Jump to content

What was that thing between Cersei and Taena?


Quellon

Recommended Posts

I know it's not supposed to be a love story but...it seems Cersei appreciated having Taena in her bed. While Taena seems to have had some kind of affection or respect or both for her. It was a really complex "pairing". Shame it ended so soon...or so it seems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's called a Myrish swamp. 

No, it was just Cersei trying to feel "like Robert", adopting a male or dominant role (which in Cersei's mind are one and the same) during sex. It's quite a Freudian scene, one of the reasons why people argue about Cersei's penis envy. Of course, the reason why she doesn't seem to enjoy it is because she's not really attracted to women, only to the idea of having the same "power" over Taena that Robert had over her. 

Taena, for her part, seems to be into it, and she wouldn't be the first woman in the series to lust after Cersei (cough Ellaria cough), or she's just faking it to remain in Cersei's good graces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

No, it was just Cersei trying to feel "like Robert", adopting a male or dominant role (which in Cersei's mind are one and the same) during sex. It's quite a Freudian scene, one of the reasons why people argue about Cersei's penis envy. Of course, the reason why she doesn't seem to enjoy it is because she's not really attracted to women, only to the idea of having the same "power" over Taena that Robert had over her. 

This

9 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

Taena, for her part, seems to be into it, and she wouldn't be the first woman in the series to lust after Cersei (cough Ellaria cough), or she's just faking it to remain in Cersei's good graces.

Taena is just playing with Cersei and using her sensuality of course. She is likely working for Varys. Did you notice she wanted to kidnap Cersei?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, rotting sea cow said:

This

Taena is just playing with Cersei and using her sensuality of course. She is likely working for Varys. Did you notice she wanted to kidnap Cersei?

I'm almost 100% that she's working for Varys (there's too many hints of that, IMO) but I totally missed the kidnapping attempt, when was that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[chanting] Myrish swamp! Myrish swamp!! MYRISH SWAMP!!!

I dunno, man. Once you have near-total control over another person, it's hard not to try new things. She's the most powerful person in the capital, who's gonna say no? Least of all a boot-licking floozy like Taena. Daenerys seems to do the same once or twice on her side of the pond. But it's always clarified internally that neither women truly liked it, they were just mostly curious and lonely. 

In Cersei's case, it always goes back to her dynamic with Robert. She seems to be, on some level, fairly traumatized by her marriage to him. I think it's obvious that it messed her up more than she lets on. So now that she's in HIS role at last, she wants to experience some semblance of his power, his control. She wants to feel what he felt and see what it's like. Taena was probably more into it than Cersei.

Then again, Taena is a snake most likely spying for the Tyrells or Varys or both, so who knows. Can't wait to see her show up at Cersei's trial to testify against her a la Shae. Either way, it was a hollow and toxic experience all around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

I'm almost 100% that she's working for Varys (there's too many hints of that, IMO) but I totally missed the kidnapping attempt, when was that?

Quote

"It saddens me to see Your Grace so careworn. I say, run off and play and leave the King's Hand to hear these tiresome petitions. We could dress as serving girls and spend the day amongst the smallfolk, to hear what they are saying of the fall of Dragonstone. I know the inn where the Blue Bard plays when he is not singing attendance on the little queen, and a certain cellar where a conjurer turns lead into gold, water into wine, and girls into boys. Perhaps he would work his spells on the two of us. Would it amuse Your Grace to be a man one night?"

- A Feast for Crows - Cersei VIII

Knowing she is working for Varys, what do you would happen during the said excursion. Nothing pretty, I wager.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Lucius Lovejoy said:

@rotting sea cow but doesn't Varys want the Seven Kingdoms to be in complete disarray to pave the way for Aegon, and isn't Cersei the most qualified person to cause a lot of political chaos?

I mean, it's a speculation from my part but

- Orton Merrywater is the the acting hand.

- Lannister forces are stuck in the Riverlands

- Tyrells and other lords of the Reach are as fickle as sellswords.

Removing Cersei (at that particular moment) may pave the way to Aegon in a less bloody way and marry him to Margery.

Remember Kevan is not in KL anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

No, it was just Cersei trying to feel "like Robert", adopting a male or dominant role (which in Cersei's mind are one and the same) during sex. It's quite a Freudian scene, one of the reasons why people argue about Cersei's penis envy. Of course, the reason why she doesn't seem to enjoy it is because she's not really attracted to women, only to the idea of having the same "power" over Taena that Robert had over her. 

And given that Robert was basically a rapist... the only thing that kept that scene to be possible to stomach for me is that Taena was either into Cersei, or at least had a prostitute-professional outlook to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, rotting sea cow said:

- A Feast for Crows - Cersei VIII

Knowing she is working for Varys, what do you would happen during the said excursion. Nothing pretty, I wager.

Could be. I think Margaery would've seized power then, being one of the few competent people in KL at the time. And Varys/Illyrio had their sights set on Dany as a bride for Aegon, so it's likely they saw the Tyrells as an obstacle.

1 hour ago, Tianzi said:

And given that Robert was basically a rapist... the only thing that kept that scene to be possible to stomach for me is that Taena was either into Cersei, or at least had a prostitute-professional outlook to it.

Yep. I actually think the Dany x Irri scene was actually less consensual - especially the second time - and definitely more gratituous, seeing as it has no bearing on the characters whatsoever. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a rare thing for a woman to be in Cersei's position at this time.  I can see the whole confabulated penis envy argument has merit, but I'm also down with the plausibility of Cersei fulfilling her power lust at Taena's seduction.  And I do thing Taena seduced Cersei, though I really enjoyed 

9 hours ago, Renly's Banana said:

I dunno, man. Once you have near-total control over another person, it's hard not to try new things. She's the most powerful person in the capital, who's gonna say no? Least of all a boot-licking floozy like Taena.

I think Taena may be far craftier than we are led to believe.   And I think Taena is working for someone and find it very interesting that after the imprisonment, debasement, disrespect torture and the walk that Taena is the one she wants back in company.   Then again we could all be wrong and they both just dig the whole thing.   

To answer the OP, a line from Night Moves, an old Seger song, "I used her and she used me and neither one cared..." is maybe the best way to describe what I thought of the relationship.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

17 hours ago, Quellon said:

I know it's not supposed to be a love story but...it seems Cersei appreciated having Taena in her bed. While Taena seems to have had some kind of affection or respect or both for her. It was a really complex "pairing". Shame it ended so soon...or so it seems.

Cersei did allow Taena to get close to her and Taena did confide herself in Cersei , she also made quite the effort to get close to Cersei.

It could turn out that Taena truly saw Cersei as a friend and/or she saw her as a way to enhance her familys status , or she could possibly have been a spy.

I just thought the whole Myrish Swamp scene was Cersei's curiosity wanting to understand/experience what Robert felt , but it just didn't work for her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, rotting sea cow said:

I mean, it's a speculation from my part but

- Orton Merrywater is the the acting hand.

- Lannister forces are stuck in the Riverlands

- Tyrells and other lords of the Reach are as fickle as sellswords.

Removing Cersei (at that particular moment) may pave the way to Aegon in a less bloody way and marry him to Margery.

Remember Kevan is not in KL anymore.

I hadn't thought of it that way, I guess I sort of took for granted that once Cersei was out of the way that Kevan would come back and set things to order.  I can't recall if Lancel had left Darry and joined the sparrows yet at this point, if he had it would definitely have given him plenty of motivation to come back and assume control.  Pycelle would have definitely sent for him.  It's an interesting idea though, thanks for sharing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cersei slept with Taena due to a mixture of lust and penis envy. She wanted Taena, but she was also curious to see how it felt to take a woman as Robert took her. And when Taena started to get too close, Cersei got scared and pushed her away (or at least that's how it read to me). I think the sex scene itself was her channeling her hatred for Robert, but their relationship before that point was cute imo. Or as cute as any relationship with Cersei could be. It's quite possible that Cersei is bisexual and having trouble with that realization.

I do think that Cersei really likes Taena, though. She confided in her and is nowhere near as mean to her as she is to everyone else. She's ... dare I say ... nice? I also recall her describing Taena in much flattering way compared to how she thinks about other women - a far more sexual way. I remember her thinking of Taena's body and beautiful face a lot. 

I admit that I ship it, though that's not a smart thing to do considering what series this is. Taena is most likely a spy for Varys or some other schemer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, John Suburbs said:

Har, I love the title of this post: What was that thing between Cersei and Taena?

I didn't know they had strap-ons in Westeros.

The Imp slammed his dagger down in the table, where it stood quivering. “Then you’ll service your own bride with a wooden prick. I’ll geld you, I swear it.”

#Canon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the father issues...both women had strong and uncompromising fathers who rarely showed their love. Even if Dany never knew hers, she must have heard stories, both from Viserys and others. So...she and Cersei don't really trust men, Dany only felt safe with Khal Drogo and trusted him. So they both find that a woman is a more safe "bet".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...