Smoke had filled the air around the Red Keep, as did the strong stench of piss, which had come from endless men releasing their waters as blades pierced their bellies. Few knights had been stationed at the capital, even the surviving Kingsguard had been divided, three of five being sent off to Dorne, leaving only two to protect the King. And now the castle was flooded with enemy forces, enemy forces that were allies just the day before. When Ser Barristan saw the red banners piercing out from the sea of invaders, he forever cursed the golden lion of House Lannister.

Barristan the Bold he had been called. Though in recent years the youth of Westeros took to calling him the old. It was true though, he was the second eldest in the kingsguard, and his hair had already become peppered with white. Yet it wasn't until this day that he truly realized how true it was.

The knight struggled in his heavy armor as a handful of Lannister men rushed at him. But, he was still every bit the great and legendary warrior he had always been. One came at him straight on, sword in air, a malicious grin on his pointed face. Barristan swung at the man's leg, who quickly swung to block. Barristan spun his body before the blades hit, causing the attacker to lose his balance, just long enough for Barristan to run him through from behind. He smiled slightly before spinning just in time to block a blow from an older knight whose face was marred by an oozing scar that stretched from hairline to chin. Their blades clashed, and another came at Barristan from behind.

The bold knight did all he could to block the repetitive blows. His back was against the wall now, and a third had joined the assault. Perhaps this is my end, he thought. But I shall meet the stranger with sword in hand.

He ducked as the scarred knight swung, barely keeping his head. As if on impulse, he then tackled the knight, whose head made a sickening sound as it cracked on the stone floor. He took a deep breath, he heard the footsteps getting louder behind him. Barristan rolled to left, escaping a fatal stab that instead pierced the corpse of the scarred knight. The attacker's blade seemed to be stuck between the corps's armor plates. The man swore as he tried to pull it free.

The final attacker came at Barristan, just a boy really. His armor wasn't even fastened correctly. Barristan sidestepped as the boy missed him by far. He used this moment to finnish off the other attacker, he died with fear in his eyes. When he turned back, the boy swung at him, once again missing. The blade was far too heavy for the boy, who couldn't have been more than three and ten.

"Put it down, boy."

The boy tossed away his too large half helm, it clanked against the floor. His now revealed sandy blond hair was soaked with sweat. He glared at Barristan. "Woe to you, Ser Barristan, for I am your bane."

"I do not wish to kill a young lad," Said Barristan. "Do not force my hand. Please."

The boy laughed. "I will set down my blade once it has drank of your blood."

Barristan gripped his sword. "Don't try it, lad."

The boy heaved his sword in the air, his arms shaking from the weight. He charged at Barristan then, screaming like a wildling. Barristan brought his blade to the sky. The boy came closer and closer, his blue eyes filled with energy. Barristan took a step back, readying himself. Don't do it. The lad was upon him now, clumsily wielding his sword. Barristan shut his eyes, and brought down his sword. He heard a horrible cry then.

Barristan the Bold looked to the ground. A small form lay a yard or two away, he had been thrown by Barristan's single, mighty blow. His poorly fastened, and probably cheep, armor was crumpled in a few spots. His eyes were now like two lifeless blue clumps, staring into the abyss of death. A pool of blood had gathered around his body, Barristan knew not where it came from. He did not want to.

"Sad, not even children are saved from war." Said a voice, which had a sickening sweet sound to it.

Barristan spun around, sword at the ready. A cloaked figure, who seemed to appear from nothingness, stood by the wall, his face not visible. Barristan readied his sword. "Who may you be?"

The figure removed his hood, revealing a known face. It was round and bald, and it was a face Ser Barristan did not trust.

"Lord Varys." Barristan did not know if he was friend or foe, as the former seemed to rapidly become the latter.

"Ser Barristan," Said Varys, his eyes examined the knight. "I'm sorry to say that I have some rather troubling news..."

Barristan cocked his head to the side. "I doubt any news could out weigh the current situation, my Lord."

Lord Varys gave a look that seemed to say something related to 'What a foolish way of thinking'. "I'm afraid that the King, our dear King, is... no more."

Barristan's eyes widened in disbelief. "N-no... He was with Lannister..."

"And who, dear Ser, is besieging us?"

Barristan covered his face with his hands. How had it have all gone so wrong? Was this a punishment from the Gods? What had they have done to suffer?

"All is lost," he nearly wept, his voice hoarse.

"Not quite. We can indeed secure a future," Said Varys, stepping closer, his voice growing hush. "The Prince lives."

"Yes," Said Barristan, quickly returning from his daze. "Prince Aegon... The nursery!"

"Do wait," Said Varys, stopping Barristan from leaving. "The Prince has been removed from the nursery."

"Then where is he?" Demanded Barristan.

"I smuggled him to safety, and left a decoy." Explained the bald man, his voice keeping its calmness.

Barristan sighed. He had failed his King, but he swore he would never fail his Prince.

Varys found it odd that the knight didn't question him. Ser Barristan accepted his word as fact, it didn't even occur to the knight that he may lie. Of course, Varys wasn't lying. He had saved the young prince, leaving a fleebottom bastard in his place. But still, Barristan proved to be less tactful than Varys had hoped.

"What of the Prince's Mother and Sister?"

Varys frowned. He was tactful after all, just not in the way he had expected. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do... But, the Prince lives. Is that not enough?"

Barristan shook his head. "We must protect them, all of them."

"Yes, of course. You're right, Ser Barristan."

Barristan nodded. "Can you protect the Prince until I return?"

Varys smirked. "My dear Ser, I will protect him with my life."

Barristan moved to leave, but was once again stopped by Varys. "Ser Barristan, I suggest you check Prince Rhaegar's chamber."

Barristan planned to search the nursery, but he began to think that Varys may be right. "I shall, Lord Varys. You have my thanks."

Varys nodded. "Anything for the future of the Kingdom. Oh, and once you rescue them, do you think you can smuggle them down to the dungeons?"

"I can," Said Barristan, and then he left to do his duty.

The knight raced down halls, up stairs, and through corridors. He tired soon, and considered leaving his armor more than once. It was when he reached the top of his last set of stairs when he heard a child's screams.

Barristan gritted his teeth, and ran as fast as he could until he reached the opened doors of Prince Rhaegar's chamber. As he barged into the room, he caught a sight that made his blood boil. Ser Amory Lorch, one of Lannister's pets, stood dangling princess Rhaenys in the air by her little foot. He had a long dagger at her stomach, poking her not hard enough to pierce her, yet hard enough to cause her to scream.

"Lorch!" Yelled Barristan.

Lorch had no shock on his face, only a malicious grin. "Greetings, Selmy. Just about to gut a dragon."

"By the Seven I swear, if you hurt her, I will carve out your heart!"

Lorch smirked, his pale face had always looked like it was better suited to a pig, though the smirk made that an insult to any swine.

"Threats." said Lorch. "Why do we make them when it's so obvious they won't come true? For example, you'll never carve out my heart."

Barristan readied his sword, gripping the handle until it caused him pain, and then some. "Lorch."

"I, however, am true to my word. If I, say, threaten to scar the little princess, well..." Lorch pushed his dagger against Rhaenys' belly and began to drag it across her, she screamed and cried more painfully than Barristan had ever thought possible.

"Lorch!" Barristan screamed. He held his blade high, and charged the man.

Lorch tossed the Princess to the bed in the room, and dropped his dagger. He drew his sword just in time to block Barristan's blade.

Barristan swung again, but his blow was blocked. He swung after that, and again after that. He didn't halt his assault's, he just glared at Lorch's sickening face. He imagine his head on a spike. Barristan fought like a demon, perhaps more fiercely than he had ever before. He struck with all his might. Barristan could tell Lorch was tiring. Good.

It was when Lorch made a clumsy strike that Barristan swung his blade At Lorch's, knocking away the weapon. The pig faced man fell to his knees in exhaustion. "Ser Barristan..."

Barristan pulled Lorch to his feet, before shoving him against the wall. "Where is Princess Elia!?"

Lorch smirked. "Dead, most likely. I wanted to go for the dornish bitch... But Clegane had a different idea. Lucky bastard was shoving his cock inside her, last I saw. 'Rhaegar! Rhaegar!' She screamed as her cunt got ravaged. She's dead by know. No doubt the mountain's still fucking her!"

Barristan's face was as hot as fire. His hand fumbled for Lorch's discarded dagger. "You sick bastard!"

Lorch cackled. "Oh? Come now, you never wanted to fuck a princess? I half considered fucking the little halfbreed. If only I could fit m-"

Barristan screamed as he drove the long dagger into Lorches eye. Blood poured out from the socket, like an overflown pool. "May the stranger fuck your vilemouth."

Barristan dropped the body, letting it fall to the floor. He then went to the crying princess. He took her in his arms and kissed her dark hair. "It's all right, my princess. I shall protect you."

The princess's stomach was not badly wounded, only a thin cut in the shape of an 'L' was there. She'd scar, but she'd survive.

After wrapping her in his cloak, Barristan hurried off. He wanted to save the girl's mother, but he knew she was lost. And he was in no condition to fight the Mountain, especially not with a child in hand. Still, he could not shake the image of the princess on the stone floor, her body bare as she was mercilessly penetrated by the giant of the man. Her voice echoed in his head, the endless 'help!'s flooded his thoughts. And in that moment, Ser Barristan the Bold knew that he'd always be haunted by the 'what IFs'.

What if she was still alive. What if he could have saved her. What if she knew he wasn't far away. What if she had called his name.

It took much time to make it to the dungeons, more than once he narrowly avoided being spotted. He went down the narrow stairs and into the first level, where the common thief was often kept. Of course, it was empty, just like the other levels, because the late King Aerys preferred to set his captives aflame. Even when he knew they were innocent.

"You!" Came a gravelly voice.

Barristan spun on his heel. Charging at him was a great beast of a man, with a battle axe in hand. Barristan held his sword up, and brought the now calmed princess closer to his chest.

The man had come within feet of Barristan, roaring like a beast. The knight readied himself, but suddenly, the charging man was ripped backwards, clattering to the ground. Barristan backed up. The man moaned and began to sit up, but then a large blade came from the shadows and sliced the man's head clean off. Barristan retreated backwards as blood sprayed from the man's stump of a neck.

"Who goes there?" Called Ser Barristan, his grip on the child tightening.

"An old hand," Said a gruff voice. From the shadows stepped a tall man, with hair and beard the shade fire.

Ser Barristan squinted. "Lord... Lord Connington?"

"Aye," Said the red haired man.

"I thought you were banished to Essos..."

"He was," Said a sweet voice. "And I brought him back."

"Lord Varys?" Asked Ser Barristan.

A cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, in his arms was a small, sleeping child, wrapped in a black blanket. "Yes, Good Ser. It is I."

"What is going on?" Asked Barristan. Just what kind of plan had Varys formulated?

"I failed the Father," Said Lord Connington. "I will not fail the son. I will see him take his throne."

Varys handed the red haired man the boy. Barristan noticed that Lord Connington held the silver haired prince like a precious treasure, almost as a parent would hold a newborn babe.

"I've arranged for you two to take the children to Essos." Said Varys. "You must protect them."

Barristan nodded. "Of course. But, what of the Lord Commander, and Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell? Surely the Prince cannot claim his throne with two men."

Varys hadn't thought of the other Kingsguard. "Of course, you are a wise man, Ser Barristan. Once the castle is taken, I will send a raven."

"And what of the Queen and Prince Viserys?"

"Worry not, good Ser. I have planned for everything."

Shouts and the clattering of armor could be heard from above. "We must go," Said Lord Connington.

"Come," Said Lord Varys.

The bald man lead the small party down spiraling staircases until they reached the lowest level. In truth, it was a giant pit, covered by the floor of the upper level. Here was where men were tortured. The entirety of it smelled of things unidentifiable. Body parts littered the floor, Ser Barristan nearly stepped on what looked like some sort of internal organ. Rats scattered about, hungrily eying the men. Various chains hung from the walls, and pools grew in the floor's indents. Ser Barristan figured the pools were more blood and piss than water.

"This way," Said Lord Varys, waving his torch.

Varys brought them deeper and deeper into the cave, far deeper than Ser Barristan thought possible. As they came to the deepest bowels of the entire castle, Lord Varys showed them to a thin yet tall opening in the wall.

"Go through," Said Varys, handing Connington his torch. "And keep going until you reach the end. You must push a boulder away, it's the one that has a spider carved into it. Push it away, you'll be able to climb through the opening. You'll be on the shore then. A rowboat should be there soon, piloted by a bearded man with a scarred face. He will smuggle you away to a ship with red sails. The captain will inform you of what to do next."

"Thank you, Lord Varys," Said Ser Barristan.

Varys nodded. "We will meet again, dear Ser, when Dragon banners fly high."

The men took the Prince and Princess, and escaped from the Red Keep. They followed Lord Varys' instructions to the letter, squeezing through the slim opening, and traveling until they reached the sea. It was only when Ser Barristan's feet touched the deck of the ship with red sails that he looked back. And as the Red Keep grew small as they sailed farther and farther away, the Knight realized he knew not what the future held, but he did know that he would not fail another King.