"You look marvelous, my lady!"

A maid gasped seeing Hellen dressed in her wedding gown. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and seen a young woman whom she did not recognize. A young woman with exceedingly long blonde hair dressed in a deep red wedding gown with gold speckles throughout the pattern.

Hellen frowned smoothing out her dress.

"I don't feel marvelous."

She replied causing the maid to frown looking at her mistress. Hellen glanced at the maid and waved her off, not feeling like explaining anything to the young woman. The seamstress chuckled a bit as she pulled out the gown a bit.

"Your royal wedding is in a week and you're saying that your ladyship doesn't feel how she looks?"

Hellen looked at the old woman. She was old enough to be Hellen's own mother or maybe an older aunt. Regardless, the woman was old enough to have seen a few weddings in her day.

"I don't feel marvelous because I shouldn't."

Hellen explained. The seamstress gave a slight chuckle as she pinned a fabric piece together around her hips. She looked at Hellen in the reflection of the mirror.

"Every bride should feel marvelous in their gown. Tell me if you do not -- "

"It's not the gown. The gown is beyond beautiful and I thank you for it."

Hellen said rubbing her hands together in a worried manner. The seamstress halted her work and looked up at Hellen.

"What troubles you child?"

She asked although Hellen just kept her gaze at her reflection in the mirror.

"The future of my family."

Hellen hurried down the hallway to the dinning hall where Tywin had requested her presences. When she arrived she had not expected to see the guests that were here.

"Lady Hellen, my daughter Cersei and her husband Loras Tyrell."

Tywin introduced the three of them.

"Cersei, Loras, my bride to be Hellen of Tarth."

Loras smiled warmly and approached Hellen. He reached out and gave her a kiss on the hand unexpectedly. Hellen couldn't help but blush from the unexpected action. Loras seen this and showed her a cheeky smirk.

"Lovely to meet you, Lady Hellen."

"Likewise Lord Loras."

She replied with a small curtsy. It was then Hellen was approached by Cersei. The woman looked at Hellen as if she were an enemy. As if Hellen had taken her spot as Queen, but that had been Margaery who had done so prior, not Hellen.

"Lady Hellen."

"Lady Cersei."

Cersei gave a slight chuckle. This wasn't their first meeting. Their first had been when Cersei had personally thanked her and her sister for bringing her brother back home to her and the family. That was during Joffery's wedding.

"Tell me, how does someone like yourself catch my father's eye?"

She mused quietly just enough for Hellen to hear. The woman looked at Cersei knowing full and well that she had never liked her from the start. Hellen just gave a small smile.

"With my money of course."

Hellen said giving a small curtsy as she walked around a very stunned Cersei. Hellen could see Tywin sitting at the head of the table arching his brow as he watched Hellen make her way toward him. She sat beside him to his left just as the other family entered the room.

Brienne and Jaime stopped in the doorway at the sight of Cersei. Tyrion didn't seem all too enthused to see his sister either. It was only when their uncle, Kevan, made his way around them and greeted his niece did the other three resume their way to the table.

"Sister."

"Brother."

Jaime and Cersei greeted one another.

"Little brother."

"Hello sister."

Cersei and Tyrion spoke.

"Lady Cersei."

"Hello Lady Brienne."

The two of them said while the boys were greeting Loras. Tywin sighed deeply watching his family interacting with one another. He took a sip of his wine before glancing at Hellen, who seemed to be more interested with the food on the table rather than the family.

Suppressing a chuckle, Tywin leaned over toward her, his lips brushing against her ear.

"You seem more interested in the food rather than your own family. Tell me, are you eating for two yet?"

Tywin's gruff voice questioned sending a shiver down her spine. Hellen turned her head ever so slightly and smiled unsure like at Tywin.

"I'm not sure yet. I might be. But I won't know till later."

She replied looking at the older man. She felt his hand fall upon hers on the arm of her chair. This notion. This notion was unexpected but not unwelcome. She merely looked at Tywin.

"Are you going soft on me, my lion?"

She questioned causing Tywin's lips to nearly curl upward. He gazed at her with a mischievous look. Leaning back in his chair he allowed his hand to linger for a moment to longer before drawing away completely.

"So, will your Lord Father be joining us?"

Tywin questioned glancing Brienne's way. She looked at him quickly her gaze pulled from Cersei.

"No. I'm afraid my father isn't feeling well."

She apologized. Hellen shifted slightly in her seat looking to her sister.

"Is he alright?"

"Merely tired I believe."

Brienne said with at small nod toward her sister. Hellen slowly nodded back. She adjusted in her seat to a more upright and proper position.

"Well, let's eat."

Tywin announced and dinner begun.

Hellen sighed as she relaxed with her back against the bed. She looked up at the canopy. Her eyes heavy as she was tired from today. A few guest had arrived prior to the royal wedding. Cersei and Ser Loras were two of them. Although there would be many, many more Lords and Ladies coming Hellen couldn't help but find this whole event a waste of time.

It was a waste of time and gold. Time because they could easily have been married off to one another quickly months ago. Gold because it was such a grand event. Then again she was marrying a king.

Putting her hand over her stomach she laid there thinking of Tywin's question tonight. Was she with child? They had been trying for a very long time with no luck at all. Her mother had been able to give children, so why was Hellen having such difficulty in doing the same?

Glancing sideways when she felt the bed shift down she seen Tywin lean over her. He seen her hand resting upon her belly and traced his own over hers. She shown him a weak smile moving her hand to grab his own.

"You do seem as if you're turning soft."

Tywin chuckled a bit. His gaze soft and unlike his usual stone cold gaze that he showed to so many people.

"Soft? Hardly."

He mused. Hellen arched a brow. Tywin was most certainly acting strange. He was acting very strange.

"Then what would you call it? Nearly a year ago you wouldn't have looked twice at me and now you can't keep your hands off me."

She pointed out.

"What's changed?"

The question came out as a whisper. A whisper that was so quiet had Tywin not been looking at her he wouldn't have heard her ask the question. He looked at her and thought for a moment. She had asked him if he was turning soft. The more he laid there beside her thinking the more he came to believe it true. Why else would he act in such a manner if it weren't?

"Jaime informed me that you found out my true intentions behind this marriage."

She looked at him and frowned. Her thumb started to rub his hand slowly. Her gaze locked with his own as she laid there.

"My dowry."

"Yes."

"I knew there had to be a reason behind why you chose me."

"Hellen, listen to me."

Tywin said his eyes narrowing a bit. She knew that he was turning serious. It was a thing he always did when he became this way. Seriousness was always Tywin, but there were times when he was more so than not.

"At first yes. My extentions were to marry you simply for your dowry. My family is in a financial crisis with the Iron Bank due to war and Robert borrowing money from me. I needed something to help support my family until I could get things fixed. You were the answer to that."

Hellen laid there listening. She kept rubbing his hand with her thumb, Tywin making no motion to stop her actions as he spoke.

"I had no intentions for heirs because of Jaime. I has no intentions to open my heart. Yet here I lay. Next to a young woman whom I'm desperate to have my son conceived in her womb."

"You honestly can't expect me to believe this?"

"You honestly expect me to lie? For what reason would I have to lie to you? You are fully behind carrying my child. What cruel reason would there be for lying to you about this?"

Hellen stopped rubbing Tywin's hand and sat up on her elbows. He looked at her and she at him. Her frown said it all. It showed the distrust she had in this whole conversation. Tywin could see it clear as day.

"You've attempted to manipulate me once already."

His brow arched.

"You tried to turn me against my sister."

"To get that silly idea about you being her ward out of your head. I need you here with me."

Hellen scoffed and laid back down. She looked back at the canopy. Laying there quietly as Tywin watched.

"I need you to become the woman I know you can be. My wife, my Queen, my lady."

He said softly leaning over and kissing her exposed shoulder. Hellen sighed softly. Tywin's lips trailed across her shoulder and toward her neck.

"You are mine and I am yours. I need you here with me fully. I can't have you being distracted."

She gasped feeling Tywin's fingers sliding up her gown and floating over her opening between her legs. She closed her eyes and arched her lower back pressing herself against his hand more.

"Hellen, I need you."

He all but groaned against her ear. Biting her bottom lip she turned her face toward him to kiss him. He kissed her back.

Bells rung out all throughout the Kingdom. The day had come. The royal wedding. The Kingdom flourished with guests from all around Westeros and even beyond. It was a rather big event and for Hellen that was trouble.

Hellen stood in the middle of the outer waiting area of the Sept. Her father locked in arm with her. She looked at him, he smiled weakly at her.

"You look extravagant."

Hellen glanced to her father and smiled sadly. Selwyn returned the expression. He rubbed her wrist.

"What's wrong? Hellen?"

Her sad smile fluttered a little. She looked in her father's eyes and seen the concern. He went to question her further, but the doors opened. They looked forward. Their eyes straight ahead.

"It's time."

She muttered taking one step forward having her father escort her through the doors.

The whole room free silent as she looked among the crowd of people. Hellen was dressed in the golden ballgown type of dress that the seamstress had been working on for the last month. It was beautiful and made her golden locks seem that much more golden.

Everyone had their eyes on her. Everyone. Everyone including Tywin himself. Hellen noticed that he wasn't looking at anyone else but her. She was the center of his attention which caused her to blush. She never did enjoy having all eyes on her and now that she was about to become a Queen she supposed that was just something she would have to get used to after all.

Selwyn handed her off to Tywin and bowed returning to his spot amongst the crowd. Hellen was shaking as she looked up to Tywin. Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly from the smile that graced his lips.

She had never once seen him smile. But now he most certainly was and it was hard for anyone to miss.

"My lords and ladies -- "

The priest began as he looked around the room. Hellen could not bring herself to look to any one or anything else other than Tywin's smile. It was so genuine and seemingly warm that it even reached his eyes.

And it was something that she'd never forget.