Silver Stag

Marriage Preparation & A Possible Betrothal

[King's Landing - The Sept Of Baelor]

King Joffrey Baratheon, Lady Margaery Tyrell, Queen Cersei Lannister, and Lady Olenna Tyrell walked through the Sept of Baelor. Joffrey was showing Margaery where the previous rulers of Westeros were buried while Cersei and Olenna discussed the upcoming wedding.

"Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather his dragon. It ate her while her son watched. What's left of her is buried in the crypts right down there."

"The ceremony is traditionally held in the main sanctum, which seats seven hundred comfortably." Cersei told Olenna.

"There appears to be a good deal of room elsewhere on the premises for everyone else."

"There aren't more than seven hundred people of any importance."

"No, the rest are there to look adoringly upon the seven hundred to remind them how superior they must be to have the best seats."

"Over there in that urn, the ashes of Aerion Targaryen. Aerion Brightflame, they called him. He thought drinking wildfire would turn him into a dragon." Joffrey told Margaery, causing her to laugh. "He was wrong. And, of course, there's the Mad King, killed by my uncle. Would you like to see where the last Targaryens are buried?"

"Are you sure Lady Margaery doesn't find all this a bit macabre?" Cersei asked her son.

"Oh, no, it's quite alright, Your Grace. I'd love to see their tombs, really. It's like taking a walk through history."

"The tomb's just up here." Joffrey told her.

"This is so exciting."

Joffrey and Margaery exited, leaving Olenna and Cersei alone.

"You were married here, Your Grace?" Olenna asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"Must seem like only yesterday."

"Seems like a liftime ago."

"Your husband, was he buried here as well?"

"No, he wanted his remains returned to Storm's End."

"Such a tragedy."

"A fairly predictable tragedy. Hunting and drinking don't mix."

"I should say not. My son's a hunter. It helps him forget he's never been within a mile of a real battle."

"I seem to recall he laid siege to Storm's End for the better part of a year."

"All he laid siege to was the banquet table in the command tent."

Cersei chuckled.

"I told him to stay out of Robert's Rebellion. He had no business fighting an actual warrior. We mothers do what we can to keep our sons from the grave. But they do seem to yearn for it. We shower them with good sense, and it slides right off like rain off a wing."

"And yet the world belongs to them."

"A ridiculous arrangement, to my mind."

Cersei laughed. "The gods have seen fit to make it so."

In the tombs, Joffrey continued to show Margaery the former rulers final resting places. "My father didn't want them here. He was going to have their bodies burned and thrown in the Blackwater, but the High Septon convinced him otherwise."

"I'm glad he did. I'm sorry, Your Grace. I know they did terrible things at the end, but their ancestors built this. Sometimes severity is the price we pay for greatness."