I Am Cersei Rose

12

CERSEI'S POV

Sleeping soundly was something I had never been used to, so when the village caught on fire, I was one of the first to smell the smoke.

An arrow that was flamed shot through our hut, and I grabbed Snow and forced her awake, picking up the little girl from our tent and running out the door.

Outside was chaos. Everything was burning, the huts on fire, people being killed. By the queens guards. Finn was leading the riot, and I had never been so disgusted with another human being as much as him.

"Run, rats, run!" Finn shouted. They rode their horses through the flames, yelling orders and searching people as they filed into boats.

I gave the little girl to Nakitta, keeping Snow close as we ran. The bowman was watching our backs, even though I had never seen him before in my life.

We were running everywhere, and just as we were running to the boats, I realised Eric wasn't with us. Searching for him frantically, I couldn't see him anywhere.

"ERIC!" I screamed, hurtling myself out of the boat and picking up a discarded sword. It was a familiar feel, to hold a blade, but I still felt uneasy. This thing will kill people. But I needed to get to Eric.

I swung at the guards, killing most with one fatal swoop. Protecting the women and myself, I ran rampant around the camp. Whatever was in my path, be it guard or horse, I cut it down. Nothing would stop me until I found him. Absolutely nothing.

"ERIC!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs, hurtling my legs to move faster to get to him. His hut was three from mine, and on fire. In it, was ash. Nothing more, nothing less.

I put a hand to my mouth and refused to believe it. He can't be dead. No, he can't be dead. My heart cracked in two. He can't be dead. He can not be dead.

I let out a blood curdling scream of pain, the fire licking at my skin. I forced myself to move, running back to the boats with tears streaming down my face.

Snow was in front of me, a man was holding her and pushing Nakitta away. I threw my sword, just as an ax hit him. I looked to my left. Eric.

He looked at me as though he had seen a ghost, his eyes were gleaming with unshed tears as he looked at me. He looked like he had been through hell.

I ran to him, jumping at him and wrapping my arms around his neck while he wrapped his around my waist. I leaned into his neck while he leaned into mine, and the smell of burning wood and death was gone for a moment, replaced by the smell of him. Wood and trees, beer stained tunics and blood covered blades. As sadistic as it sounds, I found it the safest place I had been since this journey even started.

"God, I thought you were dead!" He said I pulled away and swept some of his hair away from his face, tucking it gently behind his ear. He kept his hands on my hip bones, looking at me in the eyes.

"And I you" he leaned into my touch for a second, then grabbed his ax and pulled us away, Snow and I, by our arms.

"No, we have to help them!" I cried out. Nakitta shooed me away with her hands, tears streaming down her own face.

"You will! Go!" And with that, Eric, Snow and I waded through the water and away from the burning village. At that moment, I made a vow.

I was going to kill that bitch. And there is nothing in this world that will stop me.

..........

We followed the lake to a stream and followed that. To be honest, I was thankful that we all got out alive.

But that feeling when I thought Eric was dead. That feeling of utter despair and broken heartedness, that frightened me. Last time I loved, which was my father, they were all killed.

Exhausted, Snow collapsed near a fallen tree. I sat down a little to the side of her, while Eric lay next to me, all of us panting with fatigue.

"I'm sorry" he said, looking at us both as he sat up. Snow looked at him unconvinced, while I refused to look at him. A few miles back, I had realised he wasn't at the camp, or he'd have been with us quicker. He was leaving.

And that shattered my heart.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know" I laughed with as much breath as I could spare, even if it was humourless.

"You're not"

"I am"

"You left us" I snarled, looking up at him. He was looking extremely guilty, obviously regretting his actions, but he did them, didn't he. He chose to leave us on our own. That won't be forgiven easily.

"We should never have been there" I was near tears, all those women, children. Dead. Hundreds of lives, lost. Because of us. Because of me.

I put my head in my hands and sighed. God, what in the world did I ever do to that queen? I caused this. I'm next in line. I'm the reason this happened, why children are dead.

Sensing my own guilt, Eric put a hand to my hair and lifted my head gently, his hand resting on the back of my neck while he spoke to me with those blue eyes of his.

"Look at me. I'll take you to duke Hammond's, OK? Alright?" He stroked my hair slightly as Snow watched with wary eyes. "You have my word"

I looked into the eyes I could so clearly read. It was then that my trust started to rebuild itself. I could tell he wasn't lying. I could tell he truly meant to take us. Silently, I nodded my approval. Snow watched our interaction with unease, and I had no idea how to repay him for that betrayal.

Then someone punched him in the face.