The man's pale face under his steel cap was covered in dark stubble. He wore mail and a half cape instead of his usual fine silks, and he reeked of sweat and wine instead of lilacs, but it was him.

"Lord Varys!"

"Lady Sansa." The eunuch's unctuous voice was unmistakably his. It made her skin crawl. "I'm pleased you could make it. Please pardon the circumstances. I wish we could have met elsewhere, but there are too many prying eyes above ground." He gave the Commander of the City Watch a discrete nod. "Ser Jacelyn."

The old knight made a half-bow. "My lady, I'll wait for you by the stairs. You have my word, no harm will come to you."

Suddenly, all Sansa wanted was for him to remain. "Please, won't you stay with us, Ser?"

But he shook his head. "You are safe, I promise. I'll wait for you by the stairs." He turned around. The last thing she saw of him was his long gold cloak disappearing into the darkness.

She couldn't say where she found the courage to look the Spider in the eye. "What is it you want, Lord Varys?" Only once the words were out did she realize how unkind they must have sounded.

But the eunuch did not seem to care. "What I want? Only to sit the rightful king on the Iron Throne and to see the realm in peace, my lady."

More kings, Sansa thought, suddenly feeling tired. There's always one more king somewhere. "Joffrey is the only rightful King." The sentence had passed her lips so many times, it came almost naturally. "Anyone who claims otherwise is a traitor like my father."

Varys shook his head. "The rightful king was passed over a long time ago for nothing more than his name and the sins of his father, Lady Sansa. It falls on me to seat his heir on the throne and finally restore the realm to balance. We will need the North if we are to succeed, and you are the key to the North."

She was so tired of people wanting to use her to gain control of the North. What good am I to them? Why can't they just leave me be? Robb is King in the North.

"Come with me, Lady Sansa," Varys held out his hand. "I have an offer I want to make you. A gift. A token of my good will. But first, I must ask you to close your eyes. There are things down here you would not want to see."

Reluctantly, she closed her eyes. Varys's hand was clammy. The ground beneath her feet was uneven, making her stumble as the eunuch guided her through the maze of tunnels. She couldn't say how many times they turned and changed directions. He could just abandon me here. Nobody would ever find me.

At last, Varys squeezed her hand. "Open your eyes." They were on a long corridor, doors to both sides. He handed her the torch. "After you," he whispered before pushing her into a cell.

It was only once she was inside that she realized he did not follow her. For a moment, Sansa was paralyzed with fear. She half expected the door to lock behind her, to be grabbed, gagged and dragged away, but nothing happened.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she could make out more and more details. There was a table in the middle of the room – no, a rack. Hung in a neat row on the wall were countless instruments intended to inflict pain, one more terrifying than the next. But they were old and rusty. Nobody had used them in a long time.

At first, she did not recognize the figure huddled in the corner, but then, her heart started beating fast in her chest. Tyrek, Tyrek my love, my sweet, handsome lion, you're alive! He was barely able to sit, chained to the wall, his wrists and ankles shackled in front of him, his thick golden curls matted to his head. He looked tired, starved, frightened.

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. In the Red Keep, she had only ever seen him from a distance. She knew his routine, watched him as he saddled the horses, fooled around with the other squires, bantered with the maidservants... He always seemed so carefree.

"Tyrek!" She rushed to his side and bent down to remove his gag, her hand lingering on his jaw a little longer than necessary.

At first, he did not seem to know who she was, but then recognition flashed in his eyes. "Lady Sansa. Run and get help before they are back." His voice was hoarse, barely audible. "Help me get out of here."

Sansa caressed his cheek. "Shh! All will be well, my love! I'm with you now." It felt good to touch his soft skin, to comfort him, to wipe away his tears.

But Tyrek could not be calmed. "Hurry, please! They'll be back soon. If they find you here-" His face became a mask of fear as Varys stepped into the room.

Sansa glared at him. "What did you do to him? What did you do to my Tyrek?"

"We questioned him about Robert's death." The eunuch said with a shrug. "And a few other matters. This does not give me any pleasure, if that's what you're asking. But there were things we had to know, things we do know now. It is up to you to decide what will happen to him. He is yours to keep or to return to the castle. It makes no difference to me."

He's trying to trick me, Sansa knew. If I were to return Tyrek, he would have to flee the city or be killed by the Lannisters. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. He's toying with me. He'll kill us both or keep us down here forever. She did not know which was worse.

"Why?" She asked the Spider. "Why show him to me? If I were to tell anyone it was you who took-"

"Oh, gods, you're with him. I should have known!"

Sansa twirled around. No, no, I'm not! "I'm not with him! Please! I'm not with him!"

Despair mixed with hatred in Tyrek's eyes. "Everybody is with him down here. I should have known, I should have known."

Sansa wanted to reach out to him, reassure him, but Varys took her hand. "Why, you ask? Why do I trust you with this secret? Because I know you, Sansa. I have my little birds, but I also have eyes."

"You're with him..." Tyrek kept mumbling. "Everybody is with him..."

"I'm not!" Sansa said firmly. She took his hand, caressing his palm and tracing the delicate bones on the back of his hand before squeezing it. I'm not, I'm not.

"You're with him..."

I'm not, I'm not, I'm not with Varys! The crunching sound startled her, jarring her from her thoughts.

Tyrek was howling in pain, staring at his hand. "Why did you do that? Isn't it enough to keep me here? Why? Why?! You're mad!" His pouty lips twisted in pain and anger.

Sansa's heart started pounding. He's Joffrey's kin. Even if Varys lets me leave, the king will have my head for harming his blood. "I didn't mean it, it was an accident!" She heard herself say. "I'll take you back! I will, I promise! Please, you have to believe me!"

But Tyrek did not even seem to hear her. "You're mad! You're all mad! They'll find me, they will, they'll find me! You'll be sorry you did this! My uncle will have you killed for this!"

"It was an accident!" Sansa repeated, even though she knew he would never believe her. Was it an accident? Was it? Panic washed over her. She turned to Varys. "Take me out of here. Please."

"What of Tyrek?"

She gazed at the chained squire. His eyes were full of hatred. Hatred for her. Varys won't let him live, she thought. I could pretend he is Joffrey. But she loved him too much. "Just... just give him a room with a proper bed... somewhere clean... I... I'll decide later."

The eunuch smiled. "As you wish, my lady."