25 reasons we love Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones

“The gods have no mercy. That’s why they are gods.”

Cersei’s scenes in the Red Keep during the Battle of the Blackwater in season 2 are basically a goldmine. To summarize, she holes up in Maegor’s Holdfast with the other noblewomen of the court, including Sansa Stark.

Sansa, since this is before she dons her dark clothing in later seasons, actually takes the time to lead the ladies in a hymn and general prayer. Cersei, who by this point has consumed plenty of wine, has nothing but contempt for this idea. The quotation actually comes from a longer speech.

We’ll use IMDb’s transcription:

"Oh, shut up, you little fool. Praying for the gods to have mercy on us all? The gods have no mercy, that’s why they are gods. My father told me that when he caught me praying. My mother had just died, you see. I didn’t really understand the concept of death. The finality of it. I thought if I prayed very very hard, the gods would return her to me. I was four."

This speech drips with irritation at Sansa’s goodness, but in vino veritas also applies. Cersei actually reveals some of her own backstory and gets philosophical after declaring the gods’ mercy does not exist. So, not only does it serve as a marvelous put-down, it actually engenders, if nothing else, curiosity about her past.