THANK YOU
Астердис Авентил
Stuart Rees
Knightwolf91
dimblydoorNier
Christian Heath
Daniel Warnecke
a.max21
Talha Emre Gülay
Eric
Aarnav Chaturvedi
Kenny
liam darrell
Gintoki Sakata
For supporting my Patreon or Buymeacoffee
Support me and read advance chapters at my patreon or buymeacoffee
5 Chapters for 1$
10 chapters for 3$
20 chapters for 10$
35 chapters for 20$
50 chapters for 30$
buymeacoffee.com/Shashankbhatt
Patreon.com/Shahsank_bhatt
_________________________
[KING'S LANDING, GARDENS]
"Growing up at Winterfell, all I ever wanted was to escape, to come here to the capital. See the southern knights and their painted armor and King's Landing after dark- all the candles burning in all those windows."
A stupid dream, Sansa thought to herself. She was a stupid girl who had too many stupid dreams. The South of the songs and stories were nothing but a myth! All stories to glorify that pit of vipers and scorpions
She would not make the mistake of dreaming the same thing again.
[LADY MARGAERY TYRELL and LADY SANSA STARK stand and walk.]
"I remember the first time I saw you in the throne room. I'd never seen anyone who looked so unhappy. I want very much for you to be happy, Sansa, and so does my grandmother. You would have been happy at Highgarden. But women in our position must make the best of our circumstances."
"Perhaps this time around she can be" Margaery said softly.
"Perhaps" Lady Olenna muttered back.
The North as an ally bound by marriage would be ideal. Even with the Lannisters outnumbering them, they have shown how formidable they can be. Without certain people freing prisoners and certain oathbreakings, the North was formiddable.
"How do I make the best of my circumstances? I have to marry him."
"Has Lord Tyrion mistreated you?"
"No."
"Has he been kind to you?"
"He's tried."
"You don't want him, though."
"I do not blame you. Nobody would want that version of me." he stated. There was only one. At least, he thought there was. Nobody truly wanted him.
Sansa felt slight shame in how she had reacted to the news. There was no excusing that she had reacted a ssuch because of how he looks as well as who his family were. The former thought made her feel guilt, not the latter.
"I'm sorry. Here I am complaining to you."
"My son will be king. Sons learn from their mothers."
"Clearly" someone said.
"I plan to teach mine a great deal. And your son, if I'm not mistaken, your son might be the Lord of Casterly Rock and the North someday. What?"
"If she has more than one, the eldest would have Casterly Rock, and the second Winterfell. Though whether Winterfell would be the capital of the North and seat of the Warden by then..." Doran left the thoughts hanging. No need to elaborate on things these people already suspected.
"We lost our rule the moment we lost our home" Rickard added with a broken sigh. Winterfell has been the seat of the Warden of The North since Aegon the Conqueror's time. Rickard had sat the seat, as had his father, his grandfather and his forefathers. It pained him to see it all go from his grasp, from his family's grasp.
Robb lowered his head in shame. He was the King in the North and it was his foolishness that had led to the loss of Winterfell. Had he heeded his mother's words and not sent Theon...
Catelyn lowered her head in shame. Had she not taken Tyrion Lannister, or eve freed Jaime Lannister, their position would have been better.
"My son with him. I'll have to- we'll have to-"
Sansa blushed, knowing well enough what her future self was worried about.
"If it's the pain you're worried about-"
"I'm not afraid of the pain. Not after what Joffrey's done to me."
The blush faded and she looked confused. If not the pain then...
"He's a dwarf. And Loras- Loras."
Ah, of course. The blush was back and she was too embarrassed to even think about looking at Tyrion Lannister.
If she had, she'd notice that Tyrion did not give a shit.
"Some women like tall men. Some like short men. Some like hairy men. Some like bald men. Gentle men, rough men, ugly men, pretty men, pretty girls."
"Pretty girls?" Sansa squeaked out, desperate to not let the talk of taste in men linger for long.
Margaery saw the desperation and took pity on her.
"Some girls like girls, like some boys like boys" Margaery shrugged.
"Are you..."
"No no. I prefer men. I simply know girls who like girls" Margaery explained with a smile.
Joanna rolled her eyes. Typical of Highgarden to be this liberal.
"Most women don't know what they like until they've tried it. And, sadly, so many of us get to try so little before we're old and gray. Tyrion may surprise you. From what I've heard, he's quite experienced."
"And that's a good thing?"
"It can be. We're very complicated, you know. Pleasing us takes practice."
Tyrion snorted, raising his cups to Margaery with a smirk.
Margaery smiled back.
[KING'S LANDING, TYRION'S CHAMBERS]
[LORD TYRION LANNISTER and SER BRONN OF THE BLACKWATER sit, drinking wine.]
"She's a child."
"Well it's good to know there are certain limits even you wouldn't cross" Jaime said teasingly. He had heard accounts of how... perverse his brother could be.
"I'm not an animal" Tyrion rolled his eyes.
"What's the youngest you've ever had?"
"Not that young."
"How much older?"
"Older."
"Never below eighteen" Tyrion answered for his future self before anyone could question it.
"Any older and people might think he has issues stemming from his mother" Oberyn whispered to his sister, earning a slap for his efforts.
"Eighteen is not too old" she said in a chastizing tone.
"You're a lord, she's a lady. And a beauty at that. I don't see the problem."
"Shae isn't going to like it."
"Shae is a whore. Are you gonna marry her? Eh? How did marrying a whore work out for you the first time?"
Tyrion's countenance grew stone-like.
Jaime sighed. He knew he would regret this conversation right after he was going to have it. But he had no choice. Tyrion deserved to know.
"I need to speak to you about something important. Not now, after we are done watching this particular sequence of events."
Tyrion nods, unsure about the topic.
"You want Shae, keep her. Wed one and bed the other. All you have to do is get a son in the Stark girl. He'll be Lord of Winterfell one day. You can rule the North in his name. You'll have two women and a whole kingdom of your own."
"Two women to despise me and a whole kingdom to join them."
[BRONN pours more wine for them both.]
"You waste time trying to get people to love you, you'll end up the most popular dead man in town.
"It's a Lannister trait, I'm afraid" Tyrion smiled dramatically.
"One only you and your brother seem to share?" Oberyn inquired.
"We are the best of the family, so it's a given" Tyrion grinned.
"You get that from your grandfather" Joanna explained with a smile and a playful roll of his eyes. "He too wished for his people to love him."
"The very same grandfather who our father deems weak?" Tyrion questioned. "Good" he nods when his mother nods in answer.
Joanna shook her head with a small smile. They may carry the same trait, but Tywin had surely wiped out the extremeness of it. Tytos Lannister was a good man, but he was a pushover. Joanna wanted her sons to be good men but not pushovers.