บท 473: Chapter 474: Cersei’s Fate
The imprisoned Queen Cersei found sleep impossible.
Every time she closed her eyes, her mind was consumed with terrifying visions.
"Caesar won't dare kill me," she whispered to herself, trying to take comfort in the thought.
Even so, her heart was gripped with fear.
Time dragged on as she tossed and turned. Faint rays of morning light began to filter through the narrow window.
Morning had come.
After a sleepless night, Cersei got out of bed, pacing anxiously in the small cell.
Then, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
Cersei recognized her brother Tyrion's voice. Her face twisted in hatred but quickly smoothed into a neutral expression.
"Come in," she said, forcing herself to maintain a facade of queenly dignity.
Tyrion entered. Seeing his sister seated stiffly on the bed, he smiled faintly.
"Dear sister, you seem to be holding up well."
"Are you here to mock me?"
"Mock you? What right would I have?" Tyrion shrugged. "We're both failures."
"But we're fundamentally different," Cersei sneered. "At least I had the courage to fight to the death. You, on the other hand, grovel and beg like a dog. What kind of lion are you? You might as well change our sigil to a mutt."
"Thank you for the suggestion. I'll take it under consideration," Tyrion said with feigned politeness. "Though I must say, dogs aren't so bad. At least they know when to back down and avoid stupidity."
"It's cowards like you who brought House Lannister to this state!" Cersei snapped, her disdain for her brother dripping from her words. "Do you remember the lions of Casterly Rock? The real lions?"
"The ones kept locked in iron cages?" Tyrion replied, confused by her sudden mention of them but nodding. "Yes, Grandfather left them there."
"Indeed," Cersei said, her eyes glinting with nostalgia. "When we were children, Jaime and I would dare each other to climb into their cage.
Once, I worked up the courage to reach my hand through the bars and touch a lion's brown mane.
The lion turned its head, fixed its golden eyes on me, and licked my fingers. Its tongue was rough as a whetstone, but I didn't pull away—not until Jaime grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back."
Tyrion raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time he had heard this story. Whistling, he said,
"You should thank Jaime for saving your arm. Otherwise, the first cripple in our family wouldn't have been him."
"The first cripple in our family is you," Cersei retorted sharply.
Ignoring her brother's jab, she continued:
"'Your turn,' I told Jaime then. 'Touch its mane.'"
"Let me guess. Jaime didn't dare."
"No, he didn't," Cersei said proudly, lifting her chin. "He didn't have my courage. I was the one who should have wielded a sword—not him, that useless fool!
But the gods are blind! If I had been born a man, House Lannister would never have fallen to this!"
Tyrion rolled his eyes.
"Dear sister, that wasn't courage. It was madness. Any sensible person knows not to stick their arm into a lion's mouth. The only reason it didn't bite you was probably that it wasn't hungry."
"Coward's excuses," Cersei spat. "At least I dared to fight, unlike you all."
"And what has your so-called 'fight' achieved?" Tyrion asked coolly.
Cersei's heart clenched, though she feigned indifference.
"Just tell me. What does Caesar plan to do with me?"
Before Tyrion could answer, she added hastily,
"He promised not to hold anyone accountable for past crimes."
"That promise was made when I brought Tommen to surrender. It doesn't cover what you did afterward. And do you know the penalty for attempting to burn Maegor's Holdfast and murder hundreds of nobles?"
"Does he dare kill me?"
"Caesar, a mere baron, once publicly killed a king. That king was your son, in case you've forgotten." Tyrion watched with satisfaction as fear flickered across Cersei's face. Then, his tone softened. "ButCaesar doesn't want a bloodbath now that the realm has just stabilized. So, he's offering you another choice."
"What choice?" Cersei's attempt at nonchalance failed to hide the urgency in her voice.
"Exile to the Wall."
"The Wall?" Cersei's expression twisted. "He's mad! The Night's Watch doesn't accept women!"
"Perhaps I wasn't clear," Tyrion explained. "Not the Wall itself, but a village south of it. It's called Mole's Town. Ever heard of it?"
"Mole's Town? What kind of hellhole is that?"
Tyrion's expression turned strange.
"The village is near the King's Road, only a few miles from Castle Black. The locals dig deep underground shelters to escape the cold winds. And the Night's Watch...well, they like to 'dig for treasure' there."
"Dig for treasure?"
"You know," Tyrion said with a pointed look. "The Night's Watch swears off wives, but men still have needs..."
Realization dawned on Cersei. Her face went pale.
"That wretched village is a brothel for the Night's Watch!"
"Essentially, yes," Tyrion said with a shrug.
Cersei's face turned even paler.
"Caesar plans to send me to a brothel? I'm the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms! The eldest daughter of House Lannister!"
"Look on the bright side," Tyrion said lightly. "You'll finally reunite with your dear brother Jaime. I wonder if he'll keep his vows or..."
"You vile little demon!" Cersei screamed, her voice trembling with desperation. "Will you stand by and let Caesar humiliate House Lannister like this?"
"Face reality, dear sister," Tyrion replied indifferently. "We're in no position to resist. And as for your actions...all I can say is, you brought this on yourself. Even the Westerlands won't plead for you now."
"I demand to see Caesar!"
"Caesar won't see you," Tyrion said with a sigh. "The only mercy he offers is allowing you to say goodbye to Tommen and Myrcella before you leave."
"My children!" Cersei whispered, tears streaming down her face despite her efforts to remain composed.
Tyrion stepped outside, returning moments later with Tommen and Myrcella.
"Mother!"
The three embraced tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.
Tyrion waited outside, allowing them their final moments together.
When Cersei emerged, her face was pale but tearless, her expression steely.
"Are you ready?" Tyrion asked, a flicker of pity crossing his face despite their enmity.
"Let's go," Cersei said coldly. "But I will not bow. Never!"
Tyrion eyed her warily.
"What are you planning now?"
"Jaime," Cersei said simply. "He is my last hope. We came into this world together, and he will never abandon me."
Tyrion sighed.
"Oh, poor Jaime. Even at the Wall, he can't escape you. Do him a favor and let him go, won't you?"
Cersei gave her brother a blank stare.
"You can stay here licking Caesar's boots. The true lion is heading north."
"Well, a true lion wouldn't fear the cold," Tyrion quipped.
As he spoke, a peculiar thought crossed his mind—of the deity from Yi Ti, the Lion of Night, said to rule over the Long Night and herald the eternal winter.
(End of Chapter)
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