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Face Claim for Queen Sanira: Caitlin Stasey.


Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lies and Planning.

Qyburn entered the cell where Cersei was being held and bowed to his Queen, she had fallen so far since her arrest and he had been her only constant visitor since she had been taken. The news had come as a shock for them all and Tommen had taken to his room when the news had come that his mother now joined his wife in the cells.

"The trial will take place. The High Sparrow will be presenting a substantial case against you," Qyburn informed her, there was no doubt that everyone would be talking about the charges that were laid against Cersei. Some had long suspected some of the charges against her, she wasn't exactly discrete in her actions like she believed and it wouldn't take much to put together that Ned Stark had been telling the truth if she was now arrested on charges of incest.

"The charges?" Cersei asked not yet looking up at Qyburn, her finery had been stripped away from her and she was now dressed no better than a mere peasant. Seated in a dark corner, Cersei couldn't believe that the High Sparrow had turned on her like he had; she was the reason that he had the power that he did and he had used it against her.

"Fornication, treason, incest, the murder of King Robert," Qyburn listed the chargers that were all be put against her, they were not pretty and it would take a miracle for her to get out of the situation that she found herself in. There was no reasoning with the High Sparrow, the man talking in riddles whenever discussion about releasing the Queen was had.

"All lies," Cersei dismissed without hesitation, she refused to have her decisions held against her; she had done what she had for the good of her children. She'd never confess to anything that the High Sparrow had accused her of, she should have known that Lancel would break; he was nothing more than a foolish boy that couldn't keep quiet.

"Of course, Your Grace. My concern is that The Faith does not adhere to the same standards of proof as the crown. And I hope you'll excuse me for saying it, but belief is so often the death of reason," Qyburn stated. He had watched as Cersei brought about her own fate, empowering the very forces that had now imprisoned her; he wouldn't be surprised if the news got back to Stannis soon about the happenings here.

A few of Varys' little birds hadn't come to him when he had taken over the role, they had resisted his charms and he didn't have to guess that they were still loyal to their master. It was for his own gain that he had not breathed a word of where Varys had turned up to Cersei, one of his little birds had sung such a pretty song about how the former Master of Whispers had turned tail and sided with Stannis Baratheon.

"I wish you'd said it sooner. Any word from Jaime?" Cersei asked hopefully, surely her brother would be making his return from Dorne soon enough with their daughter. Jaime would rescue her, she had always been able to count on him and she knew that he wouldn't stand to see her imprisoned this way.

"I'm afraid not. Your Grace, Grand Maester Pycelle has summoned your Uncle Kevan back to serve as Hand of the King. He now presides over the small council," Qyburn informed her, it was a sorry state of affairs indeed especially in regards to the council. Kevan was no fool, he barely tolerated the council of sycophants that Cersei had put together when she had seized control after Tywin's death; no doubt dismissals were coming in the coming days.

"Tell him I need to speak to him," Cersei ordered knowing that they needed to get ahead of this, they could not allow the High Sparrow to force her trial; it would not look good for the realm especially as they were still at war. Stannis would no doubt jump at the chargers that were being levelled against her, using it to push his own agenda and force the belief that he was the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms.

"I implored him to visit you but he would not," Qyburn replied, in truth there were not many that would risk coming to speak with the fallen Cersei Lannister. Kevan had told him that there were more important issues at hand than visiting Cersei, he had a realm to govern and things weren't looking good right now.

"What about my son, the king? If you can visit me then surely the king…" Cersei said grasping on to anything that she could only for Qyburn to stop her.

"Your arrest, and Queen Margaery's arrest, the king has not taken well. He remains in his chambers, his servants often find his food in the hall. Left untouched," Qyburn explained as gently as he could, even he could see how the recent turn of events had hurt Tommen. The poor boy was not built to be a king, it was cruel to imagine the pressure that he now found himself under because of the death of his monster of a brother.

"You need to talk to him, you need to talk to my son to come and see me, come and see his mother," Cersei insisted knowing that while she had once advised him against seeing Margaery, it mattered not if she could still have Tommen's ear in all of this. Tommen was her sweet boy, he needed his mother and she feared who else might sink their claws into him while she was locked in this cell.

"I tried Your Grace, he wouldn't see me. He wouldn't see anyone," Qyburn reasoned with her, his tone suggested that he grew agitated with this conversation and he wished to leave. There was nothing he could say to Tommen that would make the boy leave his room and come to see his mother; not when he had not been allowed to see his own wife.

"I can't stay here," Cersei said shaking her head, she had worked too hard for it all to be lost now; there was no way that she could let her power slip away when she was innocent of all the charges that were concocted against her. Tommen needed her, he needed to show what sort of king he was and she had to protect him from all those around him that would seek to use him for their own gain.

"There is a way, Your Grace. A way out," Qyburn stated knowing how unlikely it was for Cersei to agree to it, even by the look of disgust on her face he knew she'd never agree. The Lannister pride would only get her so far and it was unlikely that the High Sparrow was going to let her out anytime soon; the man didn't seem to realise they were still very much at war.

"Confess? To the High Sparrow? I won't. I made him. I rose him up from nothing, I will not kneel before some barefooted commoner and beg his forgiveness," Cersei sneered with a shake of her head, she would never do such a thing. Not when it would diminish everything that she had achieved since Robert's death, it was her that had done all the hard work to ensure the rule of her children. The septa that had imprisoned Cersei entered the room, no doubt listening to every word that had been discussed between her and Qyburn; her presence bringing an end to their meeting.

"Goodbye my queen. The work continues," Qyburn said before leaving the Cersei, the septa slamming the door shut behind them leaving Cersei in further darkness to plot her revenge against the people that had done this to her.


Seated alone up in his room, Tommen couldn't help but think about everything that had happened since he had become king; he had never felt more powerless in his entire life. There was nothing that he could do to help those that he loved, what use was he as a king if he couldn't protect those that he loved most in this world.

Joffrey would have launched an attack on the Sparrows for even daring to undermine his power; he wouldn't have tolerated them and would have never allowed any of this to happen. Tears formed in Tommen's eyes as he looked down at his hands, he didn't know what to do and he had no one that he truly turn to for advice. He hadn't spoken to Myrcella since she had been sent away to marry Trystane Martell and he doubted that she would ever come back to King's Landing.

Ser Pounce jumped up on the table and purred at his master, the young king reached up and ran his fingers through that ginger cat's fur as she tried to stop the tears from falling. Alone in his rooms, Tommen felt safe and he could hide away from all the trouble that seemed to be circling around him; he needed help and he didn't know who to turn to.

If Sanira had still been alive then he would have sent her a letter, a King to a Queen asking for her advice on what he should do. They might have been on opposite sides of a war, but Sanira had always been so kind to him when he had seen her; she saw him while everyone else was so focused on Joffrey.

It had been upsetting when he had heard that his grandfather had her murdered at a wedding of all things, perhaps that was why Joffrey had died at his own wedding for what their grandfather had done. Tommen wrapped his arms around Ser Pounce as he cried, wishing that he wasn't trapped here alone anymore.


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