Ser Barristan had a pageboy deliver the news whilst he remained behind with the king's body and oversee it's preparation. In the meantime, the Hound escorted Rhaena back to her chambers. She still could not understand why he had been sent to her but at the moment, did not question it. At the present moment it did not seem to matter, there were other things pressing upon her mind. "Convenient that the king should die when he asked to see you, girl." The Hound suddenly spoke which Rhaena thought unusual for him, sending him a strange look as she slowed in her steps and took upon her an air of innocence.
"I know not what you mean." But the Hound did not have the patience nor the tact for games and flowery words, so he growled at her darkly.
"Don't bother playing coy with me. I know that look no matter how hard you try to hide it. That's the look of someone who's just taken another man's life." A laugh almost escaped her. He really was just like a bloodhound. He could sniff out such things without much effort at all. Retaining her composure, Rhaena merely smiled pleasantly and quirked an eyebrow to the Hound. "And don't give me your pretty smiles either. They won't work on me." Her smile grew wider.
"So, you think my smiles are pretty?" A dry glare was sent her direction before being told to move. Rhaena did so, returning to her own thoughts. Word had quickly spread and already the bells were toiling to signify the death of the king, prompting Rhaena to stop and listen to them before a large window which looked out onto the city. She could still feel Robert twitching as he fought for air, feel the life draining from his body as he succumbed to weakness, illness and ultimately suffocation. "Do you…remember the first person you ever killed?" Rhaena asked tentatively, staring out into the city as she spoke quietly to the Hound.
"No. Only that he was some dumb fucker who thought he could kill me first." An unsurprising answer.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Aye. Anyone who says they dislike killing is a liar." Now she glanced at him. He wasn't looking at her but also out towards the city. Rhaena noted that Sandor Clegane very rarely made eye contact with someone, growing defensive and irate with almost everyone who ever tried to speak to him. She wondered if perhaps he was a little shy as well as self conscious of the extensive scarring which contorted half of his face. Perhaps he assumed that no one would ever like him so acted as he pleased to ensure that no one ever would. "You'll never forget." He suddenly spoke, glancing her way but upon realising that Rhaena had been looking at him, quickly averted his eyes. "Not many can say their first kill was a king."
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Sandor Clegane. You must be mistaken." Lying smoothly but with a knowing look in her eye, Rhaena already knew that she had no hope in convincing the Hound. He knew what she had done. Probably even expected her to do it and still he had stood outside the door and not said a word. Perhaps there was more to him still than he let on. "But if it were true…then I would say that you are correct." She continued, drawing away from the window and lifted her head high whilst drawing back her shoulders, walking forwards with pride and conviction which quietened any notion of guilt or regret she ever might have felt. Looking back at him once more, she gave a twist of a smirk. "Only a liar would say they disliked killing. I feel as light as air." Saying nothing more on the chance that someone might overhear them, Rhaena began to make her way back to the Hand's residence. They had taken the long way back in order to get some air in the gardens, but now that she had returned, Rhaena could sense and hear that there was something amiss. She and the girls were meant to be leaving today, without Lord Stark, but the men who were meant to be stationed outside the residence to guard it were nowhere to be seen. Distantly there seemed to be some kind of commotion, but it was only when the screams reached her that Rhaena understood what was happening.
Whirling around she stared at the Hound who looked at her blankly, understanding why he was here. He had been sent by the queen to carry out the former king's orders and bring her to him, but after that, the Hound was to take her hostage once again, and most likely both Sansa and Arya also. "Don't do anything foolish, girl." Sandor warned her, but Rhaena did not take heed. The household was under attack which meant that Cersei must have already made her move, before the king was even cold and buried. The throne was hers now. Seeing that she intended to run, Sandor lunged for Rhaena, but she darted out of his reach and in her panic grasped hold of the first thing which came to hand, a standing candelabra with burning candles. She pulled it down and thrust it towards Sandor who immediately cowered from the flames and flung up his arm to shield his face, giving Rhaena the opportunity she required to flee. She was gone when Sandor next opened his eyes, prompting him to swear loudly and stalk forwards to search for her and the other Stark girls. Rhaena, on the other hand, knew that she had to get both Sansa and Arya out. She had no idea where Sansa might be, but Arya on the other hand, she could make a fair guess.
She ran all the way to where Arya took her dancing lessons with Syrio Forel though everywhere she turned she saw fighting and heard the desperate screams of servants as they were slaughtered where they stood or fled. Soon enough she was running through pools of blood which turned her slippers a deep Lannister red. Avoiding being caught, Rhaena made it to the quieter part of the residence where the Lannister soldiers had yet to reach, only to discover Syrio Forel fighting against one of the Kingsguard, Ser Meryn Trant. "No!" All reason abandoned her as she rushed forwards, seeing the dance master on his knees and bloodied from wounds, the bloodshed causing the dragon-like rage within her to rise and grow wings through her entire being. Lashing out with a kick to the back of Ser Meryn's knee she caused him to buckle and fall, not expecting an attack from behind. Syrio Forel moved with a catlike grace, moving with such speed and agility that Rhaena only needed to blink once before Ser Meryn was slumping to the ground. Momentarily transfixed, she stared down at him.
"Run child. Flee from here." Syrio breathed heavily and had a slight limp from where he was clutching a leg wound, but he was standing and alive which was all that mattered. "You must go."
"I cannot, not without Arya and Sansa. In any case, it is you who needs to leave King's Landing. Ser Meryn will never let you live after this. He'll hunt you down unless you escape." Shaking her head, Rhaena grasped at Syrio's hand. "Where did Arya go? Which way?" Giving her a brief smile, Syrio gestured back down the stairs.
"May the god of Death not find you today, dear child." The dance master spoke as he clutched Rhaena's hands and kissed them.
"Nor you. Remember, get away from here. This place kills everything that is good, and you are one of the best." Having no more time, Rhaena broke away and fled once more, searching for Arya and praying she could find her in time. Thankfully the gods appeared to be on her side as she found herself running to the courtyard where the wagons had been loaded with their luggage, the servants and steward all dead on the ground where they had been massacred, but there was Arya. "Arya!" Crying out with relief, Rhaena reached the girl just as the boy she was standing against fell to the ground with her slim sword Needle sliding out of his body, wet with his blood. She gasped softly, staring at him. Arya was rooted to the spot in shock, unable to take her eyes off the boy. This was not what she expected to find, but now it was done and there was nothing either of them could do about it. "Come away, Arya. Come now, hurry!" All but dragging Arya away, Rhaena seized her hand in order to run. She could not risk going back for Sansa just yet, thinking that instead she would take Arya and get her out first to ensure that at least one of the Stark girls made it to safety. There was only one place they could run to, the place where Arya had managed to escape the first time. Rhaena did not even stop to admire the great dragon skull this time, racing past it and still dragging Arya behind her with nothing to her name but Needle and the clothes she wore. They reached the tunnel where Arya had begun to cry, breathing heavily as the weight of death began to settle upon her. "You must go, Arya. Get out of the keep and wait for me by the tunnel mouth on the shore. If I am not there by sundown, then you have to escape and find your way back North to your brother Robb. It is your only hope."
"What's going on Rhae? What's happening? Where is my father? Syrio…he…" Taking a moment, Rhaena pulled Arya into her arms and embraced her tightly.
"The Lannisters rule now Robert is dead. If they have attacked your father's residence, then it means they must have him under their control and imprisoned. I do not know why or what is going on, but what matters most is that they do not get you or Sansa. They will use you as bargaining chips. I need you to disappear, Arya. Become nothing more than a shadow so they do not find you. If I cannot make it out with your sister…then you must promise you will get yourself away from here." Arya began to cry further, so Rhaena kissed her cheeks and wiped her tears before taking a handkerchief from within her sleeve and pressed it into her hands. "Be strong, be brave. Like a wolf. Gods be good this will be over soon, and everything will resolve itself peacefully and you can go home." Kissing her one last time, Rhaena all but thrust Arya into the tunnel before turning back for Sansa. She could have been free there and then. She could have taken Arya's hand and simply run away from the Lannisters and the fighting, but honour held her back. Returning for Sansa was the right thing to do, she owed it to Lord Stark to protect his children as best as she could, and so Rhaena passed over her one chance at freedom in order to go back into the fray and seek out Sansa, aiming for her rooms. Wherever she ran she found no trace of Sansa, only death and blood where the slain lay and the living were being gathered to be beheaded one by one to silence their screaming. It was all Rhaena could do to keep from vomiting as she turned upon her heel to go back the way she had come but fell into the hands of the Lannister soldiers. She was caught even after attempting to run whereby she began to scream and curse, struggling with all her might as the two men holding her fought to maintain control over her, laughing as they did so.
One grasped a fistful of Rhaena's dress and pulled at it with a sharp yank where the fine silk tore effortlessly and exposed her shoulder and back as sweat began to glisten upon her skin and fear struck at her heartstrings. They taunted her frailty and weakness, one hand grasping at her leg to feel the inside of her thigh, so Rhaena writhed backwards and spat in the soldier's face, shouting for someone to help her. For her actions she was rewarded with a backhand across the face and the two men began to drag her away, kicking at doors until one burst open whereby they dragged Rhaena inside. She knew what would happen next unless she did something, so as the two men attempted to pull her further into the room, she managed to twist her head and pull her wrist closer to her face where one of the soldiers held her. Opening her mouth, she sank her teeth into the hand that grasped her, biting down through the glove with so much strength that she heard bones crack and the hand was ripped back so quickly it almost pulled out her teeth with it. The soldier screamed with a curse as Rhaena then turned on her other captor whose grasp had slackened in his shock, allowing her to stomp on his foot and grasp hold of him in order to slam her knee upwards into his groin. The armour plating protected him somewhat, but he still fell to his knees, though Rhaena could already feeling her leg swelling and bruising. Her hands scrambled madly upon the table, barely registering that this room was a small study of sorts and was most likely used by the steward.
Her hand closed around a glass ink pot so she immediately flung its content at the first guard she had bitten to spill the ink into his face and eyes, making him scream once again so that when she bolted, he could not grasp hold of her. Unfortunately, however, there were more soldiers sweeping through the residence and the moment Rhaena sprung out of the room, they spotted her. "There she is! Capture her!" Crying out in distress, Rhaena used her fear to channel it into energy so that when she ran, her run turned into a sprint. She desperately wished Ser Barristan would appear and heroically save her but her best hope for that was to get back to the king's quarters where she knew the knight would be standing vigil. So long as she was with Ser Barristan, she knew she would be safe. So, she ran for all she was worth, with her face bleeding, her leg bruised, and her dress ripped down the back. Find Ser Barristan and she would live. Fail, and she would most likely die after becoming the plaything of a dozen men.
Who she found however was not Ser Barristan Selmy, but rather someone who was just as likely to kill her as the rest of them. She had found the Hound once again. There was still no sign of Sansa, but with a dozen bloodthirsty beasts on her heels, Rhaena saw no other choice. At least the Hound would kill her quickly or at least take her to the queen to be killed. At this present moment, she saw it as the lesser of two evils. Changing her direction at the last moment, she charged directly at the Hound who only noticed her when she was practically atop him, hand resting upon his sword ready to draw it. Disregarding this, Rhaena sprang forwards with all her might whilst ignoring the pain in her leg to crash against the Hound and fling her arms about his neck. It happened so quickly that the Hound only moved upon instinct to catch her, his arm coming around the back of her legs so that she was held high off the ground and her face buried itself into the scarred side of his neck. So tightly did she cling to him that Sandor Clegane was utterly lost as to what to do, caught between wanting to throw her away from him or lock her to his side so that she couldn't escape again. At present, however, he remained frozen. This was when the Lannister soldiers finally appeared, their armour clattering as they pursued their prey but came to a staggering halt when they noticed the Hound standing before them. Now he growled, glancing to the deep tear in the girl's dress which exposed the entirety of her back and recalling seeing blood on her face before she had tacked him. Sometimes his face was useful, because it terrified others. He used it now, glaring at the soldiers and daring them to come any closer as he held the girl in one arm and pointedly continued to hold the hilt of his sword in the other. "Piss off." He spat before turning and walking away. Feeling for the moment a little safer, Rhaena exhaled and relaxed her grip upon the Hound who continued to carry her like she weighed nothing. It was uncomfortable against his armour as it jutted out awkwardly against her and was cold to the touch, but she did not complain of it as she gradually went lax and looked up at his face.
"Please…take me to Ser Barristan."
"Can't do that. Queen gave her orders."
"Then Sansa, can you at least tell me Sansa is safe?" Rolling his eyes in irritation, Sandor eventually caved as he knew she was pleading him with those winsome eyes of hers, which were as irritating as anything.
"Aye. She's safe. She's with the queen." To this end Rhaena snorted, lowering her head once again as she felt all the strength seemingly drain away from her body until she felt utterly exhausted.
"I would not call that safe." And it was true. From now on they were completely at the mercy of Queen Cersei and her little brat Joffrey who was to be king. Soon the Seven Kingdoms would fall and Rhaena doubted anything would be able to save them, as with the death of King Robert came an aftermath that would rattle Westeros to its core and at the centre of it all stood Rhaena, who saw everything as it unfolded before her and witnessed the rise and fall of men in the wake of a new power rising under the influence of Queen Cersei Lannister. At the very least, Rhaena was grateful that the Hound was currently gentle to her, carrying her safely away and snarled at any and all who attempted to approach them, escorting her to the next stage of her existence where Rhaena would continue to play the game until she had run out of moves, and once that happened…she would die.