A Champion of Light and Lions (Cersei Lannister x OC)

2 - To Kill A King

I followed Cersei back to the chairs. The fire was still crackling behind us.

"I suppose you do have some sort of talent", Cersei admitted when we were seated again. "I'd like to hear more about it before I let you enter my service - if  I do. Mainly, I want to hear more about you. Who are you, exactly?"

"What would you like to know, Your Grace?", I asked.

She considered for a moment. "You said you were from Volantis. What did you do there? Before you became a priestess, I mean."

I hesitated, unwilling to tell but unable to refuse her. It was enough for her to understand.

"Your tattoo." She gestured at her own cheek. "It means you're a slave."

"Were", I corrected more sharply than I intended.

"It means you were a slave. What kind does the teardrop stand for?"

"Bedslave", I replied curtly. This was the part of my past I did not wish to discuss with anyone. It was mine alone, a dark smudge on my heart that I could try to forget, but never forgive.

Cersei did not notice my discomfort, or just didn't care. "How did a bedslave become a Red Priestess? I'm sure that's an interesting story."

"Not all that interesting, I'm afraid", I shrugged, even though just thinking about it brought memories to the surface that I had pushed deep, deep down and buried beneath a thick blanket of faith. "When my... master" - the word felt like acid on my tongue - "died, his slaves passed on to his son, and he set some of us free. Having known nothing else, I turned to the only place that didn't require me to do any work I never learned, and that would welcome all classes equally: the Red Priests. I've been there ever since."

"I heard it isn't easy to be accepted by the Red Priests. Surely they don't take just any former slave looking for an occupation. There must have been more to it than that."

She was right, of course, but I would not tell her this part. Azor Ahai or not, she had no right to my past. "Nothing, Your Grace. I wanted to serve the Lord, and they took me in."

"Your Lord doesn't have very high demands, then? I suppose it makes sense. If he sends a former whore to advise the queen of the Seven Kingdoms, his wisdom must be rather limited."

I tried not to let my hurt show, but my features hardened a little. "When we become His servants, we are all equal. It doesn't matter who we were before."

"No? How noble of him", Cersei said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I didn't respond.

"Oh, come now, you're rather easily discouraged for a believer", Cersei continued after a moment of waiting for me to speak. "Tell me, what else do you see in your flames? You said you were here to advise me, so go on, advise."

I swallowed, trying to think of a way to stall for time. "So you do want me in your service?"

"I didn't say that. Tell me."

"I'm not sure it would be wise-"

She grabbed me by the collar of my dress. "Am I going to regret sending the guards away?", she hissed. "What's the matter with you? Just tell me what you saw, that cannot be that hard of a task for you to comprehend."

"It's not an easy message to relay", I said quietly. She clutched my collar even tighter, slowly cutting off my air supply. "You'll trust me even less if I tell you right now, without context", I choked out.

"I already don't trust you", Cersei retorted. "There's nothing you could say to make it worse."

I closed my eyes, fully expecting to be killed right then and there. "King Robert must die", I said tonelessly.