The night had finally come. The northern army lead by Robb Stark moved in to attack King's Landing at dusk, time to win or die. Their men were poised and ready to attack, Theon and the men at sea were ready to row ashore the minute they saw Bronn's signal from the tower of the hand. Ali, Jon and Robb rode together to the King's Gate, they noticed as they rode that the peasants did not show malice or ill will toward them but seemed to take comfort in it, some even bowed as they noticed Robb and Ali pass. Most took to their homes and closed the windows a few old women cried out and ran at the site of Ghost and Grey Wind but all in all everyone seemed relieved to see the army move in. "Shouldn't they be upset with us coming to take The Capital?" Jon asked, confused at what he was seeing.
"I am sure they would be if they weren't all starving to death." Ali said. "Do you smell that?" She asked taking in a whiff of the stink in the air.
"Death." Robb said solemnly.
"Death." Aliandra agreed. "Tyrion says they've been cut off for weeks. Some have resorted to eating the dead, roasting them like goats."
"It's unnatural." Jon said, taking in the sights around him in the setting sun, starving children, old women weeping as they rode by hoping they brought food with them.
"Nothing about King's Landing is natural, or pure." Ali said from atop her horse.
"They think we're here to save them." Jon said, still in shock at the grave conditions around him that Cersei and Jeoffery had caused.
"We will save them," Robb said. "We just have to take The Capital first." They dismounted their horses and tied them up in the woods a half mile outside of the city and followed their men to the passage at the Lion's Gate, their men were taking the grate off of the passage, Robb gathered Ali and Jon together one last time before they entered King's Landing. "Before we go in there we have to agree right now that no matter what happens in those gates that we don't leave here without one another. We came together, we leave together." He looked from Jon to Ali waiting for agreement.
"Agreed." Jon said, he wanted to walk out with the two of them and the crown but would not voice it for fear of jinxing them all.
"Theon too." Ali said, "As perverse as he is he is one of us and he has been with you since the beginning."
Robb smiled at her caring, "Of course, Theon too." Jon nodded toward Robb, he wanted a moment alone with Ali before they stormed the city. Robb nodded in agreement. "See you on the inside brother."
"You too brother." They shook hands and Robb disappeared into the tunnel along with their men. Jon looked at Ali for a moment searching for his words.
Ali held her fingers to his lips silencing him, "Don't say anything. Anything you say will sound like good-bye." There was sincerity in her eyes.
Jon kissed her fingertips and took her hand in his own, examining her gloves for a moment, noticing that her gloves were black leather laced to her elbows and ended at her knuckles leaving her fingers free. He pushed her black leather cloak aside for a moment and took in the site before him, he hadn't been with her when she dressed this morning, she was wearing all black, black leather riding booth laced up over her knee, black leather riding breeches hugging her lean muscular legs, a black leather corseted top with protective boning concealed inside, the only color was a dense silver chainmail skirt that fell about mid-thigh. She had a Valaryian steel longsword strapped to one hip and a scabbard to another. "You are a warrior." He said almost astonished.
She smiled at him teasingly, "Don't be so surprised Jon Snow."
He pointed to the sword, "Does it have a name?"
"Phoenix." She said, "No matter what they always arise from the ashes."
She saw him raking her over with his eyes. "Keep your wits about you. If you die I won't have anyone to play with." She pulled the cloak back around her body and pulled her hood over her head, she looked like a walking shadow. Jon was about to turn and enter the tunnel but she stopped him with a hand on his forearm, he looked at her questioningly, "Be careful my love." She wanted to say so much more but knew it wasn't the appropriate time.
"You too." He answered then gave her a long deep kiss.
They soon separated then blended in with their troops and entered the tunnel. Jon lost sight of Ali not too long after they entered due to her clothing, but that was the idea. He was headed to the heart of the City with Robb and she was headed to The Red Keep. Her mission was ar different from theirs.
The fighting was long and hard, the King's Guard and the City watch were a better match than the army in the fields but Robb's men still made quick work of the ones they came up against. Tywin Lanninster's army came flowing through the gates an hour after Robb's men had laid siege to the city. Robb's men were holding the city well, Bronn had sent signal to Theon and the men at sea, they would come through the gate at Blackwater Bay within the hour. Robb had never been to The Capital before but after tonight he never wanted to come back, the streets ran red with blood, Northern blood, Lannister Blood, Dornish Blood it was all the same color and it all meant the same thing.
Robb had just cut down a Lannister man on horseback when he felt the tip of a sword in the back of his neck, "Someone wants a word with you," A low gravely voice came from behind him. "Let's go!" The man whom Robb had yet to see marched him to the Red Keep.
Ali was sitting in a window in a high tower in The Red Keep. She had never wanted to come back here ever again, but coming back with an army and killing five men herself on her way up wasn't a bad way to start a bloody family reunion. Her all black attire and quiet sure footing allowed her to move undetected through the castle's hallways and secret passages. She was sitting on the window ledge, far out of the way of prying eyes, watching the carnage below. She could see a brothel and a tavern burning in the distance and hear screaming and swords clashing in the streets below. She was biding her time until she was to capture Cersei. She was relishing in the thought of capturing her duplicitous, murdering aunt.
The Red Keep itself was smaller than Robb would have imagined, but it was still ominous and him being marched in to his sure death was not making it look any friendlier against the night sky. When Robb and his captor entered the Throne Room of the Red Keep King Jeoffery was sitting on the Iron throne, his usual self-satisfied smirk in place awaiting his arrival. "Bring the usurper before me and force him to kneel. If he has no manners we will teach him!"
Robb was marched in front of Jeoffery and forced to his knees, he looked him dead in the eye the entire time, he refused to yield to this monstrous king. He noticed his sister standing beside the boy king, the light in her eyes seemed to have gone out and she looked frail and scared.
"Look upon your traitor brother!" Jeoffery commanded. Sansa did as she was told. "Take a good look my lady. Before I have his head!" Sansa said nothing out of fear. Jeoffery looked at the guard holding Robb in his place. "Where is the bastard? I told you I wanted them both. Both Starks need to die together!"
"I have been told that he was located near The Street of Steel. He should be brought in soon."
"Very well then." Jeoffery said, he leaned back in his throne. "So you all believed you could come into my city and take what is rightfully mine!" He roared, every time he yelled like that his voice echoed off the walls of the Throne Room, then flew to his feet. Sansa shrunk back in fear of his anger.
"The Iron Throne belongs to the Baratheons, you are a Lannister." Robb said evenly. He felt the sword holding him in place nick flesh at the back of his neck a bit, causing blood to run down his neck and back. Then it was removed.
"What? You dare speak to your king in such a manner!" Jeoffery rounded quickly and struck Sansa across the face causing her to stumble backward and fall. Quietly The Hound walked over and helped her back to her feet. "Let that serve as a lesson Robb Stark. Speak out of turn again and you will witness worse happen to your sweet sister."
Robb and Sansa exchanged a look of understanding. No more would happen to Sansa even if Robb had to die to protect her. Robb tried to catch The Hound's eye but he kept his head down in this matter.
A few moments later another guard came in with Jon in hand, both their noses were broken and Jon had two black eyes to his one. "This one put up a fight your Highness. Stupid bastard." He threw Jon down next to Robb and threw his sword next to Robb's at Jeoffery's feet.
Jeoffery looked from the bloody Jon Snow and the guard to Sansa. "Do you see how your family pushes me with their ways?" Sansa just stood motionless not knowing what to do. "I said do you see how your family pushes me. Your family mocks me with their treachery and you have nothing to say!" There was murderous rage in his eyes.
"I'm sorry My King. My brothers are traitors to the crown and deserve to be punished." Her voice was hallow and her words sounded rehearsed. Robb and Jon's worst fears were conformed, Ali's stories about the Lannisters were true they had broken Sansa.
Jeoffery smirked sarcastically, knowing how Sansa would answer his next question. "Punished how?"
Sansa looked directly at her brothers, "Punished with death My King."
He turned back to Robb and Jon, "DO you hear that, even your own sister knows you deserve to die for your crimes!" Jeoffery roared madly.
"You first." Robb said mirthlessly as he spit out blood.
Jeoffery was about to strike at Sansa but though better of it, "Make them look the same." He pointed to Robb and Jon. He grabbed Sansa by the arm and dragged her forward, "Watch as my men break your brothers' pretty faces." The two guards descended upon Robb and Jon and beat them upon the face and upper body. They didn't stop until they were bruised and bloody, their eyes black and swollen, lips split and bleeding, both their noses broken and bleeding. "Did you enjoy that My Lady?" Jeoffery asked her, his tone vicious and deadly.
Sansa parroted the same response as before, "My brothers are traitors to the crown and deserve to be punished." It was all she could say or else she would cry.
A guard burst in the room. "My King I'm sorry to disturb you. We have word from south tower. Someone has broken in and murdered five guards. No one can locate the man."
Jeoffery was boiling with rage, someone was going to pay dearly for this! "Who did this?"
"We're not sure My King." The guard tried to explain. "The men say they heard nothing. There is no trace of anyone in the tower. Also the men who rode to the Stark camp say there was no sign of your cousin."
Jeoffery was sufficiently angered. "That means she is the one in the castle you half wit! She killed my guards! Bring me my traitorous bitch cousin! I will kill the whore myself!"
An hour later the guard that lad come in to alert Jeoffery came back with Ali, he was breathless, his nose was broken and his armor was now dirty but he had her. Her hands were bound behind her back with rope and he had her sword. He marched her in like a prisoner, he held her back near the door way so she couldn't see Jon and Robb.
"I found her My king. She's a tricky chit!" He twisted Ali's arm emphasizing his displeasure with her. "She has steel plates in her gloves!"
She smirked and turned her head to taunt him ignoring the pain in her arm, "Aww come on you know you enjoyed it."
Robb and Jon would have chuckled at Ali's candor if they weren't in mortal peril and in horrible pain.
"Shut your mouth Martell!" He reached up and turned her head forward so she had to face forward. He threw Ali's sword on the ground in front of Jeoffery. "She had this on her."
"Check her for other weapons." Jeoffery demanded. The guard did as he was told and found her scabbard on her hip and threw it in the pile.
"That's a nice pile of weapons I'm accumulating." Jeoffery said with a nasty smirk toward his cousin.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, she had no idea Jon and Robb were in the room. They were kneeling at the steps to the Iron Throne and she was at the back of the altar.
"Oh your friends are here as well. Please show my cousin." Jeoffery gestured Ali and her captor forward.
The guard marched Ali forward and showed her the Stark boys. "What did you do to them?" She yelled at Jeoffery. "Why have you beaten them like this?" She could not believe the awful sight before her. Jeoffery was more of a monster than she could have thought. She needed to keep him focused on her and off of them.
"Why? Why you ask. For their treachery and deceit."
"Something the Lannisters know quite well." She said with a bitter laugh.
Jeoffery flew in front of her, anger and rage in his eyes, "What did you say whore?"
She looked him square in the eye and without irony said, "I said your family are nothing more than bitter, rich, treacherous, traitors with no loyalty. I've seen pirates with more honor than the Lannisters."
Jeoffery grabbed her by the throat, "Watch your tongue before I cut it out of your mouth." Ali refused to show fear or back down. She waited for Jeoffery to release her, which he did once he realized she was not backing down. Once he released her she took a deep breath, thankful to breathe again. Jon looked at her out of the corner of his eye, he was worried she would get herself killed. "I am willing to make you a deal cousin. Since we are family. If you bend the knee to me and concede Dorne I will spare your life."
Ali pretended to think about the offer before her. While trying to work the rope binding her hands. "Stop playing with the rope!" The guard behind her demanded.
She shot him a look while still pretending to think. "What about them?" She motioned toward Robb and Jon with her chin.
"What of them? They're Northerners. They're traitors."
"Right. But what about this? We fight for it."
Jeoffery laughed. "You expect me to fight you? Fight you how?"
"Swordplay. I know how you love your sword play." She tempted him with his own vanity, she knew if he got the chance to best her at something he may be more apt to cooperate and they all may live.
He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed her suspiciously, remembering his mother's words about all others being enemies. "What are the terms?"
"If you win Robb Stark and I will bend the knee, but you spare our three lives."
"And if you win?"
"We retain our crowns and the Iron Throne."
"You honestly think I would give you the Iron Throne?"
"Not give, win. The same way Robert Baratheon did. He was your father after all, correct?"
He narrowed his eyes at her dangerously. "Watch yourself. We may be cousins but I am the King here." He thought for a moment, "I accept your terms." 'Good' She thought, stupid boy. "Release her." The guard cut the rope binding Ali's hands and released her. Jeoffery picked her sword up and threw it to her.
She caught it with a smile on her face. "Prepare to lose little boy." She taunted him.
"Oh I think not." He spotted Longclaw in the pile of swords and picked it up. "I just found my new sword.
"That was a bad idea, never fight with another man's sword." She warned him. Jon was furious, the nerve of Jeoffery to use his sword on Ali.
"Stupid superstition." Jeoffery countered.
They fought. Jeoffery lunged at Ali, she quickly moved out of the way of his sword and he ran past her. He stopped and turned back on her. They started striking out and blocking each other quickly, Ali was surprised at how well he was doing. Everyone watched in amazement as Ali adn Jeoffery danced around the room, swords in hand. They were under the bones of the dragons, Ali was against the wall and Jeoffery struck at her, she quickly dodged the blow and countered him sending him staggering backward, then took a dagger from within her boot, the Guard had not found it, and cut the rope holding the bones and sent them crashing to the ground sending Jeoffery dashing out from under them. They were back on the Altar of The Iron Throne Jeoffery struck left and Ali struck right striking at his arm and leaving a long gash. This thoroughly angered Jeoffery. He dropped his sword to his side and charged at Ali, throwing her into the iron throne, it only clipped her in the shoulder and ripped her cloak. She quickly undid the clasp and left it handing off the iron throne. She felt lighter and was able to move quicker, she ignored the trail of blood falling from her shoulder down her back. Unfortunately she stepped upon the pile of swords and lost footing, stumbling backward and landing squarely on her shoulders to save the rest of her body, before she could roll to her side Jeoffery was looming over her Longclaw extended out toward her, he was about to bury it in her throat. "One last chance to beg for mercy." He teased. "None of you are walking out of here alive." A twisted smile upon his lips.
She rolled her head to the side and met Jon's eyes, they were leaving alive and she would see to it. "I told you to never fight with another man's sword." She proclaimed looking back at Jeoffery. "That sword belongs to a man of the Night's Watch. That sword was earned. You stole it and it will betray you."
"Those words will be your last." He raised the sword high and was about to bring it down in Ali's throat, no one in the room could believe what they were about to see when she quickly leaned back on her elbows flung her hips and legs upward and deftly kicked Longclaw out of his hand sending the sword flying across the room and landing at the feet of its owner. Then she swept Jeoffery's legs out from under him, sending him landing flat on his back. Ali jumped to her feet and was quickly upon Jeoffery with her sword in his throat. Jon and Robb were both hopeful and silently cheered her on. Jeoffery held his hands in front of himself in surrender. "Yield. I yield."
"Yield," She cackled. She sobered and looked him straight in the eye. "Yield. No dear boy. This is the game of thrones. You win or you die. I won. You die." She was about to bury the sword in his throat and end all of the madness when the guard who brought her in charged over and threw her off of the altar onto the hard stone floor below. She landed on her already injured right shoulder, throwing her arm between her stomach and the floor making sure to protect her child, and felt it pop out of place. She was in agonizing pain. Her hip and knee were definitely bruised as she had landed on them, her shoulder was out of place and she most likely needed stitches in her back. Trying to turn over took all of her strength, and her head was spinning. She was next to Jon, he looked down at her she mouthed 'I'm sorry' to him. He nodded in understanding.
"Get her on her knees." Jeoffery demanded. The guard standing behind Jon yanked Ali up by her injured shoulder and hair, her screams of pain filled the room. Jon wanted to kill Jeoffery for disgracing a Queen in such a way. "You should have taken the knee when you had the chance."
Ali chortled almost drunkenly. "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. Those are my words. I lived by them and I shall die by them. You will never be my king."
"Then die you shall." Jeoffery found the dagger Ali had been carrying and marched over to her, stopping in front of her. "I think I shall cut your throat then sent your heart to your Uncle Renley. Since he loves you so much. Your wolves get to watch you die first."
She met his cold angry eyes. "Do as you wish. Just know if I die Renley will send word to Dorne and the rest of my men will march here to avenge their Queen. Their pregnant Queen and the unborn heir to The Sunspear and Dorne. My men will kill your entire family and burn King's Landing to the ground and they will enjoy it because they fight for me and my honor."
"I shall enjoy it all the more then." Jeoffery said darkly. He raised the dagger of valyrian steel to her throat to slit it open.
TBC
