EDITED: 7th Jan 2022

There had been a punishment, of sorts, for the way Tya had stood up to her father and humiliated him in front of all his bannermen (not that he needed any help with that), and the rude way she spoke to Lord Walder and his son afterwards.

Well... Either Lord Tytos truly thought it a punishment for her to be sent away from home to King's Landing to be a cupbearer to King Aegon and companion to Princess Rhaella, or perhaps he just wanted her out of sight, out of mind, in order to assuage his guilt at betrothing her to a Frey. The latter seemed more likely, Tya thought scornfully. He didn't have the stomach to truly punish her for anything.

She did miss Casterly Rock a little, though she'd never admit it. She missed Mother, Kevan, Genna, even baby Tyg. She missed everyone knowing who she was and obeying without question. She missed the vast grandness of the castle and knowing it all belonged to her family, missed the sunset over the sea to the west. She even missed arguing and fighting with her awful cousin Jason, though she still loathed his irritating quips and how he went out of his way to anger her.

She did not miss Father. Not one bit.

But the Red Keep was hardly a punishment. King's Landing was the best place she could've been sent. Tya would've had to leave home at some point anyway, to marry that wretched Frey boy. Her lip curled at the thought; people here had learned quickly not to mention her betrothed anywhere she could hear.

She normally disliked girls her own age, though the only ones Tya had spent any time with were the daughters of lords of the Westerlands, sent to Casterly Rock by their fathers to be her companion, generally in the hope that one of them would catch Kevan's eye and become the next Lady Lannister. A bunch of silly hens, all of them, twittering about dolls and dresses and planning their future weddings. But they tended to obey her without question, either out of admiration (or rather - trying to lick the boots of the eldest Lannister daughter) or fear.

She could not order around the princess, however, she knew that well enough. Tya was used to being the most important person in the room when among anyone her own age, but here that was Rhaella Targaryen.

The princess was a shy and quiet girl, two years younger than she was, but did not seem entirely stupid. She liked to read, liked to watch plays and did not like her brother (which was unfortunate, seeing as they were likely to marry). Rhaella wasn't insufferable like the others, and though she was not nearly as bold as Tya was, she did tend to feel a similar way about the foolishness of most of the people around them, chuckling quietly when Tya made sharp remarks and never even trying to order her around.

Though rather reserved at first, Rhaella also did not seem intimidated by her, which was remarkable in itself. Most of the others either fawned over her like fools or shrank away from her every word, both of which managed to come across as pathetic. Rhaella was not like that at all - she was instead quiet, calm and measured - which was perhaps why they got along.

Her brother Aerys was the same age as Tya, and couldn't have been more different to his sister. Within ten minutes of meeting the boy, she had him summed up in her head; charming, charismatic and generous but not all that bright and very vain. He was rather changeable too, quick to laugh but equally quick to anger. Where Rhaella liked to read quietly, sew and even draw sketches with her graphite pen, Aerys liked large groups of people, dancing and music.

The young prince, who would one day be king, disdained his sister for this reason, claiming she was dull and boring. Rhaella clearly preferred it that way, as it meant he left her alone and didn't disturb her peace and quiet. This meant that Tya did not have a proper conversation with the prince for some time, only brief greetings; he mostly disdained Rhaella's friends, which irked her somewhat, not used to be treated as such.

It wasn't until after she had been unable to restrain herself and sharply snapped at him on one of the rare occasions he was bored enough to bother his sister that he showed any interest in her at all.

Instead of throwing a princely tantrum and having her punished, to her surprise Aerys just laughed.

"You're not like her other little sheep," He positively beamed.

"I'm a lion," She replied coldly. "Not a sheep. I thought that was obvious,"

"Well I'm a dragon and I eat them both," The boy said, and she remembered why Rhaella didn't like him.

"Casterly Rock has two lions," She said, raising an eyebrow. "Where are your dragons? Your Grace," She added the title just long enough afterwards to irk him, but not long enough to object to.

"I'll show you the dragons. They're under the castle," Before Tya could blink, Aerys had grabbed her arm and was pulling her out the door.

She snatched her arm away.

"No you won't," She glared at him. "You might be a prince, but don't manhandle me like that again," If anything that seemed to encourage him, making him grin wider.

"I like you," He said that like he was bestowing upon her the world's greatest gift. "You're very pretty," She knew that already, and raised an eyebrow. And? "I think I'd like to marry you more than Rhaella,"

Well that was something completely different now, wasn't it?

"I'd marry you," She gave a short laugh, surprised. If it meant that she'd be queen, she'd marry anyone. There hadn't ever been a Lannister queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Honestly, at this point she would rather marry any landed knight who asked for her hand rather than Emmon Frey; at least he would have his own castle. "Though I doubt your father would allow it. He seems rather set on you wedding your sister,"

"I'll talk to him," The boy waved a hand.

Tya shrugged, not believing anything would come of this despite Aerys' conviction. And given how quickly he had taken to her, it would not be too long before he had found someone else he was desperate to marry. But who knows - if this worked out, she would be queen, she was hardly going to discourage him no matter how unlikely it was.

"I'm also betrothed," She added. His eyes widened.

"To who?"

"Emmon Frey," Her lip curled in disgust. "He's a second son,"

"Frey..." He paused, thinking hard. She was right in her assessment that he wouldn't be the brightest king Westeros had ever had. "Oh! You don't mean the ones with the bridge?" She nodded, once, and he looked outraged. "What was your father thinking? You're a Lannister, they're - nothing. A second son?"

"Unfortunately," Her anger rose every time she thought of it. At first she had foolishly held out hope that her father would break the betrothal after her mother had worn him down enough, but that had not happened. Tya was genuinely considering getting her hands on some discreet poison.

"Well, I'll talk to my father," Aerys said decisively. "Grandfather doesn't want me to marry Rhaella anyway,"

Nothing came of that, of course. King Aegon did mention the matter to her at the next meal she served him at, seeming approving; he liked Tya, and the fact she did a good job as his cupbearer, and she couldn't have been from a more highborn family. Nonetheless, his son Jaehaerys (Aerys' father) stubbornly insisted on his two children marrying each other. He had married his sister Shaera in secret against his parents' wishes, managing to anger both of the great houses they were betrothed to.

Foolish, Tya thought. If the Targaryens kept marrying inward, they would have few blood allies to fall back on for help if they ever needed it.

Despite his annoyance at the fact he was not permitted to marry her, Aerys did stick around her long afterwards, surprising her by not getting bored and going to bother someone else. Tya didn't particularly enjoy his company, but he wasn't unbearable, and she knew how valuable it could be to be friends with the future king as well as his queen. No doubt it would pay off in the future.

*

255 AC

It was King Aegon who told her. She spent rather a lot of time with him, serving him at every other meal (his other cupbearer did the rest), and he seemed rather fond of her despite her often blunt and stern manner, and her disdain for many of the courtiers (which he seemed to share). She did her job perfectly, of course, so perhaps that was why he liked her.

Her mother had died after birthing her youngest brother Gerion.

The king delivered the news kindly. He was a kind man, but not foolish in the way that father was. Even so, his kindness had got the better of him, with the disastrous marriages most of his children had made, and how his reforms giving the smallfolk more rights angered many of the lords.

Tya didn't cry in front of him, of course not. She was silent for a long moment, even briefly looking down at her hands folded in front of her, something she never did. Her knuckles were white. Then she looked back up.

"Thank you for telling me, your Grace. May I be excused?"

"Of course," The king nodded, eyes sad and sympathetic. "Go to Rhaella if you wish for some comfort, Tya. She's a kind girl,"

"She is," Tya agreed, swallowing the lump in her throat and knowing that she would choose to be alone for the rest of the evening. "Goodnight, your Grace,"

She curtseyed and left without another word, heading straight for her bedchamber. She sent her maid away, the door closed, and she sat down on the bed, feeling rather like this wasn't real. Her mother was dead. The same woman who sang to her as a child, told her stories, answered all her questions, taught her about politics and men, who was clever and brave and strong unlike Father, was dead.

A tear broke free, and then it was like the floodgates opened.

Tya hadn't wept like that in years. Ever, even. She was more likely to get angry at things than sad, such as when her father had betrothed her to a Frey. Most things regarding her father made her angry, but didn't make her cry; how men took advantage and laughed at him behind his back, how he forgave too easily and granted favours left and right. The mean things other girls said never bothered her; she made sure they'd never say such things again, there was no way she would let them mock her like people mocked her father. Even when falling off a horse and hurting herself badly, she had refused to show any weakness.

Lions don't cry, her mother had told her years ago. Tya always told herself the same thing whenever the urge to weep arose, which always worked, though those words only made her cry harder now.

This was different to all those other times. The whole world had changed. Her mother was gone. She would never see her again. The only person Tya was willing to let hug her save perhaps Genna, gone. And any hope of her father being persuaded out of the Frey marriage was well and truly gone.

There was a knock at her door, likely one of the guards. She raised her head with wild eyes, eyes she knew were red and puffy, her hair come loose from its braid and soggy with tears. She looked far from her usual put-together self. No one was going to see her like this.

"Leave," She demanded, forcing her force to remain level. "Whatever it is, I don't want to be disturbed," There was some murmuring outside the door, then the handle started to turn. "I said leave!" She got to her feet, furious that they would disobey her and panicked that anyone, even a common guardsman, would see her in such a state. "Get out, or I'll - "

Aerys Targaryen stood at the door. No wonder the guards had let him in. The usually smiling boy was unusually solemn. That didn't mean she wanted him there any more than she had done before.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother. Is there anything I can do to help?" He looked rather surprised at the state she was in, hesitating. "I've never seen you cry," He trailed off at the mutinous look on her face.

"Get out," She said, voice quiet and dangerous.

"Tya, I just - "

"Get. Out," She repeated. "Now,"

A flash of anger crossed his expression.

"You can't tell me to leave! I'm a prince. This is my castle, I'll stay if I want to," She moved towards him, seizing his arm in an iron grip that he couldn't free himself from, even as he struggled, leading him over to the door. "What are you - how dare you - let me go. I'm a prince!"

"Prince or not, I told you to leave," She said, mouth a thin line, ignoring the startled and rather concerned expressions on the faces of her two guards. "Now go," She slammed the door in his face and locked it.

She heard him punch the door, rage a little at the guards then thankfully storm off. Only then did Tya return to her bed, fresh tears falling from her eyes.

*

By the time Tya was thirteen, Aerys was twelve and even then it was obvious he desired her.

The prince clearly wasn't used to anyone refusing him anything, so obviously Tya - who refused him all the time - caught his interest. She didn't mind his company a lot of the time, but had no patience for his quick temper and did not indulge any such tantrums, or his frequent odd whims. She made it clear she was here as King Aegon's cupbearer and as Rhaella's companion, not the prince's.

"I heard him talking about you with his friends," Rhaella told her once. "Saying all sorts of crude things,"

"He's twelve," Tya had replied flatly. "I doubt he knows what most of those things mean. Apologies if it offended you, princess," She was careful to remember that Aerys was Rhaella's betrothed, and did nothing to encourage the prince's attentions seeing as they were never going to wed.

"Rather you than me, Tya," The princess gave a slight laugh, shaking her head. "At least he listens to you when you tell him off. He just laughs in my face whenever I try,"

Tya smiled slightly at that.

"He listens to me sometimes," She granted.

She did tell Aerys off for the crude comments though, genuinely irritated by it all.

"I'm not some serving wench to gawp over and heckle," She said, glaring at the prince, whom she was still taller than by a good inch or two.

Aerys had the decency to look slightly abashed.

"Cousin Steffon was boasting about his betrothed, that Estermont girl," He said. "Saying how she's the greatest beauty in the realm. So I thought I'd use you to beat him, as no one girl could outshine you,"

That was... surprisingly sweet. A shame she would only ever find sentiments like that sickening. Not to mention she knew for a fact that that wasn't all he had said, and it hadn't been nearly so innocent.

"Don't think flattery will excuse your crude words," She said. "If I hear you saying such things about me again, I will have Rhaella start telling the other ladies how she mistakenly walked in on you in the bathtub and saw how small your manhood is," She was rather tempted to do so anyway, to bring him down a peg or two.

"You wouldn't!" Aerys' gaped at her, outraged. "No one would believe you,"

"All the ladies would," She smiled faintly. "And everyone likes to believe something that amuses them. Besides, Rhaella never lies,"

"Fine," He said sulkily. "I won't talk about you like that again. Never mind that I was paying you compliments the whole time,"

"Compliment the next whore you see on the street," Tya said flatly. "Not a daughter of House Lannister,"

*

Her father came to King's Landing to visit later that year, bringing with him all of her siblings along with cousins Stafford and Jason. She regretted that she hadn't seen them all sooner, but there was no time for her to travel all the way to Casterly Rock in time for her mother's funeral, so it had been over a year.

Kevan greeted her with a small smile, glad to see her once more. Her sister Genna, now ten, threw herself into Tya's arms, not minding how stiffly she returned the embrace. Tygett, five years old, had clearly had a growth spurt and his attempt at a bow made her lips twitch.

Little Gerion was a babe in his nursemaid's arms. He was a friendly little thing, with a big smile and locks of golden hair like the rest of them, and she was glad to meet him even if she couldn't quite get it out of her head that she would rather Mother was here than him.

Having passed over Stafford with a cold greeting, she got to Jason, who smirked at her in the irritating way she remembered.

"You've grown," He said. So had he, slightly taller than she was now, despite being a year younger, and actually had muscles from training in the yard. He had never been particularly gifted with a sword, preferring a longbow, but from what she remembered he was not bad at it. "Why, you look just like a spider, or a leggy colt,"

Tya scowled.

"Do you ever tire of making stupid, childish remarks?" Normally sounding cold and haughty was second nature to her, but now she had to work to keep the frustration from her tone.

"Not when your reaction amuses me so," His smile was sly, and she make a noise of disgust, moving on.

"I don't like the way you look at him," Aerys complained to her later, lounging on a nearby chaise while she read at the desk and Rhaella sat sketching in the window seat. "Your cousin - not the fat one,"

"How do I look at him?" She raised an eyebrow, barely glancing up. "And why do you care?"

They had long since stopped bothering with titles.

"You look at him like - like you're a normal girl," He clearly struggled to find the words. Her eyebrow raised higher. "Well, you look at everyone else like they're beneath your notice!"

"I look at Jason like he's a slug on my shoe," She replied, but then a thought occured to her. "Are you annoyed because you've learnt there's someone who irritates me more than you do?" Her lips twitched.

Aerys opened his mouth indignantly, then closed it again as he realised she was right.

"If your Frey children are born with Lannister gold hair and green eyes then we'll all know why," He said with a rather cruel smile. He tended to lash out when he knew someone had bested him, and was rather good at it.

"I won't have any Frey children," Tya said coldly, any trace of amusement gone. She knew that for a fact. Never mind the repulsive idea that she would lay with Jason; that other statement had offended her much more.

Something in her tone made even Aerys pause, as Rhaella looked up curiously.

"Surely your husband will expect you to do your duty at some point," The prince said.

"I'm sure he will," Tya was not at all pleased at that prospect.

"Then how - " Aerys started, but surprisingly Rhaella interrupted him, seeing her expression.

"Leave it be, brother," She suggested, and for once he listened, though cast a dirty look at his sister for daring to tell him what to do.

"I thought you were writing to your father to try and persuade him out of the match?" He asked instead.

"To no avail," Her lip curled. "Kevan says that he's taken up with a new mistress. A candlemaker's daughter from Lannisport, scarcely two years older than I am," Aerys snorted and Rhaella smiled regretfully. Tya did not. "He claims Father barely reads my letters, and if he does then that presumptuous whore is whispering poison in his ears to keep me away,"

"Remember her name," Aerys said. "A Lannister always pays their debts, as you like to say. Once your father tires of her, you'll be free to do as you wish with the whore," He laughed. "I wouldn't want to be in her shoes then,"

No, Aerys, you really wouldn't.

*

Another chapter, what does everyone think? I hope the way I characterised Aerys and Rhaella was believable. Also what do you think of Jason?

Thanks for reading, please give feedback if you can spare a minute!