Chapter 26
SER WILLAM ROYCE
As soon as Lord Corbyn's retinue arrived at the Eyrie, he felt something was wrong. It was a hunch, for on the surface, nothing was wrong about the man's arrival or his retinue, but Willam had fought a grinding war for several years, and in all that time, he had learned one simple rule.
If you feel something is wrong, then it probably is.
Aegon must have felt something similar even back in the capital. That is why he sent him alongside nearly all of their men back to the Eyrie as soon as he heard of Arnold Arryn's escape, asking him to make haste.
And his instincts had been right, both his and Aegon's. When a fire erupted in the castle's stores he knew that something was wrong. When the so-called guard came to escort Jeyne, that sense of unease became heightened as he focused on the guard's demeanor at his armor, which seemed hastily put on, at his face, which seemed rather unfamiliar to him even though he had spent the last couple of days drilling with all of the castle guards.
And so, he had acted, taking out the dagger he had always kept in his pocket, he had put the man down, only to realize just who he was.
A man working for the Corbyns, and so he had acted immediately, sounding the alarms and ordering the castle guards to close the gates, having a rider sent to the bloody gate to shut down the entrance to the Eyrie while he swept the castle for Corbyn men.
It had taken them three days to clear the castle, an embarrassment given that a few of the castle guards had joined hands with the Corbyns. Yet, with his own men and the castle guards loyal to Jeyne, they were able to take back control of the castle, but at great cost.
And now, as he stood infront of the man who had orchestrated this all, as he sat there, covered in blood, as the bodies of acolytes, master, and dead crows lay all around him, he felt an ominous feeling build up in his chest.
"Hahahaha," Corwyn Corbyn laughed as Willam grit his teeth. This was his plan all along, cutting off their communication with the outside world.
"Why are you laughing? You have lost?" he taunted, and the man looked him in the eye before his eyes moved towards Lady Jeyne, who stood beside him, watching all this horror with a stiff lip.
"Have we?" he taunted as he continued to chuckle.
"We have. The Eyrie stands tall, and all your men are with the stranger now, and you will be joining them all soon," he replied and stepped forward, raising his blade when suddenly he mouthed a name.
"Jessamyn Redfort," and as he swung his blade, he heard a shout from behind.
"STOP!" Lady Jeyne screamed. When he looked back, he saw her eyes widen as the man scoffed.
"Swing that blade, and your precious red-haired friend breathes her last," he added, and his heart sank as he saw Lady Jeyne's expression break as she looked the man in the eye.
"Where is she? Where is Jessamyn?" she asked, and the man laughed.
"You really think the rumors about you wouldn't reach our ears. You are but a naive girl sitting occupying a throne you have no right to!" he screamed, and Willam struck the man's face with his boot.
"Have some respect! You are talking to the Lady of Eyrie!" he thundered as the man's tooth fell out as he stared at him.
"It all would have gone rather swimmingly if not for you! You damn dog!" the man raged, as Willam's fists balled up.
"He just had to interfere! That damned monster! But no matter, he is not here to save you this time, girl! Arnold Arryn is the rightful heir to the Eyrie. And you are to abdicate the throne to him within three days otherwise you and only you will be responsible for the fate of your precious friend," he added before he broke out into a chuckle as he saw Lady Jeyne's face pale.
And as much as he wished to strike down the bastard, he knew that he could not. Willam was not oblivious to the rumors about Lady Jeyne and Lady Jessamyn, but he cared little for them.
He knew where his loyalties lay, and he would never shift them, not for something so trivial.
"Take him away and lock him up in the cells," he ordered as the men took the bastard away, leaving him alone with Lady Jeyne, who finally lost her composure and looked at him with a grief-stricken face.
"They took Jessamyn," she added with a shaky tone as she fell to the floor. Willam rushed to her, gently wrapping his arms around her.
"They took her! Seven above..."
"She will be fine. We will figure out a way," he said, even though he had no idea of how he was going to do that.
"How, we cannot call for reinforcements with all the Messner crows killed. We do not have enough men or food to launch an attack. We are basically prisoners in our own castle," she said, and he bit his lip.
"Maybe, but there is one person who can help us—one person who can turn the tides," he said as he looked into her blue eyes and spoke with conviction born through years of camaraderie.
"Who?" she asked shakily.
"Aegon," he replied with a smile and saw her eyes widen.
"But how? How will we even call for him without any master or cr..."
"When I came here, Aegon gave me very specific instructions," he began, and not for the first time, he was thankful that his cousin was as cautious as he was.
"I was to write him a letter every other day informing him of anything unusual in the castle. I have written to him without fail every other day ever since my arrival. I sent one the night before this all began," he answered.
"Then that means you missed one," she began to put it together.
"Yes, and now I have missed two. Aegon could have chalked one missed letter to chance. Two, no way in hell!" he said with a reassuring smile.
"He will know something is not right," she put it together, her voice becoming a bit stronger as she saw a glimmer of hope.
"And as soon as he does, he will come back. Right now, the best thing we can do is trust in Aegon, have faith that he will keep his promise."
0000
ALICENT HIGHTOWER
Consciousness returned to her in blurs and whispers as she began to try and move and found herself unable to do so. And then it hit her the pain and the fear she had felt before darkness enveloped her.
She had left with the two guards, left to join Rhaenyra for the opening of the soup kitchen when suddenly something heavy hit her from behind, making her fall down in pain, and after that, she knew nothing.
As the reality of what had happened registered, she tried to open her mouth, tried to scream, and yet found herself unable to do either, as her heart sunk and her vision cleared up.
"Where is he?" she heard someone snarl in rage as she noticed a small fire burning around her.
"He was supposed to be here by now," she heard the voice continue as she looked nervously at two people constantly moving back and forth around the fire, their faces striking similar to the guards that had come to call on her.
"UNGH!" she tried to scream, and making noise was a mistake as she saw their attention turn towards her.
"Shit! She is awake. She has seen our faces now," she heard one of them speak up, and immediately, the man uttered a series of profanities as she found herself in a dark cave.
"We cannot even let her go now!" the burly man said as he turned towards the taller one. His yellow teeth glistened in the small fire as the taller man snarled.
"Don't blame. Blame the bastard that gave us this plan, and from what I can recall, both of us agreed on it," he rebutted as the man began to pace. And she began to look around, trying to realize where she was.
"They have been searching for her for hours. If we let her go now, we will both hang for this," he continued as she saw their eyes glint.
"We are dead," the two of them declared as they both plopped down.
"We are dead," he continued as if in a daze before he began to chuckle.
"They have closed off the city, and now it is only a time until we are found," the burly one said as he looked at the taller one.
And then she felt movement, as hope began to bubble in her chest.
"Someone is coming," they both rose up, reaching for their swords as she watched a bird twist around the corner, and as it saw her it began to caw loudly.
"Get rid of it! Get rid of that damned bird," the man screamed as he began to throw stones at the bird, yet it did not budge as it flew around them, its eyes constantly focused on her as it continued to caw.
"Shit! Damn it! What should we do?" the man asked, and she saw their eyes meet before they turned to look at her. The small light of the fire was the only illumination in this cave. She saw their eyes fill with lust and dread, and her heart shriveled as she heard them both have a hollow laugh.
"If we are going to die then, why don't both of us do it then," the taller one said as he looked the burly one in the eye.
"It's not as if it's going to matter anymore," and it was as if the flying crow understood their words as it began to caw more loudly, beginning to fly close to them as if trying to make them stay away from her.
And she watched as the two of them approached her, and Alicent felt dread fill her heart as she tried to push herself back, and yet she was helpless, as she writhed on the wet ground helplessly, her mobility very limited because of the robe binding her arms and legs.
Was this retribution? Retribution because of her father's lies! Lies that had made her dream of a happy life. Lies that were supposed to shackle Aegon with her.
CAW. CAW. CAW.
The crow continued to circle, prying away at the two men who were inching closer towards her, and as she saw one of them reach for her, the crow flew down and bit him on the arm.
"AGHH! You damn bird!" he screamed as he swung his arm sending it tumbling into the wall.
CLANK!
And then she felt those arms caress her body, those gruff hands reaching for the seams of her dress as she tried to kick, and scream and get away.
And yet she was but a girl, a simple girl, and as she felt a searing on her cheek she stilled as her vision began to swim.
"Just stay still, you bitch!" the man cursed as he kicked her, making her twist her back as she tried to scream but her voice was only muffled by cloth binding her mouth.
And then as she felt him reach for the seams of her dress, and she felt it tear as those gruff hands pulled on her skin, making her lash out, and yet she could do little but cry, for she was bound and gagged and was simply too weak. And tears trickled down her eyes as she closed her eyes, kicked away with all other strength, trying her hardest she prayed to Seven in her heart. And as all hope seemed lost, as those vile faces smirked at her, holding her face with their gruff hands, she saw him bare his teeth.
"Stay still, you damned bitch! If I am going to die then I am going to die knowing what a noble cu..." and then suddenly, the man winced in pain as he looked back and saw a literal storm of crows rushing into the cave.
"CAW!" CAW!"
"Ouch!" The man screamed in pain as they flew and continued to attack him with their beaks, hitting him. She felt blood drip down her face as he removed his hand from her face.
"What the hell is going on here!" the man screamed as the storm of crows surrounded them, continuously descending upon them, cutting away at their flesh, at their skin little by little.
"AGH!" "What kind of shit is this!"
They both screamed as they swung their hands wildly, hitting even a few of the birds attacking them, trying to get them away from them.
And yet, it did not matter. The crows died. The men split open the heads of the few they got their hands on. They screamed and swung their blades, and yet the crows did not stop even as many in their flock began to fall down, dead, and yet they bickered away as Alicent could do nothing but watch.
The crows were protecting her. The Crows.
"What the hell is going on here!" they screamed loudly, and then she felt it, a pair of footsteps behind her as the ropes tying her arms were cut. She turned back and found herself staring at very familiar eyes.
The amethyst in them glinted in the dark.
"I am here now. It's going to be fine," she heard his whisper, and only now did she notice how her whole body was shaking as a cloak was wrapped around her as her binds were cut, and then she noticed it.
Blood.
It was dripping down his nose, and the white of his eyes was filled with it as he rose up. Just so, the crows attacking the men stopped and flew away as the two men turned towards her once more and found their eyes meeting Aegon, who was gripping his blade.
"Shit," one of them cursed as he looked on with one eye, his hand covering the other one, which was eaten out by the crows, while the other taller man stepped back in fear, his face pale and bloody, his very skin eaten away by the crows which stood by watching.
"What... what are you!" he whispered as he stumbled back, tripping on his own feet, and the monster, which had seemed so powerful, covered in fear as Aegon's blade scrapped the ground.
The fat man fell down on his knees and pushed his head down.
"Please have mercy, my Prince! Please, I beg you! We were order..."
But before he could say anything, Aegon swung his blades, and the man's head fell down with a thud as blood splattered on Aegon's face, giving him a menacing look as he turned his eye towards the other man.
The one who had laid his hands on her.
"You! YOUUU!" he screamed as he suddenly took out a danger and rushed towards Aegon—no. He splashed water at Aegon's face before running to the side, avoiding him. She saw him rushing towards her with a dagger in hand, and her heart nearly gave out.
"You damn whor...." he screamed, as she tried to jump back. He tried to reach for her hair, and her legs had no power left in them, and she failed to move.
She closed her eyes in fear, and yet the pain never came as she felt a liquid splash on her face.
CHUCK!
She opened her eyes, and her eyes widened as she saw the man's face split in half, blood splattered everywhere, and the man's body fell down to reveal the menacing look of Aegon from behind.
"He is here!" "He turned here!" she heard footsteps from behind her and the sound of armor clocking and men marching. Aegon crouched down, his movements lethargic and weary. As his blade clattered to the ground, he reached for her face, his hands covered in blood, touching the bruise on her cheek where the man had slapped her as their eyes met before they closed for him, only to not open again.
His mouth left behind only a whisper.
"I am sorry!"
And as his body collapsed into her arms, Alicent finally opened her mouth.
"AEGOOOON!"
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