When the queen summoned you to her chambers, you didn't think anything of it. It wasn't unusual at all for you and Cersei to share tea or even a walk in the garden when she had the whim. After all, you'd been close with the Lannisters since you were a child. Your father had fallen in battle saving the life of Tywin Lannister. While your mother still lived, she had little interest in raising a child after your father died. As soon as the problem had been brought to Tywin's attention, he'd moved you into Casterly Rock. You visited your mother rarely, preferring the company of your new family.

You knocked lightly on Cersei's door.

"Enter."

Her gaze was on you the moment you stepped in the room. "Leave us," she said to the maids and guards in the room, her eyes never leaving yours. Your brow furrowed as you frowned. You couldn't recall ever seeing the look she was directing at you before.

As the last person left the room, you cleared your throat. "Is there something wrong, Cersei?"

Her jaw tightened and her lips pressed into a flat line. "You will address me as 'your grace'."

You managed not to flinch at the sting of her words. She'd never once asked you to refer to her by her title in private. "Of course, your grace." Your voice was quiet. Small.

She stood then, her eyes running over you as she stepped closer. She made a slow circle around you, neither of you saying anything. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?"

Confusion swamped you and you shook your head. "I don't—"

"I did not give you permission to speak."

Her harsh tone cut you as sure as any whip and your shoulders curled forward as you ducked your head to try to shield yourself from her ire. What exactly did she think you had done?

"I shared things with you that I have told no one else. You know intimate details of my life no one else is privy to. I thought I could trust you and you betrayed me." She stood in front of you now, her eyes burning into yours.

You clenched your teeth together to keep from saying all the things you wished to. You had done nothing to betray the woman in front of you. And she was right, you certainly held the power to do so.

She stomped over to her table and snatched up a small leather book you hadn't noticed laying there. As she opened it and flipped through the blood drained from your face. That was your diary. Your private journal. How in the seven hells had Cersei obtained it?

"I saw the lion today." She glanced up at you as she began reading. You did your best to keep your expression neutral though you were embarrassed beyond belief. "His presence commanded the room as always and all I could think about was if he would be as commanding in the bedroom."

She flipped to another page. "I'm obsessed with his hands. By all the gods, what is wrong with me? They are all I can think about, it's unnatural."

"Please stop," you managed to breathe out. Tears pooled in your eyes.

"But I haven't gotten to the best part. I shouldn't feel this way about him. It's wrong. But more than that, it's pointless. His heart belongs to another. She owns him body and soul. I know it but I can't help but hope." She had moved toward you as she read and once again stood in front of you. Her eyes ran over you for a moment before pain exploded in your cheek as Cersei struck you.

You gasped and cupped your face with your hand. You felt liquid and knew that the thick rings the queen wore must have cut your cheek. Before you could protest, her hand wrapped around your throat. You couldn't retaliate. Your life would be forfeit. So you stood and suffered at the hand of the woman you considered family.

"Jaime is mine," she hissed. "You know this but obviously refuse to acknowledge it. I won't have you moping around here pining after him. You are to leave. If you are still here tomorrow, I will take your head." She pushed you away from her and stalked over to throw your diary in the fire.

Your cradled your throat and hot tears ran down your face. "Cersei," you said, determined to explain yourself. If she'd just give you a moment you could clarify everything.

"Leave," she ordered without looking at you. "Leave and don't come back."

So, you did. You fled from her chambers and hurried toward your rooms. Tears blurred your vision and it was all you could do to keep from breaking down in sobs right there in the hallway. You were nearly to your rooms when you ran into someone. Hard. Hands gripped your upper arms, keeping you on your feet. You sniffed. "I'm sorry. I didn't see. My apologies."

"Easy, little bird," came Tywin Lannister's deep voice using the nickname the family had given you ages ago. "Calm yourself. What has happened?"

His voice only made the ache in your heart that much worse. You shook your head. "I have to go. I have to make arrangements. If I'm here on the morrow, she'll see me dead."

"Who? What are you talking about?" One of his hands reached up and he used his thumb to swipe the blood from your cheek.

Again, you shook your head and tried to remove yourself from his grip.

He gave you a little shake. "Enough. Stop. Do you honestly believe that I would allow any harm to come to you? Talk to me."

Realizing there was no way for you to avoid this conversation, you slumped. "I..." You trailed off and wiped the tears from your eyes. "Perhaps we should have this conversation somewhere more private."

He pursed his lips as he ran his eyes over you. Finally, he nodded and led you quickly through the halls to his rooms. He steered you into a chair before pouring a glass of wine and pressing it into your hands. "Drink."

You did as he instructed and swiped more tears away. Your gaze followed him as he wet a cloth in water and brought it over. He dabbed at the cut on your cheek causing you to hiss. "We were so near my rooms, why did you bring me here?"

"I would assume whoever threatened you is also aware of the location of your rooms." It was a statement, not a question. You nodded slightly in answer anyway.

"As I thought. You'll stay here until this matter is resolved."

You had nothing to say to that so you simply followed his motions with your eyes in silence. He refilled your wine before pouring his own and taking a seat behind his desk. "Talk."

You weren't even sure where to begin. This whole thing was so embarrassing and heart breaking. You took a deep breath as your face heated. Your eyes moved from him to stare at the wall behind him as you started to talk. "Someone found my private diary and gave it to Cersei. Or maybe she went looking for it herself. I don't know."

"I should hope there was nothing treasonous in it."

You looked to him in surprise to find him watching you with an arched brow. "You know better than that, my lord. My loyalty will always be to the Lannisters."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Not the throne?"

"A throne is just a chair, isn't it? Far more important is the person sitting in it." Getting off topic helped you calm down some though you knew it wouldn't last.

Tywin nodded in approval of your answer. "Then what could possibly be so bad that she would threaten your life. I assure you anything less than treason is not a killing offense."

"I had written concerning my feelings for someone. Cersei took offence. Called it a betrayal." You couldn't stand his intense stare any longer and shifted your gaze to watch the wine as you swirled it in your glass.

"Dare I ask who?" he finally asked.

You huffed a laugh. "She didn't." Knowing he wouldn't understand, you continued. "I never named him. I simply called him the Lion and Cersei made assumptions."

"So you are in love with Jaime and Cersei despises you for it," he sounded so defeated and disgusted.

You tilted your head but still didn't meet his eye as you licked your lips. "Cersei believes I am in love with Jaime and despises me for it."

There was a stretch of silence before Tywin cleared his throat. "I always knew that you and Tyrion were close, but I had no idea."

You shook your head and stood, placing your cup on his desk before walking over to the window. Here it was. The moment when Tywin helped you leave and told you that you were no longer welcome here or at Casterly Rock. Because really, what was the alternative? "I love Tyrion as a brother. Nothing more."

Even though your back was turned to him, you felt his gaze laying heavy on your shoulders. You held up a hand to stop him before he started naming off the Lannister cousins. "It's foolish I know. I'm sure you'd call it a passing fancy, but it's been years now so I'm inclined to believe the feeling is here to stay."

You turned to face him then, giving him a weak smile as you crossed your arms over your chest. "It's you, Tywin. It's always been you. From the moment I fancied myself old enough to love."

Surprise flashed through his eyes and was gone again as quickly as it came. He rose to his feet. "Little bird—"

"No," you said, cutting him off. "It's okay. I know you and I know your brain is already running over every interaction to see if there was a moment where you might have been too forward. Too unguarded. I assure you there were only too many moments where I read more into things than you ever intended. The fault is mine."

When he simply continued to watch with deep green eyes, you swallowed the lump in your throat and stepped forward. "I have much to do if I am to be gone by morning. If you'll excuse me."

You'd barely opened the door when a hand slammed against the wood next to your head and shut the door. You froze as you waited to see what his next move would be.

"Who says they weren't intended?"

"My Lord?"

A finger traced the side of your neck and you shivered. "Those moments were more intentional than you seem to believe." He leaned forward until his lips laid beside your ear and they brushed the skin as he spoke. His hands shifted to grasp your waist. "The press of a leg. The brush of a hand. A look that lasted a bit too long. Standing far too close."

His nose followed the trail his finger had taken earlier until he pressed a feather light kiss to the skin behind your ear. One of his hands laid flat against your stomach and pulled you back into him. "I tried to control myself, but you drive me to madness. My every thought is filled with you. If I had any idea you felt the same way, I would have acted ages ago."

Your heart raced. Never did you think he would return your feelings. You turned in his arms and he kept you pressed against the door as his lips found yours. The kiss was hungry, needy and absolutely amazing. His mouth trailed down your neck and across the collarbones exposed by the cut of your dress. There was something else you needed to know. That you needed to ask. You gasped as you struggled to remember. "Joanna," you finally managed. "What about Joanna?"

He stilled then pulled back to look down at you. This close you could see the gold that flecked his irises. His eyes were beautiful. Knowing he wouldn't appreciate it, you kept the thought to yourself. "Let me make one thing very clear, my love. I loved Joanna. She was the mother of my children. I believed I would never feel for another what I felt for her. And I was correct. What I feel for you is so much more than I thought possible. Joanna is my past, but you, little bird, are my future."

***

The next morning, Tywin sat down for breakfast with his family. Only his children were present as he had asked his grandson to dine elsewhere. The food was placed on the table and they all immediately began to serve themselves save Tyrion.

"Are we not waiting for Birdie?" he asked.

Cersei smirked. "She will not be joining us."

"Why not? She's not ill, is she?" Jaime piped up causing Cersei's smirk to fall into a frown instantly.

Tywin's gaze moved between his children, but he said nothing. Not yet.

"I told her to leave. Apparently, she fled so quickly, she left her belongings behind. Everything was still in her room this morning. I'll have them sent behind her." The proud tone in Cersei's voice grated against Tywin's nerves. As if the way she had treated his little bird was anything to be proud of. A dark bruise had been visible by the time he'd gotten her calmed enough to sleep the night before. Detestable.

"Why would you ask her to leave? She's as much a part of this family as you are," Tyrion said with a scowl. "In fact, at this moment I'd say she's the preferred sister."

Tywin managed to keep from smiling. Barely.

"Feel free to follow her, brother. I assure you that no one here will miss you," Cersei snapped.

"Just a minute," Jaime interjected. "I would like to know why you asked her to leave as well."

"Enough," Tywin said, ending the conversation before it went any further. "I assure you she has gone nowhere and is still very much in residence."

The other three sat silently watching him as he ate. Finally, Cersei spoke up. "Where is she then? I had guards search for her this morning. They turned up nothing."

He arched a brow as he stared down his daughter. "She is in my bed. Or she was when I left it at any rate."

Tyrion choked on his drink and Jaime's brows lifted. "Your bed?" his elder son said.

"Hmm. Yes. We are to be wed on the morrow."

"You can't possibly—"

He turned his glare back on his daughter, cutting off whatever argument she'd been about to make. "You should have remembered there is more than one lion, daughter. You will not hurt her again in any capacity. Do I make myself clear?"

Her jaw set as she gave him a tight nod. "Yes."

He kept his gaze locked with hers, wanting to ensure that she understood there would be consequences for disobedience. His sons just looked between them wondering what they'd missed.

After a moment Cersei's face shifted to a look of disgust. "Wait, if you're the lion, then everything I read..."

Tywin smirked. "Yes. It's unfortunate you burned it. I believe I would have enjoyed studying it myself."