personal6

Chapter 26

Schemes and plots

Sansa POV

The tourney was beginning, at last. It was the only thing I could not wait for anymore. Finally, I have a break from master Syrio. If only my uncle didn't force me to go to these lessons, even my father couldn't say anything when uncle spoke about it.

No matter how much I begged, my father wouldn't change his mind, and uncle Edmure wouldn't let it happen. Mother wasn't any help either. No matter how many times I wrote to her, she would tell me to listen to my uncle, as he knows better.

At least the sight of the Hand's tourney was better than any songs I heard. Beyond the city walls, there were hundreds of pavilions raised by the river. Thousands of smallfolk were gathered to watch the great games. Knights in shining gold and silver armor rode on beautiful horses. All this splendor took away my breath.

At the seats my father promised me, I could see everything. The seven knights all, but Ser Jaime, in snow-white armor and cloaks, took the field. Ser Gregor Clagane, the Mountain that Rides, thundered past them like a blizzard. Then Lord Yohn Royce showed, in his unique bronze armor with ancient runes engraved on it. Septa Mordane pointed out Lord Jason Mallister with his indigo and silver-colored armor, eagle wings stretching on his helm. The last knights that I knew were the warrior-priest Thoros of Myr. If father hadn't told me about him scaling the Pyke with his flaming sword, I wouldn't think of him as a great knight. And then there was Samwell Tarly. He rode slowly, uncertainly. He was the youngest of those who are participating today.

The Hound entered the list too, as the King's Brother, Renly. Jory, Harwin, and Alyn from Winterfell woo were here. Weirdly enough, no one from uncle Edmure's guards had entered. Now that I think about them, uncle's guards were weird, never speaking if not talked to first. There always would disappear somewhere and reappear from nowhere. They were like ghosts.

Samwell said that they came from the streets and were trained by uncle personally. That explanation didn't help me understand what kind of men they were, at all, but that was all Samwell would tell me.

The joust went all day and into dusk. Ser Jaime rode well, brutally unhorsing all his competitors, and only Ser Barriston Selmy had given him hard-fought victory. Too bad that Ser Andar Royce had to lose this quickly, as my father talked highly of Bronze Yohn's sons. Sandor Clegane and his immense brother, Ser Gregor the Mountain, seemed unstoppable as well, riding down one foe after the next in ferocious style.

In the second joust of the Mountain, a terrifying thing happened when ser Gregor's lance struck into a young Vale knight's neck. Jayne wept so hysterically that Septa Mordane finally took her off to regain her composure. I, on the other hand, watch it calmly. Words from master Syrio rang in my head, death is inevitable. Anyone can die. Even a seasoned knight on the battlefield can easily fall, as a young knight seeking glory in the tourney. In one moment, you can lose everything and become nothing.

Only Ser Loras Tyrell pushed those thoughts out of my mind when he rode against his third opponent. It was against Ser Robar. After splitting the shield of the younger brother of ser Andar, Ser Loras rode next to me.

"Sweet lady," He says, giving me a red rose. "No victory is half so beautiful as you."

Taking the flower, I stared at him dumbfoundingly. His hair was a mass of lazy brown curls, his eyes like liquid gold. I could get lost in those eyes for eternity. After Ser Loras rode off, I could smell the fragrance of the sweet rose. Only after that did I lift my head and saw, a man standing next to me. He was a short man with silver thread in his hair.

"You must be one of her daughters," I hear him say quietly. "You have a look of Tully,"

"I am Sansa Stark," I reply to him. "I have not had the honor, my lord."

"This is Lord Petyr Baelish, Sansa," It was my uncle's voice that responds. "He's of the King's small council."

"Ah, Ser Edmure," Petyr replies with a strained smile. "I was just about to introduce myself to your lovely niece. I have to say that she has her mother's hair."

Lord Petyr was reaching to touch my hair but stopped when uncle Edmure stared at him. Even I was scared of my uncle's look, and it wasn't even directed at me. He looked at Lord Petyr like a beast ready to tear him apart, but chains were holding him from doing so. It only took a moment for Lord Petyr to look at uncle's eyes for him to turn and walk away.

"I brought you some fruits you haven't eaten for all day. You should have some snacks," Uncle says, presenting a basket full of various fruits. "Looks like my squire has found his match for today."

After taking the basket, I looked back at the field. Samwell was facing Ser Jaime for his fourth joust. Samwell showed his skills well, unhorsing Lord Beric Dondarrion and wining hard-fought joust against Thoros of Myr. Now, after five broken lances, Samwell fell from his horse.

"It seems we have a new knight in Westeros," Uncle says.

By now, the moon had risen, and the crowd was tired. The King decreed that the last three matches would be fought the following day, before the melee. While the common people began their walk home, talking of the day's jousts and the matches to come on the morrow, the court moved to the riverside to begin the feast. Walking with septa Mordane and Jeyne, I saw Lord Petyr walking behind one of the tents. Thinking about apologizing about my uncle's behavior, I bid for septa and Jeyne to go without me, and I went to meet with Lord Petyr.

"It was as you have said, my lord. The dwarf was at the inn, even if it took a long time for him to get here. The eagle knight couldn't do anything but send a couple of his guards after him," After getting close, I heard a man talk.

"Good, here your gold, now go spread the word about it. Soon, the little fish will have no choice to get out of the city. He won't interfere in my plans any longer," I heard Lord Petyr say.

Not knowing what to do, I stayed hidden behind the tent. Then a hand grasped my mouth, and I screamed, but no sound came from me. The man holding me had big hands and stayed quiet too, letting me go only after Lord Petyr had left.

"You shouldn't be here, Lady Sansa," The man tells me. "Let's go. I will bring you back to the feast."

It was one of the quiet uncle's guards. He led me to the feast, where everyone was gathered. After seating me with Septa Mordane and Jeyne, he moved to my uncle and whispered in his ear. For the rest of the night, I could only think I heard something I shouldn't have.

Arya POV

The black cat looked back at me as I approached him. Even when I moved as quietly as possible, sticking to shadows of the walls, the cat still would see me coming. He hizzed at me and jumped down the stairs. I went after him. And so to outside we both ran.

There were many cats in the Red Keep. Uncle Edmure told me that they were there to hunt mice and rats. But I mostly saw old cats dozing by the sun and clean combed ladies' cats. Those were easy to catch. Just offer them a piece of meat, and they will come to you. The mousers were different. Even if they come to you for meat, they just snatch it away and then run. Those cats were very alert, looking at every shadow and sound.

Still, I managed to catch all of them, but this one. The black, one-eared cat that could see me coming from leagues away. This cat would hear me from another room. Still, I have a plan today, I will corner him, and he will be in my hands when he has no other way to go. I already have chased it through the castle several times, but it had nowhere to go this time. He looked at me with a mocking expression and then jumped through the window above him.

With frustration and anger flowing in me, I leaped after him. I ran and ran to find the black cat, but to no avail, as the more, I ran the darker it became. I could barely see my hands, and the black cat was gone in the darkness. As I was about to turn back, I realized I was alone in the dark, and there was no way back. The only thing I could do was to move forward, and so I did.

After walking through endless stairs and narrow hallways for ages, my eyes started to adjust to the dark. Huge empty eyes stared at me hungrily through the gloom, and dimly I saw the jagged shadows of long teeth. I just stood there and closed my eyes. When I open them, the monster will be gone. Sometimes your imagination can be scarier than an actual monster, so when you stand against one, look at it closely. You will find eyes that can be pierced. And when you see that it can bleed, you will know that it can be defeated. Uncle's voice rang in my mind, and I opened my eyes.

What stood in front of me was no monster but just bones. They were just heads of dragons, many of them. But they were all dead and gone. There was nothing to fear about them. After walking through the watchful empty eyes, I came to some kind of door. Opening it just to let me go past it, I went to the darkest room so far.

Calming myself, I started to feel a light wind touching my skin. I just needed to follow it, and I would find an exit. Before I could do that, I heard footsteps below me. Realizing that I stood at the top of the great well, I peered down and saw the light coming from there. The light illuminated two figures, two men.

"He knows too much," A voice, a familiar voice, says.

"He can't know everything. No one does," A second voice, with an accent of Free cities, replies.

"Maybe, but for how long will that be. I tell you that this fish doesn't fear the cat," The first voice remarks. "And now, after what his sister has done, the cat will go to his waters to hunt."

"Too soon. What good war is for us now? Delay," The second voice responds.

"Impossible, the fish doesn't care for cat's feelings. No, we have to do with what we have," The first voice says calmly.

"Perhaps so," the man with Essosi accent replies. "Nonetheless, we must have time. The princess is with a child. The Khal will not bestir himself until his son is born. You know how they are, these savages."

"I can't do anything with the fish. He's too cautious. My little birds can't get close to him. He knows of secrets beyond the castle walls," The first voice explains. "But I can make the Khan stir, and soon he will have no other choice but to move."

"Is it wise? We still are gathering forces," The Essosi man asks.

"This isn't a game of two anymore. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have gone beyond my reach, but I still hear whispers of them gathering men. Littlefinger, he's trying to get close to the Hand for whatever reason. But the most one who troubles me is the fish, and he's too dangerous. He has too many friends, too much influence, and if he isn't by our side, he will be our biggest obstacle." The first voice says.

"Can we have him on our side?" The second voice asks.

"It has a slight chance," The first voice answers. "It's better to get rid of him. Then the vipers under the sun might join us."

"The faceless men have refused to take on the job. Saying he already paid his price to their god," The Essosi man complains.

"Then we have no other choice but to send the sorrow men, even if they aren't as reliable, it's all we have," The first man responds, and then both of them start to move deeper into the darkness.

After waiting for a couple of minutes, trying to breathe as quietly as I could, I moved too. Through the dark corners and black halls, I found a way outside. Seeing one of my father's guards, I ran towards him, already forgetting what had happened.