The Shadow Queen of Tywin Lannister

XCIII. The Golden Lion vs The Red Viper

Royal Library, Red Keep – King's Landing, CrownLands – A few hours later

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Trystan had found solace in the Royal Library, which had been empty for a while now. He had not gone to pay his respect to Joffrey yet, not truly feeling like doing so after all the psychotic boy did to Sansa.

He had, instead, chosen to visit Tyrion but the conversation with his half-brother was not the best. The dwarf was in a sour mood and was being overly sarcastic at first. Then, though, became desperate and kept repeating how he was innocent.

The Half-lion knew that was the truth and that Tyrion would never go as far as to poison Joffrey, none of the Lions truly would. However, there was something that the dwarf had told him that put him into deep thought.

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"I don't know who it was but I suggest you better start questioning those around you," Tyrion told him.

Trystan arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Joffrey had made a lot of enemies, two very powerful ones right from our family"

"You can't possibly say that our parents planned to poison him" he argued back, the idea sounding absurd. "Father is obsessed with legacy. Why risk losing the very next person, who would give him more children to carry the Lannister name?"

Tyrion shook his head, realizing that Trystan was the most naive of all their siblings. "Joffrey insulted both Father and Good-Mother during the last council meeting. They were furious and I know that Father was planning some sort of punishment for his behaviour" he explained. "Perhaps this was it...perhaps it was Good-Mother who had chosen to cross the line and add Kingslayer to her many titles"

The blunt accusation displeased Trystan, who grabbed the bars of the cell and pressed his face closer to them. He narrowed his green eyes at his half-brother. "Mother would never do that. She doesn't harm children"

To his surprise, Tyrion started to laugh in mockery. "Is this what you believe?" he asked, clearly amused by how holy and innocent Visenya was in the eyes of her son.

"I am sorry brother but I am not going to stand here and hear you accuse our mother like that," Trystan said and pushed himself away from the bars, before turning his body and starting to walk away.

"Wait, Trystan" Tyrion said, his laughter long gone and one of his shackled hands extended forward. The Half-Lion stopped and turned to face him. "What about Sansa? What happened to her? Have they found her?"

Trystan let out a heavy sigh and shook his head left and right. "No, she is gone and so is that fool, Dontos. They suspect that he must have helped her escape but she is nowhere in the City or if she is, the Guards have yet to find her"

For her safety, I truly hope she has already left the city; he continued in his mind and noticed the relief in Tyrion's eyes.

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Trystan was staring at the same page of the book for five minutes now, unable to focus on the words on it. His mind was busy, like a swarm of very angry bees buzzing around and giving him quite a headache.

He kept thinking back to what Tyrion had told him, trying to understand why he so openly accused their good-mother. Tyrion always had a soft spot for her and even when he was not the best stepson it was clear that he did care for her to a certain degree; more than he did Father.