The she-wolf and the lion

Chapter 61 - trial of a lioness and the walk of shame

Three days later, Tywin is back in King's Landing, he sits with the royal couple before the trial of his daughter, lady Cersei.

He sits with the king and queen in their rooms before they go to the great hall of the Red Keep and sit down with the appointed jury of the trial.
"Are the queen's sister and lord Jaime here?"King Rhaegar ask his lord hand.
"No, her grace's sister and her lord husband, my son, are at Casterly Rock, lady Lyra hasn't been feeling well so Jaime didn't want to pressure neither her nor the children to make the long journey to King's Landing", Tywin says. "I told him that he made the right decision, to look after his family and that I would send a raven to him and his family when we know the outcome of all this, and I told him that Tyrion would testify on his and lady Lyra's behalf."
"Good, good, I wouldn't want him to risk lady Lyra's health, I wouldn't jeopardize the queen's health for anything in the world, I'm sure you agree", king Rhaegar says lightly.
"I agree completely, although my lady wife's health was at risk bringing Tyrion into the world cause it was such a difficult birth for my lady wife, but she made it just fine", Tywin says. "But we decided that after Tyrion was born, we didn't want to risk it again."
"A very wise decision, m'lord hand", king Rhaegar says. "Now to the business ahead of us, the trial of lady Cersei."
"Yes, your grace", Tywin says.
"I have decided to let her worry a bit during the trial, and then I have decided that she will do a walk of atonement, a walk of shame if you will", king Rhaegar says. "Afterwards, lady Cersei will be spending a few days or months in the dungeons of the Red Keep, before being sent back in to the hands of the sisters of the faith, where she will spend the rest of her days."
"A wise and kind decision, your grace", Tywin says.
"I sent ravens to both lord Robert at Storm's End and to lord Euron on Pyke the same hour that lady Cersei was imprisoned, to come testify in the trial, they both agreed, said they would both gladly testify and said they would be here..."
"Pardon me, your grace, lord hand, the lord of Storm's End and the lord of Pyke have arrived", one of the king's servants says, letting the two men in after a nod from the king. "My lords, welcome to King's Landing."
"You summoned us to testify in a trial against our mutual former wife, lady Cersei of house Lannister, of course we come at such a summons", Robert says.
"What are you charging her with, if I may be so bold as to ask?" Euron asks.
"Repeated adultery, which is even worse now when she's a sworn sister of the faith", king Rheagar says. "Attempted murder of both her grace the queen and the queen's sister, lady Lyra of houses Lannister and Stark."
"Lady Lyra because of Jaime, and her grace the queen because she's a Stark and because of you, your grace, I presume", Robert says. "Cersei has always been a jealous spiteful hateful woman, I will testify to whatever your grace and the lord hand ask of me, to bring her down."
"As will I", Euron says.
"Thank you, my lords, I'm glad to have you as well as my lords of Lannister, Jaime, Tyrion and Tywin on my side in this", king Rhaegar says.
"Of course, your grace, we all stand by your side", Robert says lightly.
"Are we ready to do this, my lords?" king Rhaegar asks, getting up from the table, giving his arm to his queen.
"Of course, your grace", Euron says, getting up from the table followed by lord Tywin and lord Robert.

The three lords, the lord of Pyke, the lord of Storm's End and the former lord of Casterly Rock, follow after the royal couple.

Behind Euron, Robert and Tywin, the rest of the witnesses, the rest of the jury and the public who can fit in the great hall of the Red Keep, are gathered.
"We are gathered here for the trial of lady Cersei of house Lannister", the king says. "Maester, be so kind as to read out the charges against the accused."
"Yes, your grace", maester Pycelle says, clearing his throat. "Cersei Lannister, you stand accused of the attempted adultery with your brother, lord Jaime of house Lannister, lord of Casterly Rock, shield of Lannisport, warden of the west, of attempted adultery with your cousin lord Lancel Lannister, attempted murder of lady Lyra of houses Lannister and Stark, lady of Casterly Rock, lady of Lannisport, lady of the west and north, lady of Winterfell, the dire wolf's daughter. You stand accused of the attempted murder of your nephew lord Daemon of houses Lannister and Stark, the young lion, the dire wolf's son, heir to Casterly Rock and Winterfell. And lastly, you stand accused of attempted murder of her grace queen Brianna of house Stark. How do you plead?"
"I plead guilty to attempted adultery with my brother, lord Jaime of house Lannister, lord of Casterly Rock, shield of Lannisport, warden of the west, I plead guilty to attempted murder of lady Lyra of houses Lannister and Stark, lady of Casterly Rock, lady of Lannisport, lady of the west and of the north, lady of Winterfell, the dire wolf's daughter. I plead guilty on the attempted murder of my nephew, lord Daemon of houses Lannister and Stark, the young lion, the dire wolf's son, heir to Casterly Rock and Winterfell. I plead not guilty to attempted adultery with my cousin, lord Lancel Lannister and I plead not guilty to the attempted murder of her grace queen Brianna of house Stark", Cersei says.
"Do you have any explanation to why?" Queen Brianna asks. "Any explanation to why you would want our sweet sister, lady Lyra and our nephew, lord Daemon, dead?"
"Out of jealousy, your grace", Cersei says. "Out of jealousy that Jaime picked lady Lyra and not me to wed and bed, out of jealous that lady Lyra managed to conceive a child and not only that but a son, an heir, before I did, and out of jealousy that she got to conceive Jaime's child."

The royal couple and their advisors elaborate for a bit and come back with the verdict.
"Lady Cersei of house Lannister, the jury finds you guilty of attempted murder of our nephew, lord Daemon Lannister, attempted murder of his mother, lady Lyra Lannister, attempted murder of queen Brianna, attempted adultery with your brother lord Jaime Lannister and attempted adultery with your cousin lord Lancel Lannister", king Rhaegar says. "I sentence you to three months imprisonment and after those three months, a walk of atonement and then a life sentence with the sisters of the faith."

Cersei breathes a sigh of relief, at least she will live after what she did. Three months in prison, simple. The walk of atonement will be easy too, she thinks to herself. The lifetime with the sisters of the faith though...

She knew that just the attempted murder of lady Lyra and lord Daemon would have landed her here. She knew that the attempted murder of the queen would likely have given her a death sentence.

Cersei is brought back to her cell in the Red Keep's dungeon where she will spend the next three months. Three months later, Cersei is woken in her cell, brought to the sept of Baelor, from where her walk of atonement will begin.

After the walk of atonement, she is brought back to her cell in the Red Keep's dungeons where she will spend an additional three months of her life, when more charges against her are brought before the king and the king's hand. When her imprisonment in her cell in the Red Keep, is over, she is brought back to the sisters of the faith where she possibly will spend the rest of her life.