Tourney at Lannisport I

- 276 AC -

(Cersei Lannister POV)

A tourney is being held in Lannisport, by Father, the Hand of the King. I sit by the window, staring out at the bustling activity below as the tourney in honour of Prince Viserys's birth unfolds. My thoughts are a tangled mess of emotions, each thought pulling me back and forth like the tide in different directions. I am only 10 name days young, yet the weight of Father's ambitions and the complexities of duty and my own feelings weigh heavily on me right now. 

"Did you hear what your aunt Genna just told you, love?", the gentle tone of Mother's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"I did, Mother."

Aunt Genna had just delivered the news that should have made my heart soar. I am to wed Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. It was a match Father, had promised me ever since I was seven.

"So are you looking so bum because you understand what it means, or because you don't?", Mother asks me.

"I don't know."

"You don't know why you're sad?"

"Yes."

"Then what do you know?", Mother asks me. She has taken the seat next to me and has my hand inside hers. As if she was encouraging me to tell her and share my burden.

"I had always imagined this moment, envisioned myself as the future Queen, standing beside the beautiful and gallant prince, who would then be King. I thought it was all I ever wanted. All any maiden could ever want. But now that the moment is near, a different image keeps intruding my thoughts …", I start to explain but can't find the right words.

"… A dark-haired boy with a broad smile, strong build and laughter that echoes through the air, perhaps?"

My head snaps in her direction and I see her amused but gentle smile.

"Oh, my dear Cersei. What brought this up? What made you like this? It's been three years since you met."

"We write …"

"What?"

"We correspond using ravens."

"No I mean what are you writing?", Mother asks me and I turn red slightly.

"…"

"I see. It is a great honour to wed the Crown Prince and you will make a wonderful queen. But it's natural to feel conflicted. You're still so young, and such decisions carry great weight. I agree with you that Robert Baratheon is an amazing man, but what could be better than a king?"

She's right and part of me can't help but get infatuated when I saw him ride into Lannisport. And yet … *sigh*

"I know. I thought I would be thrilled to marry Rhaegar. But now…"

"But now?" Joanna prompts gently. A knowing look in her eyes. She wants me to say it.

"Now, I can't stop thinking about Robert.", I admit, my cheeks flushing again, "I don't know what it is, but when he saved you, and his letters… they're so full of … I don't know … life and excitement. I don't understand why I feel this way."

Mother's eyes soften with understanding.

"Robert is a spirited young man, full of strength and charm. It's only natural to be drawn to him. His letters bring a piece of his world to you, a world of freedom and adventure that you perhaps feel you lack here. But don't lose yourself in a fantasy, Cersei."

"Not lose myself?"

"Yes. Try to stay in the present … However … it's also important to understand your own heart. Marriages like ours are often made for duty, not love. That doesn't mean you cannot find happiness. You must learn to balance your duty with your feelings. Like I did."

She is telling me something with her words but I don't understand what she means. Balance my duty with my feelings? I can't have both, can I ... right? 

"In any case, it is time for you to prepare yourself. The tourney will begin shortly. So make sure to dress properly.", Mother says and then leaves my room. 

.

I adorn the beautiful dress Mother gifted me. It has our House colours of red and gold, making me stick out and catching the attention of many. I leave my room, where my two maids, Melara Hetherspoon and Jeyne Farman, are waiting for me. Mother has been keeping a close eye on me and Jaime ever since the maid ratted us out. Thankfully, Mother hasn't told Father thankfully, but she is using it as a way to keep us apart. 

"You look gorgeous, Lady Cersei. Every knight will have his eyes on you.", Melara says. 

"It is a very lovely dress. Lady Joanna must love you a lot to gift it to you. I wish I could also have one like it.", Jeyne says dreamily. 

I don't really enjoy their behaviour. Their dreams are to be wed by some knight in the future and bear him children. Why would I be content with a knight? I am to be betrothed to the Crown Prince at the end of the week. 

"Let's go. Mother is surely already waiting for us.", I say and we move out of the castle. Two knights from Father wait for us at the gate. 

"Lady Cersei. Your Father, Lord Tywin has commanded us to accompany you to the tourney grounds."

"Lead the way.", I say and we are off. As we walk Melara and Jeyne are exchanging gossip and giggling at the sight of the different knights we encounter. I on the other hand am deep in thought and try to find a solution to my conundrum. Should I accept my situation and simply become the Queen I was always meant to be? Or should I try to ... no, Father would never allow it. But what did Mother mean?

As we walk through the tourney grounds, a small tent at the edge catches my attention. I stop walking and ask the guards about it. 

"Do you know what that tent is? Who does it belong?", I ask. 

"I would ask you never to go there, my Lady."

"Why? Who does it belong to?", I ask again. 

"It belongs to the Woodwitch called Maggy the Frog, my Lady."

"Maggy the Frog? What does that mean, Woodwitch? What do you know of her?"

"From what I heard, Maggy came to Lannisport as a younger woman, brought by her husband who had been trading saffron and pepper in Essos. Lord Tytos Lannister ennobled their merchant son, the founder of House Spicer, as a petty lord. Many people of Lannisport visit her for her cures, fortune telling and love potions. It's all a lie if you ask me. A clever way to swindle everyone of their money."

"Fortune telling?", I say to myself. Interesting. 

"Does it work?", I ask interested to know whether the plan forming in my head could work. 

"I have never been there myself, my Lady. But as far as I heard, the love potion seems to have some effect. Although I am not sure how accurate those rumours are.", he says. 

.

We arrive at the Viewing stands which were raised beneath the walls of Lannisport for the tourney. Judging by the murmuring and cheering, the smallfolk are excited. Father hasn't arrived yet, as the procession is yet to commence. Mother is sitting to my right and Jaime is to her right. She gives me a look and smiles afterwards. Tyrion has also been allowed to attend the tourney and is sitting on Mother's lap. I couldn't help but despise Tyrion at first. He almost killed Mother after all.

But Mother told me off and gradually, I learned to accept him. I am still not happy with his existence for some reason, but Mother says that things aren't always as they seem. I'm not sure what she means by that. 

"WOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHH"

The crowd suddenly cheers loudly. The procession has started. At the head of it all, is the King. King Aerys II Targaryen with Father riding in second. And right after, comes the Crown Prince. Is there anyone more beautiful than the 7 and 10-name-day-old Rhaegar Targaryen? He has been knighted recently. Rhaegar has deep purple-coloured eyes, and long, elegant fingers. He is taller than his father, the King Aerys is in his adulthood. Rhaegar's hair is silver-blond, moving in the wind as he rides on his steed with elegance and grace.

I am not the only one who is enthusiastic about the Crown Prince. The smallfolk cheer Father twice as loudly as they cheer the king, but only half as loudly as they cheer Prince Rhaegar and their cheers echo off Casterly Rock like thunder.

After a while, the procession is finished and the tourney finally starts. It is a grand occasion for everyone. The main attraction though, is the Crown Prince. As the tourney progresses, Rhaegar defeated two of my uncles and a dozen of Father's finest knights in the joust before finally falling to Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning and the best swordsman in the realm. The most powerful and skilled men are part of the Kingsguard. It is the dream of many to become part of their group, but none of them are allowed to ever sire children. 

"Where are you going?", Mother asks me when I try to sneak away. 

"Nowhere in particular.", I lie. 

"Don't lie to me, Cersei. I always know when you lie. So you will either tell me where you're going, or you will stay here and attend the feast with your mother and brothers."

"... *sigh*", I sit back down. 

.

Over the next couple of days, I tried to sneak away a few times but someone always finds me and stops me from going. Finally, the last day of the tourney has arrived. The day that my betrothal to Crown Prince Rhaegar is to be announced. But I need to see the woodwitch before that. Finally, I managed to get a moment to myself and call both of my two friends, Jeyne Farman and Melara Hetherspoon. They might be my maids, but they are still my only friends. 

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the woodwitch, Maggy the Frog.", I tell them.

"What? M-my lady ... I don't think that-"

"Nonsense. We are going to get our fortunes told and that is final. What will she do? I am a Lannister and she will know that.", I tell them. There is nothing she will do to us since she would die the next day if something happened to me. 

We walk to the tent and enter. There an old woman is sitting behind a wooden desk. She looks squat and warty, with crusty yellow eyes, no teeth, and pale green jowls. Her back is bent and her eyes are yellow. 

"AHHHH.", Jeyne screams and runs away after Maggy opens her eyes. She seems to have been frightened by the sight of her yellow eyes. 

"Wha'd ye want?", she speaks in a croaking, accented voice that makes shivers run down my back. But I am here now and will get what I came for. It takes more to scare a lioness like me. 

"We want to have our fortunes read.", I say with a clear voice.

"No. Leave here!", she says confusing me for a moment. 

"What? Do you know who I am? I am Cersei Lannister, daughter of Tywin Lannister. I say one word and you will be killed on the morrow. So tell me what do you decide?", I threaten her. 

I am a lioness. She will do as I command.

"..."

"Urgh, very well. Gimme yer thumbs. I will draw some blood."

"Is that necessary to read our futures?", I ask. 

"Aye, necessary it is.", Maggy says. 

"Very well.", I say and look at Melara who seems to be unsure. I nod my head and present Maggy with my thumb. 

Using a twisted iron dagger, Maggy draws blood from our thumbs. I flinched but did not pull away. Then she does something disgusting, takes my thumb into her mouth, and drinks blood from both my and Melara's thumbs. 

.

"Ask yer questions.", Maggy says. 

"When will I wed the prince?", I ask her. She should know this at least, if she is worth anything. 

"Never. You will wed the king.", she answers me. 

King?

"Will I be happy in my marriage?", I ask her. 

"Start it will with joy and laughter, the pained tears and screams come after, continuing this cycle until, eventually adapt you will. Tenderness and care as well as pleasure, violence and death in equal measure."

"What? I ... I'll be exposed to violence ..."

No way, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen is known to be a gentle heart and as galant as anyone in the 7 Kingdoms. 

Melara takes my silence to ask a question of her own. 

"Will I marry Jaime?", she asks hopefully. 

"Not Jaime, nor any other man, Worms will have your maidenhead. Your death is here tonight, little one. Can you smell her breath? She is very close.", Maggy answers, scaring Melara.

"Can ... can you tell me about my husband?", I ask after a moment.

Maggy thinks about it for a moment. Longer than she did before. There is an uncomfortableness to her as her expression shifts. 

"I see ... I see ... no ... no noooo NOOOOOOOO ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH-"

*KKUUKK*

I move back as Maggy starts puking blood and chokes. The scene terrifies me and I get out of the tent as fast as I can. Both Melara and I are running away through the crowd until I hit some kind of wall. 

*Thud*

"Owww", I rub my head and am about to fall to the ground, when I feel strong hands stop my fall. 

"Well, what do we have here? A pretty lioness in the making.", a deep voice says. I look up and see ...

"Robert? What are you doing here?"

"Bahahaha, nice to see you again, Cersei. I just came from the North and on my way back, I thought I'd have a look and check out the crowd here.", Robert says casually.

"Robert ... it's really you.", I say and finally notice the position I'm in. I blush and hold my hands over my face.

"Well, obviously. Who else has such a sigma vibe?"

"What? Vibe?"

"Not that important. Anyway...", he says and puts me on my feet finally, "... what were you running from?"

"I ... I ..."

"Yes? Tell me about it. You look terrified."

"It's nothing. Not anymore.", I say calming down gradually, "What did you do all this time?"

"Did you not read my letters?"

"I did ... tell me again."

"..."

"..."

"Sure, why not."

___________________________________

A/N Yes, I created this myself. Honestly, I'm quite proud of this one. I never know what words to use when I want to rhyme but this time it worked. No AI was used for this. I am giddy to see what everyone says when Maggy's words will finally make sense.

I tried to include the 'torn feelings' of Cersei. I hope it was alright. I already have things planned out and am interested to see what others think, when it happens.