In a cage with a lioness

Chapter Three

What an awful day to mourn someone. The rain had stared and it seemed to show no signs of stopping any time soon, even though I was not outside in it yet the sight of it sent a shiver up my spine and I wished that I could avoid it but even for someone who didn't have the slighest intrest in politics I knew that the Queen not turning up to her Father's...wake? I wasn't sure if that was the right word for it, but I also wasn't really sure if we had anything in my world that compared?

Laying in state, maybe? I had never seen one of those before so I wasn't sure if they really were the same things, but it was the closest thing that could have any comparision that I could think of. God, this was going to be a shit show. I hadn't been able to cope being in the room with Tywin's body when he had only been dead for an hour or so.

It had been a few days, and the book said that Tywin had smelt horrible by this point and the herbs that they had stuffed his body with had apprently not done anything to help with the smell. I really did not want to do this, but I knew that I had to and so I focused on breathing, deep and slow to try and sooth myself and to get myself not thinking of what was waiting for me in near future.

I hadn't been able to eat anything this morning, which in the end might turn out to be something of a blessing because if there was nothing in my stomach then there would be nothing for me to bring up if the smell of Tywin did set me off, it seemed like a logical idea at the time but I wanted to really have something to eat at the moment.

I was in the middle of weighing the pros and the cons of sending down to the kitchens for something when a knock came at the door and when I gave permission one of Cersei's maids walked into the room, I couldn't remember her name but I think she was the one that Taena of Myr said was spying on Cersei for Margaery.

Maybe I should dismiss her, until I found a way back into my world I would need to survive in this one and it would certainly be easier to do if I wasn't being spied on all of the time. But I would need a reason to do that, wouldn't I? Otherwise if I just dismissed her with no reason that would cause some gossip to fall on me and I didn't need that.

If I was going to survive, then I need to make sure that Cersei had a better reputation then she actually did but a great deal of the damage had already been done, part of the reason this book had been called A Feast For Crows was to put a point on how deeply fucked up Westeros was by this point, maybe beyond any repair when it came to that.

But I had to try, didn't I?

A long sigh and I reached up to adjust the hair net for a moment, it was not something that I was used to wearing and it made me feel more like a dinnerlady than a Queen. To be fair, I really wasn't used to being a lady at all and I didn't think that I was ever going to. God, I really wanted to get back into my own body as soon as possible.

"Your Grace," The servant spoke, and it was really annoying me that I couldn't remember her name, "King Tommen is waiting for you in the litter, we're ready to head to the sept."

Well, that was it then. No more avoiding it. I took a deep breath to gather in my strength and then nodded and walked out of the room to make my way to the courtyard where the litter and Cersei's son would be waiting for me.

Once I arrived in the courtyard and stepped into the litter, Tommen reached out and wraped his arms around me. I let out a little sigh and placed my hand on the back of his head, the kid had a mountain's worth of issues and I wished that I could help him but any progress wouldn't be able to be continued on when I returned to my world.

Maybe I could at least try and help him as best I could, at least I could maybe get him through the horrible event that was going to happen right now. Of course, that was assuming that I myself would be able to get through it.

Regardless, I didn't try to shift Tommen away as it was clear that this kid did not have anywhere near enough hugs growing up. "It's going to be all right Tommen, I promise." I brushed my fingers through his golden curls for a moment and then squeezed him and then after letting him have another moment I shifted him into the seat across from me.

The rain was coming down even harder now, it sounded like someone was throwing pebbles down on to the roof of the litter. "Jocelyn Swyft says that the rain is the gods weeping for grandfather." Tommen said as he pulled the yellow silk curtains of the litter aside so he could look out into the streets, the rather empty looking streets now that I actually looked at them.

I guess there wasn't a great deal of grief from the people of King's Landing for the man who not all that long ago had stormed through those gates with an army to burn their homes and the men that he had commanded had murdered and raped and looted had not made him very popular, the few that might have come out for him had clearly decided to stay inside because of the rain.

"Does she say that?" I said gently with a smile that I hoped was comforting, it had been a long time since I had to comfort a little kid and right now I just didn't want to fuck him up anymore than he already was. "Well, I mean, I don't think any of us can know anything about the gods Tommen. There gods and we're just people, why they do things isn't really for us to know."

It sounded a lot like bullshit to me but I wasn't here to make the king of the Seven Kingdoms hate his gods, I was just trying to tread water until I could find a way back home which could be years if I ever did. Thankfully, Tommen didn't seem to feel the need to question it any futher and so he just continued to look out of the window.

So here is a fun fact I learned pretty quickly, windows didn't have glass in this world as I guess it was too expensive to make the people of Westeros didn't see the need to have it protect them from the elements. So, with the curtains open the rain was able to get in and soaked the mantle, which seemed to rouse Cersei from the depths of her own mind.

I was curious actually as to what it was like for her, I assumed that she had to sleep, at least that was what I had taken to calling it because I didn't have any other word for it and Cersei was not quick to describe what her half of our mutual imprisonment was like for her but I had to imagine that it couldn't be fun.

Her voice was there now regardless, sharp as a knife. The mantle is sable, it is more expensive than every single hovel in Flea Bottom and I will not have it ruined. Close the curtains, now.

Maybe part of the problem with the Seven Kingdoms, at least one of them, was that the Queen seemed to care more about an expensive mantle rather than the fact that people in her city were living in hovels. Though to be fair that could still be said about my world as well. Regardless, I wasn't going to pick a fight with her over this and so I reached out and shut the curtains.

"When we come back from the sept, could I ride my pony and throw alms at the smallfolk?" Tommen asked with a nervous smile like he expected to be scolded just for asking the question and it took all I had not to let out a sad sigh, this poor kid. He had probably been raised with more money than any kid in Westeros but that didn't change the fact that he was still just a sad, lonely kid whose mother didn't have time for him.

God, all of this sucked so much.

Before I could answer him, Cersei made her own opinion on the matter quiet clear and she also made it clear that if I wanted to sleep tonight then I would have to go along with what she said, thankfully it wasn't to far removed from what I was already going to say. "It's still raining pretty hard, we don't want you to get a cold now do we? Tell you what though, if the rain has stopped and I mean completely stopped then yes you can ride back up to the Red Keep, alright?"

"Thank you, Mother." Tommen chirped and then turned his head to look back out through the curtains and I allowed myself to shut my eyes to think about everything that had happened up to now, there was a lot of it and my head felt very, very heavy and even though I had been able to get some sleep as of the last few nights I still felt more tired than I ever had done before in my life.

It seemed like only seconds later that the litter was set down to the ground and the door at the side of it opened, the smell of the rain and the air seemed to bring me back to myself, at least a little bit and so I stepped out of the litter and had to try and keep my breathing even when I saw all of the people outside of the sept.

Seriously, the streets had been so bare but it seemed that all the people who had wanted to come out for this had gathered in front of the sept, most of them standing under massive silk awnings to shield them from the downpour. A few had been forced to stand outside due to being crowded out from under the awnings and even though the rain kept pouring down on them, they made no effort to move from where they stood.

I reached down to take hold of Tommen's hand and hurried him forward, wanting to get him out of the rain as soon as possible and I was slightly thanful for the fact that the Sept was dry and warm on the inside, not as warm as a modern building with central heating in my world of course but it was at least warm enough that I was thankful to be inside it during a rain storm.

A large number of the more important nobles were all ready waiting inside, I caught a glance of a small old woman who had to be Olenna Tyrell and suddenly I caught the urge to go running and hiding.

Don't you dare, she's just a foolish old woman. You are meant to be the Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, not a fool with milk for blood. Hold your head up high, your crown will roll of off your head.

Oh, I really hated her and all of this hell so very much. Still, I took the advice and tried to keep my head up. Fun fact, it was actually really hard to keep your head up while wearing a crown because a crown, even a dainty looking thing like Cersei wore, was made of metal and metal is actually very, very heavy and is very uncomfortable to keep on your head.

Also, I was still really not used to walking skirts and I was certain that I looked like a mess, a massive one. God, I hated this.

But then, as per tradition, it got worse when we came to the bier. Nothing could have prepared me for it, not a single thing in the entire world. The smell reached my nose and it took all I had not to empty my stomach right there in front of everyone, the sweet smelling herbs that his body was stuffed with were not helping at all.

I...should not have thought that.

Bile rushed up and splatted against the floor and I lost my blanced, the world turned dark as the floor rushed up to meet my while Cersei screamed in my head like an enraged demon.

I woke up in a warm bed, I was stripped of the heavy fine clothes and was just dressed in a simple linean shift. I did not have a moment to relax as once it was clear to her that I was awake Cersei began to scream at me again but she fell slient pretty quickly when she and I both noticed that there was someone sitting by my bedside.

My uncle Kevan, loyal to my Father. He should be easy to control but he is not stupid and he has known my all of my life, be careful what you say to him.

I knew all of that already, the only difference was that I knew that Ser Kevan Lannister would not be easy to control in any sense of the world. I cleared my throat, which was very dry indeed. "Hello Uncle, what happened?"

"I was rather hoping that you could answer that, you made a scene Cersei. Emptying your stomach and falling to the floor? I would expect such a thing from your son, he has never been so near to a body before but not from you." Okay, wow. I knew that he was pissed at Cersei because of what went down between her and Lancel but seriously she was still his niece, a bit of concern wouldn't be utterly uncalled for.

"I...the smell was very bad uncle, I was not prepared for it."

"Many ladies in the sept that day also smelled it, none of them reacted so hysterically as you do." In the back of my head, Cersei was snarling in rage and for once I honestly could not blame her.

I forced a smile, I doubted that it looked very convincing. "Well, once again, I am very sorry Uncle. But he was my Father, perhaps it hit me slightly harder to see him on the bier along with the awful smell."

That seemed to have reach him, and his features softened if only just a little bit. "Yes, of course it would. I am sorry, truly."

"Is Tommen all right?"

"The sight of you falling did not do much for his nerves, I have had him put to bed." Kevan sighed then and rubbed his hand over his face, he looked a lot older than he probably was. "Cersei, decisions need to be made. Your Father never intended for you to keep on as Regent and you are now grieving both a son and a father, you are your Father's only heir now and your place is as Casterly Rock as it's lady. I think you should name me as Lord Regent and return there."

Do not do it, if you name him regent then he will keep Tommen from me. He is my son, my last son and he needs me to be here to protect him. None of them think that the imp is a threat, you must refuse him. Refuse him now, I command it.

"I think that you may be right, uncle." In my head, Cersei screamed so loud that I wasn't able to hide the wince. Ser Kevan absolutely noticed it, but he didn't seem to see the need to comment on it. "I will return to Casterly Rock, and take up my duties there. I will of course still be able to write to the King, who is my son?"

"I-of course, and I do not mean that you should go right away. After Tommen and Lady Margaery are wed, perhaps." That did not sooth Cersei anymore than my agreeing to her uncle's terms, but at the moment that did not matter and so I did my best to ignore her. "Your own future must be decided as well, Tywin wished for you to wed again. Willas Tyrell would bind us to Highgarden, after all. It's a strong match, but if you have your own suggestions."

"I shall think on that, Uncle. But do not ask me to wed just yet, my heart is still weary with grief." Thankfully, Kevan did not see much of a need to stay after that and so he rose and left the room and I allowed myself to fall back, letting my head hit the pillow and shutting my eyes after.

If you think that I will ever let you sleep again after this, then you are very much mistaken. You have robbed me of all that I hold dear to myself, I will drive you mad and if you throw yourself out of a window then all for the better. If I knew that you are dashed against the stones with me, then all will be worth it I promise you that.

"You really are thick, you know that?"

What?

"Thick, it means you're stupid."

I will-

"I am trying to help you, luckily for us your Uncle's kinda stupid as well. He thinks that getting us away from King's Landing means that you can't make any more trouble, but he's overlooked the fact he is sending us back to Casterly Rock. The castle and richest gold mind which is ours by right now? If you want to keep Tommen then you need to build up your strength and win supporters, the regency is temporary. But we can make the Lady of Casterly Rock a powerful force."

My uncle is not stupid, he will not have overlooked this.

"That's the thing, I don't think any of you Lannisters are stupid. But do you know what all of you are, that I've noticed? Short-sighted, you deal with the nearest problem in the quickest way while avoiding the fact that it causes thousands and thousands of problems later down the road. All of you are like it, even Tywin was well. The Red Wedding is going to have consequences."

If you play me for a fool-

"I die screaming, yes. I know. But right now, I am not playing you. I am trying to help you because helping you helps me, you of all people can understand that. Now, I am going back to bed while I try to figure out our next move. So, will you let me sleep?"

...Yes.

"Thank you."

End of Chapter Three

So, we are going for the first big major change from the canon as we go away from Cersei staying in King's Landing when instead the mind of the person from our world is instead going to go back to Casterly Rock instead. Which, is going to have ripples, let us say.

(Also, ngl, I hate Kevan Lannister. I tried to keep it out of the writing but it may have bled though. As to why that is, well, that's a conversation for a different day. Maybe a different chapter.)

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With a ton of love and warmest regards,

DiscordantSymphony