You Know Nothing || Cersei Lannister (GxG)

LXII.

SCHOOOOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMA~ Happy Pride, by the way😁❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

"Where's Catelyn?" Cersei asked, first thing, as I stumbled into the bleak cell. She looked even more disheveled than she had last night, but there was a healthy glow in her cheeks.

"Forgive me, my lady." I said softly, rubbing my temples. "I'll bring her to see you later this evening. She's with the wet nurse."
"Ah." She nodded sadly, and a few moments later, "You look thoroughly exhausted."

"I am." I slid down the stone wall and perched next to her, wrapping my arms around my knees. "Our child was up all night."

She smiled softly. Granted, prison had not done her any favors, but her smile was still as bright and as white as it was the day I met her. "Why didn't you give her to the nurse then?"

"Oh, I did. And the nurse told me I could go back to my chambers to sleep, but I stayed... just to look at her for a little longer. She is beautiful, you know."

"You're beautiful." Cersei said, reaching out to brush my cheek with dirty fingertips. "You'll make her feel safe one day."
"Do I make you feel safe?" I asked, upon being given a blurry, morbid flashback of exactly how Catelyn had come to be. My heart grew heavy. Then she said,

"Of course, my love. Why wouldn't you? You're always here. In fact, I feel safer with you than I do with any of my guards. Even though you couldn't swordfight to save your life." She chuckled.

"You're in prison." I said softly. "You're in prison and there's nothing I can do."

"Exactly that, Paityn." She said sternly. She always gave me this patronizing look when she knew I was going to say something self-deprecating. "There is nothing you can do if you want to protect my child. Our child."

"Our child." I repeated, thinking of her small, pink hands and the weight of her in my arms. She was worth everything I had to give and more. "Oh, Cersei. If only there were a way-"

"If only, if only." She mocked. "You sound like a poor minstrel. Stop that. Stop with all the 'if's and 'but's. Should have, could have, would have. There's no use in dwelling on your mistakes, or mine for that matter."

"Why did you give the Faith Militant their power back again?" I asked, and she sighed, pressing her face into my shoulder. Her hair smelled faintly of lavender still, but the scent of sweat and oil was more overpowering.

"I told you, I wanted to get the Tyrells out of the picture. As it just so happens, Lancel is one of the little birds, and he told the whole flock of our... tryst. In hindsight, it was all a rather bad idea. I should've just let the smirking whore and her knight of a brother roam freely. Now Tommen is angry with me-"

"I spoke to Tommen, he's not angry." I interrupted, twiddling my thumbs. She reached for my hand, and I took it. "He's been trying very hard to get you, Margaery, and Loras out, but the High Sparrow won't listen to him. And to think, this is the boy who once said 'faith' is what makes a King."

"Were you there?" She asked.

"When?"

"After Joffrey's funeral, when my father was asking Tommen what the most important attribute of a King is. You must have been, or else you wouldn't have heard him say 'faith.'"

"I must have been."

"I never want to step foot in the Sept of Baelor again." Cersei's voice took a solemn turn, and I kissed the back of her hand.

"I know you don't, love, but you must, for your trial."

She was quiet for a moment. "The High Sparrow says I can atone, you know."

"What does 'atoning' consist of?" I asked. I was skeptical of anything the "High Sparrow" had to offer.

"I'm not sure." Cersei replied honestly. "I perform an act, confess to my sins, and the trial will come faster and easier."

"I'm not sure about that, my love-"

"I've been in here for what, months now? I need all the help I can get. I'm going to ask for it. Not to mention, I have a plan." There was a maniacal glint in her emerald eyes as she spoke those words. "I'll tell you once I get out of this hellhole, I swear it."

"I should be going now." I kissed her on the forehead, fondly squeezing her hand. "I'll be back with the girl at dinnertime. I'll have her hungry." I glanced at her swollen breasts, and she squeezed my hand in return.

"They aren't suspicious, are they?" She asked quietly, and I shook my head.

"They think we're very close, nothing more. They haven't put incest past you, but... being a homosexual... as far as they know, Loras is the only one around here."

"Forgive me." She chuckled nervously, pressing her forehead against mine. "Prison has made me afraid of everything."

"Don't stress, my love. Soon you will atone and be released. They do release you, correct?" I leaned into her, and she sniffed, breathing more regularly now.
"Correct." She replied, her face still somewhat pained.

"I truly wish there were something I could do. I can't stand the thought of you like this." I pushed her matted hair behind her shoulder.

"All that I ask is that you continue to love me. Even like this."

"That's not asking me anything. I'll always love you."