-Chapter 98-
-5th day of the 3rd moon of the year 301 AC-
-POV Cersei Lannister-
Knock… Knock… Knock…
As I was finishing getting ready and choosing the last pieces of jewelry I would wear today, someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" I asked while fastening to my right ear the most beautiful earrings in my collection.
'The ones Ronnet had given me as a wedding gift,' I thought.
"It's me, Your Majesty," said Qyburn from the other side of the door.
"Enter," I said, watching through my mirror as the door opened and Qyburn stepped inside.
I immediately noticed his somber expression, and I turned around, not fastening the second earring, as I felt my heart beating faster and faster.
"I have bad news to deliver," he said as I swallowed hard, unable to utter a sound, anxiously waiting to hear what he was about to tell me.
'Let it not be about Tommen. Let it not be about Tommen,' I prayed silently.
Faced with my silence, Qyburn handed me two letters and said:
"The Tyrells have betrayed us. Your father is dead."
I let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that it wasn't bad news about Tommen, but before I could even fully exhale, he continued:
"The army we sent was entirely destroyed or captured, and according to the few reports we have received, it seems the king fell on the battlefield."
Shocked, the hand that was about to open the letters he had given me stopped, unable to move forward.
"Your G..."
"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU FILTHY LIAR!" I screamed, refusing to believe what he had just told me.
'Tommen is strong. He cannot die,' I thought as I glared at Qyburn, furious that he believed such rumors.
'Ronnet would never let Tommen die. It's false, he must have taken him prisoner.'
"Your Grace, these are only preliminary reports..."
"GET OUT, OR I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD SEVERED FROM YOUR BODY!" I shouted, enraged, as I pushed him with all my strength, making him fall due to my force.
Once he was out, I collapsed in tears on the floor, anxious yet trying to reassure myself, as I could not believe that another of my little lions had been taken from me so brutally.
'Even if he hates me from the depths of his soul, Ronnet could not kill my son,' I told myself silently, trying to stop the torrents of tears streaming from my eyes.
---
-POV Margaery Tyrell-
"I hope you are proud of what you have done," said my grandmother as she watched Ronnet Connington and Loras's armies enter Highgarden through the grand gate in the distance.
I nodded, as I was rather proud of having made the right bet and of having influenced Loras enough to prevent him from being forced to die in vain against Ronnet Connington.
So I said in a tone that reflected my inner pride:
"I did absolutely everything necessary to achieve my goal."
"Even if it meant betraying our family," she said in a piercing tone, trying to make me feel guilty for acting behind everyone's back.
'She wants to make me seem selfish when she never even bothered to listen to my warnings,' I noted, finding her attitude unfair.
If she had even once taken the time to listen to my warnings and adopted a more cautious stance in the conflict between the Conningtons and the Lannisters, we would still be in a position of strength right now.
"If what you call 'betraying our family' means saving my House from extinction by forcing it to kneel before House Connington, then I gladly accept becoming this family's scapegoat," I said, lifting my chin, deciding not to yield to my grandmother, who was surely expecting me to feel remorse for acting behind her back.
'Unfortunately, that is not the case. You were wrong, and I was right. Admit it,' I thought as I stared at her just as intensely as she did at me.
She made a mocking grimace before saying in a disdainful tone:
"Do not act as if you were a martyr to be pitied, my dear. We both know that from now on, your road will be smooth while ours will become ever more tumultuous."
I shook my head at her bad faith and said in a mocking tone:
"How exactly is marrying a former bastard, the son of a man who will undoubtedly be vilified by many as a usurper, who must fight against the Dragon Queen, a smooth road?"
Grandmother said nothing for a few moments, so I added, this time in a cold and irritated tone:
"My fight begins today, while yours ends, Grandmother."
Faced with her obstinate silence, I decided to continue expressing everything I felt by saying:
"I am not naive, and I know you would have preferred to control a weak and more pliable king. But neither Ronnet, nor Ronald, nor my son, the future king of the Seven Kingdoms, will be. You will have to live with it and accept it."
"Consider yourself lucky that our House's name endures despite the position in which you have led us," I concluded, taking a deep breath to regain my composure.
Grandmother remained silent for a few moments before turning around and saying as she walked away:
"Start by having a son. Who knows, you might not even be able to bear children. This is your third or fourth husband—at my age, it is hard to keep count. That will not be the case for the rest of the realm."
I held back from insulting her in my heart because she had taught me everything and was simply vexed to see that I had finally won.
'All that matters is that we survive,' I thought as I also left the balcony to go welcome my future father-in-law.
---
-POV Ronnet Connington-
As I entered Highgarden, a wave of memories resurfaced, and I turned my head toward Rodrik, who was also smiling.
To think that just three years ago, I had come to this castle to bend the knee before that dog Renly.
'Today, I walk in so that they may kneel before me,' I thought as I observed my surroundings with a small smile.
We quickly crossed the long gardens surrounding the castle before arriving at its entrance, where all the members of House Tyrell who had not taken part in the war were waiting for us, visibly anxious.
"Your Grace," said the leader of the small group, stepping forward, visibly uneasy.
"So this is the other lord who boasted about bringing down the griffin," I said, looking at him coldly.
He mumbled a few words, and then I said:
"Do not take it so seriously. It was nothing more than a jest."
Mace Tyrell smiled, still somewhat uncomfortable, and then I said as I dismounted my horse:
"Soon, we shall be brothers through the marriage of our children."
"Then do not be afraid. House Tyrell will receive the honors it deserves for finally choosing the side of the victors."
"This is a great honor you bestow upon us," said Mace Tyrell, standing up slightly straighter.
"Where is the future bride?" I asked, calling Margaery, who was standing slightly behind the other members of her family.
"Here, Your Majesty," she said, stepping forward slightly while lifting the folds of her trailing gown.
I kissed her hand, then said:
"You did well. Had you not done so, I would have destroyed all the Houses of the Reach one by one."
She smiled slightly, flattered, and then I added:
"Lead the way. We still have a few small points to clarify before officially signing the end of this war."