dancing with our hands tied | r. targaryen

lxiv.

134 A.C.
KING'S LANDING
•••

IT WAS LATE WHEN ALAYNE WAS SHAKEN FROM HER SLEEP. SHE WOKE WITH A START AND GRABBED THE BLADE HIDDEN BENEATH HER PILLOW and held it to the neck of the one who'd waken her. Criston's breath catches as he feels the cold steel against his neck.

"Alayne it is only I," Criston whispers.

"Criston," Alayne says, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of her room. She makes out the knight's features and she instantly removes the blade from his throat, "I'm so sorry."

"It's quite alright," Criston responds.

Alayne takes a deep breath and tucks the knife under her pillow. She sits up and brushes the hair out of her face as Criston takes a seat on the bed, "Ser Steffon made a discovery this evening when he went to the cells."

Alayne's shoulders sag, "My father escaped."

"No," Criston says shaking his head, "But Beric – he was found with a dagger in his chest."

Alayne's brows furrow at the information, "What?"

"I suppose someone snuck down when the guards were changing shifts," Criston states, "But Beric was the target. No other prisoners were harmed. Nor where they released."

"This was the doing of one of my children," Alayne responded.

"That is why I came to you first," Criston says, "I figured you'd want to get ahead of all this before the morning. Decide what to do with the corpse."

Alayne wasn't sure what she felt about hearing about her son's death. He had betrayed his family more than once, but he had been her son. And as much as she wanted to hate him, as much as she wanted to deny ever loving him when he took Brandon from her, she knew that wasn't true.

"Thank you," Alayne says softly, "Will you send for Elissa? Tell her what has transpired and that I need her help."

"How do you know that she didn't do this?" Criston asks.

"A mother knows," Alayne responds, "I'm not so certain about the rest of my children."

"Very well," Criston says as he stands from the bed. He makes his way toward the door, but pauses as he looks back at Alayne, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Alayne's lips purse before she softly states, "Thank you, Criston."

Criston offers her a nod before heading down the hall to find Elissa. Alayne quickly climbs out of bed and finds a cover to wear over her night shift before quickly braiding her brown hair. She heads out of her room and to the cells below. Steffon stands near the cell and Alayne's steps slow as she approaches.

She could see the blood that had colored the floor and she gathers the strength to move forward. She looks on at Beric's body lying there. Perfectly still. His tunic was soaked in blood, and lifeless blue eyes stared at the stone ceiling, probably the last thing he saw before he died.

Alayne stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight, but she did not cry. She may not have been the one to take her son's life, but she had condemned him to this fate. His blood was on her hands. Brandon would not have wanted this. Her husband would not have wanted this for their son.

"Mother?" Elissa speaks softly as she joins her mother, "Ser Criston said that-"

Elissa's words cut off as she looks into the cell and sees her brother lying there. Her eyes scan over him before averting away from the body, "Who did this?"

"We don't know," Alayne says, "I'm assuming one of your siblings."

Elissa looks at the body once more and kneels, pulling the dagger from Beric's chest. She looks up at her mother, "Do you want me to figure out who did this?"