Chapter Text
Leslie was surprised to have fallen asleep in this state. He had curled up against the cold stone- buried his face in the crook of his elbow, with an arm wrapped around his shoulder. It was his way of coping, he supposed. The purest form of escapism one could attain without death. His dreams proved to be kind to him. (mostly…). He welcomed the soft fantasy of safety with open arms.
He was content with sleep- until he was rudely awoken by a key in the door. He wakes with a start, trying to quickly shake off sleep as he focuses on the figures in the door. His nearsightedness has always been a burden on him. Leslie squints slightly, moving as far forward as possible- meeting the threat with the same foolish confidence from the trial. Luckily- there was no threat at all.
Leslie looks over the shadow with as much intent as possible, slowly recognizing it more and more as the seconds tick past. The man in the doorway stood with his head held high- arms carefully placed behind his back. He had to have been some kind of lord- dressed in fine fabrics, drowning in shades of blue and grey. Despite his apparent riches- the person was heavily facially scarred- and possibly blind in one eye. There was a streak of pale white in his hair stemming from the scars- carefully slicked back. He was all sharp lines and cruel angles, gazing down at him with a look of indifference.
Leslie opened his mouth to speak- before a guard entered the room and began to unchain him from the wall. He lets out a small noise of confused protest- which the guard doesn't acknowledge. He leaves once the job is done, leaving Leslie alone in the cell once again.
Leslie watches the man in the doorway drop a good sized pouch of currency into the guard's hands- before he scurries away.
This was odd. This man before him was at the trial, but he wasn't a part of the royal court. He wore nothing that swore any allegiance to the Lannisters- he was just simply… there? Leslie remains on the floor, skeptical of the sudden act kindness- before Pheobe appears in the doorway beside the man. Leslie is on his feet in the blink of an eye, looking past the man- focusing only on his sister.
"Phoebe," he calls- voice wavering from the relief that overwhelms him. The raven haired man speaks up between them- before the moment can continue.
"I can appreciate a heartfelt reunion- but it feels awfully tedious, considering how short your period apart was." The man steps aside as Leslie leaves the cell- looking over his sibling with a careful eye.
"Are you alright?" Leslie asks, holding onto the woman's shoulders- less for her stability, more for his own. Pheobe offers him a small smile, nodding away his concern.
"Much better, now." She confesses, chuckling slightly in tandem with her brother. The two share a brief moment of silence- before Leslie turns toward the man in the doorway- as his expression shifts into one of cautious curiosity. Pheobe speaks up before he can start questioning him.
"He's going to save us," she states, glancing between the two.
"Saving isn't the term I would use in this situation… I'm just helping you escape." The man drawls- every word falling from his lips like a deep cherry wine. "I'm no savior." He continues.
Leslie half scoffs, keeping his walls up as he addresses the man. "We don't need saving anyway," he mutters- before pausing. "Who exactly are you?" Asking with a tilt of his head.
The man's eyes narrow- as a flicker of uncertainty passes over him. He remains quiet for a half second, considering his response before speaking. "Leonard Cadel," he replies- gaining a smug smirk. "And you are? I didn't quite catch your name at the trial, everyone was just too caught up in the rudeness of your outburst that they didn't quite care to give the jester a name."
Leslie grimaces at the poke of his ego, parting his lips to throw something rude back at Leni- before Phoebe shoves him with her shoulder, giving her sibling a look of irritated exhaustion. Leslie relents, taking a step back before speaking. "Leslie Jennkins." He mumbles, not maintaining eye contact as he introduces himself. "This is Phoebe."
"The thief, yes. I know." Leni muses, taking the woman's hand in his own- before pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
It was completely performative, painfully polite- and mostly done to see how much of a rise he could get out of the man standing between them. Leni gains a smile as he pulls away- watching Leslie simmer in his annoyance. "We should leave, before that man I paid tells half the kingsguard about his earnings." Leni concludes, turning on his heels- walking down a dim hallway. He doesn't look back at the two as he moves, leaving the siblings alone- before they attempt to catch up.
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He was already so tired.
Leni moves through the stone walls of the red keep with a silent determination that far surpasses his exhaustion. It seemed to be the only thing keeping him going. He takes a sharp right- before coming to an abrupt stop. The two behind him exchange small sounds of surprise- before Leni turns back and pushes past them.
"Where are you even taking us?" Leslie asks, dragging his heels as Leni struggles to pull old memories of the layout of these passages from memories of long past. The man sighs exasperatedly, before glancing over his shoulder.
"Out." He states curtly, continuing to whip around corners- tangling the three of them deep within the corridors.
"Right," Leslie retorts, giving Phoebe a sidelong look that expresses his doubt- before speaking once again. "Cause you look lost."
"I'm not-" Leni stops in his tracks, cutting himself off before quieting his voice. "I'm not lost." He replies with a sarcastic smile that drops when he turns yet another corner. Thankfully- he proves himself right, as they approach an arch that becomes exposed to the night air. Leni pauses, standing with his hands on his hips as the two following him come to stand at his side. Leni- with a satisfied smirk, observes the beachy landscape before them before stepping out into the sand. Leni can tell that the siblings become more trusting as he leads them out of the red keep. Still- doubt lingers in every step they take, as they follow the stranger through the outer edge of Kings Landing.
"Are you ever going to explain where we're supposed to end up?" Leslie chimes in through the peaceful silence, illiciting a small groan from their raven haired lead.
"I have friends in Winterfell, I think Pheobe would do well in the north." Leni replies, slowly moving them off of the beach- and into the back alleys. "And you-" he begins again, pausing as the three duck inside a tunnel. "The Nights Watch is always taking new recruits, it's the easiest way to slip away."
Leslie immediately lets out a shrill noise of denial- trying to keep himself from pulling too much attention toward their group as they enter the market center. "The Nights Watch? You've got to be joking, right? Why does she get to live a free life in the north, while I get stuck freezing my arse off at the wall?" Despite his attempts to keep his voice down- their prescense in the streets still stands out, gaining a few sideways glances from other commoners.
"Put your hoods up, try not to look so- suspicious." Leni mutters, glancing over at Phoebe- who's already had the idea.
"I'm not going to the fucking wall," Leslie huffs, pulling his hood up with a sullen frown as they continue to make their way toward the Kingsroad.
"Joffrey won't care about Phoebe past tonight. You- on the other hand, made him look like a fool. He'll want you, he'll send after you." Leni keeps his voice low, slowing his pace to speak to them both. "Pheobe is safer without you there."
Leslie seems to take this to heart, stopping in his tracks with a look of pained vulnerability. Leni and Pheobe still a few steps ahead of him- looking back silently. Leni didn't mean for the words to hurt him, he was simply stating the truth. If Leslie wanted to keep his sister safe- then he would need to leave her alone. This notion seemed to stir something inside him. Leni watches the young man wrestle with the impulse to say something rude- before turning his gaze downward and resuming toward their destination. Leni watches Leslie move ahead of them both, studying his tense shoulders in the dim light of the market streets. He only realizes Phoebe's eyes on him once he tears his gaze away from the man infront of him. Confused with his own onslaught of albeit-interesting thoughts, Leni follows along behind the ginger, walking side by side with Phoebe in the dark.
The party eventually makes their way out of the marketplace- and closer to the Lion's Gate. Surprisingly- their journey has been relatively silent after what was said earlier, leaving each member of the group alone in their thoughts. Leni has never been very good with people- especially when it comes to strangers. The odd ability to be comfortable with vulnerability around people you hardly know has never been one of his strengths. Hell, even with people he does know- every vulnerable act feels like a sacrifice. He avoids the discomfort. Now- being thrust into an uncomfortable situation thanks to no one but himself, Leni finds that he's without any idea of how to approach it.
"He's always been sensitive about when people try to challenge him." Phoebe mentions, pulling Leni out of his thoughts and back into the present.
"I wasn't trying to challenge him." He states defensively- avoiding eye contact. He keeps his gaze focused on Leslie's silhouette in the distance, shutting down the conversation.
Phoebe doesn't relent, continuing despite Leni's discomfort. "He's had to fight for every ounce of respect he's earned." She pauses, lowering her voice. "Hearing a stranger tell him that his presence is a problem- isn't the easiest thing to accept."
A beat.
"I didn't mean for it to come out that way."
Phoebe turns her head slightly, looking over the man's profile. "I know," she whispers- before silencing their encounter.
The group makes it into a small section of large houses- nestled in a far corner of Kings Landing that was much more secluded than the rest. Leni passes by one particular house- avoiding what lies within the building, as he moves to the stables that stand beside the homes. He walks up to a large mare- speaking to the animal in low tones. He smiles up at her, stroking her side for a moment before beginning to get her ready for travel- placing a saddle on her back, then moving on to the bridle.
"She's yours?" Leslie asks- looking over the animal with a soft expression that betrays his attempts at remaining nonchalant.
"Sort of." Leni replies, keeping a hand on the animals face- before taking the reins in his hands. "She's part of the family,"
"So she's not yours," Leslie scoffs, tilting his head slightly as he takes the opportunity to poke fun at the man. "Figures."
Leni gives him a look of unamused exhaustion, sighing deeply as he passes by him and back out into the cool night air.
As Leslie continues to ridicule Leni for his lack of ownership over the animal he was leading- Leni catches something out of the corner of his eye. Standing in the doorway of his home- was his father.
Leni and Kage didn't get along very well.
After his mother passed in his childhood, Kage never quite fell into a parental role. His disappointment in Leni was formed at birth. He came out of the womb defective.
He came out wrong.
Kage, knew Leni would never live up to his expectations. He wanted his sons to follow in his footsteps. He wanted sons to continue his family line- and to elongate his legacy as the summers pass by. To be become fighters like he once was. Leni wasn't what he wanted. Leni was a problem.
Leni tried to make up for what he lacked in physical strength- in cleverness. He threw himself into his studies, educating himself best he could, alone- for the most part.
Leni and Kage stare eachother down for a long moment- before Kage steps back inside their home, shutting the door. Leni swallows his unease, turning back toward the siblings.
The four make it out of the city by early morning, meeting up with one of the wandering crows- and their group of recruits. Leni observes the small gathering of outcasts with a sharp look- trying to wrestle with the feelings that arise with the idea of leaving Leslie with a bunch of actual criminals.
"Can I help you all?" Yoren asks, keeping his guard up as the unfamiliar faces approach.
Leni speaks before either of the siblings can- stepping forward. "I've brought you a new recruit," he replies with a smile- clasping his hands infront of him.
Yoren stands with a raised brow, skeptical of the rogues before him. He stands tall- inhaling sharply before speaking. "We're heading out of here pretty soon- I wasn't prepared to take any more recruits,"
Leni cuts him off before he can continue- with an overly enthusiastic chuckle. "The sooner you leave the better, my friend." The two pause for a moment- settling into a tense silence before Leni takes a step closer. "I'd be willing to part with a handsome sum, to extend my gratitude- if you take him."
Yoren keeps his look of guarded skepticism- before shaking his head and sighing. "I have no use for your money," he mutters, uncrossing his arms and looking past the raven haired man at the siblings behind him. "If you want him gone that bad- there's got to be a reason." He mutters- before glancing at Phoebe. "Though, I can't take the girl."
Leni nods, moving to Phoebe's side. "As I realize." He states, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's coming with me,"
Yoren remains unsure- but by Phoebe's look of tired acceptance, he decides that the man means her no harm. "In the wagon," he nods toward Leslie- creating a connection of eye contact. "I'd like to leave sooner than later."
Leslie doesn't move for a while, letting out a gruff sigh- and clenching his fists. He relaxes, opening his eyes and releasing his hands from their tightened state- before turning to Phoebe.
He looks younger than he's looked the entire time they've been together. Head bowed- in robes almost too large for his frame- standing forlorn and painfully guilty. For what- Leni couldn't grasp. Phoebe brings her brother into a hug- that he doesn't quite reciprocate. He keeps his arms at his sides- but leans in imperceptibly, resting his head on her shoulder. When she pulls away- they share a brief look, before Leslie glances to Leni. The soft vulnerability vanishes as quickly as it came- as Leslie's expression hardens into a sullen frown. He turns sharply- leaving Leni wordless, as he wanders off toward the wagon.
Leni watches him go- as he's been watching all day. Confusedly intrigued, and oddly breathless. He tucks the feelings away as Yoren clears his throat.
"Farewell, then." He states lowly, turning and following Leslie off toward his recruits. Leni blinks out of his trance- before nodding in return. Leni turns to Phoebe- keeping his eyes down as he brings one of his hands forward and into view. He's trembling, and it unnerves him. This was meant to be the easiest part- dropping Leslie off, leading him to safety. But Leni finds himself gaining a pit in his stomach.
He ignores it, looking up at Phoebe before hoisting himself up on his horse. He doesn't meet her eye as he extends a hand- aiding her onto the animal behind him. She takes it, pushing herself up- settling into the new position as they begin to move.
Leni tenses as the woman holds onto his waist- silencing his discomfort and clutching onto the reins as they ride back onto the kingsroad.
"Sorry," Phoebe states, trying to give the man as much distance as possible- as she struggles to stay on.
"Don't worry about it." Leni mutters in return, keeping his eyes forward as the sun begins to rise further into the sky. A gentle silence builds between them- before Leni whispers a question. "Do you think he'll be okay out there?"
A beat passes- before Phoebe half laughs. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?"
"You know him much better than I do- I just supposed you'd know."
Phoebe tries to make out the man's expression from his side profile- before exhaling deeply. "He's resilient," a pause, "and stubborn- and a troublemaker." She smiles fondly before concluding. "He'll be fine, he always is."
…
"Why do you care anyway?" She asks a while later, tilting her head slightly. "Why do all this?"
Leni's been asking himself the same questions since the trial. He knows nothing about either of the people he's going through all this trouble to save. But oddly enough- it felt right. As if this was fate, as if this was the path the gods had always had planned for him.
He wouldn't say it was love at first sight, because that was too weak a word for it.
No, this was something much greater.
"Call it bored curiosity." He finally answers, shrugging it off.
"It's a lot to go through for something as mundane as curiosity."
"You don't know how bored I can get."
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