Chapter 8

Confrontations

Shireen and Krista sat in their dressing-room, preparing to go to breakfast with Sansa and Tyrion in their rooms.

"It's true that they call him the Imp?" Krista asked her sister.

"I believe so," said Shireen. "But that's unfair. By all accounts, he is a good husband, not nearly as debauched as he was reputed to be before."

"All the same, I pity her. She was practically forced to marry him."

"I am forced to marry Bran."

"But at least Bran is taller than you."

"There's more to life than height and good looks."

Krista put a comforting arm around her sister. "I'm sorry. I know things haven't been easy for you because of the greyscale. Why don't we forget about it?"

The subject was dropped, and they finished dressing. Then, they went to Sansa and Tyrion's audience-chambers.

"They're expecting you," said a cherubic older woman with long, loose grey hair, who was holding a baby in her arms. This could only be young Jaime's nursemaid.

The two sat. in silence. A few minutes later, Tyrion tottered in, grasping Sansa's hand as they entered the room. He sat her down in her chair before walking to his.

"How has your stay in King's Landing been, ladies?" Tyrion asked.

"We've enjoyed ourselves so far," said Shireen.

"But we have yet to see much of the Court," added Krista.

"You are not missing much. Most people's occupations are simply, getting drunk, whoring, and gossiping."

"Tyrion!" Sansa scolded her husband. "Don't mind him. Sometimes I wonder if he misses the pastimes of life before he entered his blissful married state."

"Since we became man and wife and truth, never," Tyrion swore. "There has been nothing for me but you and my books."

"And don't forget dear little Jaime," said Sansa. She leaned toward him, and he pecked her on the cheek. Despite the effort required for this gesture, Shireen was moved. Would there ever be such affection between herself and Bran? She wished she could love him, or at least find the comfort that Sansa and Tyrion had found with each other.

The lessons broke up for the day. Arya was quickly fetched away by Bran and Rickon, no doubt to give them a full account of what happened during the almost-kiss. Jojen excused himself to go for a walk alone.

That left only Meera and Jon.

Meera took her vows as a knight of the Kingsguard seriously, as seriously as Jon once took his Night's Watch vows. But Jon had unexpectedly been released from his vows to become the new Lord of Winterfell. Therefore, Meera wondered how solemnly the rest of the world valued oaths of such a nature.

She had thought the Kingsguard was for her, because of her proficiency with various weapons and the fact that she had no plans to marry. She'd had a few proposals: from the Freys, which she declined as gently as possible; the Manderlys, the Boltons, and one aging lord, Sebaston Farman of Fair Isle. But she declinde them all, despite repeated reminders from her parents and even her brother(!) that at two-and-twenty, she was considered "on the shelf".

But then, after Bran conquered all of Westeros, with both her and Jon by his side. And the letters started coming. Letters confessing his overpowering, confusing feelings for her.

"Erm, could we talk?" Jon asked. He sounded extremely nervous, almost as nervous as Meera felt.

With her heart beating a mile a minute, she said, "Ye-yes..."

Next chapter will have more Jon and Meera, I promise! I had the idea for the Shireen bit, but have been getting lots of requests for Jon and Meera. So, let me know what you think!