Evermore // Bran Stark

31. Puff of smoke

'It's been a remarkable journey. I pissed off the edge of the wall, I slept in the sky, fought with the Hill Tribes so many adventures, so much to be thankful for.' Tyrion remarked.

'What are you doing here? This is the small council.' Cersei reminded him.

'Yes well I do believe the hand of the King is welcome at all small council meetings,' Tyrion told her.

'Father is hand of the King' she corrected

'Yes but in his absence...' Tyrion pulled out a note varys read it over

'Your father. Has named Tyrion hand of the King in his absence.' Varys informed her.

'Everyone out! Everyone out!' Cersei screamed. 'I would like to know how you tricked father into this.' Cersei demanded.

'If I was capable into tricking father I would be the emperor of the world by now,' Tyrion informed her with a grin as he poured himself a drink.

'you brought this on yourself.' Tyrion remarked.

'I've done nothing!' Cersei told him

'Quite right you did nothing.' tyrion told her. 'when your shit of a son called for Ned starks head and now the entire north has risen up against you.'

'I tried to stop it' she told them.

'Did you? Well you failed.' Tyrion sassed. 'Yes, that bit of theater will haunt our family for generations.' Tyrion informed her.

'Rob Stark is a child!' Cersei declared.

'a very skilled child at that.' Tyrion added. 'a child that has our brother and your wonderful daughter.' Cersei's face soured. 'A child who has won every battle he has fought,' tyrion reminded her 'do you understand what losing the war means?'

'What do you know about war?' Cersei spat.

'Nothing.' Tyrion admitted. 'But I know people. And I know the people hate each other almost as much as they hate us.'

'Joffrey is King.'

'Joffrey is King.' Tyrion agreed.

''You are here to advise him' cersei said looking down to him.

'Only here to advise him.' tyrion agreed. 'if the king listens to what I have to say the king might just get his uncle Jaime back.' Tyrion told her and that caught her attention.

'How?' she questioned pathetically.

'Do you love your children it is your one redeeming quality, the starks also love their children and we have two of them.' Tyrion reminded her.

'One of them' cersei corrected

'One?' He spat.

'Arya the little one got away' cersei confirmed.

'What in a puff of smoke? We had three, three starks to trade. you chopped ones head off and let one escape. Father would be furious.' Tyrion told her letting out a deep breath before a smirk appeared on his face. 'Must be hard for you. To be the disappointing child,' tyrion smacked his lips together finishing his glass of wine. Cerseis eyes drifted to Tyrion in vain.

+

'Every night it's the same I am walking I am running but... I'm not... I'm not me. I'm running through the woods, sniffing the dirt tasting blood in my mouth when I've made a fresh kill... howling... old nan used to tell me stories about magical people that could live inside stags birds wolves.' Bran remarked.

'That's exactly what they are stories, old nan likes to tell stories.' The maester told Bran.

'So she was lying? They don't exist' Bran questioned, Amelia rested her head against his her eyes keenly aware of Rumlow staring at her from the doorway.

'Well they may have but they're gone from the world.' the maester told him 'along with much else these are dreams Bran nothing more.'

'No my dreams are different.' Bran told him 'mine are true I dreamt of my father dying and Rickon had the same dream. Ask amelia!'

"They were identical dreams, before the news arrived." Amelia agreed. "That is strange," Amelia added.

'What about all the dreams you had that didn't come true?'

+

Tyrion was whistling through the halls victoriously after his conversation with cersei, he was on top of the damn world. A high he rode out for days but he heard the laughter of Shae coming from his room only to see her with Varys, his smile dropped.

'my Lord.' Verys said standing up

'You make me wait a long time but your friend keeps me company.' Shae told him, still smiling.

'We were just speaking of your bravery in the war against the stark auxiliary forces.' Varys informed Tyrion.

'It was quite the battle' Tyrion agreed looking curiously at shae but she just smiled innocently.

'I heard you suffered a terrible head injury,' varys went on. 'the Northerners are such fierce warriors.'

'And I told him the story of how we met.' Shae told him

'To find such a lovely creature working in your father's kitchens... it almost beckons belief.' Varys told him

'Strange things do happen...' Tyrion agreed 'you should taste her fish pie.'

'I don't think lord varys likes fish pie.' Shae said confidently.

'How can you tell?' varys said smiling happily.

'I can always tell.' Shae said smugly.

'But Lord varys I cannot let our disadvantages get the best of us we can make a fisherman of him yet.' Tyrion said nervously. Shae knew not to trust anyone in the capital. Not even Tyrion.

'I am glad our new friend had accompanied you to the capital... friends are such an important part of life... Unfortunate that your father did not want her to come but rest easy my Lord I am very good at keeping secrets from my good friends.' Varys told him smugly

'Your discretion is legendary,' Tyrion told him 'where your friends are concerned...'

'How unspeakable of me to go on and on when all you want to do is rest.' Varys smiled down at shae. 'I will leave you.' Varys said kissing her hand. 'welcome to Kings Landing my dear, the city is made brighter by your presence...' varys turned his attention to Tyrion. 'We have a council meeting my Lord.'

'I don't like threats.' Tyrion warned holding the door closed.

'Well who threatened you?' varys questioned ignorantly.

'I am not Ned Stark I know how this game is played.' Tyrion reminded him.

'Ned Stark was a man of honor and-'

'And I am not.' Tyrion reminded him. 'threaten me again and I will have you thrown into the sea.' slowly he removed his hand from the door but Varys pushed a finger against holding it close now

'You may see poor results, the storms come andgo the big fish eat the little fish and I keep on paddling come my Lord...' hesaid opening the door 'we should not keep the queen waiting.'