Chapter 22

It wasn't just by the time passing that I knew we were getting closer to the seat of power in the Westerlands. As a nexus point for three of the major roads commissioned by Jaehaerys, the path we travelled down grew increasingly busy the closer we got to Casterly Rock and Lannisport.

As of now, travellers, merchants, random peddlers, and all assortments of different kinds of people had to make room as our protective detail forced a way through the throng of men, carts, and animals to let us pass.

Gotta appreciate privilege when I'm the one who benefits from it.

In the distance, Casterly Rock loomed above us all, the tallest structure for miles around. I could definitely understand how the lords of the Rock could grow so arrogant when they could look down yonder from its skyward vantage and know that anything and everything their eyes laid upon was under their dominion.

Not far from the Rock itself, the imposing walls of Lannisport slowly rose with each creaking of our wheelhouse.

Weirdly enough, prior to my reincarnation at least, I had always assumed that the city of Lannisport was built around Casterly Rock itself like how villages were often built around a castle. Though my error was quickly realized as soon as I was old enough to actually look out my window without accidentally falling out of it, only to see that the city was not actually connected.

In the end, a rather moot point since it was only about a mile from the Rock itself. Twenty minutes by walking, well probably closer to thirty with my short and stubby legs, but half that by horse.

Suddenly, an idea formed.

"Mama?" I say, breaking the comfortable silence of the wagon.

Mother turned to me from her place at the window from where she was staring absently out of. "Yes, my darling?"

"Can we visit Lannisport?" I asked.

Both Jaime and Lanna perked up at that.

Mama looked contemplative for a moment while her gaze brushed over both Jaime and me before ultimately shaking her head. "Another time." Jaime visibly slumped. "You are both old enough for a visit, but I'll not have it in winter. We'll go together when summer returns." At that, Jaime perked back up.

"Why summer?" I asked curiously.

"As winter descends upon us, the city becomes filled to the brim, which is only barely tempered by the City Watch. Not to mention the slowness winter brings to it." Mama Jo answered.

"Summer than." I say, accepting her words.

"What brought this on, though?" Mama inquired.

Shrugging, I offered my simply response. "I wanted to see a city. We didn't get to see King's Landing, confined to the Red Keep as it was."

"Was there something specific you desired to see?"

"Everything, I guess?" I say. "The Great Sept of Baelor looked very pretty from the Red Keep. The Dragonpit too. One of the books in the library detailed the variety of streets King's Landing possessed."

"Fret naught, Cersei. One day, you will see all that and more." Mama Jo said reassuringly. "It was only mere unfortunate happenstance that this trip was less than ideal."

Ah, yes.

Happenstance.

Wasn't me, of course.

"I'm not bothered, Mama. Like you say, there is always next time, and I'm sure that won't be my final visit to King's Landing." I reply.

Honestly, I wasn't too beat up about it.

Mama smiled warmly at my words.

I'd get there eventually.

"I think I would like to see all of the Seven Kingdoms one day." I say.

This was a land of fantasy and impossibility brought to life. Where reality had to bend before the errant thoughts of George and his rather loose grasp on numbers.

Where a wall could be made of ice and seven hundred feet tall. So tall, it rendered its inherently defensive existence pointless, as its own defenders couldn't even shoot down at attacking enemies properly.

Where castles could be built atop mountains like the Eyrie, discounting the hell said builders must have experiences trying to accomplish it. Or the feasibility of it in the first place during medieval times. Heck, even with modern technology, it would likely have been a nightmare.

There was always Winterfell too. Apparently the show did it dirty, and I remember reading and watching YouTube videos about how putting all the details the book gave together, the castle itself was meant to be a sprawling and titanic castle with a whole acre of woods within its encircling walls.

All this and more I wanted to see.

And I was sure my two little feet would take me to one day, for it was not in the nature of an Avatar to be idle.

There were always fires to be put out and with this upcoming age of benders, and it would no doubt prove especially busy for me.

I also wanted to prove an example for my successors. There was little desire for me to reign from an ivory tower, with petitioners bringing me the troubles of the world.

Rather, I wished to be out there. I did not know if there were spirits out there besides Raava, but if I could not be the bridge between humanity and spirits as I was meant too, then I would be the bridge between benders and non-benders.

Well, as much as I dress it up, I could not deny the call of adventure. Me alongside my friends and companions versus the world.

"That is certainly an admirable goal." Mama said.

"Thanks Mama." There was not a hint of disapproval in her tone, but I knew it was there, nonetheless, however deep down and buried it was.

Medieval ladies did not travel much. Perhaps they would visit the local town while under guard, or to other castles in the area. Perhaps further away to meet the house of their mother's. The lucky ones would travel and become handmaids to fellow ladies of higher station, but most noble ladies lived their entire life in the castle of their birth and its surrounding areas until their father removed her maiden cloak from her shoulders to exchange it for another.

A castle traded for another.

Most ladies would be satisfied with their life.

To me, the thought of it felt stifling.

Every so often, I thought about how it would've been better if I were reborn as Jaime instead. As a man, it would have been perfectly acceptable if I gathered the lads, maybe some guards, and fucked off to gallivant across the countryside.

Not to mention being heir to the Westerlands would give me immense pull in my Avatar duties.

Then again, I would've had to deal with canon Cersei.

The scales were pretty even if I think about it.

The crowding dissipated as we moved ever closer to Casterly Rock, as the majority of travellers split along the forked road to finish their journey at Lannisport.

The Golden Gate was visible in the distance and loomed large. Thick, high stone walls protected the primary entrance into the ancestral seat of House Lannister. A checkpoint that all who enter on land must past through.

Or invading armies much breach.

Not that there were many attempts in general. I'd gone looking through the histories of Casterly Rock and the various wars House Lannister had been a part of that were never detailed in the book series or stated by George, and attempts to take the fortress were few and far between. Its natural defences were simply too daunting, and considered impregnable to any kind of conventional assault. The few sieges that were recorded in the histories had all been failures.

At our approach into the fortress, the portcullis had already been raised in preparation for our arrival. No doubt riders had been sent word ahead.

We rolled in underneath them and through the courtyard of the fortress until we at least arrived at the actual entrance into the mountain itself, the Lion's Mouth. The natural cavern apparently spanned two hundred feet high, and we had to climb steps to reach it.

Not long after, we finally rolled to a stop.

"Come children, let us be off." Mama Jo bid us.

Home, sweet home!

With an excited bounce, I popped open the door to the wheelhouse and hurled myself off, ignoring the servant who was approaching with a step stool.

Mama Jo shrieked at my action, but I landed onto the hard packed dirt with a slight bending of my knees, all whilst sending the kinetic energy of the impact into the ground itself with earthbending.

If anyone felt a tremor, it was clearly just their imagination, of course!

Gods, it felt good to be standing on my own two feet with my little toesies digging into the ground beneath me. The world pinged around me as my seismic sense returned information from my surroundings.

"Cersei!" Mama Jo said in admonishment as she stepped out after me. "Wear your shoes, dear child."

A delighted laugh rang out, interrupting my rebuttal. "As excitable as ever, aren't you, niece."

I turned and to the source. "Auntie Genna!" I exclaimed before running over to give her a hug. The woman looked utterly unchanged since I left. Then again, we weren't exactly gone for very long.

Standing beside her person was Uncle Kevan and a rather disappointing lack of Uncle Gerion.

Genna put her hand on my back comfortingly as I held her.

"How fared your time in the capital, Cersei?" Auntie Genna asked after I finally released my arms from her waist.

"Dull!" I retort immediately. "I'm happy to be home, though."

"Ah." Her eyes glimmered in understanding. "A shame. Mayhaps your next visit may prove more exciting."

I nodded. "Mama certainly believes so."

Said Mama was approaching, a single brow raised at me, and with a pair of slippers hanging off two of her fingers.

Reluctantly, I accepted them and slipped them on my feet, causing the world to grow fuzzy once again. It wasn't exactly impossible to seismic sense through them, just rather difficult. Different shoes were made of different materials, all which conducted vibrations differently.

"Joanna," Genna greeted warmly. "It is good to see you again."

"You as well, Genna." Mama replied as the two women shared a hug.

"And Jaime, my, it has only been a few moons, but it seems you've grown a whole head in the time you've departed."

Jaime preened at the absolute lie.

"Lady Joanna," Uncle Kevan greeted. "Casterly Rock welcomes its Lady back."

"Thank you, Kevan." Mama Jo said in turn. "I received your letter. It seems we have much to speak about. Will you join me in the solar later?"

Kevan nodded. "I shall await your summons, good sister."

"Where is Uncle Tygett?" Jaime suddenly asked. "I want to show him how him I didn't slack while away."

Kevan answered. "My brother is currently out on patrol, though he's expected back on the morrow."

Jaime looked disappointed at that.

"Any word from Uncle Gerion?" I queried.

"Not as of yet," Genna replied with a shake of her head, "but worry not. There is still plenty of time. Perhaps the man is simply enjoying his tour so much that he's forgotten."

Boo.

"Come, let us go. You still have the final leg of your journey." Genna beckoned us, amusement in her tone.

I tilted my head back as far as anatomically possible, looking at the humongous rock above me which cast us and nearly half a mile of land into shadow.

Yet, I couldn't see its peaks.

Good thing lifts, however rudimentary they were, existed in this world because my legs were woefully out of shape.

"Cersei, we need to talk."

I blinked at Lanna's words.

How ominous.

The first thing I did after finally reaching the upper sections of the Rock reserved for nobility and after Mama Jo turned us loose was to visit my little training section, which laid most unchanged except for the cistern of water which had been refilled by the rains and melted snow, of which I was grateful for.

It was always a resource Lanna and I had to marshall carefully.

The sense of familiarity was a balm to my soul which made me fall into familiar habits.

I was just starting my stretches, which was when Lanna hit me with those four words.

We need to talk.

Again, ominous. Those words never proved fun.

"What about?" I finally reply, after marshalling my courage to reply. Didn't stop my stretches though, as I was in the midst of bending over and reaching for my feet.

"The King, Cersei." Jaime clarified.

Oh. Guess we were totally doing this now.

I did find it odd as to why Jaime accompanied Lanna and me, since I assumed he would be off to the training yard as soon as he was permitted.

He was as much of a training freak as I was. Twins, we absolutely were.

But I guess we were heading straight to the serious stuff today.

"The King, eh?" I say not innocently, but more probing. "What about him?"

"Did you try to murder the King?" Lanna asked bluntly. "Jaime told me about his fall, how equally coincidental and fortunate it seemed to the both of us."

I blink at the statement.

Huh. They've been talking about this?

Wait, when have these two been talking?

"At first, I thought it might have been an act of the Seven, but the stone breaking right underneath his step?" Lanna bulled forward, mindless of my internal question. "That's a feat I know you're capable of with your earthbending."

I could see Jaime nodding along in support with her words before he followed up. "King Aerys was most unkingly that day, but I do not think his insult warranted death."

Taking a moment to think it over. "Yes, and no. No, I did not try to murder the king, but yes, I was the one who caused him to fall." I admitted. "My aim was to embarrass him, as he embarrassed Mother that day in the throne room."

"But…" Lanna sounded oddly… Distressed? "That seems like such a petty thing to do with your abilities. You ought to have known a fall from that height could be dangerous."

I made to reply, but Lanna wasn't done yet.

"Cersei, you're the one always saying, with great power, comes great responsibility." She even mimicked the serious tone I oft used when uttering those words, which might have made me laugh any other time if Lanna didn't actually seem genuinely upset. "Yet, your actions scream irresponsibility."

I looked over to Jaime to see if he had anything to add to the conversation.

Jaime looked a bit sheepish, and perhaps guilty. Did he think I was expecting him to take my side, when I was actually more curious about his thoughts? "The King was unkind, but your act was reckless."

I mulled my thoughts, trying to remember exactly what I was feeling that day in the throne room.

Humiliation for one, even if it wasn't directly aimed at me. I was rather upset at basically being told to catch the eye of the teenage prince literally twice my age.

Emotionally, I was already well ragged.

Though, thinking about it now, my initial reaction to slights isn't normally to have people take a one-way trip down some stairs.

So why was it so for Aerys?

Well, because it's Aerys. My mind supplying the answer as quickly as I thought about the question.

The answer was simple.

In my mind, because of my own future knowledge, the Aerys of that day might as well have been the future Aerys madly cackling to burn them all.

I was judging him against his future self.

Even while acting on emotion, deep down, I was likely thinking that it would be no great lost if, somehow, the worst happened, and he perished as his head was dashed open upon the Iron Throne.

And I considered it would be a favour to all of Westeros.

But the two children standing awkwardly in front of me waiting for me to reply did not know my thought process.

Could not know, in fact.

The answer was simple.

I would just have to explain myself.

…

Perhaps not as simple, but I wanted them to know anyway.

With a simple motion, I bid a cylinder of earth to erupt before us, short and squat, as a makeshift table before three more smaller ones followed, ringing the centre table to act as makeshift chairs.

"Sit," I bid them. "The explanation is kinda long, but it'll serve to make clear some of the decisions I made over the last few months."

The both of them looked confused at the sudden direction the conversation was turning, but complied, nonetheless, gingerly seating themselves.

Taking a deep breath to give myself a moment to organize my thoughts best I could, I think ripping off the band-aid would probably be best.

"You're right," I admitted. "I acted a bit emotionally, and my actions could have very well killed the king. Yet even if I did, I wouldn't regret it."

"Cersei," Jaime interrupted, already derailing me. "You can't just kill a man over a slight. Especially not the King." He rebuked.

"Jaime, what do you know about the King?" I shot back in reply.

He made to answer, but hesitance stopped him. He went silent, thinking over my question.

"I mean… He's the King. Whatever flaws he may possess, it doesn't change he's the King."

"What if the king is one who treats his lady wife poorly?" I say with an arched brow.

"The punishment for such a crime is not death, Cersei." Jaime replied.

Of course. In fact, there isn't much legal recourse for the woman in this kind of world since we're more akin to property at times. The wife would have to appeal to the house of their birth for any kind of aid.

"And if the same King deems it acceptable to burn men alive without trial?" I continue.

Jaime stops at that. "That… That is a clear lie, Cersei. If such an event happened, all of Westeros would know of it."

"I am not exactly lying, Jaime. It is more like it hasn't happened yet." I raise a hand to stop the questions upon their tongue. "In time, Aerys will have Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, set a light by wildfire, all the while Brandon Stark, his heir, strangles himself trying to save his father."

Both Jaime and Lanna looked aghast at my words as the both of them comprehended my words.

"Hasn't happened yet." Lanna emphasized. "What are you trying to say?"

I raised an eyebrow at the coy-ish acting girl before chuckling. "You know that I dream of the past, but what I have not said aloud is that I also dream of the future."

My truth, kinda, was out in the open, finally.

"My dreams of events that have yet to pass coloured my view of the Aerys of today." I said.

"Wait, so you're saying King Aerys will do all of that? And that you're a seer and can see what will come?" Jaime asked.

"Is this one of your Avatar-things, Cersei?" Lanna questioned.

"Yes, Jaime, Aerys will do all of that." I answered Jaime first. "And Lanna, it is a rare ability some Avatars are blessed with." I lied utterly to cover the truth of my foreknowledge.

"Is that why you tried to kill him? To prevent his future deeds?" Lanna continued.

"It was not my intention to try to kill him, Lanna. You were not in the throne room that day, as he mocked us and our family, as he laid grave insults upon my mother and father both. It was foolhardy of me, I admit, but I merely aimed to embarrass the man, to do unto him as he was doing upon us that day." I return. "I did not think my actions through, but I do not regret them, nor would I have if he died that day, as it would have saved many lives in the years to come."

"Explain, Cersei. Please." Jaime pleaded.

"War, Jaime. In the visions I foresaw, the Targaryen dynasty won't survive our lifetimes. In some decade, a rebellion would have begun that will see Targaryen power shattered and broken, the last remnants of the Targaryen family fleeing across the narrow sea."

"How much can you trust these visions?"

"Ehhhhh," I wave non-committally. "The future is not entirely set in stone, I will admit. It is malleable to a degree. If tell a man he is to die if he does a certain thing, then he could avoid it by not doing that thing." With Aerys' little fall, I may have changed the future. I don't fully know if the rebellion will still happen at this point due to his incapacitation.

"What did Aerys do to start a rebellion?" Jaime asked curiously.

"Well, for one, he had the Lord Paramount of the North and his heir murdered horrifically, without a trial as well." I start with. "Which was a big factor. The one who actually kickstarted the whole thing was Prince Rhaegar."

Jaime looked visibly surprised at that. Jaime had talked more about his experiences with the Prince on the way back.

"A year before the rebellion begins, Lord Whent of Harrenhal will throw a grand tourney in the future, the grandest of its age. Prince Rhaegar will attend and take victory in the lists. Now, as is his right as champion, he can name a new queen of love and beauty." Jaime nodded along with my words. "And he chose Lyanna Stark, daughter of Rickard Stark."

"That seems normal?" Lanna interjected hesitantly.

I shook my head. "It would be, if it weren't for the fact that Prince Rhaegar was already wedded at the time, with two children of his own. In fact, he had to ride past his lady wife to lay that laurel of winter roses upon Lady Lyanna's lap."

They winced.

As they should.

"How does that result in rebellion, though?" Jaime asked. "It's a major scandal, yes, but a rebellion that sees a dynasty broken?"

"Lyanna Stark was already betrothed to Robert Baratheon, who was deeply infatuated with her. Now, that is a grievous insult, but it was the disappearance of both Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar, along with his guards, that saw the rebellion truly unfold. Brandon Stark, enraged at the abduction of his sister, rode to King's Landing and the man, hotheaded and brash, demanded Rhaegar's head in a fit of rage, which saw his party imprisoned. Aerys summoned Rickard, the boys' father, to answer for his son's transgressions, which is when he had the two of them killed. Not satisfied with just the two of them, he commanded Lord Jon Arryn to kill his wards, Eddard Stark, and Robert Baratheon. The old falcon refused the royal order to murder the boys he viewed as his own sons, before raising his banners in revolt. Both Eddard and Robert were sent back to their homelands to raise their banners. From there, Robert's Rebellion truly began."

Both Lanna and Jaime just looked at me, as they chewed over my words.

"So… Robert Baratheon becomes the new King?"

I nod.

"What happens to Prince Rhaegar?" Jaime asked, a hint of hesitance in his words.

"He would die in the Battle of the Trident. Robert Baratheon would finally meet Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat, where he would shatter the royal cause when he drove his war hammer into Rhaegar's chest. The ford where their battle took place would forever be known as the ruby ford, as the rubies encrusted onto Rhaegar's armour would scatter from the strength of Robert's blow."

"I see." Was all that Jaime, head full of thoughts.

"What about Lyanna?" Lanna asked. "Did Robert find her?"

"Lyanna… The realm was told she was abducted, but she actually went willingly. She was always a bit of a wild child, and she had little desire to marry Robert, a man who was known to frequent whoring and had already sired a bastard child. She died soon after this, Robert never seeing her."

"That's so sad." Lanna commented.

"Robert never did get over his idealized image of Lyanna. Eddard, being Robert's closest friend, never told him the truth of the matter. In the end, it doesn't matter. It's all stuff in the future, and Robert likely wouldn't have been a fair husband to her either. He certainly wasn't to the lady he married."

Well, I say that, but I'd say anyone married to canon Cersei wouldn't have fared any better than Robert did.

Actually, then again, Robert calling Cersei Lyanna while consummating their marriage probably wasn't the best start to the whole thing.

"Cersei," Lanna asked… Shyly? "Do you know who I'll marry in the future?"

I laughed at the question, to which she pouted. "No, sorry. I tended to see larger, and more important events, Lanna."

"Well, what about whom you marry, then?" She shot back, more tease than heat in her words.

Well, fuck. I was trying to avoid this.

"It doesn't matter, since it's not happening." I said hastily. "Many Avatars didn't marry to keep themselves neutral."

Lanna narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Well, if it doesn't matter, why can't you just tell me?"

She was totally going to just keep bothering me about this, wasn't she?

Ehhh, fuck it.

"Fine, father had me married to Robert since Rhaegar married Elia Martell." I admitted.

Why do you look so smug, Lanna? "Ha! It seems being Queen is your fate."

Nyeh.

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"What about me, Cersei?" My brother asked.

"I don't know everything, Jaime," I mutter with a roll of my eyes. "But some of my visions take place after the year three-hundred, and you weren't married by then because you were in the Kingsguard."

Jaime looked shocked at that. "Why would I join the Kingsguard? I am my father's heir."

I blink at the statement.

Oh yeah, I kept forgetting that joining wasn't Jaime's goal nor idea.

It was Cersei's, who was convinced she would be Rhaegar's Queen, but still wanted Jaime with her.

Jeez, talk about having your cake and eating it too.

Thinking about it now…

Would canon Cersei have continued her incestuous relationship with Jaime if she did marry Rhaegar?

I withheld a shudder at the thought of it.

I shrugged and lied, absolutely not willing to tell Jaime about our canon incestuous relationship. "I don't know your reasoning, but you accepted it nonetheless. Though Aerys didn't do it out of any kind of respect. He did it to hurt our father, to deny him an heir. He would resign his post as hand in protest of it."

"Huh," Was all Jaime said. "Well, I like Casterly Rock. And I respect the Kingsguard, but I don't wish to join them."

Atta boy.

"Cersei, what about the oak tree in the Red Keep's godswood? I held my tongue on the matter, but if you're going to be forthcoming about things now, I want to know why you killed a tree." Lanna asked.

Oh boy. We were going to be here awhile.