The Hounds Flower {Sandor Clegane}

Chapter 21

Why did she always think about him? Why did he invade her dreams at night? Why did her mother not let her marry him? Sandor was Zyta's soul mate. He was hers, and she was his. Cersei ruined it. Cersei ruined everything. Why couldn't Sandor come with her to Dragonstone? Now he has a reward for his captor and Zyta doesn't even know if he is alive. 

"Lady Zyta, are you alright?" Emmett Freeman said. He walked into her personal study. She was looking at a letter but then stopped, starring at nothing when he final caught he attention. 

"Yes, just thinking." 

"About what my Lady?" 

"Nothing serious Emmett. What do you need?" 

"Your uncle wants to talk with you, I told him to wait outside." Emmett smiled his boyish grin. Zyta found him cute, but her heart belonged to another, and she knew that she will see Sandor again. It was just a matter of time before he popped up again. 

"Bring him in, close the door when you leave." Emmett nodded his head and told Tyrion to come in. Tyrion studied the room. Its black stone walls looked damp around the intense glow of the fire. Candles were lit around the room making it be filled with orange light. The sunrise not even competently over the horizon gleamed in. 

"Wine?" Zyta asked her uncle. She pored herself a goblet full and didn't wait for him to response because she knew what the answer would be. 

"You're up early." Tyrion commented, he said a quick thank you and took a drink. Summer wine, King Roberts favorite. Zyta was like him, but she was also like Cersei. 

"What do you need?" 

"I can't talk to my niece without ears listen that aren't welcomed. Didn't know that was a crime." 

"How did you leave Kings Landing?" 

"I killed my father. I was going to get killed for Joff's death, which I didn't do." 

Zyta cut him off, "I didn't think you did. Please go on." 

Tyrion smiled meekly and continued, "but I did kill my father. I am not sorry. Varys helped me get out. I went to Daenerys, there were some bumps in the road but I made it. And now I am here, her hand." 

"Lovely." In the moment Tyrion just saw Cersei, he saw his sister with short black hair and blue eyes look at him. 

"How did Stannis feel when you showed up here?" 

"He welcomed me with open arms, mostly. But he is gone now, and I am the last one left. The only one left, besides my bastard siblings. But I will never know any of them. I am surviving here, Uncle. I am living on for my father, for both my uncles that I had lost. I am surviving because it is the only thing left to do. But then I got word that you got out of my mothers grasp, that Sansa Stark fled too. All this mess is because of my mother, because of Little Finger, because of Varys. I want my mother off that throne. You are not here because you are my uncle, you are here because of your queen, remember that. Now what do you really want? I am done with small talk. " 

Tyrion only smiled at his nieces words. Lannister runs in her blood, and its thick. "Jon Snow is coming here, hopefully to bend the knee and set an alliance with our queen. He is now called the King Of The North. I need your help to have him bend the knee." 

"Why?" Zyta remembers the wolf bloods inside of Jon. She remembers telling him that even a bastard can become a lord at the wall. She was more than right. 

"You and him got a long rather well as I recall. I assume that he is after something,  but he needs to bend the knee, like you did." 

"He's going to need more convincing then me, those Norther's are honorable, he might hate Cersei but that's still his queen. He needs to know what he is getting himself into before bending the knee." Tyrion gave her look, "and that's why you need me." 

"I know things have been, well they have been awkward between us, but Zyta you are still my niece and family still means something to me." 

"Our family doesn't give one fuck about us, so why should we. It's me and you uncle, against Cersei and Jamie. But I think we can get Jamie on our side if you prove how bad my mother is." 

Tyrion stared at the women in front of him. Younger than Jon Snow and Daenerys Stormborn, and yet she is an equal leader. He knew that she was right, and he had plans, but those can wait. "Will you help when Jon Snow gets here?" 

"Yes, I will." 

Tyrion drank down the rest of his wine and hoped down from the chair. He gave a finale look at Zyta and started to walk out. He was almost at the door, "Uncle?" Zyta asked. 

"Yes, niece." 

"What happens if we lose?" 

"Your mother will kill us both but we are not going to lose." 

"How do you know that?" 

"Because we are going to have the north behind us, and we have you. Zyta you are doing the right thing, this is the only way." 

"I know, close the door on your way out please." 

When Tyrion left, Zyta stared down on the paper in front of her. Written in her mothers hand. 

My dearest daughter, 
           Bend your knee to me or die. You will not win. 
With much love, 
          Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. 

Zyta laughed. Cersei is wrong. Zyta was going to win. No matter what.