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Face Claim for Queen Sanira: Caitlin Stasey.
Chapter Thirty: Mother's Mercy.
"I have sinned. I see that now. How could I have been so blind for so long. I want to be clean again. I want absolution. The Crone came to me with her lamp raised high, and with its holy light..." Cersei said knelt before the High Sparrow in the room where she was taken away. It had been days since she had seen anyone and she was done being trapped in the cell with no one but that septa as a visitor.
"You wish to make a confession?" the High Sparrow asked of her, he looked down at Cersei in expectation after all of these weeks locked away in the cells. There was nothing to do but think about what she had done, he was surprised that she was the first of the current prisoners to break after their time in the black cells.
"Once I've confessed, will I be free?" Cersei asked him, she needed to know that she would get out of here if she did what he wanted; she needed to get back to Tommen, she needed to guide her son to get rid of the Sparrows. It would not do for her to stay here, there was no sign of anyone else coming to rescue her and the news that she had from the outside was limited. Of course, Kevan was taking advantage of the fact that she was now gone; he was in control and was no doubt ruining all her hard work while she was trapped in here.
"Your Grace will be dealt with according to her sins," the High Sparrow informed her, he clasped his hands in front of him as he watched Cersei; he could almost see the wheels turning in her head for a moment. He was still dealing with the Margaery and Loras matter, they would stand trial before Cersei would; they had been brought in before her and would see justice before her.
"The Mother have mercy then. I lay with a man outside the bonds of marriage, I confess," Cersei stated looking down at her hands, there was dirt caked into her finger nails as she sat there confessing her sins to him. If she had to confess to anything then she would happily seek the lesser charge to save her own skin, she would do whatever it took to get out of here.
"Name him," the High Sparrow instructed her, a look of pride upon his face at how broken Cersei looked before him; that she sort to amend for her sins, she had broken and so quickly despite all her pride.
"Lancel Lannister," Cersei confessed knowing that she couldn't lie about that, Lancel the fool would have already told the High Sparrow about their time together. Her mind constantly playing back the last conversation that she'd had with the idiot, how he had apologised for sleeping with her.
"Your cousin. And the King's squire," the High Sparrow noted without any judgement, it was the one that he already knew about; Lancel had been more than willing to confess his sins to him. He had talked in depth with Lancel about everything that the poor boy had suffered at the hands of those in power.
"Other men?" the High Sparrow asked of her, he watched her closely knowing that the rumours about her children were hard to ignore especially considering a war had been started over such whispers. Cersei shook her head, she kept her head down and looked at her hands; she picked at her finger nails as she tried to make herself look as meek as possible.
"Speaking falsehoods before the Gods is a great crime. You understand this?" the High Sparrow cautioned her, he stood before her as a representative of the Gods and it would be unwise for her to lie. They had locked Margaery away for lying before the Gods, she had perjured herself and now she would face punishment. Cersei nodded her head, her eyes cast down as she tried to give nothing away; she would admit no more than she needed to and when she was out of here she would make them pay.
"There are those who say your children were not fathered by King Robert. That they are bastards born of incest and adultery," the High Sparrow pushed knowing that the rumours had been around since the start of the war. It had come from Ned Stark to begin with, an honourable man by all accounts and he wouldn't have made up such slander. There were many whispers that was why Joffrey had cut off Ned Stark's head, that had plunged them into this war to cover up the fact that he was a bastard born out of incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister.
"A lie. A lie from the lips of Stannis Baratheon. He wants the Throne, but his brother's children stand in his way, so he claims they are not his brothers'. The filth. There is not one shred of truth to it. I deny it," Cersei insisted looking up at the High Sparrow. She would go to the grave denying such horrid claims that plagued them, she would do anything to keep her children safe and in the positions that she put them in.
"Good. But these are terrible charges. And the realm must know the truth of them. If Your Grace has given honest testimony, your trial will prove your innocence," the High Sparrow praised stepping forward. This was just the beginning, the trial would sort through the lies and build a stronger foundation for the crown to stand on and strengthen the realm.
"Trial? I have confessed?" Cersei asked confused, she looked up at the High Sparrow as she tried to work out what she had done wrong; she had been so sure that by confessing to her time with Lancel would see her freed. There was no way that she could stay here, she needed to get out and support Tommen; her son needed her now more than ever, his reign would fall apart without her.
"To a single sin. Others you have denied. Your trial will separate the truths from the falsehoods," the High Sparrow pointed out, they could not be sure of her guilt in the other chargers that had been put against her. His eyes carefully watching her face as Cersei allowed a mask to fall over her face; she nodded her head and thought about her next words carefully.
"I bow to the wisdom of your High Holiness. But if I might beg for just one drop of the Mother's mercy. I haven't seen my son... I don't know how long it's been. I need to see him. Please," Cersei begged softly, she needed to be with Tommen. The news that she received from Qyburn concerned her greatly, now was not the time for him to be hiding away from the world when Stannis was still at large.
"You have taken the first step on a path back to righteousness. In light of this, I will permit you to return to the Red Keep," the High Sparrow conceded with a smile, he acted like he was giving her something special instead of allowing her to do something so normal. He watched her face as it lite up at the news that she could go home that unlikely Loras and Margaery, she would be permitted to leave.
"Thank you. Thank you," Cersei said gratefully, she could not bare another moment trapped in a cell like nothing more than a common filth; she was Cersei Lannister and she would not rot in a cell for the rest of her life. Qyburn had told her that Jaime was returning to King's Landing, a raven having arrived that morning to announce such news but there had been no announcement if Myrcella was coming with him but she assumed so.
"The Mother is merciful. It is her you should thank," the High Sparrow told her, he clasped his hands watching her closely knowing that her every move would be watched when she left this place. There was no telling what she might do when given freedom but the Sparrows would ensure that she wouldn't be able to interfere in the trial before it took place.
"I will, I will. I swear it, day and night," Cersei said rubbing her hands on the dirty rags that she had been forced into, she had no intentions of thanking anyone. It was the last thing on her mind especially once she got out of here and made sure that the Sparrows paid for how they had treated her; she would crush them and send them back to the dirt where they came from.
"Am I free to go?" Cersei asked eagerly, she longed to bathe and wash way the dirt that felt caked into her skin; she wanted to see Tommen and prepare things for when Myrcella arrived home. There was much to be done and Cersei didn't trust anyone else to get the job done, she was the head of the house now and people would be happy to see her restored to her position.
"After your atonement," the High Sparrows stated staring down at Cersei, a moment of glee filling him knowing that once this had happened; everyone would see that once you stripped away the finery, Cersei Lannister was only human. It would shift the power from the rich to the poor people, the masses would rise up and then the rich would have to answer for how they treated those beneath them.
"My atonement?" Cersei asked confused, the door behind her opening and a sense of dread filling her; she knew that whatever came next she would hold her head high. She would make it back to the Red Keep and once she was free, she would make them all pay.
"A sinner comes before you. Cersei of House Lannister, mother to his Grace King Tommen, widow to his Grace King Robert. She has committed the acts of falsehood and fornication. She has confessed her sins and begged for forgiveness," the High Sparrow stated to the crowd as Cersei is lead from the Sept for all to see. The dirt had been washed from her body and her long golden locks had been shaved from her head, she wore the rags that she'd been wearing trapped in that dirty cell as she was lead out to the crowds.
"To demonstrate her repentance, she will cast aside all pride, all artifice, and present herself as the gods made her, to you. The good people of the city. She comes before you with a solemn heart. Shorn of secrets. Naked before the eyes of gods and men. To make her walk of atonement," the High Sparrow stated proudly. He didn't look to Cersei as he spoke rather the crowds that were silent before him as they listened to what the High Sparrow had to say.
Cersei was silent, her eyes taking in the crowds that were gathered to see her great shame; she had never felt so low in her entire life. Once the High Sparrow had finished talking the Septas stepped forward and roughly removed the robe that she was wearing leaving Cersei to stand naked before the citizens of King's Landing who gasp. Then the Septas force her to start walking down the steps towards the crowds that lined the streets with the Septa who had been responsible for her torture walking ahead of her with a bell.
"Shame. Shame. Shame," the Septa repeats, ringing the bell through the duration of walk, the sparrows escorting her and lining the way through the people. There was silence at first but once one man called out, the heckling begins and all Cersei can do is keep her eyes on the back of the Septa as she makes her way through the streets.
"Bitch! Whore! All hail her royal tits!" the crowd jeers, they begin pelting her with food as she continues through the streets; a prostitute runs in front of Cersei with her own breasts out.
"I've had half as many cocks as the queen!" the woman taunts before the sparrows force her out of Cersei's way and the walk can continue, a man pulling out his penis runs in front of her later into the walk as no kinder words to say. The walk seems to last forever, the crowds only growing worse and more violent as her walk begins to come to an end.
A man spits directly in her face, and a Sparrow has to beat a woman with a club as she charges Cersei however her eyes remain locked on the Red Keep that grows louder as it gets closer and closer. Cersei is knocked to her knees at the end of the walk but gets back to her feet, she refused to back down and when she feels great shame when she sees that the court is outside waiting to see her return.
When she finally reaches the end of the walk atonement the tears start to fall and she cant keep herself from sobbing as she enters the Red Keep. Kevan and Arlenna Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle, Qyburn, and the Lannister guards wait for her as she makes her final approach.
There is no kind face that she had longed to see during her imprisonment but she knows that Jaime will be home with her sweet Myrcella soon enough. Qyburn rushes to her side to cover her naked body with a blanket as Cersei begins weeping; she can't believe that had happened and the common folk had treated her in such a way.
"Your Grace. It's good to have you back. Come. We'll take you inside. I need to have a look at those feet," Qyburn stated looking to the bloody feet and he signals for one of the King's Guard to aid the Queen. One of the larger guards walks over to where Qyburn and Cersei were standing, he takes Cersei in his arms for which she is grateful before he precedes to take her to her room.
Kevan Lannister watched with a frown upon his face, his foolish niece was stupid if she thought that this was all over; there were still the Tyrells being held prisoner and it was unlikely that they'd be free of the Sparrows soon. Arlenna smoothed out her red Lannister dress, her hair perfectly styled as she moved to follow after the King's Guard that was carrying Cersei.
There was no harm indeed in currying favour with her niece, she'd been unsuccessful with Tommen but knew that even Kevan was growing tired of her lingering around court. Despite her loyalty to House Lannister, they all treated her like she was dirt on their shows and she would show them how valuable she could be.
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