A Lions Flower |J.Lannister|

• Chapter 40 •

It was quiet for a long time.
The crypts were quiet, the people were quiet, and the world was quiet.

Sansa had been the only one from the outside to arrive before any noise began. She barely looked anyone in the face, the others drawing conclusions from her somber look but Rose ignored it, it wasn't unlike a Lady to feel sorry for those protecting a castle she can't protect herself.

Rose had felt that way about Highgarden when Jaime took it from her.

It felt like hours had passed, and they surely did, but inside the crypts there was no look into the outside. No hope to see loved ones winning or seeing them in their worst moments.

Rose had no idea that Jaime was on the front lines beside Brienne and Podrick. Rose had no idea that they had to retreat because the dead were relentless. Rose had no idea the dead were inches away from taking everything away from her.

Rose watched as the women and children of the North sat idly by and kicked at the dirt on the ground. Tyrion had made his way to sit next to her without her realizing it until he cleared his throat. Her head snapped to the left and he smiled at her drinking wine from a bag.

"Lady Tyrell, are you worried yet?"

"By the looks on everyone's face I should be, shouldn't I?"

"I suppose we both should be."

Tyrion drank more wine and sat in silence with everyone once again. There were times when Tyrion got up to try to fight but every time someone would shut him down. More time went by, it was as if a clock was ticking in everyone's head ready to explode.

But that was before the silence stopped.

Rampant thundering of people sounded above them. They were retreating and panicking. Rose stood and planted herself next to Sansa who was standing at the end of the long steps that led to the outside. They could hear the panicking and yelling of the soldiers outside, but in order to protect themselves they couldn't open the door.

Rose couldn't help but think that one of the soldiers may have been Jaime. She rested a hand on her stomach, a surprised kick from the baby inside reminded her she needed to live for more than just Jaime now.

"What are we going to do?" Tyrion asked Sansa and she shook her head.

"There's nothing we can do. The best thing we can do is sit and wait and that's the truth." She told everyone and there were some women and children crying in fear or sadness, some willing to fight, and some just frightened enough to be shell shocked.

"He's going to be alright, I know it." Tyrion told Rose kindly as he noticed her hand that was once resting on her stomach was now clutching the clothes covering it. A look of horror graced her face, a moment of weakness she would say.

"No you don't. You know nothing right now Tyrion." Rose went to sit at the end of the steps, away from everyone and furthest from the group of people sitting on the lit monuments of fallen starks.

There was quiet once again. Abrupt silence from the harshness that was eating at their ears just moments ago. Rose furrowed her brows and turned to look at the door, there was nothing there but a perfectly secure door. Her head whipped the other way when she heard a woman shrieking. Out of the crypts came the dead, breaking through the stone and attacking the innocent. Screaming filled the air and women and children ran to the door.

"No! No! Don't open it! Don't!" Rose yelled at them as the door became harder and harder to protect. They tried hiding behind walls and behind the large stones but the dead crawled and ate at the bodies on the ground. Rose had never seen anything like and she could only image what it looked like outside.

"If we stay here we die!" One of the women shouted at Rose and Rose turned to her and looked her dead in the eyes and replied.

"Either we die in here or die out there. There's no winning this war." The woman turned away quickly and held onto her children. Rose watched as the dead Starks who were resting peacefully now attached the last bit of humanity in the room. Everyone clutched each other tightly, they could feel the hearts beating in the room and the sadness wash over them.

Before Sansa and Tyrion could go and attack the Stark wights, they dropped to the ground. Dead again. Motionless and quiet.

Silence drew over them again.

The outside was quiet again.

"What happened?" Someone stated and no one knew what to say because they did not know what had just happened.

Everyone made there way away from the door, as fears of people entering would trample them all. The dead were seemingly dead, but they all stayed huddled in a group.

Tyrion, Sansa, Rose, Missandei, and Varys debated about opening the door to the crypt. The dead that attacked them hadn't been dead for long and the fears of what was on the other side were too much to bear for some.

"But if we don't look we will never know. What if they all died?" Tyrion said and the others looked conflicted.

"But what if it's just here in the crypts, what if it was just something-" Sansa was curt off by Rose.

"I'll do it." Rose said and they looked to her.

"Let me open the door. Everyone stay as far back as you can and I'll do it."

"No, it's too dangerous." Tyrion told her and glanced at her stomach, the baby was always a concern.

"If we don't try we will never know and I won't let a moment of doubt get in the way of what could be a positive outcome. What if the dead are actually dead? What if they are alive up there? I need to do this!" Rose told Tyrion and the others and Sansa looked at her with her head held high.

"Lady Tyrell, I give you permission to open the doors." Tyrion tried to object but before he could Rose hurried up the stairs and to the door. She glanced back once more and nodded her head at the group.

Gripping the handle and undoing the locks, she opened the door.

The sun was out. Through the walkway to the crypts and out by the gates, Rose saw the sun.

Behind the clouds the sun shined through and there were bodies piled everywhere but only the living were walking.

"Gods."

Rose hurried back to the door.

"It's over!" She shouted and people began hurrying up the stairs and out of the crypts.

Rose ran out into the field, stepping over the dead and into the court yard. She looked around and saw very few familiar faces. Most just soldiers from northern houses or unsullied that managed to escape the outside, but she didn't know how it all went down. How many soldiers died and how prominent members of houses died. Rose looked quickly, her eyes scanning every corner of Winterfell looking for Jaime but no luck.

"Rose!"

"Rose!" Faint. It was faint but it was there. Someone was calling for her.

"Rose!" They shouted again and she turned the way she thought she head the voice coming from and breathed a sigh of relief before running to him.

Jaime was alive.

Rose ran to Jaime and embraced him tightly. Tears falling from both of their eyes as they reunited when they didn't think they would.

"You're alive! Oh my god you're alive!" Rose said and looked him over for injuries before he kissed her desperately.

"Gods I didn't think we would make it. We were so close. Rose, we... if they didn't die when they did, I wouldn't be standing here."

"But you are. We're going to be ok. Everything's going to be ok." Rose assured him and they kissed again and again and didn't let go of one another.

While they celebrated, Cersei built up her army. Waiting for the return of those who betrayed her and those who wanted to take what is hers.

The final war is looming.

The final war is there.