Chapter 21
CERSEI LANNISTER
Robert was dead. The King of the Seven Kingdoms. The Demon of the Trident. Her husband was dead.
The news should have filled her with pain and sorrow, yet all she had felt upon hearing those words had been relief. Sheer and ultimate relief, for no longer would she have to hide her affections in fear. No longer would she wake up in the middle of the night in fear of his wrath.
No longer would she have to suffer his humiliations anymore, and yet the Gods were cruel. The relief and the joy had lasted for but an hour until word reached her of the plots being hatched under her nose.
Plots of treason itself, and for a second, she could not believe her ears as the guards told her about the orders given to them by their new King, and she rescinded them at the first opportunity, but by then it was too late.
So, she rushed through the Halls towards her eldest's chambers, and as the guards tried to step in her way, Jaime's brandished blade was enough to push them aside as she threw open the gates to Joffrey's chambers.
"What have you done?" she raged, and the Sun had begun to come out by now, and her eldest stood infront of the mirror, wearing full ceremonial robes, posing with a sword.
"Wha...." and Cersei loved all her children, but Joffrey she loved more than most. Steffon and him were twins, but despite being the eldest, Joffrey had always felt overshadowed by his twin's brilliance.
It was a rivalry that often gave her headaches, but she had never thought that it would rise to the extent of treason and kinslaying.
"Your brother!" Cersie raged as she slapped him on the face without wasting a second.
"AGHHH!" Joffrey screamed, and if those guards thought they could stop her, then they would have to get past Jaime first.
"You tried to kill your own brother," and it was not just him. He had ordered the guards to slaughter all of Robert's bastards as well, but she cared little for them. They were all a stain on her honor anyway.
But Steffon. Steffon was her pride and joy. He was his twin. He was to be his right-hand man. His future hand, and he had tried to have him killed.
"You will not strike me again. I am your King!" Joffrey screamed in frustration as his spit hit her face.
"Steffon was your brother, you idiot. Your twin," and she could never imagine herself harming Jaime.
"He was a traitor!" and she really doubted that.
"Both him and that little imp! They were planning to overthrow me, and the only punishment for a traitor is death!" Joffrey shouted back as he put his hand on his face.
"Steffon would never do that," and Joffrey scoffed.
"Of course you don't believe. He was always your favourite. But make no mistake, the throne is mine, and I will have his head," and now Jaime stepped forward.
"You will do no such thing," Jaime ordered, and Joffrey frowned.
"And who are you to order me! I am your King, and I will do as I please," and Cersei could not believe her ears. Was it true?
"You are a Kingsguard, and you answer me," Joffrey countered, and she saw the pain those words caused Jaime as she took a deep breath and looked to Joffrey once more.
"Who told you that Steffon was trying to replace you?" she asked, and her son stood tall.
"The Spider," and she should have expected that. Ever since she had learned about Baelish's treason, she had begun to feel suspicious of the bald man and his intentions. The Spider was a creature of secrets. He had served the Mad King himself until his reign had come to an end, no one truly knew where his loyalties lay.
As the Master of Whispers, it was his duty to uncover Baelish's treason and his plot to assassinate Steffon, but he had failed in that. The man had offered a grand apology for his failures, while offering Robert whispers about the Targaryens beyond the sea to satiate his anger, but she had seen through his lies.
He was no friend of theirs.
"The Spider is a traitor," and Joffrey shook his head.
"He is no traitor. He is a servant of the crown. The only traitor I know of is Steffon, and I will have his head," and Joffrey seemed convinced in his ways, and she had called off the men, but it was too late.
"You will do no such thing," and Joffrey frowned.
"You are not yet old enough for the Crown, and until you are, the Seven Kingdoms will be ruled by a regent," and it was but a temporary measure, but she needed to find her son. She needed to know that he was safe.
"I am ready," Joffrey countered, and Cersei scoffed.
"You are not. Do you even have any idea what you have done?" and few crimes in the realm were as reviled as kinslaying, and he had tried to take Steffon's life twice already.
If he was no traitor, then he surely was one now, and perhaps rightly so.
"Steffon is your twin. Your own blood, and you tried to kill him. You are not ready for the throne. Not at all!" and with that, she walked out of the room, as Jaime followed after her and closed the doors.
"Let me out! Let me out!" Joffrey screamed, and the wooden doors shook as she turned towards the guards at the door.
"The news of his father's death has greatly disturbed the young Prince. He will remain in his room until I say otherwise. If I see him outside, I will have your heads," she warned, and he may be the next King, but Cersei was the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and this castle was hers.
"But the corno..."
"There will be no coronation," Cersei roared back, growing tired of their insubordination.
"Do you understand the words of the Queen Regent?" Jaime questioned, as he took a step forward, and the two guards nodded quickly.
"We do, my lord," and with that done, Cersei found her mind pondering over the accusations she had just heard and wondered just how much of it was really true.
"Cersei, Cersei," Jaime's voice pulled her out of her trance, as she found herself outside of Steffon's chambers, looking towards her twin in desperation.
"What have I done?" and true or not, this was all her fault. She was their mother, and yet she had been blind to the hatred that had existed between them.
No. She was not blind to it. Not really. She had always known that Joffrey and Steffon had little love for one another, but she had always dismissed it as a spat between brothers. She had never thought that their little quarrels would one day become so big.
"You have done nothing," Jaime assured her as he held her by the arms, and it was only his support and presence that gave her the power to face it all.
"No one could have seen this coming," Jaime tried to soothe her, but it was too late.
"They are my sons. My sons, and one of them just tried to kill his twin," and Jaime had no counter to that.
"Well, at least we know for a fact that he failed," and that much they knew for Jaime had visited the brothel where he had been himself, and talked to the girls and men as well.
"Then where is he?" Cersei questioned, and Jaime had no answer for her.
"We will find him. I promise," and she did not trust him. Not now.
"That monster. I should have killed him that day," and she spoke of the little monster who had taken her mother from her, and now he had struck again, taking her son from her.
"This is his doing!" and Jaime had nothing to say in his defence.
"This is his plot. I know it for a fact," and the bastard had run away himself, scurrying away in the dead of the night, without informing anyone.
"He will know where Steffon is! He will know for sure," and Jaime nodded.
"I have already sent men to go and find him. If he knows where Steffon is then we will know soon enough," and she was tired of waiting.
"I want him found! I want him found now," and with that scream her legs failed her, as Cersei stumbled back as her back hit the wall and tears began to slide down her face.
Jaime came and wrapped his arms around her, to console her aching heart.
"I will find him, I promise, but you must not give up. Not now," he said as he caressed her face and looked her in the eye.
"We have too many enemies, and with Robert dead, they will all come for us," Jaime uttered, and her son and brother were not the only people missing. Renly Baratheon had vanished as well, along with his entire retinue, and Stannis was out of the capital as well.
It all felt planned, which worried her greatly. And Starks would be here soon, along with Robert's remains.
"You must consolidate power and bind the realm together," and he looked to the side.
"Joffrey is simply not ready for the Crown. Our enemies will try to make use of him, but only you can protect our children," and years ago, she had forbidden him from ever calling them as such, but she would forgive him for it now.
"I know my duty," Cersei reminded him.
"But you must remember your promise as well," she said, as she looked him in the eye.
"I know that you have great love for that monster, but I will not forgive him for this," and she would never forgive him for destroying her family once more.
"That little monster will pay for this!" and Jaime bit his lip.
"Please, we don't even know whether Tyrion is guilt or no...."
"DO NOT DEFEND THAT MONSTER!" and this was his revenge, and he had chosen the most cruel way possible to exact his revenge on her. He had always hated her, and so he had made his children hate each other to the extent that they would stoop to treason and kinslaying.
"Can't you see it. This is his revenge. This is who he has always been. A little monster who destroys everything he touches," and she had tolerated him for long enough.
"First, he took our mother from us, and that was not enough. He had to take more and so now he has taken my son from me! MY SON!" and he will pay for this. She will make sure of that.
"I will have his head for this, and no one will be able to stop me. No one," she reminded him, and Jaime knew that she was right, as a servant came and bowed his head.
"Your grace, the Starks are here...."
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