The Throne Room reeked of blood.
Donnel's corpse had already been dragged away, and the floor had been cleaned.
Yet dark red blood still seeped through the cracks between the flagstones.
The fervor on Robert Baratheon's face gradually faded, replaced by a sullen expression.
He glared at Cersei, who stood a short distance away.
His wife in name had now been cleared of every charge thanks to the victory of his most trusted knight.
It was the greatest irony in the world.
Although everything had been arranged beforehand, it still rankled.
"The gods... have passed judgment."
Robert forced each word through clenched teeth.
"The Queen, Cersei Lannister, is innocent."
He waved a hand in disgust, as though shooing away flies.
"Get out, all of you!"
"Every last one of you!"
The nobles hurried away as though they had been granted a reprieve.
No one wanted to provoke the king at a time like this.
Cersei bowed slightly, then turned and straightened her back.
Escorted by two respectful knights of the Kingsguard, she left the oppressive hall.
Her confinement had ended.
She was free.
Maegor's Holdfast.
When Cersei stepped back into the lavish cage that had imprisoned her for days, the Gold Cloaks at the door were gone.
Everything in the room was exactly as she had left it.
Yet it felt entirely different.
She walked to the window and pushed it open.
Afternoon sunlight poured in with the breeze, which stirred her golden hair.
She looked at her garden below, then at bustling King's Landing in the distance, feeling as though a lifetime had passed.
Yet a faint shadow still lingered in this space where she was now free.
Lynn's shadow.
She unconsciously touched her inner thigh.
Bang!
The door was shoved open violently, interrupting her thoughts.
Jaime Lannister