Hello, readers! New fandom coming at ya! Yes, I have joined the bandwagon of Game-of-Thrones-loving-nerds – no shame in my game! I've got a few different fanfics in mind, and we'll see where they go! Read, review, and enjoy!

I rushed through the castle, desperate to reach my chambers before any soldiers found me. Shae's words kept ringing in my ears. Stannis won't hurt you. Stannis won't hurt you. I could only pray that she was right.

When I reached my chamber, I closed the door behind me, bolting it with shaking fingers. I moved my lantern away from the door, glancing back anxiously when I heart shouting from behind me. I moved to pick up my doll that was laying on a table, the one my father had given me before I bit back that I was too old for dolls. I missed him terribly, wishing I'd simply heeded his words and gone when he'd told me to.

"The lady's starting to panic."

The gruff voice from behind me startled me, and I jumped, turning around to see the Hound hiding in the dark, likely not thinking I'd have returned.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, frightened.

"Not here for long," he replied tersely. "I'm going."

"Where?" My voice was cautious, as I still didn't trust him.

"Someplace that isn't burning," he said quietly. "North, might be. Could be."

"What about the king?" I asked suspiciously. The Hound was Joffrey's personal protector – why would he leave him during a battle?

The Hound didn't look at me. "He can die just fine on his own," he said, taking a drink of something, which I was sure was stronger than water.

I stood watching him for a few moments until he spoke again.

"I can take you with me… Take you to Winterfell…" He stood, watching me. "I'll keep you safe." He paused for a moment, as if waiting for a response. "Do you want to go home?"

"I'll be safe here," I told him, though even I knew the words were a lie. I didn't trust him, and here at least Joffrey was limited in the ways in which he could torture me – he couldn't do me any true harm without losing his future queen. If I went with the Hound, there was no telling what he might do to me. But then I remembered why I felt safer. "Stannis won't hurt me."

He moved forward suddenly and I shrank back. "Look at me," he said harshly. Frightened, I did as he told me. "Stannis is a killer," he said in a low voice. "The Lannisters are killers. Your father was a killer. Your brother is a killer." Another slight pause. "Your sons will be killers someday. The world is built by killers. So you'd better get used to looking at them."

I could feel myself trembling as I looked up at him. "You won't hurt me." It was more of a statement than a question, but I still needed to be sure. My wide eyes stared up at him anxiously.

"No, little bird, I won't hurt you," he said in a voice that was almost…tender.

I stared up at him for another minute, feeling very small. I glanced down at the doll in my hands, and it was almost as if I could hear my father speaking to me. "The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives." Here, I was alone… The Hound was offering me the chance to return to my family. To safety. If I was going to die, I had two choices – to die here, as Joffrey's helpless plaything, or to die fighting to return home.

Looking up at the Hound, I nodded, and he almost smiled. "Come, little bird," he said softly, offering his hand. "It's time to leave your cage."

I took his hand, clutching the doll and trying to find my courage as he led me from the room.

"We must move quickly, child, if we are to escape before dawn… We must get to the stables."

"But… the queen said that deserters would be killed… She had two killed and their heads put on spikes outside the stables!"

The Hound chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about that, little bird… I'm a better fighter than any man here. We'll get through well enough."

I nodded, having seen him fight before. I wasn't terribly worried that we'd be killed, at least if he had anything to say about it.

There were shouts and seven Lannister soldiers came running down the corridor, pausing when they saw us. "She's meant to be locked away with the other women," one said. "And you're meant to be guarding His Grace, Clegane."

The Hound didn't move. "On your way," he said gruffly. "You have your own battles to fight, take no heed of mine."

They drew their swords. "Take the Stark girl back to the Queen's chamber… Kill Clegane," their commander said. "He's a deserter."

"You will not lay a hand on the girl," said the Hound in a low voice. "If you try, you will not like the result."

I began to tremble as they rushed toward us. The Hound pushed me behind him, quickly cutting down the first two. Three more converged upon him, while the last two came for me, taking me by the arms and dragging me toward Cersei's tower. "Let go of me!" I cried, struggling to free myself. My struggles caused my doll to fall from my hands, and I cried out, trying to go back for it.

Suddenly one of the two men was gone, and I turned to see the Hound lifting him by the neck with one hand, as he had to one of the men who had tried to rape me. "I told you not to lay a hand on her," he growled, driving his sword into the man's belly.

The other man let go of me in preparation to fight, but the Hound grabbed him as well, knocking the sword from his hand. "Left handed," he said, studying the man's face. "I suppose that means you were holding onto her with your right hand…" Suddenly he brought a dagger down, slicing off the man's right hand. I jumped, my face going white as I stared at the man's bloody stump of an arm.

"Forget that you saw us, or you'll lose something more important than a hand," said the Hound, handing me my doll and taking my hand. "Come, little bird."

He led me to the stables, and I continued glancing around frantically. "I'm frightened," I whispered as he saddled a horse.

He paused, coming to stand before me. "Don't be afraid, my lady," he murmured, gently brushing my cheek with his hand. "I will protect you, with my life if I must. I swear it to all the gods."

I blinked in shock. "But… you didn't even take vows to protect Joffrey…"

"Aye, and I didn't care about him." He turned back to the horse, lifting me onto its back before climbing on behind me. "Hold on tight, little bird." He gave the horse a kick and we moved quickly from the stables into the night.