She could only imagine what it must have looked like to the court, but Dany could barely contain her smile. The fleet was burning. The ships that the court had been waiting for for weeks and months, the ships that would carry their armies to Dragonstone and capture the home islands of Stannis Baratheon were gone.
It had all started rather well. They watched as the fleet came towards the rush, a diamond of wood and iron. Indeed, Lord Stannis' fleet had sent fire ships, but most of them had missed and the Redwyne ships had carried on. They had seen the Baratheon ships go in behind them, and she was sure that it was going to be a chase, one that the Redwynes would undoubtedly win. But then the fires had started. From this distance they were no more than little sparks in the sea of wood and sails, but then they had spread. Not so easy after all, it seemed. Then the diamond broke apart, ships scattering out into the bay in order to save themselves from the fire.
It worked, the fires didn't spread to their ships. But then the Baratheons pounced. They came through and around the burning ships, scattering them like leaves and driving towards the now divided Redwyne fleet. They closed on the Redwyne fleet, and even she could see the danger they were in. She saw the Baratheons close on isolated Redwyne ships, firing flaming arrows and grappling them even as the Redwynes tore for the rush, unable to resist.
It was at that point that the Lannister and Tyrell guardsmen came thundering towards them, spears in hand, led by a booming knight in full plate. "The keep is sequestered, by order of King and Council, everyone back to your rooms, now!"
A few of the nobles had objected until tickled with the pointy ends of the Lannister spears, then they all hurried along.
"They lost then," Sansa said as soon as the door was shut behind them.
"Looks that way," she replied, smiling.
"Why are you smiling?" Sansa asked. "That means that the Baratheons will be coming for us again, surely? You remember what that was like, the threats Cersei gave us."
It was sobering to remember, but she did. This time they wouldn't be dealing with Cersei though, they'd be dealing with- She thought of Lord Tywin, the way he had sat there and done nothing as Joffrey took Sansa's hand. He wouldn't interfere to save them.
She sat back down on the bed, kicking her legs absently. "So what are we supposed to do for the day?" She asked. They would no doubt be caught if they stepped outside, even if they didn't have enough guards to watch every door, there would be patrols, so here they were.
Sansa sat down with her. "I don't know. Same as we've been doing for the past year I imagine. Muddle our way through."
"We can't keep muddling forever," Dany said.
"Better muddling than meddling," Sansa replied fiercely. "The last thing we want to remind Joffrey and the council of right now is that they have a scapegoat. Pin something on us and give the crowd a couple of new heads to admire."
"They wouldn't do that to you, your brother-"
"My brother is far from here. If Stannis Baratheon's army surrounds King's Landing again, they won't care what my brother will do to anyone."
Dany took Sansa's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I won't let them, Sansa. If they come for us, we're going to escape this place."
"How, you can only get us into the city?"
"Better the city than here. Hide out somewhere, wait for it all to re-open then escape in the chaos. We can go north?"
Sansa laughed bitterly. It was a good dream, but how would they hide out in the city? The one handed redhead and the silver haired, purple eyed Targaryen didn't exactly blend in. "Okay, we can't escape, but we can see what is going on," she said, getting to her feet. She held out a hand to Sansa. "How about it, do you want to venture into the tunnels with me?" She grinned.
"The tunnels?" Dany gestured at the stone door. "Oh, no I couldn't?"
"Are you scared of the dark?"
"No," Sansa said, "but-"
"Look, Sansa," Dany said. "If we stay, we'll just wallow all day. If we go, we can see a little about what's happening, maybe something useful."
She could see Sansa's resolve start to wane. "But what if we get caught?"
"In the tunnels, we won't, if we're out of the tunnels," she shrugged, "we'll just say we never heard the call to sequester, they can't disprove that, but we'll be fine." Sansa still wasn't sure, worrying at her bottom lip. "Look, Sansa, if you decide you want to turn back, I will go back with you at once, but please, just come for a little while."
After a few moments, Sansa replied. "Okay then."
Dany let Sansa go down the ladder first. With only one hand, Sansa wouldn't be able to close the door and cover it behind them. At the bottom, Dany squeezed past so that she could lead Sansa down the tunnels.
"Where are we going?" Sansa asked, struggling behind her. Dany slowed so that she could catch up.
"Nowhere in particular, we're looking for someone, anyone who might be able to tell us what might be happening."
She led Sansa down familiar paths. One of them, she knew, led to the corridor just outside the armoury. With only the guards allowed out, that was probably the best place to go to see if there was any information. When they got to the place, Dany explained the situation to Sansa, pointed out the grate and the two of them lay down to strain their ears and listen. She couldn't help but smirk at how interested Sansa suddenly was, all trepidation forgotten. She focussed when they heard the telltale sound of voices coming from below.
"... you're sure you don't mind?"
"Hey, I'm very happy for you to take my place if it means I get to stay in the castle. The fuck am I going out after that."
"You think Stannis is going to attack?"
"Gods know, all I know is I'm gonna stay in the keep as much as I can. Don't know why you want to join a patrol to the gate- hey, hang on," the voice faded down to barely a whisper, and Dany couldn't make out the words.
The other spoke more firmly. "No I'm not, I just need to get out for one night just one away from these walls."
"You know it would be death if you tried."
"Which is why I'm not going to try. Thanks for letting me take your place though."
"If it even goes ahead, I heard they were going to keep the keep shut down."
"I heard they were all scarpering, who knows right now."
The first voice barked a laugh. "All I know is that's one more defeat."
"Gods I hope Lord Loren recovers soon, we need him."
"That we do." The voices headed off out of earshot.
When they were gone, Sansa whispered. "Do they not know about Lord Loren?"
"Must not," Dany replied. She'd thought more of the castle would know, the council must really not want it getting out that Loren was well. Although, perhaps they would now unveil him, ready to save them, even she could see they needed it after today. She may know nothing of war, but she knew what was talked about in the keep, she knew the Lannisters and Tyrells had only faced defeat after defeat. How long would their enemies wait before marching on the capital and putting an end to this. To all of it. "It'll come out eventually though, I mean how long is he going to be unwell before people start asking." And Gerold and his knights probably knew exactly what was going on, depending on what Loren had written in that secret missive she'd helped deliver. She hadn't been able to visit him again to tell him that she'd delivered the message.
"Let's keep going," she said.
They continued down the corridors, stopping periodically to listen out for anything, but no one they came across was talkative. The guards walked in silence or mutterings so quiet that they couldn't be made out. The only courtiers they found were hurriedly returning to their rooms. They were less quiet, and Dany heard the hints of fear in their voices.
"... you think if we feigned symptoms of the flux they'd let us…"
"... have you heard from your son?"
"The war hasn't reached him yet, but I dare not send a reply or else they mi…"
"Everyone is scared," Sansa whispered to her.
"Do you think they're wrong to be?" Dany asked.
Sansa glanced at Dany, eyebrow raised. She held up her stump. "Why should they be. Joffrey gets angry, he lashes out, but the blows always fall on us, on me."
Dany pulled Sansa into a tight hug, wishing she could squeeze the hurt out. "I'm so sorry Sansa," she said.
"It's okay," Sansa replied, stepping back. "Can we go back now, I've lost my mood fo adventures?"
"Of course." Dany took Sansa's hand and guided her through the tunnels with such practised ease she could almost have done it blindfolded.
As she lay the rug back over the flagstone, she turned back to Sansa. "So, first time in the tunnels, did you enjoy it?" She asked, trying to divert Sansa's attention from Joffrey.
A small smile tugged at Sansa's lips. "I suppose I did rather," she replied. "I see why you kept going down there. It's a little something of yours, well ours now. Something they can't take from us."
"Just a little rebellion, one they don't know we're carrying out."
"Is it still a rebellion?" Sansa asked, her expression suddenly sharp. "For you, is that still how you see it."
Was it. She sat down on the bed. "Yes," she said, "but not for the reasons it was. It was my engine for revenge. That was my rebellion, killing them without them ever knowing."
"And now?"
"Well now it's different," she took Sansa's hand. "Sansa, I made it into the city. I have to believe there are other paths, paths that lead out of the city altogether, into the wild beyond. That's my rebellion now, my promise. I will find a way out of the city, so that you and I can escape. We can find a way for you to go home."
Sansa squeezed Dany's hand, her eye glistening. "And you'll come with me, won't you?" She was hopeful, the desperate hope of the imprisoned.
Dany wouldn't take it from her. "I will," she said, squeezing back. If she could, she would, but she wouldn't tie herself down to both of them escaping, if there was a way for Sansa to escape without her, Dany would take it.
But she would think more on this tomorrow, when she would begin her hunt for a true exit from this castle. For now, she and Sansa would spend their day together, wiling away the hours until they were told what was going to happen.
No one came to them that day, but when they awoke the next morning they awoke to a captured city, the Red Keep under siege.