Hating Her (Cersei x Daenerys)

Cersei

Six days later, Cersei saw the glistening water of the southernmost fork of the trident through the window of her carriage. "This is it", she said to the empty space, and caught herself looking out the window for signs of a dragon being present. "Don't be foolish", she told herself, "it's like Dany said, it can't be." The carriage jerked to a halt and Ser Ilyn Payne opened the door, offering her his arm to exit. As she stepped out onto the swampy ground and gathered her skirts to keep them dry, Cersei spied horses in the distance. There was no time to waste, it would seem. This was where it would all be decided. She took her place amongst her queensguard, trying to look unconcerned as the enemy's army approached. Luckily, she had always had good control of her face, so it was a mask of stone when Petyr Baelish finally came into range. "Your Grace", he called out as he reined up before her, driving his horse around to the side. "I see you meant what you said in your letter." "I always mean what I say", she replied in her coldest voice. "Having served at court for as long as you have, you should know that well." "Of course, Your Grace. I meant no offense." "No offense? Is that what you call this battalion of yours?" Cersei would allow no amity. "But it looks like the strongest part of your forces is missing, Lord Baelish. Where is that dragon of yours that I've heard so much about?" Littlefinger only smiled and turned around. Four of his knights brought forth a large cube covered with coarse black fabric, presumably a cage. Smoke rose from the top of it in tiny puffs. No. It couldn't be... was it possible that Dany had the wrong of it? That he was in fact able to hatch his egg and had a baby dragon at his command? Cersei had no time to ponder on that, however, because Baelish was already speaking again. "As you can see, Your Grace, I have made no false claims either. So I recommend you let me pass in peace, unless you wish to see your army burn." "Pass to where? The Iron Throne? Say what you will to your defense, who knows what you intend to do with that beast? No, Lord Baelish, I do not think I will let you go." She motioned to her troops to get ready. "And I don't assume you will back down either, given your boisterous speech." He denied with a smirk that showed his certainty of having the upper hand. Cersei mounted her mare and cantered to the back of her lines, giving instructions as she went. Then the time for battle came: a warhorn sounded, on which side she could not have said, and the riders rushed forward to meet each other with spears and shields. Arrows were notched and drawn and loosed, and the ringing of steel and the screams of men dying were all around her within seconds. For a while it looked like they were winning the battle, but suddenly a stream of fire flashed across the field, hitting one of her riders' horses square in the chest. Horse and rider perished flailing, pulling another pair down with them. Cersei swung her horse around, frantically trying to locate the source of the blast, refusing to believe the obvious. Another ray wiped out five of her archers. This time, Cersei could see that it came from somewhere amidst Baelish and his sworn lords, although the direct origin was still hidden. Galloping past the lines of dying men from both sides, she tried to get a better look. Then she saw it, a flash of light and heat trailing past her not 30 yards away. The fire came from the square cage, but even with the cloth pulled up, it was too dark inside to see what it held. There weren't many options to guess from, though. She rode back to her guards. "Dispatch your fastest rider", she panted. "Send him to King's Landing. To my wife. We need her help."

The fighting went on for a day and a half, and only thanks to the large numbers of the Lannister army did they manage to withstand Littlefinger's fire for so long. Even so, they suffered much greater losses and could not diminish their enemy's army enough to get to his dragon. As the sun stood high in the sky on the second day, the most relieving noise Cersei could have wished for sounded through the air: a deep roaring from the lungs of a great beast, accompanied by the beating of leather on air. Fire lit up the air again, but this time it came from behind her ranks. A black shadow dived down upon the lines, raining death on Baelish's men. It was followed by another one, green as the swamp grass they fought on, that joined his  flame to Drogon's. After flying one round across the battlefield, Drogon landed next to Cersei, bending down low to let Daenerys talk to her. "Be careful", the queen called out. "It might still be a trap." Daenerys gave a short nod to show that she had understood. Drogon rose to his full height again and spread his wings. The ground shook as he leaped forward on heavy feet, flapping to gain altitude once more. Together, the two dragons burned the major part of Littlefinger's troops in no time. Cersei's men did the rest, inspired to new courage by the arrival of the dragons. Daenerys landed, keeping a fair distance from Littlefinger, Stannis, Melisandre and the minor lords that surrounded them. Cersei reined up between Drogon and Rhaegal, taking the time to smile at Dany approvingly before turning back to Lord Baelish. "It's over", she said. "You have lost. Better yield now, unless you wish to die right here." "But first", Daenerys interrupted, "we would like to see that dragon of yours. If it was truly hatched by you, I would not take it from its father, but should there be foul play, it should grow up among its own kind, with my dragons." Cersei relished seeing Baelish's confident expression falter. "Why don't we just part ways here and each of our keeps our belongings? I see the gods have chosen for you to win, so I will yield gladly and return to my home in the Vale." "The gods didn't choose anything", Cersei said coolly, "we won because of our strength, because we're better than you. And we will see that dragon now." Petyr Baelish had no choice but to obey. He jerked the black fabric off the cage grudgingly to reveal a small firepit that was crackling lightly. For a second, Cersei was very confused by the sight, but then she understood. "Melisandre." The sorceress made no attempt to hide her doing in this. She demonstrated the trick unasked for, whispering under her breath in a foreign tongue as she touched the cage, causing the fire to burst into sparks and send a flamy tongue out into the air. "It's true", the Red Woman said, "there was never a dragon. But still, Lord Baelish was chosen by Rh'llor. He is a son of the fire, arisen from nothing to a great lord like a phoenix from the ashes. All of us should support him, as Rh'llor does by allowing me to help him with my powers this way." Cersei's patience ran thin at the the woman's nonsense babbling. "I have had enough of this. Lord Baelish has said the words, he yielded, so there is nothing left for us to discuss here. You had best be glad I did not kill you already. Leave these lands, return to your own and do not cross us again or you will be closer to your beloved fire than you'd like." Drogon roared, as if to support her warning.

Their foe retreated reluctantly, and Cersei and Daenerys were left to celebrate their victory. "Fly with me?", Daenerys asked and offered her a hand up onto Drogon's back. Cersei sat in front of Daenerys, who put her arms around her to hold on to Drogon's spikes. Cersei was nicely cushioned in between them. They took off and flew high over the rivers and fields, back towards King's Landing. "I was scared", Cersei admitted. "When he brought forth that alleged dragon... I thought I was going to die right there, but it wasn't me I feared for." "Who, then?", Daenerys asked her. "You, for one, because in that moment I knew we couldn't win without you, but I also knew you would be in danger. And... for this." Cersei placed her hands on her belly. It took Daenerys a moment to understand. When she did, she gasped in surprise. Cersei nodded. "We're going to have a child", she smiled. "But... how? Who is the father?", Dany wondered. "No one. I had the grandmaester infuse me, before I left. All maesters know how to remove a child, but only the best know how to get you with one. He'll be ours alone." Dany grinned heartily. "How do you know it will be a boy? We might have a girl. The realm is in dire need of strong women, and no doubt she would be strong, with you as her mother." "Whatever it will be, I know that he or she will be wonderful." She said nothing for a while. "I love you, you know that?" Dany hugged her from behind and kissed her neck. "I love you too, Cersei. I love you too."