The Game of Thrones

CERSEI I

"Your Grace, I am afraid I bring bad news," a voice whispered behind her as she sat looking out at the Red Keep. She didn't need to turn around to know it was Qyburn as the fatherly-looking man had such a distinctive voice.

"And what may that be?" Cersei asked while staring out at the city below.  She was lost in deep thought of her pregnancy and the wars raging around them that she could care less about the little problems of King's Landing. 

I am the lioness. I do not concern myself with the troubles of the sheep.

For a child grew inside her every day — a second chance to redeem herself as a mother.  Everyone who isn't us is an enemy, she reminded herself as she placed her hand on her stomach. She knew once this child was born nothing else would matter; as nothing else mattered as it is.  Everything I do is for this child and our protection. Nothing else. She was determined to not make the same mistakes before with Joffrey or Tommen. She swirled her red wine around in her glass while waiting for her Hand to respond. 

"I'm afraid, Your Grace, Winterfell as fallen. The North has been overrun by the dead. I've heard the remaining survivors are scattered across the land," Qyburn confessed.

She blinked sharply in an attempt to hide her surprise.  Cersei knew Jon Snow — the bastard boy was a war hero after all.  If he was defeated, the Army of the Dead must be a larger threat than she anticipated.

But they are no match for the Lannister Army.

"And what of the Targaryen girl?"

"I heard she managed to escape on her dragons, Your Grace, along with Jon Snow. The whispers say they have retreated to Dragonstone. I also heard your brother Jaime—"

"I do not care about my brother. He became a traitor the second he walked out of these gates to go fight with our enemies," she roared. Cersei left the balcony in order to get more wine as she turned her attention to the council meeting. Just as she sat down in the dark mahogany chairs, she noticed Euron joining them, which made her urge to leave even stronger. I will never let this man near my child.

Qyburn followed her into the room as he bowed in apology.

"I'm afraid that's not all, Your Grace." Qyburn's voice quivered with concern as he eyed his Queen. 

Cersei stared at him while she waited for him to continue. From the corner of her eye, she could see Euron helping himself to the various foods set out. He grabbed a fistful of purple grapes with some cheese as he sat back down, totally uninterested in what Qyburn had to say.  Cersei pursed her lips in disgust.

Qyburn took a shallow breath. "Your Grace, there are — whispers — about the boy, Jon Snow. They say he is not Ned Stark's bastard."

Cersei furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Euron suddenly became interested in the conversation.

"So, who the fuck is he then? Some magical fucker with another claim to the throne?" Euron laughed with his mouth still full of food. 

Cersei rolled her eyes as she just wanted him to shut up so she could get out of there.  She had not been feeling well with her pregnancy lately as she began experiencing some minor cramping — but none of that bothered her.  She would endure any pain for her child. 

My little lion.

"Actually," Qyburn started, "they say he's the son of Ned's sister Lyanna Stark. She died giving birth to him at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. And the father is —"

"—Rhaegar Targaryen," Cersei finished as she stared at an arbitrary point in the wall. Her mind was spinning — first Winterfell and now this? Another threat to her already fragile rule as she kept losing allies to the Targaryen cause.

Qyburn nodded.

"This changes fucking nothing," Euron said with a laugh as he swallowed another grape. "The bastard is still a fucking bastard."

"This is true," Cersei agreed sharply without meeting Euron's gaze. "Wouldn't his last name just change to Sand? That is what they call bastards born in Dorne, I believe."

"Not exactly, Your Grace," Qyburn responded cautiously. "They say Lyanna and Rhaegar were married in secret on Dorne. This would make Jon Snow not a bastard at all, but the last living male heir of the Targaryen dynasty, which gives him a—"

"—claim to the throne," Cersei finished coldly. A bastard born royalty.  How romantic.

Qyburn nodded again. "They say his name — his true name — is Aegon Targaryen."

"Like Aegon the Conqueror. How very noble of them," she snickered.  Just the thought of the Targaryen's made her blood boil.  If it was not for the Mad King, I would not have been married to the drunken fool named Robert Baratheon.

"Well — I don't know about you all, but I see only one true queen of the seven kingdoms. And she is sitting right in front of me," Euron said as he smiled wickedly. "Queen Cersei Lannister."

Cersei offered a fake smile. I wish I could just strangle him right here with my own hands. But she knew she couldn't, because as much as she'd hate to admit, she needed him as an ally.  The Iron Fleet will be critical in securing my throne and protecting my little lion, she reminded herself. But Euron Greyjoy's disgusting manner did not make it any easier to tolerate him.

"Why, I absolutely agree with you, but that does not change the fact Daenerys Targaryen and now Jon Snow Both have claims to the Iron Throne, " Qyburn countered.

"Fuck 'em! Cersei—" Euron bellowed angrily back, but Cersei cut him off.

"We could use this to our advantage," she stated as she stared deeply at absolutely nothing; her mind was calculating how to deal with these enemies that are getting more and more powerful every day. "The dragon whore has spent her entire life working towards taking the throne for herself. Now, her — ally — Jon Snow has threatened that so-called 'claim.' Tensions will be rising — they are already weak from their losses at Winterfell." She paused for a moment before continuing. "The time to strike is now."

"Your Grace — if I may — we have an army of dead men marching towards us to kill us all. Perhaps we should focus—" Qyburn started worriedly as Euron interrupted him.

"Let the grand Targaryen's with their fucking dragons kill 'em all. The boy said they can't cross water, right?" Euron asked as his eyes locked with hers. He attempted to reach for her hand, but she whisked it away.

"We can take refuge at the Iron Islands," he continued while moving his gaze down to her pregnant stomach and smiled. "They can't kill us there."

Cersei cleared her throat as just the thought made her want to vomit. "No, thank you. King's Landing in the safest place to be in such a war. It has never fallen before, and I don't plan on becoming the first," Cersei responded cruelly as Euron frowned and sat back in his seat. I would rather die than spend years with this — man — alone.

"But I do agree with him on one matter," Cersei continued as she met Qyburn's curious gaze. Euron's eyes suddenly filled with excitement as she explained, "Let the bastard boy and the Targaryen girl fight the dead men. They will not stay at Dragonstone forever."

"But will we do?" Qyburn asked in return.

"We wait here. We will barricade ourselves in the Red Keep and wait out the war," Cersei replied. "And in the unlikely event the girl and bastard live, we will be prepared."

"With what?"

Cersei looked down as she thought for a moment by taking another sip of wine. The rich flavor never disappointed her in the Red Keep, as they always had the finest wine. She ran her finger across the rim as she looked into the fireplace to her right.  The flames were sending shadows dancing across the wall, when she suddenly had an idea.  She then looked up with a devilish smile on her face as she locked her eyes again with Qyburn's.

"Qyburn, how many bottles of wildfire do we still have?"

**

Artwork credits: "Cersei Lannister" by Bruno Machado (2018).