Cersei Lannister was beyond redemption.

She was vengeful, vindictive, cold and ruthless. She took every opportunity at hand to show her power and she relished over it. She was everything but a good person and she was content with that but Joanna it felt more than that. She would kill and bleed for her children and she never kept it hidden.

She has killed for children, that the streets could be washed with blood and she knew she would do it again. For the sake of her children

she was a mother

Joanna was one of the lights of her life. She was everything Cersei was not and to the realm she thanked it. Joanna was loved by so many and feared by her opponents.

She was kind and forgiving but also knew how to command respect when she entered a room. Even as a child, the king himself, hated her for being more loved than himself. She was her Joanna and she would go to the ends of the earth to ensure her safety above all else. But sitting across from Joanna, seeing how her child looked at her with so much mistrust and pain hurt her.

The war had caused Joanna to lose that glimmer in her eyes, her skin was pale as sheets and the scar and her forehead spoke of struggle and brutalitly. Her hair tied back, brittle and weak and Cersei could tell by Joanna's nails clicking on the table she was scared , perhaps all the time.

She regretted leaving Joanna with the Starks the moment they left Winterfell, which now felt like a distant memory.

The idea of Joanna in the hands of a family who despised the throne and their family. How could she ever rest with the idea that Joanna could be killed under the hands of Robb Stark. A brute, wild man who lacked the decree that Joanna deserved.

"You need to eat Joanna." Cersei affirmed as Joanna played with the food in front of her. It was all of her favourite meals and desserts but Joanna refused to eat in her mothers presence. "You need to build up strength." Joanna remained silent as she stared at her mother with nothing but remorse.

"No thank you. I don't want anything from you." she narrowed her eyes sitting back in her chair. The sleeves of her gown covering her stomach as she would rather die than have her mother see her with child "I thought I made it clear I don't want to see any of you."

Cersei's face softened as she could understand why her daughter felt so :"I understand but you can not wither away in this room. I will not allow that."

to this Joanna scoffed as she rolled her eyes "You won't allow it?" her tone becoming more dark and shrill "Like you couldn't allow me to live in peace in the North?" She remarked.

"You weren't meant for the North and you know this. You're home is here with me." Cersei's grip tightened around her gauntlet of wine at the thought of what the Starks had done to her sweet summer child "The North has ruined you."

Joanna's eyes snapped back as her fist slammed the table :"No mother, you have ruined me! The Lannisters have ruined me with your lies and deceit!" she yelled as she felt her face growing warm.

A pit in her stomach forming larger and larger at the thought of everything that she had been through , thanks to her own family "If it weren't for this family I would still have had Robb!"

Cersei's jaw clenched as she took a sip of her wine, calming her nerves "If it weren't for us, your grandfather, you would be dead! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?! TO BE A ROTTING CORPSE WITH THE STARK? WE DID WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO SAVE YOU!"

"SAVE ME FROM WHAT?!" Joanna screamed as she stood so fast she knocked her chair backwards "I had a husband who loved me.I could have had a happy and prosperous life if it weren't for you always seeking control over my life!" Joanna and Cersei stared with one another as a silence filled her chambers. She could feel herself becoming nauseous by her mothers presence, she wasn't ready for this but as always her mother knew better

"I would not allow to live a life with a man who didn't deserve you." Cersei calmly replied

"He would be the cause of your death the second he refused to bend the knee to your brother. I would not let him or his family of wild men ruin my child , whether you like that or not. I know better for you." she affirmed.

Joanna shook her in disbelief, the delusion of her mother becoming near suffocating

"I loved him." She felt her eyes glisten from weeks of crying "I loved him and even in war, he made me feel safer then you ever could." Joanna's lip trembled

"You don't know what's good for any of us. You claim this was your act of love and look where that has gotten me. A hostage under Joffrey, grandfather determining whether I should be executed or not. This isn't living mother, this is a nightmare." she had her sleeve drape over her arm as her other hand wiped the warm tears escape her eyes

"Robb made me feel more free than this family ever could. There was no one to tell me what I could do, what not to do, no one to tell me who or what I could be."

Cersei shook her head in denial :"He would have ruined you just like Robert ruined me. You and I are the same Joanna. I am trying to save you a life of heartache and pain!" she snapped at her child

"I WILL NEVER BE LIKE YOU! I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN BE LIKE YOU!" Joanna screamed. She could see Cersei's eyes darkened as the words cut through her like a blade.

There was so much she wanted to say to her mother, she didn't want her mother dead and a part of her knew that no matter she would still deeply love her mother but having her deny her the freedom she so desperately wanted was infuriating "I will never forgive any of you for what you did to me. I miss him every night I close my eyes and every morning I wake up and he's not next to me. The fact that I have grown to resent you is not his fault or the North or whatever it is you think has influenced me. I resent you and this family for taking away the one thing, the one person, that made me loved and safe!" And for the first time since setting foot in the Red Keep again, Joanna left her chambers

As a child Joanna would hide within the gardens whenever she tried escaping Joffrey. He would chase her with a sword but luckily she knew of secret routes within the castle to escape of them.

No one knew of them, except a hand select few. Joanna sat between the rose bushes as she breathed deeply calming herself, hoping that her child couldn't feel the pain she was feeling. Her eyes squinted as she noticed the back of a familiar red haired girl. Joanna stood up as she slowly approached her. A lump forming in her throat as the closer she got the more she reminded her of Catelyn Stark

"Sansa..."

Sansa turned around. Both breathes hitched at the sight of the other. The young girl didn't hesitate as she engulfed Joanna in her arms. She smelled of scented candles and the summer breeze of Kingslanding.

Joanna's arms around Sansa's shoulders as she felt her shoulder become home to Sansa's tears. Joanna felt so much relief at the sight of her, she was alive, after everything they had been through Sansa Stark was still alive.

Sansa overwhelmed by emotion as she finally felt safe with someone her family trusted "You have no idea how glad I am to see you." she admitted "I had no idea whether you would even want to see me again."

Joanna felt so much burden and guilt wash over her at the thought of Sansa was alone in the capitol. No Arya, Ned and no hope of Robb to rescue her. She stepped back as her mournful eyes looked to the young girl

"I am so sorry, for everything. I'm so sorry for what you have had to endure, losing so much- I am so sorry that I couldn't have done enough." She pleaded "Sansa, I'm sorry that it's me you're seeing and now him. I can never forgive myself for what-" Joanna continued as she felt Sansa embrace her again

"It's alright. I promise you my anger was never directed at you." Sansa truthfully replied "I heard you fought alongside him at the red wedding." the two stepped back as Joanna held the young girls hand. Sansa could understand the stories of Joanna being whispered across the Red Keep.

The troubles of war were worn on her face. She thought back to when her eyes landed on Joanna for the first, and the woman in front of her had been through so much. "I have so much I want to ask but I'm not sure if either of us are ready." Sansa interlinked her arm with Joanna as they took a stroll through the gardens.

The roses were in bloom and the plants freshly watered. The sunset peaking behind the crystal blue as the shadows of ships slowly vanished at the edge of the water. They had spent the entire day with one another as Joanna could feel the weight on her chest lift. Both noted how much the other looked so like her mother, but Joanna could not believe how Sansa had grown. She was beautiful, tall and eyes as striking as her brothers. She was how she imagined Catelyn would look like at that age

"So after everything that has happened, do you mean to stay here?" Sansa quietly asked looking over her shoulder to see if they were being followed. The paranoia very apparent to Joanna as she understood why the young girl would be mindful of her question

"I want to say no, but I have no where else to go. The North is probably in ruins now and Winterfell-" Sansa's eyes dropped at the mention of what was her home "I'm so sorry. The last thing I want is to upset you." She sympathized "There's no where I could go without it reaching my grandfather or mother."

"Not necessarily" Sansa spoke as she lowered the volume of her voice "I've been speaking to someone who could help escape. Start a new life somewhere else..."

"Who?" Joanna suspiciously asked "Is it someone I know?" Sansa slowly nodded her head as the walked deeper into the gardens, the rose walls growing higher and higher

"Petyr Baelish." She whispered. Joanna eyes grew as she was near muted by the mention of Little Finger. She knew little of him but judging by his interaction with Varys , from what she could remember, she knew to tread carefully with him

"Sansa, how can you be sure to trust him?"

"He's helped my mother more than once. He was the last person my father trusted before..." she spoke "Joanna, he's the only one willing to help me escape from here. I have to take that chance." Joanna shook her head as the nativity of being child was clearly shown with Sansa. In so many ways it reminded her of herself and Robb.

Joanna felt too nervous to trust the likes of Petyr Baelish. He seemed conniving and too smart for his own good.

From what she knew he was sly and calculating and nothing he ever did not come at a price. Sansa was Robb's sister and she felt protective over the young girl. I owe it to them to protect her Joanna thought to herself as she looked to Sansa's innocent eyes. She couldn't have Sansa suffer through more pain than she already has, it wasn't fair

"What if I could make a way for you to leave? Have you start a new life somewhere else?" She offered knowing the people she could still trust could be counted on her one hand

"I would feel more reassured that way. Sansa, remember what I told you." She reminded her of the brief conversation they had in Winterfell as a young Sansa still had hope that Joffrey would sweep her off her feet and blissfully enter a loving marriage

"You can't trust the people here. You can't trust the people who council Joffrey himself. Petyr's favours never come without price. If you can just give me time, I beg you, then I could help you leave Kingslanding and never return." Joanna pleaded as she gripped Sansa's tighter

"I don't know..."

"Sansa please, I swear on your mother and Robb's life that I will keep you safe, all I need is time. That will be the only thing I ask of you." Sansa could see the desperation and loyalty on Joanna's face. After everything she had been through with Robb it felt impossible to say no. If Joanna was good enough to earn Robb and the Norths' trust who was she to say no

"On one condition."

"What?"

"You come with me." She offered. Joanna swallowed the cry threaten to escape. After everything she had put their families through Sansa still found it in her heart to care for her. "I won't leave without you Joanna. Robb would want you to be happy."

Joanna nodded her head as she wept tears of joy. The idea of escaping was possible and since marrying Robb, Joanna felt hope in her heart again.