Russell Merryweather

[BasterdsAndBrokenThings]

I re-read AFfC and stumbled upon Russell Merryweather, son of Taena of Myr and Orton.

Cersei asks Taena to foster Russell in King's Landing, which she "needs to consider", and I believe Cersei asked it one time before this.

Since Cersei is captured afterwards and Taena flees, this is to my knowledge not mentioned again.

Is there any reason for Taena to decline the offer? Since her son would become close friends with Tommen, the king, which seems an interesting offer.

For some reason my gut says that something was wrong, so did Taena fear for her son's life for some reason?

Was she betraying Cersei? And if so, why did the ever-so-suspicious Cersei not experience this "rejection" as suspicious?

Thanks!

[John Suburbs]

Recognize that Taena is a double-agent here. She is feeding information from Margaery to Cersei, and vice versa. Cersei knows this and is using Taena to feed disinformation to House Tyrell. And Taena knows that Cersei knows and that she (Taena) is being manipulated this way, but it's all OK because this is how palace intrigue works. 

The problem with bringing Russel to Kings Landing is just as you said. While it is a great honor be selected to attend the king, it also gives Cersei leverage over Taena. My suspicion is that Taena is ultimately loyal to House Tyrell and was one of Margaery's chief instructors in the art of seduction (the other being Lady Olenna), so this would put Taena in a pretty tricky position.

At best, Taena is withholding her son until she gets something in return. Just before she was taken by the Faith, Cersei appointed Orton as justicar and master of laws, then Hand following the demotion of Harys Swift. If not for her imprisonment, it is likely that she would have used that as a means to pressure Taena to produce her son. Once that is done, Cersei can then bend Taena to her will (depending, of course, on whether Taena cares one wit whether Russel lives or dies.)

So Cersei is not put off by Taena's failure to bring Russel to court immediately because she knows that Taena would want something first. By making the appointments to Orton, the first moves of this little game were made but the board got upended before it could play out.