[Cersei, having made her walk of penance through King's Landing naked and covered in filth thrown at her, finally reaches the Red Keep.]
QyburnYour Grace. [He hugs her shoulders as she leans against him, still sobbing; Pycelle looks disgusted.] It's good to have you back. Come, we'll take you inside. I need to have a look at those feet. [heavy footsteps are heard] May I have the honor of presenting the newest member of the Kingsguard? [The Mountain picks Cersei up and carries her into the castle with Qyburn walking them.] If it please Your Grace, he has taken a Holy vow of silence. He has sworn that he will not speak, until all His Graces' enemies are dead, and evil has been driven from the Realm.
Qyburn
Your Grace, several members of the Faith Militant have been permitted entry into the Red Keep.
"Have been permitted". That's rather a tortured way of putting it.
Qyburn
They demand to see you, Your Grace.
Who permitted them into the Red Keep? [Qyburn remains silent] The King is aware of their presence?
Qyburn
He is, Your Grace. He is currently in his chambers at prayer. [Cersei leaves her chambers]
BLBrother Lancel
Your Grace, His Holiness the High Septon wishes to speak with you at the Great Sept of Baelor.
His Holiness the High Septon is welcome to see me here in the Red Keep.
BLBrother Lancel
Your Grace, this is not a request.
It is a request, cousin Lancel. You are asking me for something, I am refusing.
BLBrother Lancel
The High Septon commands you. Are you sure you want to refuse him?
He promised me I could stay in the Red Keep until my trial.
BLBrother Lancel
He made no such promises. If you refuse to come of your own free will...
Get. Out. [Lancel motions for two of his men to seize her when the Mountain moves forward to block their path]
BLBrother Lancel
Move aside, ser. [The Mountain growls angrily, and Lancel looks to Cersei] Order your man to step aside or there will be violence.
[One of the Faith Militant attempts to subdue the Mountain, only to be violently killed]
Please tell His High Holiness he's always welcome to visit.
[Cersei has a bound and gagged Ellaria and Tyene Sand captive in the dungeons of the Red Keep]
I want you to know I understand. Even though we're enemies, you and I, I understand the fury that drives you. I was there that day when Ser Gregor crushed your lover's head. I close my eyes, I can hear the sound of Oberyn's skull breaking, the sound of your scream. I never heard a sound like that; I thought "That's true love". Oberyn looked beautiful that day, he really did. No one moved like him, no one had such skill with the spear, even Ser Gregor couldn't stop him. If only he hadn't taunted him: he could have walked away and left poor Ser Gregor to die. But that wasn't your lover's way, was it? Now he's buried somewhere, and here's Ser Gregor, stronger than ever. That must be difficult for you. When my daughter was taken from me, my only daughter...well, you can't imagine how that feels unless you've lost a child. I fed her at my own breast even though they told me to give her to the wet nurse; I couldn't bear to see her in another woman's arms. I never got to have a mother, but Myrcella did. [her voice breaks in anger] She was mine and you took her from me! Why did you do that?!
[Ellaria gives her a defiant, mocking grin in response]
Doesn't matter now. Your daughter's a beauty too. Those brown eyes, those lips, perfect Dornish beauty. I imagine she's your favourite. I know, I know we're not supposed to have favourites, but still, we're only human. We love whom we love. [Ellaria makes muffled pleading sounds through her gag] I'm sorry, I can't understand you. The gag makes it impossible to understand what you're saying. Must be frustrating. We all make our choices. You chose to murder my daughter; you must have felt powerful when you made that choice. Do you feel powerful now? I don't sleep very well, not at all really. I lie in bed and I stare at the canopy and imagine ways of killing my enemies. How to destroy Ellaria Sand, the woman who murdered my only daughter?! I thought about having Ser Gregor crush your skull the way he did Oberyn's. It would be poetic, I suppose, but fast, too fast. [removing Tyene's gag] I thought about having him crush your daughter's skull. She's so beautiful. [caresses Tyene's face] The thought of this lovely face cracking open like a duck egg...no it's just not right!
[Cersei kisses Tyene full on the lips. Ellaria's eyes widen with horror as it dawns on her exactly what Cersei is doing]
Qyburn here is the cleverest man I know. Clever enough to learn what poison you used to murder Myrcella. The Long Goodbye, was that it?
Qyburn
The Long Farewell.
That's the one. How long does the poison take?
Qyburn
Difficult to say. Hours, days, it depends on the subject's constitution.
Qyburn
Oh yes, Your Grace. Quite certain.
[crouching down so she can look Ellaria in the eye] Your daughter will die here, in this cell and you'll be here watching when she does. You'll be here the rest of your days. If you refuse to eat, we'll force food down your throat. You will live to watch your daughter rot, to watch that beautiful face collapse to bone and dust, all the while contemplating the choices you've made. [addressing Qyburn, but without breaking eye contact with Ellaria] Make sure the guards change the torches every few hours. I don't want her to miss a thing.
[Bronn is in the middle of an orgy with three prostitutes]
Qyburn
Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.
Qyburn
Apologies for the interruption, but the Queen did urge me to hurry.
[sighs] Sorry ladies. Another time perhaps. [the prostitutes gather their clothes and leave. One stops to proposition Qyburn as she goes]
PProstitute
If you ever get lonely, I am partial to older gentlemen. [Qyburn watches her leave as Bronn pours himself wine]
Qyburn
Poor girl. Pox will take her within the year. [Bronn chokes on his wine]
Qyburn
The Queen's brothers made promises to you and then broke them. Her Grace wants to rectify their mistake.
She once gave me a castle and a wife, then rectified me right out of them.
Qyburn
That was Ser Jaime's doing, not hers. When Queen Cersei wants something, she pays in advance and in gold...several chests of it, in fact, waiting for you in a wagon, just outside.
So she wants to murder someone, but she can't send her soldiers? If it's the Dragon Queen she's after...
Qyburn
She has other plans for the Targaryen girl.
Yeah, well good luck with that!
Qyburn
Our Queen's brothers are unlikely to survive their northern adventures, but in the event that they do... [a Lannister soldier enters and hands Qyburn Joffrey's crossbow, the same one Tyrion used to kill Tywin] She has a keen sense of poetic justice.
[flabbergasted] That fucking family.
Qyburn
When the Citadel expelled me, I thought I would die poor and alone, but in exchange for my service, Queen Cersei made me her Hand. What would she do for the man who rids her of her treasonous brothers?
[Dany's forces storm King's Landing, as Drogon strafes the city walls]
Qyburn
Your Grace?
All we need is one good shot.
Qyburn
All the scorpions have been destroyed, Your Grace.
The Iron Fleet hold Blackwater Bay. Euron killed one of her dragons, he can kill another.
Qyburn
Your Grace, the Iron Fleet is... burning. The gates have been breached! The Golden Company...
Our men will fight harder than sellswords ever could! They will defend their Queen to the last man.
Qyburn
Yes, Your Grace.
The Red Keep has never fallen. It won't fall today.
Game of Thrones · 356 quotes
