AFTER HOURS UPON HOURS of talking with the stupidest Lords in Westeros, Lilith swore her brain had begun to turn to mush. One after the other, they proclaimed their great achievements to her and her father; the best swordsman of their House, the most skilled archer, the strongest, the wisest. The list went on and on. Her brothers chuckled at every proclamation from her side.

But as they poured out their 'hearts' to Lilith, she could see the truth in their eyes. All they wanted was her beauty and her body to produce an heir. There was no substance to the men before her.

She grew tired and rested her cheek on her hand, shutting her eyes as they ushered in the last of the suitors. The heavy doors of the throne room opened and she expected another pompous, frivolous Lord to step through.

In walked Queen Cersei holding Prince Joffery in her arms, with a man Lilith had heard tales about; her brother, Lord Tyrion Lannister. Behind them both was Sandor, Hound helmet covering his face. Lilith didn't know where to look. Sandor's eyes bored into her, but even at his small stature, Lord Tyrion's presence was large.

From beside her, Mace Tyrell stood and urged her to do so as well. He bowed and she curtsied. "My Queen, my Lord," They said together.

"Lady Lilith," Queen Cersei curtsied back. "May I introduce to you my youngest...brother." The tone of resentment in her voice when referring to Tyrion as her brother was hard to miss.

Tyrion stepped forward and bowed. "My Lady, the stories do you no justice. You are even more beautiful than a Highgarden rose."

Lilith put on her best smile. "Thank you, Lord Tyrion. It is an honour to meet someone as...infamous as you."

The Imp smirked, taking her comment in stride. "Thank you, my Lady. May I approach?"

Lilith's eyes widened ever so slightly. He was the first out of twenty Lords to ask. She nodded. "Of course,"

As he approached, Lilith's gaze drifted up toward Sandor and from under his helm, their eyes connected.

His gaze was so intense, she had to look away. Her face was bright pink when Tyrion reached her. "My Lady," He bowed.

She responded. "My Lord."

"Have you been treated well since your arrival yesterday?" He asked kindly.

"Yes..." She answered hesitantly. Tyrion was being kind, the opposite of the stories Lilith had heard about the youngest Lannister. It was off-putting. "But I had expected a bit of leeway before...this." Her hands gestured to the ginormous hall and Tyrion himself.

He chuckled and Lilith noted how high-pitched and childish it sounded compared to Sandor's baritone. "If it is any consolation, this meeting was quite unexpected myself."

"Lord Tyrion," Mace Tyrell's voice interrupted. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"

At his accusation, Queen Cersei began to approach, along with Sandor, who trailed behind her. Lilith did her best to avoid his gaze and the knot in her stomach. "Lord Tyrell," Cersei's voice was soft, but it held an undertone of warning. "Tyrion was sent here on the behest of our father. He believes a marriage would benefit our Houses."

Lilith stared at Tyrion. Marriage? To the laughing stock of House Lannister? She looked at her father and to her horror, he was nodding in genuine consideration. "Father...no." She whispered hurriedly.

Mace Tyrell barely spared her a glance. "Tywin is a smart man, I'll give him that..." He nodded some more, deliberating in his head. "But...I do not want to be so hasty. Your husband has permitted us to stay for a considerable time."

"Yes..." Cersei's mouth was tight. She clearly did not like his answer. "It is wise to think on these sorts of matters. Lilith," She turned her head to the eldest Tyrell, who looked back at her with nervous eyes. "Why don't you allow my brother to accompany you on a walk around the gardens?"

Lilith swollwed hard. She looked at her father, then her brothers, and then Sandor, before her gaze fell to Tyrion. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, regaining her composure. With a soft smile, she reopened them and nodded. "Of course. I would be honoured."

She stood shakily, doing her best to look refined and regal as she walked down to Tyrion. She could hear her father instruct her brothers to follow. Once she reached Tyrion, Lilith curtsied and the two began to walk.

Sandor's eyes burned into her as she passed, watching until she had gone from his sight.

  THE GARDENS OF THE Red Keep seemed to be the only truly beautiful place within the palace grounds. It would be even more so, if not for the presence of Lord Tyrion. He rambled on and on about the history books he drowned himself in, almost as much as he drowned himself in wine.

"Do you enjoy our Realm's history, my lady?" Tyrion asked with a quizzical brow, hands held behind his back.

Thin-lipped, Lilith nodded. "I do, my lord. I'm quite fond of the First Men."

"Ah..." Tyrion nodded, clearly pleased by her answer. "A fine choice. I'm partial to dragons, myself."

Lilith fell silent as he began to explain the history of dragons. Balerion the Black Dread, Vhagar, Caraxes, Sunfyre -- the list was long and full of fire and blood. She had read it all. She knew everything there was about the Targaryen dragons and the noble House. But if Lilith's grandmother taught her anything, it was to never interrupt a man and to speak only when spoken to.

And so she did. For an hour, she entertained Lord Tyrion's ramblings. She had lost count of how many times they had looped around the Gardens. And just as her feet had begun to ache, Tyrion stopped them before a pergola. "Shall we sit?" He suggested.

"Yes," Lilith nodded, slightly embarrassed by how desperate she sounded.

The table in the middle of the pergola was half the size of a dining table and held only six chairs. The pergola itself was draped in hanging vines of leaves and flowers and overlooked the coast of King's Landing.

Garlan pulled out a chair for her and she whispered a small thank you.

Tyrion sat in the chair across from her and raised a brow toward her brothers. "Please, sit, my Lords."

They bowed quietly to him and sat in the seats closest to Lilith so that she was in between them both.

"As much as I've enjoyed our chat, my Lady," Lord Tyrion began. "I must address why we are here."

Lilith pursed her lips and nodded. "Of course, my Lord."

"Right...straight to it..." He mumbled. Lilith caught the look on his face before he started speaking and she could have sworn it was the same as hers -- dread. "If you were my wife, you would be treated fairly. I would ask nothing of you..except to bare an heir."

Lilith nodded. "That is the way of things..."

"But, I could not ask you to stay at Casterly Rock," Tyrion said and Lilith tilted her head in confusion. He continued. "A rose such as yourself would wilt at the Rock. You should be in Highgarden, where you'll bloom."

Warmth pooled in Lilith's chest. "Lord Tyrion...that is a generous offer and a great kindness."

Tyrion smiled softly and nodded, but Willas leaned forward skeptically. "Too generous for you, Lannister. What are your intentions?"

Lilith's eyes snapped to her brother who glared harshly at Tyrion. The small man's eyes narrowed in return. "What are you implying, my Lord?"

Willas scoffed sharply. "As if you need to be told. You have a reputation, Imp. Your intentions with my sister cannot be as pure as you say them to be."

"Willas..." Lilith placed a hand on her brother's forearm, forcing him to look at her. "I can fight my own battles."

He bowed his head to her in understanding. Lilith returned her gaze to Lord Tyrion. "I cannot deny my brother is correct in his accusations, my Lord. The question was on my mind as well. I know your father has put you up to this, as has mine."

Tyrion sniffed. "We Lannisters are nothing if not prideful."

"Answer the question, Imp!" Garlan interjected. Lilith was quick to place her arm across his chest as he leaned forward. She feared he would leap across the table at Lord Tyrion.

"Yes...this was a suggestion of my father," Tyrion sighed. "But there is no malintent. What I offered is the truth."

The tension between the four of them was so thick, Lilith felt as though she might drown in it. She had put up with Lord Tyrion's antics for long enough. Slowly, she stood, fluffing out her Tyrell Green dress as she did so. "It has been a pleasure, my Lord, but I must take my leave. Your offer will be...considered."

Her brothers and Tyrion joined her in standing. Tyrion bowed. "Your time with me was greatly appreciated, my Lady," He made his way around the table, eyeing her brothers nervously as he did so. Lilith offered the back of her hand, which he kissed softly.

She curtsied. "Good day, Lord Tyrion."

She shifted around him, dress hitting him as she did so, and she and her brothers left the palace gardens with a bad taste in their mouths.

  LILITH DID NOT EAT much that night. It was not food she hungered for, but freedom — freedom from the cage that was King's Landing and the Red Keep.

Hours were spent tossing and turning in her bed. No matter what, comfort seemed to elude her. She did not know what hour of the night it was when she had given up, removing the layers of blankets, making her way across her room, grabbing her emerald green shawl and sliding on her flats to make her way outside.

"Fresh air does wonders to a troubled mind," Her mother used to say when a young Lilith would have difficulties falling asleep.

She descended the stairs swiftly and quietly until she had exited into the courtyard. She paused and took a deep breath in, savouring the cool night air. Sharp wind cut at her cheeks, but the pain was welcomed. It meant Lilith could feel something other than numbness fueled by anger.

The palace grounds were empty at such a late hour. Instead of feeling the uneasiness she had felt the other day, it brought peace and calmness. Maybe the night air did something to her brain.

She began to walk, wandering aimlessly, allowing her feet to take her wherever they desired. She passed maid quarters and butler pantries, buildings which she knew not, and the stables. Unlike her first morning, she was not compelled to enter, in addition to not wanting to disturb the sleeping animals.

Instead, she turned right and headed downwards toward the Godswood. Her brothers had visited it, but Lilith had not yet had the pleasure. Perhaps praying to the Gods would help her condition.

She wandered into the acre filled with elm, alder, and black cottonwood trees. She allowed her fingers to brush the bark and low-hanging leaves as she strolled, trying to calm her sweltering anger.

Her father had to see reason. Yes, the Lannisters would make for powerful allies, but the shame of marrying his eldest daughter and firstborn to Lord Tyrion would be too great a risk. The man had a reputation and if her grandmother were here, she would never even consider marriage. The insult was an atrocious jab at House Tyrell.

Though Lord Tyrion made for interesting conversation, it was all he was good for. He would never be heir to Casterly Rock, not if Tywin Lannister had anything to say about it. There would be no benefit in marriage.

With her hands balled into fists, Lilith glanced around, eyes catching the great oak that lay in the centre of the Godswood. Smokeberry vines wrapped around its trunk and below it grew red Dragon's Breath. The face that had been carved into it centuries ago seemed to stare at her, beckoning her to its branches.

Lilith did not fight the lure, allowing her wandering feet to move her to the tree's base. She stopped just half a meter before it, her hazel eyes staring into its own. Its eyes had seen the reign of Aegon the Conquerer and had witnessed the Dance of the Dragons, and now Lilith stood before it and she too was part of its history.

In her head, she prayed to it and the Gods, prayed that she would not marry for her family's convenience or at all, for that matter. That she would get to live her life as she wanted to, not dictated but anyone else but herself.

It was a foolish prayer of a foolish woman who wished to be a child once again. A single tear rolled down Lilith's cheek. She clutched her hands together and prayed harder.

A twig snapped very close to her. Lilith whipped around. Her hand balled into a hard fist and she swung. Her knuckles made contact with a hard surface covered in skin, which was followed by a loud roar of pain.

Her eyes focused and she saw Sandor, hand cupping the cheek that which she punched. Apologies began flooding from her mouth.

When he grew tired of her ramblings, he place his hand out and shook his head. Lilith noticed how his hair fell in front of his right eye. He looked at her through it. "It was my fault. Shouldn't have snuck up on ya like that."

"But I hit you!" Lilith said as if she had stabbed him in the gut, instead of a punch to the face.

Softly, Sandor laughed. "Barely felt it."

All feelings of guilt were suddenly ripped from her. "Are you saying I'm weak?"

With her face scrunched in anger and her arms crossed across her chest, Sandor couldn't help but find her...adorable. It was clear she was trying to intimidate him. He smirked. "I didn't say that...but it wasn't a very good show of your strength."

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Well, if I had a sword, you'd been in pieces by now."

This time Sandor laughed loudly. His smile seemed to be a rare sight, but it was infectious -- Lilith couldn't help smiling and laughing along.

The laughing reverberated throughout the Godswood, with no one to hear them but the trees. But it died down, and as they caught their breaths, eyes locked. Sandor's face flushed as he stared at her bright eyes and breathless smile -- a smile directed at him. But he shook his head, something coming over him, a realization of sorts. "You should not be out here alone, my Lady." 

With a huff, Lilith rolled her eyes, arms crossing over her chest. He had ruined the moment. "I do not need you to tell me where I should and should not be." She turned her back to him, returning her gaze to the Great Oak.

From behind her, Sandor sighed. A few moments of silence followed before he spoke. "Why are you out here?" The ground crunched beneath his heavy feet as he took a step toward her.

Lilith remained still, not turning to look at him. "Couldn't sleep."

A small huff came from his lips. "Me as well."

She just barely glanced over her shoulder. "Why?"

Sandor fell silent. Lilith rolled her eyes once again and stared into the eyes of the oak. "I can tell you why I'm here," She said quietly. "Because I hate King's Landing. I hate the Lords and Ladies who stare at me, I hate that I will be forced to marry. It keeps me up at night," She turned in her frustration, to look at Sandor. She didn't know why she was telling him. Maybe because no one else would listen. "I want to be free." Admitting it out loud felt...good.

He stared at her with quizzical eyes, then paused before speaking. "Come with me."

Lilith raised a brow. "Excuse me?" 

Sandor rolled his eyes as she had before. "Do you want to be free?" 

Lilith nodded.

"Then come...with...me." 

Lilith stared. What was there to lose? Maybe he could get her out of the suffocating palace. "Where will we go?"

Sandor smirked and shook his head, and slowly, his hand reached out toward her. A gesture of trust. 

Did she trust him? Her eyes flickered from his face to his hand. Fuck it, she thought. Twenty years seems like a life well lived.

 She took it and they paused. His hand was rough and calloused in contrast to her soft and smooth one. Their eyes locked. The touch seemed to unlock something within them both. Sandor quickly shook his head, snapping them both out of the moment, and he began to lead her out of the Godswood.

"BE QUIET," HE TOLD her as they snuck around the palace grounds. She nodded seriously in response as her heart beat with excitement. Hiding in the shadows as they passed unsuspecting Kingsgaurd was almost more thrilling than riding on horseback -- especially with his hand on hers. 

The Red Keep held secret passageways unbeknownst so most, but not Sandor. He skillfully slipped them through the palace grounds and out into the streets of Kings Landing. 

"Where are you taking me?" She asked as they began the slow descent into the heart of the city. 

Sandor smirked. "You said you wanted to be free. I'm giving that to you for a night." 

"Why?" Lilith stopped their feet and gazed up at him in disbelief. 

He nearly melted beneath her gaze. "Because..." He sighed. "I was once like you, trapped by my noble house." 

She could tell those words were hard for him to say. Lilith gave him a sad smile and slowly placed a hand on his chest. Sandor froze.

"Thank you, Sandor, for telling me that," She told him honestly. "I will take it to my grave." 

Once again they stood frozen, staring into each others eyes and just as Lilith's chest began to lean to his, his hand softly took her wrist. The touch was so gentle it was shocking. It snapped her from the daze he had put her in. 

"We should keep moving," He told her. 

Slowly, Lilith nodded in agreement and they kept walking, this time without the touch of her hand in his. 

Kings Landing was quiet the closer the homes were to the Red Keep because of the Lords and Ladies that inhabited them, but in the distance, a swelling flicker of light and the sound of music and laughter indicated the nightlife of the city. 

As they approached the first large group of common folk, Sandor took Lilith's arm silently, pulling her to his side, telling her to stay close. She did so as men leered at her and she pulled her shawl up towards her face.

And though she was clearly nervous, Sandor did not stop. He brought her into a lively square, filled with lanterns that glowed gold and lit up the stalls of food and the stage where a band played. As they came to its centre, Lilith felt his arm slip from hers. Nervously, she found his eyes, which were full of mischief. 

"I'll be back," He yelled over the chatter and noise and before she could even call out from him, he disappeared into the sea of people. 

Lilith was left there, completely out of her element. Yes, she had been to common villages before but Kings Landing was entirely different. The city oozed with life. Her arms wrapped around her torso as she searched for Sandor among the crowd. A man so big had to be easy to spot. Yet, she couldn't.

No matter how hard she strained her eyes, Sandor was nowhere to be found. Was this his plan all along? She thought. To leave me stranded?

It was a cruel thought, but as the crowd of common folk became tighter and rowdier, she couldn't help it. Shoulders bumped her left and right with no apology and Lilith swore she would be trampled to death.

Her vision blurred and her breath quickened as the crowd grew larger and larger, boxing Lilith in until her back slammed against a hard chest. She shrieked and just above the noise she could hear a barking laugh. 

Sandor. 

Her eyes narrowed. She whipped around, ready to scold him, but his laughing face stopped her. It was so bright and cheerful, the complete opposite of his demeanour in the palace. She also noticed in his hands held two sticks of roasted vegetables and meat. 

She blinked and shook her head. "Was that amusing for you?" 

His hand reached for her shoulder and he began to move them out of the crowd. "A bit..." He smirked once they had reached the bricked side of a building. He stretched out a hand with the kebab, offering it to her.

Lilith scowled at him, eyes flickering between him and the food whose smell made her mouth water. "Don't do it again." She told him plainly and strictly before snatching the stick. He held his free hand up defensively and nodded in understanding. 

From the wall they silently watched the street party, eating their kebabs. Lilith tried her best to keep her enjoyment of the food silent as she devoured it. It was so simple yet more delicious than any concoction a rich chef could make. A moan managed to slip past her lips and with an amused brow, Sandor watched her. 

"Enjoying that?" He asked. 

Lilith wanted to smack the smugness out of his mouth, but she nodded. "I've never had anything like it." 

A mix of a scoff and a laugh left Sandor's lips. "Chefs in Highgarden can't cook meat?"

Lilith shrugged. "Not like this."

They fell silent once more and this time, Lilith paid attention to the music being played. It wasn't what she would call good, but the rawness and imperfection gave it a different quality and she couldn't help but tap her foot along to the upbeat song. 

Once she had finished her food, Sandor took the stick and tossed it and his to the floor. 

"Do you dance?" She asked him, prying her eyes away from the joyful crowd. 

Sandor was taken aback. "Do I look like I dance?" 

Lilith chuckled and shook her head. "No. But neither can they." She pointed to the common folk who did not dance with grace or rhythm, they were just simply enjoying the music. 

Sandor stayed silent and did not protest as Lilith took both of his hands in hers and smiled. She remained near the wall, not wanting to be crushed once more, as she began to softly move their arms in time with the music. Sandor was stiff and the pained expression on his face caused her to laugh. "Loosen up. No one will see you." 

He rolled his eyes and remained stiff. With a shrug, Lilith danced freely, following what the common folk did, unchoreographed. She made Sandor spin her as she danced around him, never letting go of his hands. She saw a ghost of a smile on his face, one she knew he thought she couldn't see. 

Her nightgown and shawl flowed behind her and her hair danced as wildly as her. If this wasn't freedom, Lilith didn't know what was. 

The song ended and the crowd cheered for an encore, but Lilith stopped, out of breath. Huffing and chest rapidly heaving, she smiled widely at Sandor. To her surprise, he was smiling back, though not as wide. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline, or her lack of sleep -- she wasn't sure -- that made her pull him down to her lips.

AUTHORS NOTE

Sandor to Lilith LMAO:

YALL this chapter is my favourite so far like come ON. The dramaaaaaa, the tensionnnnnn. What's not to love? 

This took me a while to get out cause of some final projects so I hope I did disappoint!!