Disclaimer: Characters and past storylines belong to the series creators and George R.R. Martin.

Look in my face; my name is Might-have been; I am also called No-more, Too-late, Farewell;
Unto thine ear I hold the dead-sea-shell cast up thy Life's form and Love's,
But by my spell is now a shaken shadow intolerable… Mark me, how still I am!
But should there dart one moment through thy soul the soft surprise
Of that winged Peace which lulls the breath of sighs,-
Then thou shalt see me smile, and turn apart thy visage to mine ambush at thy heart
Sleepless with cold commemorative eyes.

from A Superscription by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Daenerys

æ

"Fire cannot kill a dragon."

A part of the Red Keep lay broken behind her, and it did not matter. It was hers by right and she'd taken it with blood and fire. As she emerged naked and reborn from the burning embers of the fire that the usurper Cersei Lannister had tried to engulf her in, she felt renewed. As always there was no shame in her nudity in the eyes of those all around her, they barely seemed to register it, even without her dragons about her.

When she'd embarked for Westeros, she couldn't help but worry that the people she wished to aid, whose lives she wanted to change for the better, would reject her. However, thanks to 'the Mad Queen', as Cersei was called behind closed doors, Daenerys had been welcomed, with her seasoned Unsullied, brutish Dothraki, unruly Ironborn and the willful Dornish men and women, perceived as savages each in their own right. The Tyrell's had been welcomed months before, as Margery became Queen and beloved by the people. They were the only exception, a noble house though they were clever and cunning, and therefore dangerous in their own way.

And now, in King's Landing at least, there was but one left to bend the knee.

As she descended the steps and moved further away from the flames, Missandei appeared as if from nowhere, seemingly prepared for this moment she gently placed a black silk gown on her shoulders. Her arms slid through easily as her translator moved to tie the dress around her waist.

"Cersei, of the house Lannister," As she finished so did Missandei, and as her friend moved back, her enemy moved forward.

It was only by the grace of her brother beside her, his hand at her elbow edging her forward, his mouth at her ear, that seemed to move her. There was an unmistakeable look of mad hatred across her older but still beautiful face as their eyes connected, and Daenerys felt a momentary stab of pity for the Queen who resembled her father more than she ever would.

As they reached her, Ser Jaime dropped his good hand, glancing momentarily at his sister with heavy eyes, before looking up at her. Cersei's gaze never wavered from hers, not even when her brother let her go and edged slightly backwards.

"I will not bother to name you usurper nor traitor as there can be no doubt amongst any who stand here today that your loyalty is only to yourself."

"In the great game, there is no middle ground," Cersei finally spoke, her voice defiant, the omission of 'your Grace' not going unnoticed from the crowd around them.

Her eyes softened as she replied, "Indeed you are right."

She turned her pitying eyes away from the imposter queen, and turned instead to the people who watched in silence.

"You have been brought here today not only to swear fealty to the crown, and to pay for the harm you have inflicted among the seven kingdoms, and the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of innocents as you played your game."

Her eyes found Ser Jaime's then, the kingslayer, and though she wanted to feel contempt for the man who murdered her father, knowing what his sister had done to this city, she understood his motives.

"You will fulfill the oath you swore to the rightful crown of the seven kingdoms, and to the people of Westeros once and for all."

a/n:Super short chapter, but i'm posting the next today or tomorrow at the latest. Fun fact: this is actually where I started this fic. I added the earlier chapters as I thought a little back drop would help set up some themes and storylines i'll be working in, good news is the next few chapters will be posted before 2016 ends.

Thanks for reading and subscribing, reviews are always appreciated.