Ronnet Connington SI

-Chapter 61-

-POV Cersei Connington-

I let out a sigh of relief as I watched Tommen being beaten by Ronald, who had less and less difficulty defeating him thanks to Ronnet's transfusions.

After defeating Tommen five times without him being able to do anything, Ronald was sent to train with the knights of the Order of the Scarlet Griffon. Like a hawk, his attention never wavered from Tommen, genuinely trying to help him improve.

He was considerate of him, and even though I felt guilty for hiding the transfusions I was giving to Tommen behind his back, I was more afraid of being caught than anything else because I knew Ronnet would fly into a rage.

'Even with our children, I'm not sure he would spare me.'

Fortunately, Tommen doesn't know that the "Oriental medicine" he's supposed to keep secret from everyone is actually Ronnet's blood. Otherwise, Ronnet would immediately understand what I'm hiding from him.

After half an hour of watching Tommen being manhandled, I finally signaled to Ronnet to release Tommen because I couldn't take it anymore. I was afraid that at any moment he might notice something in my little lion's attitude, endurance, strength, or even reaction speed.

I ended the training session and then wandered around the Red Keep searching for a solution.

Sure, I didn't want Tommen to follow the same path as Joffrey, but whether it was Euron Greyjoy, the king of the North and the Riverlands, Robb Stark, the Dragon Queen, or even Ronnet's overwhelming ambition, I was afraid of everything, all the time.

"Your Grace," said my father's captain of the guard, Vylarr, who had accompanied me for many years.

I subtly lifted my head, a sign that he had my attention, and he said:

"Your father, the Hand, wishes to see you to speak with you in person."

"About what?" I asked.

"He didn't tell me, but he said to let you know it was of the utmost importance," Vylarr replied.

I frowned in confusion before finally sighing and following him, annoyed, wondering what my father could possibly want from me now.

'I've given him everything he's ever wanted; he should be satisfied and stop breathing down my neck every moment.'

---

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at the Hand's tower, and Vylarr knocked on the door. My father's voice, still as imposing and authoritative as ever despite the years, was heard from the other side of the door: "Enter."

Vylarr opened the door, stepped aside, and then closed it behind me.

As I entered, I forced myself not to frown at the sight of the man who had killed my mother, recalling Ronnet's words and thinking of my children. Though it was difficult, I avoided any negative reactions or the usual sarcastic remarks toward him.

"Your disputes with your husband must really be terrible for you not even to want to insult me upon seeing me."

'He brought it on himself.'

"It's probably the first time I've seen you up this early. The whores must have finally realized the hideous monster you are."

"That's my sister," he said, raising his cup of wine and gulping it down in one go before pouring himself another and repeating the process.

'Where does all that wine go?' I wondered, before looking at my father, who hadn't said a word since the beginning but was fixated on something on the table.

I became interested in the object, and when I finally understood what it was—well, no, what it contained—my heart leaped in my chest.

"Where did you find that?"

Tyrion mocked me, saying, "Oriental medicine, Cersei? Do you think we're all stupid enough to fall for that?"

"It was you, wasn't it? Of course, it was you; it's always you," I said, gritting my teeth in frustration.

"So you knew what this thing was and deliberately hid it from all of us," Father said.

"I didn't think it was important," I quickly said without thinking.

Father smiled slightly, a contemptuous smile, genuinely amused by my words, and that shocked me, as I could count the times it had happened since our mother's death.

"Cersei, let's set aside the fact that you think I'm an idiot, but do you think your husband is?" Father said, looking me straight in the eyes, his expression now completely devoid of emotion.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, praying internally that they hadn't figured it out.

"It has to do with the fact that I learned you argued with your husband, Cersei, the day he took his son to see Qyburn. Coincidentally, this boy has now become a beast with a sword, even holding his own against experienced knights. And a few days later, Tommen was seen late at night in Qyburn's quarters," said Tyrion.

I cursed the dwarf countless times in my mind before finally letting out a sigh.

"I guess he doesn't want the formula for this mixture to spread, but…"

"It's not the finished product."