Queen of Ashes [ASOIAF]

―aylward.

         𝓐ylward was nearly a mile ahead when he realized Amina was no longer behind him. He wheeled his courser around and doubled back. The Queen was lying face down in the dirt. Her loyal palfrey nosed at her insistently, despite its obvious exhaustion. The red blood was shocking against the grey and silver of her gown. He dropped from his horse and fell down next to her. Aylward pulled her skirts up around her waist, searching for her wound. But the blood came from between her legs, her white silk smallclothes the color of death.

          By the time Amina came to, the knight had washed her off in the river and half-dressed her in a clean roughspun tunic. A moment passed as she looked at the pile of bloody clothes beside her, then her body contorted with terrible sobs that shook every bone in her body. "It isn't fair!" She wailed. "They took everything. Everything!" She leapt up, before Aylward could stop her. Her fingers tore at the tiara that was still knotted in her raven hair. With a hard, sharp tug she wrested it free. Chunks of hair that had been tangled around the bronze and iron swords went with it. She threw it into the Green Fork, watching as it sunk beneath the torrent. "They can bloody well have me too."

          Amina was standing now, unmoving. Only her hard-labored breaths shook her body. Aylward didn't know what to say. How do you comfort a woman who's lost everything? He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "Clean clothes," she realized, whirling toward him. "Peasant's clothes. You knew?" With every word she took another step toward him. "Did you know?" Her fists pounded against his chest. Aylward hardly felt the blows through his armor, but she hit hard enough to raise bruises on her own hands.

          "The King only wanted me to be prepared," he said. "Not just for this, for everything. Robb was so careful. Every battle in the West, every time we rode out. He made me promise you'd be safe, no matter what happened to him."

          "Robb would have rather I turn craven," Amina whispered. The bitterness in her voice softened by the sadness in her eyes. "My Robb. My dear sweet Robb." She dropped to her knees again. "Gods how stupid we were."

          Aylward let his Queen cry for a long time before he spoke again. "I'll sink your bloody dress in the river where you threw your crown. With any luck the Freys will find it and think—"

          "They'll think I was raped and killed," she finished. "Good. That's good."

           The knight balled the ruined gown and threw it into the river. He dropped a stone in after to hold it down until they were well and gone. Aylward went to his saddlebag and removed the letter, holding it out to her. Amina took it, eyes glazing over as she looked at the seals. "We've gone the wrong way," Aylward told her regretfully. "We'll need to cross the river and double back, or else find a ship sailing to White Harbor, or even Eastwatch."

           "I can't go to the Wall," Amina said suddenly. Her eyes flashed lilac, quick as lightning. "I can't see Jon. Not now." The knight frowned, but the Queen squared her shoulders. "I bring darkness wherever I go. I can't lose him too. The North is dead. It's been dying for months. The Ironborn, the Boltons, they'll fight each other and rip the kingdom apart. I cannot hope to enter that fight and win, not without an army behind me. The North can wait. I won't go to Jon and ask him to walk with me to his death." She looked over the river for a long moment. Her knight was quiet. "We're going to King's Landing."

          "Your grace–"

           "I am no queen," she said sharply, her eyes cold as ice.

          "Amina. King's Landing is the lion's den. It's dangerous, even in the best of times."

          "You are my sworn shield, are you not?" He nodded once, knowing he was walking into a trap. "Then you will go where I command. I need to see my sisters."