Trueblood || Jon Snow ✓

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊 ~ 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌

**Yelena POV**

YELENA SAT IN THE KING'S BOX BY SANSA'S SIDE AS THE HOUND LASHED OUT, fighting another soldier. King Joffrey was a cruel boy, with a cruel sense of amusement, especially on his nameday. She watched the soldier plummet to the ground below where they fought, the crack of his neck reaching her ears instantly. She winced, but gave no other indication of discomfort. She spoke very rarely to her family since the death of Lord Stark, and when she did, her voice was neutral or sharp. She felt a pinch in her heart each time that hurt look crossed her mother's face, but the memory of how she'd done nothing to stop the king's cruelty had her locking the feeling away, just like the lion pendant she once wore. It was the wolf that hung openly around her throat now, much to Cersei's disapproval.

"Well struck." Joffrey muttered. "Well struck, dog!" he grinned back at Sansa. "Did you like that?"

Yelena gave her a reassuring nod, and the girl took a breath before responding, "It was well struck, Your Grace."

"I already said it was well struck." his voice took on a dangerous tone.

"Yes, Your Grace." she murmured.

Joffrey shot her a sour glare before returning his gaze to the bloodstained ground. The sight took Yelena's mind back to when she'd sentenced a forsaker of the Night's Watch to death. At the time it had seemed so awful, but how she longed for it's simplicity now. "Who's next?" her brother called.

"Lorther Brune," the announcer proclaimed. "Freerider in the service of Lord Baelish. Ser Dontos, of the Red House Hollard." The first man made his way to the battlestage. "Ser Dontos of the Red House Hollard!" the announcer shouted impatiently.

"Here I am!" the knight huffed as he clanked his way over hurriedly. "Sorry my lord." he told the king. Yelena sucked in a breath. It was a mistake with grave consequences, as more than one person had seen, to address Joffrey as 'my lord' instead of 'Your Grace'.

"Are you drunk?" he demanded.

"No, uh-no-no, Your Grace." he seemed to catch himself this time. "I had two cups of wine."

"Two cups?" Joffrey snickered. "That's not much at all." he gestured to the wine on the table beside him. "Please, have another cup." Yelena held her breath. It was something she'd grown quite accustomed to, so much that at times she wouldn't breathe for several minutes before she remembered to do so again.

"Are you sure, Your Grace?"

"Yes. to celebrate my nameday.'' His voice was thick with amusement and false assurance. "Have two, have as much as you like." Yelena still did not dare release her breath.

"I-I would be honoured, Your Grace." the knight nodded.

Joffrey turned to one of his King's Guard. "Ser Meryn, help Ser Dontos celebrate my nameday." he grinned. "See that he drinks his fill." the poor man was clearly still oblivious as to what was about to happen. As often happened these days, a feeling of helplessness overcame the princess. But she could not save everyone. She had to put Sansa first, which would be difficult if her brother had her whipped for defiance.

The poor man was dragged off and put to his knees. One guard held a horn to his mouth and Ser Mery began dumping a barrel of wine in. The end result would likely be that the man drowned.

"You can't!" Sansa protested, her voice horrified.

Joffrey narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you say?" she paled as she realised what she'd done. "Did you say I can't?" Yelena's heart beat faster, though she knew Joffrey was bound by law not to harm her as long as the princess stood for her.