Episode: The Lady of the Lake
Category: Gen
Rating/Warnings: K
Traitor.
For a man who took his vows seriously, had obeyed every order without question for more than 20 years, it was a hard truth to swallow.
How he wished that someone else had been sent to check the passageways beneath the Citadel, simply so he might've been spared such a difficult choice. But of course, he'd gone himself, had even volunteered to do so, forever eager to prove himself a tireless defender of the kingdom he loved.
He hadn't been prepared for what he would find tucked away in an alcove, however, a small figure clad in rags that couldn't possibly be enough to keep her warm down here where he could see his own breath with every exhale. The girl was fast asleep, curled up on her side with traces of weeping painted in sharp relief upon her dirty cheeks, deep, even breathing punctuated by the occasional soft sob. She was young, beautiful, appearing so innocent in her slumber that it was impossible to imagine she could be guilty of any crime, least of all murder. But none of that was what ultimately commanded his silence.
No, it was the fact that she bore an uncanny resemblance to his own daughter, such a close reflection that as much as he struggled to do so, he couldn't seem to separate the two. And the thought of his beloved Anya ever finding herself in such a hopeless situation, hunted through the streets like a dog, was nothing short of intolerable.
Turning away, the guard swiped a hand across his eyes, as if that would be enough to wipe away the evidence of what he'd seen.
"You all right down there?"
He moved away from her before responding, careful not to disturb her fitful slumber.
"There's nothing here," he called back in a soft voice. "I'm coming back up."