Forgiveness

XV

"This is what you've been reduced to? Needlepoint?"

Hellen turned around and seen Jaime standing there in the doorway with Brienne by his side. Hellen lowered her cloth and looked at the young ladies of court that surrounded her, they too doing the same.

"Excuse us please."

Hellen said causing the young ladies to scatter out the door in a hurry. Hellen placed her cloth down beside her and looked at the two visitors.

"Jaime, Sister."

Hellen greeted standing up from her seat. Jaime gave her a soft look, almost amused if she had to put words with it. Her sister on the other hand did not.

"Sister?"

Hellen questioned almost quietly. Brienne then gazed upon her. Her eyes seemed to soften when she realized that her little sister spoke to her, the real little sister that she knew. Sighing deeply Brienne quickly marched toward Hellen and embraced her. Hellen grunted from the woman's powerful hug, but did not complain.

"Forgive me little sister, I shouldn't have left you here by yourself. Jaime told me about what's happened. About how Lord Tywin has -- "

"It's not your fault."

Hellen noted quickly shaking her head. Even though Hellen was often stronger than most women over the past three months she had felt herself slowly starting to slip. Her strong exterior outlook wasn't what it once use to be and now due to Tywin's hold over her, everything was fading and fading fast for the young woman.

"You had an oath right? I understand."

"Still, you can't help but admit that out of everything to happen this wasn't one of them. Marry my father, becoming Queen, what were the odds?"

"Jaime please, not now."

Brienne scoffed removing herself from her sister and glaring at the man.

"He's right you know. Our weddings are only a fortnight apart from one another."

Hellen stated causing Brienne to sigh again deeply. She seemed sad looking to her sister.

"Aside from the... nightly activities, does he treat you well?"

"Very much so yes."

Hellen said with a small nod of her head. Even though Tywin was a strict man, he had made sure that no harm had come to her during her time here. And for that she was grateful.

"Have lunch with us, Hellen. Spend some time with your sister."

Jaime offered causing a small smile to come to Hellen's lips.

"You're not upset with me then?"

Hellen questioned looking to Brienne who I'm turn arched her brow. Their lunch had begun with Jamie accompanying them but somewhere between the start and halfway through he had to leave to go speak with his father about certain matters that had to resolve around Casterly Rock. Which in turn left the two sisters alone giving them the praivacy that they needed in order to speak freely to one another.

"No! Whatever would make you think that I was upset with you? If I should be upset with anybody it should be Jamie. He's the one that couldn't persuade his father to not marry you."

She huffed knowing that the young man could have done more to prevent this.

"Jaime kept me from execution from disobeying orders from a commander. I became Tywin's maid for a fortnight."

"Execution! What in the God's names did you do!"

"Went behind my commanders back and gave orders to some lower ranks that I believed were well fit to follow."

Brienne frown deeply looking at her sister. She knew that the girl knew better than to do something as outrageous as that. They had been swords women for a long enough time for her to know that she needed to listen to a commander with certain matters. This was obviously a matter in which she should have listened. It made her curious as to wonder what else her sister had done while she was away?

"Hellen, you're a smart girl, you always have been, kind too, what made you think that was a good -- "

But Brianne's words fell short when the double doors to the small patio where they sat opened and revealed Tywin walking through them being escorted by Jamie. Both Brianne and Hellen rose from their chair and gave a bow and a curtsy to their new king.

"You've met up with your sister finally I see."

Tywin spoke having his hands resting behind his back as he looked at Brienne. The woman nodded looking to the floor and not at Tywin's eyes.

"Yes your grace."

Tywin hummed his lips in a straight line across his lips. He took that moment to turn and gaze at Hellen.

"I request Hellen's presence, if you'll excuse us."

"Of course your grace."

Brianne said giving another bow. Tywin look to the younger sister and held out his arm for her to take. She looked at it for a brief moment before reaching out and taking it wrapping her arm around it and stepping closer to Tywin.

"Come Hellen, we have court."

"Yes, your grace."

Helen managed to say as Tywin pulled her from her lunch with her sister. As she was the score today way from Brienne and Jaime, Hellen glanced over her shoulder for a brief moment seeing the deep frown that lingered over Brianne's expression and the equally sand and one that sat on Jamie's.

Hellen sat beside Tywin in the throne room. She sat there on the small stool to his right where the queen would sit. There was Hellen sitting there watching as some subjects came in and voiced their concerns before the crown. They were rather simple. Things that you would suspect from the common man. Not enough food, work, their crops not producing -- such as those things.

"You provide our armies correct?"

"Yes your grace."

Tywin nodded slowly watching the man who had brought his little girl along with him. He seemed rather well off for a farmer, but the problem that was being proposed upon his crops would produce an even greater problem for them.

And that's something that Tywin knew well. For an army without the proper provisions wasn't an army at all, merely a discombobulated group of men.

"Have you tried digging small waterways from the river above your fields?"

Hellen's voice pulled Tywin from his thoughts and causing him to look at the young woman. The farmer seemed confused by this.

"Waterways your grace?"

"In countries where there isn't enough rain they make small makeshift Waterways from the river into their crops. The river would have to be upstream obviously so that the water can flow down, but by doing this it should solve your problem."

Tywin arched a brow. He was, for better words, impressed. He was impressed with Hellen's smart thinking, something that he wouldn't have expected.

"We'll give you ten men to assist with this matter to save your crops. In return you'll feed the men and house them till it's done."

Tywin stated looking from his future wife to the farmer. The farmer bowed deeply being extremely grateful to them both. It was only after did Tywin catch his eyes lingering more and more upon Hellen and listening more intently each time she spoke.