Here we go as promised, The escape from king's landing. And now it begins.
When the planning had finished, we laid to rest for the night. That is when I was set upon by another vision of mine.
"Uncle ned walked into the throne room, the majority of the household guard he had brought from winterfell was with him, as were a large number of gold cloaks. Littlefinger stood behind him as did another man that I did not know. But he was finely clothed, a bit on the round side, and bald.
"All hail his Grace, King Joffrey, first of his name, Protector of the realm, King of the Andals and the first men."
It was a long walk to the far end of the hall, where Joffrey waited atop the Iron Throne. Supported by Littlefinger, Uncle Ned slowly limped and hopped toward the boy who called himself king, who sat on the throne that my family sat on for generations. The others followed.
Four knights of the Kingsguard were arrayed in a crescent around the base of the throne. They were in full armor, enameled steel from helm to heel, long pale cloaks over their shoulders, shining white shields strapped to their left arms. Cersei, who had a victorios smirk on her face, Myrcella, and Tommen stood behind Ser Boros and Ser Meryn. The queen wore a gown of sea-green silk, trimmed with Myrish lace as pale as foam. On her finger was a golden ring with an emerald the size of a pigeon's egg, on her head a matching tiara.
Above them, Joffrey sat amidst the barbs and spikes in a cloth-of-gold doublet and a red satin cape. Sandor Clegane was stationed at the foot of the throne's steep narrow stair. He wore mail and soot-grey plate and his snarling dog's-head helm.
Behind the throne, twenty Lannister guardsmen waited with longswords hanging from their belts. Crimson cloaks draped their shoulders and steel lions crested their helms. All around the walls, the gold-cloaked ranks of the City Watch stood stiffly to attention, each man's hand clasped around the haft of an eight-foot-long spear tipped in black iron.
Joffrey stood. His red satin cape was patterned in gold thread; fifty roaring lions to one side, fifty prancing stags to the other. "I command the council to make all the necessary arrangements for my coronation," the boy proclaimed pompously, an arrogant grin on his face. "I wish to be crowned within the fortnight. Today I shall accept oaths of fealty from my loyal councillors."
Uncle Ned produced a letter from his belt, "Lord Varys, be so kind as to show this to my lady of Lannister."
The fat man carried the letter to Cersei, and she broke the unbroken seal on the parchment, glanced at the words. "Protector of the Realm," she read. "Is this meant to be your shield, my lord? A piece of paper?" She ripped the letter in half, ripped the halves in quarters, and let the pieces flutter to the floor.
"Those were the king's words," Uncle Ned said, shocked.
"We have a new king now," Cersei replied. "Lord Eddard, when last we spoke, you gave me some counsel. Allow me to return the courtesy. Bend the knee, my lord. Bend the knee and swear fealty to my son, and we shall allow you to step down as Hand and live out your days in the grey waste you call home."
"Would that I could," Uncle said grimly, "Your son has no claim to the throne he sits."
For a moment of time, I thought that he might actually say that I was the heir, but those hopes were dashed when he said, "Lord Stannis is Robert's true heir."
"Liar!" Joffrey screamed, his face reddening.
"Mother, what does he mean?" Princess Myrcella asked plaintively. "Isn't Joff the king now?"
"You condemn yourself with your own mouth, Lord Stark," said Cersei Lannister. "Kingsguard, seize this traitor."
In the blink of an eye Uncle Ned was surrounded by Stark guardsmen, bare steel in their mailed fists.
"And now the treason moves from words to deeds," Cersei said. "Do you think the Kingsguard stands alone, my lord?" With an ominous rasp of metal on metal, the Hound drew his longsword. The knights of the Kingsguard and twenty Lannister guardsmen in crimson cloaks moved in front of the Iron throne, creating a wall of steel between Uncle and Joffrey.
"Kill him!" the boy screamed down from the Iron Throne. "Kill all of them, I command it!"
"You leave me no choice," Ned told Cersei Lannister. He called out to what looked like the commander of the city watch. "Commander, take the queen and her children into custody. Do them no harm, but escort them back to the royal apartments and keep them there, under guard."
"Men of the Watch!" He shouted, donning his helm. A hundred gold cloaks leveled their spears and closed ranks.
"I want no bloodshed," Ned told the queen. "Tell your men to lay down their swords, and no one need—"
With a single sharp thrust, the nearest gold cloak drove his spear into Tomard's back and his blade dropped from nerveless fingers as the wet red point burst out through his ribs, piercing leather and mail. He was dead before his sword hit the floor.
Uncle's shout came far too late. The commander himself slashed open Varly's throat. Cayn whirled, steel flashing, drove back the nearest spearman with a flurry of blows; for an instant it looked as though he might cut his way free. Then the Hound was on him, his first cut took off Cayn's sword hand at the wrist; his second drove him to his knees and opened him from shoulder to breastbone.
As his men died around him, Littlefinger slid Uncle's dagger from its sheath as he moved to draw his sword and shoved it up under his chin. His smile was apologetic. "I did warn you not to trust me, you know."
I snapped awake, my breathing heavy. What I saw in the vision terrified me, and I knew, even if I was t try and intervene in this affair, the men would still die. I didn't have the men to turn the tide in that battle. So when dawn rose, as did we. I grabbed a satchel that was in the room, and placed the book that I had found in it.
We walked through the halls of the red Keep, Ser Arys and Ser Barristan by my side, and as we were walking, Morghan, who had somehow managed to sneak away from the tower and find me, joined up with us. As we reached the ground level of the castle, I saw a servant come towards us.
"Ser Barristan Ser Arys, the King demands your presence," He said to them, and the two men looked at each other.
"The King?" Arys asked, confusion in his voice.
"King Joffrey ser, he demands the presence of the kingsguard." The servant said
"Tell him we will arrive shortly," Ser Barristan said, and the servant bowed, and was about to leave, when he observed the sigils on their breasts. His eyes widened, but before he could move to run away, a dagger flew through the air and embedded itself into the man's throat. He fell to the ground gasping for air as blood bubbled from his mouth and flowed down his neck. I pursed my lips, unhappy about the situation, but deep down, I knew that if we stood any chance then we could not be spotted.
"Move on, we have to get to the Stark children before what my uncle is planning occurs." I said, as the man went to grab his dagger, "But any other servants we come across are to be knocked unconscious, before they get a good look at us. There will be enough death today."
As we approached the tower of the hand I hear the sounds of fighting and as we entered the courtyard we saw a couple of the house guards fighting against over five times their number of Lannister men and City watchmen. I drew my sword, as did the rest of my men.
"Now men, it is time for fell deeds and flashing swords, to battle, to ruin," I shouted, and we ran out into the courtyard our weapons blazing in the morning light The Lannister men were caught by surprise by our own and we quickly killed many of them. I faced off against one of the Lannister men, he swung his blade towards my head, and I ducked under it, and stuck out with my own blade. Which he blocked with a swift motion of his blade. We went back and forth for several seconds before I finally managed to knock his blade aside, draw my dagger and stash his throat open. Another tried to attack me with my back turned, but before he could strike, a blur of black fur pinned him to the floor, and before he could scream, Morghan's jaw snapped across his neck, causing blood to soak her head.
"My lady we must find your cousins quickly," Ser Barristan said, as I cut a man's throat swiftly. I nodded as I ran with Ser Barristan and Ser Arys into the tower of the hand. As we enter I found Septa Mordane walking towards us.
"Rys, what are you.. What's happening?" She asked and I quickly responded, "The Lannisters are trying to kill us, I'm getting you and the girls out of here, now."
She nodded, and I turned to Arys, "Go with her, and get Sansa, Ser Barristan and I will go and get Arya."
He nodded, and Septa Mordane ran with Ser Arys as Ser Barristan and I ran to get Arya and Syrio. Bursting into the room in which they trained, both turned and looked at me.
"Arya, we need to go now," I said, and Arya moved to come to me, But Syrio stopped her.
"Why did Lord Stark not send his own men, and why are both of you wearing the markings of a dead house," He asked
"Right now most of them are dead, and that's a long story, one I can tell you while we escape from the Lannisters coming to kill us." I said, and Syrio looked at me closely, then nodded. Arya ran towards me, and I pulled out my dagger and offered it to her hilt first.
"Anyone not in Targaryen armor or stark armor that comes close enough for you to stab, stab them." I said, as we walked briskly through the halls. We met up with Ser Arys in the main hall, he brought Sansa, Jeyne Poole, Septa Mordane, Lady, and Nymeria, and were about to leave, when fifteen of my men as well as the eight remaining stark men were forced to bar the main doors. We stopped in the main halls.
"Great, no escape that way, I said, as Nymeria walked up to Arya, Needle in her mouth. Which Arya took, and attached it to her waist. It was a testament to how frightened Sansa was that she didn't make any remarks.
"There is a way out, through the tunnels," Arya said, and I remembered the day that she was found outside the red keep.
"We'll go that way," I said, as Arya handed me back my knife. I shouted to my men, "This way we need to leave now."
"What about Lord Stark," One of the Stark men said, to which I replied, "There is nothing that can be done for him now, Protect your Ladies."
We set off at a quick pace through the castle, with Arya and Ser Barristan leading us through the catacombs. We made good time, and managed to get to the Weeping Maid Inn in about ten minutes. The two men who were sent tog get us horses and provisions were waiting for us there. Their faces were dismayed when they saw how few of us there were here.
"We have to move fast before they close the gates of the city." I said, as I mounted a horse,"We mourn later."
As soon as everyone was saddled and ready to go, we rode through the city as if Balerion the dread was flying after us. We managed to make it through the gates before they were closed. Much to my relief.
We road until nightfall, that is when we made camp in a forested and Jeyne huddled close together near a fire that one of our men made. We had four men on watch, and Arya was sticking close to me.
"We left father behind," Arya said, and I nodded, looking into the fire debating on what I was going to tell them.
"Rys, why are you wearing the Targaryen Sigil?" Sansa asked, and I sighed.
"There is a long story to that, but the short version is that," I stopped for a second, and sighed, "Is that I'm not your half sister, I'm your cousin. I'm also not a Bastard, My mother was Lyanna Stark, and My father was Rhaegar Targaryen. I was born Princess Riseniya Targaryen, first of my name, and I am now the rightful queen of the seven Kingdoms and all the titles therefore."
They were all silent, shock spread around the circle, the only one who didn't seem surprised was Syrio. Who looked like the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.
"You look remarkably like your father M'lady, he visited the sealord of Braavos when I was among his men, but not yet his first sword." He said.
"Why would father lie about that?" Arya asked, and I pursed my lips.
"Because of what happened to my actual half siblings," I said sadly, "They were butchered by the Lannisters, and their mother as well. Robert swore to kill all dragonspawn until my house was destroyed."
"He has lied for years," Septa said, and i nodded, "It would have been longer if he had had his way, but thanks to some help, I managed to find out the truth."
Ser Barristan smiled as I looked towards him, I looked to the others.
"Get some sleep, you'll need it we are riding to riverrun, and we will have to move with a great deal of stealth now. We can't ride like we did today, we'd be caught." I said to them as I stood and walked over to Ser Barristan and Ser Arys.
"We need more information on what is out there," I said to Barristan, and he nodded. Arys then said, "While the king was hunting, news came in that the mountain was wreaking havoc on the Riverlands. Tywin Lannister's doing no doubt. Which means that the westerland army will be somewhere nearby."
"I'll have some of the men scout ahead, with any luck we might be able to skirt around them." Barristan said, and walked over to a couple men. Morghan came and sat down next to me, and I began to pet her head as I looked into the night sky, hoping beyond hope that we could make it.
Boom, I'm your huckleberry. So here the story takes an even bigger leap from the canon. Will Rys stay at Riverrun, Will she reunite with the others, Will Ned Survive. ALl good questions that will be answered at a later day, but for now, geros ilas (High Valyrian for goodbye).