280 AC
Flea Bottom, King's Landing
His ears were ringing of those delicate words.
"Da, I'm scared..."
He sat in a dimly lit room. It was grimy, mucky, and black as night. Two others were here. His cousins. How did it come to this? He was sure that just three weeks past, life was the sweetest honey, the softest bread, and the juiciest meat. His Bess, his sweet... Gods, his blood throbbed, his chest heaving in and out. He tensed his fingers. The near spent water trying to rally one more charge to leave his bloodshot eyes.
The silence was broken by the uglier looking cousin.
"I canno' speak o' everybody 'ere, but I can speak o' me. 'Ave got no work. 'Ave got no wife. 'Ave got nothing. Hahaha... tha' gods piss on us, piss and piss till we ain't got nothing left."
His cousin had a really hoarse laugh, his face had a small scar peeking out of a mangled beard, his pale skin littered with spots and bumps. His smile showing rotting, black teeth.
"All cause o' tha' fucking Lady. Fellow ain't ya daughter gone all boiling down to her not giving a rat's ass in wanting to save Bess, Bess... Tha' light o' us all. She ought to have breath... Not us... not bloody us."
A crack was heard as the wall nearby was struck hard. Fellow felt his heart quicken in its beat. His throat getting tighter. Any mention of Bess. Any mention of her sweet name...
His knees buckled, he latched onto the nearest wall. His cousin spoke again.
"I say enough, fucking enough. O' all tha' people she saved. She didn't save me wife? Me daughter? Me cousin's daughter? Yet Smithy down the road 'as breath? Wha' is this fuckery? I was fine wit' gods deciding if we live or die, not her. I won' 'ave it. NO! SHE DIES BY SUNRISE!" His cousin roared in teary agony.
His other cousin, the one silent in the background, spoke now.
"Bess, Anna, Lila, should be 'ere. All o' em. I'm wit' ya Jace. Fellow, how 'bout it..."
They both turned to him. He couldn't bear to meet their gaze. How did this come about? Till he remembered that fateful day.
Two Weeks Prior
Fellow was walking Bess down the busiest road in all of Flea Bottom. The markets were up, the stalls were abuzz with haggling, cursing, and the occasional fight here and there. He was ruffling his sweet Bess's hair. She was only eight namedays. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, her smile radiant, and would melt the hardest of metal. She was his. Her mother dying to the chill when Bess was four namedays. She made Fellow swear a promise. "Through the muck, through the shit, always be there for her."
His goal was to find Bess flowers, the flower hag down the bottom of the road always sold them at good coin. The flowers would be made into a little crown. He never saw a crown, but he did hear about what it looked like by his father. His father was more learned than any other person he knew, always teaching him the fancy words the people near the Red Keep would say. He howled at that. The rich folks in King's Landing were uncanny people.
The crown of flowers, for his princess. He merrily went along until multiple loud screams broke the subdued voices of all those around him. The sea of people around him went into a panic. He gripped Bess tight and brought her up closer to his chest. Her little hands squeezing his in worry. His breath quicker, his eyes narrowing.
Gold Cloaks were coming in full force.
"DISPERSE, IN THE NAME OF KING AERYS, DISPERSE OR DIE!"
He was lost. They were only getting flowers, others food, and some medicine. Fellow didn't want to believe the rumors of King Aerys being mad, for what would it bring, only more worry? Now seeing the Gold Cloaks, his blood went cold.
He put his feet forward, wading through people, all clamoring to leave. The clusters got even tighter. He heard more screams, the sounds getting closer and closer till he saw one Gold Cloak, his eyes were red. His face full of disgust.
Fellow widened his eyes as he saw him raise his sword, but before he could turn in time, the sword pierced him through the shoulder, going clean through. Fellow let out a wail of agony. His eyes closed, only hearing the Gold Cloak who struck him being attacked by another group of people.
He struggled to open his eyes, but did so when he heard a faint, weak voice.
"Da... I... scared..."
No, no. Gods! NO! He saw blood spewing from her chest. Her eyes rolling back. His mind went dizzy.
He moved his feet, running with haste down to the only place he could think of.
"Bess, stay wit' me. STAY. PLEASE."
Fellow knew of only one healer that could save his Bess, the Lady Dallon. She would help. By the gods, she had to help.
Fellow didn't know how far he ran, but for every turn he made, he felt Bess's heartbeat grow slower. Her breath more faint. His own legs were burning, his shoulder slack with deep ache. His breath wheezing. His tears dropping with ease as rain in a storm.
He saw the inn, but his worst fears were realized by the amount of people outside. He would not have it. He would not let his Bess die in the cold, in the street.
"Bess, we nearly there. BESS!"
He felt her growing more and more lifeless. Her hold lighter, as if her touch was a feather. He couldn't stop. He had to reach Lady Dallon.
He pushed his way through the people, many couldn't stop him due to his size and height. He could see the door of the inn, but people were all stopped, none were going in. He didn't want to think of any other possibilities.
Two men were there. Fellow got to the front, holding Bess's bloodied body.
"I NEED... I NEED THE LADY... PLEASE ME GIRL, SHE'S DYING... PLEASE!"
The men then told him the Lady had been taken ill. She was not able to see anyone. Fellow felt his knees buckle. His blood growing cold. His eyes releasing a whirl of water.
He latched onto Bess, whose eyes were growing fainter. He wondered what he had done to deserve this? Why did the Seven deem it to punish him? Why are they taking her...
His gaze now on Bess, she was trying to speak, the words being caught under her uneven breathing.
"Da... I'm scared."
Her eyes rolled back. Her body went limp. Fellow never knew a pain more unimaginable. He wailed long and hard, for that was his only power, his one control in a world so devoid of it.
The Present
His memory was broken by the guards at the inn asking him a question.
"Wha' business you got at the inn?"
Jace stepped in to cover for them, the moonlight covering them all.
"Good drink, good food, also to pay our respects to tha' Lady!"
That final line from Jace, Fellow saw, made the guards smile a little bit wider. They didn't even bother to check them for any weapons. Jace was wide eyed at that.
"Rite, any trouble and ya fucks will be barred."
They opened up the inn. He saw white walls, washed floors, and a bright golden glow everywhere. Fellow was lost. Wasn't this supposed to be darker, more witch-like? For all these weeks, he imagined Lady Dallon to be more something of the nightmares his grandma used to tell him. He saw hearty folks, laughing and full of life. Just like his sweet Bess was.
He had asked himself over and over, when Jace came to him with the plan, if he could kill. He just... he just-
His mind was brought back to the present as he saw an elderly lady being led from the side of the counter where a cluster of people were all shouting and clapping.
The elderly lady was smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes not of someone bewitched. Fellow knew he had doubts. His brows were furrowed. It was for Bess. He was doing this for Bess.
He walked with Jace and Jax down to where the cluster of people were. It's where he saw her. He saw a woman with brown hair, freckles all over, young. Young. Like his Bess. His mind went into a swirl. The bandaged wound in his shoulder throbbing harder. His throat tighter.
Gods, what will his Bess think of him? He was going to murder a young woman all because she fell ill when his daughter was dying? Fellow's heartbeat drummed harder. How would she look upon him if he bled another? How would her pretty eyes fall upon him, knowing her father was a cold, callous murderer?
By the gods, no. He would not taint her image of him, for his love for her went beyond the rage of losing her.
The Lady was sat in a chair tending to people around a circle, to where she was in the middle. He looked at Jace as he was bringing the dagger hidden at his back. Jace was inches away from her. His heartbeat was clamoring louder and louder.
He moved as Jace lunged. Fellow let out a grunt. Jace wide eyed. Guards all rushed to grab him. Jax being caught as well. Fellow felt the dagger etch deep into his chest. He felt the tip brushing against his heart.
Fellow dropped into Lady Dallon's arms. He knew she could heal all, but he only wished to see his Bess.
"Don't heal me, milady... pleas..."
He saw her eyes getting wetter, as he could hear his Bess much more now, the darkness rushing to greet him accompanied by her sweet voice.