Ronnet Connington SI

-Chapter 70-

"What cond—" Tywin didn't finish his sentence because he saw I had unsheathed Griffin Heart.

All the guards uncorked their vials, and I said:

"No griffon falls without a fight. All the soldiers who died for House Connington did so because they knew I would die for them too."

"You're choosing death over giving your blood to Tommen?"

"I'd give my blood to a pig before giving it to a Lannister, and even less to a Lannister bastard," I said.

The fire in Cersei's eyes, ignited by the reminder of that indelible stain on her life, burned brightly, especially since I said it in front of her father and her son.

"Kill him," Tywin said, his tone reluctant yet icy.

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-Back to the present-

-POV Cersei Lannister-

"Wait!" I shouted.

The soldiers instantly stopped and looked at me, waiting for their next orders.

"What are you doing?" my father asked, furious that I was contradicting him.

I didn't look at him and slowly walked down the steps of the staircase leading to the throne, one at a time.

"This farce has gone on long enough," I said, moving between the soldiers, who parted one by one, forming a corridor leading to my...

'Husband,' I thought, continuing to walk until I felt the blade of his sword against my throat.

"Cersei," my father said, seeing me take such a risk.

"He's not going to hurt me."

"Allow me to doubt that, dear sister," said Tyrion, to which Ronnet nodded, his gaze growing colder.

'Why does he never shut up when it's necessary?' I thought, raising my head as I felt Ronnet's sword edge forward almost imperceptibly.

"Give me one good reason not to slit your throat here and now," he said.

"Because I am your wife and the mother of your children," I said, looking at him.

He didn't flinch, didn't lower his sword, but didn't advance either. So I added:

"My father wanted you dead, not me. I convinced him to—"

"To what? Spare my brother? Not imprison my family? Let me keep my position?" Ronnet said in a light tone.

'He's not angry,' I thought.

"No, and you know that very well, but I made sure the fewest people possible got hurt."

"Go tell that to our… to my soldiers," he said, correcting himself mid-sentence deliberately.

"I don't understand why you're doing this. If you surrender, it'll all be over."

Ronnet thought for a moment, his cold, icy gaze—one I found so beautiful—locked onto mine. For a moment, I thought he was going to decapitate me, but all he did was lower his head and then raise it again.

The cold and angry expression from before had vanished, leaving only disdain mixed with contempt.

My heart jumped in my chest when I felt his palm against my cheek, and Ronnet said:

"Did you really think you had won?"

A deep feeling of anxiety crushed my chest, making it hard to breathe, and then I saw it—his expression… the one he always wore when he had won.

A glimmer of victory in his eyes, the look of a predator toying with its prey.

'Like a spider watching a fly caught in its web,' I thought.

"What have you done?" I asked, trembling with fear.

Ronnet smiled and said:

"Nothing at all. You ruined everything by yourself, like always."

"What have you done!!!"

"Kill him!" my father shouted, but the gold cloaks didn't move.

"Bronn!" Tyrion yelled at his henchman.

I risked a glance at the sellsword who stood there motionless, like the hundreds of soldiers.

"No, you didn't actually think I'd fight 400 soldiers. I'm not crazy enough for that, even though I might stand a chance," Ronnet said, his smug grin widening with every passing second until he burst into laughter in the throne room.

No one dared say anything, letting Ronnet laugh. After a few moments, he calmed down, sheathed Griffin Heart, then walked past me as if I were nothing and said:

"Lord Tywin, you were a formidable opponent. It was close, but you forgot something… or rather, I suppose your daughter made that mistake."

"What mistake?" I heard my father ask my husband.

"You forgot Varys and Littlefinger, my lord," Ronnet said, jubilant, almost mocking.

My father sighed and looked at me, furious, without saying a word.

He didn't need to express it, but I could almost feel his anger toward me.

"You three were relying on my reactions to try and guess whether I had learned of your misdeeds. Playing along afterward, knowing that you didn't know that I knew what you were trying to hide from me, wasn't very difficult, was it, Bronn?" he said.

"No, my lord," replied the traitor, whom I glared at.

Sensing it, Ronnet turned to me and said:

"Don't be bitter, my love. You played, and you lost. Accept it…"

Then, in a cold tone, his smile vanishing almost instantly:

"Just like I had to accept that you betrayed me."

"I…"

"Shut up," he said, not raising his voice, but for some reason, I fell silent immediately.

He slowly ascended the steps leading to the throne, then stopped a few inches from Tommen.

'My sweet Tommen,' I thought, regretting all my previous actions as I saw him place his hands on the hilt of his sword.

"Please…"

He raised a hand to signal me to be quiet, then said to my son:

"You knew your mother was giving you my blood, didn't you?"

"He didn't know—"

"Yes," Tommen said, much to my astonishment.

"You're a good boy, a weak, easily influenced boy, a very poor king, but nevertheless, a good boy," Ronnet said.

"But that's not enough of a reason to spare you, you understand that, right?"

Tommen nodded, and Ronnet added:

"The reason I'm going to spare your pretty little blonde head, which doesn't have a single drop of Baratheon blood, is because, as king, you're going to sign some documents."

"Open the doors," Ronnet shouted to the nearest gold cloaks, who obeyed immediately.

A knight dressed entirely in black entered, carrying a small box, which he handed to Ronnet. He opened it and pulled out a small stack of papers, a quill, ink, wax, and the royal seal.

'He had everything planned,' I thought, ashamed of my arrogance and regretting my actions.

'But it's too late for regrets.'

"What is that?" Tyrion asked, speaking before my father or I could.

"Nothing, just a few official documents, including the renunciation of lands belonging to House Tully, Stark, Connington, and Greyjoy, and a marriage annulment already signed by the High Septon himself," Ronnet said.

"Connington, I get, but why Tully, Stark, and Greyjoy?" I asked, confused.

"To have the power to crown Euron Greyjoy and Robb Stark?" my father asked.

"You really think I'm going to tell you?" Ronnet replied, dismissive of our inquisitive stares.

A long silence fell as Tommen, under threat, signed each document presented to him, without reading them.

Once all the documents were signed and sealed with the royal seal, I watched as Ronnet descended from the throne with a small victorious smile and walked past me.

"What's going to happen to us?" I asked, turning toward him.

Ronnet shrugged, his back still to me, and said:

"Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore. We're no longer married, Cersei… Lannister."