Chapter Two
The chambers were far more beautiful than her ones in Casterly Rock, but she didn't know them.
That was irritating and exciting at the same time.
In her old room there had been a ladder going down from a latch under the bed, a compartment behind a stone on the wall, a loose floorboard with diaries hidden beneath, a hidden drawer in her cabinet and a little shaft under the window seat, for dropping messages, which led to Analie's room.
The last had been one of her best discoveries, they had exchanged secret messages every day, by dropping a string down, Ana could tie her message to it and reply.
Leora was relieved beyond words when Analie was allowed to come with her to Kings Landing.
Ana was her closest friend, sister even, Analie Serrett of Silverhill.
She was the fifth daughter of Lord Olivar and a ward to Lord Tywin since they were both four years old.
Leora wouldn't have been able to bear leaving Ana behind, but unless she was betrothed to Bran or Rickon Stark, there was no way that her father would permit her to go and live at Winterfell with Leora.
That was highly unlikely to happen, as the Serretts with their proud peacock was a lower house than Stark.
Leora was awoken from her thoughts as Elyza entered the room again, the handmaiden sighed exasperatedly, "Milady, you must wake up!" She said, Leora opened her eyes and reluctantly pulled the covers away.
"I'm awake, I was just thinking!" she protested, standing and pulling on a silk robe.
Elyza shook her head and brought over a tray with toasted buns and scrambled egg, Leora smiled and sat at the table on her balcony.
She had an amazing view, there wasn't much of a view at Casterly rock, well, not from inside.
But here her chambers looked out on Blackwater Bay, and Leora loved it, the bustle below, the shouting at the markets, even the smell, well, some of the smells.
She had been there only a day, well, not even a full day, but Leora was already sure that she would like Kings Landing.
"Your brother Lord Tyrion has requested that you see him after you break your fast Milady."
Leora smiled even brighter after that, she hadn't seen Tyrion in ages, and Jaime, not since she was Myrcella's age!
Leora wondered if they would have changed at all.
She ate quickly and Elyza dressed her in a flowing gown of sky blue silks, it was light and soft, better suited to the heat of the day.
Leora pulled on her gold sandals while Jeyne came in and brushed out her hair.
"Would you like it in the southern style Milady?" Leora shook her head, "Just in the braids like normal." She told her.
Jeyne sighed but started to twirl her golden curls into the usual twisting crown of hair.
The main positive to wearing her hair in that simple style, was that she was free to go in only a minute.
Then Leora was ready to meet her brother.
There was a knock on the door and Leora opened it, smiling brightly, she grinned even more when she saw that it was Jaime who was waiting.
Laughing happily she embraced him, and he hugged her back.
When she pulled away Leora examined his face for a second, he looked much the same, handsome and proud, but a little older, a little wearier.
"It has been too long brother!" She complained, smiling up at him.
"Yes, gods you've changed Leora! How old are you now, sixteen?" She smiled, "Thirteen."
He grinned, ever charming, and stepped back out into the hallway.
Leora took his arm and they walked off along the hall together.
"I hear you are betrothed." Jaime remarked in a more serious tone, she sighed, "Yes."
Jaime frowned sadly, "Another sister being married off…"
"He is only one year older than me, and apparently quite handsome. I am sure the North is not half as bad as people say, I'll just have to wear thicker dresses!" she told him, more trying to convince herself.
Jaime laughed, "Ever the optimist."
They walked in silence for a moment, "Did you- Did you see your mother before you left?" He asked nervously, Leora's smile faded.
"No." He nodded slowly, and didn't pursue the subject.
They continued in silence until they reached another door. "I only hope that he is still here, and not ran off to a brothel!" Jaime muttered jokingly, Leora giggled.
Suddenly the door was pulled open, "I can hear you, you know!" her dwarf brother grinned.
Leora fell to the floor and embraced him tightly, smiling happily, he held on lovingly for a moment before stepping back.
Leora stood, "Come in." he motioned for them to enter,
Leora walked through and Jaime followed.
"I'm sorry to you both, but I have very important duties to fulfil and cannot stay to chat." Jaime told them sadly.
"Like what?" Tyrion asked, picking up a jug of wine, "Um, guarding the King?"
Jaime raised an eyebrow and Leora laughed, "Goodbye to you both for now, try not to get drunk, brother, and remember that Leora here is only thirteen!"
Leora smiled as he shut the door and strode off, Tyrion grinned at her.
"Care for a glass?" he asked, as she sat down at the mahogany table.
"It's nine in the morning!" He shrugged, and poured himself a cup.
"So, I hear you are betrothed." He said, sitting and taking a gulp of wine.
Leora sighed and looked out at the city, "That seems to be all that anyone hears."
He raised his cup, "To young love."
She smiled weakly and gazed at the birds, diving and swooping from rooftop to rooftop.
She wished that she had wings to fly away.
Where would you go? A voice inside her asked.
Across the Narrow Sea, to see the pyramids of Meereen and the horse -lords of the Dothraki Sea, to see the beggar king and his sister, to listen to the red priests in Braavos.
"It would be nice to fly away from it all." Tyrion said softly, as if reading her mind.
But when Leora glanced over at him, he was staring at the birds with just as much longing as her.
They sat in silence for a while, thinking about better lives.
You've got a better life than him.
That irritating voice said again as Leora looked down at a beggar man sitting by a fountain, dressed in rags.
"Tell me, what are they all like?"
Leora asked her brother, breaking the quiet.
He smiled again, "All of them? We'd be here for a lifetime!"
She sighed, "What are Cersei, Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen, the King, the spider, Littlefinger, Lord Renly and Lord Stannis like, to start with."
He laughed, "Robert is a drunken fool," Leora raised her eyebrow pointedly at her brother, he laughed.
"I may be drunk, and perhaps I enjoy the company of whores as much as our king, but I am no fool, nor fat for that matter!" she smiled.
"Cersei…" he sighed, "Well, Cersei is Cersei, manipulative, unloving, cunning, but not as clever as she believes. She loves her children though, I'll give her that."
His brow furrowed, "And her children… Myrcella and Tommen are sweet, nothing like their mother, innocent, kind, perfect, but Joffrey…"
He put his hand to his head, "Joffrey is much the same as he was when you last saw him; cruel, unpredictable, a little shit as I think I once put it!"
"Well, he has a thirst for power, he is wicked, stupid, and arrogant, he listens to everything Cersei whispers in his ear, and he is tall and handsome to top it all off!"
Leora smiled sadly, "I hate him already."
Tyrion nodded, and they sat quietly again.
"And the Hand, Jon Arryn. He may be the only good person in Kings Landing; he is wise and kind, though perhaps too curious for his own good, like you."
"Who were the others? The small council members, right? Well, Lord Varys and Lord Baelish may well be the most dangerous people in the country."
"They are far too clever and cunning for their own good, and both of them, the spider in particular, know far too much."
"Varys has informers everywhere, and ears in every wall, Littlefinger owns nearly all the brothels in Kings Landing, his whores are his spies, and they tell him everything."
"Lord Stannis is stern and solemn, bitter towards his brothers, but always just and loyal."
"Lord Renly is a handsome fool, much like his oldest brother, the king that is, well, much like his older brother was during the rebellion."
Leora sat looking at him for a while, thinking and taking it all in.
"How does the spider know everything?" she asked thoughtfully.
"He has informers, little birds, he calls them."
Leora frowned, she looked curiously over at the wall next to her brother's book shelf, "So he only knows of things that have been discussed when informers are there, like in crowded places, never private conversations?"
Tyrion frowned, "No, he does know of other things, conversations I have had in my own chambers, with no one except the person I was talking to present."
"But I suppose there was someone listening at the door."
Leora shook her head, "Ears in every wall you said?" Tyrion smiled, "A metaphor."
Leora stood and walked over to the wall, "Or maybe not…"
She reached out carefully, there was definitely a fingerprint in the dust here, and the edge of this stone was out of line with the others.
"Help me Tyrion." She said, pushing the large bookcase to the side.
"What are you doing?!" He asked, as she pressed the shelf against the wall and looked closely at that stone.
"Wait, you were always a genius at finding hidden things Leora. You don't think there's a passage in my room do you?!"
"Well, of course there would be, Maegor the Cruel had thousands of secrets in this castle. But you don't think that someone's actually been using it come into my room do you?! I mean that would just be hor-"
"Shut up Tyrion!" she cried at him, he always seemed to ramble when he was excited.
Leora pushed hard on the right corner, she felt it give away, just a bit, she pressed harder and the stone turned on a hinge, there was a clicking noise and a large crack appeared on the wall in a rectangle with the stone in the center.
Leora nervously pushed the whole area and it swung open.
It was surprisingly light and Leora saw that in the middle it was only wood, not stone.
"Oh my goodness, you are quite observant, little sister."
Tyrion whispered as Leora stepped into the passage.
"You stay here." She told him, he frowned.
"Who is the child?" he asked, she sighed, "Who is the dwarf?" he looked hurt,
"Listen, I'm sorry but the last time I took someone exploring with me, we fell down a marble slide and landed in a freezing river!"
"He screamed so loudly that all my handmaidens said the castle was haunted for years after!"
Tyrion laughed, "Was it Jaime?" she only grinned in reply.
"We could come to a sudden drop, a hidden trapdoor, a chimney climb, a place where you have to jump over a crevice or something, and Tyrion, you wouldn't be able to get past."
"I've done this a thousand times, just wait here." He sighed and nodded, though he still looked upset with her.
Leora turned and felt along the stone wall, it only went to the left, so she followed it that way.
"Aren't you going to take a torch?" he called, "No. It will only get in the way, shut the door behind me alright."
"What?! But how will you get back in?" "I won't come this way unless it's a dead end. All passages lead somewhere, so there's always another exit."
"It isn't real stone there, so if you hear three knocks then press hard on the top right corner of the stone that's out of line with the others."
She heard him sigh, "This is crazy Leora."
She smiled, "No this is exciting, just go to a brothel or something!"
He laughed and she heard the door close behind her.
The passage was left in sudden darkness, and she felt her way along carefully, one hand on the wall, one foot scraping forwards, checking for sudden drops.
Leora walked for nearly ten minutes she guessed, until she came to a fork in the path, to one side it widened into a broad staircase leading down, and to the left it ended in a chimney climb, going up.
She hesitated and decided to go down first, the easier route, as she didn't know how long she had before someone started searching for her.
As Leora reached the bottom of the stairs she saw a dim light up ahead.
She continued quietly and found herself facing an iron gate; she sighed and studied the gate.
It seemed relatively impassible, Leora peered through, there was a small round chamber on the other side.
It was lit by braziers in the shape of dragon's heads, but there was no one in sight.
She could see five more doorways along the edge of the room, each blocked with identical iron gates.
In the center was a mosaic of a three-headed dragon wrought in red and black tiles.
Leora saw iron rungs leading up the wall, and when she peered above her head, there was no ceiling to the chamber in sight.
She thought for a moment, Leora did not know the Red Keep well, but she guessed that the rungs led to the Tower of the Hand, for that was the direction she had been heading, and the right distance from her brother's rooms.
Who knew where the other doors led, and it was such an amazing discovery that she wanted to scream in vexation.
If only I had that stupid key! She thought in frustration.
Though if I am right, Lord Varys should have the keys…
Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching, Leora froze, they were coming from the stairs at her back, there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.
She looked up in fear, hoping that they wouldn't come down.
But then a man appeared, walking cautiously and holding a torch.
He was very fat and pale with a head as bald and round as an egg.
He was dressed in silken robes, and walked with a decidedly feminine look.
He saw her instantly and froze, his eyes widening. "Who are you?!" he shrieked, nearly dropping the torch.
Leora stepped forward into the light, looking up at him, tilting her chin defiantly and hiding her fear.
"You're the spider?" she asked boldly, he smiled slightly,
"Yes. And you are Leora Lannister." She stayed quiet.
"I heard that you were quite the little explorer…" He said, stepping down and standing closer.
She held her ground and stared at him, bright green eyes blazing.
"Well, if you really did find all the secret passages in Casterly Rock, and you've found your way this far in less than a day, then I worry that you will soon take over my position as Master of Whispers!"
She smiled slightly, though remained at a wary distance.
"Do you have the keys?" She asked him, he held up an iron ring with at least two dozen keys hanging off it.
She looked at it hungrily, and he tightened his grip.
"Will you unlock the door and let me pass?" she asked, he frowned.
"I will, but I won't wait to unlock it again, or give you the key."
She shrugged, "All passages have many endings, if you close this one then I can find another."
He smiled at that and looked at her curiously; she held his gaze and he looked away first, turning and unlocking the gate.
She eagerly followed him through and looked around.
"Do you know where they go?" he asked her, bolting the gate behind them, she looked around.
"That goes up the Tower of the Hand." She said, looking up into the darkness above, he nodded, she looked around all the gates.
"None of them are dead ends are they?" she looked to him anxiously; he shook his head.
"Though some have hidden exits."
She shrugged, "I will find them, eventually."
She gazed down one passage, she could smell salt on the breeze flowing from there.
"Does this one lead to the bay?" he nodded again, all the while watching her curiously.
She turned back to him, "Do you know all the secrets?"
He giggled; it was a bit of a ridiculous noise, very like a little girl.
"No child. Not all, not even half!" She grinned at that, if the spider himself didn't know all of them, after living here for decades, then she certainly wouldn't be bored.
But Leora needed those keys to explore anything…
"Well girl, where to?" Varys asked, his arms folded, Leora turned in a circle.
"This one I suppose." She said at last, pointing to the passage with the salt breeze.
That path at least, she knew for certain had an ending, and Leora was longing to see Kings Landing for herself.
He walked over and unlocked the gate.
"Where are you going?" she asked him, and he only smiled, "I am the Master of Whispers, I am off to listen to my little birds."
Leora nodded and stepped through the gateway; he locked it behind her, and then looked up, smiling, yet ever with that curious glint in his eyes.
"I expect I will be seeing more of you Leora Lannister." He said, and she smiled and turned, heading off down the stone hallway.
When she paused and looked back, the spider had disappeared.
O/O/O/O/O
The path twisted and turned, there were multiple doorways off to the side, but all were locked.
Eventually Leora stopped trying to open them.
She wasn't really in the mood for exploring now, after a week of being in confined spaces, all she wanted was to get to the bay, to run on the sand and swim in the crystal waters.
The light grew better as she walked, and the sound of crashing waves against the cliffs beneath the Red Keep grew ever louder.
Soon there was the cawing of gulls and the roar of the tides, the screaming of children too, though their voices were half carried away by the swirling wind and then echoed through the tunnel to create a ghostly sound.
Leora at last came to the end; she was greeted by another iron gate, but was not deterred.
She felt confident that Lord Varys hadn't lied to her, and she was pretty good at telling when people were lying;
Leora had grown up to lies as other children grow up to bedtime stories.
Soon enough she discovered that there was indeed another way out – a large sandstone rock, which wasn't really a rock, but a carefully carved slab.
Leora climbed up onto a ledge on the wall and slid the panel-of-sorts aside, and then hooking her hands around the edge, she pulled herself out of the tunnel and onto a platform of rock.
The top of the slab looked just like an ordinary bumpy rock and when Leora shoved it back into place, you couldn't tell that there was an entrance there at all.
The iron gate itself was hidden by the cliff edge.
The whole passage ended inside the mouth of a sea cave, the sort that fills up with water at high tide.
Thankfully it was low tide, so Leora clambered down the stones and jumped down about six feet to the sand below.
She rolled as she landed and wasn't hurt, but her hair was soon wild from the wind and her dress covered in sand.
Carefully brushing it all off and smoothing down her hair as best she could, Leora hurried out onto the actual beach.
There were rock pools by the thousands, and only a small stretch of sand.
The whole bay was teeming with children, peasant children, with baskets and nets all searching through the rock pools for crabs and fish.
She realized that even though her beautiful silk dress was ruined and dirty, she would still stand out like a sore thumb amongst these people.
Leora hurried past, balancing as she weaved around rock pools and screaming kids, trying not to fall in.
There were eyes watching her from every side; she was clearly high born, and almost as clearly a Lannister.
Leora soon reached the crude steps carved into the sandstone, and she thanked the gods that the Red Keep was so large.
It was easy to spot and as Leora weaved through side allies and past shops, she could never lose her way.
After nearly an hour of walking and running and doubling back, Leora reached the gate of the Red Keep.
"Who goes there?" a sentinel called down.
"Leora Lannister." She shouted back. He looked at her in shock, confusion and surprise, but there was no doubting that she was who she said.
He waved to the guards and they opened the way. Leora darted in and across the courtyard before anyone could interrogate her.
She decided that she would first go to her chambers to bathe and change, then to Tyrion.
For there wasn't really a need to hurry, she hadn't really found anything, not yet.
It was as if she had found the treasure chest, but didn't have any way to get at the treasure inside.
Leora couldn't help smiling though, as she ran though the doorway to the left and up towards her room, for she had found the treasure chest, and perhaps made a friend; or an ally at least.
Leora reached her chambers, thankfully, without meeting a single person along the way.
And, seeing as neither Elyza nor Jeyne was there, she decided to skip the bath and just change.
Leora pulled off her wet and sandy gown, shoving it into the wicker basket next to her bed.
Then she undid the braid, or what was left as most had come out already, and just brushed out her hair.
She changed into a purple dress of thin cotton with embroidered stars and moons, and even though her hair just sat in golden waves down her back, Leora though that she looked quite pretty.
As she was looking in the mirror, Analie entered, she gasped and embraced her friend.
"Leora! Everyone has been looking for you! Where in seven hells have you been?!"
Leora smiled, but her heart sank, "Exploring of course, honestly why didn't Tyrion think of an excuse?! He knew where I was!"
Analie sighed, "Your brother hasn't been back all day, he's um, probably in the town, err…"
Leora laughed, "Probably in a brothel you mean!" Ana blushed and Leora shook her head.
"Everyone?" She groaned, Ana just nodded.
"Very well then, time to face the lions."