Game of Thrones Iron Stark

Myrcella finally slipped away from her mother and burst into the hidden room. Four pairs of eyes turned toward her at once.

"Sorry I'm late!" she said, grinning. "Let's go. We're going to the Dragonpit."

Sansa's face fell. "The Dragonpit? Arya said it's haunted. Can't we go somewhere else?"

Arianne patted the dagger hidden at her hip. "I'll protect you. Nothing in there is scarier than me."

Shireen looked hopeful. "Couldn't we go to the Kingswood instead? You could ride your white stag and maybe let us take turns…"

Myrcella shook her head. "Father took her to show off to the lords. But I promise, Shireen — one day soon we'll go riding together. Just the two of us."

That settled it. The five girls slipped out of the Red Keep through a servants' passage and headed for Rhaenys's Hill.

While the queen hosted her elegant dinner for the ladies, King Robert threw a loud, messy feast for every lord and knight in the city. He was already drunk, roaring with laughter and slamming cups with anyone who came near.

Renly sat with the Tyrells. Loras poured wine for him, golden armor gleaming with a hundred tiny carved flowers.

"You should be wearing the crown," Loras said quietly. "Robert and Stannis don't know how to rule."

Garlan's hand landed on his little brother's shoulder. "Watch your mouth. This is King's Landing, not Highgarden."

Robert spotted Brienne standing guard near Renly and blinked in surprise.

"Seven hells, is that a woman? Who brought a woman to a knights' feast?"

Brienne stood straighter. "I am Ser Brienne of Tarth, Your Grace. I serve Lord Renly."

Renly stepped in smoothly. "She's a knight, Robert. She has every right to be here."

Robert belched and waved it off. "Fine, fine. Just don't let her beat all my men."

From the shadows across the hall, Prince Oberyn Martell watched everything with cold amusement. A guard hurried up to him.

"Prince, Lady Arianne is missing from the queen's feast again."

Oberyn didn't even turn his head. "She always finds trouble. Let her. She can handle herself."

Deep inside the ruined Dragonpit, the five girls stood among the massive dragon skulls that had once decorated the Iron Throne. The bones had been moved here after the Targaryens fell. Even cleaned up, the place felt ancient and wrong.

"Look at the size of them," Margaery whispered.

Myrcella's eyes shone. "They say dragons had pearls inside their skulls. Let's find one."

Giggling and half-scared, the girls climbed into the huge, empty eye sockets and jawbones, crawling through the cold bone like mice inside a giant's mouth.

While they searched, two cloaked figures met in the deeper shadows near the collapsed dome. One carried a torch and tapped a signal against the stone.

The second figure answered with the same rhythm.

"You came."

"I came."

"Why?"

"For the cause."

The first man was quiet for a moment. "I gave up the old cause. I have new plans now."

"The girl you abandoned has found powerful new friends. You should hear this."

"Speak."

"Daenerys Targaryen has allied with the sheep people. They built a village. Iron walls. They captured Khal Drogo and traded him back for peace… and dragon eggs."

The second man laughed softly. "A village of shepherds thinks they can challenge the Seven Kingdoms?"

"They're not ordinary shepherds. And they're helping her wake the eggs."

The first man went still. "When the dragons hatch, I will swear to her. The last true dragon. I won't turn my back again."

The torch flickered between them.

Outside, five girls laughed inside the bones of dead dragons, unaware that the future was already being decided in the dark.