(Lana POV)
The bells of the city chimed, not for prayer nor for a wedding, but for doom. The gates of King's Landing had opened, and the Lannister lions had poured in, starting to sack the city. Screams rose everywhere as people died and were raped with the smoke of burning buildings, the sound of steel cutting flesh, and the thunder of metal boots storming through the cobbled streets.
I had one charge—one command given to me above all others: protect her.
I ran through the corridors and halls of the Red Keep, my skirt torn, my lungs burning as I sped as fast as I could; the scent of fire and blood was everywhere. My heart pounded as I turned to Elia's chambers.
Empty.
Panic spreads hot in my chest. No time. There is no time. I ignored the absence of the Princess and fled instead to Rhaenys's room. It makes sense, she would be there, no? She has to be there. I pray that she's there. To my relief, the little girl was there, playing with her dolls; her laughter was so cruelly innocent amid the bloody chaos.
"Princess, we must go," I whispered, scooping her up.
My hands trembled, but I forced calm into my voice, knowing that this was what I was trained and tasked to do.
"What's going on, Lana? Why are the bells ringing?" she asked me.
"Bad men are coming. We must leave now."
"Bad men?"
Her dark eyes widened, but she did not scream. She only nodded, clutching her toy close. I carried her through the silent corridors. Why were the corridors silent? Where were the guards? What is happening? Are they closer than expected? I make haste until we burst into the gardens. There, beneath the shade of lemon trees, sat Elia. She had a book in hand, trying to draw one last moment of peace from this accursed place. When she looked up and saw my face, the colour drained from hers. He hadn't realised it yet, it would seem. She was daydreaming.
"What is it?" she asked.
"They're here, my Lady. The Lannisters. The gates are broken, the city burns, and the people are raped and killed. We must flee! Where is Aegon?"
"Forget Aegon, let's leave."
"But--"
"You heard what I said."
"As... you say."
Elia's arms reached out, and I placed Rhaenys into them. For a heartbeat, mother and daughter clung together, and then we ran. Her bare feet slapped against stone, the skirts intertwined, but we couldn't stop; we ran.
"What about the King?" Elia asked.
"He's in the Throne Room, my Lady. I... am not sure he is still alive."
"What do you mean? Have they breached that far already?"
"No, it's Ser Jaime. He--"
"Has Ser Jaime betrayed us?" she asked me.
"No. Quite the opposite."
Seeing that all hope was lost, Aerys ordered his master of pyromancers to ignite the wildfire, which he had ordered them to place beneath King's Landing. What he didn't know was that we members of the Peaky Blinders have been working overtime to get rid of them. Aerys wanted to burn the city together with half a million of its inhabitants.
Yet the lone member of the Kingsguard who was guarding the King at the Red Keep, Ser Jaime Lannister, realised what Aerys wanted to do and rushed to save the city by killing the head pyromancer. At least that's what I was told by one of the Blinders when I started to rush here. I wonder what happened after that.
We made it around the corner and came to a sudden stop.
That was when we saw them.
Ser Amory Lorch and Ser Gregor Clegane. The Mountain and his shadow. They were huge, monstrous, and their armour was still red with blood. In their hands, they held their blades.
My heart froze. Shit. This is utter shit.
"OI! There they are!"
"This way!" I hissed, dragging Elia down a side corridor.
The giants followed, slower since their steel armour weighed them down, but they followed nonetheless. And they would reach us soon. No guards came to aid us, and none would. The few left had already been butchered, trying to protect the King. All that was left now was me. The others who were sent to protect Elia and Rhaenys were either dead or engaged in combat.
"AAAHHHHHH!!"
Elia's shout makes me stop, and I see her bleeding. A spear is embedded in the wall and seems to have been thrown by the two monsters, hitting her shoulder. The brutes advanced, and with no other choice, I drew the hidden blades I carried beneath my skirts. I lashed out in desperation, the steel hitting steel. One stumbled back in surprise, cursing, and tripped into the other, crashing together for a heartbeat. But Gregor was too strong; he reached up and seized Elia by the leg. She pushed Rhaenys out of the way so that he wouldn't get her. Holding her leg, the Mountain twisted until a sickening crack echoed through the corridor.
"AAAHHHHHH!!"
Her scream pierced me, but she shouted through her agony for me to take Rhaenys and run. Clutching the girl, who was wide‑eyed and shocked into silence, I refused and ran towards the spear. Using all of my strength, I managed to get it out of the wall and fall on my behind. They are already getting back up.
"RAAAHHH.... LET GO OF HER!!" I shout and attack the man with the spear.
"URGH... FUCKING WHORE!!"
I don't care about his curses and pull the bleeding Elia along. She can't walk properly anymore. The whiteness of the bone is visible. He almost ripped off her leg. As quickly as possible, we move around the corner. At last, we slipped into a side chamber, where I wanted to get to. I barred the oak door with shaking arms, the iron latch groaning as I put all of my weight behind it. My breath came in ragged gasps as I turned to Elia. She had a look of horror and fear on her face. We were going to die if she didn't hurry, and since she was in no way trained and was physically weak, this would be hard. Added to that, her terrible wounds on her shoulder and leg, this would be a difficult time.
At last, we slipped into a side chamber. I barred the oak door with shaking arms, the iron latch groaning as I put all of my weight behind it. My breath came in ragged gasps as I turned to Elia. She had a look of horror and fear on her face. We were going to die if she didn't hurry, and since she was in no way trained and was physically weak, this would be hard.
"We can escape. Through the secret passage. Quickly, my Lady. You must come!"
I lifted the shaking Rhaenys and pushed her toward the narrow gap, which served as a hidden passage. It was very narrow and dark, but we might all fit inside. The girl was a brave one; she had tears rolling down her face, but she hadn't cried out loud yet. She squeezed through, thanks to her small stature, keeping silent. Her little feet pattered into the dark corridor. Hope started to appear as the smallest of flickers inside me. She would be safe, she would live. I had to make sure.
*BANG BOOOM*
They were here. They started hacking at the door. Any moment, they would break the weak door, those monsters. Abominations, the lot of them. I need to hurry. But then I turned back. Elia had not moved.
"My Lady, please! We must hurry!" I urged her.
She only looked at me with a strange, sad calm. She sat on the ground, bleeding and with her shoulder held. A queen's dignity in a woman broken by circumstances and the cruelty of her situation.
*BOOOM*
"Lady Elia!"
"No. It is time for me."
"W--What?! We don't have time for this! Please, come! He will want to see you."
Her hand reached for one of the daggers I had handed to her earlier, to help her carry Rhaenys. My blood ran cold. Was she thinking of fighting? Oh, please no.
"This is futile, my Lady. They'll get in any second. And when they do..."
*CRACKKK*
"Tell Robert... I understand. Rhaenys, love, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
A single tear ran down her cheek as she said that. I heard the crying of Rhaenys behind me.
"Mommy..."
"It's alright, dear. You're going to be alright, love. Listen, Rhaenys, you will have to be strong now, alright... can you be strong for mommy?"
"Mm-hmm..."
"G-good. Your Father will arrive for you, Rhaenys. He will come for you and keep you safe. Nothing will happen to you, I can promise you that. But you need to be strong now. Close your eyes. Close your eyes and don't look back. I love you..."
I see Lady Elia give me a nod.
"Tell him to look after Rhaenys."
"What are you--"
She raised the blade to her chest. Her eyes seemed to shine with a fierceness I had never seen in her before. She had decided, but my brain wouldn't for the life of me get back on track and stop her.
"For once, in my life, I get to decide. How I leave this wretched world... is my choice."
"No!" I lunged forward, but she was too fast.
The steel blade pierced her flesh, plunging into her heart, judging from the position. Her body jerked once, and I heard her short, low gasp. But then... then she fell to the ground, the dagger buried deep in her heart. I bit down on a scream.
*BAAAMMM*
"AH, there you are... Wait for us, we're right there."
The pounding at the door grew louder. The wood cracked under their powerful fists. I can't stay. Not when Rhaenys still lived and needed my help. I also don't want to fall into those hands. I turned away. I did not watch what would happen to her.
The door exploded behind me as the Mountain and Lorch forced their way in. I pushed myself into the narrow passage, clutching the young Rhaenys to my chest.
"Where's mommy?" she whimpered.
Her small arms wrapped tight around my neck as I whispered to her.
"Shhh, my sweet. Quiet now. We'll live. We must live. You must live, it's all that matters."
"NOOOOOOO!! RAAAAHHHH! GET BACK HEREEEE!!"
Behind us, the male creatures bellowed, and the chamber filled with curses and blood, most likely. But we were gone, swallowed by the dark, narrow tunnel, which would take us out of the Red Keep. I did not stop. With Rhaenys around my neck, I crawled through the narrow, cold and wet passage, not stopping and only following the path forward. I could not.
I felt the pain of the stone edges as it cut through my skin and had to remember that I was a proud member of those who owed everything to Robert Baratheon. He was the only man who cared about those of lesser station and was willing to go the distance to get things done, even if it wasn't for himself.
Crawling until my knees were raw, I followed the winding corridor down into the bowels of the Red Keep, then up again. From there, I found the old servants' tunnels that led beneath the kitchens and out through a broken postern gate into the city proper. The streets were chaos, flames, screams, death and other unspeakable atrocities, but I kept to the shadows, moving from alley to alley, clutching Rhaenys beneath my cloak. If they see her, it is all over, and the pain and suffering the little sweetling had to go through will have been for nothing and only the beginning.
I finally found refuge in an abandoned granary. There, among rats and rotting grain, I swaddled her and held her.
"Don't cry, love. He'll be here, he'll definitely be here. I promise, love. He has never broken a promise, and he bathes the world in blood for those he cares about. Believe me, Rhaenys, I have seen it."
"WHAT IS THIIISSS!!!"
A loud roar sounded through King's Landing. I pulled back in fright and surprise. I knew that voice. I would know it anywhere. I walked up, Rhaenys still in my arms, and opened the door to the granary slightly, looking outside.
There he was.
Robert had finally made it to the capital. He was still in his armour, as it seemed, the red blood on it had dried already, but I could tell that he hadn't stopped after the battle at the Trident, most likely. He had rushed here, just as I thought he would. I saw him from the shadows of my refuge; his antlered helm was missing right now, giving way to his blood and gore-smeared face. I could see his anger at what was going on in the streets of King's Landing.
I don't see his hammer, though. He may have left it on the Trident, or maybe he lost it? It doesn't matter. When his eyes fell on the corpses of the smallfolk and the raping of Lannister soldiers, his rage seemed to spill over, and a storm appeared.
He got off his steed, seized one red-coloured, cunt of a soldier by the throat, lifted him up and then smashed him into the ground so hard the stones cracked. I don't see the poor sods face, but I doubt he survived that. Then Robert wrenched another fucker away from a screaming woman and punched, caving in his chest with a single blow. I have never seen... someone punch a hole through an ENTIRE body...
The city trembled, and I did as well. I have stopped Rhaenys from looking at this. She is still a child. As much as the sacking of the city shocked everyone, I am sure that the stag's fury will shock the city more.
Elia is gone. The mother of Rhaenys is dead. But Rhaenys… Rhaenys would live.
I had one charge—one command given to me above all others: protect her. Protect Rhaenys.
I had fulfilled my duty.