Chapter XV: The Lioness

Qyburn suggested the formation of a new Small Council, but Cersei would hear none of it. She didn't want others to interfere in her rule. She was the Queen, and she would make all decisions.

She watched with admiration at the charred remains of the Great Sept. All her enemies dead, burnt alive, and all because of their grave mistake of making an enemy out of her. Her uncle was inside it too, but she felt no remorse whatsoever. Qyburn's little birds had killed her cousin too, that weak Lancel, who was foolish enough to follow the Old High Sparrow. She passed them all out of her head. Many had died, but in the end she had got what was hers. Nothing else mattered.

She went to the table to pick up a scroll Qyburn had told her to read. Somehow she knew it was from Jaime, and as soon as she opened it to reveal the Lannister sigil, her guess was proved.

Your Grace,

Unfortunately, I couldn't keep Riverrun for you for long. The Starks attacked it days after I had taken command, and I didn't have too many men. I lost and came here to Casterly Rock, back to our home.

The Starks have Winterfell and the Trident under their rule. I had told you, you have underestimated our enemies. The bastard of Ned Stark, Jon Snow is King now, and even the youngest girl has returned. Lady Sansa is using the skills she learned from you very admirably, it seems. They might even have the Stormlands, considering the former Hand of Stannis Baratheon is now the Hand of the King of the North, and he can convince what's left of Stannis' loyalists back at Storm's End to rally to the cause of the bastard. I am surprised you didn't know of this. Mayhaps your Hand is too busy bringing half-dead corpses back to life.

Lannisport stands with you, but no should have thought of the future before burning everyone.

If war comes, be ready. I will stand by you loyally. As a soldier, if not as a brother.

Jaime Lannister,

Lord of Casterly Rock.

"No!" She crushed the paper in her hands in shock. "No!"

She had made sure no Stark would ever come in her way. Her son had ordered the execution of Ned Stark, her Father had his wife, his son and his good daughter murdered. She herself and her son had made sure to pluck every feather of the Little Dove's wings slowly and painfully, so that no will would be left in her. The two younger boys were declared dead. And that wild, little scrawny girl couldn't have lasted so long in the middle of war.

And the bastard a King. The one who had not even been allowed to stand in front with his family during their visit at Winterfell. He had left for the Night's Watch, and a son of the honorable Eddard Stark couldn't have broken his vows.

But most of all, she was angry at the thought of Sansa. The girl had been so silly and so in love when she had first met her. And it had been the easiest to manipulate her. She had even made her own Father confess to crimes he didn't commit, leading to his death. Such a fragile, weakling. And now to think she had rose to power again was almost an insult to everything she and Joffrey had done to break her.

Broken, and bruised and yet...

And yet, the Starks had managed to take Riverrun from her brother. She would have never taken Jaime to flee from a battle, but she agreed that in the end, our own life is what matters the most.

And Jaime had finally done what their Father wanted him to do: carry on his legacy and take Casterly Rock as his own, even though it was because he had no other choice left.

She thought over everything. She had no allies now, but she had Ser Robert Strong. No one would dare come near her while he stood with her. And her Father's army was the largest in the entire Westeros.

She grinned.

Of course, Jaime would worry, she thought. He believes more in truces than in war.

If war comes, be ready...

If war comes, she would make sure this time, nothing would remain of the name Stark. She would have every last one of them killed; the bastard, the wild one and her beautiful little dove.

There is only one winner in the game of thrones.

And she was Cersei of House Lannister, Queen of Westeros.

A/N: A filler chapter, and somewhat rushed. Thank you for all the reviews. Next is a Gendry POV.❤