Chapter 22

                                    

                                          

~~~~~~~~unedited~~~~~~~~

                          
"You made the right choice, Rhae." Niclas whispers from beside Rhae in the Throne Room. 
                          
She was still shackled by her wrists and a mess, waiting for the King to come and announce his terms to the people that are gathered in the Throne Room. 
                          
She sighs and looks at the vacant Iron Throne, "It doesn't feel like I did." She whispers back, moving her gaze away from the Iron Throne and looks to her left, finding Annabel and Devron by one of the columns. 
                          
The grand doors open, catching everyone's attention as their footsteps echo through out the Throne Room. King Joffrey's ahead, and his mother behind him with the Hound. Sansa's with Shae behind them and the rest were some of the Kingsguard. They pass them, and Joffrey sits on his Throne, looking down at Rhae. Cersei sits to the right of the King, and the Hound stands to the King's left. Sansa and Shae stand off to the right of the King below the stairs and watch. 
                          
"As King of the Seven King's and the Realm, I pardon Rhae Waters from her crimes, if she chooses to fight in my army for Kings Landing." His voice booms and echos. He looks down at Rhae, "Do you accept this?" 
                          
Rhae nods, "I accept. I will fight for Kings Landing, and you, My King." Rhae nods in respect, her words tasting like venom in her mouth.
                          
Joffrey smirks at her, "Good. Now, get cleaned up. You smell worse than the sewers in Flea Bottom." 
                          
Rhae looks up and nods, waiting to be released. The Hound walks up to her and sticks the key in, unlocking her shackles and removes them. Rhae hisses and looks down at her bloody and raw wrists, wanting so badly to soothe them.
                          
"Thank you, Your Grace." Rhae nods and walks out of the Throne Room, Niclas on her heels. 
                          
They exit and go to her room, closing the door. "You handled yourself well, Rhae. I'm proud." 
                          
"Yeah, well, it took every ounce of restraint to bite my tongue and speak like he's the best King in the world." She snorts, grabbing a clean handmaidens dress before drawing herself a bath. "You know what I don't understand is, why release me? He could've killed me on the spot, but instead choose to recruit me into his army in exchange for me being pardon. It doesn't make any sense."
                          
Niclas sighs and rests his hand in his sword, "That may have been the King talking, but those are his mother's words."
                          
Rhae stops what she's doing and looks at Niclas with an annoyed face, "I'm tired of hearing about how Cersei saved me, okay? She only did that to make her and Joffrey look good to the people." 
                          
"Is that what you think?" Niclas crosses his arms with a raised eyebrow. 
                          
Rhae looks back at the water, dipping her fingertips to see if it's warm enough yet, "I know that for a fact, Niclas." 
                          
Niclas shakes his head and walks up to her, setting a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes look up at him, "You're wrong, Rhae. She didn't." 
                          
She stands up and rips her shoulder from his grip, grabbing the now warm bucket of water and dumping it into the tub. "Good day, Niclas." She doesn't spare him another glance as he takes his leave. 
                          
All she wants to know is why. Why release her? Rhae knows she'll cause problems in the future, knowing that her sister's alive and in Essos. With that fuelling further South, she'll be discovered a lot quicker than she thought, and that's a scary thought to Rhae. Especially in the lion's den. 
                          
Once her bath was warm and filled up, she strips herself of her old rags and tosses it aside before slipping into the warm bath water. She hisses when the water touches her wrists, but soon welcomes it. It soothes her aching body and calms her, causing her eyes to close. 
                          
The door swings open, startling her. She snaps her head to the door, immediately covering her chest with wide eyes, "Ever heard of knocking? Or privacy?" 
                          
"Oh, please, Darling, that's nothing I haven't seen before." 
                          
Cersei stops by the tub, looking down at her. Rhae shrinks down, pulling her legs to her chest as she tries to cover herself more, "Well some people like to believe others haven't so they could bath in peace. Like me in this exact moment." 
                          
Cersei smiles at her in amusement, "Well, then. I'll make this short." 
                          
"You could just leave and tell me afterwards, you know?" Rhae draws out slightly, wanting this awkward moment to pass. Awkward to her, anyways. 
                          
"But I'm already here." Cersei's quick to respond, not missing a beat. 
                          
Her answer causes Rhae's face to fall and her jaw to slightly clench. She sighs, looking forward, "Fine, but make it quick if you wouldn't mind." 
                          
Cersei nods, "Very well. I see you're still wearing it?" Rhae glances down at her chest, looking at the golden pedant Cersei gave her. 
                          
"Uh, yeah." She says quietly, looking back up at Cersei. 
                          
"Good. After you're cleaned up, meet me in the Throne Room. I'll explain when you arrive," Rhae nods and Cersei takes her leave. Looking at Rhae before closing the door.
                          
Rhae releases a relived breath and rests her forehead on her knees, glad that awkward moment has pasted. Before something like that happens again, she quickly cleans and readies herself for whatever she's to expect from now until the battle she wasn't expecting to be in her future .