Gold Rush ✸ Peaky Blinders

OO8'

OO8'

Girlhood, by it's very definition equated women to peaches, that once ripened would be taken from the branch of innocence and thrust into the real world, a world full of rot and decay.

Cersei Shelby had begun rotting the second she was born, or rather from the second the seed that planted her had sprouted.

Perhaps every member of The Shelby's were cursed, Arthur was cursed to become his father, John to lose what he loved, Ada to never truly be free, Finn to always be the black sheep and Tommy to be gifted everything he wanted in life and to never truly be happy.

Cersei was surely cursed too, she had to be, If God was real as everyone around her said then all the mis-justice and malice in the world meant they were cursed, even now at Fourteen the concept of an unfair world seemed absurd to Cersei, perhaps it was denial, or even a small shred of her belief in a god, though she didn't think that was true.

Cersei never truly felt normal, when she was little it was because everyone else had a dad and she didn't, now it was many things. Perhaps she had to sacrifice her mother so she could get the father she so desperetly wanted, It was not fair, the world itself was not fair and cersei hated that.

That was the only thing Cersei could think of as she was sat on the back of her horse whom she had begun calling Princess, she was meant to be home by now, though she didn't care all that much, today was one of the few days in October it was dry which meant Cersei could spend all day long on her horse if she pleased, by the time she arrived home, her boots were visibly covered in mud when she arrived in the betting shop.

"Cersei where the bloody hell've you been?" Polly groaned in relief seeing the girl was unharmed. "On Princess, I lost track of time" Cersei replied. "Your covered in Mud, get upstairs and get in the bath" Polly told her, Cersei did as she was told and ate her dinner afterwards before going to bed. That had become her routine as of late.

Sleep, Eat, Go to School, Ride her horse, Have dinner and read before bed before doing it all again the next day. Cersei often wondered when she did her daily routine

At some point in the evening Polly entered Cersei's bedroom "Your Uncle John wants to Marry Lizzie Stark." Polly told her niece, she didn't have Ada to speak with anymore so she often found herself talking to Cersei. "I think Lizzie's sweet." Cersei told her Aunt who nodded "I doubt dad's letting it happen." Cersei replied "He's not." Polly agreed "Who's John going to marry, you've said so yourself he needs a wife." Cersei questioned "I'm sure your father'll sort matters." Polly said "Course he will." Cersei muttered. "You're not happy with him?"

"Grace, is who I'm not happy about, she's even got her helping him with business. Should be me, I'm not going to school for no flaming reason." Cersei spat spitefully. "Your going to that school because you're a smart girl, you could make something good of yourself. Without his influence. You've got the ambition for it you're just not using it. You're your fathers daughter. You just need to realise it. As for Grace, We'll deal with her. Now, sleep sweetheart." Polly told her niece.

Cersei had begun detesting school, Reggie Kimber sought out to make her life a living hell, his sister and friends were alright. Cersei had realised she couldn't do too much about it, she had gotten in trouble for even raising a hand, if she wanted to fight with him, she'd have to do it tactically, and by god did she.

Cersei came home the next evening, or rather to John's with a swollen lip and bloodied knuckles, of course the blood was not her own, and she'd likely get into trouble if Reggie Kimber was man enough to tell his father he got beaten by a girl, Cersei battered on the door of John's house and was met by her Aunt Pol, believing it was John about to scold him about forgetting his keys. "Cersei, what on earth have you done?"