"Well?" Bronn enquired, as Tyrion made his way back into the room, grabbed a glass and filled it until the dark red liquid almost spilled over the lip.

"Well, what?" The little man huffed harshly in reply. Hating the fact that he had sounded like his father.

"Well, what happened? I take it that given tha fact that ya ain't been gone too long, that ya beautiful cousin didn't listen to ya declaration of love and fall into ya arms." The sellsword expounded. Watching as Tyrion downed his full glass in one gulp and refilled it.

"I think that you could say that, yes. She did in fact just call me a lying, two faced little shit, that would fuck anything as long as it had two legs, and breasts. Pulse possibly optional, again. But, as it is (Y/n), she does it in the most polite way possible, yet still managing to make you feel like you are a pile of something unpleasant that you have just accidentally stepped in to." Tyrion explained. His shoulders slumping. It feeling as though the weight of the world had just been placed firmly on top of him.

"Aye, I heard that earlier. That's why I never mess with smart women, more trouble than they're worth. Ya better off just sticking with tha girls in Baelish' place. Fa tha right price, they will do anything and pretend they're anyone ya like. We should go down there now. We should get drunk, and you can get one of the girls ta pretend that she's ya cousin. Given what I saw earlier, that's tha closest ya ever gonna get." Bronn replied, as he got to his feet. Really quite liking the sound of his own suggestion.

"No. I cannot imagine that I will be much company tonight. I will just drink here instead." Tyrion told the sellsword. Bronn shrugging, before turning and making his way to the door.

"Fine. Suit ya self. But mooning around ain't gonna make ya cousin think any better of ya." The sellsword added. Tyrion's shoulders seeming to slump even further. The little lord surprised at how insightful Bronn could actually be on the odd occasion.

                                                         >>----------------------------------<<

(Y/n) was exhausted. Her body heavy. Her mind clouded. She had never had a day like this before. It wasn't just the long day's travel. It wasn't just because she had had to listen to Cersei for hours. To have to meet that atrocious child, Joffrey. It was more that every emotion. Every ounce of love and hate within her, was fighting for supremacy. The floods of tears, tears that had been locked inside her since that morning when she had been dragged to her carriage, draining her of all her energy. Now, all she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep and hope that the new day would bring with it some hope.

She knew that she had been cruel to Tyrion, despite the fact that she had promised herself that she wouldn't be. She knew that in her way, she had called him the most terrible things. She knew that she shouldn't have mentioned his wife. That given what had happened. What he had been forced to watch, that dragging something like that up, had been an awful thing to do. But she had been unable to stop the venom dipped words from leaving her lips.

There was only one thing that (Y/n) had ever wanted for Tyrion, and that was for him to be happy. The young lioness well aware that he had never been happy too often in their youth. Cersei and his father, as well as most others, seeming to get some kind of perverse delight from being as cruel to him as possible, for something that he had had no control over. And who was she to judge? Just because he found that happiness in the arms of whores rather than hers. A happiness that she could probably never give him.

She had told him that he was not to blame for the choices that she had made. And she had meant it. She had been a foolish, naïve girl when she had made her pledge to the gods. When she had sworn to remain pure, until she could be with Tyrion. But she knew that she could not go back on that oath. That now it was too late to hope that some other man's eyes may fall on her.

"Excuse me. I'm so sorry." (Y/n) apologised, as she accidentally bumped into something solid. Her eyes flying up to see that she had walked into a dark haired man, with a narrow smile.

"Not at all, my lady. The fault was mine. But might I enquire as to whom I have the pleasure of bumping in to? I know all the faces of the Keep, and I sure that I would remember seeing someone as beautiful as you." The man cooed softly, as he took her hand, and kissed her knuckles.

"I......er.......I'm............" (Y/n) stammered out. Not liking that the man seemed to be getting ever closer. Looming over her like a dark shadow.

"(Y/n)!" A voice exclaimed. (Y/n) and the man looking over to see Tyrion making his way towards them. The lioness sure that she had never been happier to see her cousin, in her life.

"(Y/n), my dear. I have been looking for you everywhere. Thank you for finding my cousin for me, Lord Baelish. But, if you will excuse us........." Tyrion said, as he took (Y/n)'s hand from that of the whoremongers. And whisked her through the corridors to his rooms.

                                                       >>--------------------------------<<

"Are you alright?" Tyrion asked, as he sat (Y/n) down and handed her a glass of wine.

"Y-y-yes, Thank you. I am just not used to things like that. Men like that. He seems rather an unpleasant thing." (Y/n) replied nervously. Gratefully taking the glass from the little man's hand.

"Unpleasant would be an understatement when describing Lord Baelish." Tyrion explained, as he took a small cloth and dipped it in some water. Taking it over to his shaky cousin and wiping her hand with it. The little man hating the idea that something like Baelish had had his hands on his beloved cousin.

"I think I should leave. I am not made for Kings Landing, Tyrion. I prefer my little home. I prefer the familiar faces. It is safe there, and..........."

"But you have only just arrived, (Y/n). You can't leave yet. We have not had the chance to speak of happier things, you and I. If you feel ill at ease, I will have my man, Bronn, watch over you while you are here. I assure you that he will not allow you to come to any harm." Tyrion pleaded, as he gripped (Y/n)'s hand tight. (Y/n) looking up from her glass and into the face of her cousin.

"From what Cersei has told me about that man of yours, it would be a little like leaving a fox in charge of the hen house." (Y/n) chuckled slightly. Her heart beating a little quicker as Tyrion smiled back at her. The little man well aware that she did have a point.

"My sister seems to have informed you of many things. Should there be anything else I should know?" Tyrion asked, as he took a seat next to her. Hoping that if he changed the subject, then he might take her mind off wanting to leave.

"I would say, that she told me anything and everything that she could think of, to paint you in the worst possible light. But I wouldn't expect anything less of Cersei. Even as a child she was an unpleasant thing. Always trying to make herself appear smarter than she actually was by undermining you every chance that she got. And from what I saw that oldest boy of hers, is following in his mother's footsteps." (Y/n) explained, as she took a sip of wine. Her body once again returning to its exhausted and heavy state.

"So, you didn't think much of my dear nephew then?"

"Tommen and Myrcella seem pleasant enough, but Joffrey............Joffrey I can truthfully say is the most atrocious child that I have ever met. Not that I am an expert on children. The joys of motherhood will never be something that I will be fortunate enough to know. But even I know that a child should not speak to his mother, his siblings, in such a fashion." The lioness remarked, remembering back to the very uncomfortable dinner.

"Now, I should really be getting back to my rooms. It has been such a long day, and I am so tired. I wish to sleep for a thousand years." (Y/n) told Tyrion, as she slowly got to her feet.

"Then stay here. If a man like Baelish is prowling the Keep, it will be better that you stay here so that I can watch over you. Then when Bronn returns from the br........when he returns, I will inform him of his new duties." Tyrion said, as he jumped to his feet and took (Y/n)'s hand. Leading her over to his bed and gesturing for her to sit. The little man pulling back the sheets and then taking off (Y/n)'s shoes, before helping her move her legs under the covers.

"Tyrion! I can't this is your room. Your bed. I have my own.........."

"Please (Y/n). Just rest. Tomorrow things will seem different. Better, I promise." Tyrion assured, as he snuffed out a few of the candles. The flicker of the fire, now the only light in the room. Tyrion having the same wonderful feeling as he did when (Y/n) would come to Casterly Rock. The same hope and happiness as he watched his cousin close her eyes. The youngest son of Tywin, drawing up a chair to the side of the bed.

"You forgot Hagard and Enith's other two sons, Farty and Burpy, earlier. But I don't suppose that they will mind." (Y/n) said softly, before she drifted off the sleep. The lioness unaware of the tears that were rolling down Tyrion's cheeks. And the kiss that he had just placed to her forehead.