KINGDOM FALL
— 34. Casterly Rock

"Archers!" The men on top of the wall of Casterly Rock shouted at they spotted the men aboard the ships sailing toward their shores. The Lannister men were shocked when they saw banners on the ships. They were Tully and Stark banners.

   Robb stood on one of the ships along with Grey Wind, Greatjon Umber, Maege Mormont, and a few of his other greatest fighters. Stannis had given them a number of his fleet of ships, ordering him to take Casterly Rock with them as Annalys had demanded months before.

While most of the ships with Robb's men sailed to the shores of Casterly Rock, Robb took twelve of his best men, alongside Grey Wind on their boat toward the cove Annalys spoke of.

At the Walls of Casterly Rock, the Lannister archers, shot at Robb's men as they rushed toward the walls with wooden ladders. The Stark and Tully men blocked the arrows shot at them as best as they could with their shields, but many of them were shot down. As they set the ladders down on the walls, the Lannister soldiers manning the walls began to throw large rocks down. Many of the men climbing up were knocked down, but the Lannister soldiers were confused as to why only a dozen men even attempted to climb the ladders. It was as if Robb's men knew something they didn't.

"Send a raven!" One of the commanders shouted to the Maester, "Send a raven to the capital! Tell Lord Tywin about the attack. Tell him Robb Stark is alive and has joined forces with Stannis Baratheon!"

On the small boat, Robb and his men sailed on the boat through passage and into the dark cove. Soon enough, they came to a stop and the men quickly climbed out of the boat.

The water reached their knees, but that didn't stop them from running toward the secret door Annalys spoke of.

Robb forced the door open, finding a circular stairway. He immediately began to climb the stairs, Grey Wind and the twelve following after him.

At the top of the stairs, Robb lifted up a circular metal tile. He pushed it out of the way, revealing them to be now entering the Casterly Rock. He and his men entered the hallways of Casterly Rock through the floor.

He, Grey Wind, and his men ran through the hallways, killing any men on sight. The Northmen shouted, "The Queen in the North!" as they laid siege to Casterly Rock and Robb couldn't help but feel saddened.

  He had told his men that the annulment was a lie and that he and Annalys were still married. He feared their reaction if they knew the truth. They would most likely take it the same way Robb did before he read Annalys' letter.

As Grey Wind and the majority of the men he snuck into Casterly Rock with fought off the men that weren't on the Wall, Robb ran over to the gates. With the help of Maege Mormont he opened the gates of Casterly Rock, allowing thousands of his men to enter House Lannister's ancestral seat.

Robb, alongside his men, fought and killed numerous Lannister soldiers. He couldn't believe it. Annalys' plan had actually worked and she wasn't even there to see it happen. He felt saddened at the thought. It was first his first battle that he fought without Annalys.

Usually, they led their men into battle together and fought together. It felt odd to not have her at his side. For a split second, Robb looked up, a small, satisfied smirk on his face as he watched a raven fly out of one of the nearby chambers.

Annalys' plan had worked. Now, in due time, Tywin would learn of the siege and the real war would soon start at King's Landing.

He couldn't wait to see Annalys again. She was all he thought about in the past five months while being stuck at Riverrun. He wondered how she'd react when she saw him again. In a way, he feared seeing her again, though, knowing there wasn't a chance she wouldn't be happy about what he was yet to do.

____

    Days later, in the middle of the night, Annalys was asleep in bed when she heard the door to her room open. Her eyes shot open, only to find two of Tommen's kingsguard standing before her, "What do you want?" She asked, annoyance laced in her tone of voice, not even worried that there was two men in her chambers in the middle of the night.

"You're coming with us," One of them informed her, much to Annalys' concern.

Annalys barely had any time to slip her robe on before the two members of the kingsguards dragged her to the throne room. She repeatedly asked them what was going on, but neither of them answered.

They reached the throne room and Annalys found it lit up with torches. Tywin sat on the throne, looking unhappy while Cersei uneasily stood beside him. Jaime stood nearby as well, looking nervous.

"What's happening?" Annalys asked, letting out a loud yawn since her sleep was disrupted, "It's the middle of the night."

"Robb Stark is alive. He's taken Casterly Rock." Tywin informed Annalys, who immediately got herself into character.

Her eyes widened in disbelief and a small gasp escaped her lips, "What?" She asked quietly, forcing her voice to sound hurt and broken as tears formed in her eyes,"That can't be! I saw Roose Bolton stab him. He can't be alive. That's impossible."

Tywin remained silent for a long moment, studying Annalys' features. He found himself believing her, much to Annalys' relief. Jaime watched the scene closely. He knew he should have said something since he knew for a fact Annalys was lying, but a part of him forced himself not to speak up.

  After all, if Annalys was caught lying, she'd die. Jaime refused to let that happen, but it also risked the lives of everyone in King's Landing. He just hoped Annalys would come to her senses about the whole ordeal before thousands of innocents died because of her lies and trickery.

"It would seem not," Tywin responded in a calm tone and Annalys forced herself to cry, tears rushing down her face, "A raven has been sent. He's coming to King's Landing next. He's joined forces with Stannis. They plan to take the city together."

Annalys began to tense up at the revelation. It was happening. She should have felt happy that she'd reunite with Robb again, but she didn't. Not in the slightest.

"How long do we have?" She asked her grandfather, her voice just above a whisper.

"Three days, at most," Tywin informed Annalys, whose eyes widened in shock, "I'll need your help planning the battle strategies."

Annalys nodded her head without hesitation, "Whatever you need. But may I sleep for the night?" She questioned, causing Tywin to give her an odd look, "I promise to work nonstop in the morning."

Tywin didn't want to agree. He knew he needed to work as soon as possible, but by the look on Annalys' face, it seemed she'd die of sleep deprivation before she even had time to fight in the war. He needed her at full strength. He knew that if she wasn't, they would most likely not win the battle.

She was the only one who truly knew how the famous "Young Wolf" thought. She was the only who knew how he thought and would be able to know what he had planned.

In all honesty, Annalys was the only one alive who could defeat him in battle. Not even Tywin could.

"Fine, but arrive at the chamber of the Hand by noon," Tywin demanded in a stern tone, "We'll be working all day and all night."

"Yes, my lord," Annalys replied, bowing to her grandfather to show politeness, "Thank you for your kindness."

With that, Annalys turned on her heel, looking uneasy as she walked away. Jaime watched her closely, narrowing his eyes at her as he tried to figure out how exactly she played into all of this.

  He was missing something. They all were. He knew that much.

Once arriving to her room, Annalys quickly entered before closing the door behind her. She found Podrick and Jeyne now there, even though Annalys presumed they'd be sleeping at that time, "It's happening," She informed the duo quickly, knowing they both would know what she meant, "Robb is coming. If you two want to leave, I'll be alright with it. It might be the safest option for you."

"I'm not leaving you, Princess Annalys. My duty is here, at your side," Podrick argued, shaking his head in protest.

Annalys sighed in defeat. However, she slowly began to smile, happy that despite everything, Podrick was still loyal to her. She turned her head and looked toward Jeyne, who confidently stood before Annalys, her head held high, "I'm not leaving either, not when I don't know if you'll be safe. My duty is to you, Your Grace," She explained and Annalys looked a bit taken aback that Jeyne was practically called her, her queen.

   Annalys remained silent for a moment, nodding her head in understanding, "I know for a fact Stannis will get through those gates which means I'll need for you to stay with Jeyne, Podrick. Protect her as best as you can, alright?" She informed her squire, who nodded in understanding, "You'll help me with my armor before the battle starts. But then after that, you'll find Jeyne. Do not leave each other's side. If you need a safe place to hide, come here."

The duo watched in shock as Annalys walked over to the wall that the headboard of her bed leaned against. She stood to the left of her bed, placing a hand on the wall. She gave it a light push and much to their shock, it opened, revealing a passageway, "I found it as a child. It stretches out all throughout the castle."

"That's how you get everywhere without anyone seeing, isn't it?" Jeyne asked curiously, recalling Annalys sneaking into both Tommen's room and down to the dungeons without a single person seeing.

Annalys remained silent, nodding her head, "Do not travel through them, though. Remain behind this wall, that is all. You don't know your way through the passages as I do, alright?" She explained and both Podrick and Jeyne nodded, "I need to get some sleep. You should, too. It's going to be an eventful week."

The duo nodded, biding their goodbyes to Annalys before leaving her to sleep. Annalys walked over to her window, letting out a large sigh as she looked onto Blackwater Bay. She looked uneasy for a moment, clearly feeling nervously about what was yet to come.

____

    Days had passed and Annalys worked constantly with Tywin to create the perfect battle plan. Thousands of the Lannister soldiers remaining in Casterly Rock after the War of the Five Kings had perished while others, who had returned home after the war, could not travel to the capital in time to join the Lannister's side in the Battle of King's Landing.

   It meant Tywin Lannister, for the first time in his entire life, was greatly outnumbered. They were left with less than three thousand Lannister soldiers, five hundred gold cloaks, and the Kingsguard. All thanks to Annalys, the Tyrells had fled days before the battle began, which made matters worse.

Annalys genuinely did all she could to make Tywin's battle strategy better, but there was still no use. They both knew they were gonna lose, but only Annalys had the guts to admit it.

In a way, however, Annalys herself wasn't the one losing. After all, she had been the one to create Robb's battle plan up in the first place before leaving. That didn't change the fact that in truth, she was actually sided with the Lannister, who were most definitely going to lose.

Robb and Stannis' joined forces were soon spotted nearing the shores of Blackwater Bay, which made Annalys feel uneasy, more than she ever felt before.

Annalys stood at her chamber window, looking out onto the Bay. She still couldn't see the ships, but she knew they were there.

"Princess Annalys," The sound of Grand Maester Pycelle spoke to her, causing Annalys to turn to face the man, "I've brought what you've asked for."

   Annalys walked closer to the man, holding out to vials of potions, "Essence of Nightshade and Moon Tea," He informed the woman, holding it out to her.

Annalys looked uneasy as she went to grab the vials from his hand, but before she could, he retracted his hand, "Essence of Nightshade is dangerous, Princess Annalys. A single drop in a cup of wine will calm your nerves. Three drops will give you a dreamless sleep. And ten..." He trailed off, only to be cut off by Annalys.

"I know what it means," Annalys snapped at him coldly, snatching the vial of nightshade from his hand, "And it isn't for me."

   Grand Maester Pycelle frowned at the familiarity of the conversation he was having with Annalys. Just two years before, during the Battle of the Blackwater Bay, he had the same exact conversation with Annalys' mother.

There was a reason for that, though. Annalys had gotten the idea about the consumption of Nightshade from her mother after eavesdropping on the conversation Cersei had with Tywin several weeks before.

  The only difference was Annalys also asked for Moon Tea, "And Moon Tea might not be dangerous, but it can be lethal if you're with child. It will kill a baby in its womb if a pregnant woman consumes the liquid."

"I know," Annalys responded in a calm tone, snatching the vial of Moon Tea from Pycelle as well.

Pycelle frowned, looking down at the way Annalys placed a hand on her stomach, "Princess, if I may ask--" He began to say, only to have Annalys cut him off.

"You may not," Annalys snapped at him, gesturing toward the door, "Run along now, Grand Maester Pycelle. I need some time alone before I'm off to battle."

"Yes, Princess Annalys," He responded, bowing to Annalys before hurrying off.

Once the door to her chambers closed, Annalys looked down at the vials in her hand. She was already dressed in her armor with her bow attached to her back and Lady's Wrath in its sheath. She picked up a small leather pouch off her table. She placed both vials in it before placing it in a pocket type opening in her armor.

Just then, the door to her chambers opened again, causing her to sigh in frustration. She turned her head to see Varys enter, "Good. You're finally here." She stated as Varys walked over to her with a folded map in hand.

With a swipe of her hand, Annalys knocked everything off her table without a care in the world. Varys rolled his eyes at her actions before placing the map she asked her on top of the table, "The map you asked for," He informed her and Annalys immediately began to study the map.

She knew if she kept on looking at it for at least a minute, she be able to keep it memorized in her mind long enough to use it, "There are fifty miles of tunnels beneath the city. The Targaryens built this city to withstand a siege and to provide escape if necessary," He paused, giving Annalys a look that told her he knew what she was planning.

"Don't look at me like that," She snapped at him, "I'm not escaping. Do you really think I'd run from a fight?"

"I think you'll escape with the rest of the Lannisters to Casterly Rock before you're due to avoid execution," Varys explained to Annalys, who looked shocked by how accurate he was, "I have little birds everywhere, Annalys. I know everything. After all, I am called the Master of Whisperers for a reason."

"Yet you haven't told anyone," She stated in a calm tone, "Why not my grandfather? Aren't you loyal to him?"

"I'm loyal to the realm," Varys corrected Annalys, giving her a pointed look, "And what the realm needs right now is you to save them from Stannis and your husband. You're the only one who can stop them." He paused, letting out a small sigh, "My little birds tell me that Stannis Baratheon has taken up with a red priestess from Asshai."

The silence in the room caused Varys to turn to look at Annalys, "But you knew that already, didn't you?" He asked and Annalys finally turned so that her eyes met with his.

"Her name is Melisandre. They call her the Red Woman," She paused, her voice becoming a whisper, "She's very pretty." She informed Varys, who gave her a weird look after hearing her confession, "What I mean is her beauty is the reason she has Stannis wrapped around her little finger in the first place. It's also the only reason I have a chance of surviving against Stannis. He won't kill me because of her."

"And how do you know that?" He questioned Annalys, who sighed in response.

"I receive letters every few months. From a 'Loyal Watchman'." She informed Varys, who began to open his mouth to ask something, "And yes, I do believe them. Everything said in the previous letters were true. I'd be a fool not to believe them. I just wonder how they are able to predict the future."

"Do you believe in the old powers, Princess Annalys?" Varys asked Annalys curiously, only to notice the look she gave him that suggested he needed to elaborate, "Blood-magic, Green sight, prophecies, necromancy, warning, spells..."

"Some," Annalys confessed truthfully, shrugging her shoulders, "I'd be a fool not to. And I believe in warging most of all."

"Why's that?" Varys raised a brow at Annalys.

"The Starks and their direwolves," She told Varys, who seemed interested in what she had to say, "They're connected in a way I can't explain. Not even Robb wanted to believe me, but I've seen it with my own eyes. During war, I've kept my eyes locked on both him and Grey Wind to see their expressions almost exactly the same. I believe the Starks have warging abilities that they don't even know about. Abilities that make them able to enter the minds of their direwolves."

"Interesting," Varys admitted quietly, "Well, then. It seems you're the only one here who won't need to worry about facing the wrath of his direwolf."

Annalys' eyes widened slightly, nearly forgetting that Grey Wind would be there.

"It would seem you believe me, then, when I say that the Dark Arts are what have provided Lord Stannis with his armies and paved his path to our door. For a man in service to such powers to sit on the Iron Throne, I can think of nothing worse. And tonight, I believe you're the only one who can stop him, despite all of this being caused by you," Varys explained to Annalys, whose eyes widened in alarm, "You started this mess, Princess Annalys, you're the only one who can clean it up. You should do it before the whole city burns."

The bells rang again, causing Annalys to break eye contact with Varys, "I must go," She told Varys, bowing her head slightly to him before rushing out of her room.

____

"What do you mean you're not fighting in the Vanguard!" Tywin practically roared in the throne room when he heard Annalys' demand, "We need you in Vanguard, fighting where its thickest. That is what you're known for, isn't it?"

"Not in this battle, Grandfather," Annalys politely responded, knowing if she was leading the vanguard, she wouldn't be able to defend Tommen when the time came.

"I'd like to be manning the walls, commanding the archers, and protecting the king. I'm the only one capable," She informed Tywin, who deep down, knew she was right, "I'm the only one quick enough who can get him to safety and make sure he isn't harmed while also fending off a half dozen men at once. You know this. Now, let me do this. It's the only way Tommen will live while you still get your way of having him around the fighting and not hiding with Mother in Maegor's Holdfast."

Tywin was silent for a long moment. He sighed in defeat, hesitantly nodding his head in response, "Alright," He stated, sounding frustrated with Annalys' demands, "The king is under your protection. You would do well to remember that. If he dies, it'll be your head on a spike on the walls of the Red Keep."

"But I would be queen," She suddenly responded, much to Tywin's shock.

She tried her hardest not to smirk at his reaction before she changed the subject back to keeping Tommen safe, "I'll do what I can to protect Tommen. You don't have to worry about that. I'll fight harder for my brother than any of these paid gold cloaks who will run at the first sight of danger would."

Annalys smiled slightly, bowing her head before she turned and walked away from Tywin.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

It's happening!!! Annalys has Nightshade and Moon Tea with her.

Why do you think she did that?

And what do you think is gonna happen?