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“Papa, today you'll be Lady Catelyn, mama will be granny Alanys and I'll be granny Joanna and auntie Sansa,” Annie decided, arranging the dolls on their tiny chairs around the small table, where a complete toy tea set was displayed neatly.
Jaime teasingly protested promptly with a groan. “Why do I have to be Lady Catelyn again? I've been her a few times these last weeks.”
Annie turned stern sapphire eyes at her father. “Because you swore an oath to her, so you're bound to her forever,” the five-year-old girl replied, appraising the aesthetic effect of her arrangements. At last, she seemed properly satisfied with the results.
Brienne was struggling to suppress her laughter and Jaime pinched her thigh covertly, making her jump. “I'll make you pay later, wench,” he whispered for her ears only, what worsened the hilarious situation, as Brienne covered her mouth and made her snort pass for a cough.
In the meanwhile, Annie ignored their hijinks, too engrossed in the preparation of the game. It was lucky she didn't notice anything, because the heated stare exchanged between her parents and the ardent promise it carried wasn't precisely suitable to be witnessed by a little girl.
Though, to be honest, they were too ardent a couple for clever Annie not to have noticed the sizzling current since she was old enough to be aware of such things around her, so she was used to her parents' demonstrations of passion.
“Good morning, my ladies,” Annie started, impersonating Sansa through the red-haired doll. “How are you today?”
Jaime pitched his voice high, adopting the tone he always used for Catelyn. “I'm very well, Your Grace. Or should I call you my daughter? It's a little odd to call my own daughter Your Grace, Your Grace.”
Brienne snorted and Annie couldn't suppress a giggle. “It's all right mother, you can call me daughter. We're among family after all, we have no need for so much formality,” doll Sansa conceded. “Around the tea table, I'm no queen.”
Brienne intervened with doll Alanys. “I'm very well too, my lady. This is a sunny morning in the North, a rare phenomenon.”
Doll Catelyn spoke again with her high voice. “Very rare, indeed. That's why I've turned into such a pain. I miss the sun and the fragrant smell of fish.” He couldn't help his playful pricks whenever Catelyn was involved in their games. Brienne shoved him not so subtly and Annie was openly giggling by then at her father's mischief.
When the girl managed to compose herself once more, she touched the doll impersonating Joanna. “Thanks for asking, dear Sansa. I feel very well too.”
It was doll Sansa 's turn to speak. “Great, my ladies. Let's proceed with the tea. Sugar, mother?,” she asked doll Catelyn.
“Always, my sweet daughter,” doll Catelyn accepted.
“Be careful mother, or you'll lose your teeth with so much sugar,” doll Sansa chastised.
“Oh, don't worry, honey. I don't need so many teeth,” doll Catelyn dismissed. Annie and Brienne giggled. Annie performed the gesture of dropping imaginary sugar into doll Catelyn's cup.
“And you, Lady Alanys?,” doll Sansa offered.
“Yes, thank you, my lady. And I wouldn't reject a few drops of lemon juice in my tea.” It was just like Brienne actually liked her tea.
“Would you pour some milk in mine, please?,” doll Joanna asked. Jaime had told Annie that her granny Joanna used to drink her infusion with milk. It was one of the scarce memories Jaime kept of his mother.
Doll Sansa complied with doll Joanna 's request.
“Ouch!,” doll Catelyn whined. “I've burned my mouth! This tea is too hot.”
Annie rolled her eyes on doll Sansa 's behalf. “I've told you a thousand times, mother. Blow your tea to cool it before taking a sip,” she admonished, mockingly patient.
“Oh, you're right, as always, my bunny,” doll Catelyn admitted unctuously.
“Please, mother, don't call me that,” doll Sansa complained with an unladylike snort. “What would our lady friends think?”
“They'd think you're my bunny little princess, honey-pony,” doll Catelyn assured mellifluously.
Doll Sansa groaned helplessly. “Please, my ladies, forgive my mother's childish behaviour. Is the tea to your taste?,” she asked hastily.
“Yes, it's delicious,” doll Alanys complimented as politely as ever.
“Mine too,” doll Joanna seconded enthusiastically.
Doll Catelyn slurped her tea noisily. “Oh, sorry, bunny.”
“Mother, that's impolite. A lady never slurps,” doll Sansa reprimanded between poorly suppressed giggles.
“It's the Tully fish within me, I can't help it,” doll Catelyn apologized in a peevishly high pitch.
Doll Alanys coughed, hiding a fit of laughter and doll Sansa looked up at the ceiling, summoning more patience. She exhaled loudly.
Doll Catelyn tried to appease her daughter . “You see how much a queen has to endure, my ladies. My Sansa's a true heroine.”
“Yes, she is,” doll Alanys agreed eagerly. “She's so brave, a warrior at heart.”
“Indeed. Not everyone survives a mother as bothersome as myself, believe me,” doll Catelyn assured. “That's proof enough of her strength. Isn't it, bunny?”
Doll Sansa hid her face in her hands. “Mother, what am I going to do with you? You're impossible.”
“I have an idea. Why don't we go out to have a snowball fight, my ladies? So our legs don't become stunted by lack of use,” doll Catelyn suggested, jumping on her small chair.
“I don't think that's very proper, mother,” doll Sansa doubted.
“Oh, come on, bunny. You're the Queen in the North. You could decree snowball fights as a ladylike activity.”
Doll Sansa considered the idea for some moments. “Very well, mother. Since today, I decree that snowball fights are suited for everyone, ladies included.”
“Excellent, honey! Let's go everyone! I'll defeat you all!,” doll Catelyn challenged.
Annie dropped the dolls and leaped onto her father with a battle cry. He fell backwards with his daughter in his arms, and both laughed uncontrollably. “Come join us, lady Alanys ,” Jaime invited Brienne between cackles. Annie was tickling him relentlessly.
Brienne uttered her own battle cry and dropped carefully upon Jaime, mindful not to crush their girl.
Just in that moment, the door opened and little Ty entered, attracted by the noise. He had been out in the gardens playing with his youngest Lannister cousins, but he got tired of the game and went in search of his mama, papa and sister. In the hallway that led to the playroom, he heard their playful cries and ran in excitement, ready to join the fun.
They all groaned in surprise and pain when several pounds of a healthy four-year-old boy crashed onto their tangle of limbs.
The laughter and complaints could be heard by a handful of people around the castle.