"When Stannis arrives, maybe I'll give my dear uncle your head as a gift," Joffrey said. He was sitting on the Iron Throne with his crossbow pointed down at Reyna as she knelt on the floor before him. "Or maybe I'll just hang your body from the gates of the Red Keep for everyone to see."

Reyna felt the eyes of everyone in the throne room on her, watching to see what her next move would be. Normally, she would've let out some sort of snide comment, but right now she recognized that her life was at stake. And the worrisome look Sandor was sending her was warning her not to do anything stupid.

Stannis's army and navy were on their way to King's Landing to try and take the throne. Tensions in the castle were high and Reyna would often catch people staring at her like some sort of treacherous beast as she past them in the hall. If Stannis won the battle she'd be free from the lions' claws, but if he lost Joffrey was going to have her killed just as Ned Stark was.

"On the other hand," Joffrey continued, "killing you might anger your brother even more."

Before Reyna could be relieved, the king ordered Meryn Trant to beat her. The knight forced her to her feet and struck her across the cheek. He hit her hard. And repeatedly. Ser Meryn hit her in the abdomen and the air left Reyna's lung. She was fighting for air when the throne room doors swung open and Tyrion Lannister walked in.

"What is going on?" the Hand demanded to know.

"Just following the king's orders, Imp," Meryn told Tyrion.

"Orders to beat an innocent woman? Why?" Tyrion asked Joffrey.

"Her brother's a traitor!" Joffrey's shrill voice answered.

Tyrion's face was red with rage. "What does that have to do with her?"

Joffrey sputtered as he tried to find an answer, and when he couldn't he followed his mother and most of the kingsguard out of the throne room. While the room emptied, Sandor and Tyrion stayed and made sure Reyna was okay.

"I'm fine," she told them.

Sandor took off his kingsguard cloak and drapped it gently across Reyna's shoulders. She thanked him. He nodded.

"Clegane, take Lady Baratheon back to her room," Tyrion ordered. "And if needed, fetch the maester."

Sandor nodded again before silently leading Reyna to her room. Outside her door, he spun her around her face him. When he finally got a good look at the red welt on her cheek, he felt more anger than he had in a long time.

"He shouldn't have done that," he said. His voice was softer than Reyna had ever heard it. His touch was soft, too, as he ran his thumb along the stinging wound. "I'll go get Pycelle."

Just as he turned to leave, Reyna grabbed his arm. "Don't."

Sandor arched a brow at her.

"I don't need that old man touching me," she explained. She'd always found Grand Maester Pycelle terribly creepy; after all, she'd caught him staring at her in indecent ways a number of times.

Reyna started to step into her room but, to his surprise, turned and placed a small kiss on Sandor's burnt cheek. He could feel his face redden just as they had the very first time she'd done it all those weeks ago.

"I promise you, I'm okay," she repeated before finally stepping into the darkness of her room to tend to her wounds.

However, Sandor wasn't about to let any more harm come to her tonight. He found a dark corner down the hall where he could sit and still see her door. He promised himself right then and there that he'd never let anyone hurt Reyna Baratheon again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stannis's army arrived the next night. The Red Keep was a bustle of men arming themselves and women and children scurrying to safety. Reyna, however, was confined to her quarters. Cersei didn't want her sneaking out in the night, finding her way onto her brothers' ships, and escaping the city. Four Lannister guards were stationed outside her room ensuring she stayed put. All Reyna could do was watch the ensuing battle below from her window and pray to all the gods that Stannis would win, that Sansa, Laurel, and Shae would be alright with Cersei, that Sandor wouldn't be harmed in the battle.

The second she saw the ships in Blackwater Bay ignite with that dreadful wildfire, she knew at least one of her prayers had been ignored. The bright green flames consumed Stannis's navy in mere minutes. Tears pricked at her eyes as Reyna realized that soon it would be her head on the chopping block soon. She couldn't stand to watch the battle anymore knowing that.

Reyna grabbed a glass of wine and the closest book she could find and sat down at the table far away from her window. If she was going to be killed by Joffrey and Cersei soon, at least she'd spend her last few hours doing something she enjoyed- reading and getting drunk. And yet, her mind kept wandering to Sandor on the battlefield. He was fighting for the king and no doubt had killed many of her brother's men, but Reyna couldn't find it in herself to be upset with him. In fact, she wished he were here with her. If Sandor were here, she figured she'd feel much calmer and safer.

The screams of the dying soldiers outside was growing to be too much. Reyna got up to close the curtains, hoping they'd drown out some of the sound, when suddenly she heard a commotion coming from outside her door. Nervously, she grabbed the sharpest object in her room: her stag pin. It wasn't very big but if someone tried attacking her Reyna figured she could at least poke their eye out. She readied herself for an attack that never came. Instead, her door was pushed open by the man she'd just been thinking about.

He was covered in blood and sweat but his eyes were filled with fear. Fear of what, Reyna didn't exactly know. Yes, he was probably afraid of the wildfire but why would he come here if he was afraid?

She didn't have time to think of a valid answer because in seconds Sandor stomped over to her and grabbed her sharply by the waist. She was about to ask what he was doing when suddenly his lips were pressing on hers. Reyna froze for a moment but once she realized what was happening, that Sandor was finally kissing her, she began kissing him back. One of his hands tenderly cupped her face while Reyna wrapped her arms around his neck as they continued their kiss.

Being this close, Reyna could feel Sandor's heart beating wildly through his armor. And he was trembling. She pulled away and stared up at him with wide eyes. He began to panic. Maybe he misread their relationship and crossed a line. But before he left King's Landing he needed her to know how he felt.

"Sandor," Reyna whispered. "What's wrong?"

"I'm leaving," he answered just as quietly.

Reyna placed a hand on his scarred cheek. "Leaving? Where?"

He shrugged. "Somewhere not burning."

They were silent for a few moments before Sandor finally mustered up the courage to ask what he came here to. "Come with me."

Reyna's eyes widened. He was leaving the city and he wanted to take her with him? "What?"

"You're brother's army is on fire. That cunt of a king will have your head before the sun rises," Sandor said. "So come with me."

He was right. She would never be safe in King's Landing so long as Joffrey was the king, but Sandor would protect her. She trusted him with her life. "Let me grab a few things first."

All Reyna packed in her leather satchel was a few simple shirts, some expensive jewelry to sell for money, and her stag pin.

"You should change, too," Sandor told her.

She nodded and quickly changed into a pair of riding trousers and a warm tunic after asking shyly Sandor to turn away. After grabbing a hooded wool cloak and fastening it with her pin, Reyna decided she was ready to go, ready to leave this awful city behind and go somewhere safe with the man she cared for the most.

The four Lannister guards who were in charge of guarding Reyna were sprawled out in the hall. They were all dead. Sandor must've killed them before coming inside. The pair rushed through the castle to the stables.

"What about Sansa?" Reyna asked as the pair made their way to freedom.

"The Stark girl wouldn't come," Sandor answered.

Reyna felt bad about leaving them behind, but figured Shae and Laurel would look after her. Hopefully, Joffrey didn't punish any of her friends for her escape. Panic about what she was doing began to set in as Sandor pulled Reyna up onto the horse in front of him. As if he could sense her anxiety, he tightened his arms around her slightly. That helped calm them both a bit, and together they rode away from King's Landing.