LION'S LEGACY
67. Innocence Lost

      In the Riverlands, Rickard and the Hound climbed off their horses, beginning to explore the abandoned farm they were at. They soon spotted a dying man and made their way over to him. He sat against one of the knocked over with a wound to his gut.

"You shouldn't be sitting out here, Ser," Rickard spoke up, making his way over to the man alongside the Hound.

"Where else is there to sit?" The man weakly responded, turning to look at the male duo, "They set everything on fire. My hut, my cart, my entire farm is gone."

"Who were 'they'?" The Hound questioned, a puzzled look on his face.

The man shrugged, not knowing the answer. "I stopped asking that question months ago."

The Hound knelt in front of the man to inspect his wound. "That's not gonna get better."

"I know."

"A bad way to go." The Hound continued on.

"I know."

A sympathetic look on his face, Rickard knelt in front of the dying man. "So why go on? Why not end it already?" He found himself asking out of curiosity, "Nothing can be worse than this."

The man eyed Rickard suspiciously, knowing there was something up with the boy. "Who are you?"

"Prince Rickard Stark," Rickard introduced himself, the first time in nearly a year where he was honest about who he actually was.

The Hound turned to him, an uneasy look on his face since it wasn't wise for him to tell anyone who he truly was.

Despite the shocking revelation, the man remained calm, not seeming to be shocked in the slightest. "I'd bow, my prince, but..." He trailed off, gesturing down to his wounds.

"No need, ser. I was never one for formalities anyway," Rickard assured the man, who nodded in understanding.

"Could I have a drink?" The man asked quietly, a desperate look on his face, "Dying is thirsty work."

The Hound picked up his water skin and wasted no time bringing it to the man's lips.

After the man drank some, the Hound pulled the water skin away and placed the cap back on, "Wish it were wine." He confessed and the Hound scoffed quietly.

"You and me both," He admitted in a calm tone.

Before any of them could react, Rickard unsheathed his dagger within the blink of an eye and stabbed the man in the heart. The Hound looked shocked by what the boy had done, unlike the dying man, who looked utterly grateful.

"Thank you," He managed to get out and Rickard simply nodded as he watched the man die.

After doing so, Rickard wiped the blood from his dagger on the man's sleeve before standing up.

"How many men do you plan to kill by the end of all this?" The Hound complained as he, too, stood up and turned to face Rickard.

"That was mercy," Rickard pointed out in a calm tone, "As for the others...How many I please. The least they deserve after what they did. I'd kill every last one of them if I could."

All of a sudden, an unknown person appeared behind the Hound. He jumped onto him, shouting and biting into the Hound's neck.

The Hound immediately threw him down on the ground, breaking his neck in the process.

He and Rickard turned to the second man, both of them drawing their weapons. "The fuck you doing?" The Hound questioned the man in a low, threatening tone.

"There's a price on both of your heads," He informed them both in a calm tone, "The Queen says she'll pay one hundred gold dragons to whoever brings you both in, dead or alive."

"Fuck the Queen," Rickard spoke up, causing the Hound to quietly chuckle, "Fuck her and her entire bloody region of Reachmen cunts."

He was clearly rubbing off on the prince.

Rickard began to walk toward the man, narrowing his eyes at the men. "I've seen you before. You were at my sister's wedding. You were one of the men who was shooting crossbow bolts at my family."

The Hound chuckled, immediately knowing what was yet to occur. "This day's really not working out the way you planned, is it?" He asked the man, an amused look on his face, "I've seen what he does to random men he doesn't even know, but you...you, he knows. That means your fate will be far worse than the others. How will you kill this one?"

"I'm not," Rickard responded calmly, much to the Hound's confusion, "They are."

The Hound's eyes widened, turning his head when he heard low growls coming from behind the man.

The unknown man fearfully whipped his body around, only to come face to face with Dawn, Grey Wind, and Dash, the three most lethal of the direwolves.

The man cried out in fear, beginning to cautiously back up. As he did so, he ended up bumping into the Hound, who roughly pushed him forward.

The man ended up falling straight to the ground, his face planting with the mud. As he went to push himself back, his face ended up meeting with Grey Wind's.

Grey Wind growled threateningly in the man's face, bearing his teeth. The man whimpered but as soon as Rickard nodded, the three direwolves lunged at the man, ripping him to pieces.

Rickard gradually began to smile. He turned to look at the Hound, who surprisingly looked impressed.

____

In Dorne, Trystane Martell stood on the balcony of the Water Gardens with Areo Hotah and Prince Oberyn, watching over Little Edric and little Myrcella.

The two four-year-olds were playing in the one of the water fountains, laughing as they splashed each other.

Trystane began to smile, turning to look at Oberyn and Areo. "They'll make a lovely couple," He commented, looking down at the two children, "A Lannister and a Martell. They have no idea how dangerous that is."

"Not as dangerous as a Stark and a Lannister, as it seems," Oberyn told his nephew, who knew it to be the truth.

"We must protect them at all costs.," Trystane decided, referring to Myrcella and Edric, "The Usurper knows that all the children escaped the Golden Wedding, they'll soon realize that the boy is here."

"Which is why we should join the fight," Oberyn suggested, referring to bringing their armies North, "I can lead the armies North. I can attack the Reach from the South."

"There is nothing in the Reach now but women and children," Trystane complained in a calm tone, "They've all gone to war. We must stay here, use our armies to protect the prince from those would dare come here to attack. Princess Lyanna will ensure that the Tyrells will be defeated soon enough."

"What of the child?" Oberyn questioned his nephew curiously, "Either the Princess spares the boy or she kills him."

"We'll have to see," Trystane decided, shrugging slightly, "If she spares the child, she will be considered her mother. If she doesn't, she'll be known as the next Tywin Lannister."

"I am starting to believe Lyanna becoming like Tywin wouldn't be so bad," Oberyn found himself confessing, despite how much he hated the man after what happened to his sister, "That man wronged us in ways I'll never forget, but if Lyanna becomes like him after she sits on the throne, she'll be capable of things far greater than even her mother. She'll have the ability to keep everyone in order and have them fear her, but also have herself become loved like her mother was."

Trystane remained silent, knowing his uncle had a point. He looked downwards, smiling once more at the sight of the two children playing in the water.

"May the Gods be with all the children," He muttered under his breath, referring to Annalys and Robb's children.

____

It wasn't long after Torrhen had met Lady Jorelle that all went to shit at Winterfell. The Reachmen arrived with the intent of taking Winterfell. They made it through and all the while, Lann was trapped in the kennels, unable to help his owner.

Torrhen was asleep when they made it through. Sansa, however, was not and rushed to the maester's chambers. She immediately shut the door and locked it behind her.

She tried to block out the screaming outside as she rushed over to the table, beginning to write a message on a scroll to be sent to Eddard, who was now at Ashemark.

Once doing so, she attached it to be a raven and released it into the air. It flew out of the window and as if on cue, the reachmen crashed through the door.

She remained calm and silent, however, allowing the men to escort her to the courtyard.

In Torrhen's chambers, Loras Tyrell entered, a threatening look on his face. Despite the serious matter, Torrhen sat up with an annoyed look on his face. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked in annoyance, a look on his face that told Loras the boy wasn't planning to take him seriously.

"I've taken your castle," Loras informed Torrhen in a calm tone, "I have three hundred men with me. You're outnumbered."

"What are you talking about, Loras--" Torrhen began to ask, only to have the Tyrell man cut him off.

"It's ser to you, Torrhen. We are not equals," Loras snapped at Torrhen, who, despite the serious situation, began to laugh.

"Ser? You're no knight," Torrhen retorted, much to Loras' anger, "Aye, perhaps in name, but nothing more. You've broken every vow you ever swore. My grandfather, the kingslayer, could now be considered a better knight than you are. That's how far gone you are. Can you believe it?"

Furious, Loras grabbed Torrhen by the collar of his shirt. Torrhen stared up at him with a calm expression, unbothered. "You going to kill me? Do it. I couldn't give a fuck. My life's already gone. It's been gone since the moment you killed my mother and father," He snapped at Loras coldly and the Tyrell man tensed up a bit, knowing for a fact that Annalys and Robb were still alive, "Kingslayer and Queenslayer. That is exactly what you are. You and I both know it."

Loras glared at Torrhen, letting him go. "My men are bringing your people together in the courtyard." He informed the prince in a calm tone.

"Why?" Torrhen questioned, frowning in confusion.

"So you may go down there and tell them you've yielded Winterfell," Loras responded, earning a loud scoff from Torrhen.

"I will do no such thing," Torrhen argued in a stern tone.

"You will," Loras ordered and Torrhen shook his head.

"I won't." Torrhen continued, much to Loras' frustration.

"I have your aunt and your little cousins in custody. Are you really going to risk their lives just to keep your pride?" Loras questioned in a low, threatening tone, "My men are already trying to get their hands on Sansa. Are you willing to let harm come to your father's sister because you're too stubborn? She'll be raped, you know. But if you yield, I can make sure that doesn't happen. I can make sure this ends with no lives lost."

Torrhen remained silent, thinking over what he should do.

Loras sighed in frustration, sitting on Torrhen's bed. "This castle is mine. However, these people are still yours. You can protect all of them if you yield. Don't you understand that? Think carefully about what you decide next."

"Did you plan on betraying on the entire you swore to serve my family, Loras?" Torrhen suddenly asked, which caused Loras to freeze in motion, "Did you only take the Queensguard guard vows in order to get close to my family, so you would know the right time to betray my family? We treated you like family and this is how you repay us?"

"Just yield, Torrhen," Loras responded after a moment of silence between them, "You and I both know it's the right thing to do."

Torrhen sighed in defeat, slowly nodding his head in agreement. His mother most likely wouldn't have surrendered at that moment. Neither would Lyanna. They would have found a way to save everyone there without yielding. But he wasn't them.

____

Later on, in the courtyard, Torrhen stood at Loras' side with Jorelle, Sansa, and her children. The rest of the people of Winterfell surrounded them and as much as Torrhen didn't want to yield, he knew it was necessary.

He began to wonder where Ser Steffon was. He hadn't returned from Torrhen's Square yet. Was he dead? He hoped not.

"I, Torrhen of Houses Lannister and Stark, First of my Name, Acting Lord of Winterfell, Prince of the North, and rightful of Prince of the Seven Kingdoms, yield Winterfell to Loras Tyrell," He announced loudly, only to notice the look Loras was giving him.

He groaned in annoyance, turning to address the crowd once more. "My apologies. Ser Loras Tyrell," He corrected himself before muttering, "What knight you are."

"Say another word like that and I'll have your tongue cut out, boy," One of the Tyrell men growled at Torrhen lowly.

"Try it. It'll bring me joy to know what my sister will do when she finds out," Torrhen retorted with an attitude.

"Lyanna ain't here and she never will be," Loras argued, causing Torrhen to gradually begin to smile.

"Oh, I wasn't talking about Lyanna," He answered in a calm tone and Loras began to tense up, realizing he meant Torra, someone everyone believed to be dead, "I bet she's headed here right now to kill you lot. How fun that will be. You know how she is. She's more animal than she is girl when someone dares threaten or harm her family. And you've done both."

Loras tried to hide his uneasiness. He stepped forward, beginning to address the crowd. "You all know me. Ser Loras Tyrell. Queen Margaery's brother and Lord Commander of her Queensguard."

"Queen Margaery?" Someone unbeknownst to him commented, letting out a large scoff, "More like the whore of Highgarden!"

"Usurper!"

"Whore!"

"We know no Queen but Queen of the Seven Kingdoms whose name is Annalys Lannister!"

Loras balled his hand into a tight fist, trying to contain his anger. The people of the North were far worse than those of the South. The Northerners didn't even try to hide their disdain and hatred for Margaery.

"My sister claims the North by right of conquest. You are all her subjects now," Loras announced, causing one of the men closest to him to scoff loudly.

"Queen Annalys and King Robb are dead, but that doesn't mean we'll accept your sister as ruler. We shall only be apart of the realms of men while a child of theirs sits on the throne," He announced loudly and many others shouted in approval.

The man spit on the ground in disgust, glaring hatefully at Loras. "I shall die before I serve that whore and her bastard son."

One of the Reachmen struck the man over the head with the hilt of his sword. He groaned in pain, immediately stumbling to the ground.

"If you serve my sister as loyally as you served Annalys and Robb, I promise she will be as good to you as they were---" Loras began to explain, only to get cut off by Sansa, who couldn't take being silent anymore.

"You promise?" She found herself asking Loras in disgust, "Is that supposed to mean something to us? You promised to serve my brother and Annalys as a member of their Queensguard, yet you betrayed them all the same. The Wall will melt before we believe the promise of an oathbreaker like yourself."

"Say another word, my lady, and you'll wish you hadn't," One of the Reachmen standing near her threatened, earning a glare from Sansa.

"Touch me and you'll wish you hadn't," Sansa retorted coldly, continuing to glare hatefully at the man.

"Enough!" Torrhen shouted out, causing Sansa to turn to him, "Don't defy them. He promised no casualties."

Sansa narrowed her eyes at Torrhen, knowing he was up to something. "Torra," He mouthed to her and Sansa immediately knew what he was getting at.

Torra was still with the Free Folk up North. There were far more of them than there was Reachmen at Winterfell. The moment Torra learned of what was happening, there was no denying she'd rush to Winterfell with the Free Folk to help them.

If everyone obeyed, no one would die during the time they had to wait for Torra.

"Tyrell!" A voice suddenly spoke up, causing the group to turn to see two Reachmen enter.

They brought a captive with them, a captive that happened to be a bloodied and bound Ser Steffon.

"We caught this one on his way back from Torrhen's Square. Took out a dozen of ours before I got his sword," One of the men informed Loras, who was shocked to see Steffon.

After all, each time Loras came face to face with one of the members of Annalys' Queensguard, it was like seeing a ghost.

They were his sworn brothers once. They spent nearly fifteen years together serving Annalys and Robb.

And while Loras had betrayed them, the rest did not. They stayed, even when Annalys and Robb were presumed dead. The Queensguard were like family to each other, especially Edmyn, Steffon, Rickard, Loras, and Edric. Loras had even been romantically involved with Edmyn, but now, they were on the opposing sides.

All the men chose duty over family, all but Loras. It caused all of what the men felt for their former brother to be hatred.

"Ser Steffon," Loras spoke up after a moment of being stunned speechless at the sight of the man, "It pains me to know that we now meet as foes."

"It pains to know that you've become a bloody turncoat," Steffon retorted coldly, glaring at Loras with such hate and malice, "Where is your honor, Tyrell? It seems you've lost it. Annalys treated you like family for years, yet you still betrayed her. She treated us all like family, but that didn't stop you from betraying her."

"Annalys was never my family," Loras complained, shaking his head in disagreement.

"Edmyn was, though," Steffon suddenly responded, which stunned Loras speechless, "How does it feel to now be fighting on the opposite side of the man you love?"

"Keep talking, I dare you. I swear, I--" Loras began to threaten Ser Steffon, only to get cut off when the knight spit in his face.

Loras didn't show a reaction to it, however. He didn't snap at Steffon. Instead, he wiped the spit from his face. "Take him to the cells. Lock him up," He ordered, but before Steffon could be brought away, the man who had previously threatened Sansa spoke up.

"Ser Loras," He called out, causing Loras to turn to look at him, "You cannot let that stand. He must pay for he just did."

Loras remained silent, turning to look toward Ser Steffon. He was hesitant, knowing the man was suggesting that he kill Ser Steffon. Ser Steffon was his sworn brother once, his friend.

"Ser Steffon Oakheart, I, Ser Loras of House Tyrell, sentence you to die," He forced himself to announce loudly, much to Torrhen's horror.

"No!" Torrhen screamed out in alarm, attempting to rush forward, "You said no harm would come to them if I yielded!"

Before Torrhen could reach them, two men grabbed onto the prince, holding him back.

Loras whipped himself around to face Torrhen, an angered look on his face. "The bastard couldn't keep his mouth shut." He retorted, making that as an excuse for Ser Steffon's execution, "He disrespected me in front of my people. He committed treason by rebelling against the crown. He will be executed."

"He is worth to you alive than dead, Ser Loras!" Sansa pleaded, an alarmed look on her face, "You mustn't do this. If Eddard or Lyanna find out---"

"You think I care what those entitled little bastards think?" Loras retorted, earning a scoff from Steffon.

"Aye, bastards who will destroy the entirety of your army and kill your entire family for what they've done," Steffon responded in a cold, threatening tone, "Kill me if you must. I'd rather die than serve the Usurper. I'll die knowing you'll get what you deserve. You left the wolves alive, Loras. You sheep will never be safe."

Torrhen continued to scream and beg for them to spare Steffon as the knight was forced into a kneel. "No! No! Please! Loras, please! Steffon, no!"

Steffon remained silent and calm, clearly not fearing death. He turned to look at one of Loras' men, who was preparing to unsheathe his sword.

"Did serving Robb and Annalys teach you nothing?" He complained, turning to glare at Loras, "The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword."

"I'm begging you, please!" Torrhen continued on, beginning to cry at the thought of what would happen next.

Ser Steffon was family. He had known him all his life. He was just as much his family as Jaime, Sansa, or even Torra was. He couldn't bear losing anyone else. Not after losing his mother and father.

Ser Steffon scoffed, noticing how Loras still hadn't unsheathed his sword. "I always knew you were a coward, you fucking pillow-biter," He snapped at Loras on purpose, clearly wanting to get him angry.

He knew he was going to die. However, he wanted to die knowing Loras would have to carry the weight of killing his own sworn brother for the rest of his life, however long that may be. He had a feeling that wouldn't be long.

Furious, Loras unsheathed his sword and Torrhen continued to beg the Tyrell man not to kill Ser Steffon.

"Please, don't kill him, Loras! You can take me instead! Just please!" Torrhen cried out, tears rushing down his face as he tried to fight against the men holding him back, "Please! You took away my mother and father, don't take him, too."

Loras tried to make it look as though the boy's words didn't bother him. He turned to Torrhen, glaring at him. "You don't give commands to me anymore, Torrhen. You're no longer prince."

"I am," Torrhen growled at him furiously, "You do this and I swear to you, I will show you just how much I am my mother's son. I will remind you exactly why they say the Lannisters never forget."

"Hush now, My Prince," Ser Steffon told Torrhen, who turned to him with tears in his eyes.

Steffon lifted his head slightly, smiling softly at the boy. "I'm off to see your mother and father."

"No," Torrhen cried out, shaking his head as tears streamed down his cheeks, "Loras, please! You said no harm would come. Please, I beg of you, don't do this!"

"Any last words, Ser Steffon?" Loras asked the Oakheart man in a calm tone.

"By the Gods, not even the Seven will be able to help you once Lyanna learns of what you have done. You and I both know that girl is capable of far more than anyone could ever imagine," He explained, causing Loras to feel uneasy.

Truer words had never been spoken.

Before Torrhen could react, Loras had lifted his sword, beheading Steffon with one single swing.

Torrhen let out a scream, as did little Catelyn and Karlon. Sansa flinched, tears filling her eyes as Steffon's head fell to the ground. She clutched her children and Jorelle to her chest, watching as all emotion left the Prince's eyes at the sight of Steffon's headless corpse.

"I promise you, the day will come, where I'm not so easily subdued and on that day, I will make you suffer," Torrhen roared at Loras, who tensed up when he saw a fury in the boy's eyes he had never seen before.

For the first time, Loras saw Annalys in Torrhen's innocent green eyes. And he knew that meant nothing good.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Steffon though 😭

I know you all don't know much about him, but you have to admit, he was loyal to a fault.