The Prince of Thorns

Hail to the King

Joffrey took his retinue on a walk-through Kings Landing. His thoughts were simply that the people loved him and would cheer his name as he passed. With him is his Kingsguard. Tyrion, Alester, and Tommen are too. The crowd begins to hassle Joffrey.

MAN: "Hail Joffrey! Hail to the King. Seven blessings on you, Your Grace."

MAN #2: "Murderer! Bastard!"

MAN #3: "All hail the King."

MAN #4: "He's no king."

MAN #5: "He's a bastard!"

MAN #6: "Please, Your Grace, we're hungry."

MAN #7: "Freak."

Tyrion turns to one of the guards.

TYRION: "Get the Prince back to the Keep now."

GUARD: "Yes, my lord. Come, quickly."

Some of the guards escort Tommen away, hopefully to safety.

WOMAN: "Please, Your Grace, give us some food!"

MAN: "Bread, Your Grace, please!"

Joffrey ignores them, until he is hit in the face with a mudball. He groans and doubles over. The Hound and the other Kingsguard draw their swords to defend the king.

JOFFREY: "Who threw that? I want the man who threw that. Find who did that and bring him to me!"

The Hound holds Joffrey back, trying to control him.

GUARD: "Hold on!"

GUARD #2: "Hold them back!"

The Kingsguard push into the crowd. A full riot begins. Sansa and her handmaidens are scared.

JOFFREY: "Just kill them! Kill them all!"

Alester looks back at Tyrion

TYRION: "Move. Move!"

The Hound grabs Joffrey around the chest and guides him forward.

ALESTER: "Pull back!"

MAN: "Tear him to pieces!"

JOFFREY: "What are you doing? I want these people executed!"

THE HOUND: "And they want the same for you."

The riot escalates. Sansa flees awkwardly. Tyrion watches in horror as the crowd tears one of their party limb from limb. The crowd cheers.

ALESTER: "Where's Sansa?"

With no answer and no Sansa in sight Alester carves a path through crazed peasants. He then runs though back alleys looking for Sansa.

GUARD: "Through the door."

GUARD #2: "Come on."

GUARD #3: "Push hard."

The crowd closes around them. Meryn strikes down one of the crowd.

MERYN: "Protect the king!"

GUARD: "Get back!"

GUARD #2: "Fall back! Keep him safe!"

The Hound passes Joffrey off to Meryn. Meanwhile, the Kingsguard shepherd Joffrey through a gate.

GUARD: "Come in! Come in!"

CUARD #2: "Keep him safe!"

CROWD: "Motherfucker! Brotherfucker!"

GUARD: "Watch out. Hold them back."

GUARD #2: "Come on."

Sansa is trapped by the crowd. She runs down a dark passage, and some men from the crowd follow.

MAN: "Hey."

In the Red Keep Joffrey and his guards are now safely away from the crowd, which can still be heard on the other side of the wall.

JOFFREY: "Traitors! I'll have all their heads."

TYRION: "Oh, you blind, bloody fool!"

JOFFREY: "You can't insult me."

TYRION: "We've had vicious kings and we've had idiot kings, but I don't know if we've ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a king."

JOFFREY: "You can't-"

TYRION: "I can, I am."

JOFFREY: "They attacked me!"

TYRION: "They threw a cow pie at you, so you decided to kill them all? They're starving, you fool! All because of a war you started."

JOFFREY: "You're talking to a king!"

Tyrion slaps him.

TYRION: "And now I've struck a king. Did my hand fall from my wrist? Where is the Stark girl? Where is Alester?"

JOFFREY: "Let them have her and the Tyrell!"

TYRION: "If she dies, you'll never get your Uncle Jaime back! You owe him quite a bit, you know. And that Tyrell does more for the people than you ever have. Take some men and go and find them."

MERYN: "I take my orders from the king."

Three men drag Sansa across the floor. She fights back but there are too many of them.

SANSA: "Please! No! No!"

The men continue their assault. One holds down her hands while the others tear at her clothes. Alester appears and guts one of them, holding him by the neck before dropping him to the floor. He takes care of the rest. Sansa lies on the ground, terrified and whimpering.

MAN: "Please!"

Alester reaches down to help Sansa up.

ALESTER: "You're all right now, I promise."

She accepts his help and he carries her away, slung over his shoulder.

He carries her past Tyrion and into safety with the rest of the royal party. He sets her down gently, with her back to the wall.

MAN: "We'll get you."

MAN #2: "We'll get you."

MAN #3: "This way."

TYRION: "Are you hurt, my lady?"

ALESTER: "She's bleeding. Someone take her. See to that cut."

TYRION: "Well done, Alester."

ALESTER: "Of course, I made a promise."