Notes

Loosely based on heat and dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

GOT AU 1923. Aerys did blow up Kingslanding, Elia, Jaime, Aerys and others died, Lyanna and Rhaegar are King and Queen, Robert is angry and wants to overthrow Rhaegar. Tywin sensing Robert's weakness marries Cersei to him so that when Robert becomes King, Cersei will be Queen.

TW

Fatphobia- Cersei describes Robert as fat any chance she gets, she thinks he's betrayed her by getting fat

Domestic Violence- Canon Robert

Twincest- some JaimexCersei kissing

As always dedicated to Olivia and all the other Euron/Cersei shippers out there

The seven kingdoms were now six, the Iron Islands was now a protectorate, they were considered not fit for self-rule. Robert as an insult from Rhaegar was stationed there as the Lord Overseer of the Iron Islands as his title was given to Stannis the second son of Cassana Estermont and Steffon Baratheon.

Robert was always angry and took out his anger on his wife Cersei. Cersei had been assured by her aunt Genna that she and Robert had a lot in common that their first loves Lyanna and Rhaegar chose each other and that they could be happy together.

Aunt Genna was wrong. Cersei was not happy. Robert was a terrible husband. Though her father had cured her religiosity when her mother died by telling here there were no gods. She did pray. Every night for a child, no a son. Robert was not the type of man to be satisfied with a child it had to be a son, an heir. He had glowered at Cersei if she had given him a son, his heir would have Stormsend not Stannis. Cersei didn't point out that it takes 9 months to have a baby and Rhagar and Lyanna were married before Robert and Cersei and it would have been impossible for Robert's heir to inherit Stormsend, she didn't want to be yelled at or worse.

It was the annual Christmas Ball. Cersei had a gown shipped from Lannisport it was in red and gold, it was the only link she had to her own birthright. Everything around her was Baratheon. Robert was intending to turn the Iron Islands into the Stormlands. Cersei placed her gift for her husband under their humongous decorated tree, she had designed stag cuff links for Robert.

The aroma of spiced meat and alcohol provided a merry atmosphere, Cersei had no appetite thinking back to the last Christmastime, a drunken Robert had started pawing at her to the delight of the Ironborn guests. Aunt Genna had tripped a food server and Cersei had used that to allow for Aunt Genna to seat Uncle Emmon between her and her husband. It would not have been good form to have fled the hall crying, she was a Lannister they knew how to endure insults.

Ever since Cersei had told Robert that she wanted to get pregnant they had started sharing his chambers, however she slept in and went to bed late staring at the waves thinking of Jaime. Had her beautiful brother suffered when he died?

Whenever Robert was violent toward her, her blood turned to ice, she would feel dead knowing that if Jaime was alive Robert would not have dared. While Cersei didn't care for Stannis nor Renly when she was at Storms End Robert had never hit her anywhere visible. However in the barbaric primitive islands he was a monster without shame.

Christmas was not an Ironborn tradition Robert had introduced it three years ago. At first they did not like the imposition of a new tradition at odds with their culture and religion but there was free food and drink, but mostly it was Robert humiliating Cersei that made them warm to the holiday event, it was always good entertainment for the Ironborn. The giftgiving was also a strange concept the Ironborn only gave gifts when they were wooing other times they just took what they wanted they were not givers, they were takers.

This Christmas Robert did not come home it was a humiliation for Cersei as she played hostess. The minor iron islands lords and their ladies they laughed and made jokes, many were vulgar jokes and the ones she could make out were about her inability to conceive and driving her husband into the arms of every whore on the island.

They would ask where Robert was knowing he was in the arms of his latest mistress

Cersei smiled graciously her hands clenched.

"Come now dear play something for us," Genna Frey requested

Cersei played beautifully, greedy for everyone's admiration attention and applause. As they lost interest her left eye twitched and she played more complex pieces but to no avail, they were ironborn they loved the clash of steel against steel and screams as people died in battle. Westerlands music was applauded but not appreciated.

"I do not know how you don't go batty just staring at the walls all day don't you go out?"

"No. Robert doesn't permit me to go out he says all these ironborn just want to you know what with me."

"Oh has an Ironborn tried to get fresh with you dear? I saw one lurking about the brothel. I tell you, if your uncle was not with me I would have let him get fresh with me if you know what I mean." Genna laughed wickedly.

Cersei smiled with bemusement at her aunt, Jaime often joked with Cersei that all of their cousins through Aunt Genna had different fathers.

"How is dear old Robert?" Genna asked noticing the lost look in Cersei's eyes which meant that she was thinking about Jaime.

"He's been… good," Cersei said guardedly. It was no secret that Robert was violent and abusive Genna always had some advice for Cersei hoping to have Cersei and Robert's marriage mirror Tywin and Joanna's alas Robert was no Tywin and Cersei was no Joanna. Genna believed that every Lannister woman must control her husband so far Cersei was failing miserably.

"Has he been able to…"

"No he's not been able to make me pregnant. The maesters say to be patient."

It was hard to be patient with the fear of annulment looming over her head. Three years without a child, Robert would be within his rights to leave her for a new wife. What then would become of her? Her Lord Father would surely blame her for the failure of the marriage, for not being able to produce a single heir for Robert. It hurt Cersei immensely to hear people scoff behind her back about the Lannisters being a fertile house.

"And we all know how good you are at being patient. Oh it's time for the ball Genna handed Cersei her red and black harlequin mask.

"Jaime and I used to love masked ball dances," Cersei sighed

"You and Jaime used to love a great many things," Genna remarked, "maybe that's why you can't make your marriage work with Robert because Jaime is still the only person you truly love," Cersei had no response as Genna put on her green and black mask and strode to her husband Ser Emmon Frey.

The first dance was to be Robert and Cersei. Cersei was going to plead a headache and retire Genna would look after the guests, she was a Lannister and they were very good at rising to the occasion. Cersei felt every eye on her challenging her to fail. She was brave but how was she gong to dance alone? Dance with Genna? Once again Robert had put her in a humiliating situation. Then there were murmurs Cersei watched her husband's figure stride towards her.

His mask was black with gold, if it had been on any man but her husband she would have been frightened. The mask looked like a demon's face screaming. She had seen the likeness before it was the image used to depict the ironborn's deity – the drowned god. Even when they were not on the best of terms Cersei still wanted her marriage to work it would be her failure if it didn't. She believed that as soon as she gave Robert a son they would see eye to eye, they would be one and all their quarrels would cease.

When he held his hand out to her Cersei realised immediately that this man with scarred tattooed hands with gaudy rings on his long fingers was not her husband, Robert's hands were now pudgy and ink stained.

However, one could not deny that he was Robert Baratheon's height, weight (before marriage) and age, he even wore his black and gold custom made suit with the golden rearing stags embroidered on the front of his black jacket.

She hesitated for a moment then took his hand, after all what did it matter? The imposter was masked. For all intents and purposes this man was her husband.

"Where is my husband?" she asked him defiantly as she followed him to the dance floor. There were grumblings. It would have been nice to see the arrogant Lannister humbled. They stood facing each other, she dropped an elegant curtsy and he bowed.

"One would say in your arms my lady." He said pulling her close, she frowned behind her mask.

"Keep that up," she pushed him away firmly, "and they will know you are not my husband. Follow my lead, it is apparent that you dance as well as a wet dog drying off."

She instructed him and he was a quickstudy, she smiled to herself as she heard a grumble, she had taught him a westerlands dance instead of the customary Stormlands one.

"What have you done with him?" she asked worry replacing her temporary triumph, at her little rebellion, she knew Lannisters were considered servants by all the Great Houses having had to work their way to the top as opposed to the inter-marriages between the other Houses and the Targareyns. They judge us she used to think when they all fucked their way to the top.

"He's entertaining a couple of pretty whores." Her dance companion spoke into her hair.

"Oh," Cersei exclaimed no longer feeling defiant, she had for a moment thought Robert was in danger and that this imposter was holding him for ransom, and she would negotiate his release and Robert would be so pleased with her and tell her that she saved him, that her mind was as beautiful as her face.

"But you knew that did you not? You knew he would not be here you…"

"Stop talking please," Cersei rolled her eyes behind her mask.

To her surprise he complied, and she enjoyed the dance, it was like being back in Lannisport dancing to Westermen songs.

When the dance ended Euron bowed to Cersei, she felt a pang of regret that was a nice distraction from her dreary, boring life.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as the guests milled around, some spitting out the Stormlands food and trying to put it back on the serving tables.

"Come and find out, if you dare." The imposter strode off as if he owned the castle, Cersei watched his back, in a way he did own it.

She had too much pride and very little innocence thus followed him quickly only to realise he'd come to her chambers, which she hadn't been in for weeks.

She stared at him with suspicion after she closed the doors behind her

"Do you know who I am?" he asked

"The exiled last ruler of the iron islands the pirate Euron crows eye Greyjoy," she recited expressionlessly leaving out all the colourful terms Robert used to describe Euron and the other Ironborn.

He pulled off his mask, she did the same.

She wished he hadn't done that now she had no excuse she could always claim she thought it was Robert they were similar in physique though Robert was gaining weight.

His eyes were blue, not like Robert's clear pretty blue, the pirate's eyes were a pale blue, cold piercing and quite like a demon's. She could scarcely remember her mother's eyes, she could picture her father's eyes, she detested Tyrion's eyes but she so loved Jaime's eyes. She could always bring to mind Jaime's eyes, his eyes were her favourite colour. She had loved everything about Jaime. She had gazed into Jaime's eyes for almost twenty years and he had been taken away from her and now she was doomed to look into various shades of blues. She hated blue eyes, she wished she was back in Lannisport where every shade of green eyes could be seen.

"Look at me, what have..." he began his speech puffing out his chest.

"I am," she pointed out arms crossed against her chest.

He chuckled, "I am the Rightful Heir to the islands yet these southerners dare to tell my people how to live? They see us as animals."

"Well you tend to beat your women to death for infidelity." She pointed out, not to mention the other unpleasant things the ironborn did.

"Come now my lady everyone knows your husband treats you like a horse to be whipped, rode, bred and stabled away."

"How… dare you?" Cersei hissed

"I can still see the blue on your face from his last slap or was it a kiss?"

"Go, before I call the guards," Cersei said calmly, wanting to claw his eyes out.

"Do you think I am a bad man?"

"Yes of course everyone knows you're mad."

"But what have you heard?" The captain asked

"You cut out your crew's tongues."

"You should try it, silence is beautiful."

"You're a bad man and unfit to rule all you do is rebel, commit adultery and steal things," Cersei was recounting his failures with her usual Lannister arrogance.

"Have a care my lady you're also describing your husband."

Cersei sat on her bed, quite irritated that the pirate was not only still in her room, he was also keeping up with her banter, that would end now she was not going to befriend him. "The reason why you are a bad man is that you are allowing the iron born raiding parties to continue, there were 43 injured, 6 killed and a woman's nose cut off in Lannisport during the last raid."

"I was not there."

"Had you been I am certain the death toll would be higher," Cersei told him with scorn.

"Lady Cersei you wound me, and I am offended that you would accuse me of being the instigator of such a horrendous crime."

"The raiders were ironborn and Robert says that you receive a cut from their pillaging."

"I have many dependent families and households the crown did not give me enough to look after them so I had to look elsewhere for funds."

"You're no longer liege lord you have no…"

"Cersei…" he knelt in front of her, taking her hands into his, Cersei was surprised to hear her name from his strange blue lips. He gazed at her begging to be understood.

"You understand insult don't you? The former king insulted you, your mother and your father now your beloved brother lays dead not even his remains returned to your family for a decent burial."

"What insults have you gotten that you didn't deserve?" Cersei flinched at the mention of Jaime, she was offended, her love for Rhaegar was childish her mother was innocent her father was loyal and hardworking Jaime did not break his oath. The nerve of the iron born to compare his self caused ill fate to her family's humiliation. She pulled back her hands from his he wasn't worthy to utter Jaime's name.

"I am a kraken, more so than any before me, I am the storm yet a storm lord dares to take what is mine? Preposterous!" he returned to pacing.

"Well this was educational," Cersei said "alas, I must return to my guests."

"I thought you would of all people understand," he said pitifully

"Understand what?" She asked amused by his sad face

"Power glory fortune," he sighed

"We don't always get what we want you should return to exile. My husband will not be happy to learn that you've returned."

"Who will tell him you are my sole witness.

"I sympathise with you, I too have felt powerless and have lamented at my lot in life and the injustices that come with my name, but you attacked my home I cannot help you. Not that I have any sway over my husband good luck Lord Greyjoy."

There was frantic knocking at the door she opened it

"Lady Cersei there's an intruder in the keep there are dead guards all over the place," A distant cousin of Robert informed her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, green eyes forced to realise that her dance partner was a murderer and not a silver tongued dashing harmless rogue.

"Are you safe?" The old former red haired man asked. Even though her Baratheon husband didn't care for her most of the Baratheon bannermen did care about their lady's welfare.

"Aye." she assured them

"Very well we'll let no one in," they closed the door on her. She turned to the man who'd blended into the shadows

"Why did you not alert them to my presence?" he asked

"I don't know," she confessed ignoring the thrill she felt when she had almost been caught with the exiled former prince and pirate in her chambers, oh the scandal, Jaime must be entertained watching over her. Jaime made no secret of how deeply he abhorred Robert.

Anyone but Robert Jaime would joke, be my wife instead Jaime would say putting their mother's rings on Cersei's fingers and kissing her on her mouth until some servant would no doubt tell aunt Genna who would scold Cersei and slap Jaime and make them eat their dinner separately. It was folly to stop the twins it was their favourite game, to marry each other.

Trapped with the madman, Cersei was the perfect hostess she brought out a bottle of brandy and a pack of cards. He let her win, until it was apparent that she was a skilled card player. Soon they were matching wits for wits. Neither were good at hiding their emotions, but he was a shameless flirt and could barely keep his eyes off her lips and her eyes she took advantage of that by leaning over to deal the cards showcasing her cleavage. After he kept losing to her, he suggested that every time one lost they would remove an article of clothing when he almost naked she ceased the game, calling him disgusting and depraved.

"Takes one to know one," he had taunted her as he started dressing.

She was leaning against hope chest at the bottom of her bed, he had been lucky enough to find a record player and cheeky enough to ask her to dance. She agreed. Unlike the dance they had shared at the ball, he was quite shameless dipping her and attempting to kiss any of her exposed skin.

"Enough," she told him and returned to her favourite thinking spot her windowseat, to her surprise he sat at her feet.

"Perhaps I should turn myself in."

"Can you do that from anywhere but inside my chambers?" she asked with irritation

He chuckled, "of course I should never do anything to jeopardise your marriage Cersei."

"You are not my kin nor my husband please do not refer to me so intimately."

"Tonight I am your husband am I not?" He asked cheekily running his sea weathered hands over Robert's fine clothes.

"No, you're not, my husband would never have entertained me this long," she sighed and joined him on the floor taking his brandy from his hand and taking a sip.

"Do you pray?" he asked suddenly turning to her looking at her as if her opinion mattered. It had been so long since she had been given undivided attention that she was flustered so she lashed out.

"Yes, and it is quite frankly none of your business. I know what you Iron born are like worshipping demons from the deep." She scowled at him with distaste

"You, my lady are just like the rest of them," he sighed deeply.

"What?" Cersei asked incredulously unable to accept that this uncouth unpleasant pirate was judging her.

"I thought you were different, but you see us like animals don't you?"

"No," she lied, "I just don't approve of your religion," she was stubborn enough and loved arguing, at this point she was willing to say and do anything to prove that she was nothing like Robert.

"I keep many gods and many religions what do you pray for my… Cersei?"

She shook her head "I cannot tell it shan't come true." Her hand ghosted over her flat belly.

"Is it to be queen? You can tell me, it will be as if talking to your own shadow."

She laughed bitterly, Jaime was once called her shadow, "once bitten twice shy, having that wish in my heart thrice would be folly. What do you pray for Captain?" she changed the direction of the conversation.

"Men pray when they see my sails." He boasted.

"Yes, I can see why, you're so terrifying," Cersei scoffed.

"You are not scared of what I may do to you before your guards can save you? You all alone… defenceless locked in this room with me?"

"I am Lord Tywin's daughter I am never defenceless," she told him

"Very well," he conceded, "I do pray, and I do wish to one day see a Greyjoy ruling my homeland."

Cersei saw so much torment in her husband's enemy's eyes that she placed a hand on his chest to soothe him and it seemed to comfort him but then he placed his hand on hers. She had only once felt this sort of magnetism, with Jaime. Which was to be expected Jaime was her, he was her mirror he was a Lannister he was her other half they were one soul in two bodies, the definition of soulmates, when he died, something had broken inside Cersei, something that hadn't stirred until now.

She tried to remove her hand from his chest but he gave her a wolfish grin, and smiled at her suggestively triggering a memory from three years ago.

She remembered the inquest years ago, she had been newly married and she and Robert were still on fairly good terms. She was bored and had begged to go to the inquest of the notorious Lord Greyjoy, the charges were that he was enabling raiders to pillage coastal villages and he would aid them for a percentage of their hoard.

While every other Greyjoy at the inquest had been contrite and confessed Euron had been brazenly watching Cersei. He was making everyone uncomfortable as he smiled at her suggestively and even licked and bit his lip. That was the first and last time Cersei was allowed at any inquest, since then Robert was adamant that Cersei stay away from the Ironborn. Cersei had forgotten the incident she had been so focussed on getting pregnant with Robert that she forgot the only time that she had felt desire for a man outside of Rhaegar and Robert was - a criminal. She had told herself that she was young and beautiful and women in the Iron islands did not look like her, that it was only natural that the former ruler of the iron islands had looked at her like that. She could only imagine a man would look at a woman like that if he was ready to die for her. As was the case here, Robert was ready to condemn Euron to death for angling his head to look up Cersei's white dress.

This time she did not deny her urges, she let herself be weak and rotten with an equally weak and rotten man.

He had not turned himself in, Cersei was disappointed but not surprised.

When Cersei and Robert's child was born, Cersei had stopped praying saying her prayers had been answered. He was born 9 months after the ball. The Christmas Miracle the maesters called him, after three years of marriage, Cersei had given birth to a green eyed dark haired child. Robert did not remember the night, he remembered being at the brothel he could not remember the events between leaving the brothel and ending up in his chambers. He was informed that he had danced with his wife and had retired early, he did not doubt the witnesses. Contrary to Cersei's beliefs the baby only made things worse.

Robert had sired 3 bastards with three separate women, and Cersei's child, his trueborn heir loathed Robert. Cersei was always tired when Robert came to her, the son the little storm lord would not let his mother out of his sight he would scream so loud that the whole castle would wake. It kept Robert away from Cersei's chambers which suited the mother and son fine.

When Robert met with a horrific accident and died, no one questioned the coincidence that Cersei's two cousins had just been assigned to the iron islands as his interns. No one even questioned how Cersei's child resembled Euron's bastards more than Robert's bastards. No one could question the young widow as she had formally asked Lyanna to give her the authority over the islands till her son was grown. Lyanna had agreed to it immediately, feeling sorrow for a widowed young woman so far from home. As far as the iron born were concerned being ruled by a suspected Greyjoy bastard was preferable than being ruled over by a true born Baratheon.

Cersei and her 3 year old son, the future Lord Overseer of the Iron Islands were taking a walk to the Greyjoy Crypts. Leonidas Baratheon loved the crypts. Cersei tied a ribbon to her son's waist she didn't want to lose him, the Greyjoy crypts unlike the Lannister crypts were like the road to the seven hells, crooked, hot and the statues were crumbling and could fall and crush a passerby to death. Leon loved the crypts and he was Cersei's whole world, she had wanted to name him Jaime but Robert had been wroth, so she settled on Leonidas. Sometimes when he slept she thought of his father, the Kraken. Did he still live? Did he know he had a son by her? Did it matter did he not have bastards all over the world?

She broke out of her morbid thoughts as she wondered when Euron's own bones would be buried here, would his son by her then pay respects to his father unwittingly? No Leonidas knew Robert as his father, thankfully Cersei had managed to keep Robert's violent nature away from her son. When the red ribbon went slack she ran around the crypt screaming her son's name.

The relief she felt as her eyes landed on her baby boy melted and gave way to shock, her son was not alone, he was held by a familiar figure. For a moment Cersei thought it was Robert's Ghost from when they were just married.

Then she heard his voice, that cloying, slow like honey voice, like her father, he did not speak much but when he did Euron Greyjoy made his point heard and felt.

Leon was reading the inscription of the "Red Kraken" who had been soundly defeated by Lady Johanna Lannister when he had attacked Casterly Rock, out loud with Euron correcting his pronunciation and praising the child.

"Leon come here," she commanded, the little boy with rebellion in his green eyes walked over slowly.

"I see we both had our prayers come true," Euron called after her.

"Goodbye Captain," Cersei told him, even though they had both used each other for their own needs she never expected to feel such betrayal, he had only wanted to use her to humiliate and cuckold Robert the joke was on Euron because Robert never knew his heir wasn't his son.

Leon waved to his new friend over his mother's shoulder. The man had said that he was a good friend of his mother but she was cross with him and if she ever forgave him, then maybe he would help Leon learn to sail if Leon would like that?

Leon said that he would like it very much and that his mother was always sad and she would be very happy to make up with her old friend the sea captain.

The end?