Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of ASOIAF / GoT and don't make any money with this story.
„We haven't officially met", the queen speaks oh so sweetly, "I'm Cersei of House Lannister. You must be my brother's whore."
Shae just stares at her. It's only been minutes since soldiers of the Kingsguard dragged her out of bed and pulled her across the floor like she was dirt. When Shae doesn't respond, the queen keeps on talking.
"Hiding a whore in a convent surely was one of Lord Varys' more creative ideas", she says ripped between admiration and disdain. Her green eyes slowly travel over Shae's gown which covers her whole body and the better part of her face. "Too bad you couldn't stay away from the tomb where my little brother is rotting away at the moment."
"I'm not Lord Tyrion's whore", Shae speaks up calmly, although a wild flame of anger is burning inside of her. "I'm his girlfriend."
"His girlfriend?" The queen raises her eyebrows in disgusted astonishment. "I don't think so. Tyrion might be a dwarf and a murderer who doesn't deserve the family name he is given, but he is still a Lannister. You on the other hand are just a street child who sells her body to strangers because she's got no other redeeming qualities."
"You were sold to Robert Baratheon", Shae intervenes coldly with her heavy accent, "by your own father. Are we really that different?"
The fake smile on Cersei's face freezes immediately. She responds nothing for a second, before letting out a harsh, short laugh. "You and your funny jokes", she spits out sarcastic, "add your tainted personality to that and you really are the perfect match for my brother. But no matter what you call yourself – whore, maid, girlfriend – none of this will help you, because the only man in this city who gave you a voice will lose his tongue soon enough, along with his abnormally giant head."
"You're threatening to kill him for days now", Shae responds challenging, "so why am I here? Is it for you to threaten to kill me too?"
The queen reacts with a joyless smile that fails to reach her eyes while she pours wine into her glass. She doesn't ever bother to offer one to Shae as well. "I wouldn't call you up here just to tell you this", she denies disparaging, "life is too short, especially in King's Landing. No, I ordered you to come here so we could broker a deal."
"A deal?", Shae echoes curios. She doesn't want to make deals with Tyrion's hateful sister, but she dealt with too many immoral offers to turn it down before hearing the queen out. Cersei nods, swinging her golden curls around.
"I want you", she confesses forceful, "to testify against my brother in court."
Shae swallows heavily. The thought alone of digging Tyrion's grave sends cold chills down her spine. "He didn't kill the king", she states things she only can guess, but does not know. She barely knows anything since he married Sansa, after all. "I will not frame him for a crime he didn't commit."
"Do you really believe him to be innocent?" Disdain drips from the queen's words. She looks like she is about to vomit and cry at the same time. "I swear to the gods, the old and the new, that he is my son's murderer! Joffrey pointed at him in his very last moment. His eyes were speaking what his mouth couldn't say anymore, but if one thing is sure in this world it is that my very own brother killed my little boy." The queen blinked, almost as if she was fighting against tears rising in her stone cold eyes. "Tyrion is going to pay for this, with or without your help. If they let me I will chop off his head with my own hands. If yours will follow soon after is your choice."
Cersei's merciless stare lets Shae realize how wrong she was all the time not to fear the queen. Tyrion warned her many times, but only now Shae wishes that she'd taken the ship to Pentos that he
had offered her. She folds her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking. "I can't help you", she responds with all her strength, "even if I wanted. What am I supposed to say? Tyrion didn't speak a single word about King Joffrey."
"But he easily could've, don't you think?" The queen sips her wine, growing more confident with every word. "While he forced you to touch him – which you found absolutely disgusting, of course – and you whispered sweet nothings in his ear to survive? Is it so hard to imagine that a few words about the murder he planned so long ago slipped his tongue?"
Shae watches the queen very carefully. "Which words would that have been, your Grace?"
"Oh, just a few sentences about him and his wife plotting against Joffrey. Every good man in King's Landing knows that Sansa Stark can't be trusted – her father was a traitor, and so is she. It's in her blood. She blamed Joffrey for the death of her father, her mother, her brother and Tyrion – the dreadful lech that he is – was eager to offer her his help, just to get her to open her legs for him."
"That doesn't sound like him at all", Shae protests distrustful.
"It does to me", Cersei harshly cuts her off. "I've known him all my life long, but you? A few months? A year? You know nothing about him." A sadistic smile creeps onto her beautiful features. "He claims love to you and marries another woman as soon as he gets the chance. Does that sound like a good man to you?"
"He was forced to marry Lady Sansa", Shae replies mechanically, but the doubt is strong within her heart. Lady Sansa for sure is not only pretty, but also the heir to nearly the whole North. What better match could Tyrion make?
"We are all forced to do things we do not want at first", Cersei answers deceitful, "sometimes these are our bests choices in the end. What a shame it would be if you'd lose your pretty head for a man who only has eyes for another."
Her words cut deep. Shae always hated how eager Tyrion was to please his child bride, to see her happy after all the harm that had been done to her. She doesn't have the power to respond anymore. Cersei smiles triumphantly. "Now go and see my father", she commands, "you'll need strong allies if you want to survive as the lover of a kingslayer."
"It worked out well for you", Shae mutters under her breath.
Cersei 's smile freezes. Inflexible she opens the door. "Leave!", she demands. "Before I change my mind and serve Tyrion your head for dinner!"
One last time Shae stares the queen deadly in the eye. When she bows her head, steps outside and walks towards her only chance that isn't even a choice.