Kindness Is Just a Thought

The girl stood at a nearby window, looking down into the courtyard with little intrigue. The daily hustle and bustle of servants, maids, and stable boys peaked her interest far more than her own life did at the moment. She had been ordered by Lord Tywin Lannister to wed his disgrace of a son, Tyrion Lannister. She had no qualms with him as a person, but she did not like to be forced to do anything.

Sighing heavily, the girl shifted, gathering her skirts in her hand and moved away from the window. She was in a hall much unfamiliar to her, but for the moment, she cared not. Watching how she walked so as not to get her skirts caught up on a cobble, the girl swayed to and fro a music only she could hear, caught up in her thoughts. She supposed marrying him wouldn't be so bad. She had conversed with him on previous occasions and had found him quite intellectual, that could sate her thirst for an intelligent husband. She was opposed to marrying him because she had heard much talk of how many wenches had graced his bed sheets and she did not want to be just some mindless fling that he could have his way with and toss to the side.

Allowing her skirts to fall precariously to the floor, she closed her eyes and danced to an unheard tune. She was so caught up in her graceful dance that she hadn't heard someone approach her until she had successfully bumped into the person, her hands flying out to the person's chest to stop her from falling to the floor.

She apologized profusely before looking up to see that it was one of the Lord Tywin's many servants.

"Lord Tywin has asked for your presence in the library." He told her, whilst reaching his hand out. She took it and hooked her arm in his so as to be escorted, as she had less knowledge on the whereabouts of the library then she did her betrothed.

Bunching her skirts in her free hand, she allowed the servant boy to lead her to the library, which happened to be across the courtyard and through a series of twisting hallways, which were doused in torch light and the sunlight that still shone rapidly through the windows that weren't covered with curtains.

Taking a deep breath as the servant boy led her to a door and bowed to her before he departed, she pushed the doors open and stepped in the one place of this castle that she truly loved. What she hadn't counted on seeing was right in front of her.

Sitting in a chair that was perched near the center of the room, sat Lord Tywin. He had a book in his hands, but did not appear to be reading it. He looked as if he were trying to appear casual and collected, but he looked a bit stiff. Sweeping into the room, nerves eating away at her, the girl came to rest a few feet in front of the chair and bowed lightly at him.

"My lord, you summoned me." She said, her voice coming out a mere squeak as she tried and failed to get her nerves under control. The man had always frightened her a bit, which always perplexed her. She wasn't one to frighten easily.

"Indeed I did. You are aware that your marriage to my son will take place in a fortnight?" He said this in such a bored tone as to perplex the girl even further. Of course she was aware of her own wedding.

"Yes, my lord."

Closing the book with a snap, Lord Tywin stood up and strode to a bookshelf, replacing the book that he had not read in its proper place. Turning to the girl, he gave a look that made her blood run cold and her veins freeze over.

"Your marriage to my son is crucial in order to bring peace between your family and mine. Your father stands on the verge of war with my people and this marriage will bridge a long, insufferable feud that has plagued our blood for years. I will not have war brought upon me because you do not love my son.

"Therefore, this wedding shall take place a fortnight from now and you will go along with it, for the sake of your family and mine."

With his long winded speech over, Lord Tywin strode from the library leaving the girl a confused and slightly frightened mess. Wringing her hands together, the girl sat down in the chair that Lord Tywin had just vacated and allowed a small trickle of tears to trail down her cheeks. Was her happiness never to be thought of? She was a person, a human being, she shouldn't be stepped on by those who thought themselves better than her.

With a small gasp from the girl, her tears subsided and she wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her dress. This was no reason to cry. She had already told herself she would be forfeiting her happiness to forgo the happiness of her father and both the families.War was something that she didn't want. Standing up, she smoothed her dress down and further wiped the tears from her eyes and reopened the doors only to be met with Jaime Lannister, brother of Tyrion and elder son of Tywin Lannister.

"Oh, hello, Ser Jaime. Pardon me. I was just on my way out." She said, her eyes cast to the floor, fear evidently showing in her eyes, believing him to be much like his father.

"Why so glum, Lady Arabella?" His two fingers immediately going to her chin to pull her eyes to him.

"Forgive me, Ser, I just had a not so pleasant lecture from your father. I do not wish to appear glum. And I'm sorry you must see me as such." Arabella gave Jaime a nervous smile that did not reach her eyes.

Stepping into the room, Jaime pulled Arabella over to a small group of chairs that surrounded a table filled with books and set her down upon one seat, while he grabbed another seat and placed it in front of her. This surprised Arabella, as she didn't think any of the Lannister's were for any form of sentimentality.

"Tell me what he said to you." He all but demanded. His voice, he did not raise. His eyes held nothing but sympathy for his future sister-in-law.

Arabella sighed once and looked down at her lap, playing with the fringe of lace at the sleeve of her gown. "I am to marry your brother and neither his nor my happiness means anything. My father seeks war if this marriage is not to work. Your father simply belayed that I marry your brother with no questions or war will be had." A single tear ran a track from her eye down her cheek and she brushed it away before it could leave her face.

"Take what my father says not to heart. He means no harm. You're his future daughter-in-law. He'll take some time to warm up to you, but he won't always hate you." Jaime reached his hand out and wiped the tears that flowed freely from Arabella's eyes away.

She smiled at him for a moment before saying, "Thank you, Ser Jaime."

"Please, just Jaime. You're about to my sister-in-law. I think you can drop the Ser." He smiled that roguish smile at her and winked.

Arabella blushed and lowered her eyes from his. "Then I believe you can call me Arabella."

He smiled warmly at her and took the top of her hand and brushed his lips over her hand and called her by her name, getting a feel of it rolling off his tongue. Standing up, he once more kissed her hand and then left the room.

Playing with the fringe of lace at her sleeves once more, Arabella left the library and meandered down the hallways, gently pressing her hands against the wall and smoothing it over as she walked by, feeling the cool granite under her fingertips. The castle was nothing like that of her previous home. Making her way across the length of the castle, Arabella came to the room she would be staying in until she wed Tyrion. Pushing the door open, and then again closing it once she was in, her hand maiden set to taking her out of her dress and pulling a gown over her head and onto her body to sleep in.

Arabella climbed into the bed and pulled the furs up and without further thought, fell asleep.

*2 weeks later

The wedding wasn't a big blowout like that of Joffrey and Sansa's was meant to be. It was small and only had the closest family members. That night Arabella was all nerves. It was the first time that she would have such a man as him touch her and it made her nervous that she would not be adequate enough for someone of his stature. She was well aware of the custom of consummating a marriage and it made her feel inadequate and quite uncomfortable that she had far less lovers in the past than he had. She knew of his thirst for prostitutes and wenches and she very well knew that she would not be the last person to grace his bed.

They ate together alone that night. She had been transported to King's Landing for the wedding, as that was where Tyrion spent most of his time. The food had been lain on the table with care. She had taken a seat nearest her newly betrothed and kept her head down as she picked at her food.

"Do you find me so repulsive as to not even look at my face?" These were the first words spoken by either of them.

Looking up in confusion, Arabella placed her fork on the platter and tilted her head slightly, her eyes going to his.

"No, I find you intimidating, not repulsive." Surprisingly, her voice never quavered.

Tyrion barked a laugh and took a sip of wine. "Intimidating? How so?"

The corner of her mouth slipped up into a smirk."Just because you are small does not mean that you are weak. I find your intelligence daunting. Your mind is like a silken spider's web, pulling me in, but now I'm afraid I've become stuck. I find your intellectual prowess comforting in a way."

He looked at her for a moment longer, studying her. "You do not have to lie to please me. I am not my father."

She shook her head and said, "I am not lying. We have conversed many occasion before, and while the conversations were short, you left many a questions buzzing in my head. I would never say something just to flatter your ego. And I realize that you are not your father. I'm fairly sure that we both hate him just as equally."

He placed his goblet on the table, but kept his eyes on Arabella. She returned the look with equal fervor. Finally, he lifted an eyebrow in jest at the girl, who smiled ever so slightly at the amusement she seen in his eyes.

"You should smile more often, love. It brightens your eyes."

Arabella bowed her head as a blush took over her cheeks. "You are far kinder than I took a Lannister to be."

Tyrion laughed a bit at that."Should I not be kind to my wife? Kindness is not something we Lannister's make a habit of, but for you, my dear Arabella, my kindness knows no limits."

She looked at him then, really looked at him. His words rung true. In his eyes, he held only kindness, something she had never truly been exposed to. Looking into his eyes, hers occasionally flickered down to his full lips and back again.

Seeing lust hidden deep in her brilliant orbs, Tyrion smirked and stood up, offering Arabella his hand in the process.

"Come," he said. "I can see that you have another hunger than can only be sated by me."

Blushing at his correct statement, Arabella followed him as he led her to his bedchambers. She supposed she was to be nervous, but she wasn't. Anxious, yes. But not a bit nervous now.
Perching herself on his bed, he began undressing her and that night he showed her just how generous he could be, his short stature made up by how extensive he could pleasure her.