A throbbing ache in her head dulled all her senses. It were as if she had been non-existent for a moment. She tried to re-call anything, even her own name. Nothing. Everything around her was absolutely nothing. When she tried to move her body it would not respond. Was this death? What had killed her? If she were dead, could she see her parents?
Mom. Dad. The fire... The first memory finally came back to her. Her pain worsened but now she felt she was linked back to reality. This was not death. Perhaps she was asleep. What is my name? With the pain came back her mobility. Now her fingers could move, and her leg rubbed against what she was lying on. It was soft and cool. Her body sunk into it and it felt somewhat familiar. A soft sigh escaped her dry lips. She tried to say a name, but did not know what name to call out for. The lady wanted someone next to her. How did she end up alone like this?
She wanted to call out and see if anyone was there near her, but she could not create words yet. Only sighs came out of her mouth, and small grunts from the pain. Why does this hurt so much? When she made a fist something crunched in her hand. Her fingers played with it. It felt like there was a piece of paper in her hand, but she still had no vision to see what it exactly was. If only she could figure out who she was, then maybe...
"Myrna?" a gentle voice called out to her.
Her eyes blinked open. A red canopy was the first thing she saw as she laid on her back on a bed way too large for her. Her eyes wandered off to the side and her head turned slightly. Glassy green eyes met hers. Soon Myrna broke the gaze and saw this young lady was a familiar friend. "Sansa?" Myrna hoarsely said and began coughing. When was the last time she had a drink of water?
Sansa did not smile for Myrna. Quickly she stood up from the chair she had been seated on beside her bed. "I must tell the Queen you're awake," she coldly informed Myrna. "Be sure to get rid of that before someone else walks in," she hinted and her auburn curls flew in the air behind her when she turned to exit out of the room.
"No, wait!" Myrna pushed herself up shakily as Sansa closed the door behind her. When Myrna moved she felt the thing in her palm again. Inside her hand was a piece of paper scrunched into a ball. Myrna opened it clumsily as her bandages were in the way and saw it was a letter. "Is this what Sansa is talking about?" Myrna said to herself before reading aloud. "Every day at dusk a mockingbird will walk past your chamber. If you find yourself alone, the mockingbird will help you recover what you lost... but at a price.'"
After re-reading those few sentences over what seemed like a hundred times, Myrna put the letter down on her lap and inhaled a deep breath. Everything was slowly coming together. This was the capital. When she glanced around she saw that this was the same room they had kept her in before. Underneath her was a thick red quilt blanket and in the corner was the same chamber pot and vanity. The last memory she could recall was a giant fist closing in on her head. "Gregor..." Myrna hissed quietly. Gregor Clegane had dragged her all the way back to this hell hole. Now... she really will marry him. Panic struck her like lightning. What happened to her friends? "Sandor..." Myrna now called out another Clegane name but this time it was more of a cry. She put her injured hand up to her chest and her breathing turned ragged. With her other hand she re-crunched the letter and swung her legs off the bed.
It was then when she noticed they had dressed her in a gown and took away her traveling clothing. The dress she wore was a rose red with black on the sides of the skirt of her dress, and the sleeves ended before her elbow. Around her waist was a black corset with a pattern of golden and rusty brown flowers and leaves. The corset had pinched her all the while she slept, which led her to feel numbness and then pain soon after. Myrna wobbled to the nearest lit candle after she managed to stand up on her feet while cursing whoever dressed her. She shakily held the letter over the small flame as she tried to calm herself down by focusing on her breathing. The letter crinkled and turned black as the orange flames engulfed it, and ashes began to fall on the ground. Somehow she took satisfaction from watching the letter burn away.
A loud knock at the door made her jump, and the letter had been taken care of just in time. When the door open she saw Queen Cersei make an elegant entrance with a sly smile tightening her face. Myrna stood there diligently with her hand still pressed against her chest. She waited for the Queen to speak and was very aware of every move she made. Almost too carefully, Cersei found a spot to sit on where Myrna had just been laying. The smile melted off her wicked face. Her eyes were almost the same green as Sansa had, but Cersei's were nowhere near as innocent. They were eyes that could kill if given the slight chance.
"A proper noble lady would show how... grateful she is to be in the presence of a queen who has given her hospitality," Cersei attentively spoke as she examined every inch of Myrna. "Especially after all the trouble you have put us through..."
"I didn't want to be brought back here," Myrna fumed. "You will let me go. This is not my place!"
Cersei tilted her head and her green eyes pierced through Myrna. "You are giving me commands now? Ha!" she chuckled. "If you fancied The Hound I don't see why you would be upset by marrying his brother instead. I see little difference between the two Clegane brothers..."
"Where is he?" Myrna quickly investigated.
Cersei's infamous smug smile appeared on her lips. Without responding, she slowly stood up and gracefully approached Myrna. She almost gently fixed her dark curls and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "My son does not know you are back home yet. If you want me to make this easier on you... do not ever speak of The Hound again... Forget him..." she softly threatened and swiftly pulled away. Myrna gaped at the queen as she watched her exit out of her room as quickly as Sansa had. After the door was closed Myrna felt a rage grow inside her.
Something inside her made her want to run after Cersei and unleash all her anger on the woman. Myrna wanted to grab her long, golden locks and yank it out of her skull. She wanted to sink her nails into her flesh and skin her with her bare hands. Then she would pummel her with her bare fists, she did not care that one of her hands would feel excruciating pain. After not being able to hold back anymore, Myrna ran to her door but when she tried to turn the knob it wouldn't budge. They were keeping her locked in her chamber.
Myrna let out a scream as she punched the wooden door with her good hand. Then she went at it with both hands, screaming nonsense. When Myrna tired herself out, she held her injured hand and slowly sat on the ground resting against the door with her skirt bunching up around her. Her hand felt like it was stinging everywhere and she had some regret despite feeling better on the inside. When she looked closer at her hand she noticed the bandages were different. Whoever handled her while she was unconscious must have changed her bandages. Then she picked up her skirt so her ankle would be visible and saw her ankle was wrapped in a more quality fabric then she had before. Myrna barely noticed any pain when she ran to the door. This was the only upside she saw for being brought back here. Everything else fell apart.
The day was almost gone and Myrna was still trapped inside that chamber. She laid in front of the door, not finding any motivation to move from where she had her outburst. Nothing seemed to be worth doing anymore. Myrna stared blankly at the window that was on the other side of her bed. The window was her only source of time, and she saw the skies outside begin to turn dusky. Her room slowly darkened with every passing hour. The light from the candles near the doorway began to stretch farther into the room and when the sunset hues from the outside turned dark the candles were her only source of light. Everything was so calm and quiet.
From above her she heard a jingle, the first real noise she had heard in hours. When Myrna groaned and stretched to see what it was, she saw it was the doorknob moving. Someone was unlocking her door. Before Myrna could move the door tried to open but she blocked the way. "Hold on!" Myrna rasped and had a coughing fit as she crawled away from the door and to the edge of her bed. Myrna rested her head and arms on the edge of the bed, still sitting on the ground. She did not even care to see who now entered her room. The footsteps boomed inside and she knew it had to be a large man. Some hope filled her, and she allowed herself to turn and see who it was. Myrna felt sick to her stomach.
Gregor stood incredibly tall since she was sitting on the ground. His cold, brown eyes stared down at her. Myrna noticed that he held something in his hand, and the scent of cooked meat and vegetables filled her room. Her stomach turned even more and gurgled. After breaking off the gaze, he turned and put the bowl down roughly on her nightstand. He stared at the bowl for awhile. She wondered what he was doing and why he was in there with her. Myrna wanted to yell at him, but she had no energy.
"Are you going to eat?" he boomed at her from afar.
Myrna looked at the bowl and then at him. "Why are you here?" she softly asked him.
Gregor shifted his weight between his feet. Then he rubbed his face as if he had an ache in his head. The awkwardness was terrible between them. Then a sudden fear overcame Myrna. What if he became angry with her? There was no way to protect herself. She wished she had never given Sandor her dagger. This could have turned out so much different if she only could have protected herself from this man earlier. Now, she had to do what she needed to do in order to survive.
"If you are not going to eat this... I'll smash the damn thing into your face," he snarled at her.
"There's no need," Myrna quickly snapped back. She found her feet with the help of her bed and shuffled towards the nightstand, looking down at the ground as she passed Gregor. Just being near him made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. When she picked up the bowl her hands immediately warmed up. Steam rose from the broth and hit her face. It was comforting. Myrna took a few steps back and sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the food longingly. She picked up the spoon with her good hand after setting the bowl on her lap and began sipping the broth. Myrna did not even notice Gregor staring at her until she had filled her belly on the soup.
He made his way to the other side of her bed and sat down roughly onto it, making her end rise up. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked her with the attempt to sound kind but it came out sounding anything but kind.
You can let me leave and stop pursuing me, she thought bitterly but decided now was not the best time to be smart with this man. Myrna remembered the letter she burned and realized she missed her first opportunity to speak with this person calling themselves a mockingbird. "I would be happier if I wasn't locked up in this small room," Myrna genuinely told him.
"You left here with my brother and you expect me to trust you not to leave me again!?" Gregor growled at her.
Myrna had to quickly think of something. "I didn't do it willingly," Myrna lied. Then another idea popped into her head. "Sandor took me by force. You have to believe me. If he isn't here then you have nothing to worry about.." she lied more but the look on Gregor's face didn't change.
The man stood up without saying a word and made his way to her door. Before he stepped out he stopped and stared at the floor for a minute and looked over his shoulder. "If that's the truth... I will need to keep your door locked," he bellowed before stepping out and locking the door behind him.
Myrna stared at the door. "Sandor... You are here, aren't you?" she sighed to herself.
...
When morning came there was a loud knock on her door. She awoke after a rough night with hardly any sleep. The doorknob moved as it was being unlocked and when it opened two knights wearing helms entered. Myrna sat up on her bed concerned. "What's going on?" she demanded.
"We are taking you to the king. It will be decided what will be done with you," one replied, his voice bouncing off his helm.
Myrna threw her covers off and stood up. The two knights went to either side of her and grabbed her arms. For the first time she was allowed outside her chamber and they began walking down a long corridor. Morning sun poured in through the large barred windows and there was also a slight breeze. The air outside her chamber was fresh and cooler. Even though she was relieved to be let out, she felt a sickness in her stomach. Joffrey was the last person she wanted to see. What was he going to do with her? They walked through another door which led to the main corridor to where the entrance of the Throne Room was. Every time they passed someone they would stare at her without a word. Some would even stop so they could look at her longer. Word must have gone around about her. Myrna wondered how bad the rumors were. After what felt like forever they finally arrived to the Throne Room doors.
Her stomach twisted into a tight knot when the doors to the Throne Room slowly creaked open. Old emotions returned to her from when she was kept here before. Myrna focused on breathing to try to make the nausea go away. When the large doors were open wide enough she grew concerned. For some reason she had believed she would be the only one in there to present herself to Joffrey, but there was a crowd of people. The two knights at each side of her pushed her in and helped her break through the crowd. The crowd turned and stared at her as if she were some criminal. Ladies covered their mouths as they whispered to the person next to them. Some men snickered and she heard one say "it's the Hound's bitch". The unwanted attention made Myrna glue her eyes to the stoned floor. All she wanted was to hide away from all their gazes. Once they were in front of the crowd the knights halted her to a stop and when she heard a voice yell out in front of her she looked up so quick she nearly hurt her neck.
"I meant what I said," the giant man growled as he stood in chains before King Joffrey. "Fuck the king!" he spat towards the throne.
Myrna took a step towards him the second her eyes locked onto his back but was roughly pulled back by one of the knights. "Sandor! I'm right here!" she cried out to him.
The Hound stumbled backwards and looked over his shoulder, chains clanking against each other. His lip moved softly as he tried to find something to say, but Joffrey broke in before they could exchange anymore words.
"So the rumors were true?" Joffrey loudly spoke. Myrna watched him squirm in his seat, looking rather troubled. She had no idea what he meant by that. "A noble woman should stay loyal to the man she is betrothed to, not run off with his younger brother. From what I see here it is you, Myrna, who is truly at fault here," he judged her openly.
Myrna opened her mouth to defend herself but the noise in the throne room sharply rose and she could not be heard. The voices around her overlapped with at least fifty others. When Myrna scanned the rowdy crowd she noticed Sansa Stark had been standing within the crowd looking out of place. The girl stood silently, staring straight ahead with lifeless eyes. It were as if Sansa was trying too hard to avoid her. Was she angry with her? The Hound told Myrna that he gave Sansa a chance to leave, but refused the offer. If that was what was wrong then Myrna was not at fault, nor The Hound.
"I took her from here! If anyone is to be punished, it's me!" The Hound defended her, his voice so loud it could be heard over all the other voices.
Joffrey's face began to blush an angry red. "You listen to me, dog! I give the commands here and I will punish anyone I wish!" he clamored, nearly about to raise off of his seat on the throne but he relaxed himself back into it when the room quieted down. "If you don't want the Beaumont girl executed, dog, then you know what you have to do," he said in a more calm tone.
The Hound's chin went down into his chest. He was deep in thought. What does he have to do? Myrna wanted to ask but was too afraid to. It seemed everyone else knew what they were talking about. Myrna walked in too late to hear what was said when they first brought in The Hound. All eyes were on him now. They were waiting for his answer. It meant life or death for her, so she hoped for him to agree but at the same time she did not know what he was agreeing to and how bad it was. Knowing Joffrey, it should be awful. The mixed emotions inside her made her feel like she was being pulled in two different directions.
"Aye, I'll do it..." The Hound sighed hesitantly.
Myrna sighed as well. She would live, but for what? Now what will happen? When she heard some giggling she looked and saw ladies smirking at Sansa. The girl's pale face was flushed, but she kept a solemn expression on her face. Then Myrna noticed a small gesture. The Hound turned his face the other way for a second to give Sansa an apologetic stare. Myrna now had a grasp on what was going on here. It was not going to be awful for The Hound at all, but for herself.
"No..." Myrna choked out.
Joffrey stood up from the old, mean throne. The smile on his face was the salt in the wound. "Myrna Beaumont is still betrothed to Gregor Clegane and will leave for Clegane Hall with him after their wedding," he gave her one last dirty smirk before giving his attention to the other girl he loved to play with. "To ensure she remains loyal to one of the Lannister's most valued knights... Sansa Stark is now betrothed to Sandor Clegane! That will be all this morning," he announced, dismissing everyone from the throne room.