In this extra chapter, I will provide some additional information, fun facts and explanations about the story for those who are interested. Enjoy!

1) Rhaenys

As you most likely know, the direwolves of the Stark children were named according to their owners' respective fates. Sansa became Lady of Winterfell (and later Queen in the North), Jon died and came back (Ghost), Arya went beyond to explore (like Nymeria, the famous adventurer)... Rhaenys Targaryen was known as the "Queen who never was". Naming Vallery's wolf after her is a reference to how despite being the queen's lover (and openly so by the end of the story), she can never marry her and become a legitimate Queen Consort. By all logic, she should be (and Cersei did proclaim her as such), but by all rights, she can't - just like Rhaenys, she came within a hair's breadth of being queen, but was apprehended by the discriminatory laws of her country.

2) Vallery's name

Vallery was named after the possessed young woman locked in the basement of Raymond Delver in the 2022 horror game "The Mortuary Assistant". There was no deeper meaning to this initially, I simply liked the game a lot at the time that I planned this story (and still do) and considered the name well-fitting to the period, it doesn't stand out as too modern or too abstract. In hindsight though, one could say that there are certain metaphorical parallels between Vallery Stark and her namesake, as she comes to King's Landing free and is then tied to the place and people - first literally as a hostage, but mainly emotionally. She is also a provider of sorts in that Cersei relies on her support and love many times throughout the story, presumably saving her from falling apart entirely. (Obviously, Vallery's supplier status in TMA is a lot more... literal - if you know you know.) You could even go as far as saying that Vallery's love and devotion for Cersei despite all their circumstances is comparable to a possession of sort - everything tells her she shouldn't love her, but she cannot stop it and embraces it entirely, which is arguably still a lot more positive than the demonic kind of possession, as Cersei is certainly not as evil as a demon (in fact, I attempted to highlight her good sides in this book: it bothers me how often they are overlooked and she is just treated as a toxic romantic interest, which doesn't do her justice in my opinion - for all the ruthless things she's done, it was always to protect herself and her loved ones, and other characters aren't judged nearly as harshly as her for similar deeds).

3) Vallery and Truth

Throughout the story, you might notice a recurring motive in Vallery's thoughts and speech. Truth, truthfully, truth be told, in reality, and in contrast lies, false, entirely wrong, etc... The subject of truth plays a major role in Vallery's thinking patterns and intentions: she is a Stark, a house known for its honor. Vallery is also extremely naive, as is pointed out several times, and aware of that fact: she tries to recognize when she is falling for somebody's attempts to fool her, but always seems to look for schemes in the wrong places - she can never get it right. (See Cersei's remark during their reconciliation after their first fight: "...you're far from the truth...", this seriously frustrates Vallery.) She is thus obsessed with the idea of truth, she needs to get to the absolute bottom of everything in order to attach herself to it, which is why she is so reluctant in interpreting and reacting to Cersei's approaches at first. Whenever she comes to question her own feelings, she becomes determined to figure Cersei out, to learn the truth of her. She deals in blacks and whites, for her there is only truth and lie, nothing in between. This image of the world apprehends her intelligence sometimes, and she does eventually learn to separate herself from these superlatives a little, but in her subconscious, they are always paved as underlying ideals that she cannot ever let go of. It is a substantial part of her personality despite not ever being actively mentioned.

4) Learning to play the game of thrones

In the beginning of the story, Vallery is often more of an observer in everything that is happening around her. She doesn't speak up a lot when others are having a conversation and stays in the background, listening and watching but rarely intervening. She has a lot of thoughts on everything she perceives, as is reflected in her inner monologues, but only in the latter half of the story does she become an acting role in the political and interpersonal landscape of Westeros. One of her main developments throughout the story is that she slowly learns from Cersei and others how to play the infamous game of thrones. She goes from a passive bystander to an active part of the events that play out in the GoT storyline. This reflects not only her growth and maturity by the end of the story, but also (and perhaps mainly) Cersei's influence on her. It is from her that she learns most of what she knows about politics, as in her previous life in the North, she was rather secluded from the meddlings of the South. Only through Cersei is she first introduced to a world of schemes, plots and rivalry, and Cersei's style in dealing with them has a lasting impression on her. That is why Vallery appears to gradually go from a quiet, neutral observer to a player that feels like an off-brand Cersei at times (this becomes especially apparent in the revenge scenes).

5) The consort throne

Vallery's throne has some obvious symbolisms: Weirwood for her Northern heritage, crimson for her allegiance to the Lannisters, wolves and lions for how the Houses Stark and Lannister are united in her. But when she touches the throne, she says that she feels connected to it and it feels like home. Of course, the connection she feels is the Weirwood. Yet the sensation of home is not as simple as that. It is a piece of the North, but it stands in King's Landing, right next to Cersei, where Vallery feels like her true home is. Also, the carvings represent her and Cersei's joined lives, which is likely the deepest part of the belonging she is feeling in that moment. The throne looks northern, but is tied to the capital, just like Vallery herself.

6) The End

I was torn on how to finish this story. I knew I wanted Cersei and Vallery to die just like her and Jaime do in the show, as I have always tried to stay true to canon and, unlike many viewers, actually found their death quite well done. It is an emotional scene to watch, to see their death inching toward them with no escape, that final loving embrace, the way Jaime tries to shield Cersei from the bricks even then, even when it's obvious they'll both die no matter what - and of course, there's the whole symbolism of Cersei's life's work literally crumbling down on top of her, the castle and throne she has fought so hard to keep, burying her in its ruins. So, I knew I wanted to keep all that, but I didn't want the ending to be purely sad. I couldn't turn it into a happy ending either. So I opted for a sort of hopeful sadness - they are dead, they lost the war and their thrones and their lives, but they're still together, they still have each other, if nothing else. I've had them promise each other eternal love so often, I could not take it from them in the end. They were definitely loads of red herrings leading up to the end; I really wanted everyone to expect them to survive and thus kept including phrases like "we'll make it out", "we'll win this", "we will always survive", and so on, but the fact that they would be together forever, that was not a lie. I wrote the final scene fairly early on in the process, so I had plenty of time to shape the story toward it and - hopefully - create a conclusion that works for everyone's taste. It's both a happy ending and a sad one. I will admit - I nearly cried myself while writing it, and got very emotional again when I was nearing the end of the story because I just did not want these characters, who I had spent so much time with and led through so many experiences, to die. I did not want it all to be over so suddenly (and I know I will terribly miss writing this story, this really is my magnum opus of fan fiction so far and I have enjoyed every second of working on it). But all things must come to an end, and the best time is always when it's hardest. So, with that and with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to Vallery and this universe's Cersei (fear not, more stories about her will follow), and I say thank you to all of you who have been with me on this journey. All your reads, votes and comments, all your encouraging words and jokes, have made this process so much more worthwhile. I know, I know, it sounds cheesy, but it's true. Thank you so, so, so much for all of your support. So long, and see you in the next one.