The Shadow Queen of Tywin Lannister

XCII. An Unusual Royal Test

Great Sept of Baelor, King's Landing, CrownLands – Seat of Power: Officially No one (Unofficially: Tommen Baratheon/Lannister)

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The boy King Joffrey Baratheon was dead, murdered in his own wedding allegedly by his own uncle, Tyrion. The realm was in mourning or so everyone expected while many of the common folk cheered in secrecy now that the tyrannical boy was long gone.

The Lannisters had mixed feelings on the subject but some did mourn more than others. Inside the Great Sept of Baelor, the body of the boy-king was laid on a table in the centre of the room.

It was customary for the body to be exhibited for a few days, allowing anyone to come to pay their respects before the burial. It was merely a day since the poisoning and yet few truly visited him.

From his family, to pay their respects were Cersei, Tywin, Visenya and Tommen.

The Lioness was grieving her son, her first-born and the one she truly loved most among her three children. Having him die in her hands, his green eyes looking at her with fear and for help and yet she could do nothing but look at him as he choked and died soon after. She was sleepless and she had not eaten anything, grieving the loss of her child.

Visenya stood not so far away from her, watching her stepdaughter trying to remain strong but failing. She had lost two children and could relate. Rhaegar might have been her nephew but she saw him as her own son, his loss at the Trident was a memory that still haunted her from time to time.

Then, it was her miscarriage and while she never got to meet the baby; she still mourned its loss and the loss of her ability to bear any more children.

Yet, as she looked at the dead boy in front of her, she could not help but wonder. Have I fallen that low? She asked herself, the same question she had been asking for a while.

She had never harmed children, she had made a vow to never do but Joffrey...he was a child but he was a future Aerys in the making. She had grown up with the Mad King, they shared the same blood and she knew the signs better than anyone. She knew that Joffrey would be a danger to all, especially because he was the firstborn and the King.

Perhaps, if he was a second or third-born son; he wouldn't have to die because his character would not threaten the realms.

She wondered what Barristan and Rhaegar; even Rhaella would say if they could see her now. They always praised her for being so noble, so kind-hearted with children and fair. Now...they would be disappointed at what she had become.

Her hands now carried the blood of not one but two children, one truly innocent and the other just unfortunate enough to be born with a character as bad as that.

Tommen was standing by her side, holding her hand as he stared at his dead brother with a passive look. Joffrey had often tormented and bullied him but Tommen never hated him because, in the end, they shared the same blood. He could not believe that he was dead, killed in such a horrific way and now just lying as a body in front of him.

He tightened his grip on Visenya's hand and she could feel her thumb caressing his skin, offering comfort to both of them.

Ever since the murder, the boy had been quiet but he knew what was coming since he was the next in line. Cersei had spent most of her time mourning and wishing revenge, leaving him alone to try and understand the loss.

Visenya had been by his side ever since yesterday and had even walked with him to the Sept. Cersei passively glared but was too occupied with the death of Joffrey to truly bother at that moment.