The Lion and the Dragon

Chapter One

There was nowhere to go, and the footsteps approached ever closer with every passing second. The dimly lit corridor was a dead end. All that stood behind her was a small chamber used to store trunks and wardrobes and other unused things.

She backed against the wall, as the man came into view.

A rush of relief overtook her though, as the dim light from the torches on the wall lit up the armor of only a knight of the King's Guard. She ran forward instantly.

"Good Ser, please help me-", she gasped, but as the blood splattered face came into view, eerily lit by the torches, her very blood seemed to run cold, all the color draining from her face.

She took a shaky, frightened step back, as Ser Jaime Lannister stepped forward, his blood covered sword drawn and ready to kill.

Rhaenaerys Targaryen backed against the wall once more. The Knight before her whom had dutifully served her uncle, King Aerys, and had even guarded her on occasion, had been the same man to take her uncle's life. He had betrayed her family. And now, as he stood, looking nearly as mad as her uncle, with blood smeared upon his armor and face, she knew she was going to die at his hands as well.

She gasped, as she heard more footsteps, more men coming behind Ser Jaime. There was no escape. And when he suddenly charged forward she closed her eye's.

She wouldn't fight death, as it was inevitable. She would never be able to fight off the knight, weaponless, and even if by some miracle she had, more men were quickly approaching.

She huffed, as his body slammed into hers, knocking her hard into the door behind her, the wood splintering down the middle, but suddenly, with a jolt of sudden fear, the support of the door was no longer there, and her body fell roughly through the doorway, and crashed to the floor. She felt no pain, as adrenaline charged through her.

She looked up, her eyes wide now, as Jaime Lannister reached down, grabbing her wrist and roughly jerking her upwards, to her feet, and pushing her into the tiny room.

"Get behind the trunks!", he growled, shoving her behind some stacked trunks in the corner of the room, " Do not go anywhere! I will come back for you when it's safe!", he said in a hurried whisper, as he shoved her down, withdrawing a dagger from his waist.

She shrank back, frightened, but he held the dagger out to her.

There was a moment, where all she could do was stare at him, as she slowly took the dagger from him. He had murdered her uncle. Because of him, most if not all of her family was dead. She could kill him, possibly, right now. And even if more men came, Baratheon, Lannister, Stark, it didn't matter. If she killed him now, maybe it would be worth it. Maybe death wouldn't be so bad, if she avenged her loved one's first.

"Be silent!", he whispered, and instead of plunging the dagger deep into his heart, she simply nodded, shrinking back against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest. 

He stood quickly, walking from around the trunks, and just as he did, men entered the room.

"No one's here", he said quickly, and she heard footsteps pounding from the room and out of ear shot. But the destruction of the battle raged on, loud and clear around her.

She could hear the death and destruction continue on for many hours, but even as she had covered her ears, praying it to stop, nothing disturbed her more than the sudden silence that came near dawn.

As time ticked on, her adrenaline lowered, and a terrible pain radiated from her shoulder. It felt as if Ser Jaime had ripped her arm off, when he pulled her up to her feet in that doorway. And her back was terribly sore, and surely bruised. He had cracked the door, slamming her into it. And her fear became nearly unbearable. Not for herself, but her family. Who would live? Surely her mother wouldn't be killed. And Elia, she worried dearly for Elia and the children. Surely the children wouldn't be harmed.

She had sat, silently, not hearing a thing for hours. And just as she thought the sun would rise at any time, and someone would discover her, and that Jaime Lannister was either dead, or not coming back, she heard footsteps slowly approaching.

Her heart seemed to beat so loudly she feared it would give her away, as she shrank back, her eyes wide open, holding the dagger so tightly her knuckles were white.

The footsteps came right for her, and she braced herself.

Jaime Lannister peeked around the corner of the stacked trunks, his eyes showing relief as he found her still there, alive. He stepped forward, sticking his hand out.

"Come", he said, "we must hurry", but she dare not move.

Suddenly it had occurred to her that she should not trust him at all. Who's to say he was really helping her. Who's to say he wasn't just tricking her.

He moved forward quickly, getting on one knee, his sword rested in it's scabbard, but he himself still showed signs of a brutal battle. The blood of her people covered him in splatters from head to toe.

"If you want to live,  Lady Rhae you must come with me. Now. And you must do as I say", he said, holding his hand out to her.

She remained silent, hesitating a moment, before slowly reaching out. His hand was much bigger than her's, his skin rough, as he closed his hand around her's and stood to his feet, pulling her up to her's.

"Come on", he said, before pulling her from the small chamber, quickly, his hand tightly squeezing her's as he pulled her.