Game of Thrones: New Era
Chapter 21 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.
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Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.
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Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.
Cersei
Cersei glowered, furious at what had just transpired. What should have been her moment of glorious triumph, finally exposing Margaery Tyrell for the whore she was, had backfired on her horribly. Now two of her Bloodseekers, her most loyal and powerful followers, were dead and Margaery was nowhere to be found, but she had clearly escaped.
'But how, how could she possibly have escaped. There was no way out of that room, no way for her to get any weapons.' She thought bitterly. 'Someone must have helped her but who, that chamber was hidden and nobody knew where it was...'
The more she thought about it, the more she found herself worrying about an unthinkable prospect. Had one of her Bloodseekers, one of her most loyal followers, betrayed her.
She shook her head. 'A turncloak amongst the Bloodseekers, unthinkable. Worse however, now I've been made to look a laughing stock; I didn't expose that bitch for what she was, instead I lost two of my loyalists and now there is already an investigation under way into their deaths.'
That was a dangerous prospect; who knew what secrets would be uncovered by this. Her one consolation was that she would, in no way, be implicated, beyond the suspicious she currently faced for leading them to that place to begin with.
Apart from Rodrik and, occasionally, Elden, she never met any of the Bloodseekers personally, in case they were captured or killed, so they couldn't expose her.
She was determined however to get answers, proper answers, not the half-baked excuses and lies that everyone; including her father and Jaime now too it seemed, was determined to give her. She was still angered at Jaime's falsehoods and apparent desire to do away with her followers.
Killing Jenna Bolton had been a mistake, the woman had done nothing truly wrong, killed someone yes, but someone who must have deserved it. Plus it was in the past, so why should it matter. Nevertheless, as she entered her chambers, she saw her chance to get real answers at last.
Despite everything that had just happened, Rodrik Hill had appeared at her chambers, he was seated at the table, leaning back relaxed on one of the chairs, his feet propped up on the table itself.
She glowered at him. "You have a lot of nerve, showing your face after this blunder, Rodrik."
Rodrik barely reacted to her threatening words, merely shrugged. "I thought you'd like details on what happened, Your Grace."
"So tell me, what did happen, how did your brilliant plan fail?" She replied bitingly.
Rodrik quirked an eyebrow but then shrugged and replied. "Well, it is simple really...Treachery, it would seem that dear Elden forgot what he was fighting for. He gave up Golden Tooth, for integrity."
Cersei froze at that, she had been betrayed and by Elden Lefford. "You mean to tell me…?"
"It was Elden who killed my two comrades and who has spirited Margaery Tyrell away." Rodrik replied.
Cersei was frozen, shocked by this, shocked and angered.
Cersei finally broke out of her shock and replied at once.
"So, that rat decides to spit on my good graces, to think I even considered the possibility of him regaining Golden Tooth." She growled. "It's clear he lacks the stomach for such a role. Rodrik..."
Rodrik stood and replied calmly. "Orders or not, Your Grace, I was planning on hunting down my half-brother and killing him."
Cersei nodded. "Good, make him suffer. Once we end this farce of a war, Golden Tooth is yours. However, before you can do that, we'll likely have to fight soon, I want you to stay close to my father, keep him alive. Despite his recent lapses in judgement, he is still integral to my family remaining where they belong, in true power."
With that, Rodrik bowed before leaving quickly and silently; just in time too as there was a knock on the door at that moment. Cersei turned to answer it, seeing a messenger standing there.
"Yes?" She asked, letting her impatience show.
The messenger replied instantly. "The Lord Hand sent me Your Grace, an urgent meeting of the Small Council has been called."
Cersei nodded; fighting the urge to snap at the messenger. 'It is hardly urgent, otherwise I would have been informed long before this.'
So she quickly left and began making her way to the council chambers, again her anger was stoked when she found she had, once more, been informed last, everybody else was already present.
As she took her seat she waited, wondering what had been found out. The news was thankfully enough to relax her, despite it containing one vexing error.
"Our examination of the room and those men is complete." Her father stated. "We can only conclude that they either killed each other, or a third person was present and killed them. Regardless, they are unimportant with no personal information available. Queen Margaery is still missing but this line of inquiry has reached a dead end."
There it was again, given that Tyrell whore a false title.
Her father then continued. "However we have more pressing news, Oberyn Martell has betrayed us, he has sided with the pretender."
"Obviously." She replied at once.
Tywin observed her with narrowed eyes. "Do you care to elaborate Cersei?"
She sighed, he could see it himself surely. "We sent him in charge of his own army, of course he was going to betray us, to get his much desired 'revenge'. We should have done as I said, placed him under Kevan's command and then..."
"Then what, have me announce he has betrayed us and that Kevan is dead." Tywin cut across. "For that is what would have happened. As it stands, he has betrayed us and Kevan...That soft spot for his family was his undoing."
Cersei tensed at that; surely that couldn't mean what she thought it did.
There was a stony silence around the council table, until finally Jaime broke it.
"I have just received word, Queen Margaery's disappearance has finally been leaked, despite our attempts to cover it. Already Lord Mace and Ser Loras blame us. They too have betrayed us, Ser Loras is sailing from Dragonstone, apparently ready to aid this Gendry and his army." He explained. "Lord Mace is making peace with the rioting Stormlands and already setting himself against us."
Cersei smirked, feeling vindicated; she now had all the right to say she told them. For she had warned time and time again of the Tyrell's betraying them and now they had. But before she could her father shook his head.
"To be expected I suppose, considering that...some, have made no secret of their jealousies." He gazed directly at Cersei as he said that.
Incensed she was about to reply; she couldn't believe he would dare blame someone else's actions on her.
But then he spoke again and what he revealed made her stop. "Nevertheless, it matters little, for Kevan and Lancel surrendered to the enemy, to spare his wife and daughter...They no longer present an obstacle. The pretender's army now marches on King's Landing, with nothing to stop them."
They were outnumbered, backed into a corner and now, under siege.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.
BTW, once again, here we see some of Cersei's hypocrisy and inability to accept the consequences of her own actions. She blames Rodrik in this, when the plan had in fact been hers to begin with :)