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[HARBOR WALL]
"They're coming. They're coming ashore."
"Rain fire on them."
"Archers!"
"There are too many."
"The King panics. Not a good look for his men" Olenna tutted.
"It is his first time at war" Margaery defended not too solidly.
"He should keep it to himself and not show it then" the old woman argued.
"Hound, form a welcome party for any Baratheon troop that manages to touch solid ground. Pod, run to the King's Gate. Bring any men guarding it here, now."
"Yes, my lord."
[BELOW THE HARBOR WALL]
"Let's go. Stannis is sending us fresh meat. You, too."
[THE HOUND punches LANCEL in the chest as he walks past. LANCEL is stunned.]
"That was unnecessary" Sansa muttered.
"Any of these flaming fucking arrows come near me, I'll strangle you with your own guts."
[HARBOR WALL]
[The archers prepare to fire.]
"Loose! Loose!"
[The archers let their flaming arrows fly.]
[The arrows land as the soldiers rush from the boats to the shore. Some hit their mark. Some Baratheon men fall while others pour ashore.]
"Draw! Draw! Loose! Loose!"
[The archers release more salvos. STANNIS's forces take heavy casualties, but they do not give up. Yelling, the first of them make it to the base of the harbour wall. Above them, Lannister forces drop rocks, which crush the skulls of the unlucky. STANNIS himself gets sprayed with the blood of his bludgeoned soldier. They place their shields above their heads.]
Shireen winced seeing the carnage, especially considering how close her father had been to getting squashed.
"To the Mud Gate, go now!"
"First and second squads, to the gate! To the Mud Gate!"
[INSIDE THE HARBOR WALL]
[THE HOUND leads a charge of Lannister men.]
"Any man dies with a clean sword, I'll rape his fucking corpse."
"Gods the language" Elia winced.
[He and LANCEL engage with the sieging forces. They each cut down a number of Baratheon men before LANCEL is struck in the chest by an arrow. He stumbles and screams. Panting, he retreats.]
"Gods" Lyanna muttered with wide eyes.
[MAEGOR'S HOLDFAST]
"When we were young, Jaime and I, we looked so much alike even our father couldn't tell us apart. I could never understand why they treated us differently. Jaime was taught to fight with sword and lance and mace, and I was taught to smile and sing and please. He was heir to Casterly Rock, and I was sold to some stranger like a horse to be ridden whenever he desired."
"She always did think she should have been born a man because she could handle a sword" Jaime chuckled.
"Could she?" Myrcella asked.
"Not any better than she could sing" Jaime smiled warmly. Cersei was many things a woman of her standing dreams to be, but a singer she was not.
"You can sing" Tommen said to Myrcella. "I heard you sing, you're really good."
"Maybe you could sing for me sometime. I'd love to hear" Joanna said warmly.
Myrcella ducked her head and nodded, hiding her blush.
"You were Robert's queen."
"And you will be Joffrey's. Enjoy. I don't think I know this one."
[CERSEI walks over to SHAE. SHAE rises and curtsies.]
"That's the worst curtsy I've ever seen. Here, it's not difficult. I mastered it when I was four. Straighten your back and bend."
[CERSEI demonstrates and SHAE mimics her.]
"Better. You learn fast. How long have you been in Lady Sansa's service?"
"Dear sister is about to find out who your true paramour is" Jaime chuckled.
"Maybe" Tyrion muttered. He may not know the woman yet, but he wouldn't wish Cersei upon her.
"A few weeks, Your Grace."
"I had a Lorathi handmaiden once. When did you leave Lorath?"
"Oh she definitely knows something is amiss" Oberyn leaned forward a bit.
"Don't look like you're enjoying it too much, brother" Elia rolled her eyes.
"As if you don't enjoy watching someone's half-baked ploys come undone" Oberyn teased, making sure he was loud enough for Tyrion to hear.
Tyrion heard but said nothing.
[SHAE smiles]
"But she was a nobleman's daughter. You're not. When did you come to Westeros?"
"Ten years ago, Your Grace."
"From Lorathi commoner to the Red Keep in ten years, all without learning how to curtsy. I imagine that's a very interesting story. What's your name?"
"Shae, Your Grace."
"Tell us a story, Shae."
"When I was thirteen, I-"
[A door opens. LANCEL stumbles in past the guards.]
"What news?"
"The Imp has set the river afire. Hundreds of ships are burning, maybe more. Stannis' fleet was destroyed, but But But his troops have landed outside the city walls."
"Where is Joffrey?"
"On the battlements with Lord Tyrion."
"Bring him back inside at once."
"Oh, that utter fool!" Olenna snapped. "Does she intend to insult her own son?!"
"I believe she is drunk and thinking like a mother" Margaery whispered.
"She isn't thinking like a mother. She's thinking like an idiot! No mother would wish an insult on their son like that."
"Your Grace- The king's presence is good for morale."
"Bring him back to his chambers now."
"Not here?"
"With the women and children? Do you want him to be mocked as a coward for the rest of his life?"
"As if he wouldn't otherwise" Yara Greyjoy snorted in disgust. He hated women like that, soft and thick-headed who think too much of themselves.
[LANCEL exits. CERSEI sits, requesting more wine. She turns to SANSA]
[THE HARBOR SHORE]
[THE HOUND decimates his foes as the chaos of battle continues. Both sides take brutal casualties. A flaming man runs screaming towards THE HOUND, who is frozen by the horror of the sight.]
"It would seem the thing with his brother left more scars than just those on his face" Doran mused in amusement. He wasn't one to forget things easily, so he had been the only one to make that connection.
[An arrow takes down his assailant. THE HOUND looks up to see that he has BRONN to thank. BRONN quickly dispatches some more Baratheon men with his knife. THE HOUND is in a bit of a daze, overwhelmed by the fires, reliving his own trauma. He turns and re-enters the gates. Many of the Lannister forces follow.]
[STANNIS ON THE HARBOR SHORE]
"Get the ladders up!"
[His forces bring ladders to the wall. They set them, and STANNIS begins to climb, dodging rocks. He makes it to the top and engages with the Lannister forces atop the wall.]
"How did no one hit him there" Renly muttered under his breath.
[COURTYARD BEHIND THE HARBOR WALL]
"Faster, you bastards! Faster! Come on, kill the scum!"
[THE HOUND is still in a daze.]
"Someone bring me a drink."
[A soldier hands him a skin. He drinks and spits it out.]
"Fuck the water. Bring me wine."
[Another soldier gives him wine, and he drinks deeply. He shuffles through the courtyard, passing TYRION.]
"Can I get you some iced milk and a nice bowl of raspberries, too?"
"Eat shit, dwarf."
"You're on the wrong side of the wall."
"I lost half my men. The Blackwater's on fire."
"Dog, I command you to go back out there and fight!"
[THE HOUND looks down at JOFFREY]
"He looks like he'd going to hurt Joffrey" Tommen pointed out.
"Maybe he should" Myrcella whispered.
Tommen looked at his sister having heard what she said. He took her hand with both his hands and squeezed it.
Myrcella looked at her brother and smiled tightly, squeezing his hand back
"You're a Kingsguard, Clegane. You must beat them back or they're going to take this city. Your king's city."
"Fuck the Kingsguard. Fuck the city. Fuck the king."
"Good" Robb muttered darkly. Nobody should protect that bastard, no matter whether those who swore an oath to do so break them.
[THE HARBOR]
[More boats come ashore. The soldiers overturn the boat to use it as protection from the arrows. While the overturned boat makes slow progress, another group of men with a battering ram overtakes them and reaches the wall.]
"Forward ladders!"
[Another ladder is raised against the wall. The boat is placed over the ram. Meanwhile, men are crushed by thrown rocks.]
[BEHIND THE WALL]
[LANCEL runs to join the royal group.]
"Your Grace, the queen has sent me to bring you back to the Red Keep."
"If you won't defend your own city, why should they?" Tyrion questions
"What would you have me do?" Joffery asked
"Lead. Get down there and lead your people against the invaders who want to kill them." Tyrion said
"What did my mother say exactly? Did she have urgent business with me?" Joffery asks Lancel
"He's going to fucking desert!" Jaime muttered. The whole interaction of Cersei, Lancel and Joffrey was infuriating him. How could a King think about abandoning his people? How could a man leave in a war he's leading?!
For the first time in a long time, Jaime felt shame in Joffrey being his son.
"She did not say, Your Grace."
"Ser Boros, Ser Mandon, stay with my uncle and represent the king on the field of battle."
"That fucking coward" Robert growled, slamming his hand on the chair arm so hard that it cracked. He may not be his son, but he had a hand, no matter how small, in raising him. How could he have raised a coward?!
[JOFFREY and LANCEL exit. A bundle of stones is mismanaged at the top of the wall, and it comes crashing down.]
"Stand fast!"
"No! Get up, you fool."
"We need more arrows!"
"It's fucking chaos" Jaime grunted. No leader, men deserting, this was utter chaos and humiliation.
[The Lannister men gather in the courtyard, looking for direction.]
"Where is the king? Why isn't he with us?"
"Who are we fighting for?"
"Who leads us?"
"We may see turncloaks now" Tyrion chuckled dryly.