A Wolf and A Lion || Jaime Lannister Love Story

Chapter 45 . Between Worlds

     Varys pulled away the loose rope tied around, and opened it.

     "Your father has named Lord Tyrion to serve as Hand in his stead while he fights." The Master of Whispers proceeded to read.

     "Out! All of you out!" Cersei shouted, as she slammed her fist on the table and stood up from her seat. Without sparing another second, all members of the council rose to their feet and bowed before the Queen Mother. Tyrion only looked on in amusement as everyone left the room one after another, and Cersei made her way towards him. "I would like to know how you tricked father into this." Cersei asked of him,

     "If I were capable of tricking father, I'd be emperor of the world by now. You brought this on yourself." Tyrion stated, as Cersei sat back down on the vacated seat beside him.

     "I've done nothing."

     "Quite right, you did nothing when your son called for Ned Stark's head. Now the entire North has risen up against us." Tyrion commented,

     "I tried to stop it." Cersei tried to give reason for her failed attempt to control her own son.

     "Did you? You failed. That bit of theater will haunt our family for a generation." Tyrion said,

     "Robb Stark is a child." Cersei pointed out as a way to ease her worries of the war. To her, what can a boy withstand against her father's army?

     "Whose won every battle he's fought. Do you understand we're losing the war?" Tyrion reminded her in a way a parent would scold a child.

     "What do you know about warfare?" Cersei questioned him,

     "Nothing. But I know people. And I know our enemies hate each other almost as much as they hate us." Tyrion replied, and Cersei finally turned her eyes to look at him.

     "Joffrey is King." Cersei stated after a momentary silence,

"Joffrey is King." Tyrion repeated her,

"You are only here to advise him." Cersei told him,

"I am only here to advise him." Tyrion repeated once more, "And if the King listens to what I have to say, the King might just get his Uncle Jaime back." He pointed out, and the shift in Cersei's expression conveyed that she was interested in hearing what Tyrion has to say.

"How?" She questioned,

"You love your children. That's your one redeeming quality; that and your cheekbones. Starks love their children as well, and we have two of them." Tyrion explained that a trade between hostages would be the only way to ensure Jaime's safe return.

"One." Cersei corrected him quietly, knowing that it would not help their cause any further.

"One?" Tyrion asked with a tone of disbelief.

"Arya, little animal...she disappeared." Cersei told him,

"Disappear, what? In a puff of smoke? We had three Starks to trade. You chopped one head's off, and let another escape. Father would be furious." Tyrion told her with a hint of irritation. Cersei rolled her eyes at his brother's remark of their father, trying her best to not be affected by his words. "It must be odd for you...to be the disappointing child."

"If Robert had chosen another hand, none of this would have happened." Cersei mentioned, and for the first time, Tyrion agreed with her.

"Whomever killed poor Jon Arryn is responsible for all this mess. If he's alive, Robert would have no need to choose another hand." Tyrion told her, as he took another sip of the dornish red wine that satisfied his thirst more than ever. "Did you know who killed him? Honestly, sister." Tyrion asked cautiously, as Cersei gave him a side-eye in response to his question.