𝔸𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕕 by cheers, the Mountain entered the ring. The metal plates of his armor clinked against one another with each thudding step. He looked like the Warrior himself come down to pass the sentence, to doom Tyrion to certain death. I wasn't opposed. The only favorable thing about the half-man to me had been his vow of discretion about Cersei and me, and a dead man was as silent as they came. Thus, his bad deeds far overshadowed the good. Beneath the yellow-roofed pavilion on the far side of the arena, Oberyn Martell and his paramour Ellaria were speaking in hushed voices. The woman seemed doubtful at the sight of her lover's opponent, to say the least - after all, Gregor Clegane stood some eight feet tall and was built like a bull, heavily armored and armed on top of that, whereas lean, short Oberyn was wearing only a cloth and leather tunic and had no particularly durable weapons in sight. Fanfares sounded, and the crowd quieted. Pycelle began the trial with a speech. "In the sight of gods and men, we gather to ascertain the guilt or innocence of this, uh, man, Tyrion Lannister. May the Mother grant him mercy..." Ellaria was huddled close to Oberyn now, while Cersei was glaring with a sadistic smile at her little brother, who stood near them. "...May the Father give them such justice as they deserve, may the Warrior guide the hand of the champion-" At an impatient wave of Tywin's hand, the fanfares sounded once more, interrupting the old man. He bowed and scuttled away as the people grew louder again. Oberyn engulfed Ellaria in a passionate kiss while the Mountain opposite them drew his longsword. It must have been massive to look long even in his hand. After being tossed a spear, the Viper of Dorne made a show of spinning it across his head as he danced into the ring. Met with applause, he turned first to the royal families gathered at the head of the arena, to harvest their appreciation, then, finding none except from Mace Tyrell who clapped his hands carefully, to the Mountain. "Have they told you who I am?", he asked, clearly hoping to set his opponent up for some punchline. But the Mountain was either incapable of picking up on it or simply didn't care. "Some dead man", he growled and leapt forward, his sword gliding harmlessly off Oberyn's spear as he deflected. They exchanged a few blows before Oberyn retreated, circling his foe while he spoke, despite being left unprompted. "I am the brother of Elia Martell, and do you know why I've come all this way to this stinking shitpile of a city? For you." This time, he seized the first strike, but Gregor was undeterred even by the blow to his helmet that the Viper managed with his second swing. Still, the latter spoke on. "I'm going to hear you confess before you die. You raped my sister, you murdered her, you killed her children. Say it now and we could make this quick." In that moment, I knew how this would likely end. Vengeance was a force that could drive a man to incredible feats, but it was also a passion sorely misplaced on the field of battle. It was a distraction, a motivation that could blank out the cold calculation needed in order to survive and triumph. Clegane roared and charged at him, sword extended, but Oberyn blocked him with ease. He was a good fighter, that much was apparent. With a well-placed jab, he actually managed to remove the Mountain's helmet. Cersei's face grew discontent. She had believed her champion to be utterly invulnerable, and her brother's fighter scoring any sort of success made her uneasy. "Say it", Oberyn demanded, and his opponent let out another beastly roar. "You raped her! You murdered her!", the former shouted between blows until he was able to force Clegane's sword to the ground. "You killed her children." The Mountain pushed upward, but Martell was a step ahead of him, bouncing away to put on a display of agility, twirling through the air like an acrobat. He was smiling as the larger man kept slashing at him, always too slow to forestall him. "You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children." He jabbed at the Mountain's armor, but obviously could not puncture the thick metal with his measly spear. Clegane seized the chance and kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying into the pavilion that was twin to his own, but marked orange. 

From there on, it went downhill for Oberyn. He could no longer counter the Mountain's blows, and his spear was cut cleanly in half. He recovered quickly, retrieving a fresh spear, but the majority of his stamina was spent and Clegane managed to throw him to the ground again. Shielding himself against the killing blow just barely, he stuck his spear into Gregor's gut in an attempt to get out of his compromising position, however, it hardly seemed to faze the hulking shape of a man. Growing more agitated now, Oberyn circled again. "You raped her! You murdered her!", he screamed before slashing the Mountain's calf. Groaning, the big man went down. Shocked at this sudden turn of events, I glanced over to the most significant members of the audience to gauge a certain someone's reaction. Cersei's face showed suppressed serious alarm now and she hid her mouth behind her sleeve subtly. It was really not looking too good for her prized champion. I, too, had been so confident Tyrion's fate was sealed when I heard whom she had chosen, but now... "You killed her children!" Oberyn leapt at the crawling man with a mighty shout and brought his spear down right into his stomach. Blood splattered from the Mountain's mouth. Tyrion smiled to his family as all but Jaime scowled at the scene in front of them in disbelief. But the fight was not over yet. Leaving the spear to stick out of Clegane's chest, Oberyn walked around the defeated man, examining him. "Wait, are you dying? No, no, no, you can't die yet, you haven't confessed." He pulled out the spear with a sickening squelch. "Say it. Say her name." The Mountain did not look like he was going to be able to say much of anything any time soon, but Oberyn continued. "Elia Martell. You raped her, you murdered her, you killed her children." Jaime looked on with incredulous amusement while Cersei stared daggers at her brother's champion's taunts, and Ellaria watched uncertainly what her lover would do next. "Elia Martell!" Oberyn pointed at Tywin now, already answering the question he hadn't yet asked. "Who gave you the order? Who gave you the order?" His voice had risen to a shout again as he looked at Tywin, who remained stone-faced, then went back to prowling around the Mountain's body. "You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children!" He stepped closer. "Say it. Say her name. Say it!" And that was his fatal mistake. With one hand, Gregor swept him off his feet and lifted him into the air by his neck, punching his face with the other. Spitting blood and teeth, Oberyn dropped back down onto the ground, and Clegane straddled him. Pressing his thumbs into his eyes, he growled, "Elia Martell. I killed her children. Then I raped her. Then I smashed her head in like this." He squeezed harder, and Oberyn Martell's head burst like an overripe melon in the sun, spilling blood and brains everywhere. Ellaria let out a deafening cry as the two men lay collapsed beside each other. I nearly threw up myself looking at the gory mess, so I turned my eyes to a sight I liked far better, one I was glad wasn't the one lying dead in the sand there. Cersei was smiling to herself, and Tywin stood. "The gods have made their will known. Tyrion Lannister, in the name of King Tommen of the House Baratheon, first of his name, you are hereby sentenced to death."

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I was awoken in the middle of the night by a quick rap on my door. For a moment, I considered ignoring whoever it was and going back to sleep, but then the visitor knocked again. Groaning, I got up from the bed to unlock the door. This had better be something important. But all my annoyance melted away the instant I saw Cersei's tear-streaked face. She practically collapsed into my arms and I barely managed to shut the door behind her. "Cersei, what happened?", I asked, bewildered. "He killed him", she whispered between sobs. "Who killed whom now? Is this about Joffrey? Tyrion has been sentenced, he will receive the just-" "Not Joffrey", Cersei snapped, but I took no offense at her tone. "Father. He- he killed our father." Tywin was dead? As much as I loathed, and certainly feared, the man sometimes, this could not be good. He was all that stood between the realm and the despised Lannister children, all that kept the Crown in line. Without his grandfather's guidance, I wasn't sure Tommen would be particularly capable, as good a boy as he was. What had the Imp been thinking? "I'm so sorry", I finally managed. "But... how? Isn't Tyrion supposed to be safely locked away in his cell?" Something else filled Cersei's narrowing eyes now, glittering not with tears, but with hatred. "Supposed to, yes. But somebody helped him escape." It sounded like she knew exactly who that someone was. "Help me out here", I said desperately. "Who was it? Who enabled him to do this?" "Jaime, obviously", she raged. "He always pitied him, our poor little brother. And now look what he's done. He left our family defenseless." "You'll never be defenseless", I vowed, gripping her shoulders to make her look me in the eye. "You'll always have me. Not that you'd need me, anyways. You are a lioness of the Rock, a Lannister. The world shall hear you roar. What does a lion do to those who would harm her family?" "The same thing a wolf does to those who would harm her pack", she replied in a whisper, taking my hands. "Will you help me make them pay? All of them?" "Always", I promised. "They will regret the day they messed with Cersei Lannister."

Cersei looked hopeful at this, but there seemed to be something else nagging at her, something that would not let her calm down. "Cersei", I began, and her eyes snapped back to mine. "That isn't all, is it? What's scaring you like this?" She closed her eyes and slumped against my chest, sobbing softly. "I don't- I- It's stupid, don't worry about it." Stroking the back of her head, I said into her hair, "If it's making you this upset, it isn't stupid. I said the same about my wolf dreams, if you remember, and those turned out to be very serious indeed." Cersei nodded against my shoulder. "When I was a child... In Lannisport, there was this witch who was rumored to live on our lands who could allegedly see the future. So one afternoon, my friend Melara and I visited her out of curiosity. She drank of our blood and told us our fortune. She said I would marry the king instead of the prince, which I did, even though Aerys's refusal was unforeseeable at the time. She told me the king would have twenty children - look at all the bastards Joffrey had killed - and I would have three. Gold would be their crowns, and like she said, I had three golden-haired children. Gold their shrouds. Joffrey is dead already, are Tommen and Myrcella destined to pass young as well, before their hair can turn grey? She said I would be queen for a time, but then I would be cast down by another, younger and more beautiful, who will take all I hold dear. Margaery, that smirking whore, already has her claws in Tommen as she did in Joffrey..." "She isn't more beautiful, though", I cut in, equal parts unable to hold myself back and wanting to stop her from panicking. "There's no way it's her." Cersei, who had drawn back and straightened during her rambles, smiled through her tears appreciatively, then went on quoting the witch's haunting prophecy, her eyes growing distant and unseeing again. "And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you." She shuddered at the memory. I tried to think of something to say quickly, but this was a lot to digest. "You don't know for sure that she was telling the truth. Two of her predictions came true, but that doesn't mean all of them have to. What did she tell your friend?" She scoffed despite herself. "Melara had asked her if she would marry Jaime. Maggy said: Not Jaime, nor any other man, worms will have your maidenhead. Your death is here tonight, little one. Can you smell her breath? She is very close."  "And was she right?" Cersei nodded. "Melara insisted if we never spoke about the prophecies, they wouldn't come true... And she would never speak about them, because she died that night." She paused for a moment, then forced herself to look me in the eye. "First person I ever killed." I felt a cold fist clutch at my heart at her words. "You... you killed her? For what, exactly?" Offense sparked up in her eyes. "I was a child and scared. She was the one who said silence would be the solution." I begged to differ, but this wasn't the time to discuss the morality of deeds past. 

Instead, I took her into my arms again. "Our fates aren't written in stone, love. Tommen and Myrcella are still alive and well, there is no queen alive more beautiful than you and no one is in any position to cast you down right now. Prophecy is bullshit, and you'll die at the ripe age of a hundred in your own bed, peacefully, a glass of wine in hand and surrounded by loved ones." She smiled, trying hard to adopt my air of optimism. Wrapping an arm around my waist to pull herself closer, she said, "Who said anything about stopping at a hundred? I plan to surpass that old gaffer from the Night's Watch by at least, say, five years." I laughed with her and spun her around. "Sure you will. Though I doubt he'll be around to witness his defeat. What is he now, 102?" "Something like that." She chuckled again, then slowly, her smile faded and her voice became serious again. "I'm scared, Vallery. Everyone I love is dying, what if it's you next?" She cupped my cheek. "First he killed Joffrey, now Father. If Tyrion remains on the loose, I could relax no waking minute out of fear that he'll get to you, or Tommen, or Myrcella. We have to find him, so he can carry out the sentence he was given." The same hatred from before returned, tainting her tone. "And I have a bone to pick with Jaime. Father always called him the stupidest Lannister, but this- This- He knew what he had done, and he set him free anyways, and his foolish sympathy has cost us the head of our House." "I'll be with you, whatever you need to do. Without Tywin around to constantly surveil us, we could care less what anyone thinks. We need each other now, more than ever, and I promise you that you will get your justice, whatever it takes. We'll write our own story, our own future. Together." She grasped my arms the same way I did hers and kissed me. "Together."