𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕔𝕦𝕓𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕠𝕠 ; (ℂ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕚 𝕩 𝕆ℂ🐺🦁)

𝟚𝟘 - 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕞𝕖

𝕀𝕥 was two long weeks until they let me see her. Two weeks of constant fear, of imagining the worst things they could be doing to her in the cells of the sept, of waking up every morning thinking it was all a dream and being crushed anew by the realization that I was alone in my bed. That was, if I slept at all. My anxiety kept me from finding rest as much as my desperate search for a solution, for some way to get her out. How could an upjumped band of fanatics be so impossible to overpower? My efforts yielded nothing to shorten the unbearable wait. But after two weeks, finally, my request to visit was granted. What I found when the door of the cell was opened for me broke my heart for good: Cersei, my golden lioness, covered in her own filth, pressed into a corner, whimpering, cowering from the woman in front of me. I pushed past the septa into the room. "Cersei", I said softly. Slowly, she lifted her head, tear-filled eyes looking up at me. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. As soon as the door fell shut behind me, I rushed to Cersei and flung my arms around her, holding her oh so close to me, never wanting to let her go again. "My love", I whispered. "What have they done to you?" "You need to get me out of here", she uttered, clutching my arms, her voice hoarse from disuse. "I will", I promised. "I am doing everything I can to break you out, everyone at the Red Keep is." Cersei shook her head in defeat. "The king can't do anything against the Sparrows. It's my fault, I gave them this power. Seven hells, why am I so stupid?", she yelled. "Softly now", I shushed her. "You don't want the septa to hear this." Cersei flinched at her mention and I hugged her again. "You will survive this, my sweet queen, you are stronger than them", I whispered. But I felt her trembling in my arms. She was so hurt, so broken. What on earth had they done to traumatize her like this in such a short time? "Trust me, love, I'll find a way to get you out of here, and if I have to personally kill every septon and septa in this godforsaken place to do it, don't doubt for a moment that I will." I kissed her quickly, pouring as much emotion and affection as I could into that short moment. "I'm here for you, and I am spending every waking second trying to think of a plan to free you. If these Sparrows can be given power, it can be taken from them again. How exactly did you-" I heard the steps of the septa nearing the door and let go of Cersei, rising to my feet quickly. "Please, if I could have a moment longer with the queen", I began, but the septa cut me off. "Oh, you will have plenty of time with her." I narrowed my eyes, not liking her tone one bit. "What do you mean?" "We have reason to believe that you, too, have broken the laws of the Seven." She tossed me a linen shift like the one Cersei was wearing. I let it drop to the floor, making no attempt to catch it. "For the time being, you will stay here. Perhaps your company will encourage the queen to confess to her sins, as you seem so taken with each other's well-being." She slammed the door shut before I could reach it. I turned back to Cersei who looked at me wide-eyed, her mouth slightly agape. "I'm so sorry", she whispered. "Now you're stuck in here too because of me." "Arguably better than being apart from you", I tried to smile, mostly to encourage her, but it didn't quite reach my own eyes. I slowly sat back down beside her. "So tell me, what is it like, living in here? What do they do to...?" Cersei gave a bitter laugh. "What does it look like? I have been deprived, degraded and abused all the time I've been here. I don't imagine that will change anytime soon, it seems to be their norm of treatment." I nodded silently, not really having had any expectations to be confirmed or disproven to begin with. Then I had another thought. "Why did they lock me up with you? They don't honestly believe it will make you confess, do they? If anything, the presence of another person is known to strengthen a prisoner's resistance." "No. Didn't you listen to what Septa Unella said? They are suspicious of our relationship. They hope to catch us in the act so they have definite proof, which would spare them the trial and lead us straight to the sentence." "They won't have any luck with that", I said defiantly. "Do they honestly think we'll fuck in a place like this?" "We don't have to. A kiss, an inappropriate touch, the smallest gesture would be enough for them. Together with the evidence they have already gathered against me... we're as good as dead, Vallery."