Chapter 20
A distraught Cersei sat in her room, mourning the loss of her eldest child as the men of the castle all searched for the two children still lost to the forest.
Despite days of searching no trace had yet been found of Cregan and Myrcella, though they had captured a few bandits. Bandits who had been hired to kill the Stark boy, and yet had slain her own son by accident.
An accident.
That was what had killed the Prince of the realm, and the irony of it all made her laugh and cry at the same time, as she lay there in her room waiting for any word on the return of her daughter.
Suddenly, the door to her room opened as she jumped to her feet, her heart racing with hope again, as she saw her brother walk into her room.
"Have they found her?" she asked, and her voice was raspy and tired from the days of crying and praying, yet her prayers had gone unanswered once more.
"Not yet," a tired Jamie answered as he put down her sword, his once pristine golden armor was now covered with mud, dirt and grime as Cersei's eyes watered once more at his words.
"NO!" she gasped as she fell on the bed once more.
"Myrcella! My daughter...." she cried, and the loss of one child was enough to break her, she could not handle the pain of losing another one.
Jamie walked upto her, his own face ashen with pain and weariness as he knelt down and held her hand.
"We will find her, I promise," he said, and she scoffed.
"When?" she asked furiously as his lips thinned.
"Soon, we found another one of the bandits today," he asked, and her own lips thinned with rage as she heard of that. They were the one's that had killed her son.
"He spoke of Myrcella, of a young blonde child that came upon him and his group when they were around Joffrey and the Stark boy," and she stilled as she heard that.
"She was there," she gasped as Jamie nodded.
"He said. They tried to capture her along with the Stark boy, but the girl managed to run away as a small wolf bit off the leg of the man trying to chase after her," and her breath hitched as she heard that.
"But it has been days since then," she gasped, and Jamie nodded.
"Yes, but the bandits did not get her. She managed to run away. We are expanding our search beyond the forest now. The Starks think that she could have run into the mountains to get away from the bandits," he added, and it did not matter.
"Just find her, Jamie. Fine me my daughter!" she pleaded as she held his hand.
"I cannot lose another child. I cannot lose her as well, not after Joffrey" and he nodded.
"I will, I promise," he said as she began to sob. A chill ran down her spine as Jamie spoke up once more.
"Though that was not all the bandit spoke of," she said, perking up at his words and looking up to see Jamie looking at her rather intensely.
"What?" she asked.
"He also spoke of Joffrey, spoke of how when he and his men came upon Joffrey and Cregan, Joffrey stood over the boy with his crossbow aimed at the Stark's son," and her heart nearly skipped a beat at those words, as Jamie looked into her eye.
"The bodies and blood where we found Joffrey's body. It all also spoke of a fight, the Stark boy's horse was shot by an arrow, which came from Joffrey's crossbow," and her lips thinned as she heard that.
"Tell me you did not put him up to this. Please, tell me that you did not ask our son to kill that boy?" he pleaded again as he looked into her eyes intensely, and she shook her head.
"No, I did not," she answered, and yet Jamie did not believe her.
"I only asked him to scare the boy. To trip his horse if he got the opportunity to save him afterward," and for all her faults, she did not wish to lie to Jamie, for he was Joffrey's father as much as she was his mother.
"Why? Why would you do such a thing?" he asked sharply.
"It was because of that girl," she answered sharply.
"That red-headed harlot. He wanted to impress her, and I just gave him an idea," and then she looked up into Jamie's eyes.
"I never asked Joffrey to kill the boy. I just offered him some advice on how to impress the girl," though that was not the entire truth.
She had hoped to cripple the boy further, hoped that the fall would turn him into a full cripple or, better yet, rob him of his life. Afterall, accidents were rather common during the hunt.
And a misfire from a crossbow, was an accident as common as any.
"What else did the bandit say?" she asked as Jamie stood up.
"Not much," he replied after some silence.
"They were paid silver to capture the Stark boy, and rob him of his gold," and she frowned.
"Gold?" she asked, and Jamie nodded.
"Yes, gold. But it does not make sense," he said.
"Either the bandits are lying or someone played them for fools because where would the boy get the gold from?" he asked, as her own mind raced.
"What of the Starks? Do they know about Joffrey's actions," she suddenly remembered, realizing how dangerous it would be for her if the Starks found out about this.
"No. I had the men kill all the bandits we captured. I told them all of it except the thing about Joffrey and ordered the men to kill any bandit they find before the Starks can get to them." It was smart of him.
"That is good," she said as Jamie looked intensely into her eyes.
"Just what were you thinking! Giving Joffrey ideas like that, knowing how he is?" he raged, and she bit her lip as she answered.
"I was only trying to help," she defended herself, refusing to admit the sinister intentions she had.
"Do you have any idea of just how much trouble we are in?" he asked, roaring to his feet as he sifted through his golden locks.
"If the Stark boy is alive, and the Starks hear of Joffrey's actions. Do you have any idea how much trouble we would be in then?" he asked, and that was indeed troubling, and for a second, she was disappointed that the bandits had not finished the job.
"You said that the boy managed to escape from the bandits?" she asked and Jamie nodded.
"Yes, the boy got away in the dead of the night somehow," he answered.
"Then you must find him first," she said as she jumped up to her feet as Jamie's eyes widened.
"...and make it so that he is unable to utter anything, anything at all." she suggested as Jamie's fists balled up.
"The Starks have thrice the men searching out there. They are more likely to find him before us," he thundered, and her own lips thinned.
"You must find him, Jamie. You must...."
0000
JON SNOW
Winterfell was mourning. Two days had passed since the tragic death of the Prince Joffrey, and the atmosphere in the castle was tenser than ever. The divide was visible, and the joyful mood from the feast and the arrival of the Royal retinue had long vanished, replaced by a cold war as the Queen and her house levelled grave accusations on the Starks.
Accusations that their Cregan was the one who had killed the Prince. And the reason they gave for this was equally unbelievable—Jealousy.
Jon knew little of his brother, Cregan but knew enough to know that he would never do something like this. Cregan was always the most level-headed of them; he was smart and set to marry the Princess.
Why would he kill her brother because of jealousy?
It did not make sense. Lord Eddard Stark spoke as much in his son's defense, yet the King was more than just the King. He was also a father, a father who had just lost his son.
And though he did not repeat the Queen's accusations, he did not rebuff them as well, or at least not as strongly as it was expected of him.
And so, it was a race against time. Father had insisted that they needed to find Cregan before the Lannister men, and so the search began, both for Cregan and the Princess.
Both of whom were still missing.
For two days, they had scoured every inch of the forest and yet found no trace of him. Now, at the suggestion of their uncle, they had expanded their search, going for and out into the mountains and beyond.
They had found a few bandits, but they all had somehow died before they could question them. They believed that the Lannister guards had captured a few of the bandits themselves, but they were not privy to their findings.
The atmosphere was tense—far tenser than it had ever been—and there were whispers of war and treason—whispers that could not be ignored.
"Both Cregan and the Princess got lost in the forest?" he asked his uncle Benjen as he walked through the mountain with him. He was a brother of the Night's Watch, and yet he was helping them with the search, aiding them with his experience of being the First Ranger, one responsible for trekking beyond the wall into the true North in search for wildlings.
"Why are we searching the mountains?" he asked. His interest in the wall still remained even though he may not have joined it for a few years. Once there, he hoped to follow in his uncle's footsteps, becoming the first ranger and venturing beyond the Wall.
"We have searched the forest for the last two days and have found no trace of your brother," Uncle Benjen added as he led him through the rocky path.
"Wherever Cregan maybe, I am sure of one thing that he is not in the forest," and it made sense in a way.
"This forest merges into the mountains and is the perfect place for hiding, in case one fears for his life," he added.
"And why would Cregan fear for his life?" he asked.
"Because he has a good head on his shoulders," and he failed to understand him, and yet they continued their search, even into the night, until suddenly Ghost, his direwolf, began to howl and wag its tail.
Benjen was the first to notice and stopped them as he crouched down infront of Ghost, who was sniffing something.
"Blood," Benjen added as he rubbed his fingers on the ground.
"And it's not more than a day old," and Jon's heart raced.
"Cregan," and his uncle nodded before they moved forward and found themselves staring at the entrance of a cave.
"He must be inside," he added. He was about to move in when his uncle stopped him.
"No, he could be a captive," he said as he turned towards the two guardsmen.
"One of you hide here just behind that wall. And if you see a man rushing out, stop him, the other go up there and watch out if this cave has any other exits," and the two guardsmen nodded and quickly rushed to do his bidding as Jon reached for his sword as Ghost flared its nose.
Only when the guards were in position did his uncle look into his eyes and speak.
"Let's go..."
0000
CREGAN STARK
He felt the cold steel of Mance's blade on his neck, and though he knew that the man was unlikely to cut it off, it did unsettle him as he raised his hand and pleaded to both his uncle and half-brother.
"I need you to listen to me," he began slowly as they both walked forward with measured steps.
"Put down your blades," he said and saw Benjen frown.
"Are you mad, boy!" he shouted before turning towards Mance.
"Do you know who that boy is? You let him go, and I promise I will give you a clean and quick death," he threatned, and he shook his head.
"He is not a bandit. He saved my life. I would be dead without him," Cregan shouted, and that seemed to halt Benjen as he looked up at Mance.
"Lower your blade and become the bard once more. Otherwise, I won't be able to save you," he whispered, and Mance looked into his eye before he lowered his dagger, as did Benjen and Jon, as Cregan sighed.
"You! I remember you," Jon began, suddenly making him look up.
"You are the bard from that night," Jon added.
"Bael, Cregan talked to you later in the night," Jon added, and he saw Benjen perk up at that name as Mance nodded.
"I am, my lord," he said to Cregan, slipping into his mannerism from that night.
"You were there as well. You are one of Lord Stark's children," the man added, and Benjen nodded.
"His name is Jon Snow, and Bael, tell me how you came upon my nephew?" Benjen asked as he came up and began to check on him. Ron still stood guard at the entrance with Ghost.
"I recognized the young master. He was captured by a few bandits. I helped him when the bandits ran away," he began, and Benjen raised a brow.
"How?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter," Cregan cut in.
"I will explain everything later. First, we need to get out of here," he said, and Benjen nodded.
"You have no idea how much trouble you have caused, nephew," he said, though there was a hint of relief in his voice as Cregan nodded.
"I think I have an idea," he replied.
"The Princess?" Jon's voice came from behind.
"Is she with you?" he asked, and Cregan shook his head,
"She is missing as well," and Benjen nodded.
"Yes, and the Prince is dead, and the Lannisters are blaming you for both of these things," and Cregan had expected that.
"I did not kill Joffrey," he answered, obviously, and Benjen nodded.
"We know that, but the Queen holds a grudge against you for some reason. She wants your head as compensation, and the King is too struck by grief to deny her anything. We have been searching for you for two days, hoping to find you before the Lannisters lest they try to do you any harm," he nodded, thankful that it was not a Lannister who had found him.
"Let's get you back to the castle," he said before turning towards Mance.
"Did you see what happened to the Prince?" Benjen asked, and yet Mance shook his head.
"I am afraid not, my lord," Mance answered.
"Still, you are coming with us," he ordered. Mance tried to deny it, but Cregan shook his eyes.
"You should come. I will see you richly rewarded for your actions," he added. He saw Mance frown as Cregan looked towards the piece of obsidian lying near the fire and nodded, trying to give him the message.
"As you say, my lord," he agreed as Benjen helped him up. Cregan began to tug on his connection with Aurora, hoping that the wolf was still with Myrcella and that it would lead her back to them.
Benjen did not trust Bael, the bard, even though they had told the man a pretty solid story. And rightly so, but as soon as they stepped out of the cave and rode for but a few minutes, they found themselves surrounded by Lannister men, led by none other than Clegane and Ser Jamie Lannister, who looked at him with those green eyes of his and shouted.
"Hand over the boy Stark?" he said, and the men huddled around him.
"And why should we do that?" Benjen retaliated as Lannister took out his sword.
"Because he must answer for his crimes?" and Cregan prayed that things would not escalate.
"And what crimes are those..."
"Treason," he finished as Clegane stepped forward.
"Hand him over, Crow! Or I will gut you..."
"There!" someone screamed, and all of them turned around in the direction and watched as someone emerged from the woods beside them.
"It's the Princess....!"
And Cregan watched as a bloodied and limping Aurora walked out of the woods, and behind her, a girl barely into her teens with torn up dress, dishevelled hair, and her face was smeared with blood and dirt.
"Myrcella!"
0000
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