"Stupid little girl, just a stupid little girl," a traitorous voice repeated itself on the back of Sansa's mind.
The Red Keep was silent. It was perhaps the hour of the wolf when Arra woke her up.
The decision to try to leave or stay a prisoner was perhaps rash, but true to her heart nevertheless.
"Was informing the queen of your father's plans true to your heart as well?" the voice questioned.
"Shut up," Sansa muttered harshly.
"M'lady?" Annara turned to her.
She bit her tongue until it hurt before responding, "How far are we?"
"The tunnel is close to the pantry, next to the kitchens, m'lady. We'll just have to be careful until we get there."
And they were. No matter the pantry didn't have guards anymore due to the food being moved to Maegor's Holdfast. They stopped regularly and sharpened their ears to find any guard near them. So far, they hadn't, but it didn't stop them from remaining vigilant.
Soon enough, they started moving again.
Annara's every step was lighter than the last, as if she were wind itself. Seeing her in front reminded her of the times the wind howled at night. The same feeling of creeping danger returned, minus her lady mother's embrace and promises of a new day.
It was as the voice repeated. This was dangerous.
Lord Renly was close to breaking the gates while his brother's ships crawled closer by the day. Sansa knew, she could stay. From what she understood, Lord Stannis would return her to her family, while Renly… according to Lord Varys, her Mother was with him.
There was also the surpise of her maids. They were looking for a way out for a while yet. Sansa hadn't asked them for it, she'd just wanted to know what was happening in court and the city. And now they were here, ready to escape the Red Keep.
"We'll have to crouch, m'lady," Annara said.
They reached the garden separating them from the kitchens. From what Sansa could see, there were no guards anywhere in sight. Still, she followed with caution.
The garden was a little thing compared to the godswood. The brushes didn't even reach her hips and every step sounded like thunder to her ears.
It was then, a murmur invaded her senses. The soft sound of cloth against cloth, coming from their backs. And footsteps.
They all stilled. Sansa's cradled the satchel with her book tightly in her chest. Other than the roughspun dresses Arra had procured, it was the only thing she was carrying out of the castle. Perhaps if she were smarter, she would've left the book, perhaps if she could be more like the queen, she would've left the book. It was only parchment and ink after all. It was only words after all.
The sound became louder. Now there were steps mixed in. She clutched the book harder and ever so slowly she dropped to the ground. If they were found, she'd be fine. With Lord Tywin here, she'd receive a few stern words at most. Her maids wouldn't be so lucky…
Her hand groped for the ground looking for a pebble, and found one. With a prayer, she threw it across the yard.
Sansa held her breath. The sound of the pebble hitting a wall echoed in the garden. A moment later, she heard footsteps going toward the pebble.
With a calm she didn't feel, she said, "Annara, let's continue."
Only when they reached the kitchens, her party deflated of the tension from the garden. Sansa herself felt her legs wobble.
They were close. A long corridor with a middle intersection cutting to the kitchen-garden was the only thing separating them from the pantry. To safety. To freedom.
They gathered themselves and after a few words of encouragement, they were off.
They had done it.
They had found their way through the Red Keep.
Their steps were muted, slippers landed softly over stone, and skirts were raised to avoid any rustle. She could feel the soft breeze almost as a caress on her back.
They were just a few yards from the door when Sansa's spine went cold.
"It is a little early for a stroll," the Master of Whispers said from the shadows. "Especially considering the princess and prince are usually asleep at this hour."
Myrcella hugged her brother and put herself in front of him. Sansa glanced to the side. Arra held her babe close to her chest. The shadows barely let her see, but she recognized how scared the maid was.
All the while, Lord Varys had a pleasant smile on him. The moonlight framing his round face. It reminded her of the expression he wore when they first met in the gardens, the same expression he had when he told her of his little riddle.
Sansa patted Annara's forearm. She had a knife hidden in her sleeve, from the looks of it, her maid was getting ready to use it.
It wasn't going to be necessary. Or at least, Sansa hoped so.
"Lord Varys," she greeted with a curtsy. "It seems you are on a stroll yourself?"
"What makes you say so, my lady?"
Sansa took a step forward, right in front of Annara. 'Future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms', she remembered him repeating with cheer. What she couldn't remember, was him mentioning Joffrey as the future king.
Not even once.
She let out a breath. "Your riddle." He tilted his face in surprise. "I don't see gold or a priest, or a sword for that matter."
"So it seems," Lord Varys said easily. His eyes were crescent moons. "You'll have to forgive me, my lady, for I am terribly curious, tell me, who lives now?"
That question sent cold through her body. Sansa felt her hands clamp up.
For a moment, she thought to release Annara's arm. Distract Lord Varys with… something, and let the maid finish him.
It only took her a heartbeat to understand how foolish that line of thought was.
Lord Varys was many things, but a fool, he was not. A man like him wouldn't present himself unless he was certain he could get away with his life. Otherwise, he would've died long ago.
She took a sobering breath. She thought of her home, of her maids' plan to go through the tunnels below the walls and walk their way to Duskendale. Of the recklessness of it all.
She almost doubled over and begged for her maids' lives.
Almost.
"I live," she said, her voice firm. "Myrcella and Tommen live. Annara and Arra live."
The corridor fell silent. Sansa could only hear her own heartbeat. Loud and louder by the second.
Until—
Lord Varys moved.
His slippers sled through the stone floor while they stood there.
He arrived at the pantry door and turned. "Come, there's little time."
That broke the spell.
First with uneasy steps, and almost running next, they made their way into the pantry. The door thudded closed behind.
Lord Varys crossed the room to a shelf. "Here." He pulled the wooden doors open and moved a box that looked like it was part of the floor, away. "I believe this is the tunnel entrance you were looking for."
Once again, they looked at each other, unsure what to do, of what to say.
A quick glance at Annara confirmed what Lord Varys said. It was indeed the tunnel she found.
"Annara, go in first," Sansa ordered. It was enough to make her party exhale and move.
While the maid, got into the tunnel, Sansa kept her eyes on Lord Varys. From his particular high pitched-voice and mannerisms no one would suspect it, but the Master of Whispers was a strong man. The box he so effortlessly moved was all the evidence she needed.
"My lady," Varys said. "I have to inform you, the Lord Hand has red cloaks on Aegon's High Hill for fear of Lord Stannis' assault. The exits you and your party wanted to use are no longer available."
She gulped.
Twice in a row, Lord Varys demonstrated he knew what their plans were. If she ever had any doubt of his competence as the Master of Whispers, they were gone by now.
However, it also meant something else, and she needed clarity.
"Will you be accompanying us, my lord?"
"No, not today," he answered. "I came here because three young women traveling the Crownlands is dangerous. Three young women and two royal children? Arriving at Duskendale would be an accomplishment worthy of songs."
She felt cold in her neck. It was something she thought of. Something the voice in the back of her mind kept reminding her of.
It wasn't the smart choice.
She knew how hard the journey would be. How unnecessary the journey was. Mother was close and a more attainable goal besides.
The issue was…
Her mother was in Renly's camp. Someone like him wouldn't let Tommen and Myrcella free.
If her friend and her brother stayed, then their fate was either one of the Baratheon brothers.
If they escaped to where Mother was, then their fate was in Renly's hands.
The only real choice was Duskendale. There, her uncle and brother could protect them.
"Stupid little girl. Won't they end up as prisoners all the same?" the voice echoed in her head.
"No," she responded, perhaps answering two questions. "They are coming with us."
It would be hard, she knew. Of course she knew. But, could she stop just because it was hard?
Back in Myrcella's rooms she asked herself that same question. Would she leave her friend to see her brother die and becoming a prisoner herself?
The first answer that came to her mind would haunt her nightmares. But then, she asked a different question. What would Father have done?
"He would have tried," the answer came in an instant.
So she woke up her friend, and told her of her new plan. She accepted in a heartbeat and picked golden rings and jewelry to pay for their journey.
A small chuckle caught her attention.
"Your lord father would've said the same, my lady," Varys said. "Here—" he took a small pouch from his tunic and gave it to her "—copper and silver will be less notorious than jewelry on your journey."
She blinked a couple of times before her mind caught up to what just happened. The pouch was heavy and came with a piece of paper on its base.
Lord Varys chuckled again. This time it was warm, almost melancholic. "I told your lord father once, my lady. I serve the realm, and the realm needs peace. Sadly, peace is far off still, but I can see how peace needs you, the princess and the prince."
That stopped her cold.
"You spoke with Father?" The question slipped.
"I did, but it's an story better left for another day."
Sansa turned to the entrance. Arra and Myrcella were waiting for her. Her friend's eyes were following Lord Varys' every move.
There was one last thing she needed to ask before joining them. "The red cloaks, they are blocking the exit."
"Only the exits in Aegon's High Hill," Lord Varys said. "You won't be going there. Follow the tunnels, always take the left passage. It's for the best, I assure you."
It wasn't a straight tunnel? She expected a secret tunnel made to escape the Red Keep would always go outside the walls…
Cold panic embraced her again. It really was a reckless plan.
She bit her tongue until it hurt. There was no time for this. She needed to move.
Lord Varys seemed as calm as ever. He had been helpful so far, perhaps he was being helpful now.
With no better idea, she decided to bet on his word.
Before entering the tunnel she turned. "Lord Varys, shouldn't you be escaping too?"
He shook his head. "That would be wise, yes…"
"But?"
He gave her a sad smile. "But the queen has become more and more erratic as of late. I fear she'll do something rash if there's no one to stop her… Go now, my lady. If you are swift, you'll be able to save one more friend."
Perhaps she was too quick to judge him. She didn't knew many people who would risk themselves to try to stop one of the queen's plots.
She made a final curtsy. "Thank you for your service, my lord."
Lord Varys gave her a warm smile and bowed. "I am but a humble servant, my lady."
Darkness greeted her. From behind her, she heard a soft thump of the box returning to hide the entrance of the tunnel.
She let out a sigh, and with renewed conviction she moved to the front of the party.
"Keep your hands on the left wall of the tunnel. We'll move slowly."
###
The floor was just as uneven as the walls.
It didn't took them long before reaching the first intersection. Two new tunnels appeared before her, and before doubt clogged her mind, she chose the left passage.
Thrice they found an intersection and thrice Sansa chose the left passage.
It was a silent walk.
Every step forward had her doubting herself. She caught herself slouching a few times, and every single time, her education came at the forefront of her mind. Of how highborns had to project authority, of how posture and tone were essential to transmit confidence to the smallfolk.
It was a good thing, then, that the tunnels were dark, else everyone would've seen how nervous she really was.
Her foot caught on a crevice on the floor. Thankfully for her, her left hand allowed for balance, and with little more than an annoyed huff, she continued.
"Are you alright, my lady?" Annara whispered from behind her.
Sansa turned to her concerned maid. "Be careful, there's a—" she heard pitter-patter echoing ahead "—did you hear that?"
After a few breaths, Annara whispered back, "Aye. I think it's a rat. Don't worry, it'll get scared and avoid us."
She had to hope her maid was right. A rat was not something she wanted to deal with in total darkness.
With her every heartbeat the sound became clearer, louder. It was a minor thing. They had crossed the Red Keep all the way to get to these tunnels. And a guard had been dangerously close to finding them.
A rat was barely an annoyance.
She held her breath and counted to ten. She had to keep calm. No rat would stop her. Not here, not now.
If only the rat knew that too.
The rat kept approaching them. The sound of its tiny claws against the rock was starting to grate her.
She was about to ask Annara to get in front when it suddenly stopped, and then ran away from them.
Once again, she was thankful for the darkness in the tunnels, as no one could see her shoulders sagging in relief.
Annara was right. The rat must have been scared and turned tail when they got close enough.
They continued their slow walk. One foot in front of the other, her left hand never leaving the wall.
Minutes passed when they heard something else.
Steps.
Steps echoing through the corridors.
Steps coming straight for them.
Someone whimpered from behind. Sansa turned and… she didn't know what to say.
Words failed her. There was nothing they could do and it was all her fault.
She should've never trusted Varys.
"We have to turn back," Myrcella said, her voice trembling.
It was Sansa's fault and her friend was the one to return the party. It was a race against time, and they had lost enough of it already.
"Run," she said.
They turned and started running. It wasn't long before someone tripped.
Tommen fell and took Myrcella with him.
Sansa and Annara stopped to help them to their feet. She held her friend's trembling arm in hers, only to realize her arm was no better.
"You should leave," Myrcella said. "I… My brother and I will stay. I'm sure they are red cloaks. Just… please leave."
The steps were getting closer and closer. She could even recognize torchlight coming in their direction.
They lost.
She had thought the realization would've been devastating. That her knees would buckle and a river of tears would drown her.
Instead, her breath became less erratic and the jumbled mess that was her mind became clearer.
She was calm.
She grabbed Myrcella and hugged her to her chest. I wonder where Arya is, she thought. I wonder if Mother is sleeping..
"Annara, stand behind me."
"M'lady—"
"Annara." She had to pause to not choke up. "Please."
Her maid did as requested.
I'm sorry, Father, Mother, it seems I failed.
Myrcella hugged Tommen and started sobbing. It was clear she didn't believe the ones coming for them were red cloaks. She turned her head toward the maids, she couldn't see them, but for the first time since they got into the tunnels, she knew exactly where they were.
"I'm—"
"Sansa!"
What?
"Sansa!" the voice echoed all around.
Something must've been wrong with her ears. The voice sounded like her brother and that was impossible. Her brother was in Dusken—
"Sansa!"
The steps became louder and louder until…
Jon?
From one moment to the next, she was in her brother's arms.
It was then, and only then, tears started falling.
###
A/N: As always, Varys has plans upon plans. I've seen a few comments identifying some of what he is planning. It is always fun to read speculation on his actions.
The guy was an absolute blast to read on the books, I wanted at least a fraction of that sentiment on this fic. As of now, I don't even know if I'll reveal all of his actions and plans, because mystery and ambiguity, you know?
As a side note, I think I'm doing shorter chapters going forward (2k~3k). (I wanted to write around 2 shorter ch/week but work won't be slowing down anytime soon lmao)
You can read two chapters ahead: p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / yorud
Anyways, give me your comments (.づ◡﹏◡)づ.