LION AMONG WOLVES | GAME OF THRONES

31

"Does Jaime know that you know of this?" Cersei questioned Annalys in concern, "Is that why the two of you have gone back to the way things were before as if nothing happened?"

Annalys remained silent for a long moment, shaking her head in response. She didn't want to betray Jaime by telling Cersei the truth. She may have been mad at him, but she wasn't going to let her mother know that Jaime had kept the fact that their daughter knew the entire time to himself without telling her.

"You know of this, but you haven't told anyone. Why?" Cersei asked Annalys confused, "If you were to tell everyone, you would be freed from Kings Landing. No one would be able to stop you."

"Because no matter what happens between us or how much I try to deny it, the Lannisters are my family. My blood," Annalys told her mother without hesitation, which caused Cersei to look a bit taken aback, "The war I started with Robb against the crown was against Joffrey and Tywin, not the rest of you. You, Jaime, Tommen, Myrcella, none of you have ever been my enemy. I've claimed it, but it's never been true," She paused, letting out a sigh as she gave Cersei a look of disbelief, "Do you really believe I would out that secret to everyone, telling them that it's true? Tommen would be ripped off the throne and would most likely be executed. Jaime would be killed in the worst way possible. And you, you would be branded a whore and no one in this family would be able stop you from being executed for your crimes. Oh, and do not get me started on Myrcella. That poor, innocent girl would be harmed in ways that I refuse to think about. Now, Mother, do you still believe I would out something like that when it would harm my family?"

Cersei opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to, "I'm sorry." She finally apologized, not knowing what else to say, "I'm sorry, Annalys. For everything that I've done to wrong you. I haven't the slightest clue on how to make up for what I did to ruin your life, but I'm willing to try. I may not be able to let you go free, but I can make sure your stay here is better. I..." she trailed off, trying to think of something to give Annalys, "I can convince your grandfather to rethink this marriage alliance with the Tyrells. If I really have to, I will marry him myself."

Annalys frowned at her mother's words, "Tywin is forcing me to marry Loras Tyrell because you refused to. Why would you allow yourself to marry him when you went through all this trouble to stop it from happening?"

"Because you're my daughter!" Cersei blurted out loudly before becoming quieter, tears welled in her eyes, no matter how much she tried to hide it from Annalys, "I hate to see the way you've been suffering, Annalys. You have no idea how much it has pained me. I would do anything for you, you must know that. Anything to keep you from harm and this unhappiness you've been feeling. I would burn cities to the ground, kill anyone, just to protect you. You are the only thing that truly matters to me in this world."

Annalys remained silent as she stood in front of her mother. There were tears welled in her eyes as she stood in front of Cersei. She wanted to be mad at her. She needed to be mad at her. But in the end, she found herself unable to. Cersei loved her more than anything. And she would continue to love her, no matter Annalys did.

As much as she convinced herself that she would choose Jaime instead of her mother if it came down to it, Annalys wondered if Jaime would ever do the same for her.

  As she began to think about it, she was convinced Jaime would choose Cersei over her if it came down to it, but Annalys knew for a fact that Cersei would choose her over Jaime without hesitation, no matter what the girl did to wrong her. Cersei loved her children more than anything in the world. She would kill, even die, for her children. They meant the world to her. Nothing else mattered.