Author's Notes: Good day, everyone! I hope you're all having a good weekend. It's very likely that none of this would be possible without your support, so thank you!
Catzrko0l has once again made sure that these chapters are a smooth read for you. I have much to thank them for and I hope you thank them too!
Chapter 74
Daenerys VIII
"They say beasts guard the realm of Old Valyria. No dragons for they cannot fly. It is why those who ever attempt to visit Old Valyria never return. I, however, I will be the first to visit and return. I need only my crew. There be enough here to overwhelm the beasts who guard the Doom," Captain Lucia Hardy said with an avaricious grin.
Daenerys returned the smile, though it did not reach her eyes. It had been a week since they set sail from Astapor on the Rhaella. The armada of ships bearing the rest of the ten thousand Unsullied were sprawled out behind them. She turned now to watch them as seeing all of the ships dedicated to her cause buoyed her mood.
She had been looking forward to the company that both Captain Lucia Hardy and Missandei offered. But where Missandei was quiet and gentle, often willing to share a giggle with her, Captain Lucia's tongue had a cutthroat edge that seemed ready to strip the skin off of anyone unfortunate enough to raise her ire. As yet, that ire had never been directed at her, but she had been witness to it far too many times. It was a lasting source of disagreement.
Captain Lucia berated her own crewmen and even the Unsullied. In the Unsullied's case, they remained unmoved and unyielding and it gave Daenerys the distinct impression that Captain Lucia enjoyed striking them with her words precisely because they would not flinch. The first time Daenerys happened upon it, she called Captain Lucia to her makeshift throne and snapped at her that she was never to speak with such disrespect to her Unsullied again. Captain Lucia had been appropriately contrite, but the incidents of abuse persisted. She nearly broke Missandei's wrist when she was serving drinks because the captain wanted a different beverage. Again, Daenerys demanded that Captain Lucia treat her servants more kindly and wound up comforting Missandei later.
Daenerys would admit that it had been a couple of days since she'd seen such incidents and she hoped that Captain Lucia now knew her place. But Dany was not fool enough to believe she had really changed her ways. Once I reach King's Landing, I can be rid of her, Daenerys thought with some relief. That was a mere two months away. She had waited all of her life to return to Westeros; she could wait a little longer.
Despite her mistreatment of those with lower status, Daenerys gave her grudging respect. Captain Lucia was the only person who appeared unphased by the dragons or even the threat to her being. All it had taken for the other captains to obey was one look at both Drogon's and Rhaellon's hissing mouths full of teeth and they fell trembling to their knees. Captain Lucia had merely shrugged when the threat of a fiery death had been leveled at her. Since the captain had been in Astapor when the Masters had received their hideous deaths, she had to know Daenerys was still willing to deliver on her threats.
Regardless of the danger from the dragons, Captain Lucia appeared delighted by their antics as they snapped and hissed at each other in aerial battles. For all of her bravado, she was not quite fool enough to attempt to pet them at least. The dragons still only allowed Dany to lovingly stroke their necks.
As much as Daenerys disagreed with her treatment of people of lesser status, Captain Lucia's knowledge of worldly affairs was undisputed. In just the one week, there were two times they had spoken long into the early hours of the morning where Captain Lucia gave her a history of Westeros and it's major families. Later, when she ran the conversations by Ser Barristan, he had agreed with much of it, correcting only smaller details here and there. There was one section of history, however, that Daenerys was adamant about hearing straight from Ser Barristan and that was the circumstances surrounding her father and his death. Captain Lucia had been a mere child when the events had occurred and although she had been accurate on much else, Dany didn't trust her memory for this.
Daenerys glanced over to see Ser Barristan standing mere feet away, watching over her like a hawk. Her bloodriders were of a similar distance. They still seemed ill at ease on the ocean despite the time traveling on it, but Ser Barristan swayed with the ship like he was a part of it. He hadn't said anything further about Captain Lucia since they departed and he kept his face pleasantly neutral. Apart from seeming naturally pleasant, she could not read the thoughts on his face.
She hadn't known him for long, but she understood that he was too deferential to initiate the conversation. That would be up to her. She had been delaying as she sorted out her army and supporters, like Captain Lucia, but not in small part because she wasn't sure how much she wanted to hear the truth.
Her brother, Viserys, had insisted that the rebels were mere agitators who wanted power for themselves and that they had attacked their king without legitimate grievances. She had grown up her whole life hearing about how the Stark Whore had seduced their brother Rhaegar like a northern witch and he had died with a hammer to the chest by the Usurper, Robert Baratheon, as a result. Their father had valiantly tried to hold the traitorous Tywin Lannister at bay only for Tywin's golden son to shove his sword into the back of the very king he swore to protect. Their mother died to give birth to her on the stormiest night that Dragonstone had ever seen. That they had only managed to escape by the skin of their teeth before Lord Stannis Baratheon, the new king's brother, had arrived to bring them to their deaths.
All of her life, she was moved from place to place and watched her brother beg on their behalf, for food, for shelter, for mere scraps. For years she had forgotten what having a full belly felt like. She had otherwise been fed on a diet of unending hate against the Usurper and his friends. But that had seemed so distant to her, all her brother told her sounded almost like tales of mythical lands far away.
Even now that she was grown and had suffered so much, all she could do was wonder about the changes in Westeros. The Usurper who had rebelled with his friend, Eddard Stark, had found himself backstabbed by that very friend and a new dragon was placed on the throne. Even Robert Baratheon's first and best friend would not back him in the end.
Daenerys pulled herself away from the railing. Captain Lucia was still entertained by the dragons as they plunged into the water for fish and weaved through the air. They were big enough now that Daenerys no longer felt comfortable keeping them in her cabin. The first night she had spent away from them, they had screeched and cried mournfully through the night and Daenerys found herself joining them to keep them company so that the rest of the crew could sleep. Eventually, they had grown used to the separation.
Daenerys walked over to Ser Barristan and said, "I am ready to hear about my father and what he did to inspire the rebellion."
"As you wish, Princess."
"We shall speak in my cabin," she demanded.
"Very well," he replied and fell into step behind her.
The quarters were large for a ship, but not nearly as grandiose as what had been available to her at Xaro Xhoan Daxos' palace. Her bed was set out in the open and they seated themselves at a small, round wooden table merely a few feet away. There were plush rugs to make it more comfortable, but it was otherwise kept clean and simple.
Daenerys took a sip of the wine Missandei had brought in and watched Ser Barristan closely as he merely glanced at it.
"You are free to partake," she said.
"Thank you, Princess, and I will," he replied, but he still continued to sit, stiff and alert in his chair, watching her closely. Then he asked, "What is it that you would like to know first?"
Daenerys focused on a dent in the wood and willed herself not to pick at it. She wanted to say the beginning, but where was the starting point? When Rhaegar crowned Lady Lyanna his queen of love and beauty? When the Usurper called for open rebellion? Finally, she said, "Where do you think I should start?"
She noticed Ser Barristan's eyes fade away to a far off point as he seemed to think. Finally, he said, "It started with your father, King Aerys II. He was the main instigator. He was not always so… antagonistic. At one point, he and Lord Tywin Lannister were close friends. Lord Tywin acted as Hand to King Aerys II. It's hard to say where your father started showing the first inklings of madness, but most speculate that it began in the form of jealousy for Lord Tywin's accomplishments. There were whispers that Lord Tywin was the true king of Westeros and King Aerys was merely playing at king. Your father didn't like that."
Daenerys was already stunned. Her brother had never mentioned Lord Tywin Lannister of all people in a positive light. Had never mentioned that he and perhaps his children had once been family friends and allies.
"The Targaryens were close allies with the Lannisters?'
"With Lord Tywin at least, once. Now, your brother, Prince Rhaegar, is another major influence. Prince Rhaegar was the kindest, gentlest man I knew. He liked to go down to Flea Bottom and play his lute for the people living down there." Daenerys could see a softening in Ser Barristan and a small smile played on his lips. "He was the best musician and could cause the women to weep with a few strums of the chords. He was also remarkably intelligent. Knowledgeable of many things. I like to think I knew your brother well, but if the events that led to his death are anything to go by, I didn't know him well enough."
"How do you mean?"
"Your brother became obsessed with a prophecy of some kind. I only have small details. Bits about how the 'Dragon has three heads' and that the 'Prince Who Was Promised would be born from fire and ice.' It makes little sense to me. I never thought your brother would be taken by something that seemed so fanciful. He was not the first Targaryen to be undone by prophecy. It could be argued that your grandfather King Jaeherys started this pursuit of prophecy. He appointed me to the Kingsguard, so I am familiar enough with your family's history that you can be confident in my words. When Prince Duncan married his Jenny, her woodwitch friend predicted that The Prince Who Was Promised would come from the line of then Prince Aerys and Princess Rhaella. Yes, your grandfather forced your father and mother to marry because of this. It was...an unhappy union to say the least." Daenerys raised her eyebrows at the shame that seemed to steal over Ser Barristan and he averted his eyes to the table for a moment. He then cleared his throat and continued, "Your father's madness coupled with Prince Rhaegar's headlong pursuit to fulfilling this prophecy set your family on a ship towards a waterfall."
Daenerys realized she was chewing the inside of her mouth and willed herself to stop. She tried to be patient as Ser Barristan finally took a draught from the wine cup. She thought she saw pain on the sharp plains of his face.
"Harrenhal. Everyone was there for the tourney that was to take place. Now, your father had already had quite a reputation for his ill-temper and his wild moods. The smallest thing could set him off. Lord Tywin was still Hand of the King at this point. A few years prior, he had been positioning for your father to accept a betrothal between Lady Cersei Lannister and your brother, Prince Rhaegar. Your father spat in his face and chose Princess Elia Martell instead. And still, your father did not like his grandchildren. He said he smelled their Dornishness. Princess Rhaenys had dark hair but Prince Aegon was born with the Targaryen silver hair."
She stared, aghast at the revelation. Two beautiful children had been born to succeed the king and he was not pleased? She could not wrap her mind around not welcoming either of them. Viserys had a disgusting habit of scaring her to stillness when he spoke of the assassins killing her in the same way Ser Amory Lorch had stabbed their niece Rhaenys half a hundred times. The details of their fate weren't ones that she could escape.
"Are you well, Princess?"
Daenerys felt her mouth work soundlessly. Finally, she spoke in a trembling voice, "Yuh-yes, I'm fine. Please, continue."
"Ser Jaime was sworn to the Kingsguard at Harrenhal. Are you familiar with the requirements to be a kingsguard?" When she nodded, he said, "King Aerys did it to steal Lord Tywin's heir. Then once the ceremony was over, he sent him off to King's Landing. He was a mere boy of five-and-ten. That was the last straw for Lord Tywin. He packed up Lady Cersei Lannister, resigned his post as Hand, and left for Casterly Rock.
"Then, of course, Prince Rhaegar crowned Lady Lyanna Stark his queen of love and beauty upon winning the tourney. He rode right past Princess Elia to give it to her. This caused great offense to a large number of parties; your brother should've known better. He almost certainly knew better. He was already married and had no business giving the crown to a maid he was not entitled to. Lady Lyanna Stark was betrothed to Lord Robert Baratheon." When Ser Barristan finished this sentence it was with a heavy sigh and he kneaded his forehead as if he still was trying to understand the purpose of the events.
"A few weeks after Harrenhal, Prince Rhaegar took Lady Lyanna from somewhere outside Riverrun and they eloped."
Daenerys felt herself biting her lip. She had known that Prince Rhaegar gave the crown of love and beauty to Lady Lyanna Stark and later absconded with her. Now that she had been wedded and bedded to someone like Khal Drogo, she wondered at what Lady Lyanna had been thinking. Had she been willing or did she even have a choice? Would Rhaegar give Lady Lyanna the same choice that Viserys had given her when it came to marrying Drogo? It didn't sound like the kind man Ser Barristan described.
She nodded. "I learned about this not long after I had married Khal Drogo. It's what grants King Aemon legitimacy."
Ser Barristan nodded. "Supposedly, the Septon annulled the marriage between Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia. It's not clear how he did this. Perhaps it was under pain of death? The only ones who were there besides Prince Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna were the Kingsguard who guarded her at the Tower of Joy. And they're all dead.
"Once the news spread that Prince Rhaegar had stolen Lady Lyanna, Brandon Stark and some of his friends rushed to King's Landing. Brandon Stark demanded his sister returned and threatened to kill Prince Rhaegar," Ser Barristan said and sighed again. "Foolish, really, to level such a threat at the crown prince to the king himself. For that, Brandon Stark and his friends were thrown into the cells."
A distasteful expression stole over Ser Barristan. "Lord Rickard Stark came to King's Landing to barter for his heir's life and demanded a trial by combat, as was his right. Lord Rickard showed up to court dressed in his best armor. He was suspended from the rafters. King Aerys declared that fire was his champion and if Lord Rickard could keep himself from burning, then he would win."
Daenerys gasped and stared in confused horror. "That's… hardly fair…" She heard herself murmur. Her thoughts instantly flew back to the Masters she'd had the dragons burn alive. They had been wicked men who tortured little boys and turned them into warrior slaves. They had deserved such a fate. She had given Mirri Maz Duur the chance to prove her worth and heal Khal Drogo. Mirri Maz Duur had betrayed her instead to be rid of another Khal, only for two new Khalasars to spring forth. With the death of the Masters, Daenerys ended a horrendous practice and freed ten thousand slaves. Those were not deaths she would regret.
"Unfair indeed. The fire was started. Brandon Stark had been brought up into the court. He was rigged so that his struggles would tighten a noose around his neck with every move. He tried. He tried to save his father. He strangled himself in the noose. The same fate befell the rest of his friends and their fathers; they were all executed. King Aerys just laughed."
Daenerys felt herself going numb as she tried to understand how her father could have been so different from what Viserys had told her. He hadn't given her the details of how the Lord Stark was burned alive with his son watching, just that they had been traitors and they'd gotten what they deserved. She was starting to think now that even Viserys hadn't known their true fates. She felt ill and as she watched Ser Barristan take another drink, she realized he had yet more to continue.
"When Lord Stark and Brandon Stark died, your father demanded Eddard Stark's head, and Lord Robert Baratheon's as well. The new Lord Stark had been sent to foster with Lord Jon Arryn at the Eyrie and Lord Robert was also fostering there. That's how they became such close friends. Lord Jon Arryn refused to give them up. Lord Robert demanded they go to war to gain back Lady Lyanna and avenge Lord Stark's family. So began Robert's Rebellion.
"At the Trident, myself, Prince Lewyn Martell, and Ser Jonothor Darry rode out with Prince Rhaegar. Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Arthur Dayne, and Ser Oswell Whent were left to guard Lady Lyanna at the Tower of Joy. Ser Jaime Lannister was the only member of the Kingsguard left in King's Landing. He was responsible for guarding the king, Princess Elia, Prince Aegon, and Princess Rhaenys. From what I've heard, though, King Aerys kept him by his side every single day.
"I think you know the rest. Prince Rhaegar lost his life in the Battle of the Trident. I was injured and unable to divert the blow from him. Lord Tywin sacked King's Landing and Lord Jaime slayed your father, the king."
Daenerys narrowed her eyes. "Do you think being so close to my father inspired Ser Jaime to kill him?"
"I cannot say, Princess. As far as I know, Lord Jaime and King Aemon are the only ones who know what happened. Neither have spoken a word of it."
"What do you mean, 'as far as you know'?"
Ser Barristan seemed to consider her question and then he said, "King Aemon pardoned Lord Jaime for his kingslaying."
Daenerys felt her ire rise and she started to tap the table in irritation. "Did he now? Ser Jorah told me some months ago that King Aemon saved Lord Jaime from death. I remember it infuriated my brother. It baffles me. Why?"
The old knight cocked his head at her. "The political reasons are strong enough that keeping Lord Jaime alive was far more favorable than the alternative. But I don't think that is the only reason."
"I know the Lannisters are a powerful family. But it surprises me that King Aemon would so quickly forgive him for killing a member of our family."
"The situation is complicated, Princess. The death of Lord Jaime Lannister for a crime he did not commit would've torn the realm asunder. If you're not aware, Lord Tywin does not take slights against his family lightly. He butchered an entire line for refusing to pay his father's taxes and giving the respect the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands deserved."
Daenerys felt her eyes widen and she stared with a mixture of fear and disgust at Ser Barristan. He merely nodded.
"By saving Lord Jaime, King Aemon stayed Lord Tywin's hand. However, with the same move, he made it impossible for the former Prince Joffrey to contest the succession. Lady Cersei had confessed that Robert Baratheon's children were not his. So while Lord Tywin's favored son was saved, the rest of his blood was removed from the throne. I doubt Lord Tywin would weigh the significance of the debt he owed King Aemon higher than the insult of having his grandson stripped of the crown."
Daenerys leaned in further. She had never been entangled in a conflict this intricate and political.
Ser Barristan continued. "So King Aemon pardoned Lord Jaime for the kingslaying and dismissed him from the Kingsguard."
She blinked in confusion. "I thought you told me that a Kingsguard serves for life?"
"That is true. It's a requirement that I wish could not have been subverted, but the king may do as he wishes. Releasing Lord Jaime from the Kingsguard restored him as the heir to Casterly Rock. Elevating him to Hand of the King tied Lord Jaime—and therefore Lord Tywin—closely to King Aemon. While Lord Tywin may not hold life debts in esteem, Lord Jaime does. And Lord Tywin would dare not go against his heir for fear of undermining his authority when he finally took over as head of House Lannister."
Daenerys nodded. "I see what King Aemon had planned. He is quite clever."
"That he is. But I don't think he made Lord Jaime Hand to the King for political reasons alone. He was squire to Lord Jaime, having been bound to him for three weeks before Lord Jaime was set for execution. They are friends."
"Hmm…" Daenerys furrowed her brow and she did not bother to hide her skepticism. "Are you so sure that Lord Jaime would not try to kill King Aemon? Being that close would give him the opportunity."
"Indeed it would, but I don't see Lord Jaime attempting to kill King Aemon. Despite what he did to your father, he does not carry a grudge against all Targaryens."
"I would like to find that out before I put myself within arm's reach of him. How is it that King Aemon would trust a kingslayer?"
"Because Lord Jaime took King Aemon as his squire. That was when King Aemon was known as the Stark's bastard, Jon Snow. Without a doubt King Aemon showed prowess and great talent with the sword. But I later learned, after King Aemon assumed the throne, that Lord Jaime knew that King Aemon was Prince Rhaegar's son. Taking him under his wing as squire was merely an excuse to get him into King's Landing, near the seat of power."
Daenerys gasped. "But how did he know?"
The knight had a small smile on his face, but she noticed that he couldn't quite meet her eyes and then said, "He put two and two together in King's Landing when Lord Stark came back from the Tower of Joy with his sister's body and a babe."
"Ser, you have been truthful all this time. I would hate for you to undermine your own account by withholding the truth now."
If Ser Barristan was hiding the truth, he did not flinch. Yet he still could not seem to find her eyes. He shrugged and said, "That's what Lord Jaime said to us."
Daenerys frowned. The account had given her much to think about. She had already known that her brother had taken Lady Lyanna despite being married himself. It surprised her that all of this tragedy had been precipitated by her brother's obsession with a prophecy. And now she was curious to hear it herself, but for what purpose had he been pursuing this prophecy? She wondered if Ser Barristan would even tell her if he knew.
No matter what King Aemon seemed to think or the masterful move he made in making Lord Jaime his Hand, she was not about to forgive the kingslayer. Whatever her father's crimes, Lord Jaime's actions had led to her growing up in misery, to being sold to a stranger as its own form of slavery by her own brother, who had grown bitter and mad from all the years of begging.
The dragons had been her saving grace and not strictly for their power. She had lost one baby, Rhaego, only to be replaced by two baby dragons. While a human child and dragons could not be compared, her two babies trilled, played, and crooned in much the same way. Rhaego could not be replaced, but the hole he'd left in her heart did not have to pain her as sharply as it would have if she had been left with nothing.
She glanced towards the window and found the orange light of the setting sun shining off the water. "I best bring the dragons in. Thank you, Ser Barristan, for giving me the truth."
"Of course, Princess. If you would ever like any more information regarding your family, King Aemon, or the history and houses of Westeros, I will do my best to provide."
He followed her on deck, staying on her heels like she imagined he once did with her brother Rhaegar.
|-The Dragon's Roar-|
Arya III
She skipped towards the training yard. When she thought about it, her own transformation amazed her. The last thing she had ever wanted to do was leave the North. The entire journey south to King's Landing had been a blur characterized only by her anger and sense of betrayal. Being forced to share a carriage with Sansa for months on end was a misery she was afraid to repeat. She honestly thought her life couldn't get worse.
Then Jon freed her from the obligation to be forced into a marriage. Then she was able to get sword lessons from real women fighters! And then she had made actual friends! She'd only ever had her siblings and Theon to play with back in Winterfell. But in King's Landing, Lucille was her age and also training to fight with a sword. Nearly every day they were on the training grounds swinging swords as if they were boys. Although Lucille did do lady things like sewing, she didn't find them appealing like Sansa. For so long, Sansa and Jeyne Poole had made fun of her for being different, calling her horse-face. The majority of ladies still did not fight, but Arya felt she had found her people in Lady Brienne of Tarth, Lady Dacey, Lady Maege, and Lucille.
It wasn't even just the other women who treated her right on the training grounds. Edric Dayne had been training with them as well. Women fighters did not faze him since he was from Dorne. He was a couple years older and served as the squire to Ser Beric Dondarrion. When the three of them were feeling particularly rambunctious, they pleaded with Ser Beric to tell them stories of his adventures and fights. Other times they took Nymeria and ran through the godswood. Nymeria was nearly her height and she could outrun them within a few leaps, but her direwolf dogged their steps as they ran shouting and leaping over the tree roots sprawling out before them. She wasn't sure she had ever felt so carefree in Winterfell with all of her lessons hanging over her head.
She stopped mid-skip to take the stance she saw from Lord Jaime in his duel against Ser Lyn Corbray. Father would have never let her watch such a thing, but Robb was too involved with Lady Margaery to keep a close eye on her. She, Lucille, and Edric had squeezed through the people and crouched at their feet, peering through the legs of the Lannister soldiers. Lord Jaime had been fierce and majestic in his multifaceted Lannister armor with gold paint the color of his hair. His expression had been darker than any she had seen from her own father and it caused her to shiver in fear and excitement. She expected the battle to be epic.
While Lord Jaime had been powerful, he'd been much too quick for Arya's liking. She would've preferred the fight had gone for several minutes longer. Edric had quirked his mouth at her and said, "Most duels end quickly. It seems that Lord Jaime wasn't interested in playing with his food this time."
"This time?"
"You've seen him training. He likes to toy."
Unfortunately, it had been months since she saw him training. It wasn't too long after Arya arrived that Jon and her father had sailed to Dorne. Almost as soon as they were gone, Lord Jaime had become like a ghost. The only times she ever caught sight of him were when he was at court and she made every effort to stay out of there. Standing around watching him make decisions was duller than unpolished armor.
Arya ran through the stances that she remembered, brandishing her invisible sword. She fixed her face into an expression mirroring Lord Jaime's and then just as quickly picked up skipping again. There hadn't been any training the day before, so she was eager to get there now and beg Lady Maege or Lady Dacey.
As the training ground came into view, she grinned at seeing Lucille already waiting, training sword by her side, but she was tapping her foot impatiently as she watched Lady Maege and Lady Dacey.
"Lucille!"
Her friend turned and grinned, waving enthusiastically. "Hi, Arya! Ready to fight?"
"Always am," Arya piped back up.
Lucille then scowled and said, "I don't think Lady Maege and Lady Dacey are going to train us today."
"Again?" Arya said scowled back. This was the third day in a row that they had sent the girls away. "But I want to try some of Lord Jaime's moves."
"They've just been standing there whispering to each other. Something doesn't feel right, but then no one ever tells us anything," Lucille replied.
Arya frowned. She had felt something similar. The warrior ladies had been particularly level with them compared to most adults, but ever since Lady Brienne had been injured, Lady Dacey and Lady Maege had seemed worried and distracted. When they'd asked what was going on, Lady Maege had shaken her head and Lady Dacey said, "Adult things. You wouldn't care."
They were right. Arya didn't care, but she didn't understand how it could distract from fighting. Training only happened an hour or two a day and then Arya was forced to attend lessons and sewing with Sansa. Thankfully, Lucille also attended their sewing lessons so Arya at least had someone to share her misery.
Since Lucille was the daughter of an exceedingly minor lord, she was hesitant to interrupt a serious conversation. But Arya was the daughter of the lord paramount. She walked over to them and blatantly said, "Lady Dacey, Lady Maege, Lucille and I are ready for our lesson." She frowned when they looked at her in irritation. They were generally more forgiving of her willfulness, as her father called it.
"I'm sorry, Arya, but not today. We have...other things on our minds," Lady Maege said in a tone that brooked no argument.
But Arya had had enough of the delays. "But we want to learn the moves that Lord Jaime did in the duel!"
Lady Maege's eyebrows went up and her eyes became as hard as her father's when he was at his most angry.
She took a small step back and began chewing her lip.
"I said no and that will be the end of it! You shouldn't have been at the duel anyway… Now go along before I say something to Lord Robb."
Like he will do anything, Arya thought, but she stomped away fuming all the same.
Lucille sighed at her thunderous expression. "No then?"
"Of course not!"
"We could always practice without them."
"They always break up the fight before it can even start," Arya replied. "No training without a judge."
Lucille sighed again in exasperation. "Let's go find Edric."
"Yes, let's," Arya replied. Before they scoop us up for more sewing, she thought heatedly. They dashed for the throne room, dodging all of the nobility and servants who gave startled cries. Before they entered the doorway, they veered to the left of the building and down the stairs. They kept going past the buildings and servants watched them run by in confusion. Tucked in a corner was a small hole for a window and they climbed through.
It appeared to have been a servant's room if the broken beds were any indication, but it had since been filled with a variety of crates. They held tablecloths, candlesticks, torches, blankets, and other odds and ends. One of the candle holders on the fireplace hung on a mechanism and when they turned it inward, a small door behind the grate opened. They crawled through into the darkness. Before closing the door, they reached for a wrapped bundle and pulled out a candle holder each with fresh candles they'd stolen from within the crates. Once the candles were lit, Arya found the lever to pull the door back into place. The candle did not put off a lot of light, but they followed the tiny corridor. Even they had to stoop as they walked along until they came upon an opening on the right and they ducked in.
"I'm so glad we found this. It's nice to have a place even my brothers can't reach," Lucille said as she blew out a breath.
During one exploration of the Red Keep, Arya had brought Nymeria along. No one had dared say a cross word to them with her direwolf lurking in the back and grumbling her mistress' irritation at any meddling. She had been the one who found the window in the wall. They had left her standing guard since it was too small for her to fit through and she ensured no one snooped in their business.
"Mmhmm. Sansa would never follow me down here."
Lucille laughed. "I'd like to see her try."
Arya snorted and soon they broke up into giggles.
It hadn't taken them more than a couple of weeks to explore the Red Keep and stumble upon these hidden passages. Once they had found a tiny room as their base, she, Lucille, and Edric had struck out and wandered the lengths of the hidden passages. Some hallways had ended in barred gates and others were simply deadends. They had found one passage ending in a ladder and when they'd gone up it and found the lever, they had been shocked to find it had spilled out into the Hand of the King's solar. They had immediately left. It had been fortunate that was the one time Lord Jaime was holding court.
They had spent weeks exploring the passages and had found numerous doors. Arya had fruitlessly examined the walls in her room for a secret passage and found none. However, she once had had the opportunity to explore their private eating area and had found a passage next to the fireplace. They had found that was a common pattern for most of the secret passages.
There had been a handful of times when they'd been exploring and stopped short at voices echoing down the hall. The three of them had quickly retreated to their hovel.
Undoubtedly, they were not allowed in these tunnels and they would be in huge trouble if spotted. Then they'd never get a chance to hide away again.
They had attempted to keep food stored away, but had come back to find rats as big as cats chewing on it and that had ruined the idea forevermore.
Lucille handed Arya a cup with contents that rattled. Then they divided up an assortment of wood chips and pebbles they had collected. Soon they were throwing the dice, making their bets, and giggling and crying as their luck wavered from fortunate to ill. They hadn't played more than a handful of rounds when they heard footsteps. They froze, staring at the door and only relaxed when Edric poked his head through.
"Glad you found us," Lucille said.
"I figured you might be here when I asked Lady Maege and Dacey if they'd seen you. They said you'd run off together to the 'Stranger knows where.'"
"They refused to train us. Again," Arya said with a scowl.
"Yeah…" Edric said with a puzzled frown. "Everyone feels on edge. I don't think it's just from the duel yesterday."
"But they won't tell us anything. We're too young," Arya grumbled.
Edric gave her a wry smile. "As if you'd listen."
"I can listen when it's interesting."
"Except they wouldn't tell you anything interesting, precisely so that you won't think it's interesting and you won't try to find out more. It is boring politics and house history and insults. It's just a tangled web, but…"
"But what?" Arya asked.
"Have you heard something?" Lucille began eagerly.
Edric's frown deepened. "A few days ago while you were in sewing lessons, I was exploring the passages here. I must have been by the Stormlord's quarters because I heard Lord Penrose speaking to another lord. I can't remember his name. They were talking about a 'Baratheon Protection Plan.' The one I didn't know said, 'Do you think we can trust Lord Tywin?' He said there were plenty of reasons to think so."
Lucille wrinkled her nose and said, "That could mean anything."
He gave her a sharp look. "The Baratheons were in line to be kings before King Aemon uprooted King Robert Baratheon. And if Lord Tywin is involved, it can't be good."
Arya chewed her lip and fiddled with the dice in her hands. "You think they're going to hurt Jon?"
He was grave as he looked at her and said, "It sounded like it."
Arya shot to her feet. "We need to tell someone!"
"Who?" Edric asked.
Arya shot to her feet. "Robb! Robb will listen!"
"Do you really think so?" Edric's face was grave.
Arya hesitated.
"My parents would listen," Lucille said.
"Absolutely not," Edric said in a far sharper tone than they were used to and Lucille shrank, glaring at him. "You parents are vassals to Lord Lannister. They are beholden to them. This could easily get back to them."
"Their loyalty is to Lord Jaime, not Lord Lannister."
"They're one in the same," Edric replied hotly. "Families don't go against one another. Lord Lannister is Lord Jaime's father, do you think he would go against his own father? Would you go against your father? If King Aemon is in danger, Lord Jaime is in support of it because his father is."
"But… but Lord Jaime has been so kind to us," Arya said with her brow knit in confusion. "He and Jon allowed us to train when no one else would."
Edric sighed. "It's all been a ruse. He's just as untrustworthy as his father. He is the Kingslayer, after all."
"No!" Arya shouted and her voice echoed in the tiny stoneroom. She was startled at the burst of noise and lowered it. "I don't believe it. Jon wouldn't be so stupid to befriend someone who would go against him. And I mean Lord Jaime, not Lord Lannister. He is not like his father, he even saved Robb. Jon is smart, he wouldn't make Lord Jaime his Hand if he didn't trust him."
Edric just shook his head. "Whatever King Aemon thought of Lord Jaime, he appears to be wrong. Arya, please, whatever happens, do not trust Lord Jaime. The Starks are tied so closely to King Aemon that it could mean death for you, too, and I don't want that. We don't want that, right, Lucille?"
"Of course not! But do you think something really will happen? I may not know much about winning, but usually the winning force likes to keep ladies alive," Lucille said and she grimaced. "Usually for nothing good…"
"Exactly. Arya, if something happens, find your way here! Lucille and I will help you stay hidden."
"But...what about Robb? And…Sansa?" She found her sister boring and annoying at the best of times, but she couldn't imagine Sansa suffering. She couldn't allow Sansa to suffer.
"Do you think they'll listen to you? If not, at least you have to look out for yourself, and maybe you can help them too later. At least this way Lord Robb won't have to worry about you too if something happens." Edric said. "If things get serious, you need to come straight here."
"What do you mean by serious?" Arya asked in a trembling voice.
"A fight, a battle," Edric replied. His face was more intent than she'd ever seen. There was both fear and concern. "Please, tell me you'll be safe!"
"I will," she said and sat once more. Her good humor was now gone and she chewed her lip in worry.
"I'm sorry, Arya. I… I don't want anything bad to happen to you," Edric said.
"Thanks," she whispered back and was grateful once again to have friends. She wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Do you trust me?" Lucille asked in a bitter voice.
"Of course I do. I just don't trust your parents. We can't trust your parents."
"...I don't think my parents would hold with any fights."
"Your parents will do what they need to do to make sure the lot of you survive. That's how it's always been," Edric said. "We can only trust ourselves." He looked around at their gloomy faces and said, "Hey, it's okay. Nothing's going to happen right now. Hopefully, nothing will happen. Cheer up. Let's explore the passages some more. We should make sure we all know the way back here if we need it."
Arya sighed. Edric was particularly bad at cheering people up. Now that Arya knew Jon and her family were in danger, she didn't think she'd be able to get it out of her head. She wanted to tell Robb at dinner that night, but she could just see him chuckling and telling her she had a wild imagination. Then he would once again turn to talk with Margaery. Sansa would simply sneer at her for raising alarm when there was none.
Despite what she knew, she would be dismissed. Wouldn't she?
