Her name was Lehna and she was the light of Joffrey's world. My baby was born with no complications and there was never a happier couple. Joffrey had changed from the impulsive tyrant he once was, but he was still a force to be reckoned with in Westeros, we both were.
News of my involvement in the defeat of Stannis had reached the ears of practically everyone in the Seven Kingdoms. I was being called the Warrior Queen. Of course, Joffrey's feats were overrexagerated, we agreed not to speak of his moment of weakness. (However he had many moments of weakness while I was giving birth.)
Lehna looked so much like her father. She had the fair Lannister hair, but the sparkling Tyrell eyes. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Even Cersei softened at the sight of her granddaughter.
Loras eventually found it in his heart to forgive me. His new companion was a young blacksmith who went by the name of Gendry. He was found in the coast, dehydrated and starved, and my dear brother nursed him back to health.
Joffrey and I took Lehna on walks through the garden and she would reach out to grasp at flowers to place in her father's hair. He would smile at her like a precious jewel, instead of casting the flowers aside to maintain his reputation. He truly changed and loved us both unconditionally.
Joffrey would let Lehna sit on his lap on the Iron Throne. When he ordered something gruesome, I would take her out of the room to keep her young eyes and ears from it. One day we would give her the choice to be trained, but for now I wanted to keep my child from the evils of the world.
Joffrey never was a benevolent king, but I wasn't a benevolent queen either. Just because we had Lehna, didn't mean we softened in our rule. I was always just, and Joffrey was Joffrey. The kingdom didn't flourish but I made sure the people didn't suffer.
At Lehna's birthday feasts, the nobles would either shower us with compliments (most of them lies) or completely shun us. The genuine compliments were mainly about our beautiful child and our relationship. We weren't always happy, but even in the darkest times we stood by each other.
As a girl I always hated the stories that ended happily ever after, because I knew life wasn't like that. I found something close to happily ever after with Joffrey and my daughter.
[Sequel will be called Witch of Westeros, first chapter available on Wednesday]
