The day was soon approaching when her son would head off to Oldstones, his eighth nameday had just been and gone. Jon was tall for his age, and handsome with his father's features, and his wit, and her smartness as well. She was proud of him, she was proud of all her children, Myrcella was sweet and caring, and had a edge of steel in her that was all Lannister, Tommen was sweet and bookish, and then there were the twins Joffrey and Joanna, she'd been careful to prevent what had happened to her and Jaime happen to them. Joanna was caring and funny, but Joffrey, there was something wrong with him and she didn't know what it was.

She leaned back into her husband as he wrapped his arms around her. They watched as Jon taught Tommen how to hold his sword properly. "He looks a lot like you." Cersei said.

Robert laughed. "I know, but he has a bit of both of us in him."

"Will he be safe at Oldstones? I know that the Riverlords have been patrolling the area, but the bandits are still at loose." Cersei said. There had been accounts of bandits patrolling the area and robbing people, but it seemed in recent times they'd disappeared.

Robert sighed and Cersei turned to look at him. "Cersei, we've been over this before. Jon has to go to Oldstones. He must meet the other boys, who are all converging on the place to meet him. I want him raised away from court in these critical years. He must know the heirs who are going to be joining him and helping him rule when he sits the throne."

"I know." Cersei replied. "It's just, the time has gone so quickly."

Robert took her hand. "I know. I feel the same. It just seems like the other day when I could hold him in the palm of my hand."

Cersei laughed. "Those were the days. Well, at least he will be amongst people his own age. Who will be there?" She asked.

"Ned's boy, Robb I think his name is, Jon's son Robert, the Blackwood boys, Bracken's son, some Frey or the other, Quentyn Martell, Waynwood, Crakehall's get, and a few others also. It's an exhaustive list that I don't remember off the top of my head." Robert admitted.

Cersei nodded. "And which member of the Kingsguard is going with him?" She knew that after the Greyjoy rebellion some things had changed. Lord Beesbury had died just before the rebellion had broken out and been replaced by Petyr Baelish, a nobody from the Vale, who Jon Arryn raved about. Storm had died and been replaced in the Kingsguard by a green knight named Ser Arys who had proven himself during the Greyjoy rebellion. She knew her husband's Kingsguard wasn't what it could be, but there was a lack of opportunity to clean out the dirt.

"Ser Jaime is going with Jon as per your request." Robert said. Cersei nodded she was glad of that, recently things between her and her twin had been tense, and she did not really want him here for much longer. Especially with the rumours she'd been hearing.

Something must have shown on her face though, for Robert soon pulled her to him and asked. "What is it?"

She tried to brush it off, but knew that Robert would see through her lie. "I think it is good that Jaime is getting out of King's Landing. I keep hearing these rumours that he is visiting the Street of Silk and visiting a particular matron there. I do not think having such a thing is good for the reputation of your Kingsguard."

Robert surprised her and laughed. "He's sleeping with a whore? My that is something, I would have thought he'd have chosen someone of noble birth at least. There's about twenty girls here at court who want to sleep with him."

Cersei slapped her husband's arm. "Robert this isn't funny. What the Kingsguard does, reflects on you. The rumours are going to get worse if he remains here."

Robert sighed. "I suppose you are right. Besides getting that shit out of the capital will be good. He always seems so down, he makes Ser Barristan seem cheerful, and that's saying something." Her husband held up a hand to stop her talking for a moment. "And yes, I know, the Kingsguard needs changing, but I can hardly force someone to retire from it. there hasn't been a war since the Greyjoys rebelled. Most people seem content with the taxes, but I am not sure. I have the feeling that this could be a lull."

Cersei turned as she heard Tommen cry out in triumph having just knocked a dummy to the ground, she smiled and waved at her sons, before turning back to Robert. "What do you mean? What have you heard?"

Robert ran a hand through his beard, shorter than it had been before the Greyjoy rebellion. "I have had word that the Mountain Clans in the Vale have been receiving funding from an anonymous source, and are preparing to rebel against the Eyrie. Jon has gone to see what he can garner from them. A shipment of weaponry outlawed in Westeros since the time of Aegon the Second was found off the coast of the Stepstones, and no one is claiming it. And then there is the Window Tax, a measure that I think will cause some trouble."

These were all concerning, Cersei admitted to herself, but the only thing that worried her was what this meant for her son. "My father will support you with the Window Tax, just as he did the Hearth Tax and the Indemnity and Solitude. The Archmaesters sit in conclave in King's Landing now, not the Citadel. I do not think a few savages and weapons can mean much."

Her husband nodded. "I know, still it doesn't hurt to be prepared." They both looked down to see Jon showing Tommen some new moves and Robert added. "Especially with the future right there before us."