Cersei Lannister/Ned Stark
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Cersei Lannister/Ned Stark |
| Alternative name(s): | Nedsei |
| Gender category: | Het |
| Fandom: | Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Rare |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Cersei Lannister/Ned Stark, also known as Nedsei, is the het pairing of Cersei Lannister and Ned Stark in the A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones fandoms.
Canon
Cersei wedded Ned's best friend, Robert Baratheon, shortly after his coronation, becoming his queen consort. During her marriage to Robert, she bore three children, all of whom were actually fathered by her twin brother/secret lover, Jaime. Some years later, Ned, serving as Robert's Hand, discovered the true paternity of Cersei's children. He confronted Cersei, vowing to reveal the truth to Robert when he returned from his hunt, and advising her to flee to save her children from Robert's wrath. Robert was wounded during the hunt, and died soon after, before Ned could tell him about Cersei's infidelity. Ned sent a letter to Stannis, Robert's younger brother, who was now the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, given that Robert had left no legitimate heirs. He was seized before he could escape the capital with his daughters and thrown into the Red Keep's dungeons on a charge of treason. On the advice of Varys, he falsely confessed to conspiring to deprive Cersei's son Joffrey, now king, of his birthright, believing this would protect his daughters. Cersei urged Joffrey to send Ned to the Wall instead of executing him. However, Joffrey thought granting mercy would demonstrate weakness, and thus Ned was beheaded on his command.
Fandom
Common Tropes in Fanworks
- Arranged Marriage: Frequently set in an AU in which Cersei was ordered to marry Ned after Robert chose another woman to be his queen (e.g. Catelyn Tully).
- Canon Divergence AU: Almost all Cersei/Ned falls into this category, given that Ned was executed in canon. The most common scenario is perhaps the above-mentioned arranged marriage AU. Less common are AUs in which Ned and Cersei fall in love at a young age or where Ned seizes the Iron Throne over Robert.
- Happily Ever After/Fix-it: Cersei's life with Ned is typically portrayed by fans as being happier than her canonically miserable marriage to Robert. In general, Ned treats Cersei with respect and is faithful to her (fics that include Jon Snow typically have Cersei figure out the truth), which usually keeps Cersei's more unpleasant traits in check.
- Non-con/Dub-con: Cersei seduces or coerces Ned into a sexual relationship during his captivity.
Fanworks
Fan Art
- Family portrait by Shagan-fury
- Cersei Stark by Enife
- GOT AU: Cersei Stark by SkullSmithy
- Cersei x Eddard commission, Archived version by Rupert Everton (NSFW)
- Commission: Eddard Stark and Cersei Lannister by Xiriline
Fanfiction
- Westeros AU series by TheEagleGirl
- Winter's Sun series by trulyunruly
- Lady Stark by jpena
- Winter Seeds and Summer Fruit by raffinit
- We're Only Taking Turns Holding This World by lit_chick08
- The Joinery by arbitrarily
Fan Vids
- Living In Your Afterglow by twistedthursday
- Ned x Cersei Skinny love by Serpent Empress
- Ned Stark/Cersei Lannister [AU SWAP] by tigerlily536
- Awake my soul - Ned/Cersei by Fearful Symmetry
- Eddard/Cersei AU! - had to burn your kingdom down {the joinery } by Cireal
- Eddard|Cersei - End of Me by YourBeautifulDeath