𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 | Drinking

{ Lyra }

✧✦✧

𝕷yra entered Maegor's holdfast first, looking around at the other ladies of the court with narrowed eyes. She knew that most of them despised her, due to her family being supposed traitors to the crown. They probably hated that she and Sansa were being kept in with them whilst the siege carried on outside of the keep.

The bells continued to toll in the distance, the sound being a harsh reminder of the danger that they were in, as well as the call for all those living in Flea Bottom to flee to one of their designated areas of safety. Lyra took another deep breath, praying in her head for the safety of Joffrey and Tylar. 

"I don't know why she wanted the two of us here," Sansa whispered to Lyra as the Queen Regent entered the room with Tommen. "She despises you and she's always calling me stupid."

"Maybe she hates you slightly less than she hates everyone else," Shae, who was Sansa's new handmaiden, commented. Lyra shook her head, knowing that it was most likely to do with Joffrey's insistence and not his mother's.

"It's a possibility," Arah replied, gently nudging the elder Stark girl, to bring her out of her thoughts. Lyra looked over at her with narrowed eyes, before Arah nodded over at the door. Sandor Clegane had walked in, a small boy in his arms, that he deposited in front of Lyra, before storming back out once more.

"Drew?" The other three girls looked at Lyra in confusion, as she stared down at the small boy with a raised eyebrow. 

"Hello," The boy murmured, looking around at the rest of the women with round eyes. He shuffled closer to Lyra's side, as the older girl wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Joffrey sent me here. He said it was too dangerous at the Mud Gate."

"That's true," Lyra began, slowly carding her fingers through the small boy's hair, de-tangling the brown curls as she went. "You'll be well protected in here, with us."

Drew nodded slowly, before looking over Lyra's shoulder at Joffrey's younger brother, who was watching him in confusion. The boy tugged on Lyra's hair, gently, bringing her down to his level as he started to whisper in her ear.

"Who are they?" Lyra hid a smile, before looking around and starting to point everyone out.

"Well, the other boy's name is Tommen. He's Joffrey's younger brother and that's Joffrey's mother sitting beside him," Drew pulled a face, before nodding.

"She's the one you don't like," Arah hid a chuckle beside Lyra, as the girl hushed the small boy, but nodded all the same.

"The woman sitting next to us is called Arah, she's a good friend of mine," Lyra motioned to Arah, as Drew nodded and waved. "Then, Shae is next to her, and the auburn haired girl is my sister, Sansa."

"You two don't look that alike," Drew replied, as Lyra nodded.

"No, we don't. Sansa looks like my mother and I look like my grandmother," Sansa smiled at the small boy, and Lyra knew what the girl was thinking. Drew reminded both of them of Bran, but slightly older than their brother had been. He was missing a direwolf companion, but otherwise, the boy looked like a Stark child.

"Lyra, come," Sighing, Lyra smiled down at Drew, before standing up once more and sweeping over to the Queen Regent, and Tommen. "I was wondering where you had run off to. Who is the urchin that is now with us?"

"Drew, Your Grace," Lyra replied, not liking the way the queen was talking about Drew. "His Grace asked me to look after him, whilst the battle raged on outside."

"That's so very, very kind of you," Cersei smiled, like a predator about to eat it's prey. "Pour Lady Lyra some wine."

A servant handed Lyra a glass of wine, which she accepted with a smile, though barely drunk from. Wine wasn't too her liking, mainly due to the taste that she had yet to get used to. Normally, at Winterfell, mead or ale was the main drink,and it was something that Lyra had gotten used to. Wine was only for special occasions.

"What's Ser Illyn doing here?" The silent executioner had slipped into the room at the same time as the Hound, it would seem, and was now standing in a corner, watching over all of them with piercing eyes.

"Ser Illyn? He's here to defend us," The cruel irony that the man who had killed her father was going to be protecting her from the Baratheon soldiers that were besieging the castle. "When the axes smash down those doors, you may be glad to have him."

"But we have guards to defend us," 

"Guards we have paid. Should the city fall, they'll be the first ones out of the doors," The doors to the holdfast opened once more, and Cersei was momentarily distracted, allowing Lyra a brief reprieve from the woman's piercing stare and disdain. Glancing over her shoulder, Lyra was relieved to see that Drew, Sansa and the others in her small party were all right and content. "The only way to keep the small folk loyal is to make certain they fear you more than they do the enemy. Remember that if you ever hope to become a queen."

Lyra sighed once more at Cersei's use of the word 'if', trying not to take it to heart that the woman hated her so much. The Stark girl was taking strength from Joffrey's oath, that ran through her head on repeat. She was too drained to argue with the Queen Regent anyway, especially at this time.

✧✦✧

It seemed that Cersei was intent on trying to break down Lyra's facade of calm, as the woman gave her little peace during their time in the holdfast. Instead, it seemed to become the Queen Regent's personal mission to draw the younger woman into a conversation.

"What are you doing?" Lyra smiled at the woman, trying not to grind her teeth together in annoyance.

"Praying."

"You're almost perfect, aren't you? Praying. What are you praying for?" It took everything in that moment, to keep the warm smile on her face. For the past few hours, their conversation had been filled with insults disguised as compliments that were slowly wearing down Lyra's patience. She couldn't understand how Joffrey had put up with this for almost eighteen years.

"For the gods to have mercy on us all,"

"Oh. On all of us?" Cersei smiled sarcastically, as Tommen shifted uncomfortably by her side.

"Yes, Your Grace,"

"Even me?" Lyra fought to keep a dark scowl off of her face as she stared at the woman. 

"Of course, Your Grace." Cersei narrowed her eyes at Lyra, regarding her with an icy malice. "I pray for everyone in the castle."

"Oh, shut up, you little fool. Praying to the gods to have mercy on us all. The gods have no mercy," Lyra bit her tongue so hard that she feared it would bleed. "That's why they're gods. My father told me that when he caught me praying. My mother had just died, you see. I didn't really understand the concept of death, the finality of it. I thought that if I prayed very, very hard, the gods would return my mother to me. I was four."

"Your father doesn't believe in the gods?" 

"He believes in them, he just doesn't like them very much," Cersei finished her glass of wine, before motioning for Lyra's glass to be filled up. The servant poured some into her cup, as Lyra took a small sip of the drink. She knew that Joffrey hated the smell of the drink, so she tried not to have much of it. "Not like that. Drink, girl."

Cersei was too far gone to notice that Lyra faked taking a sip of the wine, instead already starting to prattle on the next topic.

"I should have been born a man. I'd rather face a thousand swords than be shut up inside with this flock of frightened hens," Cersei looked round in disgust at the women that were sitting, talking and praying. Growing tired of Cersei's dramatics, Lyra decided to intervene.

"They are your guests under your protection. You asked them here."

"It was expected of me, as it will be of you if you ever become Joffrey's queen," Lyra sighed once more at the queen's words, still thinking of possible ways to leave her company and go back to her sister. "If my wretched brother should somehow prevail, these hens will return to their cocks and crow of how my courage inspired them, lifted their spirits."

"And if the city should fall?" Lyra realized a little too late that she shouldn't have said that. Her mouth had grown complacent and now she would pay the price for it. Glancing over at Cersei's face, Lyra licked her lips at the malice in the woman's eyes.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? The Red Keep should hold for a time, long enough for me to go to the walls and yield to Lord Stannis in person. If it were anyone else outside those gates, I might have hoped for a private audience, but this is Stannis Baratheon. I'd have a better chance of seducing his horse," Cersei replied, as Lyra began to drone out of listening to the monologue, which included tales about her and her twin brother.

"You were Robert's queen,"

"And you might be Joffrey's. Enjoy," Standing up, Cersei swept towards the other Stark girl, their two handmaidens and Drew as Lyra followed diligently, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. " I don't think I know this one."

The party of four all stood to curtsy, or in Drew's case bow, towards the queen. 

"That's the worst curtsy I've ever seen. Here, it's not difficult. I mastered it when I was four. Straighten your back and bend," Cersei hissed at Shae, who mimicked it as Arah pulled Drew and Sansa away and out of Cersei's eye line. Lyra sent the woman a thankful glance. "Better. You learn fast. How long have you been in Lady Sansa's service?"

Lyra zoned out of their conversation, turning back towards Sansa and Drew.

"Are you two okay?" Sansa nodded slightly, squeezing Lyra's hand in her own as they stood in a small huddle, away from the other women. "And how are you doing, Drew?"

"Very good, Lyra. Arah's been teaching me one of the clapping games," He said, mimicking it, as Lyra smiled down at him and nodded.

"Well that is very kind of her. Are you good at it?"

"Yes, I can do it really fast now," Drew began to demonstrate how fast he could do the game, as the doors to the holdfast open and Lancel Lannister stumbled in.

"Your Grace!" Lancel came to a stop, panting slightly after having run away from the battle. Lyra's face twisted into a scowl at the man. She wasn't sure why, there was just something about him that rubbed her the wrong way.

"What news?" 

"The Imp has set the river afire. Hundreds of ships are burning, maybe more. Stannis' fleet destroyed, but his troops have landed outside the city walls," Looking around, Lyra began to notice that the women were panicking at the man's words.

"The battle is not lost, the troops are just preparing for the next stage of the fight. There is nothing to be worried about," Lyra called, sending a reassuring smile in the direction of the women, who settled slowly and continued to pray. Lyra began to tune back into Cersei's conversation, listening in quietly. 

"The king's presence is good for morale." Lancel commented, the only true thing he'd said since he had entered the room.

"Bring him back to his chambers now," Cersei demanded, not caring that there were a few people listening in to the conversation. Lyra's eyes narrowed once more at the woman, who still seemed to treat her eighteen year old son like he was ten.

"Not here?"

"With the women and children? Do you want him to be mocked as a coward for the rest of his life?" Cersei hissed, causing Lancel to blush bright red in embarrassment.

"No, but I..."

"Now!" Lyra scoffed at the thought of Cersei's endeavor. The queen was a fool to think that Joffrey would heed her command and come off the battlefield. He was a king, who needed to prove himself on the field of battle and also protect his city. He wouldn't come back to the keep until the battle was won.

Lancel finally left the room, the doors closing after him as Cersei called for more wine to drink. The woman turned back to face Lyra, who had watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.

"When I told you about Ser Illyn earlier, I lied. Do you want to hear the truth? You want to know why he's really here? He's here for us. Stannis may take the city, he may take the throne, but he will not take us alive."

✧✦✧

Lancel returned to the holdfast, looking terrified as he made his way towards the Queen Regent and Tommen. Lyra watched from where she was sitting with her own small group, listening in as best she could. Drew was asleep on her lap, his head tucked into her neck as he snored quietly.

"Where is my son?" Lancel gulped and Lyra could see the sheen of sweat, on his forehead. Arah shot her a look, also listening into the talk.

"He refused to come back from the battlefield, Your Grace," There was a pause as Cersei seemed to grow more and more enraged. "He told me that he wasn't going to leave his city without it's king."

Cersei turned red in the face, before leaping up and stabbing Lancel with what seemed to be a butter knife. Lyra jumped, her hand covering her mouth as she watched Lancel writhe and scream in pain. The woman around them all began to panic as Cersei and Tommen made a quick exit, and Lancel was removed from the room.

"Don't be afraid. The queen has raised the drawbridge. This is the safest place we can be," Lyra turned at the sound of her sister's voice, calming those around them. Drew had woken in her arms, but Lyra hushed him and continued to rock him back to sleep. "The king is not hurt. He's fighting bravely. His knights have rallied behind him. They will save the city. Shall we sing a hymn? Gentle mother, fount of mercy..."

She waited for the rest of the women to continue the song, before joining the huddle of her small party.

"Go back to your chambers and bar the door," Arah murmured, as Drew stirred once more in Lyra's arms.

"Stannis won't hurt you. This one will," Shae continued as she pointed at Illyn Payne, who was watching all the women with a menacing stare.

"Come with us," Sansa pleaded, grabbing both Shae and Arah's hands, who both shook their heads.

"That will look suspicious. Take Drew and go. Say that you're putting the boy to bed," Arah called, smiling softly at the girls. Lyra's eyebrows furrowed.

"The queen said they'd rape everyone," Lyra said, not wanting to leave the two behind when the future was so uncertain.

"No one is raping me or her," Shae said, pulling up her dress to show them a dagger attached to her calf, and Lyra felt slightly better about leaving the two in the holdfast, but not by much.

"Go, run," Arah called, pushing the trio in the direction of doors so that they could leave as quickly as possible.

Hiya,

Okay, so Drew is so adorable and I love writing for him. Next chapter is back to Joffrey.

Also thank you for 5k and almost 250 votes (what?!) it's crazy. Anyhow, thanks.

Love Li xx