The Hype / Gendry Waters (2.8)

14. Bravery

"I remember the boys heading off, said there was a deserter of the nights watch." Rieka recalled, Gendry's hand grazed along her side as she snuggled into him. "Robb said that the man died bravely, Jon said the man was scared..." Rieka recalled. "Jon had told me that night that bran asked if a man can be brave if he is afraid, my father had answered that is the only time a man can be brave."

"Are you afraid?" Gendry questioned. 

"Do you think they can win, save winterfell without the lannisters army?" Rieka questioned. 

"I hope so," Gendry agreed. 

"I'm sure we will be hearing from the Dragon queen soon enough and her displeasure with us." Rieka mumbled. 

"Are you worried?" Gendry questioned.

"I am." Rieka admitted. "Dont think less of me."

"Never, you are bravest, strongest person I know." Gendry assured kissing her temple.

"Thanks for that... I don't feel so strong sometimes, am I doing a good job faking it?" Rieka mused.

"You could have fooled me." Gendry assured. "If a war is coming for us, don't keep anything inside."

"Im falling for you Gendry. Really falling." Rieka informed him. He smiled brightly back at her. 

"Rieka, I have already fallen for you."

Gendry rolled her over onto her back kissing her deeply. She hummed in the back of her throat as her hands wrapped around him, nails dragging over muscled skin. 

''If I close my eyes, I can hear the sound of Oberyn's skull breaking. The sound of your scream. I never heard a sound like that. I thought, That's true love." Cersei remarked. "Oberyn looked beautiful that day. He really did. No one moved like him. No one had such skill with a spear. Even Ser Gregor couldn't stop him. If only he hadn't taunted him. He could've walked away and left poor Ser Gregor to die. But that wasn't your lover's way, was it? Now he's buried somewhere. And here's Ser Gregor, stronger than ever. That must be difficult for you."

Ellaria scowled back at her. Euron took his sweet as time with his hostages, Ellaria and her daughters included and with Gendry and Rieka distracted Cersei knew this was the best time to strike. She didnt want her son to know what she was capable of, in the name of love. 

" When my daughter was taken from me, my only daughter... well, you can't imagine how that feels unless you've lost a child. I fed her at my own breast even though they told me to give her to the wet nurse. I couldn't bear to see her in another woman's arms. I never got to have a mother, but Myrcella did. She was mine, and you took her from me. Why did you do that?' Cersei demanded.

But Ellaria didn't answer. SHe had met Rieka briefly and she didnt want Tyrion dead, she was grateful to Oberyn. Did Ellaria bring this on herself? Perhaps. She did kill Myrcella but that was justice, in her mind.

'Doesn't matter now.' Cersei went on 'Your daughter's a beauty, too. Those brown eyes. Those lips. Perfect Dornish beauty. I imagine she's your favorite." Ellaria glanced to Tyene, out of the three girls that came with on this blasted battle for the dragon queen, Tyene was the only one that was her true daughter.

"I know, I know, we're not supposed to have favorites, but still, we're only human. We love whom we love.'' Cersei remarked. Ellaria mumbled a curse at cersei through the gag. 'I'm sorry, I can't understand you. That gag makes it impossible to understand what you're saying. It must be frustrating... We all make our choices. You chose to murder my daughter. You must have felt powerful after you made that choice.'' Cersei went on and Ellaria grunted.

' Do you feel powerful now? I don't sleep very well. Not at all, really. I lie in bed and I stare at the canopy and imagine ways of kill my enemies. How to destroy Ellaria Sand, the woman who murdered my only daughter. I thought about having Ser Gregor crush your skull the way he did Oberyn's. It would be poetic, I suppose, but fast, too fast. I thought about having him crush your daughter's skull. She's so beautiful. The thought of this lovely face cracking open like a duck egg, no, it's just not right.' Cersei glanced over at Ellaria's daughter and she whimpered.

'Mama.' Tyene was crying and that broke Ellaria's heart.

'Qyburn here is the cleverest man I know. Clever enough to learn what poison you used to murder Myrcella. The Long Goodbye, was that it?" Cersei recalled.

''The Long Farewell.' He corrected.

''That's the one. How long does the poison take?''

''Difficult to say-- hours, days. It depends on the subject's constitution.' He informed her.

''But death is certain?' cersei confirmed.

'Oh, yes, Your Grace, quite certain.' he confirmed. 

'Your daughter will die here in this cell, and you will be here watching when she does. You'll be here the rest of your days. If you refuse to eat, we'll force food down your throat. You will live to watch your daughter rot.' A smile curved on Cersei's face 'To watch that beautiful face collapse...' Ellaria started sobbing '...to bone and dust. All the while contemplating the choices you've made. Make sure the guards change the torches every few hours. I don't want her to miss a thing. ''