Half of my Heart // Viserys Targaryen // Daemon Targaryen

96. Don't Deserve Mercy

Everything was going so smoothly. Avalon knew something had to go wrong.

''My queen. Lord larys was visiting the dungeons.'' Avalon stared back at Tayla. ''The prisoners are gone my queen.'' Avalon nodded slowly.

''Thank you.'' Avalon said turning on her heel. ''Criston. Criston.'' Avalon demanded grabbing his arm pulling him with her.

''Your grace?''

''Can you be discreet?'' Criston stared down at her confused she still had a gentle grip on his arm

''Your grace?''

'I need you...'' she peered around making sure they were alone. Cristons eyes went wide. Of course he was fond of the queen but who wasnt. She was like sunshine and sweetness. ''... to keep an eye on lord larys.'' Criston snapped back to reality

''What?''

''I have a bad feeling about Harrenhal.'' avalon admitted. ''I want you to keep an eye on him while im gone.'

''Gone? Where are you going?''

''Harrenhal were you not listening?'' Avalon countered pulling out her riding boots.

''I will come with we should alert-''

''Alert no one. Tell no one. I was in my room all night and you were at my door.'' Avalon told him and he nodded slowly. ''Keep a close eye on him but he mustn't know. '

''Of course my queen. But the king-''

'' No one must know I'm gone. No one.'' Avalon said ushering him out and getting changed.

+

''Mouse. Adventure time.'' He perked up seeing Avalon ready as she climbed up. ''Harrenhal mouse.'' She instructed ''I think we're going on a rescue mission.' she remarked as they took flight. But it was already burning when we got there.

A fire broke out at Harenhal, when Harwin and Lyonel arrived, it consumed it. Trapping the Strongs inside.

''Fire! I will burn! Harwin! Ah! Harwin!'' Lyonel screamed out banging on the door trying to break it down they screamed out in agony.

"STRONG!" Avalon shouted fire catching to her clothes as she moved through the burning castle. "HARWIN!" Avalon demanded squinting through the darkness the hazy black fog. "LYONEL!"

"Your... grace." Harwin coughed out.

"I'm not the strongest so put that last name to work." Avalon demanded hauling him up.

"Avalon what are you..."

"Less talking more moving, you are not fireproof." Avalon reminded him.

"How?' he choked out.

"Hold your breath." Avalon demanded pulling him along and he panted out once they got to fresher air the night sky around them. "Hell Harwin... your fucking family." Avalon remarked.

"What?" he coughed out.

"I'm handling it." Avalon assured. Avalon looked around but she didn't get to Lyonel in time.

+

''What are children, but a weakness? A folly? A futility? Through them, you imagine you cheat the great darkness of its victory." Larys remarked. ''You will persist forever, in some form or another. As if they will keep you from the dust.''

''But for them... you surrender what you should not. You may know what is the right thing to be done, but... love stays the hand.'' Larys went on. ''Love... is a downfall. Best to make your way through life unencumbered... if you ask me.'

''They're dead.'' Avalon lied sitting across from him.

''You've heard the stories of Harrenhal, Your Grace. It was built in hubris by Harren the Black as a monument to his own greatness. Blood mixed into the mortar. It is said to be a cursed place. That it passes judgment on all who pass beneath its gates.'' Larys remarked softly.

''You... You passed judgment.'' Avalon corrected

'I only wish to serve you." Larys told her.

''Larys... I did not wish for this.''

''I feel certain you will reward me... when the time is right.''

"You set the prisoners free, you told them to set fire, you had them kill your family." Avalon reiterated and Larys nodded.

"I did." He agreed.

"Thank you Larys." Avalon said a smile quirked on her lips as she stood up her hands clasped in front of her as the door swung open. "You hear all that Harwin?" Avalon questioned not taking her eyes off Larys. "And I thought my brothers and I had a complicated relationship." Avalon mused. 

"Harwin?" Larys rasped. 

"Come here you little cunt." Harwin demanded grabbing Larys by the neck. "You killed father, all for what?" Harwin demanded. "WHy did you do it?" 

"You made a disgrace of our name. You made a disgrace of the kingdoms, of the king and queen. I was just trying to help." Larys offered looking to Avalon for help but he would get no sympathy from Avalon. 

"Disgrace? You burned Harenhal to the ground!" Harwin shouted. "With father and I inside." Harwin slammed him against the wall, his feet off the ground as Harwin kept a tight grip on him. 

"Please, I just-"

"What?" Harwin demanded with another slam. "Wanted me dead." 

"You were always  the perfect son, you fucked the princess and still you were protected. You were always protected. You and father would have been fine if I died." 

"We would never have tried to kill you before this!" Harwin corrected. 

"Maybe that was your foolish nature." Larys offered knowing he was going to die. But still wanting to live. "You claim to be a good man, a knight of honor and yet you will kill me right here in front of the queen. Scar her forever?" Larys offered hoping to see through to his knightly hood. 

"I can step outside." Avalon suggested easily. 

"Thats probably for the best, your grace." Harwin agreed. 

"Wait, wait, wait!" Larys begged. 

"Come on," Criston led Avalon outside keeping an arm around him. 

"Brother wait! Please might I ask one thing." Larys begged. 

"You dont deserve a mercy." Harwin countered. 

"Take my foot." Larys begged. "So it doesnt haunt me in the afterlife." 

"You don't deserve that mercy." Harwin repeated. 

"You were very brave Avalon." Criston remarked. 

"I had hoped I was wrong." Avalon remarked. "I had hoped... but Larys has always been shady. I tried to keep my distance, I should have seen the signs maybe Lyonel would be alive right now." 

"You saved Harwin."  Criston reminded her. 

"The boys will be glad to know he is alive." Avalon agreed. "I'm glad i could save him for them..." 

They heard the smack of skull against the hard concrete walls and them the splat, the whoosh through the air as Harwin threw Larys out the window.