Prompt: They are their parents reborn – just as lovely, just as fierce, and infinitely more tragic.
Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.
The Lannisters started on the throne, and ended on the throne. Just as Daenerys Targaryen had done before her, Myrcella Baratheon comes and she conquers. She returns from exile with an army of sellswords bought in cheese merchant money, with fat Illyrio Mopatis salivating at her heels, the blood of Aegon the Pretender still staining her sandals. His loyalty comes easy with the fear of death and the clinking of Lannister coins. She comes more beautiful than even Cersei Lannister, except for the gruesome facial scar given to her by Gerold Dayne, betrayed by the Martells – by Trys, and Arianne, and sweet Tyene and kind Prince Doran – and forced to bear a reminder for the rest of her life. As the dragon queen had before her, she lands in Dorne.
But she does not land with smiles and promises of revenge, and well placed diplomacy.
She comes with twisted smiles, and poisoned blades, and murders them all; every last Martell. None escape, from her former friend to her former betrothed.
She receives word from Kings Landing, where Tommen was held captive, made a Queensguard member by her Uncle Tyrion who hoped to change her brother, to rip this arrogant, bitter man apart and put the pieces back together into the sweet little boy he once was.
Welcome home.
Word spreads the very next day - the queen is dead.
Daenerys Stormborn of house Targaryen, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the first men, protector of the realm, and mother of dragons is no more thanks to Tommen. Her brother, who they now call the Queenslayer. ("The image of his father" "like father like son" "treachery runs in the Lannisters blood" "Wonder if he fucks his sister too.") He's killed their uncle as well, kindly at least; just a slice across the neck. Arianne Martell is also dead, and she smiles when the rumor of her mangled face reaches her.
Tommen had cut off her ear.
She can imagine her brother, stealing away in the dead of night, fair and cruel, laughing in the moonlight.
And three days later the Westerlands have rose in rebellion alongside her, led by a tall boy with Lannister gold hair and the eyes of his mighty grandfather. The Westerlands are loyal to the bone – they both remember and fear Tywin and his calm fury, his barbed cunning – and when Tommen Lannister rides through the Westerlands, hair glinting in the sun, Lann the Clever reborn with familiar pale eyes, the people stop.
They rise soon after – partly in loyalty and partly in fear, they remember their last defiance and nobody wants the rains to weep o'er their halls – and declare for Tommen Lannister, who has spared no time for false names like Hill or Baratheon. He is Lannister to his core, and those who challenge it taste the steel of oathkeeper, given to him by his father. He rechristens it Queen Maker, and wields it in battle against the sellsword captain Daenerys had given Casterly Rock to.
She greets him with a kiss on each cheek, and if one is too close to the corner of his mouth none mention it. That evening the real welcome home begins as Tommen and Myrcella reacquaint themselves with each other's bodies, scraping teeth over old scars and tracing tongues lightly over the newest.
Somewhere Grandfather is rolling in his grave and mother and uncle – father, smile down on them.
"We're not our parents," Myrcella whispers into Tommens hair, the same shade and texture as hers, twisting it around her fingers.
"No, 'Cella. We aren't."
But they are.
They are their parents reborn – just as lovely, just as fierce, and infinitely
One year later Myrcella Baratheon, first of her name, Queen of Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men and protector of the realm hails her as Queen and she weds her brother, as the Targaryens had for centuries - "Marry me, Tomm." - And the people call out to her partly because they are tired of war and partly because she is beautiful and so is he.
Everything works and together the golden era of the Golden King and Queen begins and comes to an end one day when a dark little creature – pale, spooked and vicious – appears in the room, and she does not hesitate as she gauges her brother's eyes out and drives a dagger into his heart before melting into the shadows.
Myrcella screams and holds her brother, his lifeblood staining her hands as her Queensguard swarm into the room, spreading throughout the castle looking for the girl with Stark eyes. Tommen is dead, so there are no last kisses, sweet goodbyes and one last "love you, 'Cella."
There is only the corpse of the man she loves so fiercely, the other half of her soul heavy in her arms, and the screaming stops.
I will destroy them, Tomm. Every last person. I will kill them all until I am the only one left in this world.
And she rises, feeling stronger than she ever has.
(Nine months later a child slips from between her thighs and she can think of only one name.
"Tommen.")