But she still decided to follow Varys. After all, the commotion outside the window seemed to grow louder, and the faint cries of people could be heard. Sansa knew there wasn't much time left for her to hesitate.
If she stayed here, when Viserys's army besieged the city tomorrow, she and Jeyne Poole might be caught in the crossfire or used as a bargaining chip by Cersei. Following Varys, though the future was equally uncertain and full of unknowns, he at least knew of Arya's existence, which gave her a small reason to trust him.
She took a deep breath, glanced at the trembling Jeyne Poole beside her, and then looked into Varys's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts. Finally, as if making a firm decision, she nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go with you, but you must also guarantee Jeyne's safety."
The smile on Varys's face deepened as he said, "Of course, Miss Stark, I will ensure the safety of you both. However, time is of the essence; we must leave immediately. Put on these clothes and follow me. The secret passages of Red Keep are far more numerous than you imagine."
With that, he took out two sets of grey hooded tunics similar to the one he was wearing from the bundle he had brought. Sansa no longer hesitated and quickly donned one along with Jeyne Poole.
As she pulled Jeyne Poole along and followed Varys into the dark, damp secret passage behind the fireplace, she looked back at the room where she had lived for over a year—a place that had once been filled with her fear and helplessness.
Now, she was leaving, carrying a glimmer of hope for her future life. The secret passage was pitch black, with only the faint lamplight in Varys's hand illuminating the narrow path ahead.
After they entered, Varys turned and closed the opening behind them. The room fell into silence, as if no one had ever been there.
Sansa and Jeyne Poole followed closely behind Varys, not daring to make a sound, their hearts pounding violently in their chests. Sansa didn't know what awaited her ahead, but she knew that from the moment she stepped into this secret passage, her life might be reaching a brand-new turning point.
Early the next morning, Joffrey flew into a rage upon learning that Tyrion and Sansa had both vanished, vowing to personally cut off the dwarf's head.
By the time the sun had fully risen, Viserys mounted Ghidorah's back.
Outside the city, an army of eighty thousand had already finished arraying themselves. A vast, dark mass stretched from the Kings Gate to the distant hills. The Three-headed dragon banners snapped in the morning breeze, and the soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, looking up at the dragons ahead.
Rhaenys flew to Viserys's side atop Meleys, her purple eyes burning with the light of excitement.
Seeing that Rhaenys was also ready, Viserys steered Ghidorah into the air. Ten giant dragons followed closely behind, circling above King's Landing and letting out earth-shaking Dragon Roars.
Below, chaos erupted on the city walls. Guards who had already lost their morale threw down their weapons and fled upon seeing the dragons. The Gold Cloaks, still preparing to resist, tried to stop them, but they were too few to hold anyone back.
Just then, a massive explosion erupted from the direction of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, followed immediately by a spray of green flames that flooded several nearby streets.
This explosion served as a signal. The dragons in the sky, hearing the sound, began their diving attacks. Ghidorah took the lead, exhaling three breaths as Golden Rays accurately blasted the gates of King's Landing.
The sturdy oak city gates vanished instantly upon contact with the Golden Rays. Breaths of fire and ice swept directly toward the soldiers still on the walls; they had no time to react before being instantly consumed.
Following closely, Blackfyre, Meleys, and the other dragons joined the fray. Their Dragonfire erupted continuously, reaping the remaining resistance on the walls.
Some Dragonfire directly incinerated the city's catapults and ballistae, while others ignited stockpiled defensive supplies, turning entire sections of the wall into a sea of fire.
The guards on the walls completely collapsed, shoving one another as they tried to dodge the Dragonfire raining from the sky. Some even jumped straight off the walls just to get away from these legendary, terrifying creatures.
The moment the city gates were blasted open, the army of eighty thousand outside surged forward like a bursting flood, holding high the Three-headed dragon banners of House Targaryen as they charged toward King's Landing.
Shouting slogans that shook the heavens, they trampled over the corpses along the way and poured into the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Resistance within the city was sporadic and fragile; now, only a few Lannister guards were still putting up a desperate last stand at Red Keep.
But they faced the surging tide of the Targaryen army and the dragons circling in the sky; defeat was only a matter of time. However, the only good news for them was that Viserys did not order the dragons to attack Red Keep.
After all, Red Keep was a symbol whose construction began in the early days of the Targaryen dynasty. It was best to keep it intact. Moreover, he knew there were only about a thousand guards inside, hardly enough to cause any surprises.
Inside the Great Hall of Red Keep, Cersei heard the shouts of battle and the roars of dragons from outside. Her face remained expressionless, but her emerald-green eyes were filled with madness and despair.
Cersei was now alone in the hall. As for the little king, Joffrey, who had previously claimed he would personally cut off Viserys's head, he had long since fled.
Just moments ago, seeing the dragons in the sky flying toward Red Keep, he had been scared out of his wits and had hidden in the cellars of Red Keep along with Tommen and Myrcella.
While Cersei was gripped by fear, the doors to the council chamber were pushed open from the outside, and The Hound, Sandor Clegane, entered with several Lannister soldiers.
"Your Grace, we cannot hold," The Hound said loudly to Cersei, his face now filled with dread and terror. "We must flee immediately."
Cersei looked up, her green eyes staring fixedly at him as she spoke in a cold tone, "What did you say?"
"I said, run," The Hound repeated, his tone assertive. "Do you think you can still win? There are ten dragons out there and an army of eighty thousand. King's Landing is finished. Red Keep cannot be held."
Cersei's face contorted. She suddenly drew a dagger from her sleeve and lunged at The Hound. She felt furious; she hadn't expected this dog raised by the Lannisters to dare bare its teeth at its master.
But The Hound was prepared. He grabbed Cersei's wrist and twisted hard. Her dagger fell to the floor with a sharp clang.
"To hell with you, you madwoman." The Hound let go of her hand and, ignoring Cersei, turned to leave.
He was truly terrified today. First the wildfire, then the Dragonfire—it had completely triggered his deep-seated fear of flames. He didn't want to stay in this doomed city for a moment longer.
Cersei slumped onto the Iron Throne, watching The Hound and the few departing Lannister soldiers, her entire body trembling.
Looking at the empty hall and hearing the shouts of battle drawing closer outside, she suddenly began to laugh. The laughter was sharp and piercing, echoing through the cavernous hall.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn luffy1898