Podrick Payne was practicing his swordplay on the grounds of Winterfell with Bronn of the Blackwater and Ser Jaime Lannister when he heard his name being called sharply from above. He looked up to see the Lady Sansa Stark of Winterfell glaring down at him.
"Yes, my lady?"
"What are you doing?"
Pod looked around to Bronn and Jaime, who he could see were trying not to laugh aloud at his predicament.
"I'm practicing, my lady"
"Well stop that and prepare my horse. You should have been told and ready by now. Brienne and I are going to the Gods wood and I require a squire to carry my things"
"My lady" Pod starts, "I'm not a squire anymore"
"Have you been anointed as a knight?" Sansa questioned him.
"No, my lady" Pod replied.
"Have you forsaken your wish to become a knight?"
"Of course not, my lady"
"Then it would appear that you are still a squire, Podrick"
Pod's face flushed as Sansa turned to leave, clearly triumphant.
"My lady," Jaime interjected quickly, "I have unofficially raised Podrick's status in the absence of an anointing ceremony on the steps of the now gone Sept of Baylor"
Sansa had turned to look when Ser Jaime began to talk, and she now looked between Jaime and Pod.
"Well, Ser Jaime, I was not aware you were given the power of kings to appoint knights. Very well Podrick, continue to play with your sticks. I will just have to find someone more suited to seeing to my needs"
With that parting statement, Lady Sansa turned and walked away, a smirk playing on her lips. When she was out of earshot Pod turned to Ser Jaime and hurled his practice sword at him. The older man ducked as the sword came flying toward his face while Bronn burst out laughing.
"Why would you do that?" Pod questioned Jaime's shocked face as he straightened from where he was crouched to avoid the flying sword, "Now she's never going to ask for me again"
"Oh ho," Bronn exclaimed, "Ser Podrick fancies the Lady Stark"
Podrick's already red face started to shift towards purple as he flushed even more, not looking up at the older men watching him.
"Nothing to say for yourself Pod?" Jaime asked, a broad smile stretching across his face.
"You've embarrassed the poor lad. Lannister" Bronn said. "Look at how red his face is turning" he was close to collapsing from how hard he was trying to hold in his laughter.
"Oh, Pod" Jaime said, "I'll go and explain to the Lady Sansa that you're not really a knight"
"No!" Pod exclaimed, "You two have done enough damage. Now if you will be so kind as to excuse me, I have to go and ready Lady Sansa's horse" Podrick walked away before either man could respond.
"Well," Jaime said, turning to Bronn, "we have to go and see how this turns out"
"Right" Bronn replied. "Just what I was thinking, my lord"
As they walked towards the stable, the two men saw Podrick talking hurriedly to a second young man, gesturing with his hands and, finally, smiling in triumph when the other man backed away from what had to be Lady Stark's horse and went back into the stable. As they stood back, waiting, Lady Brienne came to the stables and took hold of her horse and mounted.
"I heard you weren't coming, Pod" she said, looking down at him.
"I never said that, my lady"
Lady Brienne looked down at Podrick in confusion, about to ask a question, when Lady Sansa came down from above, donning gloves as she walked, talking to her sister. When she caught sight of Podrick holding her horse, her steps faltering.
"I thought you were too good for us Podrick" she said, resuming her walk towards them.
"Never, my lady" Pod responded, holding out his hand to help her mount her horse. "I only meant that my becoming a knight means that I can ride as well, instead of walking along and will be better able to carry your things, my lady"
As he was saying this, he gestured towards that stables where the groom he was talking to just moments before was leading another horse towards them, saddled and ready to go. Sansa looked oddly bemused at his words before fixing her face back to her usual emotionless façade.
"Very well, Podrick. I can't think of why I should care whether you walk or ride. Let us just go, you've wasted enough time as it is"
"As you say, my lady" Pod responded, smiling, as they spurred their horses into a trot and left the courtyard.
"Well," Bronn spoke up as he and Jaime watched them ride off, "we must do something about that"
"You think?" Jaime questioned.
"Oh, yes" Bronn responded. "After all, what else would you have to boy be doing as the world ends"
"Well," Jaime laughed, "when you put it like that…"