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Face Claim for Queen Sanira: Caitlin Stasey.
Chapter Thirty-Four: Collapsing Alliance.
Gathering around Jon Snow's body, Ghost sleeping on the floor by his fallen master the group was silent as Melisandre prepared to perform the ritual that she had heard about from one of the brothers without banners. She wrings out a wet cloth with which she started to clean out the wounds that had been inflicted upon the Lord Commander by his own men in the name of the Night's Watch.
Melisandre cuts his hair and bread, throwing the hairs into the firepit that had been lit not long after he had been brought in after being found outside. Then Melisandre placed her hands on Jon's chest and started to utter an incantation in Valyrian; there is silence as she works on Jon Snow no one daring to disturb her.
Sanira clasps her hands in front of her, she knew that this was not going to be easy and she couldn't shake the feeling that Jon was important for what came next. Her visions had been few and far between since the attack on the Twins, she didn't know what was the cause and it had led her to struggle with the training that her grandmother had tried to give her.
"Please," Melisandre whispered letting her hands drop slowly, she had tears in her eyes and she wished that she knew why the lord of light would not answer her no longer. It had been so quiet as of late, Stannis had turned his back on her before the alliance with the Starks refusing to seek her advice any further after the death of his brother and now Selyse was the only one who did listen to her.
Tormund scoffs and exits the room with a shake of his head, he hadn't believed for a moment that the blood witch would be able to do anything to reverse the death of his friend. Slowly everyone exited the room, leaving Sanira to linger as she stared at the body before taking slow steps towards her fallen brother-in-law; she rested a hand on his head as Ghost wakes suddenly from his sleep and looks towards his fallen master.
It was then that Jon Snow's eyes snapped open and he gasped for breath.
Sitting in her chambers, Margaery sat reading from the Book of the Seven dressed modesty from her time being held captive by the Faith Militant with a crown upon her head. The door to her chamber opens and the High Sparrow entered the room, a smile upon his face as he took in Margaery in her reading.
"Your Grace. What are we reading today?" the High Sparrow asked her, he couldn't have asked for better from the Queen and he was pleased that with her aid that they had brought the king into their religious fold. It was better than he had ever imagined, he had the king's ear and it was to him that the boy referred to now rather than those lords who had once looked down upon them.
"The Book of the Mother, Your Holiness. Chapter three, verse 12," Margaery replied not looking up from her book, she kept her face devoid of any emotion as she continued to read the passage that she had been reading. Her time with the Sparrows had been harrowing and she refused to go back to that time when they had complete control over her; she could play the game and she would continue to do so.
"Ah, "As water rounds the stones, smoothing..." the High Sparrow noted recalling the passage in question that Margaery was currently reading. He was pleased to see her devotion and he knew that the king was also becoming more devoted with the time he spent with the Sparrows; the people could see that the king was devote and it pleased them.
"Smoothing what was jagged, so does a woman's love calm a man's brute nature. A wife salves her husband's wounds, a mother sings her son to sleep." Margaery recited from heart as she looked away from the book to the High Sparrow. There was never a moment that she was truly alone now, even her loyal ladies had been replaced by Septa Unella who was her constant shadow no matter what she was doing.
"You learn quickly. There are some who know every verse of the sacred text, but don't have a drop of the Mother's mercy in their blood and savages who can't read at all who understand the Father's wisdom," the High Sparrow praised her. It was good to see her move forward, it gave him great hope for his plans for the realm once Stannis had been brought to task by the Lannister army.
"For years I pretended to love the poor, the afflicted. I had pity for them, but I never loved them. They disgusted me," Margaery revealed softly, she looked to the High Sparrow as she spoke as if revealing her darkest of secrets. If she was to play this game and truly survive the chaos that Cersei had unleashed on them, then she had to play the High Sparrow at his own game.
"They are hard to love. The poor disgust us because they are us, shorn of our illusions. They show us what we'd look like without our fine clothes. How'd we smell without perfume," the High Sparrow stated sitting down on the bench that Margaery occupied. He spoke as if he was no longer one of these people, that because of his position of power that he had stepped away from the foulness that he put upon the commonfolk.
"Can I ask you about a personal matter?" the HIGH Sparrow asked knowing that there was a matter that he had come to discuss with Margaery, one that deeply concerned him considering the situation at hand.
"The king mentioned that since your reunion, you haven't joined him in the marriage bed," the High Sparrow noted, it displeased him that Margaery had not done so as of yet. It was important that Tommen had an heir, he needed someone to pass the throne to and it would boast his claim to the throne if he had a son.
"No," Margaery admitted, she knew that she could not return to Tommen's bed and become with child given the state of things. She didn't dare imagine what her child's life would be like if she birthed them into this world, a world controlled by a power hungry religious fanatic that wanted to control all of their lives.
"You have a duty, Your Grace. To your husband, your king, your country, to the gods themselves," the High Sparrow admonished her, it was imperative that Margaery played her part, all his work would have been for nothing if there was no one to pass the throne to when Tommen was gone. This was only the beginning afterall, King's Landing was just one city and they had to bring the seven kingdoms to heel.
"It's just...the desires that once drove me no longer do," Margaery stated looking away from the High Sparrow acting ashamed of who she used to be, everything that she had ever done was for the survival of her own family. There was nothing that she could say otherwise to explain her lack of visitation to Tommen, she had kept her distance knowing that until the Sparrows were dealt with then no one was safe.
"Congress does not require desire on the woman's part, only patience. The king must have an heir if we are to continue our good work," the High Sparrow informed her, she must lie back and do her duty as she swore upon her wedding day. The king must have an heir, a healthy heir to continue the work that the father had done by welcoming the true faith back into the kingdom.
"Forgive me. Sometimes the truth path is hard to find," Margaery stated softly looking down, she knew what he was suggesting and it made her feel sick only a man would find what he was asking of her acceptable. There was no way that Tommen would do as he asked, he wouldn't allow her to just lay there to do the deed; he was a sweet boy that way, too kind for the world that he had been born into.
"Hard to find and harder still to walk upon. But you've made great progress. I only pray your grandmother follows your lead," the High Sparrow said staring at Margaery for a moment, there was nothing that the girl loved more than her grandmother that he was sure. He got to his feet knowing that such a strong female influence in Margaery's life needed removing; the crown was firmly under Sparrow control and for the good of the realm it needed to remain that way.
"My grandmother?" Margaery asked her mask slipping slightly, she looked up at the High Sparrow knowing that she would never let anything happened to her beloved grandmother. Olenna was the reason that she was the woman that she was, she was a strong woman who knew how to play the game; she had been prepared for life at court unlike Sansa who had been so young and naïve when she arrived.
"Yes. The Queen of Thorns is a remarkable woman, a strong woman, and an unrepentant sinner. You must teach her the new way as she taught you the old. Or I fear for her safety, body and soul," the High Sparrow stated, this threat clear as he looked down at the Queen before bidding her a good day and leaving her to think about what he had said.
"How are you feeling?" Sanira asked stepping into Jon's chamber as he dressed, it had been a little while since he had awoken and scared the crap out of her. His sudden gasp of life had startled her, she hadn't believed for a moment that Melisandre had said that she could bring him back; she had been prepared to say her goodbyes and give him a decent funeral. However, Jon was alive and recovering well; there was a sense of relief about all of this from the Night's Watch and now that just left them to deal with the mutineers.
"I could be asking you that," Jon joked turning to look at Sanira, it was hard to believe that she was actually standing before him; when he had opened his eyes he had been so sure he was in the afterlife. The last thing he had heard was that her and Robb had been slaughtered at the Twins by the Boltons, it felt unreal to learn of the ploy that had lead to them both surviving.
Sanira forced a smile, she put on a mask for the rest of the world right now and she would be having serious words with her husband when she saw him again. There was a lot of pressure on her right now, coming to Castle Black wasn't part of her plans; she had put Sansa in charge of preparations for the North as she had planned to help with the taking on King's Landing.
Tommen had written to her, a line of communication that she had not expected created by Myrcella and it was clear that the poor boy was eager to be free of his position and the control of his mother. The news of what the Faith Militant was doing had been shocking and Sanira knew it was one of the reasons an attack on the capital had been halted by Stannis and Robb as they waited to see who would come out on top.
Letters passed back and forth between them when possible and Tommen vented his complaints to Sanira; his words given her hope that they could end this peacefully. Stannis was agreeable of course, with Sylvanna helping guide him to a peaceful resolve with Tommen; if all went well then a transfer of power might be smoother than expected.
"What will happen to Alliser and the others?" Jon asked not sure where he stood in all this, by his own vows his watch had ended with his death and he had no intentions of remaining part of the Night's Watch. He wasn't sure what his future held but he knew that he didn't feel right staying here any longer after being betrayed; there was so much more he could do now to help support his brother especially with what was coming from beyond the wall.
Sitting in the chamber that Olenna called her own while she was at court, Septa Unella stood several feet away from Margaery and her grandmother as they were seated at the table.
"Does it move or talk? I want to speak with you alone," Olenna stated staring at the woman that seemed to have become Margaery's shadow since she had been released. Her beloved granddaughter was never alone anymore, there was no escaping the presence of the Sparrows; they were everywhere in King's Landing these days.
"Septa Unella has been my true friend and counsellor," Margaery repeated the words, she had said them so often that it felt like they could almost be true if it weren't for the fact that she knew that one wrong move would be reported back to the High Sparrow. Olenna scoffed and took Margaery's hand before leading her out onto the balcony to a different table with Septa Unella followed them out while Margaery took a seat at the table as her grandmother turned to the septa.
"You're not in your sanctuary now, my dear. All I have to do is whistle and my men will stroll in here and bash you about..." Olenna began to say, Margaery looking to her grandmother shocked before attempting to stop her. It was bad enough that the High Sparrow was already threatening her family, she didn't know how she would cope if things got worse than they already were.
"Until I tell them to stop. If I tell them to stop. You could use a good bashing," Olenna spat at the woman that was nothing more than a thorn in her side. There was not speaking to Margaery with the Sparrows lingering around, she didn't know what they had done to her granddaughter to make her agree to all of this.
"What have they done to you?" Olenna asked sitting down next to Margaery, she would have them all killed if they had dared lay a hand on her beloved granddaughter. There was nothing in this world that she loved more than Margaery and she would do anything for her.
"You marched against the High Sparrow, against the Faith," Margaery said shaking her head, she understood why they had done so and she was grateful for that but right now she had to play the part of devoted follower.
"We marched for you," Olenna pointed out, she stared at Margaery feeling like she didn't know her anymore; she wanted nothing more than to snap her out of all of this nonsense that they had filled her head with. She cursed Cersei for the mess that she had made, it was her that had brought about all of this trouble without a second thought to what she was unleashing.
"The gods could have punished you and Father, but they didn't. They showed mercy," Margaery continued on, like she hadn't heard what her grandmother had said. It was for the best that she acted this way, her every move was reported to the High Sparrow and she would give him no reason to lock her away again.
"And what about your brother? What mercy did they show him?" Olenna asked shaking her head, Loras still rotted in a cell and she knew that his time there would have been worse that Margaery's and Cersei's. Her youngest grandson was a fool, he should have been more discrete with his actions especially in King's Landing and it had backfired on them when Cersei had turned on them.
"Loras's only hope is to confess his crimes and repent. If he does, the Faith will allow him to return to Highgarden. He'll have to renounce his name and title and live his life as a penitent," Margaery explained knowing that being a knight was all that Loras had ever wanted to do but it was worth the sacrifice if he got to live that Margaery was sure. Willas and Garlan would take care of him, she missed her eldest two brothers who had done all they could to avoid coming to King's Landing; it appeared they had been right to doubt Cersei and what she would do to keep her power.
"You'd take his livelihood from him," Olenna stated shaking her head, it would break him and she knew he had struggled a lot since the death of Renly. The boy wore his heart on his sleeve and everyone had known who the late king would rather spend his night's with out of the Tyrell siblings.
"He can begin again," Margaery tried to reason, she wished that her grandmother understood why she was doing all of this; she had to act this way when she was being watched so closely.
"As a mindless fanatic," Olenna scoffed shaking her head, she looked from Margaery to Unella before reaching across to take Margaery's hands.
"You will leave for Highgarden today. There is no law that says you must stay here," Olenna bargained knowing that she had to protect Margaery from this madness that had been unleashed. Margaery stood from the table and shook her head, she would never be allowed to leave and she was sure if they tried that the High Sparrow would imprison them all. She moved around the table and knelt before Olenna, her back to Septa Unella as she spoke with her grandmother the only way she could.
"I am the queen. It is my duty to serve my husband the king. But you should leave, Grandmother. Your place is at home," Margaery pleaded with her almost, her voice steady as she spoke not wanting to give anything away to those who might intercede. A part of her hated saying these words but she didn't trust that the High Sparrow would not react and she knew that Olenna would only make things worse if she stayed in the capital.
"I will never leave you. Never," Olenna refused shaking her head, she would not leave Margaery to these people; she would not rest until they were free of the mess that Cersei had inflicted upon them to keep her own power. There was nothing that Margaery could say to her that would make Olenna leave her alone here when they were besieged on all fronts.
"You must. Go home. Find comfort in prayer and good works," Margaery said slipping a piece of paper into Olenna's hand, her eyes widening slightly hoping that her grandmother would understand her message.
"The Mother watches over us all," Margaery said getting to her feet, she smiled to Olenna who also stood from the table and promised to see Margaery soon ; the two of them share an embrace with Margaery closing her eyes and then stepped back from the hug.
"Seven blessings to you, Grandmother," Margaery said before Olenna exited the chamber, she stifled tears before forcing a smile onto her face and asking if they should prey. Outside of the chamber, Olenna opened Margaery's letter to see a Tyrell rose drawn onto it.
Olenna sat at a table in her chambers writing, her mind reeling from her talk with Margaery as she composed a letter to Willas knowing her grandson had refused to get involved in the mess here for long enough. The door to the chambers opened and Cersei entered, a frown set upon her face disturbed by the news that she had received that morning.
"I heard you were leaving King's Landing," Cersei stated standing in front of Olenna, she stared down at the Queen of Thorns unable to believe that she was actually going to go through with this. The Sparrows still needed to be dealt with, they couldn't be allowed to get away with what they had done in shaming the crown like they had.
"That is hardly your concern," Olenna stated firmly, she would not admit that she did not wish to live but she truly believed that Margaery had a plan and she trusted her granddaughter more than she trusted anyone else in this hellhole.
"Your grandson is still a prisoner. You'll leave him rotting in a cell?" Cersei reminded her, even if she didn't stay for Margaery's sake how could she dare leave one of her own house rotting in a cell. The forces of Lannister and Tyrell needed to remain united, they had to stick together and defeat their enemies or they'd all be lost.
"Loras rots in a cell because of you. The High Sparrow rules this city because of you. Our two ancient houses face collapse because of you and your stupidity." Olenna reminded her. This entire mess was Cersei's making, she didn't know why House Tyrell should be forced to pay for her stupid mistakes that would lead to both of their destructions.
"You're right. I made a terrible mistake. I carry it with me every single day. I delivered an army of fanatics onto our doorstep. And now we must fight them together. We need each other," Cersei said knowing this was the closest she'd ever come to admitting that she was at fault. Her words were sugary and sweet, meant to convince Olenna that they were in this together and they should band together to defeat their enemies.
"I wonder if you're the worst person I've ever met. At a certain age, it's hard to recall. But the truly vile do stand out through the years. Do you remember the way you smirked at me when my grandson and granddaughter were dragged off to their cells? I do. I'll never forget it," Olenna said, she didn't believe a word that came from Cersei's mouth. There was nothing that she could say now that would make her believe anything that she said; she had done all this to get rid of House Tyrell only for House Lannister to be brought down as well.
"You love your granddaughter. I love my son. It's the only truth I know. We must defend them," Cersei reasoned trying to appeal to Olenna, she would do anything for her children and she would kill anyone who tried to take them from her. Once Tommen was back in her arms, then she would deal with Myrcella and bring her home; she didn't care what it took, she wanted both her children by her side.
"I'm leaving this wretched city as fast as I can before that shoeless zealot throws me into one of his cells. If you're half as bright as you think you are, you'll find your way out of here, too," Olenna noted although she knew that there was nowhere for the Lannisters to go. Casterly Rock was still in the hands of Stannis, the man being smart in watching the chaos with the Sparrows play out before making any further moves. The army had stalled, no one knowing what to do since the mess in King's Landing had left the armies without clear instructions; they were lucky that Stannis didn't wish to deal with religious fanatics before he truly had to.
"Never. I'll never leave my son," Cersei refused with a shake of her head, she would never abandon Tommen; he was her little cub and he would come to her when he was ready especially when he was freed of the High Sparrow's clutches.
"What'll you do, then? You have no support. Not anymore. Your brother's gone. The High Sparrow saw to that. The rest of your family have abandoned you. The people despise you. You're surrounded by enemies, thousands of them. You're going to kill them all by yourself? You've lost, Cersei. It's the only joy I can find in all this misery," Olenna told her knowing that they might as well hand the throne to Stannis now. There was nothing that they could do now but watch the destruction of House Lannister as it happened and she would take great joy in that.
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