child_of_lions (child_of_lions) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-08-29 23:30:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, cersei lannister, myrcella baratheon |
Who: Cersei and Myrcella
When: Today
Where: Their house
What: A surprise
Rating/Warning: Low/none
Status: Complete
Myrcella was listening to music in her room as she sorted out all of the things she would need for school. She just had to get through this last year then she could start the Beauty Therapy course she wanted to do. It had taken her a while to adjust, at first she had found it frustrating that she couldn’t go to college here, that she needed to wait until she was 18. She’d quickly decided their education system sucked but she had managed to make a number of friends at Creekside and, of course, there was Jeremy.
She was worried about him and his erratic behaviour. Not that she could blame him of course, finding his parents murdered was beyond dreadful. And even though she had sat through a long, sometimes uncomfortable conversation with her mother because of her actions in letting Jeremy stay in her room, she knew she’d do it again. It had helped him get some much needed rest after all.
Cersei still wasn’t too happy about the Jeremy situation. But she put some amount of trust in Myrcella and would give her the benefit of the doubt. And right now, she knocked on her door, holding a wrapped package. “Sweetie?”
Looking up at the knock Myrcella smiled, “Hey mum” she said turning the music down, “Was it too loud?” she asked.
“No, it was fine. How is it going?” She gestured at what Myrcella was doing as she sat on her bed, the package resting on her lap. It was large and square.
“It’s going great, I’ve got almost everything I need” she said smiling, before gesturing at the package, “What’s that?”
“A very special gift, just for you,” she replied, patting the bed next to her. “I saw it, and couldn’t help myself.”
“Really?” Myrcella grinned as she jumped up and came to sit by her mum on the bed crossing her legs.
"Really!" Cersei put an arm around her and squeezed lightly, then held out the box. Inside we're some old, but not too old, books. One was on English fairy tales, and the other on Asian.
Myrcella leaned into her mother before accepting the box, she opened it carefully. She’d never been the sort of child to tear into things, she was cautious and careful. When she discovered what was inside she gasped, “Oh mum, these are amazing” she hugged her mum tightly, “Thank you so much” she ran her fingers reverently over the covers.
Cersei smiled, pleased with herself. “I heard of this shop, and I just knew I’d find some sort of treasure for you. Not many people would appreciate these as well as you.”
As she looked at the books Myrcella found she simply couldn’t stop smiling, “They’re beautiful” she said, “And perfect. Really mum, thank you. I’m going to need a new bookcase for all the special books I have, especially if you’ve found a treasure trove bookshop” she grinned.
“I’ll talk to your uncle about that. I suspect we’ll need a shipping pallet when..if..we return to England.” She missed England, but she didn’t miss Robert, so staying here was still okay with her. “I’ll bring you by some time.”
That way she could see Ariel again. He was...interesting.
“Uncle Jaime won’t mind” Myrcella said assuredly, “He put the last one up for me” she smiled. She caught her mothers slip, “We are staying here aren’t we? I mean I have school, and friends and Jere...things” she amended with a slight wince. She’d been trying not to bring him up, but the thought of going back to England and leaving him behind was quite concerning.
“We are. I just miss home sometimes.” She put her hand on Myrcella’s back and rubbed lightly. She wished Myrcella was a little girl again. She could protect her from boys and things easier that way. She wished she were Queen. Dealing with Jeremy would be quick and mostly painless.
“I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would” Myrcella admitted quietly, her tone slightly guilty, “Is that terrible?” she asked curling into her mum like she used to when she was younger.
Yes. “No, of course not.” She pulled Myrcella gently against her. “You’ve found yourself here, in a way. Which is good. There’s less pressure here, since the only person you really have to please is you.”
Myrcella nodded, “It is nice here. Different. I mean I do miss dad but I just feel that here is where I’m supposed to be. Where we’re supposed to be. And Uncle Jaime likes having us here”
"I do enjoy making your uncle happy," Cersei said, smiling. Few people made her as happy as Jaime did.
"He doesn't have to miss us anymore and his house is perfect for everybody" Jaime had made sure she got the biggest bedroom out of the three siblings and had told her she could redecorate if she wanted to but he'd made it perfect for her already.
Cersei had a suspicion that Jaime thought Myrcella reminded him of her at that age. She didn’t see it herself - Myrcella was much sweeter than she had been. Genuinely so. Cersei’s sweetness had always been tempered by venom. “It really is. There’s just enough room.”
Myrcella nodded, “Everybody smiles more. Guess it’s hard not to when you wake up to nice weather, I never realised before how depressing rain is” she smiled. A lot of Myrcella’s happiness came from seeing her mum smile so much. It was nice to see and she deserved it. Myrcella thought she was the best mum around, the way she had dealt with the Jeremy thing was testament to that. At least in Myrcella’s eyes. So many mums would have just exploded.
She realized she hadn’t smiled as much in years, as she had in the past month or so. She kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “Yes, we can blame it all on the weather.”
Myrcella laughed softly, “Maybe not all but it definitely helps” she replied amusedly.
“Most of it then.” Cersei laughed. “I got an old book on war for your grandfather, but don’t tell him.”
“I won’t I promise” she replied, “We should ask him over for dinner, it’s been ages since he’s been round and then you can surprise him”
“How about next week? That will give me time to arrange someone to cook it.” Cersei grinned at her daughter. “It wouldn’t do to accidentally poison him.” She was actually decent cook (hammered into her to be a good wife), but she only ever did so for Jaime and the kids, and then, as a special treat.
“Okay, that’s a good idea” Myrcella nodded, “You’d never do that mum, you’re really good” she protested but was fully aware it was something special for them all to share. It made it even more special somehow when it was just the five of them.
She’d done it to Robert once. It hadn’t been enough to really hurt him, but he’d spent the night worshipping the porcelin throne, so it had been worth it.
“I love you all.”
“We love you too” Myrcella told her, “I could make a cake maybe?” she suggested, “I found a great carrot cake recipe online that I want to try out. Does granddad like carrot cake?”
“I don’t know, but we can find out.” She almost asked to help, and part of her wanted to, for old time’s same.
“Shall I message him?” she asked, “And I might need you to make sure I get it all right, you know make sure I don’t poison anybody” Cersei wasn’t the only one who had fond memories of cooking together when Myrcella had been younger.
That made Cersei’s heart swell, and she nodded. “Yes, message him, please. And I’ll make sure you do just fine.”
“Thanks mum” Myrcella said grinning, “I’ll message granddad later and then print off the recipe. Even if he doesn’t like it we can make it just for us all to eat sometime”
“Maybe ask him what kind of desserts he likes? Unless you want it to be a surprise. There’s usually a way to get information without tipping your hand. Except with my father, that’s next to impossible.”
“I don’t think it’s possible to surprise him” Myrcella said, “But I guess now I know where you learnt it from” she added cheekily.
“Well…” She rubbed Myrcella’s back. “He is the best, and he’s a good man to learn from.” Even if he might have made some mistakes, and as much as it pained her to do so, she knew she had a chance to do right by Myrcella. No arranged marriages, for one thing.
“I like surprises” Myrcella replied, “The good kind anyway. We’ll catch you out one day” she promised her mother with a glint in her eye.
Cersei grinned. “Just not today.”