♛ I Will Not Die ♛

Chapter 15- Like Father Like Daughter

"I saw him when I was at the wall. Aella you have nothing to worry about. He is strong and he is safe. He will be okay. He will flourish more than he would have stuck in winterfell." It had taken me along time to explain everything. But after that I went back to my chambers and slept. Now the next night I am back with Tyrion. Talking some more. Asking about Jon. I don't know what brought me here. I just had the question constantly in the back of my head. I had to ask.

We sit at a table, him with a cup of wine and me with water. After a while more of talking about Jon, my mother burst in. She didn't say anything for a while, pacing back and forth. Finally she speaks.

"Lord Janos Slynt was Commander of the City Watch. You had no right to exile him." Tyrion rolls his eyes.

"Mother-" I speak, trying to stop an argument.

"I have every right. I am the King's Hand."

"You're serving as the King's Hand until father gets here. I am Queen Regent."

"Listen to me, Queen Regent, you're losing the people. Do you hear me?" I think about his words. It's true. After all that happened, the people were not happy with the crown. Not like they ever were. But it was worse now.

"Ha, the people. You think I care?"

"You might find it difficult to rule over millions who want you dead. Half the city will starve when winter comes. The other half will plot to overthrow you. And your gold-plated thugs just gave them the rallying cry, "The Queen slaughters babies."" She goes silent. "You don't even have the decency to deny it."

Cersei looks down and walks toward the window. Tyrion looks down, and then up at her. "It wasn't you who gave the order, was it? Joffrey didn't even tell you. Or did he tell you? I imagine that would be even worse."

"He did what needed to be done." She mutters, looking to me as she thinks. She speaks louder now as she chides her little brother. "You want to be the Hand of the King? You want to rule? This is what ruling is! Lying on a bed of weeds, ripping them out by the root one by one before they strangle you in your sleep." She turns to me now. "Aella you listen carefully. Your uncle is leading you down the wrong path. Here with him. There are more important things to deal with."

"I'm no king, but I think there's more to ruling that that." Tyrion mutters. She turns to him angrily.

"I don't care what you think! You've never taken it seriously. You haven't, Jaime hasn't." She sits down, her head in her hands. "It's all fallen on me."

"As has Jaime repeatedly, according to Stannis Baratheon." He speaks, holding in laughter. I slap his arm and he smirks.

"You're funny." She laughs. A cold emotionless sound. "You've always been funny. But none of your jokes will ever match the first one, will they? You remember... back when you ripped my mother open on your way out of her and she bled to death." Tyrion's smile disappears. He is silent.

"She was my mother too."

"Now they're gone, for the sake of you. There's no bigger joke in the world than that." She stands and grabs my arm, pulling me from the room. I look to him desperately but he lets me go. "I don't want you spending any more time with that little beast alone. Do you hear me girl?"

"Yes mother." I pull my arm away when it begins to hurt. She stops and turns to me.

"You are the only child who has turned to what I wanted. All I wanted. You are the heir I've always wanted. And you will never be what I imagined you to be. Joffrey is not the same. What he did to you..." she stops herself. "He isn't himself."

"You act like that's a surprise. Like he has never been like this. He killed Tomens cat when he was only a babe. You think that it would stop there?" I shake my head. "You are blind."

"You are so strong." She says with a sigh. "Sometimes I wish you were born a boy and Joff a girl."

"And you say the things I say are treacherous. Imagine if the little beast heard you now." I step back from her. "I will not act like things are the same. You protected him when he killed children all over the city now and you protected him when he killed mine. Yes. Don't act surprised. He knew. It was all on purpose. And you knew too." I shake my head lightly. "What kind of mother are you."

"One who thinks of the good of her family. If you would have had that child..."

"You complain so much about your father but you are just the female version of him you know that. Father was right. You open your mouth and your fathers voice comes out." She slaps me across the face and I only laugh. Not phased. "I am going to go to my chambers and sleep. Don't come find me." I turn away and walk calmly back to my room, my hands held in front of me. A smile on my face.