Author's Note: As always, thank you for your continued support! Here is the seventh chapter of The Throne of Ice, I hope you all enjoy! Happy Reading~
THE THRONE OF ICE - CHAPTER SEVEN: "THE RAINS OF CASTAMERE"
The tent's temperature didn't reflect the cold misery outside, filled with the warm breath and small fire around of a dozen men seated around Robb, including her mother. Her attention turned to Robb, who stood speaking to Lord Karstark.
Elyanna's eyes flitted to her mother, who stood with wide eyes and said something. She wished she could hear what it was, to know what they were all saying, but everything was just a buzzing murmur. Robb gave their mother a stern look, his attitude serious. Elyanna couldn't help but look at his face, seeing how much it had changed in her time away. She wanted to stay here forever, to be where he was. But she could feel a growing pressure around her trying to take her away. Though it felt as if she had only been in this realm of dreams and vision for a few moments, she could already feel herself being pulled. It felt like the Gods only wanted her see just enough to know, nothing more than that.
She quickly looked around the tent, trying to get a better bearing of her surroundings, to see what was happening. She walked through a group of men, moving like a ghost through their bodies with no resistence. In front of her at the center of the tent was a table and a map, a war map. Wood-carved pieces representing the Lannister forces and the Stark forces were scattered around it. Robb and all his forces were just in front of the Neck, about to cross to face off with the Lannisters. He wasn't coming to King's Landing to bend the knee.
Elyanna's breath quickened as she saw this, knowing what it meant. He was going to save them. But with these feelings of relief and hope, she felt the gravity holding her to this world start to fade, her consciousness grounding her back to her room in the Red Keep.
Only when she woke, she wasn't in bed in her room. She was in the Throne Room, standing still as she listened to Maester Pycelle speak. Unlike the last two times she had had a vision, she wasn't asleep when it happened this time. She was standing right where she had been. She looked around her, hoping that she hadn't been speaking or moving during her dreams, but all of their hushed whispers weren't about her. She turned her attention to what everyone was murmuring about only to see Sansa had just walked in. She took a step forward, feeling an urgency of protection for her little sister, but she couldn't do anything else without drawing attention to herself.
"In the place of the traitor Eddard Stark, it is the wish of his Grace that Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West be appointed Hand of the King."
There was a short round of applause and cheering in the throne room, everyone glad that a vicious traitor like her father was to be replaced. "If anyone wishes to set another matter before His Grace, speak now or go forth and hold his silence."
"Your Grace," Sansa said, her voice echoing in the large room. Elyanna snapped her head to her sister, afraid of what was about to happen.
"Come forward, My Lady," Joffrey said, leaning against his Iron Throne with an intrigued smile.
"Do you have some business for the King and the council, Sansa?" Cersei asked, her voice encouraging. Whatever it was Sansa was about to do, she wanted her doing it, which meant Elyanna didn't.
Elyanna stood petrified in place, solid as stone as she watched Sansa kneel. "I do. As it please Your Grace I ask mercy for my father, Lord Eddard Stark."
"Treason is a noxious weed-" the Maester said loudly, staring at Sansa hatefully. Elyanna felt tears of fear well in her eyes as she looked to him, then back to her sister. She wanted to run to her and stop her from doing this, from entering the lion's den. But she could only stand and watch, hoping that Joffrey and his mother would listen to reason.
"Let her speak," Joffrey said, speaking more gently than Elyanna had ever heard. "Do you deny your father's crime?"
"No, Your Grace, I know he must be punished. All I ask is mercy."
"Your father said I wasn't the rightful King, why did he say that?" Joffrey asked.
Elyanna's skin turned pale as she listened, hoping that as she suspected Sansa didn't know anything. But she feared her response all the same.
"He was hurt, Your Grace. Maester Pycelle was giving him milk of the poppy, he wasn't himself. Otherwise he never would have said it."
"A child's faith, such sweet innocence," Varys responded, looking up to the balcony at Elyanna. She breathed in shakily, trying to mask her nerves, but she knew he saw them. Anyone who looked could have seen them. She tried to compose herself, but even then she couldn't force the blood to run back to her cheeks. Varys turned from her back to the King and continued, "They often say wisdom comes from the mouth of babes, Your Grace."
"If you have any affection left in your heart for me, please do me this kindness, Your Grace," Sansa begged, her eyes turning red with tears for their father.
Elyanna looked to Joffrey who leaned back in his chair, contemplating her words. But Elyanna knew that a person as cruel and vicious as he would never listen to Sansa, he would only do as he pleased. She was only grateful that news of her brother moving forward on his grandfather hadn't reached court yet. Glad that Joffrey or his mother couldn't take out his anger because of this on her, or especially on Sansa.
"Your words move me, I will grant mercy to your father. But only if he confesses and says that I am King. Or there'll be no mercy for him."
"He will, I know it."
A Fortnight Later
It had been a month since Elyanna's father was imprisoned, and two weeks since she knew that Robb was beginning his way to King's Landing to fight against the Lannisters to bring his sisters and father back home. Word still hadn't reached court that this was happening, which had Elyanna in a constant state of anxiety. Every moment of every day she waited for word to travel that her brother too was a traitor. She needed to take Sansa, find Arya, and flee before that could happen. While she knew her brother was coming to save them, she also knew that she couldn't wait for it. Who knew how long it would take him to defeat the Lannister armies? To bring down King's Landing? It could be years before that happened, and she refused to live any longer at court with Cersei.
Despite her sadness about it, her father was lost to her. He would without a doubt be taken to the Wall. There was no way that Joffrey or the Queen would let him return to Winterfell, so it was up to Elaena to take her sisters and go home, before any more wreckage could be brought among her family.
The heat was scorching around her, accompanying all of these thoughts that already made her feel nauseous and sweaty. She looked around at the mob before her, then turned her head to see her father being walked out from the Red Keep's dungeons. Elyanna stood on the platform before the Sept of Baelor next to her sister and the Queen as they walked him out. Her heart fell as she saw her father, the once seemingly invincable and strong man now so frail and vulnerable. He had a considerable limp from his leg not healing properly, and he was dirty from head to toe. It looked like he hadn't eaten a thing in weeks. It was all too much. She needed Joffrey to get this over with, to send her father to the wall for his crimes and then let them go.
She fought her tears and squeezed Sansa's hand as the people in front of them threw rocks and other nasty things at him. Then Elyanna saw her father stop, his face falling as he looked into the crowd. She turned her eyes to where he was looking, only to see Arya clinging to the leg of Baelor's statue. She felt a wave of relief wash over her, her tears breaking through the barriers behind her eyes. Arya was alive. She wanted to go to her, to hold her close and not loose sight of her ever again, but before she could she saw that Yoren, her uncle's friend and recruiter for the night's watch walking towards her sister. He quickly grabbed Arya, pulling her down from the statue. He turned around and locked eyes with Elyanna who gave a short nod. He would keep her safe while she couldn't, for now.
Her father then pulled her eyes, but he was unable to look at any of his daughters as he spoke, "My name is Eddard Stark, Hand of the King. I come before you to confess my treason before the sight of the Gods and men. I betrayed the faith of my King and the trust of my friend Robert. I swore to protect and defend his children, but before his blood was cold I plotted to murder his son and seize the throne for myself. Let the High Septon and Baelor the Blessed bear witness to what I say: Joffrey Baratheon is the one true heir to the Iron Throne by the grace of all the gods. He is Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm."
His speech sliced through Elyanna's body the same way a blade would, each word cutting her open to bleed as they left his mouth. She knew every piece of it was a lie, that he was only saying this to protect her and her sisters. She hated that he was the only one that would suffer the consequences of a plot created by the Tyrells and Baratheons alike. She hated that what he was being punished for was true. Her father was a good man, an honest one. To see him lying for her sake killed her.
"My mother wishes me to allow this traitor to join the Night's Watch... stripped of all titles and powers he would serve the realm in exile," Joffrey started, the golden crown atop his head glittering in the hot sun. "Lady Elyanna has proven herself and her sister loyal by writing to Robb Stark and asking him to bend the knee, asking only for her father's forgiveness. And my sweet Lady Sansa has begged mercy for him before me, and before the court."
Elyanna stood still as stone as she listened, hanging onto every word he said.
"But they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your King, treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Ilyn, bring me his head!" Joffrey shouted, an evil smile on his lips.
Elyanna immediately felt sick to her stomach, her vision going fuzzy before her. She turned to the side, struggling for air as she watched the Queen beg Joffrey to stop. Sansa's screams for their father rang in her ear, and she began struggling so hard that the Hound had to hold her back. Joffrey pushed his mother away, then looked at Elyanna with a cunning smile. She wanted to scream, to cry, and shout in protest. But she couldn't say anything, all she could do was run down the steps toward her father.
"DADDY!" Sansa screamed, her face turning red as she watched her sister run forward.
The world blurred itself around Elyanna as she moved, much like it felt in one of her dreams. The sounds of everything became clouded, her vision unclear. The only thing she was aware of was how she felt inside, and that was the need to protect her father. He turned around and saw her running, but only shook his head, "GET BACK ELLY!"
She didn't listen, only wanting to throw her arms around him and shield him from the executioner's blade. She couldn't let this happen, she couldn't stand idly by and watch as he was murdered. But before she could get to him, before she could protect him, she felt a large pair of arms grab her from behind and drag her backwards.
"NO!" she finally screamed, thrashing in the man's arms to be let go. She kicked at him, trying to run forward but he was too strong. Blinded by rage and fear she could barely hear him speaking to her, telling her to stop fighting him. She continued to try to wrestle herself from his arms as she bellowed, "FATHER!"
But as soon as she made her words out she saw the Sir Ilyn lift his sword above his head and bring it down with a clean stroke. From the corner of her eye she could see her sister Sansa pass out from shock, falling onto the stone ground. Elyanna too felt herself weaken, every inch of her body tremble as she watched her father's head roll down the stairs away from his body. The executioner walked forward and grabbed her father's head by the hair, holding it up for everyone to see and cheer at. The arms around her tightened, holding her up as she felt herself sink to the ground. But before her body completely collapsed, she felt herself being turned around. When she looked up, she saw Jaime, and it took her a few moments before she could register fully that it was he who held her back.
"Get away from me!" she shrieked, feeling her body strengthen as she thrashed in his arms.
"Look at me," he said forcefully, holding her shoulders tightly. "Don't look at him, look at me."
She felt a solitary tear fall onto her cheeks as she continued to battle him. Within seconds she could barely see her eyes were so wet, sobs racking from deep within her chest to the surface.
"No-" she gasped for air, choking on her tears, "Get away- I can't-"
"Just look at me, Lady Stark," Jaime said calmly, trying to get her to do the same.
"LET GO!" she screamed, finally wrangling him off of her and falling backwards. She turned her eyes away from him, only to see the Queen already staring at her with a horrified look on her face. As malevolent and cruel as Elyanna knew her to be, she could see in this moment that this was not at all what she intended to happen. She had lost control of her son, and he had just started war. Elyanna turned back to Jaime, her tears streaming down her cheeks. She could see now that he too hadn't wanted this to happen. But she didn't care. It was both of them whose son did this, who killed her father.
She stumbled further backwards away from the all then turned around to look for Arya. She hoped to the Old Gods and the New that her youngest sibling hadn't seen what she just saw. Her eyes moved frantically across the sea of jeering people, then finally found Yoren carting her away. She breathed with relief then turned back around. She knew in her bones that Yoren would take her back to Winterfell, back to safety on his way to The Wall. All Elyanna had to do now was get Sansa and go. But how was she going to do that? How was she going to find a way back to her brother without being caught? Now that their father had been murdered, she knew that Robb would only fight harder against the Lannisters. Her and her sister would effectively become hostages against him. Her thoughts were interrupted by a flying rock that hit her square on in the head, knocking her back off of her feet.
"Elyanna!" Jaime shouted, catching her as she fell.
"I'm fine," Elyanna lied. She could hardly see straight with the pain in her head.
"Come with me, it's not safe anymore," Jaime said, pulling her up again to get back from the crowd. She pushed his arm away and walked herself into the castle, stumbling as she looked back to Sansa. Once she saw that the Hound was carrying her to safety, she could breathe a little more. Cersei and Joffrey followed suit behind them, surrounded by a pack of guards as they all made their way back into the Red Keep. None of them spoke as the door to the outside shut, blocking out the noise of the cheering spectators.
Once inside she could hear Cersei start to talk to Joffrey, asking him why he did that. The Hound carried Sansa to her room, while Jaime tried to escort Elyanna away. He reached to grab her, but she pulled her hand away, swaying as she did so.
"Don't touch me," she said fearfully, her eyes wide as a doe's as she looked at him.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Lady Stark," he responded gently, holding his hands to prove it. "I'm just trying to get you to the infirmary."
"Why? Am I acting a touch too hysterical after watching my father's murder?" she asked, stumbling away from him.
"No," he breathed out, looking to her forhead, "You're bleeding."
She lifted a hand to her head and winced with pain, only to pull it back and see her fingers covered in thick red blood. Her whole body paled as she saw it, only able to think about all the blood on the sword that cut through her father's neck only moments ago. She suddenly felt dizzier, her legs buckling underneath her.
"Come on," he grunted, catching her and lifting her up into his arms. She was too disoriented to continue fighting him. For a moment her mind fell through the cracks of her memories, thinking about the night in the Godswood of Winterfell before she left: the gently swaying in her brother's arms as he carried her, the darkness as she closed her eyes. She let herself drift into this happier memory, into a time where her whole family was together and whole. Nobody had been split apart, nobody was dead.
She felt herself slowly lowered onto a bed, the pressure of arms around her fading. She gently opened her eyes, trying to focus them on the room around her. Jaime was walking around it, gathering a few things from the filled shelves of the Maester's infirmary.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling tears roll off her cheekbones and mixing with the blood spilt onto her face as she watched him.
"I'm looking for bandages," he responded, exhaling deeply.
"No, here. In King's Landing? Last I heard you ran away after butchering my father and his men in the street."
"I didn't run away, I was summoned by my father. And the only reason I came back was to deliver a message to my sister from him," he said. When he finally finished he quickly moved back to her, sitting in front of her to clean up the damage. She slowly moved to a sitting position, grabbing onto the arm of his chair for balance.
"A raven wouldn't suffice?" she asked numbly.
"Not with the kind of information I was carrying. Now do you have any more questions or can I clean this wound?" he asked, raising his brows a bit.
"Fine."
The two sat in silence as pressed the cloth down, causing her to wince in pain.
"I'm sorry, Lady Stark," he whispered softly, slowly dabbing the dampened cloth against her wound. He held it there with a firm pressure to stop the bleeding, waiting for her response.
"It's like I told you before, by the ships before you left. I don't want or need your apologies," she muttered, closing her eyes. She could feel tears escaping through them, rolling down onto his hand as he held the cloth. "I just want my father back."
Jaime sat silently, choosing next words carefully. "I know. But-"
"But nothing," she snapped, her eyes opening as she pushed his hand away. "He was murdered for telling the truth, murdered by your son."
"Careful," Jaime said seriously, his eyes warning her not to continue. "Unless you want your head to end up beside your father's."
"Go ahead and tell Cersei if you want," she said angrily, her body shaking with tears, "Tell them both for all I care that I know the truth."
"I'm not going to tell them," Jaime responded quietly. "And you wouldn't either if you knew what was best for you."
"You think I care what happens to me?" she asked breathlessly.
"No, in fact I know you don't. But you care about what happens to your sisters, to your brothers and your mother," he warned her. "And if you let on to anyone else that you know the truth like your father did, Cersei will see to it that it's all of their heads mounted on spikes before yours ever is. She'll find and kill each of them one by one while making you watch. Saving you for last so that your pain is as great as it can be for trying to bring her down."
They sat in silence for a moment, looking at each other: Elyanna with scorn for him and Jaime with fear for her. He slowly lifted his hand to keep dabbing the blood away from her face, which she allowed him to do. But all the while she pierced daggers at him with her eyes with ever touch he made to her skin.
"Are you in love with her?" she finally asked, sniffling a little.
"What?"
"Cersei, are you in love with her?" she asked strongly, her face bitter as she looked for his response. He didn't say anything, so she continued herself. "That's alright, you don't have to answer me. I already know what it would be that you'd say. Even just now while you were telling me all of the cruel and twisted things she would do to me if I ever said anything, I could still see your love for her in your eyes."
"We came into this world together, we've always felt we belonged together-"
"I came into this world with Robb," Elyanna spoke over him, feeling disgusted. "I feel as though I belong with him as well, but not in that way-"
"Targaryens wed brother and sister for centuries, no one batted an eye then," Jaime said defensively, lowering his hand and dipping the cloth in warm water. Elyanna watched as the bright red blood dissolved into it, turning the color of the liquid completely with one rinse.
"Even if what you say has a point, how could you love someone like her?" she asked, her voice smaller now. "You said it yourself just now how terrible she can be, how evil. How could you ever love someone capable of such horrible things?"
"Because I'm the same as her, Lady Stark."
"Then why are you helping me?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes as he paused. "Cersei didn't bat an eye at me when I saw my father beheaded, she was only concerned with her son. You immediately grabbed me, tried to protect me from seeing it. And now you're here dressing my wounds. So I'll ask you again, if you're so terrible and hateful, why are you helping me?"
"Get some rest," he said flatly, standing up. "The maester will be in soon to give you milk of the poppy and sew up the wound."
She looked at him angrily, her spite and hate forming words before she could filter them. "I know what message you brought to Cersei, the information that couldn't be trusted by raven."
He stopped in his tracks and turned around, a smug look on his face. "And what is that?"
"It's about my brother, Robb, isn't it?" she asked, watching his face fall. "He's on his way to King's Landing with his army, I assume by now he may have even crossed the Neck."
"How do you know this?" he asked with distress, walking back towards her quickly.
"Does it matter?" she asked weakly, her voice cracking a little. "He was coming to rescue me, my father, and my sisters by force if necessary, and that was just when your sister imprisoned him. When he hears that you lost Arya, that Sansa is captive, that I his twin sister has been injured by the mobs incited around the execution of his most beloved father... He'll be coming here to kill you all."
"Elyan-"
"Your son started this war," Elyanna continued, trying to keep herself strong. "He started it and there's no turning back now. You know that. So tell Cersei, tell Joffrey, and even more importantly, tell your father once you're back at the war front... winter is coming."
A Month Later
Elyanna had been separated from Sansa since her father's beheading, neither of them allowed to see each other. While Sansa remained in her old chambers, Elyanna had been brought to a new room closer to the court. She didn't know who had given the order for any of this, and she didn't care. All she wanted was to be with Sansa, for she was the only one left in King's Landing for Elyanna to protect. Being kept from her only made her think the worst things imaginable, new violent images of them hurting her coming to mind with each second that passed. And of course, she couldn't erase her father's death from mind. Every night when she closed her eyes Joffrey's words rung through her ears, and each morning she woke screaming after a long night of that day filling her nightmares.
She was positively exhausted in every way. When she looked in the mirror she couldn't recognize herself, only able to see a haunted ghost staring back at her. Her skin on her face was pale as ice, fading into deep purple rings under her eyes from all of the crying and lack of proper sleep. The cut just above her eyebrow was healing in a jagged way, which she knew would leave a scar. A constant reminder everytime she looked in the mirror of what happened that day. She would never be able to look at herself again without thinking about it.
A knock sounded on the door, but Elyanna didn't hear it. She was practically catatonic as she stared into the mirror. She barely saw the door then swing open in the reflection of the mirror, revealing Cersei. Elyanna's eyes flitted to hers through the mirror, then back at herself, not giving the vile woman the satisfaction of her attention.
"You need to eat, child," she said softly, walking towards Elyanna. "You look thin."
"I'm not a child anymore," Elyanna muttered, staring at her own lifeless eyes.
"No I suppose you're not," Cersei responded, looking down. "Nonetheless you need to eat. We can't very well give you back to your brother dead."
This caught Elyanna's attention, Cersei knew it would. Elyanna turned around in her chair and looked to the woman, her voice small as she asked, "You're letting us go?"
"Letting you go?" Cersei asked, a humorless smile on her lips. "No, dear. We're trading you."
"For what?" Elyanna asked, narrowing her brows.
"When my brother left the Red Keep last week, when he was traveling back to meet our father, he was captured by your brother's men," Cersei said, her top lip curling away from her teeth. "I want him back."
Elyanna let out a dry laugh as she shook her head, "Two little girls for the Kingslayer? I can't imagine my brother would ever agree to such a thing."
"He would for you," Cersei said seriously. "His sister...his twin. I know something or two about the bond twins share. He won't let you stay here in danger, not if he can help it."
"If it was any other situation you'd be right, and I'd be glad for it," Elyanna said with a sharp tongue, "But your son butchered our father."
"A regrettable choice, I admit," Cersei said slowly, her eyes flinching a little. "But I still believe your brother will find it in his heart to make the trade and go back to Winterfell."
"And then what?" Elyanna asked, laughing again, her dull grey eyes not lighting up in the slightest. "We all live in harmony? I may be young, but I'm not stupid, Your Grace. You'll wait until we're all together and then slaughter us. It'll be the Rains of Castamere all over again. My brother won't let that happen. I won't either."
"You know you're not as smart as you think you are, Lady Stark," Cersei said, her lips pinched together.
"Neither are you, Your Grace," Elyanna said seriously, turning back around in her chair.
"What did you say to him the day he left?" Cersei asked, her voice turning even darker. "To Jaime?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean?" Elyanna responded, looking at Cersei through the mirror again.
"The day of your father's execution, when he took you to the infirmary, what did he say?" Cersei asked more fiercely, jealousy rising in her voice.
"I was quite delirious that day, i'm not sure I remember."
"I don't believe you," Cersei said bitterly.
"Why do you care so much what I said to him?" Elyanna asked, raising her brows. Cersei stood silently, staring at her angrily. Elyanna waited for her to respond to this question, but after a few moments it was clear that she wouldn't.
"Come," Cersei turned around, ignoring Elyanna's question entirely. "The King has summoned you to court immediately."
Elyanna stood shakily from her chair, feeling dizzy from lack of food and sleep as she followed behind Cersei. But she didn't care about her own state of being. Right now, she was only glad that she seemed to have rattled the woman. The two walked silently into the throne room, only to find Joffrey sitting with a pompous smile on his lips and Sansa knelt on the floor.
Cersei walked up the stairs to the Iron Throne and then sat in the chair next to him, leaving Elyanna standing alone in the middle of the courtroom in shock. Elyanna had been purposefully kept from her sister Sansa for over a month, and now that she finally saw her she was kneeling on the floor and sobbing as Joffrey aimed a crossbow at her. Elyanna ran forward, stepping in front of Sansa protectively.
"Please, Your Grace, whatever she's done don't hurt her, I beg of you-"
"It's not what she's done, it's what your traiterous brother did," Joffrey smiled, amused by the fear in both of their hearts. "Ser Lancel, tell her of this outrage."
"Not only was the King's uncle captured, your traitor of a brother used some vile sorcery to attack the Stafford Lannister army with a pack of wolves. Thousands of good men were butchered. After the slaughter, the Northmen feasted on the flesh of the slain."
"I was going to kill you both to send your brother a message, but my mother insists on keeping you alive," Joffrey said with annoyance, lowering the crossbow.
Elyanna's eyes flitted to the Queen, who was looking upon this whole scene with distaste. It was obvious, she was close to losing every last bit of control over her son.
"So I'll have to send your brother a message some other way. I was going to use Sansa at first, but now that you're here I think there's something poetic about it being you, his twin," Joffrey smiled, motioning for Ser Meryn Trant to walk forward.
"As you wish, Your Grace," Elyanna responded, feeling fear rise in her throat. She looked to her sister and nodded her head to the side, telling her to leave now while she could. Sansa nodded and stood from her spot on the ground, rushing to the side of the room to stand with the other courtiers.
Elyanna stood tall, bracing herself as the disgraceful member of the Kingsguard approached her. Her eyes flashed to Cersei once more, but she was no longer sitting where she was. She had disappeared. Before Elyanna could react she felt the man punch her in her stomach, knocking every bit of wind out of her. She was already weak, a frail ghost of a human, and his strength felt like it was going to kill her. As she clutched her stomach and stumbled backwards in pain, Meryn pulled out his sword. He struck her behind her knees with the broad side of the blade, crippling her to the floor. Elyanna gasped for air as she looked up at him, not wanting him to see her fear. But he didn't seem to appreciate this, using the back of his hand to strike her across the face as hard as he could. The metal on his armor scraped against her cheek and cut through her lip, causing blood to spatter out onto the floor as she choked.
"Ser Meryn, Lady Stark is overdressed...unburden her," Joffrey smiled, leaning forward in his seat.
Without a second of hesitation the man grabbed the back of her dress and ripped it open, every tiny button that had been sewn onto the back of it flying and rolling across the floor of the throne room. Elyanna struggled to hold the shredded cloth up to conceal herself. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Meryn raise his sword again, then swing down on her spine. She fell flat onto the floor, her bare and welted back exposed to everyone watching. Despite the searing pain she dragged herself up to a sitting position, trying to regain the air knocked out from her lungs. He then kicked her, knocking her to the stone ground harshly.
"What is the meaning of this?" A voice called out in the room.
Elyanna's body seared in pain as she sat up and looked over her shoulder, only to see Tyrion Lannister walking in, staring daggers into Meryn.
"What kind of knight beats a helpless girl?" he spat, moving past him towards her.
"The kind who serves his King, Imp."
"Careful now," a new voice said, "We don't want to get blood all over your pretty white cloak."
Elyanna turned to see a tall man walking on the other side of her with dark brown hair. If Elyanna didn't know any better she would say he looked like a cutthroat.
"Someone get the girl something to cover herself with," Tyrion commanded.
The Hound walked forward immediately without a word, ripping off his own cloak from his shoulder and kneeling to the ground.
"Thank you, Sandor," she whispered.
"That was stupid of you," he responded only loud enough for her to hear, slowly wrapping the cloak around her shoulders. His touch was gentle despite him being such a large man.
"If it wasn't me it would have been my sister," she muttered, her bloodshot eyes looking up at him. He gave the tiniest of nods, almost as if he respected for her it, then stood to go back to his side by the King. She wanted to stand, but felt too weak to, so she remained seated on the floor.
"Have you no respect for her honor?" Tyrion continued, looking at Joffrey. "She is to be your sister by law-"
"I'm punishing her!" Joffrey screeched, stamping his foot into the ground defiantly.
"For what crimes?" Tyrion asked, exasperated. "She did not fight her brother's battle, she did not capture your uncle, you half-wit."
"You can't speak to me like that!" Joffrey screamed, the rest of the throne room falling silent. "I am KING! I shall do as I like."
"The Mad King did as he liked," Tyrion said, stepping towards his nephew. "Has your Uncle Jaime ever told you what happened to him?"
"No one threatens His Grace in the presence of the Kingsguard," Meryn spat, holding his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I'm not threatening the King, Ser, I'm educating my nephew. Bronn, the next time Ser Meryn speaks, kill him."
Elyanna looked over at the cutthroat who seemed delighted at this notion, then back to Meryn who was suddenly speechless.
"Now," Tyrion taunted, "That was a threat, see the difference?"
Tyrion then turned and walked back to Elyanna, looking at her apologetically. He then offered her his hand, which she looked at apprehensively. Despite him stopping the violence that just occurred, she still didn't think she could trust him. She still thought that he had something to do with everything that happened. It felt like every Lannister was accountable for where she was. But seeing no other choice in the moment, she took it and slowly stood, wobbling on her feet a bit before finding balance. Every bit of her body seared with pain as she turned away from Joffrey, leaving with Tyrion. She looked to her sister once more, seeing her standing in tears. She hated to see her sister cry for her, but she was glad that it wasn't her that just experienced this.
"I apologize for my nephew's behaviour," Tyrion said, his voice soft as they walked. "I know you didn't deserve it."
"Of course I did," she said hollowly, looking at him sharply. "My father was a traitor, my brother and my mother are traitors."
"But you didn't do anything," he responded, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Maybe so," she said bitterly. "But as everyone says, I have traitor's blood running through my veins. If the King wants to kill me, he'll find a reason. You all will."
Author's Note: This will be some of the last moments that Elyanna spends in King's Landing...her story is about to take her elsewhere. Make sure to check back in for the next chapter of the story which will be released soon to find out. I hope to update at least one more chapter after that before the House of the Dragon airs on Sunday. See you all then and thank you for reading!