Asoiaf: I Have a Wolverine Template

Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Ladies of the tourney
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Cersei Lannister POV

I reminisce about the melee, where knights crashed against each other in a storm of steel. Watching them bash in each other's heads was a beautiful sight—especially when Galahad took down six knights by himself.

The memory made me smile, my needle forgotten in my hand as I replayed the image in my mind.

"Cersei, you're doing it all wrong." The voice to my left was a sharp reminder of where I was.

I looked over, annoyed, and saw her face—Catelyn Tully. A few namedays older than me, with eyes like muddy sapphires, a poor match for my own green. Her auburn hair was just as lacking, dull and unimpressive next to my golden waves. The very sight of her grated on me.

My mother had forced me to befriend her, since she was also the daughter of a lord paramount, but I could hardly stand her.

While I'd rather be out with Jaime and the boys, here I was, stuck in this stuffy tent with Catelyn, her sister, other young ladies, and a septa watching over us all.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Catelyn always managed to be better at everything—sewing, singing, dancing. It was infuriating.

"Melara, here," I said, tossing my sewing kit to my lady-in-waiting, the only one I liked in this tent. "Finish this for me."

I could see Catelyn's mouth tighten as she watched. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, clearly taken aback.

I smirked, meeting her gaze. "I'm the daughter of a lord paramount. Why should I sew when I have ladies who can do it for me?"

Her eyes narrowed as she shot back, "That's exactly why you should sew. The Mother says a woman must follow the right path and lead by example."

There she went again, talking about the Mother from the Seven-Pointed Star, as if I didn't already know about it. Her words grated on me, as did the glint of that necklace around her neck. I felt an urge to snap it right off.

"Oh, please," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "If you want to lead by example, Catelyn, then keep sewing. As for me, I have better things to do."

Without waiting for her response, I turned and strode toward the tent's exit.

"Young lady, where do you think you're going?" The septa, who had been hovering over us with a tight-lipped expression, suddenly appeared in front of me.

I rolled my eyes, my patience thoroughly worn thin. "Move aside," I said, annoyance clear in my voice.

She held up a hand, blocking my path. "Please, Lady Cersei. Sewing is important—you'll need it for your—"

Before the septa could finish her sentence, I slipped around her and darted out of the tent.

The fresh air filled my lungs, lifting the weight of the stuffy tent and the needles I couldn't stand.

My eyes quickly scanned the grounds, and in the distance, I spotted them—my uncles Gerion and Tygett, the Dornish prince Oberyn, and, of course, my prince, Galahad.

I ran toward them, savoring each step of freedom.

"Wait, Lady Cersei!" The septa's voice floated faintly behind me, but I didn't even glance back. My feet carried me toward Galahad and the others, away from needles and thread, away from the septa and Catelyn with her insufferable sense of duty.

Galahad was the first to notice me, his face lighting up with surprise as he caught my eye. "Woah there, Lady Cersei. What are you doing out here?"

He was dressed in simple attire, as were the others, taking a well-earned rest before the jousting began. All four of them had advanced to the next round in the melee, and I could tell they were enjoying their break.