𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎 | Escape
{Lyra}
✧✦✧
𝕳urrying down the corridor, Lyra held Drew closer to her as Sansa continued to check passageways and stairs, to make sure no one else was coming towards them. They took the stairs two at a time, before finally reaching the entrance to the Stark atrium. Sansa slammed the door closed behind the trio, as Elia appeared, her fur standing on end, before relaxing at the sight of the trio.
Reaching up, Sansa bolted the doors, before sharing a look with her sister, both of them trying not to voice their fears in case of waking Drew up.
"The ladies have started to panic," Elia growled loudly, as Drew awoke and clung to Lyra even tighter, having been startled by the deeper voice.
"Gods above," Lyra placed a hand over her beating heart, as Sandor Clegane stepped into the light. He was bloody but all in one piece, but that did little to calm the fear that was growing in Lyra's heart as she thought of her own betrothed.
"What are you doing here?" Sansa had gravitated closer to her sister, clutching the sleeve of her dress. Drew was also curling into Lyra, his curly hair tickling her neck as he watched what was going on with wide eyes.
"Not here for long," Sandor took another sip of his drink, the smell of alcohol hitting Lyra's nostrils, causing her to furrow her eyebrows. "I'm going."
"Where?" The knight looked up at Lyra's question, watching her cautiously.
"Some place that isn't burning," He stood, towering over the two younger girls. "North might be, could be."
"What about the king?" Lyra asked, trying not to let her fear get the best of her. The not knowing whether or not someone was safe, was killing her slowly. "And Tylar?"
"He's fine on his own. The king dismissed me," Sandor took another swig of his drink as Lyra let out a sigh of relief at the thought of Joffrey being okay. "I can take you with me. Take you to Winterfell. I'll keep you safe. Do you want to go home?"
"Take her, it'll further aggravate the war if I leave as well," Lyra said, nudging Sansa forward as Drew twirled a piece of her hair around his fingers. Sansa turned to look at her sister, her eyes wide with horror at the thought of leaving Lyra alone.
"No. If I leave, there's no telling what they'll do to you in retaliation," Sansa looked over at the Hound with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I can't leave with you."
Lyra sighed, licking her lips, before turning to look back at the older knight.
"You should go now if you want to avoid the guards and what not," Sandor nodded at her words. "And watch out for Arya if you can."
"Who's she?"
"The smaller sister," The knight nodded once more, before unbolting the door and stepping out of the room.
"You stay safe," Lyra nodded at his words, before closing and bolting the doors once more. Sansa looked at the older girl, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm sorry," Sansa murmured, following her older sister into Lyra's room, where she watched the girl tuck Drew into her bed. "I know that I should have gone, but I couldn't leave you stuck here with these people. Not alone."
"I know. Thank you for thinking about me," Sansa smiled, as Lyra ran a hand through the girl's hair, which was back in the traditional Northern braids, and pulled her in for a hug. "We're going to be okay down here. I promise I'm going to keep you safe."
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Lyra's head snapped up at the sound of knocking on the main doors. Carefully, she pulled the dagger, that Robb had gifted her, from it's sheath and walked over to the main door.
"My Lady, it's me," Tylar's voice came, and Lyra threw open the door, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of the older man. He was covered in sand, blood trickling down from a cut above his eye, but otherwise not too badly wounded. She put the dagger away, before hugging the knight, happy that he had made it back.
"Are you alright?" Tylar nodded, as Sansa appeared to see who it was.
"What about you two? Is everything okay? Nothing has happened?" Sansa and Lyra shook their heads in unison.
"We're fine," Lyra replied, before ushering Sansa back to Drew, who was still sleeping. "How's the king?"
"He's in the Throne Room," Tylar began to explain, as Lyra closed the door behind her, leaving Elia to protect them. "He asked me to come and notify you that he was alive and well."
"Why is he in the Throne Room?" Tylar glanced around, before talking in hushed tones as they continued down into the main part of the castle.
"The Lannister and Tyrell armies came to our aid," Lyra paused, turning to look up at Tylar with a raised eyebrow.
"Tyrell? But, I thought one of them was married to..."
"Renly, but he's dead and they've switched sides now," Lyra shook her head, before continuing on towards the Throne Room. "Something to do with Petyr Baelish and his persuasion. Either way, there's something off about the whole affair and how it came about."
"I agree with you there, especially if Baelish was involved," Lyra replied, quietly, as a host of Lannister guards ran past them. As they grew closer to the main hall, more and more guards rushed past them, decked out in the Lannister, Baratheon and Tyrell House sigils. "Gods above, Tywin Lannister is here."
"He led the charge," Tylar murmured, as they stepped further into the room, ignoring glares from the other soldiers. Being the only two Starks in a sea on enemies was starting to put Lyra on edge.
Looking up at the dais, Lyra breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her betrothed, sitting on the throne and nodding along to what Loras Tyrell and Tywin Lannister was saying. Cersei and Tommen stood further back, looking much paler than when Lyra had last seen them.
Joffrey was still dressed in his armor and looked more tired than normal, though he hid it well. Blood had dried on his cheeks, and his sword was resting across his knees as he clenched his jaw tighter. Lyra gulped.
It seemed that Joffrey had felt eyes on him, for he looked in her direction almost instantaneously and excused himself from the conversation, storming over towards Lyra.
"You weren't in with the other women," He stated as he reached them. Lyra nodded at Tylar, who immediately took a few steps back, allowing the pair some room to talk without being overheard.
"No, I was not. Your mother was drunk and I feared for her judgement," He hummed, as Lyra reached up to brush some of the blood off of his cheek. He winced as she touched one part, close to his left eye. "Are you hurt?"
"A little," She raised an eyebrow.
"I know that you like to downplay your injuries, Joffrey, but please do not do that, not with me," He looked down, before reluctantly nodding.
"I was stabbed, but it was patched up before I came here," Lyra's eyes widened in surprise. "I needed to deal with my grandfather and the Tyrells before I did anything else."
"You must go to the Maester's chambers, Joff," Lyra replied, as Joffrey's head snapped towards her. "What?"
"You called me Joff,"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," He shot her a small half-smile.
"No, I like it," She grinned up at him once more, before taking note of Tywin Lannister approaching them. "My Lord. I am glad to see that you fared well in the battle. I heard that you led an astounding cavalry attack."
"My Lady, thank you for your kind words," Lord Tywin Lannister was a cold man, tall and calculating, with beady eyes that seemed to look through you. It seemed that, even in his older age, he had yet to lose his famed brutality. "When we could not find you with the other women, we were all concerned that you were not with us."
"I thank you for your concerns," Lyra smiled politely, pretending not to notice the barb that lay in the man's words, even as Joffrey tensed up besides her. "Unfortunately, my sister felt quite sick and I had to escort her back to our rooms."
"I hope she feels better then," He bowed his head again, before turning back to where Ser Loras Tyrell stood, conversing with the man quietly.
"He should not have said that," Joffrey murmured, shooting daggers at his grandfather's back. Lyra squeezed his hand gently, before tugging the taller boy a bit closer.
"No, but I don't mind. I'm too happy that you are okay," Joffrey shot her another half-smile. "Come, we should get that cut cleaned up."
"Lead the way, my Lady," Joffrey murmured, tightening his grip on Lyra's arm as she smiled up at him.
Hiya,
This is gonna be an update with four chapters today cause the next chapter and the fourth chapter are pretty small. Battle of the Blackwater is over and we're very close to Book 3. I love Joffrey and Lyra so much, it's unbelievable. Also, Drew is the cutest bean.
Let me know what you think
Love Li xx