The Unyielding Stag (Game of Thrones AU/Invincible)
Chapter 20: Solutions

A/N: Axel finds the solution to all of his problems in the most unlikely of places. From the mouth of Cersei Lannister.

-x-X-x-

"King's Landing is starving and your father continues to drag his feet!"

Cersei isn't surprised when Axel comes barging into her quarters with a snarl on his face and hands clenched into fists at his sides. A consequence of becoming intimate with the young King was that there wasn't any real distance between them anymore. There couldn't be if she wanted him to think she was entirely on his side.

Of course, her father was making that rather difficult for her, all things considered. It had been over a week now since Renly Baratheon and his army had arrived outside of King's Landing and laid siege to the city. To say that the whole of the city was starving would be something of an overstatement though.

Between Lord Arryn's prescient rationing and the unfortunate intervention of one Stannis Baratheon turning the Royal Fleet towards supplying King's Landing by sea, the city was only just starting to feel the bite at this point. House Redwyne should have been blockading the city, but Renly had rushed to start the siege by land as early as possible and that left the Redwyne Fleet trailing behind.

Which was quite frustrating for Cersei, because it made it all the harder for her to turn Axel against his other uncle when Stannis was currently doing everything he could to support Axel's hold over the Iron Throne.

Still, the Queen Dowager was nothing if not adaptable.

"Peace, Your Majesty. I've recently received word from my father… the situation isn't as clear cut as it might seem."

Moving over to Axel, Cersei places a calming hand on his arm and with a disarming smile plastered across her face, she guides him over to a nearby chair, gently directing him to sit down. For a moment the King looks mulish… but finally, he sits. It doesn't stop him from glaring up at her though.

"We've received no word. What could Lord Lannister have to say to you that he couldn't say to his King?"

Smiling softly, Cersei runs her hands down Axel's front, reaching his crotch. There, she swiftly undoes his breeches and pulls out his cock, wrapping her fingers around his shaft and beginning to stroke it. Axel isn't so easily placated though, barely grunting as he continues to stare her down.

"I'm afraid it's quite embarrassing for our House. And my father is quite the prideful man. This isn't the kind of thing that he would want anyone outside of House Lannister to find out about… but you deserve to know all the same."

Axel narrows his eyes, but in a way that shows he's intrigued, not suspicious. Cersei can tell he's hanging off her every word as she lets out a sigh and shrugs… a calculated motion that causes her barely covered breasts to bounce within the confines of her open gown.

"My father is dealing with sabotage, Your Majesty. No doubt Renly has sent offers to all the Lords of the Westerlands telling them that if they can slow my father down, then he will promote them above House Lannister if he takes the throne."

Axel grunts, while Cersei strokes up and down his cock, breathing in slowly for a moment before continuing.

"… This rebellion among my father's vassals is insidious and cloaked in shadow, and it has taken my father all his wits and cunning to find and stamp out the traitors. That is why House Lannister has moved so slowly to gather its forces. But rest assured, once they're finally able to set out, once they arrive… they will be the finest army you could possibly hope for."

All lies, of course. Cersei is making it all up on the spot, though if her father knows what's good for him, he'll go along with it if needed when all is said and done. But the truth is, the letter she'd received from Tywin had said nothing about sabotage or traitors.

Instead, the letter that had reached her hands and then burned merrily in her fireplace had been quite clear about things. Tywin was doing his best to play both sides, to try and make sure that it was House Lannister and the Westerlands who came out on top no matter who won, just as he'd done during Robert's Rebellion over twenty years ago.

Her father had also confided in Cersei that Renly had promised no harm would come to her or Myrcella if he did manage to take the city, so by doing nothing and merely feigning loyalty to Axel, her father truly was coming out ahead, like always.

Of course, Cersei could read between the lines. This was at least partially punishment for her refusal to take Myrcella and run back before Axel's coronation. Tywin had ordered her to do so, to get them out of harm's way, but Cersei had ignored that order. Now he punished her by making it seem like she couldn't keep her promises.

Not to mention Jaime's death… Tywin would never allow Tyrion to inherit, and Cersei knew that her father had long wanted to find a way to extract Jaime from the Kingsguard so he could become Heir to Casterly Rock once more. Instead, he would now have to rely on her or Myrcella to get him a proper heir that he could set Tyrion aside for. He wanted her scared so that Cersei would come running to him with Myrcella by her side, should the opportunity present itself.

No matter. As previously mentioned, Cersei was nothing if not adaptable. And she easily saw through her father's schemes. Of course, she doesn't want Axel to think too hard about what she'd just said regarding sabotage in the Westerlands. Best to distract him before he could spend too much time ruminating over her words.

That's why, without any further hesitation, Cersei shucks her gown off, letting it drop to the floor behind her and climbing right into the young King's lap. Surprised but not really caught off guard, Axel's hands immediately go to Cersei's ass, gripping and squeezing her buttocks as she positions herself above his cock.

Smiling coyly down at him, the Queen Dowager guides his throbbing member up inside of her and slowly sinks down upon the sizable shaft, moaning heartily all the while. He's as big as ever, his hot pulsating prick scraping against her insides and stretching out her walls in all the right ways. Cersei shivers in very real delight, even as she tosses her head back in exaggerated ecstasy.

There's no denying that Axel is everything Robert should have and could have been to her, at least physically. Back in the day, when she was still young and newly Queen, Robert had been handsome enough in her eyes. He was no Rhaegar, but that was fine.

Except then it wasn't. Robert turned out to be nothing but a whoremonger and a drunkard, losing himself in other women and the drink practically as soon as they were married. Cersei knew why, of course. He couldn't see past the fact that she wasn't the Stark Bitch he was originally betrothed to. It killed any chance of happiness they might have had together in the end.

Axel was very different from Robert in that regard. He was neither a drunk nor a whoremonger. He was still a man, meaning that Cersei had not struggled one bit in leading him around by his very large prick, but as far as she was aware, he had yet to take a single other woman to bed aside from her.

Given he was still an unmarried King, that sort of restraint was unheard of. If only he wasn't a Baratheon. If only he and she had been born at different times. If only he'd been her first husband instead of Robert…

As she bounces up and down on his cock, Axel Baratheon leans forward and takes one of her tits in his mouth, his teeth nibbling down on the nipple in particular. Tossing her head back, Cersei cries out again, even as she clings to his shoulders and gyrates her hips.

Yes, Axel was much better than Robert had ever been to her. Not that it would stop her from eventually finding a way to kill him though. This… attraction that she'd developed to the young King was purely physical. She still hated him with all her heart. Him… and his uncles too. Cersei would kill the remaining male members of House Baratheon even if it was the last thing she did. There was a blood debt owed to her for the deaths of her sons and Cersei would see it paid in full.

The problem, of course, was how best to make it happen. She had nearly everyone right where she wanted them. Renly Baratheon was at the gates of King's Landing, a traitor trying to wash away the treason he'd committed through the age old method of winning. After all, so long as you won, it didn't matter HOW you won. That was a rule as ancient as history was long.

Unfortunately, they were on a bit of a time crunch. King's Landing was suffering, but not nearly enough. The smallfolk down in Flea Bottom were starving, but they were always starving. Time was on Axel's side, even if he didn't really seem capable of accepting or understanding that fact.

If Renly couldn't take the city soon, then the forces of the Vale, Riverlands, and North would make it to King's Landing. And as soon as her father heard they were heading South, he would almost certainly pick up the pace as well and pick the winning side, which at that point would likely be Axel's.

But if Axel won… Cersei wasn't quite sure how she would convince him to kill Stannis for her on top of Renly. However, if Renly were to win, then the likelihood of Stannis bending the knee to his usurper of a little brother was next to none.

Bouncing up and down on Axel's lap, moaning throatily as he sucks at her teats while gripping her ass firmly, Cersei realizes that she needs… she needs Renly to win. She needs him to kill Axel for her so that he will also kill Stannis. And then, she can have Renly killed at her leisure.

It's an audacious plan perhaps, but it's the best one Cersei has. And while she'll certainly miss Axel's big fat cock and youthful enthusiasm, her need for revenge will accept nothing less than the best plan she can come up with.

The question then becomes… how to go about ensuring that Renly wins and takes the city before Axel's allies come South? Finding a way to let Renly's forces into the city seemed the most obvious option, but it came with too many risks, specifically to herself and Myrcella.

Sure, Renly had promised her father that he wouldn't let any harm come to them, but Cersei knew all too well what could happen to noblewomen during the chaos of a sacking. Even to Princesses and Queens. She would not let herself and Myrcella be the next Elia and Rhaenys.

No, she needed a way to convince Axel to leave the city and die to Renly outside so that the Lord of Storm's End could be let in without any sort of pitched conflict happening within the city itself. Nice and tidy, that would be for the best.

But how? How would she- and then it hits her. Specifically, the orgasm hits her. Cersei cries out, tossing her head back and shuddering as she climaxes all over Axel's cock. Her whimpering moans are muffled by her shoving her face into the crook of his neck, mewling all the while from how sensitive she feels down below, his member still buried inside of her.

And then, in that moment, as she's coming down from the buildup of pleasure, the solution to all of her problems actually comes to mind. Gasping, Cersei shoots up, her eyes widening as she looks down at a blinking Axel. She almost starts to smile, but she manages to hide her grin and look somber instead.

"… You're right, my King. The people of King's Landing are starving. And I know a man like you is a man of action. You can't sit easily and just wait Renly out, can you? It's simply not in your blood."

Axel grits his teeth and shakes his head.

"No. Jon keeps saying we'll be fine, that we have enough food between the rationing and the Royal Fleet's deliveries to last until our allies arrive… but I know that's not entirely true. Those of us here in the Red Keep might be okay, but others in the city are far less fortunate. And it's only going to get worse before it gets better once the Redwyne Fleet has arrived on this side of Westeros in full…"

Smiling now, Cersei gyrates her hips as she runs her fingers along Axel's chiseled jaw. He truly is far too handsome for words. It's almost unfortunate that she's about to trick him into walking a path that will lead right to his own death.

"What if there was a way for you to end all of this sooner rather than later? What if there was a way to settle this without letting the people of King's Landing starve… a way to handle things without there being any bloodshed, any battles. Or rather... a small amount of bloodshed. A single battle between two very small groups of men."

Blinking up at her, Axel furrows his brow.

"… What are you talking about?"

Cersei finally allows herself a coy, sultry little smile.

"Have you ever heard of a Trial by the Seven, my King?"

Frowning, Axel shakes his head.

"I can't say I have…"

Ugh, of course not. He'd been raised a bastard after all. Not letting her annoyance show on her face, Cersei keeps smiling.

"Well, have you heard of Trial by Combat?"

That, at least, causes Axel to slowly nod his head.

"Aye. Any noble or knight who has been accused of a crime can demand a trial by combat at any time, where they or their Champion will fight another to allow the gods to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused."

Heh, he sounds as though he's reciting that from memory. He probably is. Grinning toothily, Cersei drapes her arms over Axel's shoulders and leans in close.

"Well, Your Majesty… a Trial by the Seven is much the same, except it's seven champions versus seven champions. It's considerably rarer, but also considerably more sacrosanct, as our ancestors among the Andals believed that such a battle honored the Seven Who Are One and made them more likely to ensure that those who deserved to win did so. It is often considered to be above even nobility… in fact, some say only those of royal blood can call for a Trial by the Seven."

Licking her lips, Cersei looks right into Axel's eyes. She's heard tales of his martial prowess. He's spent every day since becoming King sparring in the Red Keep's training yard. This, she knew, would appeal to him more than anything.

“Challenge Renly to a Trial by the Seven, Your Grace. If he doesn’t accept, his own vassals will begin to think of him as nothing more than a coward. As well, time is on your side… he will agree, because it is the best shot he has for taking King’s Landing before the other Lords and their armies arrive to put a stop to his warmongering.”

For a long moment, Axel is quiet and Cersei fears she might have overstepped. Admittedly, she recognizes that she's going out on a limb here. If Axel were wiser to her tricks, he would almost certainly realize she's manipulating him and doesn't have his best interests at heart.

"You're right."

Fortunately, he's quite foolish when it comes to a beautiful woman. Cersei lets out a giggling little yelp when Axel suddenly pulls her off of his cock without even reaching his own release. Before he can stand, she places a hand on his chest and sinks to her knees between his legs.

"Hold, my King. At least let me take care of this before you go running off to challenge your uncle to a fight to the death~"

Oral sex is not something Cersei enjoyed doing that much. She preferred to be on the receiving end, rather than giving. But in this case, she's in a good enough mood to take care of Axel with her mouth, leaning forward to wrap her lips around his cock and begin sucking him the rest of the way to his release.

She did so love it when a plan came together, after all.

-x-X-x-

A/N: Cersei really does think she's the most brilliant woman to ever live. But hey, stopped clocks and all that.

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