Cersei's Atonement
For those following A small change makes a big difference, I haven't given up the story I just made myself feel ill putting myself in Ramsays mind had to take a break and this short story popped into my head. There's only three povs they change back and forth. I will make them easy to spot. There may be one or two conversations but this will mostly take place in the mind of the POVs, don't like that don't read.
Cersei
After her walk of atonement Cersei changed. Not in a bad way. Cersei felt Tommen's love more because of the change. She became less verbal in her condemnations of his wife. Actually making herself useful in the court. She also went down to the Sept more often. Definitely more often as she would go every day, compared to her only when she felt like it.
She had even dismissed her spymaster Qyburn. After she saw the abomination that the mountain Gregor Clegane had become. Cersei knew that the man could not be allowed near her. Qyburn was an ungodly necromancer. She even informed the sparrows about his practice. Gregor had been humanely put down after that.
Cersei had become more devout, truly devout. Praying to the mother and the father daily for the safety of her last child. The one thing that her devotion has done is change her trial date. The high sparrow wanted to see if she had truly changed or if it was all a facade.
The high sparrow went as far as replacing all her guards with sparrows devoted to the cause. No more would Lannister guards to guard the queen mother, a change she readily accepted. She also accepted her role as the queen mother.
Knowing that it isn't her place to rule beside her son. Cersei doesn't want to be her son's wife, only his mother. Tommon has a queen, a queen who is a good woman when it comes down to it.
Both women had, had conversations in the cells of the Great Sept. Cersei felt that they had finally gotten to understand each other. Margaery in Cersei's new opinion was a good woman for her son.
Cersei spent more time with Tommen, teaching him all the things that her father taught her and Jaime. Lansel would also weigh in not to deny what Cersei was teaching her son, but to bring the lessons in line with the teachings of the seven pointed star.
When he had time away from his duties her uncle Kevan would come and talk to her about his wife Dorna and her devoutness. Kevan would also take time to try to teach Tommen his place as king.
How the things that happened to his mother and wife could have been stopped if he had only acted more of a king and less of a child. In Cersei's mind that was uncalled for as Tommen was still a child in the eyes of the law, and man. Not even having reached his four and tenth name day.
Margaery
The trial for Loras was a sham, the man that left the sept was not the same man that went in. He was not her brother. Not any more the sparrow that replaced him is a mere shadow of the man she had loved as her closest brother.
Margaery is glad that she has two other brothers that aren't as broken. Willas and Garlen, both safe in Highgarden away from Cersei's plots. She didn't believe for a second that Cersei had changed. Black hearted women like her never change.
After all, Margaery hasn't changed, she only grew and adapted. Like any good grandchild of the Queen of Thorns Olenna Tyrell. She would play the sparrow game until she could kill them all at one time.
That woman stole her brother from her. Margaery would have her revenge. The sparrow broke her brother, she will burn them all. No one hurts her family and gets away with it.
The only thing that is holding her back is the fact that Tommen seems to have fallen for his mothers pretty lies. Tommen needs to get stronger away from his mother. Margaery hoped that his seed had taken hold this time, and that a babe would grow in her belly.
With a babe she could pull him away from his mother easier. A babe in her belly would make him more attentive to her. In Margaery's opinion she could teach him how to rule better than his mother could. After all she learnt at the knee of her grandmother, who had ruled the Reach since she married Margaery's grandfather.
Cersei made a mistake though. She actually made Qyburn think that he had been fired. Qyburn came to her the instance that Cersei had made that mistake. She knew it was genuine as well since Qyburn spilled all of Cersei's secrets.
What secrets this man held made Margaery very happy. Cersei's trial would not end the way she wanted. If Margaery has anything to do with it, her trial will be the last thing she does.
Cersei
Cersei made her way down to the Great Sept by foot. On her way to her trial. The sparrows kept her protected from the small folk. The small folk no longer threw things at her, they did still yell at her.
"WHORE!"
"Queen Slut!"
"Show us your tits whore!"
"Gold Dragon for the Whore Queen to show her cunt."
More and more abuse rained down on her as she walked the streets. No longer using her palanquin. A more humble Cersei had emerged for her walk of atonement, knowing that she deserved it.
Margaery
"Is it ready?" Margaery asked with anticipation written on her face.
"Oh it's most ready, Your Grace." Qyburn said with a malicious smile. Margaery smiles back at Qyburn leaving to go to another part of her plan.
Having distracted Tommen and Kevan into being late to leave for Cersei's trial. By saying that both needed to come with her to the Grand Maester. She already had Qyburn confirm her pregnancy.
She just wanted an excuse to keep them from the sept. she kept coming up with more and more reasons to keep them away until it was too late.
Cersei
Cersei was only just on time, as she had been told to be. She had been told that everyone that was coming needed to arrive before she did. It was to allow the Great Sept to be full of everyone that wanted to view her trial.
Entering the sept Cersei took to her knees in front of the seven septons there to judge her. She had been told that she would be presented to the seven septons immediately upon her arrival.
"Cersei of house Lannister, former Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, former Queen Regent. Are you ready for your trial?" The High Sparrow asked.
"I am High Septon. But I beg a moment of your time to wait for my son, the King." Cersei says as she notices that neither her son nor The Hand her uncle Kevan were in the sept to support her.
"You shall be granted ten minutes for them to arrive. If they haven't arrived by then, we will proceed." the High Sparrow granted her, while the other six septons nodded in agreement.
As she looks around she also notices that her greatest supporter Lancel wasn't there either. That wasn't like him, he wouldn't leave her now that she needed him most. They had become closer to each other in the way cousins are meant to as friends since her atonement and her true devotion was revealed.
That's when she felt it, a great tremble. Then a roar. The last thing Cersei saw was the High sparrow being enveloped in green flames.
Tommen
He had returned to his chamber to change again after Margaery accidentally spilt ink on both his robes and his uncles. He knew that he would be late to his mother's trial. He just hoped that she could forgive him and Margaery for this delay.
That's when it happened he felt a great tremble go through the Red Keep. He walked out onto his balcony to see what had happened. looking out over his city he saw his worst nightmare, he saw the Great Sept go up in flames.
Horror.
Desolation.
Angry.
Margaey had done this.
Sadness.
In that moment of sadness Tommen took off his crown, throwing it to the ground. He took a few steps back into his room, before turning back around and walking off the balcony.
Margaery
She thought she would feel happy at the death of all those that had hurt her family. But now all she feels is desolation. Her third husband is dead. Not even the babe in her belly was enough to stop him from killing himself.
There was nothing left for her to do but try to pick up the broken pieces of her city and try to put them back together after she broke it.
Margaery made a mistake and she would pay for it for the rest of her life.
I'll end things here. Hopefully people like it.