Hand of the Queen

5

I walk into the garden to see the final Lannister, walking beside Bronn of the Blackwater. Tyrion turns to me as I approach, I offer him a small smile.

"My sister's husband." I say, he gives me a small bow.

"Unconsummated husband." Tyrion says, holding my eyes as I let out a breath of relief and nod. I heard stories of this man from Jon, sent through ravens from The Wall. About how he is a good man, different from the rest of his family.

"I hoped as much." I turn my attention to the Knight beside him, he quickly raises his eyes from my body to my face. "Bronn of the Blackwater, I've heard stories of your bravery in battle."

"Forgive me, my lady. You are?" Bronn asks, Tyrion looks to his companion in shock.

"Alysanne of House Stark." I tell him, Bronn's eyes widen as he looks back to Tyrion. "Have either of you seen Lady Olenna?"

"She sits in the gardens." Tyrion tells me, gesturing ahead of us. I bow to the both of them and begin the walk to the garden's balcony, spotting the old woman sat among bushes of roses. She turns as I approach, smiling to me as she gestures to the seat across from her. I take it as she passes me a glass of wine.

"I assume everything went well?" She asks, I take a small sip from my glass.

"Very well, Lady Olenna." One of the young maidens approaches Olenna, whispering quickly into her ear. The old woman turns to me with weary eyes and immense pain.

"Oh, my dear Lady Stark..."

...

I throw open the doors to Sansa's room, she sits with reddened eyes in the window. She runs to me before I can speak even a word. I gather her into my arms and we collapse onto the floor, sobs rack through her body as I run my hand through her hair. Nothing but hatred rips through my veins, rage at the need to enact our revenge. The Lannisters send their regards.

Tywin, Cersei, Jaime Lannister, it is as if their hands drew the blood themselves. Tyrion appears in the doorway, his face racked with guilt for his family's deeds. I shake my head and wave him away; he does so without question as I hold my grieving sister. I pull back and take her face into my hands.

"I am going to get you out of here, Sansa. I am going to set things right, I swear it to you." I tell her, she slowly nods as I press a kiss to her forehead. Petyr creeps into the doorway, I meet his eyes and nod once to him. "I will return to you." I carefully pull my sister to her feet and lead her to the bed, gently lowering her to sit before walking to Petyr.

"This is it." He hands me the broach made to fit into Kingsguard armor. "The crystals are laced with the poison, Jaime will be the one to pour Joffrey his ale at the wedding feast to ensure no tampering from the outside. There will be a fail-safe in Sansa's necklace as well, should the poison from this broach not fall into the goblet as we hope. Have him wear it in your honor, a small hidden symbol that will not be detected by the others."

"It will be done, have you secured her escape?" I ask him, Littlefinger nods to me.

"He will be heading to see you any moment, give it to him then." He disappears without another word before I enter my own room and wait.

The door creaks open behind me, I turn from where I stand at the window as the Kingslayer walks inside.

"Alysanne." He says, taking my hands as sadness covers his face. "My words will never be enough to describe how sorry I am for all that you are feeling." I feign broken-hearted sadness to cover the revengeful disgust on my face. He kisses between my brow and I smile up at him.

"Wear this for me tomorrow." I say, showing him where it fits into his armor. "A hidden symbol, but both of us will know it is there."

"Anything, my Alysanne." His Alysanne, his.

"I must return to my sister." He presses a kiss to my lips and nods.

"I will see you after the wedding tomorrow." I struggle to keep the all knowing grin from my mouth as the words leave his lips. He leaves the room and Sansa enters only moments later, I usher her to me and pull her into bed beside me. We lie against one another as the night hours grow, her arms hold me tightly. Finally as the moon rises into the sky, the first of my tears leave my eyes.

...

After the final touches of my wedding clothes are added, I walk from my room to that of the Master of Whispers.

"I had wondered when you would arrive here, my lady." Varys says, I take the seat across from him and smile. "Little goes on within this Red Keep that I do not know about."

"I had assumed the Master of Whispers would have heard our own." I say, leaning against one armrest.

"You play your part well, Alysanne. The innocent Stark girl, only here to be beside her sister and hold Jaime Lannister's troubled heart." He sits down beside me rather than across his desk, I almost see a look of sheer awe across his face. "It is a brilliant plan, it took me a very long time to figure it all out."

"There is only one detail that never seemed to fall in place." He raises an eyebrow at me. "I have guaranteed Sansa's escape, but it seems I have not found my own."

"I assume that is where my help comes in." I nod to him. "I can secure your passage onboard a ship that leaves for Meereen only moments after the wedding."

"Meereen?" He holds my eyes.

"Every house that is loyal to the crown, including the crown itself, will want your head on a pike after the king is murdered. You do not think it will be suspicious that only days after the final Stark arrives, the king falls dead from poisoning? After you both are made to flee afterward? No, you need to leave Westeros until you can find a powerful ally." Realization floods my mind, Varys sees it in my eyes.

"Daenerys Targaryen."

"I will join you only days later myself to find her, I will serve this wretched place no longer." Varys offers his hand to me, I take it and he holds it for a moment. "Do not listen to Littlefinger for a moment after this act is done, it is only in each other we can trust."