iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 473 Lioness (End)

When Jaime Lannister found the Lord of Mace, he was ready to set off. His golden armor with rose patterns gleamed in the morning light, and he looked majestic.

Under the vigilant gaze of the Tyrell green-robed guards, Ser Jaime walked up to the Duke of Mace.

"The Duke of Metz."

The Duke of Metz waved his hand, signaling the green-robed men to move their guards further away.

Then he glanced at James, stroked his beard, and said, "White Knight, you still have time for breakfast."

James looked at the Duke of Mace with his green eyes and said bluntly: "If you allow me, can you tell me what happened?"

The Duke of Mace had a complicated expression. He sighed and said, "You would have known it long ago. I didn't intend to hide it. Your sister... The church planned to arrange for Cersei to parade in King's Landing."

Hearing this, James' pupils shrank suddenly, and he said in disbelief: "Parade?!"

Duke Mace stroked his beard and said, "The church is too chaotic. This may cause the Seven Kingdoms to fall into chaos again. I must return to the Red Castle as soon as possible to assist the king in stabilizing the situation."

How dare they force Cersei to march?!
He decided not to love her anymore, and not to interfere in her affairs anymore, but she still existed in his heart... and she was his sister, she was a Lannister.

Although Cersei betrayed his love, he absolutely could not bear to see her being insulted!

He thought of the Coben messenger who was dismissed by him with cold words (Chapter 458)... regret, anxiety, anger, etc.... In an instant, all kinds of emotions intertwined together.

The Duke of Mace was looking forward to a bright future for the Seven Kingdoms, but he saw that James suddenly turned into a lion that could explode with anger at any time, which made him... although he didn't show it on his face, he was still a little scared.

At the same time, he could understand some of James' feelings at the moment.

Although Lord Mace hates Cersei, he cannot bear to insult that woman like that. The worst punishment he can think of is... to expel her from the Seven Kingdoms.

James' eyes were full of bloodshot: "Duke Mace, time..."

The Duke of Metz was slightly startled, stroked his beard, and said, "The day after tomorrow."

As he spoke, he shook his head helplessly: "Unfortunately, in terms of time... my army may not be able to stop Cersei's march. The High Sparrow is too crazy."

Patting Jaime's shoulder with a large hand, he added: "When I arrive in King's Landing, I will immediately convene a royal council to discuss how to deal with the High Sparrow, and will properly settle your sister."

"grateful………"

Sir James placed his right hand on his chest and said, "Duke of Mace, please allow me to leave first."

After saying this, without waiting for the Duke of Mace's response, Sir Jaime turned around and strode away with a flick of his snow-white cloak.

The Duke of Mace had guessed that Jaime was planning to rush to King's Landing with the Red Cavalry... Although he felt a little sympathetic about the tragedy that Cersei was about to suffer, the hatred between the Tyrells and the Lannisters still existed. He did not choose to push it secretly at this time, which was his greatest kindness.

But then I thought about it again...

The Duke of Metz waved his hand and ordered his servant, "Go and see. If Sir James needs anything, give him what he needs."

Regardless of whether Jaime can stop Cersei's march, she is destined to be the loser in this game of thrones. In the future of the Lannister family...it can be said that only Sir Jaime is left.

The conflict between the church and the Lannisters is inevitable. If he shows a little goodwill now, then... it will be easier for him to calm the chaos in King's Landing.

Then, the Duke of Metz couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter. Although the lioness was fierce, Little Rose easily put her into the lion cage.

When his army arrives, the rose of King's Landing will never wither.

but………

Green is still a variable. If he chooses to join forces with Jaime, it will be very disadvantageous to Tyrell.

The Duke of Metz, frowning, took the wine glass handed to him by the servant and took a sip of the cool summer red.

As long as he could gain the power to govern the seven kingdoms, he wouldn't mind giving Green a piece of the pie...

Oh, if only he had more daughters.

The Duke of Metz returned the wine glass to the servant. There would be a lot of negotiations to come. If he could control King's Landing first, he would be in an advantageous position.

"Are you all ready?"

"Your Excellency the Duke, the army can set out at any time."

"Pass on my order. If you arrive at King's Landing ahead of time, the reward will be doubled!"

Then, before mounting his horse and setting off, the Duke of Metz looked regretfully in the direction of Storm's End, just as he had done yesterday, the day before yesterday, and a few days ago.

"set off!"

…………

…………

The next night, at the King's gate in King's Landing.

Ser Jaime Lannister looked extremely tired in the dim moonlight. After riding day and night, his body felt as if it would fall apart at any time and every muscle ached.

Thanks to his tenacious willpower and his love for Cersei, he was able to stay firmly on the saddle after stopping the horse and did not fall off.

The Lion's Roar and Kingsguard banners fluttered, and a red robe shouted above the city gate: "Lord Jaime Lannister has arrived!"

"Golden Robe, open the gate!"

Above the city gate, torches could be vaguely seen moving back and forth.

After a long while, there was a response: "The Queen Mother Regent has ordered! No one is allowed to enter or leave King's Landing without the permission of the Imperial Council (Chapter 450)!"

James clenched his fist and kicked the horse's belly lightly, and the horse under him let out a low neigh.

He rode forward and shouted, "I am the captain of the Kingsguard. According to the laws of the kingdom, no one can stop the Kingsguard from entering King's Landing!"

His voice rose: "Those who block are traitors to the kingdom!"

In the largest room on the city wall, the captain of the king's guard, Sir Ross Raggedett (Chapter 402), was standing in front of a full-length mirror, looking left and right... at himself in the mirror wearing new armor.

The sound of hurried footsteps came closer and closer, and the King's Adjutant walked in hurriedly.

"Ser, the Lannisters warned us that stopping the Kingsguard is treason!"

Ser Ross sneered, his eyes still looking at himself in the mirror, and he didn't take James' warning seriously at all.

"Don't worry about him, we are following the orders of the Queen Regent."

He turned around, faced his adjutant, raised his head, and asked, "How is it?"

The deputy officer paused for a moment, and said in a slightly exaggerated tone: "You will charm all the women in Junlin."

Sir Ross laughed: "That's not important. What's important is to let Duke Green see the loyalty and bravery of the Ragget family."

He walked over and patted his adjutant's arm, then said, "Tomorrow morning, I will go to the Gate of the Gods with other captains to welcome Duke Green to show the Golden Cloak's unchanging loyalty. I'll leave this place to you. Remember, keep the gates closed."

Although more than half a year had passed, the King's Gate Adjutant still clearly remembered the scene when Duke Green said his name and encouraged him. That scene seemed to be engraved in his mind.

He puffed out his chest and said excitedly, "Yes, sir!"

…………

This time, James and others waited longer before a response came from the city wall.

"Without the permission of the Imperial Council, no one is allowed to enter or leave King's Landing. This is the order of the Queen Regent!"

After the voice fell, several crossbowmen appeared on the city gate.

The warhorse seemed to sense its master's anger; it snorted and pawed the ground with its hooves.

"Retreat! Or you will be shot by arrows!"

"Warning! Back off immediately!"

James gripped the reins tightly, separated by a wall... and suddenly felt isolated and helpless.

If my father were still alive... As soon as this thought came to his mind, James immediately dismissed it. He didn't have time to "reflect" here. He had to find a way to get into the city as soon as possible!
A man in a red robe rode up on horseback and said, "Lord James, perhaps we can go to the Mud Gate and have a look."

Another red-robed man echoed, "If they are unwilling to let us in, we can look for the smugglers. They may be able to bring us in."

"go!"

Ser Jaime spurred his horse and rode away first, followed closely by dozens of red-robed cavalrymen.

…………

…………

On the last night before the parade, Cersei Lannister suffered from sleeplessness again.

Although the High Sparrow assured her of her safety, she was always reminded of the King's Landing riot she had experienced.

The old and fat archbishop was torn to pieces by the mob...

Unable to sleep, Cersei paced restlessly in the cell, and she kept telling herself... tomorrow she only needed to take a few steps and she would be back to Maegar's Tower and hold Tommen and Myrcella in her arms.

She is the Lannister lioness, she is the true heir to the old lion!
A faint glow began to fill the sky, a sign that dawn was approaching, and Cersei knew the parade was approaching.

She whispered: "Only my self-esteem will be hurt... No one dares to hurt me..."

Soon, the cell door was pushed open. Sister Unia appeared with four young nuns and two old silent sisters. They brought a small piece of soap, a basin of hot water, a pair of large scissors and a long straight razor.

Yes, she has to shave before the parade.

The High Sparrow tells Cersei that she must show herself as the gods created her, only then can she embark on the road of atonement and usher in a new life.

She is the Lion of Casterly Rock...

Cersei sat on the chair, closed her eyes, and said, "Let's do it."

The Silent Sisters are skilled in their movements; they often have to take care of corpses, and shaving and cutting hair are just one of the tasks they have to do.

With a click, click, the silent sisters quickly shaved the queen mother's hair. The tangled golden hair fell to the ground, and Cersei sat quietly like a stone statue.

The first rays of sunlight in the morning brushed through the window, and Cersei opened her eyes slightly.

Even though it hadn't been washed for a long time, her hair still shone in the sun like a king's crown.

When Cersei thought it was over, Sister Unia's cold voice came over: "Please take off your skirt, Your Majesty."

Cersei's body trembled slightly. "Why?"

Sister Unia came closer: "You must shave off all your hair, just as you were when you were born."

Cersei pinched her thumb and index finger together, and before Unya and the others could take action, she pulled her skirt over her head and threw it to the ground.

She wouldn't give them a chance to hear her beg... She would be going back soon... Every man in this room would not only shave their hair, but also order Cobain to peel their skins off alive.

The lioness' legs were spread open by the Silent Sisters, followed by hot water, soap and a razor.

Rustle, rustle, rustle... While shaving the hair between her legs, Cersei recalled Jaime's kiss. His kiss was always so warm, but the razor was so cold.

When they were done, a young septa dressed Cersei in a soft, white nun's robe.

Cersei pulled her clothes tighter to warm her fragile body, which had no hair to cover it.

"Let's go." Cersei took the initiative to move forward. Her son and daughter were waiting for her at the Red Keep. The sooner the parade ended, the sooner she could see them.

Dang~~~dang~~~dang~~~
Cersei's bare feet clacked on the cool marble floor as she walked, under the gaze of the statues of the Seven, through the hall where the old lion had once rested, through the corridor, and out the doors of the Great Sept.

Dang~~~dang~~~dang~~~
The melodious bells rang out from the sky again, as if calling the entire city to witness Cersei's humiliation.

When Cersei appeared, the noise suddenly fell into silence. At the marble steps outside the gate, a group of warrior sons wearing rainbow cloaks were waiting for Cersei's arrival.

Their captain stepped forward and knelt at Cersei's bare feet. "The Lord Septon has charged me to guard you. My brothers and I will see you safely through the city."

She is the King's mother... Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms...

Taking a deep breath, Cersei raised her chin and said, "Get up, ser. I am ready."

A strong gust of wind blew, and the hem of Cersei's robe flapped violently against her legs.

The morning air was filled with a strong and familiar stench of King's Landing, but...even the fragrant flowers did not smell so good to Cersei at this moment.

Because she had seen the tallest spire of the Red Keep, her imprisonment was over...

"There is a sinner in front of you. She is Cersei of the Lannister family. She is the Queen Regent and the mother of King Tommen..."

"She has told serious lies and committed ..."

"The criminal has confessed her guilt... The Bishop ordered her to give up all her dignity..."

"Show her how she looked when the gods gave her life in front of all the good people in the city, to prove her regret!"

Cersei's ears rang with the shrill voice of Sister Unia and the buzz of the untouchables, but she had no interest in hearing what they had to say.

"This sinner before you will complete her journey of atonement with a humble heart and without hiding anything in front of the gods and the world."

Her robes were thrown off her body, and Cersei knew her parade was about to begin.

Turning around and moving forward, the rainbow cloak fluttered behind them, the warrior sons' guards spread out to the left and right, protecting Cersei in the middle.

Breathing in the air that smelled of baked bread, rotten fish, feces, sweat, and horse urine, Cersei stretched out one foot and stepped on the rough stone.

The wide marble square was packed with people, just as it had been on the day of Cersei and Robert's wedding, and Cersei could only see a sea of ​​eyes.

Layer upon layer... There seemed to be an equal number of women and men, some of them carrying children on their shoulders, and those at the back stood on the wooden carts.

Beggars, thieves, stable boys, peddlers, wench girls... Cersei raised her head, her gaze passed over them, over the hungry eyes in the crowd... Aegon's High Hill rose in the distance, and the Red Keep appeared pink under the light of the morning sun.

It wasn't far, it would soon be over and she would see her son again, she would see her sword.

She will dig out the eyes of everyone here and cut off all the tongues. This scene today will only become their eternal nightmare!

…………

It seemed to take a hundred years to cross the square, until the marble under Cersei's feet turned into cobblestone, and she was surrounded by shops, stables, and houses, and the tightly packed crowds of people.

Behind Cersei, Unia rang her bells at intervals and sang, "Shame, shame, the sinner's shame."

"Female branch girl!"

"sinner!"

"Ransom!"

Curses suddenly broke out, and black, rotten vegetables with water dripping from them flew over Cersei's head. She tried hard to keep her head up, but she almost fell several times because she stepped on something wet and slippery.

Cersei tried to walk faster, but was soon blocked by the Warrior Sons in front of her and had to slow down again.

…………

"Cheers to the noble women of the branch!"

"Cheers to the Queen Mother's *way!"

"Cheers to the royal breasts!"

As we walked down the Visenya Hills, more and more garbage was spilling from the windows and balconies, including half-rotten fruit and eggs that had fallen to the ground and gave off an unusually foul smell.

Cersei fell for the first time because she stepped on something like feces, and her knee was scraped and bleeding, which made the crowd burst into laughter.

Cersei was roughly pulled up by the septa, and the road ahead became even more difficult to walk on, as she kept stepping on sharp objects such as stones or broken tiles.

Cersei couldn't help but scream in pain. She limped away, leaving two lines of bloody footprints on the stone behind her.

She is the lioness of Casterly Rock... She will never admit defeat...

Sister Unia chanted repeatedly: "Shame, shame, shame on the sinner."

Cersei continued to bleed, tremble, and stumble as she walked through the mud and shit.

When Cersei fell for the third time and was pulled up, she begged: "Holy Mother, have mercy, I have confessed my sins, please let someone carry me over, please."

Sister Unia remained stern: “You must complete your path of atonement.”

The nun's refusal ignited the lioness's anger, and she spat in Unia's face: "Villain!"

The surroundings were filled with chaotic sounds whose sources were difficult to identify.

The captain of the Warrior Sons came over and tugged on Cersei's arm with his rough hands, pulling her to his side.

"Your Majesty, you must leave as soon as possible. The people are getting out of control."

Cersei, who was being dragged away, suddenly looked up. A brown-haired girl and a serious-looking middle-aged man were standing behind the window, looking down at her... She was very familiar with both of their faces!

When she wanted to confirm their identities, she had already been dragged away by the Warrior's Son. Looking back...all she could see were distorted, ugly faces.

Cersei felt a sudden stinging pain in her eyes, and then her vision became blurred... She couldn't cry, she wouldn't cry, the worms would never see the tears of a lioness!
However, Cersei's tears could not be stopped, and they burned her cheeks like acid.

"No!"

Cersei screamed, broke free from the Warrior Son's grasp, put her arms above and below, and then she began to run wildly.

Stumbling, she scrambled on all fours along the uphill path as laughter, jeers, and cheers broke out all around her.

She got up, then fell down again.

Cersei cried bitterly like she did when she was a child. She could already see the outline of the Red Keep clearly...

Soon...

It’s almost over…

"Do not!!"

Cersei, who had struggled to get up, suddenly heard Jaime's voice in hallucination, and then... with a bang, her eyes went dark, a sharp pain came suddenly, and she felt as if her body was torn apart.

"Cersei!!!" Jaime screamed in despair, as if the whole world was collapsing at this moment.

Cersei stared blankly at the withered straw in front of her. She was hit hard by a shabby wooden cart that slid down the slope at high speed, and its sharp tip pierced deeply into her abdomen.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and then... blood suddenly spurted out of Cersei's mouth.

Ding~ding~ding~ding~ding~ding~ding~ding~~~~
(End of this chapter)