She entered the room, and every conversation stopped. The girl had sat down on one of the couches opposite Tommen and Myrcella, with her father watching over them. They all stared at her.
Myrcella gently urged her brother up and guided him out of the room. After Cersei said nothing for yet another minute, her father left as well.
She studied the girl. The golden hair certainly looked a lot like her own, and red suited her the way it only did a Lannister. She was tall and thin, with a pronounced jawline and high cheekbones. Her daughter had blue eyes, but she could not remember if this girl had them and was currently not interested in stepping closer to find out.
"You should rise in the presence of the queen."
The girl took her time grabbing a wooden cane with one hand and the armrest with the other, and slowly got to her feet, yet without putting weight on her right leg.
At least she knew not to disobey a direct command.
"So you claim to be my daughter?"
The girl shifted, swaying in her stance. A bruise still bloomed on her cheek, and what little skin she could see was decorated with scars.
"I…" the girl said quietly. "I still have your necklace."
The necklace. One for herself, one for her eldest daughter, and one for the one just born. She still wore hers, of course, as a constant reminder that everything would be well again one day. Her precious child was still out there.
Cersei tried freeing herself of these distracting thoughts, ones that, no matter how comforting, distracted her from the problem before her. A problem that sounded Dornish and looked Dornish, and could never be who she claimed.
"Am I meant to take this as proof? A piece of jewellery?"
"No, but-" She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to grasp the right words. "I had a tree I would always hide by, and you only ever visited me when trying to get me to leave. But one evening you sat down beside me and told me the story of Nimueh Starlight. I've named my horse after her."
Her daughter did indeed have a tree, right by the ledge of the cliffs, with nothing stopping her from tumbling into the sea far below. She hated that thing, and prayed it would be destroyed one day.
"Everyone knew about that tree," Cersei said. "You are not making this easy on you."
The strange girl stared at her with an open mouth that made her look rather insipid. Then her gaze dropped to the ground. "You gifted me a plush lion on my… on one of my name days. I carried it with me everywhere I went for three moons before father said that was unbecoming of a princess."
"You truly think some toy will convince me?"
Her eyes darted around the room before settling on her again. "I once destroyed a vase running through the halls with Joffrey, and soaked the carpet with whatever was in it. Father was so angry and wanted to punish me, but you picked me up and carried me away from his screams. It was the only time you did it yourself instead of having a Kingsguard hold me."
"I carried my daughter plenty of times when she was little."
"How would I remember that?" A tear ran down the girl's cheek. "I barely have any memories of you left as is."
"I do not want memories, I want my daughter back."
"I am here! I am here and I am not leaving again. Please, mother, I promise."
"Oh, you promise?" Her own voice was slowly rising. "You have been in the city for over a moon and have never come to me. My daughter would not hide, she would come running to me at the first chance she got."
"But I'm standing here now!" The girl tried to walk to her, yet stumbled and crashed to the ground. Sobs spilled out of her mouth even as she clearly tried to suppress them.
A small part inside of Cersei wanted to feel pity at this display.
"This is why I stayed away," the girl said between sobs. "I was so afraid you would not recognise me, or recognise me yet cast me out anyways for betraying you. I wanted to return to you every day, yet with every day my fear of you not taking me back grew. And then you did not even recognise me when I stood right before you." She looked up. "Do you not want me?"
Perhaps it was the tears, perhaps her own desperation, but she needed to know.
She knelt down, careful not to crumple her dress, and took the girl's face in her hands, guiding it up to force her to meet her gaze.
Her eyes were of the most intense blue she had ever seen, wild like the storm of the night she was born, shifting almost unnoticeably between the colours of the sky, the sea, and the stars. This kind of blue was one of a kind, and only existed in one person.
"It is you," Cersei breathed out.
Her daughter sobbed, and fell into her embrace, burying her tear-stricken face in her hair. On any other occasion, Cersei would have questioned why she was sitting on the floor, or complained about the tight grip around her neck, but not now.
"I'm sorry for running away," her daughter whispered.
Cersei could not answer. Even if she wanted to, no words would leave her mouth. The only response she could give laid in her tight embrace.
Seven times three she shall be yours.
She had her daughter back. And she would never let her go again.
a/n: and scene on act 1
wow this was quite something. i've never written a story with so many moving players, all of whom are essentially main characters in their own right. it has certainly been an experience, but ooh boy, the rest of this book will be even more insane.
i might take a short break from posting chapters. don't worry, i will be back at the latest in two weeks. i have to sort out a bit of plot towards the end of the book, and depending on how quickly i will manage that, i might not have to take this break at all. so you'll either get one chapter next week, or three in 2 weeks (yes i am insane) (yes we have already established this).
if you want to hear more about my progress or simply ask me questions about cerelle, this fic, or its world at large, you can shoot me a question over on my tumblr (siravalondulac). i will also announce when exactly it is that the next chapter will come out.
i hope you liked act 1 of house of lies, city of blood. please tell me what you think in the comments, and i will see you soon ^^