Chapter 9 ~ Laws of Gods and Men ~

I sat with the other high lords and ladies, Tommen sat on the throne while the Lords and ladies whispered amongst themselves, I met Oberyn's eyes and he sent me a small smile, he glanced down at my swollen belly and raised an eyebrow at the dress i was wearing, the armour i usually wore no longer fit across my belly, I was completely unprotected from things now and for the first time I felt like i was vulnerable.

I wrung my hands as Jaime and Tyrion entered the throne room, Tyrion was washed and dressed in clean clothes and his shackles were almost as menacing as the two Kingsguard that flanked him and Jaime, they weren't there for Tyrion's protection apparently they were there for the protection of the Lords and Ladies

"Kingslayer!" A lord yelled from the other side of the throne room, Tyrion tensed at the name but continued on without hesitation.

The Kingsguard shackled him to the accused dais in front of the Iron throne where Tommen sat with Tywin at his side, Jaime stepped away from the dais and Tommen stood, everyone else in the room followed his lead including Cersei.

Tommen spoke to the room, his voice wavered slightly "I, Tommen of the House Baratheon, First of my Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, do hereby recuse myself from this trial" he gestured to his grandfather who stood next to him like he was one of the swords that made the throne "Tywin of the House Lannister, Hand of the King, Protector of the Realm, will sit as judge in my stead," he gestured to the other men who sat as judges "And with him Prince Oberyn of the House Martell and Lord Mace of the House Tyrell. And if found guilty... may the gods punish the accused" he swallowed harshly before standing and leaving the room as fast as he could, passing his uncles as he went with several Kingsguards with him. 

When Tommen was clear of the room everyone sat, with the exception of Tyrion and Jaime who stood guard, his hand on his sword "Tyrion of the House Lannister, you stand accused by the Queen Regent of regicide" Tywin spoke with authority, making men sit taller like they were on trial "Did you kill King Joffrey?"

"No" Tyrion said with a bored tone, he stared at his father with an expression that i would describe as deeply irritated, even from my seat i could plainly see his expression. 

"Did your wife, the Lady Sansa?" Tywin asked, I tensed when I felt eyes on me from across the room and a high born lady who sat next to me shifted away like I was some plague carrier. 

"Not that I know of" Tyrion muttered loud enough for his father to hear him

"How would you say he died, then?" Tywin asked, my eyes rolling with how stupid the direction of questioning was going. 

"Choked on his pigeon pie" Tyrion snapped back, he was also done with this line of questions. 

"So you would blame the bakers?" Tywin asked and the men in the room shifted, Mace Tyrell looked ready to jump up and defend his choice of baker for the pie. 

"Or the pigeons. Just leave me out of it" Tyrion said, I met Jaime's gaze from across his brothers head and I gave him a minute shrug, Joffery had made more then enough people angry at him for being a shit so the line of suspects should be out the Throne Room door. 

"The crown may call its first witness"  Tywin nodded to a squire who ran to the door where the small council room was and Meryn Trant stepped out making me sigh deeply, this man likes hearing his own voice so we'll be here for a while. 

— — — — —

I removed my shoes and wriggled my feet sighing at the feeling of the pain I had been feeling easing into a dull throb, I rolled my head on my shoulder as a knock sounded on the door, "who is it?" I yelled out, not really in the mood for a visitor. 

"King Tommen, Lady Anaris" Ser Saltcliffe replied, as he opened the door, he looked to see if I was descent before he opened the door and allowed Tommen to come in "I'll leave you in peace," he turned to Meryn Trant, who was glaring at me, and all but pushed him from the room. 

"Tommen, this is a surprise" I said as he rushed to my arms and hugged me tightly before pulling away "should you be here?" I asked him. 

"I don't think so but I can't talk about this with anyone else" he walked and flopped down into the chair by my writing desk and he sighed deeply, Storm lumbered over to him and leant against his legs. 

"What is it you need to speak about?" I asked as I also took a seat this time on the bench that was on the end of the bed, he looked worried for a moment before he spoke. 

"Uncle Tyrion" he mumbled and it was suddenly clear why he chose me, he couldn't speak to his grandfather or his mother about this because they wanted Tyrion dead for just being born, he couldn't speak to Margaery because that would mean showing her that he had second thoughts about the trial. 

"You don't think he did it?" I asked him, I watched him fiddle with Storms ears gently, the movement made my heart lurch into my throat as I remembered my younger brothers Rickon and Bran, the way Tommen was sitting was exactly how Bran would sit when he was troubled. 

"No I don't, but mother told me that he did because he hated Joffery and was jealous of him, Ser Meryn told me what Uncle Tyrion said about Joffery, what he called him and what he did" he shook his head "but Uncle Tyrion wouldn't hurt Joffery, not like this" he sighed "I'm being told what I should think and feel but that's not what I feel"

I stood up and walked to him, placing my hand on his shoulder gently, making him look up "and what do you think? Forget your mother's opinion or your grandfathers, what does your heart tell you?" He thought for a moment and closed his eyes, before they slowly opened once more. 

"I feel like even if Uncle Tyrion had hurt Joffery in the past he wouldn't kill him" I nodded and smiled. 

"I think so too" i told him honestly, "you know he doesn't hate you, even with everything happening, Tyrion loves you so much" I touched his cheek and kissed his forehead gently, the boy wrapped his arms around my waist and held onto me while he buried his head into my protruding abdomen. 

"I know" he replied with a sad mumble as the door opened and Jaime stepped in glaring at Meryn Trant as the other man waited for Tommen. 

"What is Meryn Trant doing at our door?" He asked as he closed the heavy door and finally turned to us, Tommen still had his arm around my waist and I had my hand resting on his shoulder "oh" he bowed making me laugh at him. 

"King Tommen came to visit" I said stepping away from Tommen who was now flustered at the fact that his Uncle had found us hugging in a room where neither of us had an escort. 

"I can see that" Jaime murmured with a sigh as he stepped to his nephew and pulled him into a hug, Tommen hesitated for a moment but ended up wrapping his arms around Jaime in return "you're welcome anytime" Jaime said pulling away from the embrace slightly. 

My heart clenched as I saw him interact with his son, the boy didn't know it but just being able to hug him without people judging them was making Jaime happy, he wanted nothing more then to have a family, he loved Tommen and he truly wished he could do more for him than just be a bystander, he wanted to be a father any child would be proud to call theirs. 

— — — — —

The trial had dragged on for several days, the witnesses that Cersei and Tywin had brought together was substantial, Pycelle, Varys and Cersei herself had all taken the stand, the accusations against Tyrion were piling up and he was drowning under their words, his own words were twisted and thrown back making him look like a monster. 

Pycelle was as vindictive as I knew he could be, but his test on the necklace that Sansa had worn on the day of the wedding was what gave me pause, The Strangler was a particularly interesting poison to use to kill someone, it was slow, painful and unless the antidote was administered just as the symptoms were showing it was certain death and it was also a particular favourite of some Dornish, I knew Oberyn wouldn't be the one to give my sister her necklace that was laced with the substance, no she'd tell me if a Dornishman had given her a necklace, it had to be someone she'd befriended or trusted at least, and that list was small. 

I rubbed the back of my neck as Jaime recounted the conversation he'd had with Tywin in his chambers, Tywin had all but frothed at the mouth when Jaime told him that he'd leave the Kingsguard and become the Lord of Casterly Rock if Tywin spared Tyrions life, the old Lion agreed to send Tyrion to the Wall at the end of the trial but winter was coming, the north winds were rising and Tyrion would likely die on the wall with a lot of the other men that manned it, including my brother.

"Tyrion won't take that deal, it's a death sentence either way," I shook my head and groaned as my headache went from bad to worse, Jaime came closer and crouched down in front of me. 

"I need to speak to Tyrion but I'll get a servant to bring you some tea" he kissed my forehead and lifted my face so I could look into his eyes "rest tomorrow, Tyrion will understand" 

"I'll rest but I don't need the tea" I kissed him gently and touched his cheeks as gently as I could, my focus was fading in and out but I kept my eyes on him "tell him I'm sorry"

Jaime chuckled and scooped me up in his arms before carrying me around the bed to deposit me on the sheets, he touched my forehead and pushed me into laying position "stay, I know as soon as I leave you'll be up writing to whoever it is you send that raven to but you need rest" 

"I shall not leave this bed" I promised him as I settled and cuddled up to his pillow "I'll be waiting for you to come back to me Ser Jaime" I mumbled as I closed my eyes. A knock on my door startled me from my doze and I sat up slowly, "yes?" 

"A servant with some tea Lady Anaris" Ser Saltcliffe said through the door as if opened and a meek young woman stepped in with a cup that was steaming. 

— — — — —

I sat on the balcony allowing the breeze to cool my skin, my hand rested on my belly gently as I watched gulls sweep through the skies for a moment I felt like I was finally at peace, like the world and fate was finally letting up on me and letting me enjoy living that was until a frantic knock sounded on my door and Oberyn busted in with Ellaria on his heels, I glanced at my old friends and dread filled my stomach. 

"No please, come in" I said dryly as Oberyn said nothing and poured himself a glass of wine while Ellaria came to me and help her hand for me to take "what's happened now?"

"Tyrion demanded trial by combat, a woman named Shae spoke out against him" Ellaria spoke as Oberyn paced the space between the bed and my writing desk "said he plotted to kill Joffery with the help of your sister, she tried to implicate you until Cersei shut her down"

"That cunt" I growled, the woman who was my sister's handmaiden, the one Tyrion was in love with betrayed him "where is she now?" I asked thinking of ways to make her regret not being loyal enough to my sister who had grown extremely fond of the woman. 

"Under Tywin Lannister's protection" Oberyn told me as he continued to pace, cursing under my breath I wasn't surprised that this whole thing had Tywin's touch all over it, he'd done this to Tyrion before with a whore who he'd loved. 

"Why'd she try to implicate me?" That part didn't make sense, Tywin wanted me to continue his family name and Cersei stepping in to defend me against the allegation was even more confusing. 

"Tyrion stopped their relationship when he married your sister, Sansa paid attention to Shae until you came back" I rolled my eyes at her reasoning as Ellaria said them out loud. 

I rubbed the space between my eyebrows where my headache was stilling lingering, "fucking bitch" I muttered. 

"I will fight for him, Cersei will choose the Mountain as her champion and I will make that monster confess to what he did to my sister and her children" Oberyn said as he slammed the cup down on my writing desk, I flinched at the noise. 

He and Ellaria went to leave but I called them to stop, "Oberyn," he turned to look at him, his hand on the door, "wear a helmet, I don't think I'll have the stomach to see your head turned into smashed red melon" he chuckled at my description but I wasn't joking. 

"For you Wolf, anything" he winked and left my rooms.