THREE
"DOG! WHEN YOU'RE QUITE FINISHED DEALING WITH HER, I DEMAND YOU RETURN AT ONCE."
The wail of Joffrey reached the ears of both Hound and Eirie as they reached the opposite end of the court room. The Hound muttered out a gruff "Yes, your Grace." before dragging Eirie down the winding corridors of Kingslanding.
The distinct, haunting clink of metal on stone rebounded off the walls around them. It reminded Hound of ghost stories read to his brother as a child. How the dead would be bound to a reaper by blood, bone and chain; marching endlessly to find salvation. This march, however, differed greatly from that of the dead. Much like an unruly pet, Eirie too was chained, only she struggled and fought. One shackle clasped around her neck, connecting to her wrists by two smaller chains. From there, chains ran down her legs to connect to the shackles that resided at her ankles. If one were to say she were a prisoner rather than a prize or guest, they would not be far off. She was out of her element. A fish without a pond; a lion in a cage; a dragon without fire.
As the two descended further into the catacombs of Kingslanding castle, windows shrank into stone, air became stale and thin, and the sound of life petered out into echoes. Before long, they arrived at a small door; door being a loose term in this instance. Iron bars ran across the frame vertically, creating a cell likeness to the room. Inside, there was a simple cot with a thin fabric resembling a blanket, and a chamber pot. Eirie shrank away.
A disturbance in the quiet shook Eirie from her grief; keys on a ring. The door opened with a sickening screech once the correct key was found.
"Get in there, girl," The Hound growled out, "And don't think of escaping either. I'll be back later."
"No!"
She cried and stumbled into the room, tripping over her chains," Y-You can't do this..." Her attempts at bettering her situation fell on deaf ears; the Hound had already gone, along the majority of day light.
"PLEASE!"
She yanked at the bars in hopes that there was a flaw, but to no avail. She was trapped and chained. Eirie was a new play thing for the king, and the small girl could only listen to the sound of her heartbeat.
"...Please..."
Curling up in the opposite corner of her cot, trying to ignore the chains, Eirie kept watch of the corridor outside the barred door. There were whispers of spies plaguing Kingslanding. Eirie wouldn't let them get to her. So with weary eyes, she sat in thought. Letting her mind permeate around her; consume her. How could this have happened to me? Not one night ago, I had been carefully living my freedom-my well earned and constructed freedom, but then...then the boy simply had to take aim at my prey. Mine! He had no need of it. It was just a prize to him. All these years, I was never found...how could I have been so mindless?
Before long, her eyelids began to droop, until the gentle hand of sleep led her beyond reality and into a dream world.
Finally able to slip from his duties in the city, Petyr Baelish descended the stone steps into the catacombs of Kingslanding. The echoes of his boots barely fazed his thinking mind, any face he passed went unnoticed; he was set upon one thing alone. A name.
Eirie.
After she had been hauled away, Petyr had counted his steps until he could see her again.
Currently, his feet had traveled 9534 steps.
That child king couldn't see the rare creature he had in his grasp if it bit him in the arse. The lord thought and he grew closer her; the girl that had been brought to Kingslanding not five days prior. I thought the colour of her eyes might have been enough of a hint that she should be treasured not locked away.
..9578
Lord Petyr Baelish's reputation preceded him. He was not known for showing any act of kindness nor compassion towards any the king's prisoners -nor any resident of Kingslanding for that fact- but this being was none of those. She was enigmatic, and she would be his, in what ever sense.
9690...
Gradually, his rushed steps slowed to a careful walk. One after another, each cell passed, until finally, he found it. The last confinement that could pass as a room. There she was, huddled in the farthest corner. If he hadn't trusted his ears and eyes, he would have told anyone that he was gazing at a wild beast found only in the most unpleasant reaches of Westeros.
"Oh my darling girl, what have we done to you?"
A/N:Awe. Poor Eirie :c Reviews are wonderful:)) Tell me if you have any ideas! TELL ME!