take away from my duties as a Lannister." Tywin sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Of course, he was pleased the king was showing favor towards his daughter but it wasn't ideal. Aerys was looking to show him that anyone could do the work many accredited with him. But in the weeks since he had brought his daughters to court tensions had only risen, no doubt he would pile on the work and point to her success as a weak point to prove her unworthiness.

"It doesn't matter, when Prince Rhaegar gives his consent you will agree and surrender the title the king has given you. A future queen doesn't need to concern herself with politics." Amara nods, the last thing she wanted was to be entangled in the business of dirty things. But she promised that, if she were to be the queen she would have just as much influence over matters as her husband.

Amara nods, she had little intention of allowing her father to dictate her decisions once she was wed. She smiles and stands "Thank you father, but I'm afraid I must go. I've invited Princess Elia to have tea with me and my ladies." Her father nods turning back to his papers and waves her away.