ng thoughts from the night before lingered. His conversation with Lorenzo had left him shaken, and the weight of his feelings for Cersei pressed down on him mo

dy fallen. He had fallen for Cersei in a way that went beyond helping her or offering guidance. He

she asked for his help, the desperation in her voice when she said she didn't know if she could change

quite place, but it gnawed at him. The truth was that Cersei needed him, but in a way that threatened everything he stood for.

y, everything felt different. The connection between him and Cersei, the weight of their conversations, the constant pull toward her, seemed to h

d always regain some clarity. But today, even the familiar rituals felt foreign. As he sat down on

ed into the confessional booth, her figure cloaked in a modest veil, a stark contrast to the image of her he had once known.

the thin screen. She was trembling slightly, her hands clasped

oice quiet but steady, "I'

p his tone steady. "Cersei, you know I'm al

ve gone back to my old ways. I don't know what's wrong with me. I tell myself I want to

eek, and yet each time, it felt like a fresh wound. Cersei was clearly struggling, and though he had se

nge. You're making progress, even if you don't see it yet. This is a battle, and it won't be won overnight. But you've a

But sometimes I feel like I'm just going in circles. I'm caught in this... this never-ending cycle of shame an

e already more than you think. And I know you can break free from this, but it's not something you can do on your own. You've

of them could fully express. Father Hart wanted to reach out, to take her hand and offe

what's happening between us, Father, but I need to ask something. Is

feel it in his chest, wrapping around him like a heavy chain. He swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper as he responded, "Cersei... wh

ssing second. Finally, she whispered, "But I want you to. I want you to be the o

. This was wrong-he knew it was wrong. But the feelings he had for her, the care, the longing, were und

that line. I am here to help you as a priest. I am here to help you find peace with

ening. He could feel the weight of her disappointment, but he kn

ry," he

derstand, Father. I just... I need to believe I can change. I need to believe that I can be somethin

just about him-it was about her. She needed to find herself, and he couldn't

le firmness. "You will change, Cersei. But only you can make that decision. Trust in yourself. And trust tha

finally spoke, her voice barely ab

o close the confessional. As he did, the finality of the moment settled arou

ng, he told himself. And yet, as he left the confessional, the tho

ep pretending that what he