court of lies | robert's rebellion

the lion and the king

"the chains are broken but are you truly free?"

281 AC, Oldtown

What was the meaning of life? The reason they were alive? Was there truly some kind of a holy plan, the reason for their existence, or was that something they made themselves believe in because of the meaninglessness of life?

If she knew things would come here, she truly, truly, would do things differently. Cut whatever plan was pushing them into this moment. With the sound of glass hitting the floor, she stood up, her vision blurred and she could swear the world just lost all of its colours.

She was feeling numb when she opened the door. Finnan and Alea turned to send her a worried look but she didn't mind them, didn't even hear the muffled gasps and just walked mindlessly. Her hands were tied on her front, she was squeezing the little bottle with a purple liquid in it.

She walked and walked and walked for seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, moons and years and ended up on her own balcony, her safe haven in this world. And she just stood there, looking at the starry night.

Leyton always thought there was a different side in her, a side that she didn't show to anyone. Where she was sweet and innocent, merciful. He always thought she was a better person than she showed, he always believed in it, even at his worst day. Not even once doubted the goodness of her heart.

Oh, how wrong he was.

How terribly wrong he was.

The things she had done in the name of him would have shocked him, disgust him, horrify him and now she was aware with all of her being that she reached a point of no return.

There was no salvation for her.

If she knew things would come to this point, she would take her own life ages ago. She could feel the strong wind hitting her face, ruining her dress and hair. She slowly took off her crown and placed it on the balcony rail with a deep breath. She wasn't sure if there truly was a storm or if she was imagining it, romanticizing her own death.

She wasn't sure about anything any longer.

She slowly lowered her head to look at the small bottle in her hands and closed her eyes tightly.

She opened the bottle and raised it.

She was done running.

*

281 AC, King's Landing

Ten days ago...

The capital came alive when there was a royal event that attached the nobles all around the realm like moths. Traders from all around the globe had found their way into the port and waited for nobles and royals alike to buy their finest silks and many other things. And as the Master of Coins, Lord Chelsted had bought a very impressive amount of fabrics to give to the royal tailors to make the crown benefit it.

And now Cersei, as the future queen, has been trying to choose her own for her new wardrobe as the queen with her ladies all around her. There were orange Myrish silks and Lysene pink see-through tulles, Braavosi blue silk and the Pentosi purple velvet, everybody was laughing while Cersei touched them only with the tip of her fingers and squinted -as if she had seen such fabrics with quality before.

But the shit went down when Elia's arrival got announced. It was a known thing by now that the Queen Regent and the future queen did not like each other -loathed, even. And Elia never missed an opportunity to teach the younger girl her place. She did not enjoy it but she was mature enough to admit it was necessary to crush the rat's head when she was little.