Chapter 203 White Knight
The sky and the city.
Cersei Lannister knelt before the altar of Our Lady, bowing her head in prayer.
And the coffin of her son Joffrey rests under the altar of the Stranger - the one who guides the dead to the other world.
There is a strong scent of incense in the air, and hundreds of burning candles light up the hall.
"Kingslayer" Jaime Lannister stood behind his sister, but his eyes were out of focus.
His right hand was broken at the elbow, his hair was messy, his clothes were disheveled, and he looked like he hadn't taken care of it for a long time.
"The convoy is ready." James said with a hoarse voice, "Let's take little Joe back to King's Landing for burial."
Cersei got up slowly and came to her son's open coffin.
According to custom, the dead king will wear gilded armor.
The golden light flickered in front of her eyes, and Cersei couldn't help but think of Toad Witch's prophecy about her fate—
"You will marry the king and have three children, and they will be crowned with gold and shrouded in gold."
No!
This is not true!
Cersei is suddenly overwhelmed by fear.
When she was young, Toad Wu Ji once sucked the blood between her fingers and prophesied her fate.
She refused to believe the prophecies until they came true one by one.
She did marry the king and had three children.
Joffrey once wore a golden crown, and now he is shrouded in golden armor.
Tommen is about to wear the golden crown, and will also be shrouded in golden armor in the future?
And Myrcella...
no, I can not!
“…you will be mothered until another woman comes. She is younger and more beautiful than you, and she will overthrow you and take everything you hold dear…”
No! Will not!
Cersei began to tremble.
However, the eerie and weird voice of Toad Wu Ji still echoed in my ears—
“…one day in the future, when you are drowned in tears, your brother will strangle you by the pale neck and take your life.”
"No! Never!" Cersei exclaimed.
"Cersei, what's wrong with you?" James quickly stepped forward to hold her shoulder.
She turned her head suddenly, looked at James with red eyes, and said in a roaring tone:
"James, promise me! Promise me that you will avenge Xiao Qiao if you kill that man!"
James smiled wryly and raised his severed hand, as if to let Cersei see clearly: "How can I kill people like this now? And..."
A pained and terrified expression appeared on Kingslayer's face: "And even if my hands are intact, I'm still no match for that man. You saw it at the time, his sword..."
"Then you let that man run free!" Cersei yelled angrily. "No matter how powerful he is, how can he stand up to an army? Is your brain broken if your hand is broken? Can't command Have you fought yet? Don't forget, Xiao Qiao is also your son!"
I really almost forgot. James thought to himself.
He tried to recall Joffrey's face, but found it was a little blurry.
Yes, that was his child, his blood, but at this moment, he was surprisingly calm.
If the Seven Gods gave him the chance to choose between his son and his right hand, he knew he would choose his right hand without hesitation.
Joffrey was his son, but he was never a father.
He didn't hold the baby even once.
At the beginning, he had made a request, but Cersei bluntly refused, saying that they were too similar and would arouse suspicion.
After all, all he wanted was Cersei, and as for the three children, they were all incidental gifts, and they were gifts with the last name of Baratheon.
The moment Ed Stark revealed the truth to the public, James didn't panic in his heart, but was relieved.
He actually wants to bring Cersei and the children back to live in Casterly Rock. As for the Iron Throne, whoever wants to sit on it can sit.
Unfortunately, my father refused to admit defeat, and my sister refused to give up.
"I will avenge Joffrey." James didn't want to see Cersei sad, "I will."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Joffrey's open coffin.
I have to say that Joffrey looks quite handsome when he is quiet. After all, he inherited the appearance of the most outstanding pair of couples in this generation of the Lannister family.
But whenever he opened his mouth, James couldn't help but cover his ears.
"Then you go now!"
"No!" Cersei interrupted screaming, "I want you to lead an army to Eagle's Mouth and hang the man who killed my son, our son!"
Cersei's request upset him for a while: "Where did I get the army? The army of the North has already left with Eddard Stark. Although Mace Tyrell has a friendly attitude, he will soon lead the army of the Riverbend." Evacuate, as for the nobles of the kingdom, how could they obey me, a Lannister?"
"Then you follow Mace Tyrell, he has promised to marry his daughter to Tommen, and that Margaery is now taken captive by Samwell, you go with him to the Eagle's Mouth, and find Go back to Margaery, and kill that kingslayer and kidnapper by the way!"
James frowned and did not speak.
Cersei was so angry that she gritted her teeth, but she, who was familiar with the man's temperament, didn't get angry again, but walked forward and reached out to stroke his face:
"James, my heart aches."
Cersei tiptoes to kiss Jaime on the lips.
He trembled suddenly, then hugged the woman tightly into his arms, and responded frantically.
"No, don't." Cersei struggled instead, "Don't be here..."
However, James ignored her at all, ripping off her clothes roughly, demanding greedily.
Just when the two were about to become one, the door of the room was suddenly opened.
"Damn it! Who let you in!" James cursed as he put on his clothes in a panic.
But when he saw who was coming, he froze on the spot.
"Kingslayer, Cersei." Barristan Selmy, Captain of the Kingsguard, stood at the door, looking coldly at the pair of brothers who were doing their best, "Lord Eddard did not wrong you! "
"Get out! Get out!" Cersei yelled angrily.
"I will go." Barristan said coldly, "and will go far."
James finally put on his pants with his only remaining hand, but he was a little dazed when he heard the words: "What do you mean?"
"It means that my duties have come to an end." As he spoke, Barristan Selmy reached out and unbuttoned his shoulders, and the snow-white cloak immediately fell down, forming a heap on the ground.
Immediately after a "clang", his helmet fell to the ground.
"I, Barristan Selmy, resign today as Captain of the Kingsguard," the old knight announced, unfastening his breastplate.
"No!" James retorted subconsciously, "The duty of the Kingsguard is for life! Barristan, you have sworn that only death can release you from duty!"
"Whose death?" Barristan took off his armor. "The king I served has died four times. I should have taken the initiative to lead them to death when I was on the banks of the Trident River. However, Robert Baratheon's demeanor moved I would serve him with all my heart, but that **** Joffrey of yours..."
"Kill him!" Cersei screamed. "Jaime! Kill the old thing!"
James didn't move.
How dare he kill Barristan Selmy.
Don't say whether you can beat it or not.
Even if he could fight, but that was Barristan Selmy, the "fearless".
The Captain of the Kingsguard, the terminator of the Blackfyre Rebellion, has been a White Knight for forty years, has served four kings successively, and has almost become a symbol of royal power. The bards in Westeros all praise his name In the minds of the people of the Seven Kingdoms, he is a legendary existence on the same level as "Mirror Shield" Savin and "Dragon Knight" Aemon.
Kill him, and the reputation of the Lannister family will be ruined immediately.
So, James didn't dare to move at all.
No matter how my sister roars.
Barristan untied his sword indifferently, threw it on the ground, and said in a sigh:
"What a glorious title the Kingsguard used to be. Of the white knights of the previous generation, which one was not a legend known in the Seven Kingdoms. 'White Bull' Jeno Hightower, 'Dawn Sword' Arthur Dayne, Le Prince Ving Martell, Sir Oswell Hoan...even you, Jaime Lannister—
But before you stain your sword with the blood of the king you swore to protect, and become a 'Kingslayer'.
But now, what kind of rotten fish and shrimps are there in the Royal Guard!
Shit white knight!
Each one is dirtier than the sewers in King's Landing!
I am ashamed to be with you! "
Barristan Selmy gave the two a contemptuous look, then turned and strode away.
Cersei was still yelling and cursing, but Jaime bowed his head in silence.
Yes, what an honorable title the former Kingsguard was.
James was also one of them.
At that time, the world was so pure and beautiful, and everyone around me was as sharp and bright as a newly cast long sword.
And now, they all go to the grave.
What about me? James thought to himself, when did the once high-spirited boy, the boy who wanted to be the greatest knight in the Seven Kingdoms, enter the grave?
When he slit the throat of "Mad King" Aerys?
The teenager who wanted to be Arthur Dayne since he was a child, somehow, his life took a turn, and he ended up becoming a kingslayer.
The footsteps of Barristan Selmy had faded away.
Only the white cloak, white armor, and white long sword are left on the ground... pure white like snow, like clouds, like an unsullied oath.
(end of this chapter)