Chương 9: Chapter 9: Brother's Rift
Cersei
It was tension at the dinner table. Ever since the Direwolf incident, there was tension. Everyone ate in silence. Tommen and Myrcella kept there eyes on their food. But Robert and Cersei's attention was on their eldest sons.
Roland had not spoken to either of them for two weeks now. When he had returned to the keep. He told them about the death of the butcher's boy. When Robert tried to offer his sympathies, Roland grimly told him that sympathies will not bring back Mycah. That was the last he spoke from then on.
He spent his time taking private walks with Shadow to the point where she barely saw him except at meals. He also spent time with the Stark girls comforting them over the loss of their pets.
Though the expression on his face was blank. Cersei knew her son well enough to know he was angry. His eyes showed it as clear as day.
Now he sat there eating. But his eyes were fixed on Joffrey, burning with anger. He never once looked at his food, but it seemed he didn't need to. His hands cut up his steak and placed the pieces into his mouth without missing once.
"Are you going to spend the rest of the trip without saying anything to us," Cersei asked her son.
"There's nothing to say," Roland replied quietly without breaking his gaze.
Joffrey had tried to ignore it but after a while, he could stand it no more. He finally slapped the table. "For god's sake Roland enough already!" Joffrey yelled.
Roland blinked once and smirked. "Enough of what?" He asked trying to sound innocent.
"Looking at me like that, you're making me uncomfortable."
Roland raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Only uncomfortable? Clearly, I'm not trying hard enough."
Joffrey's eyes narrowed and began to stare back at his younger brother. "Don't you think I'm uncomfortable enough."
Roland shook his head. "On the contrary, if discomfort is all your feeling, it's not nearly good enough."
Cersei looked eyes darted back and forth between her two sons. She knew that an argument was about to begin. By now, Cersei also knew well enough to let it run its course. Any intervention might escalate it.
Joffrey looked at Roland with an incredulous look on his face. "That little Stark bitch attacked ME," he exclaimed.
At this, Roland burst out laughing. That took everyone by surprise. Even Tommen and Myrcella looked up at their elder brother as he threw his head back and howled. Yet it wasn't the happy, warm-hearted laugh they were use to hearing. This laugh was cold and harsh and there was nothing humorous about it.
When he finally stopped, Roland looked at Joffrey saying. "Oh my dear brother, I think we both know that is a lie."
"It's the truth," Joffrey insisted.
"Yeah, and I fought alongside Daemon Blackfyre."
Joffrey waved his injured arm in front of Roland. "I got mangled by her beast, and I have the scars to prove it." He shot out.
"A faithful pet defending her master. The Starks are very lucky to have such loyal guardians." Roland shot back. At this Roland stroked Shadow's fur affectionately. He then stabbed a piece of meat and tossed it to Shadow. The dog caught it in its mouth and gulped it down.
'Is this the kind of relationship the Starks had with their wolves?' Cersei wondered. She knew that it was likely. No matter where Roland went, he always had Shadow to accompany him. There was just something about that dog that set her off the wrong way. Shadow seemed to share his master's emotions. If Roland was angry, Shadow would growl. If he was distressed, Shadow would whimper. The two had become inseparable.
Roland leaned back on his chair with a bemused expression on his face. "If what you claim is true then look me in the eye and say that."
Joffrey's face suddenly turned nervous. His eyes darted back and forth between his parents and brother. Robert had finally looked up from his plate and was looking at his eldest son and heir.
"I-I already told you what happened." He stammered.
Roland was smiling now. "Indeed, but please tell the story again. But this time, Look Me In The Eye."
Joffrey stared at his brother for a good long while before saying. "I don't have to do anything you say." King Robert looked back down at his plate.
Roland nodded, "That's what I thought you insolent pup."
After dinner, Cersei returned to her bedchambers graciously provided by their host. The bed was comfortable enough, but Cersei could never find sleep. As she stared at the ceiling, her thoughts were on her sons.
She knew that Joffrey and Roland's differences would eventually make them estrange. But she never could have expected for their relationship to deteriorate so quickly. In the span of ten years, Roland and Joffrey had turned into bitter enemies. They were just beginning to tolerate each other again. Now because of the direwolf incident, their old wounds had opened up.
Before this Roland and Joffrey had fought two times in their lives. Two moments in her children's lives that she would never forget. The first time was 8 years ago. Myrcella had adopted a pregnant cat that hung around the castle. One day, Joffrey took a kitchen knife and cut open the creature to see the babies. Roland caught him the act too late to save the cat. It started with yelling. Soon the yelling got louder and louder, loud enough for Robert and Cersei to hear it. By the time they got to Joffrey's room, they found the brothers wrestling on the floor. That was when the relationship between Roland and Joffrey started to turn sour.
Four years after that, Joffrey used a crossbow that he had received on his 11th name day to kill Tommen's pet fawn. Roland didn't say a word this time. Later that day he took the crossbow and chopped it to pieces. When Joffrey came into his room looking for it, Roland was waiting with the shattered remains of the weapon. Joffrey was furious and launched himself at his younger brother.
Despite this Roland had never actually hit Joffrey. The fighting was only limited to wrestling and tackling. For some reason, Roland just couldn't bring himself to strike his own brother. Joffrey on the other hand never held back and in the aftermath of both fights, Roland would often have bruises on his arms and ribs.
Cersei later realized that it wasn't the act themselves that angered Roland. But who those actions had hurt. Myrcella and Tommen had cried for hours after learning what had happened to their beloved pets. Roland's attempts to comfort them had proved futile. He later got new kittens for them, which seemed to help. But Tommen and Myrcella now kept a watchful eye on their pets.
It was a long time ago, but Cersei remembered when things were so much simpler. Often she desperately wished to go back to those more peaceful days.
Flashback
Cersei watched as 6-year-old Roland and 7-year-old Joffrey ran around in the godswood wacking at each other with sticks. Twack twack twack. Both boys were smiling and laughing joyfully as they continued their little game. Both boys liked to pretend that they were great warriors.
"I am Damon Blackfyre," Roland declared raising his stick in the air. "Well I'm Arthur Dayne," Joffrey replied waving his own stick. They blocked and parried, but did not make a single move to strike each other.
As Roland stood behind a tree hoping to surprise his brother, Joffrey manages to sneak up from behind and tackled Roland to the ground. Roland looked up at Joffrey and the two started laughing. Joffrey got up and held his hand out for Roland to take. He accepted the hand gratefully. Roland then jumped up and ran towards the Heart Tree with Joffrey following close behind laughing all the way.
Cersei smiled, there was no trace of dislike in their eyes. Only love and adoration. It seemed that they would always get along like this. She sensed someone behind her. She turned and saw her husband move up to watch his sons at play. Then in a surprising move, Robert placed his hand upon her shoulder. Yet, Cersei did not make a move to shrug it away. For a moment, they seemed like an actual family. Cersei felt that her life was absolutely perfect. She uses to pray that every day could be just like this. Today, at least for a moment, Life was good.
'What happened?' she wondered. 'How could it have gone so wrong.' Deep down, Cersei already knew the answer to the question. Joffrey had always been difficult. But she always considered Joffrey to be her golden boy.
Despite this, she couldn't help but be fiercely proud of the man Roland was becoming. He was the son she had hoped Joffrey would be. There were even some days where she wished that Roland had been born first. But no, Joffrey was still young, Cersei believed that there was still time to change him. She hoped that she could mold Joffrey into a good king. She shuddered to think of what might happen if she failed.
Roland didn't purely hate Joffrey yet. But he soon might if one more thing happened, one more thing.
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