The Lost Dragon | Game of Thrones

Chapter Fifty-Three

Violet had never been a particularly nervous person. She had always been able to conquer her fears and push any reservations  to the side. Fighting came easy, and the fear of death never followed. The one taste she had of fear was when she met eye to eye with the ugly gnashing teeth of the white walkers themselves. 

So the shivering in her body that wasn't due to the chill in the air left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't fear what Cersei would do to her, she didn't fear any amount of pain or death she could bring onto her. What she feared was the repercussions of her actions, and that her decisions would leave more bodies in the ground than just her own. That her choice was going to hurt the ones she loved. 

But she knew there was no other way. She knew Cersei would accept nothing less than a Northern surrender and this was the closest she was going to get. 

Her silver hair flew behind her, the errant hairs that had fallen out of her braid whipping violently around her head. A light dusting of snow coated the muddied ground around her, and she stared hesitantly up at the ramparts that held the Queen of the seven kingdoms. 

"Which one are you?" Cersei asked, her voice filled with curiosity and distain. 

"You know which one I am." Violet grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest."My sister isn't stupid enough to come here alone." 

"But you aren't alone." Said Cersei, motioning an arm in Rhael's direction. He was huffing beside her, and Violet could sense his anxiousness was matching her own. "If you came to attack the city you thought of a very poorly laid out plan." 

Violet rolled her eyes, blinking quickly as several snowflakes had landed on her eyelashes. 

"I'm not here to attack. I'm here to offer up a trade."

Cersei snorted and looked to the men beside her with a cheeky grin across her face. "A trade? What in seven hells do you want?" 

"Give me Sansa, and Samwell Tarly, all those that your brother took in the retreat from Winterfell. Release them and you can have me in their place." Violet tried her hardest to steady her shaking voice, but the smirk across Cersei's face told her her own actions were betraying her false sense of confidence. 

"Why on earth would I do that? Having a Targaryen in my prison doesn't ensure the North's surrender. Why would you be a more valuable prisoner to me than who I already have?" 

"If you want to keep your crown, this false security you've built up here, you'll listen to what I say. My sister has more men than either of us. She has two dragons much larger than this one. She wants the throne more than anything in this world, enough to burn this entire city to the ground. Having me as a prisoner ensures you have something to work with. My sister won't burn the city down if her only family is inside of it.

The north can't surrender and bend the knee to you if the Starks eldest child is locked behind bars. And furthermore I doubt Randyll Tarly will appreciate his new Queen locking his son and grandson in a cage. He would deflect back to house Tyrell and by proxy he would fight for me." 

Violet could see the wheels turning in Cersei's head and she quickly turned to converse with the man beside her. A heated discussion passed between them before she turned back to Violet. 

"I'll give you the Tarly's and those starved orphan children. But Sansa stays with me." 

"What is your obsession with Sansa? What has Sansa ever done to you?" Violet yelled, her hands flailing violently through the air. 

"She killed my son! Her and that bastard brother of mine conspired the entire thing! And I want her to suffer for it!" 

Violet smirked before slowly walking closer to the gates. Arrows were locked on her and she paid them no mind. 

"Sansa didn't kill your son. I did." 

"You're just saying that so I release her. I don't believe you." Cersei huffed. Her breathing was quickening, Violet could see it puffing out into the air in white smoke. 

"The Strangler wasn't it? Stollen from Maester Pycell's storage. He was found unconscious the morning of the wedding wasn't he? Sansa wasn't the only one who disappeared that night, that was the night I left for the wall and haven't been back to this shit pile of a city since today. I took pleasure watching your wretched son die.

 He took the head of the only father I ever knew, along with a man I knew as a brother. I'm sure Sansa would have loved to do it herself, she's not brave enough to kill a man however. Unfortunately for you, killing men is the only thing I'm really good at."  

Violet smirked as she knew she pushed every button that Cersei had. She would do and say anything to get Cersei to let her hostages go and accept her instead. 

"I should have you killed right here." Cersei growled.

"My dragon is quicker than you are I assure you. And if you do manage to get an arrow in the right spot at least I'll die taking you down with me. Another thing, House Martell follows me — if you reject my offer I will fly out of here and order them to execute your daughter. "

Violet would never do such a thing, Myrcella Baratheon was an innocent among the wicked much like Sansa and Violet would do what she could to protect them. Cersei didn't know her well enough to call her bluff, so with a frustrated and angry sigh she nodded her head. 

~

"Violet!" Sansa cried out, her dirty velvet gowns soon engulfed Violet's tiny frame. "How did you get her to release us?" 

Violet could see the guards coming towards her with chains in  hand, Rhael began to screech and thrash and Violet was worried he would attack against her command. She whistled lowly to calm him down before resting her head against his shiny green scales. 

"I love you my boy. Take Sansa and the others to Jon, get them out of here and I will see you again. I promise I will see you again." Rhael whined and opened his wing as if to offer her a seat on his back. It broke Violet's heart in two to walk away from him. 

"Sansa get on Rhael and he will take you to safety. You have to go." Violet urged, watching as Sam and Gilly along with a screaming toddler and several crying children started to crowd her. Rhael continued to whine in resistance watching his mother walk away from him. 

"Violet what is happening?" Sansa asked, eyes wide as Violet was taken into chains. "No! What have you done?" 

A guard pushed Sansa away, she tumbled and fell into the dirt. It was chaotic and confusing and Violet could see the panic fleeting through her bright green eyes. "I did what had to be done. Now get out of here before Cersei changes her mind!" 

The guards yanked Violet through the dirt towards the gates, she was able to whip her head around to see Sansa and the others quickly climbing aboard Rhael's back, when the last child was on his back she whistled loudly and he took to the skies. 

She was able to make out his bright green scales against the blackened  sky before the gates closed behind her.