"But now, Jaime is gone, and that Targaryen remnant is pressing closer step by step." Cersei's emerald-green eyes flared with a look Tyrion knew all too well. "Tyrion, tell me, can we truly survive this crisis?"
Tyrion looked at Cersei, a surge of complex emotions rising within him. He hated the sister before him—hated her malice, her stupidity, and the years of humiliation she had heaped upon him.
Yet at this moment, seeing her vulnerable side once all her pretenses were stripped away, he couldn't bring himself to harden his heart and ignore her completely.
Tyrion even suddenly felt that she had been nothing more than a pitiful woman from the start—a woman abandoned by her father and forsaken by fate. Only now were they truly in the same boat, both struggling just to survive.
"Sister," Tyrion began, his voice low but his tone firm. "A Lannister always pays his debts, and likewise, a Lannister never falls easily. As long as we work together now, we can surely hold King's Landing. Once Father's army returns to reinforce us, everything will be fine."
He deliberately emphasized the words "work together," hoping to truly awaken a shred of reason in Cersei.
Cersei gave a cold laugh, seemingly scoffing at his words, but Tyrion could see from her eyes that she had regained some of her composure.
Calming herself, she spoke to Tyrion, "Work together? When have we ever worked together, Tyrion? You hate me in your heart, and I feel the same."
"I know that, of course," Tyrion admitted frankly. "But right now, we have a common enemy and a common goal. For Joffrey, for Tommen and Myrcella, and for Lannister, we must set aside our grievances."
He paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he stared at Cersei. "Furthermore, you'd better pray I succeed, because once King's Landing falls, you, I, and your precious sons will all have no place to be buried. When that time comes, your desire to be with Jaime, or anything else, will turn to ash."
Tyrion had snapped out of it by now; he had almost lost himself in the unusual tenderness Cersei had just displayed.
Cersei's face turned pale instantly, Tyrion's words piercing through her facade like a dagger. She recoiled, bumping into the cold windowsill, a flash of fear in her emerald eyes that was quickly replaced by a deeper malice.
"You dare threaten me?" Her voice carried anger, yet she still tried to maintain her dignity as Queen Regent. "Tyrion, don't forget, you are just a dwarf, the shame of House Lannister. If not for Jaime..."
"If not for Jaime, I might have died in some gutter in Casterly Rock long ago."
Tyrion interrupted her, his tone calm yet impossible to ignore. "But now, the one standing here trying to save everything is me, this Lannister'shame.' And you, my dear sister, what have you done besides complaining, being suspicious, and satisfying your own petty desires?"
He approached Cersei step by step. Though small in stature, he exuded a suffocating pressure that weighed on her.
"You think because Jaime is gone, you've lost your support? No, Cersei, what you've truly lost is your mind. You're raising Joffrey to be the next Mad King, you've allowed Lancel into your bed, yet you turn a blind eye to the real threats, wasting your energy on infighting with me."
"Enough!" Cersei screamed, covering her ears as if refusing to listen further. "I don't want to hear your preaching! Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a dog sent by Father."
"Perhaps," Tyrion stopped, his eyes level with Cersei's body, a self-deprecating curve touching the corner of his mouth; he still couldn't break his habits.
He glanced at her and continued, "But at least this dog knows what he needs to do and who the enemy is. Whereas you, Cersei, can't even tell who the real enemy is. You only care if your son can torture Sansa at will, and when Jaime will return to satisfy you."
His words struck Cersei's heart like a sledgehammer, making her whole body tremble. She looked down at the ugly dwarf brother before her, feeling fear once again.
She hated this feeling, yet she experienced it every time she faced Tyrion. This only strengthened her belief that Tyrion was the one who would kill her, and very likely during this war.
His keen insight made her feel like someone stripped naked, with all her unseemliness and stupidity exposed. Though her current attire wasn't much different.
Tyrion took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly. "Cersei, I know you hate me, and I don't expect you to suddenly love me. But now, for the sake of Lannister and your children, you must listen to me. Stop your foolish little games and hand all your power over to me. Let me allocate all of King's Landing's resources; only then might we have a slim chance of survival."
His mismatched eyes—one black, one green—stared intently at Cersei as he spoke each word deliberately. "This is not a request; it is a warning. If you continue to hinder me, then we shall wait together for the Targaryen Dragonfire to burn King's Landing to ash."
The room fell into a deathly silence, with only the dim candlelight flickering in the air, illuminating their complex and solemn faces.
Cersei's eyes flickered where Tyrion couldn't see, her heart locked in a fierce struggle. She hated Tyrion and didn't trust him at all, but she knew his words were true.
King's Landing was now like a broken ship sailing in a storm, and Tyrion was perhaps the only one who could barely take the helm, much as she loathed to admit it.
After a long time, Cersei slowly relaxed her body, a trace of exhaustion and resignation flashing in her emerald eyes. She looked at Tyrion and asked in a hoarse voice, "What do you want?"
Tyrion knew she had relented. He felt a slight sense of relief, but his expression remained serious. "In addition to the original two thousand Gold Cloaks, I want the authority to deploy your thousand Lannister guards. Red Keep is strong enough; it doesn't need that many men to protect you."
Cersei nodded. "I will have The Hound assist you. Those guards will listen to him."
Tyrion felt a surge of excitement and continued, "Also, you must restrain Joffrey. Until this crisis is resolved, he is not allowed to act recklessly, especially toward Sansa Stark."
"Restrain Joffrey?" Cersei gave a bitter smile as if she had heard a grand joke. "Do you think I can restrain him? He might not listen to me now."
"Then find a way to make him listen," Tyrion said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Tell him that his life and his throne are in my hands. If he doesn't want to die, he'd better behave. I believe you can do it, sister."
Cersei fell silent. She knew Tyrion was telling the truth. Joffrey was arrogant, but he was also afraid of death. Threatening him with his throne and his life might actually make him show some restraint.
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