Sandor couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the dishevelled woman walk into the brothel; of all the places in Kings Landing, this was the last place she should ever be. A hush fell over the gathered patrons as the young woman stood in the doorway holding her obviously injured arm, her long blonde hair and clothes sticking to her body as the rain continued to fall outside.

Sandor began to stand, pushing the woman that was sat on his lap, to the ground: but as he moved to make his way over to the woman, Petyr glided across the floor, a wicked glint in his eyes as he helped the lady further inside.

"Lady Lannister, to what do I owe the honour of having such a noble lady in my humble establishment?" Petyr cooed, as he attempted to take the woman's hand.

"Believe me Lord Baelish, if this wasn't the first place that I came across, I would not be in this den of iniquity. I need my brother, is he here?" She asked, beginning to sway as she grimaced, the pain in her arm getting worse.

Before Petyr could reply, Sandor pushed his way passed, steadying the young lioness as she nearly fell.

"Me lady, ya brother ain't ere. Are ya alright?" Sandor asked, his eyes widening as the young woman threw herself into his arms.

"Thank the gods; Sandor I'm so glad to see you. I went for a ride, my horse bolted and threw me off, I had to walk all the way back and I think that my arm is broken....... I-I don't feel well......" Without warning, she collapsed into Sandor's arms, her skin turning a deathly white."

"(Y/N) NO!" Sandor shouted, as he picked up the limp body.

"I need a clean room right now." Sandor growled, glaring at Petyr.

Petyr quickly rushed off with Sandor in tow, as he showed him to a clean room at the back of the establishment.

"Send someone ta the Keep, get a Maestre down ere; I don't want to risk movin er." Sandor told Baelish, who simply nodded and left the room.

Sandor gently brushed the wet hair from (Y/n)'s face as he lay her down on the bed.

"Ya gonna be alright (Y/n), ya have ta be alright." Sandor said, gently stroking the beautiful pale face as the unconscious woman.

Sandor began to try and remove some of her soaked clothes; but as (Y/n) murmured, he thought better of it, not wanting to face the questions of her family if they found out that he had disrobed her, himself.

Sandor threw open the door to the room. "Oi, you two. Come ere." Sandor shouted at two young woman who were giggling over some obviously heavily drunk men.

"Get the wet clothes off the lass and be careful with er." Sandor said, nearly pushing the two girls into the room.

He stood outside the door, waiting patiently for the girls to finish undressing the sick woman, growling at the prying eyes of the other patrons; he didn't like the idea of a lady like (Y/n) being in a place like this, and he was going to make sure that not a single person got close to her while she was there. Of all the people that this could happen to, why did it have be (Y/n)? And why had this protected lioness, been allowed to ride out on her own?

(Y/n) was her father's favourite, in fact, (Y/n) was doted on by the whole family, and was normally not allowed out of the Red Keep without either Jaime in tow, or a number of guards to make sure that the highly prized maiden was not harmed.

"Ser Clegane." One of the young girls said hesitantly, as she opened the door.

"The lady is undressed, and in the bed." She told him, as she and the other girl scurried out of the way, when Sandor barged passed them, slamming the door shut behind him.

"(Y/n)." Sandor said softly, as he knelt by the side of the bed and gripped her hand.

"Ya have ta be alright lass, I hav ta be able ta tell ya how I feel." Sandor began, as he slowly kissed her hand.

"I luv ya...... I-I know that ya father would never allow us ta be together, or ya sister fa that matter; but I luv ya (Y/n). I might be gruff and too hardened, I might drink too much, and I come ta places like this; but I've luved ya fa as long as I can remember....... I just hope I get the chance ta tell ya." Sandor said softly, his eyes never leaving her soft face.

(Y/n) had always been good to him, despite the fact that he tried to remain his usual bad-tempered, crochety, ill-humoured self, she was the one person that could see through it all to the man beneath, the one that could always make him smile, even if no one else saw it. Over time he had come to love the young lioness, not just for her beauty, but also for the good and kind heart that she possessed, and for the friendship and care she had always shown him.

Suddenly the door flew open and there stood an angry Jaime and a highly concerned Maestre. As the Maestre rushed over to check on the young Lannister, Jaime followed Sandor out of the room.

"What is my sister doing here?" Jaime asked, glaring at the customers in the brothel.

"I don't know. She said she was riding, er horse bolted and threw er, and she had to walk back; this was the first place she came to; I think she thought that ya brother would be ere." Sandor explained, as Jaime wondered how he was going to tell his father that his favourite child was allowed out of the Red Keep without an escort.

"How did she get out on er own?" Sandor asked, angry that her own brother had allowed this to happen.

"I don't know; but if anything happens to her, someone is going to pay." Jaime said, suddenly distracted as the Maestre left the room.

"Sers...... Lady Lannister has broken her arm, and she has a high fever; I'm afraid she cannot be moved until the fever has broken, and the arm will need to be set." The Maestre explained, as Jaime instructed one of his men to bring whatever the Maestre needed from the Keep.

"The lady will require constant attention, so I will remain here......" The Maestre began, until he was interrupted by Sandor.

"No! I'll stay, she needs someone that can protect er." Sandor said gruffly.

"I'm sure that the Queen will realise how important this is." Sandor told Jaime, who nodded gratefully at the large man.

>>------------------------------<<

Days had passed, and Sandor had still to leave (Y/n)'s side; she had not woken, even when Tyrion and Bronn had come to see her, even when Jaime had sat holding her hand, even when an angry Tywin had shouted at her for putting herself in danger, she had remained asleep.

"Don't ya think its about time ya woke up lass?" Sandor asked, trying to sound light-hearted as he took a cold wet cloth, and dabbed the sweat from her forehead.

"I'll only wake up if you tell me you love me again." A soft, hoarse voice said, as Sandor dropped the cloth, and grabbed (Y/n)'s hand.

(Y/n)? Lass." Sandor asked, smiling as he watched her eyes slowly flutter open.

"Well? Are you going to tell me or not?" (Y/n) said, smiling as Sandor took her in his arms.

"I luv ya lass; but I don't know what ya family will make of it." Sandor said, as (Y/n) gripped onto his shirt tight.

"If I tell them that I am in love with Sandor Clegane, and that I want to be his, and only his, eventually they will accept it; and even if they don't, I still want to be yours." (Y/n) told him, as she brushed her hand against his beard.

"But first, I think that it is about time that you kissed me, Ser Clegane." (Y/n) said, a soft small smile gracing her lips.

As the two kissed, a sudden chuckling cough alerted the pair to a presence in the doorway.

"It looks like someone is feeling better." Tyrion joked, as he looked at an awkward looking Sandor.

"Why is it that the only time I need you, you can't be found at a brothel?" (Y/n) asked as Tyrion walked over to the bed and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm not in here all of the time, most of the time, yes; but not all of the time." Tyrion smirked, as he helped (Y/n) to sit up in the bed.

"Father is determined to get you out of here, so he has sent a carriage, I'm to take you back to the Keep." Tyrion told her, as he began to move the bedding from his sister.

"And don't worry, I won't tell him about you and your nursemaid." Tyrion chuckled, as Sandor picked (Y/n) from the bed and into his arms.

"Ya don't have ta worry, I'm gonna tell him myself." Sandor told the little man as he made is way to the carriage, holding his patient tightly.

Whether the rest of the Lannister's accepted it or not, Sandor was never going to let his lioness go, and as long as he was around, she would never be hurt again.