Chapter 31: Death in the Crownlands - 3

Night in the Red keep is far from silent. With clamoring servants and the stomping of armored boots, one could easily tell that the castle is in turmoil. It hasn't been long since a man wearing a black cloak and a dagger at hand was seen lurking in the King's chambers. The man was successful in sneaking into the King's chamber, but failed to kill him. The king wasn't asleep yet, and seeing a bookshelf move along with the groaning of wood as it did was not easily ignored. Then a cloaked man enter his room. It is a titanic red flag that was enough to make the mad man scream his throat hoarse. The Knights outside his chamber were able to chase the cloaked man away from the king. Leaving a mad man in a frantic state of irrationality.

Of course this was the idea all along. The 'attempt' on the King had him summoning as many men as possible to reinforce the castle. But with most of the loyal knights in the company of the prince, the King had to settle for the city guards.

Ronan along with two of his knights walk briskly along the Red Keep wearing the standard city guard armor. They had searched the castle for the past two hours and sadly he had confirmed that the two missing wolves were indeed not in the Red Keep. Not even Brandon's companions.

Of course Ronan knew this as his spell had pointed him further south of the Crownlands. But he has other objectives here. One he cannot ignore.

But knowing where they may be did not alleviate his growing worry. His mind continue to conjure other possibilities, each one worst than the last. He is sure of something though. The two wolves had been taken elsewhere. Their companions as well or the worst possibility, disposed of. Whoever urged the prince into this path clearly did not care about the repercussion of his actions. Which by extension means that killing sons of Lords isn't exactly outside of their capabilities.

Thinking about it made Ronan's face darken behind his helmet. Killing for the sake of killing. He knew then whoever the responsible party will need to die.

His thoughts were cut off as a familiar voice ring through his mind.

'Ronan...'

'Is anyone in the dungeons with you Ned?'

'no... My brother... And everyone else isn't here'

'I see. We'll find them Ned. We won't rest until we do.'

'aye...'

'...Oberyn is ready. The princesses are secured by own people now. You ready to go.'

'...I have a proposition for you.'

'NO. You cannot change your mind now.'

'But if this works then-'

'Then nothing Ned! This war...it is coming, whether you like it or not. Challenging the Crown and demanding justice will achieve nothing. He will not listen to anything you say. Not as he is now.'

'.....but at the off chance that he does. Are we to truly going to discard the possibility of peace out of fear?'

'not fear Ned, caution and reason.'

'it would save many lives. Prevent war!'

'...at the cost of your own?'

'.....….'

'...Ned, I am here for my friends. Not the people of the Crownlands. I am here for you, because you are my friend. I am here for your sister, because she is my wife's friend. And I am simply here for your brother because of you.'

' haha. Is that the lie you tell yourself when you sleep at night?' Ned asked playfully not truly accepting his friend's reasoning.

'perhaps, but do you believe me wrong?'

'No, not entirely at the very least... but then again, perhaps you simply do not know yourself as you thought you did.'

'....'

Oberyn: 'as much as I enjoy a friendly banter between friends, I do believe we have more important things to discus?'

Ronan: 'go ahead Oberyn, ask away.'

Oberyn: 'I can tell you have three Ruby Knights amongs the servants stationed to my sister but I could only see two of Azure Knights. What? Ran out of men my friend? Or are you so popular with the women that there is an abundance to spare?'

Eddard and Ronan laughed at Oberyn's words.

'I asure you that is not the case. I simply worry you might bed them that inturn would sap you of the strength needed of you for tonight.'

Oberyn: 'I'll have you know that I have more than enough to spare for these lovely ladies.'

Ned: 'I believe we have a question that had been left unanswered.'

Ronan: 'Yes, of course. As for your question Oberyn the passages had to be secured. Both for ours and your sister's. As you know, our path will be bloody. We are gonna need the men there.'

Oberyn: 'Will that not cut the protection of my sister and niece to near paper thin?'

Ned: 'Fret not Prince Oberyn. We had taken that into consideration. There will actually be more swords protecting them from the shadows.'

Oberyn mulled over his choices. Ronan's plan is bold but devious at the same time. His only worry is for his family. And it ached his heart knowing his uncle will have to be left behind. But he is too far away to reach out to.

Ronan and Eddard simply left the prince to his thoughts. They still had time before the designated moment for their escape. That and they know his fears, Oberyn, not fully aware that his thoughts were still filtering through the communication device.

Ronan's march remain brisk as his destination finally fall within his sight. Soon he came to a halt as he stood before the doors to the Royal family suite.

Pushing open the doors, he was met with a white haired woman. She looks to be in her early twenties. Beautifully sharp face with violet eyes. The Targaryen Queen, Rhaella Targaryen.

But seeing her as she is is far from the queen he had expected to see. Her clothes dishelved and torn around her belly. Bruises and scratch marks could be seen around her neck and dainty arms and exposed belly. Despite her beautiful face she is far from healthy, looking more in the verge of malnutrition than anything else. Her eyes were puffy with the obvious signs of crying and her belly, slightly swollen with early signs of pregnancy.

But the thing that struck most was her eyes. They were near dull. Despite the light of the moon and the candles and torches that illuminate the room, her eyes reflected nothing. 'She's barely alive.'

Stepping inside he was surprised to see a child in the room. He was about six or seven years old by his understanding. But despite his youth, the boy is already sporting a sneer in his face as they stepped in. Deciding to keep with the facade until the time his right, Ronan made a step to appease the little Prince.

"Your Grace, Your Highness. My apologies for the intrution."

"How may I help you Ser?" asked Rhaella.

"An attempt upon the King's life had recently been prevented earlier tonight. As per the King's orders, we are to ensure your safety within this room."

"I see...." Her tone is subdued. Mainly because she knows that she is simply being kept locked up than protected.

"See mother? I knew father loves you. You don't need to cry anymore!"

Childish, enthusiastic and naive, not far from the man child he grew up to be.

"...yes, I guess you were right." Sending a smile to her son that did not reach her eyes. "Very well Ser, see to your duties done."

Sending a bow to the queen he stepped out as four men stayed. Two outside her doors and two more inside the room. He had found one of his objectives. Now to the only thing left is to secure Princess Elia, and Ronan intends to personally carry that out.

Ronan had found his objectives. Now he only need to secure them. Getting the Martells out would be easy. He easily allocated a lot of his men to that particular objective. But the Targaryen hostages he hoped to secure is a different matter entirely.

Ronan of course had thought of simply letting them go. He doesn't need them to win the coming war after all. He knew he would win. A costly victory, but victorious he would be.

And yet he couldn't help but wonder about Eddard's proposal. Does he truly need to go to war. He had seen war, fought in it. There was nothing glorious in war. And so he hesitates. He could not help but wonder if he could stop the war from happening.

He could secure the Queen and Viserys, the preferred Heir to the Iron Throne and hold them hostages. Feed upon the King's madness and further deepen the rift between the King and Rhaegar. These two would prevent the mad king from acting against the Starks while pinning the crown against the Lannisters.

But there are still factors to consider. How many would side with a mad king. How would he react against the Rhaegar. Would it be of a violent nature or more a subtle approach. How would Tywin move. He would surely remove the King as he now stood against the new Lannister Princess' ascension. Would he send assassin's or bathe King's landing in blood as a message. There are so many possibilities to come in a single scenario but the main question is simple. How would they take advantage of any of this?

As hopeful as stopping the war was, he knew war would still come. Why? Because Rhaegar is expecting it, that much is obvious and sadly, the prince obviously doesn't really care.

Thinking further of the other benefits of securing the queen he chanced upon another.

Stannis Baratheon. Not just because his failure to secure the Queen led to his informal banishment to Dragonstone fracturing the relationship in between brothers but also the crown. His main concern is the person that later sought him out. Melisandre.

'I hate Red Priests'

Ronan knew that much. The constant disregard of everything and everyone around them for the sake of serving Rhollor did not sit well with Ronan.

'Yes. Perhaps keeping the Baratheon dynasty whole would be reason enough.' Ronan thought.

And with his decision made he continued his march towards his last objective. Reaching the dungeons while remaining as elusive as he could was a challenge but not impossible.

After an hour of patience he finally reached it. Within a large hall, sitting atop a pedestal with candles lighted around it, sat what he had been looking for. The skull of Balerion, The Black Dread.

Stepping within the large lighted room. He tensed sensing multiple presence suddenly appeared around him from nowhere.

Gripping the sheath of his sword with his other hand upon the handle. Ronan stood unmoving, his senses spread waiting for the slightest of movements.

He then heard the tapping of shoes upon the stone floor and from behind the skull walked a red cloaked man in red robes. He looked upon Ronan with observing eyes. While Ronan himself remained unperturbed of their sudden appearance. His earring glowed slightly, but was ignored as a trick of the light due to the dancing light of the candles.

The silence of the hall was disturbed when several knights were heared running through the corridor towards them. Seconds later the door burst open as a two dozen knights surrounded him. The first row showed knights with spears while the behind them stood men with crossbows, each one pointed at him.

Through it all, Ronan showed no change in stand nor attention. His focus trained upon the Red Priest Infront of him.

"You have done enough Abomination. It is time you leave this world."

Ronan didn't deign to give an answer.

"This world's fate has already been decided. Your actions no matter how noble, had done this world no good. Instead you had nearly doomed us all."

".....and how pray tell, could I have done so if my actions are as you say, noble?"

"You had nearly costs us our savior."

"So it was you then..... the ones who urged the Mad Prince into this path."

"We are merely guiding him. To the right path, to the path that he should have taken in first place."

"A path of your choosing, denying all others of their own. Condemning people to a future filled with horror and death and yet you expect them to follow? For what? Your faith? Your god? Your beliefs? Or your mere lack of will to forge your own path?"

The priests sneered at his words even more at his last. "And who would challenge it!? You!? Heretic!? The Lord of Light has already paved the way to our salvation! You who had nearly destroyed it dared question his benevolence!? What is but a coward like you to our God!?"

Ronan's eyes widened slightly at his words. Ronan's expression made the priest sport a smug smile and judging look towards him.

"That is right Abomination. Our Lord had shown us. You who ran away from your responsibility out of fear. You ran away from your faith. Away from her tears! And left them! With your child in her belly. You who ran into war! How she could still accept you, I could never understand. But one thing is for certain, SHE deserved better than YOU!"

Despite the eerie silence, no one dared move nor make a noise. They didn't need to hear nor see. The sadness in the air was enough to tell them.

Ronan Sieghart was crying. This foreign Lord, the Azure Knight that bought to knee The Bold and The Sword of the Morning, The Hero of the Vale, has been bought low.

His blue eyes shining and glistening with tears was all they could see. Though many of them felt lost and do not know how to react to such a situation. The priest on the other hand did not bother hiding his triumphant smile.

"You see 'Champion', you are nothing to our God. Nothing but an insolent fool who thought to defy him... But our Lord is mercyful, so I have a proposition for you.

Give us your wife, we shall let you live."

*Shing* like a flash of light, no one could do anything but stare dumbly at what had happened. The red priest could only look down on his belly and see. The handle of an ethereal blade was sticking out of it. Shakily he held it and saw in her hand her own blood. He released a panicked scream, one filled with pure terror, and it was enough to send the men into action.

Ronan crouched low as he swung his blade widely releasing a gust of wind that blew away the bolts of arrows and the candles out, bringing darkness unto the room.

~~~ Red Priests • POV ~~~

In the darkness, the only company he had were screams of pain. The clashing of steel. Bolts of arrows whizzing through the air. Flesh meeting steel. And the bodies hitting the stone cold floor. And blades of gold flying across the room.

Lighting a small flame in the palm of his hand, he could only see shadows of movement as one man is beheaded and another cleaved in half and another flying and then loudly crashing against a wall. Small flashes of steel and cries of pain and mercy that fell unto deff ears.

Sparks of images illuminated by the swords that would magically appear around him. Bringing with him just enough light to see his shadow until the golden blade flew pinning another shadow demon as it trashed against the wall as the golden sword burnt them, seering their image into it.

This wasn't supposed to happen! This was not what they foretold! He was supposed to break. The room had been cursed so that anyone who would stand within it would be filled with euphoria, that was until they feel a certain emotion. Any emotion will be heightened to the extreme and more. This was how they bought the extreme fascination of the Mad King to the magic of Dragons.

This was what they had hoped to use against Him! It took a thousand souls to obtain knowledge of his past from Rhollor. They saw a man who turned his back on his pregnant woman. The man who walked to war despite her begging and left them for the sake of glory. The glory he earned by dying at the battlefield after receiving news of his woman's death and their unborn child.

It broke Him then! He chose death over living because of it! Reminding him of it within this chambers should have been enough! So how.... How is he still standing!

Sitting himself against the bones of the Dragon he felt in his feet the pooling of blood. The ethereal blades were no longer appearing, noises were fading and with each voice that vanishes, his fear grew.

Moments after the only thing left were his breathing. His mouth released a cold mist with each breath in the silence of the dark hall. Despite his fears his eyes searched as best as it could within the limited light of his meager flame, looking for signs of His presence.

Then he felt it. With a surprised yelp he was hoisted from from the ground. A tight grip wrapped around his neck feeling the blooded leather against his skin. With his fire gone all he could see were His eyes. They were shining and cold. With a great weight on his shoulder, he feel as if it was trying to drown him.

Then without warning, an ethereal sword was plunged through his chest, pinning him against the skull. He continued to trash and claw against his captor with blood pooling in his throat, he could only mumble against Him. And then He spoke.

"I would render this world asunder if it meant keeping her safe. I would watch it all to freeze if it meant keeping her alive. I would bring this world into it's knees if it meant making her happy. I would do anything for her and all those I held dear. I know that now. And this, was your first and last mistake.

You should have left my family, well enough alone."

With a twist of his sword and a another push on the handle, the Red Priest died.

Hearing the noises coming from the corridors Ronan knew he didn't have enough time. He walked briskly towards another door right behind the skull and left.

When the guards arrived at the hall, all the could do was stand and gaze in horror. Some even puked at the gory sight they were witnessed to.

The ground is flooded with blood. With eviscerated corpses strewn about, their innards spilling out of them, whether they be their stomach or their brains. With several men pinned against the wall with a glowing blade. And a red priest lifelessly pinned against the skull of the Dragon. The macabre sight was further enhanced by the burnt marks of men into the walls and the light of the candles dancing in the windless room, bathing the walls in dancing shadows.

The curse within and what they have witnessed seered the horror of the night into their minds. Their screams and wails echoed throughout the castle as more men poured into the scene, torches were raised, swords unsheathed, and alarms were raised.

~~~ Oberyn•POV ~~~

He hears it again. The clamoring of knights in the castle. This time he could also hear the bells of multiple gates. An intruder is in the castle.

His hands began to get clammy. 'Was Ronan found?' he thought. He knew this was not a good sign. He is their best chance of escape, and if captured they might spill the beans about the deal he made with them just to save their hide. 'I might have to kill him.' Naturally Oberyn tried to curb such train of thought but he simply could not disregard it. Despite his strong desire for freedom, he was still raised as a prince after all.

A maid and a stable boy walked in. The maid was another Ruby Knight and the boy an Azure Knight, sadly he could not put a name to them.

The woman laid out a set of armor before him. Standard guard armor.

"My prince, please wear this."

Oberyn did so without hesitation. As he removed his clothes, the man put it on. It was then he realized what they had planned to do. After putting on the full plate helm the man wore an orange hood. Not really out of place to the clothes he bore. He was then handed a spear. Plain but as he spun it, it was a finely made spear. All of a sudden four guards barged into the room unannounced.

Hotah held his halberd in the ready. The guard spoke. "Forgive the intrusion my prince but by the King's orders we are to secure the prin...ces..ses..."

Slowly he noticed what Oberyn was wearing. But before they could act. A dagger found it's way unto the man throat as one guard was decapitated by Hotah and the last was speared through the mouth by the fourth guard, after wards he showed his sapphire jeweled ring. As the maid and Valka showed their ruby rings.

The princesses were then cloaked in black and then guided them across through castle.

Running through the halls they saw many knights tried to get in their way. Only to be brutally cleaved by Hotah or stabbed from the back by hidden knights. Across the halls, they did not stop nor did they slowed. With each turn they took, another group of men tried to stop them and again they were stopped by disguised knights before they could act. As more and more guards begun chasing them, more of Ronan's knights showed to intercept the chasers.

It wasn't long until they arrived at a small clearing over a huge cliff pointing in the hidden ships direction.

Oberyn's heart was hammering and even more so when he realized they had been led into a dead end. Fearful and filled with adrenaline he grabbed Valka by her collar and yelled at her.

"Where is this way out!? Why did you lead us here!?"

"Oberyn please!"

The cry of her sister bought him down from his high. She is scared and panicking. And he couldn't blame her. They had pinned their hope of escape into this and still they looked to have made a mistake.

"...have I... was it a mistake to trust you?"

His voice broken, angry and afraid. Valka understood but instead of answering she merely smiled and pointed behind him.

From there he saw five creatures flying in their direction. All of them watched dumbfounded as the creatures landed with a heavy thud. They had four limbs with leathery wings extending as the frontal leg. Their as tall as a horse but twice as long. their countenance is fierce but tamed and still dangerous. Oberyn whispered. "...dragons..."

"No my prince. Wyverns from Sothoryos. Come we have no time."

Elia was lifted atop a wyvern as a rider held her between his arms. But her baby was given to Oberyn instead.

"Princess do not worry, it is only until you reach the ship."

Elia mutely nodded at her.

Oberyn sat atop another and Hotah to the third. Valka whistled as a Red and yellow wyvern landed before her. This one is nearly twice the size of the others, after petting the wyvern they soon flew off towards the ship staying low beneath the fog.

They flew in silence, no one wanting to break or too scared to do so. Not when they feel so close to safety.

Landing in the ship, the crew immediately secured them with Oberyn handing Rhaenys to Elia.

"Targets secured Captain."

"Aye! Set our course. To-"

*BOOOOM!*

All their attention was drawn to one direction, as one of the gates of King's Landing had just been blown into smithereens.

Oberyn sends out a last silent prayer. 'Good luck my friend.'