𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗 | The Pavilion

{ Lyra }

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𝕸ikael laughed, rushing after Elia in the shade of the garden, pouncing on the same flowers and trying to catch the same butterflies.

"Elia! Mikael, not too far!" Lyra called, watching as her son and wolf both completely ignored her call. "Trouble. They are trouble."

"They take after their mother, Your Grace," Arah commented, placing a plate of pastries down by Lyra's side as the woman shot her a withering look. "I am not wrong."

"No, you are not. That's what's annoying," Arah laughed at Lyra's words, watching the queen whistle once more. This time, Elia seemed to listen, stopping and turning to trot back towards her with Mikael following close behind. "Thank you, Elia. Arah, take a seat."

Arah sat down beside the queen, both of them relaxing in the shade as Mikael finally seemed to calm slightly and flop across his mother's lap. Lyra ran a hand through his hair, before turning to Arah.

"So, how long before Drew comes to us to say that Tylar and Joffrey are sparring instead of teaching him?"

"Not long. Tylar is far too competitive for his own good," Arah rolled her eyes at her husband.

"Yes, that I know. He draws the competitive side out of everyone he meets, especially my husband," Lyra laughed to herself. "At least it keeps them occupied."

It was one of the few quieter day in Kings Landing, Jaime had left for Highgarden to start transporting the gold back to the city and there was no court until the next day, meaning that both Lyra and Joffrey were free to do what they wished.

"The real question is, do we stop them before they try to take each other's limbs off or wait until after?" Arah and Lyra snorted at the thought, before Mikael stopped flopping over Lyra's knee and sat up in her lap to look around. He stole one of the pastries off of his mother's plate, beginning to devour it as the older women watched him with soft eyes. "I can not wait until I have the same opportunity."

"With what?"

"Having a child." Arah told the queen, who grinned. "I'm not pregnant. Tylar is still sceptical about us having a child."

"Why?" Lyra cocked an eyebrow, confused as to why her guard would think that.

"He's worried about all of the battles to come and if our kid might die in one of those." Arah shrugged. "He wants to wait until there's peace, which I understand, but..."

"If he keeps waiting for peace, he's going to be dust in the ground." Lyra shook her head. "There's never an opportune time, especially not at the moment, I agree. But you don't want to leave things too long."

"That's what I told him." Arah replied, before shaking her head. "He needs some more convincing."

"I can give him Mikael if you want," Lyra offered. "He works wonders, don't you Darling?"

"Course Mama." Mikael nodded, though he did not know what his mother was talking about and was far too focused on the pastry in his hands. "Can I have another?"

"You haven't finished that one." Lyra countered, brushing crumbs from her son's mouth. "Finish that one and then you can have another."

"I might take you up on that..." Arah stopped as Elia began to growl. Immediately, Lyra and Arah were on alert, knowing that they had no guards with them. Tylar was supposed to be on duty, yet he was busy training with Joffrey and Drew, leaving the women to themselves. They had thought they were safe, deep in the maze of the Red Keep gardens, but if Elia was on edge then they were not.

"Elia, who is it?" Lyra asked, trying not to scare her son, who had stopped eating his pastry to look around. Elia stood up once more, her fur standing up on end as she tried to make herself seem bigger.

"Your Grace. I did not expect to see you here!" Lyra rolled her eyes at Euron's voice, standing up to see past her wolf. Her eyes widened at who was with him. "I was just taking Lady Greyjoy for a stroll through the gardens as she has missed it so much whilst she was away."

"Does my husband know?" Lyra asked, staring at Cersei with cold eyes. "I would have thought he should."

"I brought it up at the last Small Council meeting. He wasn't there, but the others, who were in attendance, agreed." Euron smiled as Lyra turned to Arah.

"Get Joff, now." Arah nodded, walking off as quickly as she could before Lyra picked her son up and into her arms. Elia curled further around her, trying to protect both of them as best she could.

"Is this the little prince?" Euron stepped forward as Mikael's eyes widened. He buried his head deep into his mother's neck, still shy with meeting new people. "He's big, isn't he?"

"He's grown since last I saw him."

"Don't speak," Lyra glared at Cersei, her anger hiding just below the surface. "I don't want to hear a word from you."

"Has my wife done something to upset you, Your Grace?" Euron raised an eyebrow, and Lyra couldn't tell whether his confusion was real or an incredibly good act. "I am sorry. I didn't know."

Lyra took a deep breath, trying to control the anger inside of her as she looked at the pair. 

"I advise you escort Lady Greyjoy out of the Red Keep, before my husband comes back." Lyra's tone was as even as she could manage, her grip tightening on her son. "Or he will kill her where she stands, that there is no doubt."

"I see." Euron's voice turned cold, before the moment passed and his voice went back to light and airy. "Ah, well I don't want to upset the king. Give him my regards."

The pair walked off the way they came, disappearing behind the hedges as Lyra sank to her knees. Memories of Margaery flashed through her mind and the bright green of the Sept exploding accompanied it, the same explosion that had almost kill her, Mikael and Tylar. She took a shuddering breath, trying to keep herself together. It may have been near to a year, but the wound hurt just as much as it first did.

"Mama, don't cry." Little hands on her cheeks wiped away tears that Lyra didn't even know had fallen. "Why are you sad?"

"I'm not sad, Darling. I just miss someone, that's all." Lyra smiled at her little boy, brushing the tears away and pressing a kiss to his head. "I love you, little lion."

"Love you Mama." Mikael chorused before attempting to wiggle out of her grip to cling onto Elia as the large wolf stood above the two protectively. "Lia! Lia!"

Elia spared him a quick lick on the head, before going back to standing above Lyra, her hackles raised and ears twitching. She began to growl again, as Lyra tugged Mikael closer and grabbed the dagger form her leg, wondering whether this was Cersei and Euron's forces coming to kill her, as Cersei had failed to do at the Sept.

"My Love?" Lyra sighed in relief, though Elia kept growling. "Good girl, Elia. Thank you for protecting them."

Joffrey gave the wolf a gentle pat, before pushing past her and crouching by Lyra.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, they left...they left minutes ago." Lyra took a deep breath as Joffrey checked her over for injuries, before turning to Mikael. 

"Da!" Mikael flew into his father's arms as Joffrey pressed a kiss to his head and clutched him close. He stood by Lyra's side, as her head fell onto his leg with a sigh. "Missed you. Weird man was here today. I didn't like him. Mama didn't either."

"No. We don't like them." Joffrey confirmed, rubbing Lyra's cheek in comfort. "From now on, you're going to have a guard with you, Mikael. Just like Mama has Tylar and I have all of those men in white cloaks and armour."

"I get one too?"

"Yes. Just for you." Joffrey promised, smiling. "They're going to go with Mama and Tylar and you and keep you safe, just like Elia as well."

"Lia's still going to be there, right?" Mikael questioned as Lyra took another deep breath and tried to pull herself together. "Cause I don't not want her there."

"Of course. But for now, whilst I find you a guard, we're going to go back to our chambers. Mama needs a rest," Joffrey's voice lowered. "Do you think you can walk with Elia?"

"Yes!" Mikael nodded, as Joffrey pressed another kiss to his head and handed the boy to Elia. The wolf nudged Lyra, licking her cheek and head, before turning back to the boy and walking beside him.

"Come, my Love. The sooner we are in our rooms, the better." Joffrey reminded her, helping her from the floor. "Then, we can deal with this issue."

Hiya,

So, Mikael is the cutest child ever and I love him to bits (who doesn't?) and Lyra and Arah have a good friendship. To be honest, this chapter is slightly filler but it's still fun and we're moving onto more and more fun stuff now.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx