Chapter 8

You ever recall vague childhood memories of road trips? Personally, I was always one to prefer staying home and sitting in front of a computer or television but the utter doldrums and monotony of adult life and work often caused me to reminisce longingly about those times as an escape.

Now that I was a child again, surely I would take the second chance to enjoy these trips right?

No.

That would be fucking wrong because this shit was boring!

Medieval travel was slow as fuck!

I had no iPod, no phone, nor a Gameboy to keep me entertained. No car with AC set at a comfortable temperature. Not even a book!

The initial excitement and shine when my mother announced that we would be traveling to King's Landing to both meet with Tywin and present Jaime and me to court had long faded away.

Initially, it was kinda entertaining by virtue of being a new thing. Riding through villages and holdfasts on horseback was a unique experience. I was really medieval-ing it up!

'Cept I wasn't much of a rider. I had learned the basics of course but I would always prefer standing on my own two feet.

It was something I would need to work on but for now, I was relegated to the wheelhouse. It was also for Lanna's sake cause she didn't know how to ride and found it mighty uncomfortable so she now joined me in the wheelhouse.

So here we were, our little column of over a hundred trundling down the Gold Road bearing us, our household staff, and guardsmen to King's Landing.

At least the wheelhouse was large. When I was originally informed that we were taking a wheelhouse to King's Landing, my mind pictured a small stagecoach where it would be nothing but two benches with the occupants facing each other but I completely forgot that was a latter-century thing.

While our little wheelhouse was far from as extravagant as the one Cersei rode to Winterfell in Book 1, it was similar to a stagecoach but larger and wider. There were seats to the sides but the flooring was a mass of blankets and pillows. It worked well to absorb the constant shaking and jittering of our wheelhouse and was where we slept when night fell if we had not arrived at any inn or castle.

In my past life, I would have been more than willing to spend all day lazing about in bed but now that I've been suddenly forced into this position…

I felt restless, that time was a-wastin' and slipping through my fingers with every second that passed.

People needed a goal to drive them forward, something to add a little bit of a skip to their step in the mornings and fire to their movements. I had not a damn thing in my past life but here and now…

I wanted to practice my bending.

I wanted to further my skill and master it.

Every bit of progress I made, when I lifted a stone heavier than one I could yesterday, when my water flowed faster than it did the day before, each tiny accomplishment brought immeasurable joy and excitement to me and renewed my love for my magic.

I did not grow bored of it like countless other hobbies of times past nor did I stint on my practice.

Until now that was.

There weren't a whole lot of opportunities to practice and the cabin fever was really starting to get to me.

Not just me though. It seemed I pegged Lanna correctly when I thought she would be interested in furthering her skills.

She took to my lessons like a… Uhhh… Like a fish to water!

Hehe.

I could feel a dopey smile stretching across my face as I looked through the corner of my eyes at her form, currently staring out the window absentmindedly.

She was immensely talented in the ways of waterbending and was willing to give it as good as she got. Lanna couldn't be compared to the girl of half a year ago, who struggled to stream up even a little bit of water.

In another year, I wouldn't be surprised if she fully caught up to me in waterbending.

Wait a moment…

I noticed Lanna's finger was twitching about but it was the rhythmic nature of it which caught my attention.

Huh.

Was she bending?

I closed my eyes and threw my senses out around me, trying to feel any and all nearby sources of water.

Slowly, several sources lit up in my inner eye. A small waterskin that had been thrown into the corner of our wheelhouse, a couple of barrels of water strapped to the top of the roof, and more waterskins hooked onto the belts of the guardsmen who constantly maintained a watchful perimeter around the wheelhouse.

Hmm…

Which is it huh?

My watersense was nowhere near as finely attuned as my earthsense so this might be a challenge.

But it was something to do at least!

I lulled myself into a meditative trance, forcing out everything but the water sources out of my awareness.

Slowly, the vague feeling of water started to gradually sharpen.

I ruled out the waterskins as they seemed to be bouncing about normally with the gait of their steps the guardsmen's steps.

Had to be the barrels then.

One of them was only half full so plenty of room for her to manipulate the water.

The details slowly emerged as I brought my attention to them. Seemed she was focusing on freezing it and unfreezing it.

Well as her sensei, I should help encourage her training! Totally training and not because I was bored to tears.

I felt her start to freeze the water again before I gave it a tug in the opposite direction, trying to keep the water in a liquid state instead.

I was purposefully still lying on my back, staring absentminded at the roof of our little wheelhouse, but I could easily tell when Lanna felt my sudden interference with the way she jumped the tiniest bit.

I could feel her turning her attention to stare at me accusingly but here's another lesson my student!

Never get distracted!

I yanked in the other direction harder, causing her ice to rapidly start melting.

Quickly realizing my intention, I felt her will press upon the water and oppose mine directly.

To the outside world, we were utterly unmoving, both with an utterly vacant stare into nowhere.

Mentally though, we clashed and struggled. It was a mental tug of war as our wills ground against one another.

My greater experience with waterbending presented me an advantage but the longer our mental battle ensued, the more I realized that Lanna might have just been a naturally stronger waterbender than I was.

For now though, we were still in a stalemate.

A stalemate that was suddenly interrupted by the sudden opening of our door which broke both of our delicate focus.

Booooo.

I lazily flopped my little head up to see Jaime who was awkwardly clambouring into the wheelhouse.

"Hi Jaime," I say with a lazy wave of my hand.

"M'lord," Lanna said at the same moment.

"Cersei. Lanna," Jaime acknowledged us in turn.

If there was another change, it was Jaime.

I have no idea how he did it but the day after I explained to my little brother about my abilities, he managed to get permission from Mama Jo to start his training early.

So far, he has shown immense dedication to the art of the sword. He was not yet a page as he wasn't attached to any knight yet but I knew Uncle Tygett had assigned him basic drills and conditioning.

Heh.

While Lanna and I were lazing about…

Jaime was studying the blade.

He was also looking at me funnily.

Oh oops. I just noticed I had a stupid smile stretched across my face. Yeah, cabin fever.

"What's up?"

His stare intensified.

"Oh be boring why dontchu. What are you doing?" My attempt to introduce modern slang was not going well.

"Resting." He says, finally deigning me with a reply. "Mother says we'll likely be camping out again today."

"Yay! I love bugs!" I say in a clearly sarcastic tone. The carriage was mostly open air and while it had shutters, it was far from enough to keep the pests out.

"It won't be much longer. Mother says we're only a week from King's Landing." Jaime spoke, trying to console me.

I rolled over onto my front and released an annoyed scream into my pillow.

A week! A bloody fucking week of doing nothing!

Then there's still the return trip which'll be another month and a half. Maybe even more than two depending on how winter would be upon us.

When Mama Jo first told us how we were in fall and winter was coming, my first kneejerk reaction was,

Panicccc

But this was a standard winter, not the final winter that the Others would be bringing in some thirty years. Also, we were in the South so it wouldn't be as bad for us.

"Cersei?" Lanna spoke from the side.

I turned back around and sat up, clutching my pillow to my chest. "It's nothing. Just frustrated and bored. I would just much rather be at the Rock you know…" I whisper the next words. The guards maintained a respectful distance from the wheelhouse but better safe than sorry. "Bending. Training. This is time progress could be made."

"It won't be long until we arrive though," Lanna spoke, trying to assuage me.

"Yeah, but I doubt we could get anything done. With so many eyes and ears will be on us, I'd rather not risk it. In fact," I look Lanna in the eye, all lighthearted tone wiped aside. "Lanna, as your lady, I forbid you from any obvious bending unless I give permission.

The girl looked ready to protest but I cut her off. "I mean it, Lanna. King's Landing is a wretched hive of scum and villainy and I'll be following the same rules too." I lower my voice before continuing. "I don't want to bring any undue attention to us, Lanna. My father's influence can protect me but that might not cover you."

She still didn't look happy at that but she nodded.

"Just as you have a duty to me, I have one to you. I just don't want you to get hurt. And don't worry, I've heard the Red Keep has lots of hidey places. If I can find somewhere safe, we can continue our practice. Also, don't even speak about bending unless I bring it up. Whispers have a tendency of being heard inside the Red Keep."

I was referring to Varys of course, who I found slightly worrisome like any sane person would. He wasn't a point-of-view character so I had so very little insight into his headspace. Just how aware is Varys about benders and how would a man who went through what he did feel about them?

Fanon had seemingly made his intelligence-gathering apparatus something the CIA, FBI, and NSA would be envious of at times and I've also seen his characterization devolve into mad hatred of anything and everything magic.

I was thinking surely Varys had to have been aware of the rise of bending but what would he do with that knowledge? Fanon would immediately have me believe he would begin a silent extermination of any and all benders he could find.

Was that the case now? Was there a shadowy pogrom being enacted in the shadows across Westeros? Is King Aerys a part of it? Is Tywin?

I simply had no information.

Yet I couldn't help but wonder how pragmatic Varys was. Would he stomach his hate of all things magical and turn the benders to his own use?

Ugh.

Varys was, rightfully, so enigmatic in the book that I truly had no idea which way he could lean.

Wait.

Young Griff ain't even born yet, right? I was pretty sure he was in his teenage years when he invaded the Stormlands. Does this mean that Illyrio Mopatis was still getting it on with Griff's mom? Saera I think?

I guess Varys was playing the long game.

As in decades-long which truly was something.

Unless I was wrong which was very much a possibility since that whole Blackfyre thing was only well-established fanon.

I let loose another muffled yell into my pillow.

Fuck it. Not my problem and I don't care. That's future Cersei's problem!

"Cersei?" Jaime asked.

"Don't worry about it," I replied nonchalantly.

Of course that only made him look more worried.

"ANYWAY!" I say, trying to distract Jaime. "While me and Lanna probably won't be getting much done. You, on the other hand, Jaime."

I smiled all the while I shoved my finger at his face.

"What about me?" Jaimea asked, crosseyedly staring down my finger.

"Mayhaps you might get to learn a thing or two from the Kingsguards!" I announce teasingly.

Jaime's eyes lit up at that. "You think so?" He asked, not even disguising his hope and eagerness.

"I don't see why not," I confirm my previous words with a shrug. "Maybe the Sword of the Morning will show you some of his tricks." This wasn't the show so I doubt he'd be dual-wielding.

Thinking about it, who were Aerys' Kingsguards again? Some Hightower and… A Whent I think? They were the ones who died at the Tower of Joy if I remember correctly. There was Arthur Dayne of course along with Barristan Selmy. I think there was a Martell too but was he already invested into the order of the white at this point or was that a later thing when Elia married into the royal family? That was five…

And I had no fucking clue who the rest was.

Oh well, it just meant they were utterly unimportant. Background chaff to liven up the setting.

"That would be an honor," Jaime said eagerly.

"Well make sure you impress them and work hard. I'm sure mother and father would approve as well." I say encouragingly.

"I will. I won't let this chance by," Oh there he goes again, all fire in his eyes and determination lacing every movement.

Jaime is a good boy after all.

Makes me want to go and hit the yard even more.

EXCEPT I COULDN'T!

I was so done with this travel.


I could see the city in the distance.

Nay, I could fucking smell it and I wanted to die.

Hell, the stench was of dead things no doubt. The dead, piss, shit, and trash of half a million people crammed into a city.

Modern cities were cool places to be. Always stuff going on and places to go.

Medieval cities were stinkin' piles of filth.

"It smells, Mama! Can we go home?" I pleaded with tears in my eyes.

No please, can we? It was fucking bad. I wasn't even in the city yet and it was already this bad.

"I understand my children, but we cannot. Though do brace yourself. The worst is yet to come," Mama Jo said consolingly but denied us all the same.

Jaime's face was pinched. "Why does it smell so bad?"

Mama Jo chuckled. "Over half a million souls call this place home, Jaime. Casterly Rock ensures waste is swept out but the growth of the city has long outpaced the sanitation Aegon the Conquerer enforced nearly three hundred years ago."

"Is the entire city like this, Mama?" I ask.

"The Red Keep is not, no. It is atop a hill and the breeze of the Narrow Sea ensures the stench is contained to the lower portions of the city." Mama Jo assured.

Thank ROB.

I watched as the walls grew taller and taller as we approached a gate.

As we passed by, all others made way due to probably a combination of the sheer amount of armed guardsmen who surrounded us and the proud Lannister banner thrust into the sky, proclaiming our house to all.

I noticed some riders coming to meet us while armored in the familiar red of House Lannister.

They stopped to speak with our guard momentarily before they were ushered closer to our wheelhouse.

Even astride, our wheelhouse meant we were speaking down on them.

"Lady Lannister." The newcomer greeted while pushing up his visor.

"Captain Vylarr. Has my Lord Husband sent you?" Mama said, clearly recognizing the man.

"Aye, m'lady. A guard of three scores as an escort through the city and onto the Red Keep."

"Does my husband foresee trouble?" Mama asked with a whisper.

"Nay, but you know how the common rabble can be." Captain Vylarr replied in turn.

"Lead on then, Captain Vylarr."

"Yes, m'lady. We'll be riding alongside the walls until we reach the Gate of the Gods. The Lion Gate is too small to accommodate the wheelhouse."

"As you will," Mama dismissed, leaning back into the wheelhouse.

I watched as Captain Vylarr and his men fell into formation around us and began leading the column elsewhere.

The city had clearly grown outside the walls and I could see ramshackle huts lining the outside walls. Was this the stuff that Tyrion had burned down in preparation for Stannis' attack? I guess I could see why the commons hated him so considering this was home to entire communities.

It also stank so perhaps Tyrion was doing them a favor.

ROB was I thankful for being a highborn.

Eventually, we reached the much larger Gate of the Gods with the seven faces of the Faith carved into it.

We made our way through the gate and into King's Landing officially.

A part of me felt like I was entering the fairgrounds of a Renaissance festival with hawkers lining the streets and people running about in their roughspun clothes.

It was utterly fascinating.

It was also saddening as I saw starving kids running amuck and poor fellows begging alongside the road.

Fuck, I was spoiled. The shoes I kept abandoning could probably feed someone for months.

"Mama," I asked aloud. It was easier to ignore suffering when it was out of sight but facing directly against it is a different matter. "Do we have any alms to give?"

Joanna smiled at that, "You are a sweet child, Cersei, but we do not."

We did have money on us, I knew, since we had to pay for any inns we stayed at or for provisions along the road but it was all in gold or silver denominations.

And giving those to a beggar was pointless. Even if they weren't promptly robbed of it, there was no way for them to buy a three copper penny loaf of bread with it.

I couldn't help everyone.

But I might be able to at least help a couple of people today day.

I grabbed the necklace at my neck before tugging it up and out of my dress from where it was chaffing against my chest.

On that necklace, a string of coins shone dully. I was keeping them close to try and get a feel for any of the metals for metalbending but I could always get more coins. I unlooped the coppers and clutched them in my hand.

Shimmying over to the door, I opened it up before looking around.

I found my quarry. A group of little urchins none past ten if I had to guess, standing about disheveled and dirty.

"Hey, you boys!" I called out while pointing at them.

They turned. Oops, there was a girl in that group too but I couldn't tell.

Judging by the looks on their faces, they were about to bolt. Smart move of them but I couldn't have that.

They froze when I opened my hand at them, displaying the coins I had.

"Here, take it. Get yourself and your friends something nice." I say encouragingly.

They approached skittishly but the lure of money conquered their hesitation. Soon enough, they stood before me and I was handing out coins like it was Halloween candy.

Unfortunately, as I hung out the wheelhouse, I had neglected to tuck my necklace back into my dress and in a surprisingly fast movement, a hand snacked out suddenly which caused me to flinch, thinking it was going for my face but instead, it grabbed and yanked the necklace off my neck in one smooth movement before the thief took off.

One of the guards tried to reach for the child but their small frame saw them easily ducking under the grasping hand before they escaped our perimeter of guards and vanished into the crowd.

That quickly caused all the other urchins to rapidly scatter in all directions as they feared retaliation.

"Cersei!" I felt a hand around my waist as Jaime swiftly pulled me back into the wheelhouse.

Dafuq.

I just got robbed.

Well shit, I hope they get to keep the gold cause they deserved it. If they got caught, Father would have cut their hands off, if not their head.

"Are you alright Cersei?" Mama asked worriedly.

"I am uninjured. Just surprised." I say soothingly. "Hope they don't get hurt for all that coin."

Mama Jo looked angry. "What are our guards doing!? SER RENYCK!" Oh shit, Mama was spittin' mad.

I mean, it wasn't their fault at all. It was mine. I was literally, however inadvertently, dangling gold and silver in front of hungry children all the while handing out coppers which was pretty messed up when I thought about it.

"Don't be angry Mama," I say rapidly, trying to spare this Ser Renyck who was slowly making his way over, like a man who knows he's about to be in deep shit. "I should have been more careful and they needed the coin more than I did."

I could feel Lanna behind me, examining the back of my neck and making sure the breaking of the chain didn't cut my neck or anything but it was fine.

Mama Jo deflated at that. "Do be more careful then Cersei. King's Landing is a dangerous place as you can see." She waved off Ser Renyck to the knight's obvious relief.

"I will." I nodded in assent.

I wasn't even peeved about the coins since to my family, it might as well have been pocket change. The only reason I wore it was to get accustomed to the feel of metal but I might not need them any further since there was a sword of particular interest to me in this city, made of a certain sky metal which I was hoping to come into contact with. I wasn't that hopeful Dawn could help bridge the gap from earthbending to metalbending but it was worth a try.

Not sure how I was to go about getting my hands on Dawn since even with my shitty social skills, I didn't think going up to Arthur Dayne and asking him if I could touch his sword was the appropriate move here which was why I was pointing Jaime at them so I could maybe tag along.

Well actually, there were two swords of great interest to me in this city but the latter was something I did not yet have the freedom to obtain and it would still take quite a bit of work even if it did come into my possession. I wasn't too worried about it though since if my belief held true, then it wasn't going anywhere anytime ever.

Our column trundled on, perhaps at a tighter formation than previously but that might have just been my imagination.

I could see the three great hills. The Great Sept of Baelor atop Visenya's and the ruined Dragonpit on Rhaenys'.

The grandest and highest was Aegon's High Hill, where the Red Keep was situated.

It soared higher than any other point of the city and was the most distinctive with the red bricks of the Red Keep.

It looked formidable indeed as the hill commanded views in all directions and forced any would-be attackers to contend with the hill itself before an attempt of the walls could be made.

It would take some long-ass ladders.

Eventually, we ascended the hill leading to the entrance.

Noticing Captain Vylarr slowing down to match the speed of our wheelhouse, I scooted closer to Mama Jo to hear what they were going to say.

"M'lady, Lord Tywin has commanded us to bring you all to him before being presented to the court."

"Take us to him then, Captain Vylarr." Mother replied. I could hear a hint of anticipation in her voice.

Guess it's time for a meeting with dear old pops.