Game of Thrones: I am Dothraki, not a barbarian

Chapter 229 Please, don't

Jaime helped Cersei up and they hurried out of the palace. Thick smoke filled the corridor, obscuring their path. Their clothes were soaked, and they covered their mouths and noses as they groped their way forward.

"This way!" James pointed to a passageway.

They ran down the stone steps, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

"Watch out!" Jaime grabbed Cersei.

A burning beam fell from the ceiling and landed where they had just been standing, sending sparks flying.

They circled around the wooden beams and continued their escape. The air grew hotter and hotter, making it harder and harder to breathe. Cersei's dress was soaked with sweat and clung to her body.

“We’re almost there,” James said.

They turned the last corner, and ahead lay the door to the Great Cathedral of Baylor.

James pushed open the door, and the sight outside stunned him.

The Great Cathedral of Baylor had collapsed, reduced to ruins, with stones scattered everywhere and burning wood emitting a pungent, acrid smell.

"No!" Cersei cried out in anguish, "No! No! No...!"

She didn't know where the strength came from, but she climbed the hill, rushed to the ruins, knelt on the ground, and moved stones with her hands. James quickly followed and grabbed her arm.

"Toman!" Cersei screamed, "Toman!"

She tried to move the pile of stones in front of her, but James stopped her. The ruins were steaming hot; touching them would burn you.

"He's inside!" Cersei struggled. "My child is inside!"

“Cersei!” Jaime shook her shoulders. “Listen to me! No one can survive in here! We have to leave now! Leave King’s Landing!”

“My children.” Cersei knelt on the ground, her eyes vacant, as if she had lost her soul. “My children are all dead.”

James crouched down and picked her up. "I know," he whispered in her ear, "I know how much it hurts. But we have to live."

Cersei did not resist, and was carried by him like a walking corpse, through the garden, past the collapsed buildings, and to the city wall.

There is a secret passage leading out of the city.

Varys had taken him there once.

"here."

He parted the grass, pushed aside a rock, and the entrance to the dark passage appeared before him. A musty smell filled his nostrils, and rat droppings were everywhere, but it was much better than outside.

"Go in."

Jaime nudged Cersei, who mechanically crawled into the passage. Jaime followed behind; the passage was narrow, allowing only crawling forward. The stone walls were damp, and water droplets constantly fell on them. Cersei's breathing was rapid, sounding particularly loud in the confined space.

"How much further?" she asked.

“We’re not far off,” James said. “Hang in there.”

They climbed for a long time, their knees and palms were scraped raw, but it was better than dying in the city. Finally, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.

"arrive!"

They climbed out of the passage, and outside was the woods beneath the northern city wall. They were now far from the Dothraki, and King's Landing was burning behind them, its flames soaring into the sky.

Cersei sat on the ground, panting heavily, her blonde hair disheveled and her face covered in dirt.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"We survived. That's enough."

Cersei began to weep, to wail loudly. Her cries echoed through the night, more heartbreaking than any weapon.

James sat down next to her and hugged her.

They sat there, watching the raging fires of King's Landing, watching all their memories of the past turn to ashes.

"It's all my fault." Cersei seemed to finally show a hint of remorse. "It's all my fault..."

No. It's not your fault.

James interrupted her, but he knew she was right. The things she had done and the mistakes she had made had ultimately led to this situation.

All three children died.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from afar, shaking the entire capital of King's Landing. Immediately afterward, green flames shot into the sky as the Alchemists' Guild's wildfire reserves were ignited.

“The seven layers of hell,” Cersei whispered.

“Let’s go.” Jaime stood up and took Cersei’s hand. “The farther away from here, the better.”

They walked all night.

Cersei's dress was torn by thorns, and Jaime's cloak was reduced to rags. At dawn, they finally came to a stream.

The stream was crystal clear, flowing gently eastward, sunlight shimmering on its surface. Green grass and wildflowers grew along both banks; there were no enemies, and it was as quiet as another world.

Cersei knelt on the bank, cupped her hands, and drank a few mouthfuls of water. It was sweet and refreshing, and she closed her eyes, savoring the long-lost coolness.

Jaime watched Cersei's retreating figure, his heart filled with love, guilt, and an inexplicable hatred.

“I’m covered in dust,” Cersei said. “Could you help me wash off?”

Jaime nodded, squatted down beside Cersei, scooped up river water with his hands, and the water droplets slid down her cheeks, washing away the dust on her face.

Her eyes were still so green, as beautiful as emeralds. James's movements were light and gentle, just like when he was a child, always taking care of his sister.

"Does it hurt?" He took Cersei's hand and saw the wound on her palm.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Cersei shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt now.”

She took off the charred skirt, revealing several burned areas where the fabric was stuck to her skin; when she tore it off, a strip of skin came off with it.

“I’ll take mine off too,” James said.

He removed his armor, the metal pieces falling off with a crisp sound. He was also covered in burns, more than Cersei.

They walked into the river together.

The water was very cold, constantly irritating the wound.

Jaime and Cersei embraced tightly in the water, just like when they were young, skin to skin, heart to heart.

“We’re still alive,” Cersei whispered in his ear.

Yes. We are still alive.

They kissed, a deep, desperate kiss, as if to kiss away all the pain and all the sins.

The waist-deep river flowed past them, birds sang in the trees, flowers bloomed—everything was so beautiful and peaceful.

If only it could stay like this.

“I love you,” Cersei said.

“I know,” James replied.

They kissed again.

This time it was more intense, more desperate. Cersei's hand caressed Jaime's face, his arms wrapped around her waist.

“We could have eloped,” Cersei said.

“No,” James interrupted her, “we can’t.”

To escape Lysa Tully's betrothal, I followed you to King's Landing and became a member of the Kingsguard. To stop the wildfire from destroying the city, I killed the Mad King Aerys and have been condemned by the world ever since, simply because you needed me to stay in King's Landing as a member of the Kingsguard.

I became a prisoner under the white robes, relinquishing my inheritance and vowing never to marry, yet I watched helplessly as you married Robert Baratheon.

I followed you to Winterfell, and to cover up our affair, I pushed eight-year-old Bran Stark off the tower, leaving him paralyzed for life.

In order for Joffrey to ascend the throne, I also murdered Eddard Stark.

But you had an affair with the three brothers, Lancel and Kate Black. Although I was in pain, I forgave you, simply because I believed that your heart belonged to me.

“Cersei, you know what I did for love,” Jaime said softly, tears streaming down his face. “But you turned me into a monster. You ruined everything.”

Cersei's expression changed, and she tried to back away, but Jaime held her shoulders tightly.

"You've ruined me, ruined the children, ruined Tyrion. I can redeem you, but where is my path to redemption?"

"Jaime!" Cersei struggled and screamed, "Let me go!"

His hand moved to Cersei's neck; her skin was smooth and warm. He could feel her pulse, as fast as a bird's heartbeat.

"Please," Cersei cried, "please, don't."

“I love you too,” James said. “That’s why I have to do this.”

He forcefully pushed Cersei into the water.

The stream kept flowing into Cersei's mouth and nose. She struggled desperately, splashing water everywhere, and her fingernails left bloody marks on Jaime's arms and chest.

But James was too strong; she couldn't break free.

"Stop..." Her voice was already indistinct.

A string of bubbles rose to the surface of the water, and Cersei's eyes widened, filled with fear and confusion. She looked at Jaime as if asking, "Why is this happening?"

James was crying, sobbing uncontrollably, his tears dripping into the river, mingling with the pain of the two men.

"Forgive me," he said. "Forgive me."

Cersei's struggles gradually weakened, the light in her emerald eyes faded, and the venomous face of the Toad Witch involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

"Gold is their crown, gold is their shroud. When your tears overwhelm you, your brother will strangle your pale throat and take your life."

Her hand loosened its grip on James's arm, and she floated in the water, thrashing about helplessly.

James released her when she stopped moving.

Cersei's body floated on the water, her golden hair flowing freely around her beautiful face, her eyes wide open, gazing at the azure sky.

She was once the most beautiful woman in Westeros.

Jaime sat in the stream, holding Cersei's body, and wept like a child.

The sun rose higher, the flowers became more vibrant, the birds continued to sing, and the stream continued to flow.

But the world is different now.

(End of this chapter)