The Hounds Flower {Sandor Clegane}

Chapter 25

Zyta stood at the doors of the dining hall watching as people ate. She was smiling at everyone, smiling at the children and the people that Zyta called family. But when her eyes landed on a giggly Targaryen, Zyta couldn't help to feel guilty. Zyta never wanted to become Queen ever before, even as a little girl she never really thought of being the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.  

But now it was different. Now Zyta knows what it feels like to rule over people. She knows what it feels like for her people to love her and adore her. To make decisions for the greater good. Zyta knew that she would make a great queen. 

Zyta tried to reason with herself. Thinking about Danys claim to the throne, how it is the same claim that Zyta would have. Both of their fathers ruled over the Seven Kingdoms. One father was mad and the other one was to lazy to rule. Both of the womens fathers murdered by Lannisters. 

Zyta compared herself to Daenerys. Both have lost so much, but gained from the loss. Both so young, and yet are wiser than most grown men. The two women could have anything they wanted from their beauty and brains. Both not settling for anything and always wanting to achieve more. 

But they are also so different. Zyta grew up in Kings Landing. She knew that land like the back of her hand. She had powerful family and gold with her name on it. Daenerys has a army of men that can kill at Daenerys say. Zyta was trained by one of the most ruthless man in all the Seven Kingdoms. Dany had dragons as children. 

Zyta was pulled from her thoughts when someone taped her shoulder. She spun around and looked straight into a chest. Her eyes traveled up to might Sandors face. 

Sandors scared face was looking down at her. Zyta noted how his beard got thicker and messier, how he might be a little weaker in strength but overall looked the same. Zyta couldn't say the same about herself though. Zyta didn't have her long hair anymore, instead cut to her shoulders. Her body got more muscler making her heavier and her body more defined. Her skin paler than Sandor has ever seen it. Sandor liked this Zyta more than he did the one in Kings Landing. 

"Hello." Was all that Sandor said, he never thought that he would see Zyta again, but now she is right  in front of him. 

"Hello." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. Both of them not knowing what to say. 

"Did you eat?" Sandor asked. 

"Oh I usually wait until everyone else eats. Make sure that the foods not poisoned." Zyta answered smirking. "Did you eat?" 

"Yes and drank, then ate some more." Sandor stopped and looked around. He was taken a back from how much Zyta gained in the three long years they have been apart. "I had no idea that you were ruling Dragonstone. I didn't even know that you were fucking alive." 

"Do you want to talk about this in a more private place?" Zyta asked. Sandor nodded his head yes. Grabbing Sandors hand, Zyta led him to her room. She took the shortest way, knowing that they had a fortnight to explore the castle together. 

Sandor let her lead him, loving the view he was getting of her backside. Guilt raged through him for leaving her, he wondered so many times what it could of been like if Zyta would of came with him when he left, or if they could of been together in Kings Landing after King Robert died. 

Sandor wasn't surprised when Zyta opened the door to her chamber. The walls had built in selves, all filled with books. The bed had silk sheets and one fur blanket at the foot. The room was lite with candles making a orange glow. There was a table with four chairs surrounding it. The table top had a vase of flowers and a pitcher of wine. Two glasses already ready for the liquid. 

Zyta motioned for him to sit. She filled the glasses with wine and sat down herself. "When you left, I had no one besides Sansa Stark to talk to her. Her and I became very close, I told her everything. She listened to me and didn't think that I was crazy for loving you. No one understood besides her. Sansa was terrified of Joffery and what he could do to her. But I knew that I couldn't protect her, and she understood that. The war between all of the Kings was making Joff crazier, making him more ruthless and cruel. Especially Stannis claiming the throne for himself, so my grandfather sent me to stop the rebellion. Obviously that didn't work and now I am the ruler of Dragonstone and the last true born Baratheon." 

Sandor soaked it all in, it wasn't a lot of information but he also knew that Zyta wasn't giving him all the details about how she ended up here. He knew it must of been hell. "I didn't think I would ever see you again." 

"Me either." 

"Has there been anyone else?" Sandor wanted to know, because if there was he was going to kill them. He was going to make it a long painful death. 

"No, you?" 

"Never." 

Zyta smiled at him, a small blush rose to her cheeks. Awkwardness filled the room as the two didn't know what to say. 

Sandor was the first to break the silence, "you look beautiful." 

Zyta's blush grew, "thank you. Now how did you end up here? With Jon Snow of all people." 

Sandor sighed and took a sip of his wine, "I left Kings Landing and I was about three days ride away from the capital. I stopped for some reason, don't even remember fucking why. But when I did, I found Arya Stark. We traveled together for a while, I trained her like how I did you. She was a natural. I took her to the twins and on that same night her mother and brother were killed. Then I took her to the Eyrie and her aunt was dead." 

"Seven hells. What did you do next?" Zyta was very interested in this story. 

"If you didn't cut me the fuck off I can tell ya." 

With an eye roll Zyta replied, "my deepest apologizes, Ser Clegane. Now continue." 

Sandor scuffed but went on, "the last place I figured her family could be was at the wall with Lord Snow. When we were on our way he ran into Brienne of Tarth. Cunt nearly killed me. Arya had a list of people she wanted to kill for hurting her and her family, I was on it. But when I begged Arya to kill me, she didn't. I don't know why the fuck she didn't." 

"Because you weren't on her list anymore." 

"What?" 

"She didn't kill you because you weren't on her list. Think about it Sandor, you were the only person around her for years. You kept her safe, probably gave her comfort. You probably got off the list." 

Sandor rolled his eyes, "she tried to kill me by dropping a rock on my head and then stabbed me with a sword she called neddle." 

Zyta tried to hold her laugh back but she couldn't. "You mean to tell me that little Stark girl tried to drop a rock on your head to kill you?"

"Shut up. Anyway I was found by this man, stayed with him for a while along with all his people. Some cunts killed them all and when I went to go kill the cunts that killed the people I was with, the Brotherhood was already hanging them. So I went with the Brotherhood Without Banners or what was left of them, a lot of them got killed. The Lord of Light told us to go to the wall and we did. I went to the wall and we got locked up in a cell. Then Snow came and the last of the Brotherhood went to get the white walker to bring back to Kings Landing."

Zyta cut Sandor off again. She knew what happened to get the white walker, she wasn't going to make Sandor recall the events. "And now you are here with me." 

"Yes I am." 

Zyta raised her glass and Sandor did the same. The two goblets clicked against each other. Zyta brought the goblet to her lips and drank the rest of the wine that was in the cup. The awkwardness came back into the room. They haven't seen each other in over three years, so much has changed. Zyta wasn't the same girl that she was in Kings Landing, she was colder now. And Sandor seemed softer, more gentle. 

Sandor broke the silence again, "so you want to fuck?"  

His bluntness made Zyta spit up a little wine, "are you serious?" 

"Why the fuck not, I haven't touched you since your father died." 

"Alright then." 

XXX
Lots of things have been happening in my life lately so I can't write consistently as I would like. For the next couple of chapters I need to rewatch the last episode of season 7 so I can write the chapters accurately. So a new chapter might come the middle of August or it can come sooner, I don't really know yet. Thank you for understanding, 
Morgan