Chapter 3

Text"Congratulations dear sister!" beamed Tyrion, as Cersei locked the door behind him "I see you're taking your privacy seriously"

"Yes" said Cersei, staring at him in a way that made him distinctly uncomfortable

"I brought wine" he said showing her the flagon

"Fantastic" answered Cersei taking the drink from him and adding it to a collection of empty flagons on her table

This was awkward. Tyrion had expected Cersei to shout at him for visiting or try to get rid of him quickly. Instead she was already pouring herself a glass of wine, and staring at him as if she'd never seen him before.

"Well" said Cersei "the guard said you had something to say about my children"

"Oh, yes" said Tyrion, regaining his composure after the odd welcome "They're quite worried about you and the baby"

"Even Joffrey?" Cersei asked evenly

"Uh, well the King is rather busy and as you know I'm not on the best terms with him…" Tyrion said

"So, no then" she said, cutting him off

The baby was crying and Tyrion glanced towards the other end of the room where the child's crib was.

"Oh the baby, yes. I suppose you want to know? A boy" said Cersei dismissively

This whole conversation was strange, and while Tyrion knew she'd obviously been drinking it was unlike her to be so detached from her children "Congratulations, sister. I'm sure the children will be thrilled with a new little brother"

"Will they?" Cersei asked, draining the rest of the cup "Would you like to hold your nephew?"

Without waiting for him to reply, Cersei strode to the crying infant and lifted the bundle up wrapped in a blanket. Tyrion was getting nervous. His sister had never allowed him to hold any of her children. When Joffrey was born, Tyrion was only young himself and had been excited to meet his nephew. He had gone to her room keen to meet the child and she had slammed the door in his face, telling him no monster would hold her baby. Even when Myrcella and Tommen were born, Tyrion had only got to spend time with them when they were old enough to toddle over and hug him themselves. Despite his sister's odd behaviour, Tyrion couldn't help the grin that spread over his face at the prospect of holding his new nephew.

Cersei made her way back to him and before he had time to prepare himself, she thrust the squirming baby in his arms. The child's cries had settled down when his mother had picked him up, and Tyrion gazed happily into his nephews face. Alert green eyes stared at him, a light covering of golden hair and then…

Tyrion's arms went weak as he nearly dropped the baby in shock. A dwarf? The baby was like him. A wave of agony washed over him as he stared at the short arms and legs of the baby. Emotions thundered through him, but one overrode all others. A surge of protectiveness swept through Tyrion as he tightened his grip on the baby, drawing him closer to his chest.

Cersei had seated herself back at the table, and was staring at him and her child. A look of disgust clear on her face.

"It seems I take after my mother" she whispered, her eyes never leaving them as Tyrion clutched the baby.

Cersei decided enough was enough after her idiot brother continued to stare dumbstruck at the baby. The imp had nearly dropped the baby in his shock, but now he held him so tight she thought he may not let go.

"Are you going to give it back?" she asked eventually, pouring another cup of wine

Slowly her brother raised his face and she was surprised to see tears brimming in the corner of his eyes.

"I'm so sorry" he said quietly

Cersei huffed in annoyance "You didn't put him in me, did you? Thank the gods. The question is what to do with it"

At that her brother clutched the baby tighter to his chest and stepped back. Light baby giggles coming from the bundle.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a small voice, watching her warily

The confidence and charm her little brother tried hard to project was clearly failing him, to Cersei he looked every bit the self-conscious, timid boy she'd bullied since birth.

"You know what I mean" she said, watching him flinch

The baby seemed to pick up on the mood in the room and began to cry against his uncle. Tyrion looked down at the child, startled by the crying.

"Oh, come here" said Cersei, grabbing Tyrion's arm and pulling him over to where she sat. She was surprised to feel him jump at the contact, tension clear in his short arms. His green eyes watched her warily as she adjusted his grip on the baby.

"He needs room to breathe. It's like you've never held a baby before" she said after correcting his hold, the child's cries changing back to little coos.

"I haven't" Tyrion said quietly, dropping his gaze back to his nephew

Of all the things Tyrion had expected to find when he came to visit his sister and her new child, he had never expected this. The baby seemed content enough snuggled against him after Cersei had adjusted his grip. No wonder her behaviour was so strange and she'd locked herself away in her chambers. Tyrion knew she hated him because he caused the death of their mother, and like their father she believed being a dwarf brought shame on the family.

Tyrion was not used to having jumbled thoughts, or being ruled by emotions, but the moment he realised his nephew was like him a fierce protectiveness had risen in him.

Cersei sat drinking yet another cup of wine, while he stood awkwardly holding the baby who was drifting to sleep in his arms. Tyrion couldn't let her hurt the baby, but had no ideas for how to handle this. He didn't want to know what she planned to do, but it was a conversation that was waiting to happen. Cersei sat watching him every bit the lioness she claimed to be. One wrong move and he would be dinner.

Tyrion decided he would be careful how he phrased this. Saying things like "you can't" and "I forbid" to Cersei tended to make her eager to prove she could and would. Steeling his nerves, Tyrion raised his eyes from the baby's sweet face, to match his sisters cool gaze.

"Please don't hurt him. It's not his fault he was born like this" he said, sounding more like pleading than he intended. "It's not your fault either, or Jamie's" Tyrion added quickly

"What would you have me do with him, little brother" she said emphasizing the word little

"Let me raise him" he said, words tumbling out of his mouth "I'll pretend he's my bastard by a whore. I'll leave Westeros with him. You need never see him again. We can get the maester and any others who saw him to pretend your baby died in birth"

A long minute passed in silence, before Cersei burst out laughing. A loud, mocking laugh made worse by the large quantities of wine she'd drunk.