♛ I Will Not Die ♛

Chapter 13- Death is the Punishment

I rub at my sides to massage the dark bruises beneath my dress.

"Feeling any better, my love?" Cersei asks sweetly. I nod.

"Much better." I hadn't really talked to her since my uncle came back and declared he was the new hand in my grandfathers stead. She had been busy plotting to get him killed no doubt.

She had summoned me for tea in her chambers where we knitted with little Sansa and some other Lannister ladies. Sansa was blank eyed, her cheeks red and puffy. Though she had visibly lost weight.

"Sansa, have a cake." I gesture to the lemon cakes on a small platter between us all. She opens her mouth to respond but mother cuts her off.

"Are you denying a command from your princess?" She snaps sharply. Myrcella stares at my patterns intently, moving her hands as if to copy them. She payed no attention to the rest of what went on around her.

"No your grace I only meant..." Sansa stumbles over her words and I come to her rescue.

"She is fine mother, don't worry the poor girl was probably just trying to thank us for this opportunity." I reach to Myrcella and move her hands the correct way, she smiles sweetly.

"Very well then. She should be thankful. A traitors daughter has no place here." Cersei begins sewing the lions head once again.

"But a future queen does." I give my mother a fake innocent smile. "She will be queen will she not?"

"That is still under debate within the smaller council you know that." She is stiff now, not as confident as she was before.

"A traitors daughter but not a traitor." Everyone is quiet. Sansa stuffs a cake into her mouth so she had an excuse not to speak. If I had any sort of appetite I would follow her lead.

"What is all this?" Mother asks as we walk together into the throne room. I look around at the construction. I always loved the throne room. It was very pretty and now Joff was ruining it like everything else.

"Returning this room to its proper appearance. Say what you will about the Targaryens, they were conquerors. That is a seat for a conqueror. It needs a room to match it, not vines and flowers." He says as he stares at the throne mesmerized. He looked like a crazed idiot.

"We can't find Arya Stark." I tell him my mothers news. He turns when I talk, staring me down.

"With luck, you little bitch is dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Perhaps. But if not, we need her. They'll never give Jaime back to us for Sansa alone." Cersei adds in. I feel her protectiveness over me rise as she steps closer. Even though Joff has always been her favorite, lately she has found me much better company.

"I think they might. They're weak. They put too much value on their women." He walks closer to the throne, placing a hand on one of the hilts of the many swords. I watch him intently.

"We need to set our armies to the task of finding her. Send out as many men as we can. I'm sure if you asked grandfather..."

"The King does not ask; He commands. And my grandfather's stupidity in the field of battle is the reason Robb Stark has Uncle Jaime in the first place."

"His life is in danger."

"We're at war. All our lives are in danger. I heard a disgusting lie about Uncle Jaime. And you." My mother stares blankly. She gulps and I look to the ground.

"Our enemies will say anything to weaken your claim to the throne." She speaks in a sweet voice as if to calm the beast down.

"It's not a claim. The throne is mine."

"Of course it is. No one believes this foul gossip-"

"Someone believes it. Father had other children? Besides me and Tommen and Myrcella?" I think of Gendrey who I hadn't seen in so long. He was my half brother I found out about during one of the first tournaments I went to when I ran away after one of the jousters died.

"What are you asking?"

"I'm asking if he fucked other women when he grew tired of you. How many bastards does he have running-" I step foreword in front of my mother and slap him across the face. I stand shocked by my own action. I don't know what came over me. His attention that was once on her turns to me. His face is red and angry. Everyone grows quiet and stares. Cersei grasps at my wrist protectively. He steps close to me, getting into my face.

"What you just did is punishable by death. You will never do it again. Never." My heart beat quickens as he grabs a piece of hair that lays across my chest and puts it into place. "That will be all, Mother." He speaks to her through me like I am not there. He walks out of the throne room and I catch my breath. She wraps her arms around me tightly and leads me away with a quick pace.