At dinner time I went down to the great hall with my heart pounding. What was I doing dining with the Hound? But I did like how he had been making fun of my courteous friends. He was there and true to his word, there was an empty seat next to him.
"Hello," I said timidly.
"So you did come," he greeted me.
"Did you doubt it?" I asked while I was sitting down next to him. "
I wasn't sure. Most girls find me rather scary and vicious."
"I'm not like most girls."
He nodded and drunk from his cup of wine. "What would you like to talk about then? The royal family? My heroic war deeds? The story how my face got burned? Or a story about whores?"
I laughed, it was so obviously a test and I enjoyed it. "Let's see. I am not interested in the royal family. And if I were, you were probably the last person I would go to. You just don't have the look of someone standing in corners talking to some washerwoman gossiping." He laughed at that. I continued smilingly: "I am also pretty sure that if I had picked that topic you would have chased me rabidly from your table."
He laughed again, "You have that right"
"So your second choice: the heroic deed you did in war. I have a theory about men and their war stories. The fancier their garments the greater their deeds and the longer their stories and the more boring to listen too. And that's absolutely independent of if they ever have been in a fight or not." Clegane grinned at that. "For example take Theon Greyjoy. He is what like 18 if it is a day and I am sure he has never seen a foe that meant him ill, but I bet his war story could last hours and his deeds would make him sound as great a warrior as Ser Barriston. So judging from the way you are dressed" (in plain brown garments) "I should be quite safe with your story. So that might be an option, if we can't find anything else to talk about." I turned seriously then and looked at him. "About your face." He tensed a little. "I once knew a boy who had similar scars." I looked down on the table. "Not on the face, but on his arm. My maester told me that scars like that mean someone got burnt when they were little kids and were still growing. He also said that these scars always mean that they were induced by force, otherwise you'd move away." I looked up at him again. He sat very still, watching me. "So I don't think that is a story you would share lightly and I think you should know me better before you decide to tell it to me."
Damn that girl. She just guessed half his secret. How dare she. It is his. He can't let her talk about it to anyone.
The Hound sat without moving a muscle, only the corner of his mouth on the burnt half twitched. I didn't know what he was thinking and for the first time I got a little afraid. I spoke again quickly "About the whores. Knowing nothing about them, I must admit I am rather curious about them. But that's a story that needs to wait until I know you better." I blushed a little at that.
He had to laugh at that, despite himself. She was interesting.
I was relieved to see him laugh again.
"You must be quite a hackle for your parents and your septa."
Now I had to laugh. "You got that quite right, they are pretty much despairing of me, ever since my latest suitor ran away from me. Some people just can't stand to hear the truth. So they sent me away to Kings Landing, hoping I will become a proper lady there or at least not to embarrass them to much or maybe just not to be there when I embarrass them."
"So you make men run away from you too," he laughed.
And we pretty much laughed through the rest of dinner. I had a great time. At the end he escorted me back to my chamber. We walked in silence a while until he said "About my face I don't want anyone to know what you guessed. You will not tell anyone, is that clear?" He ordered.
It was out of place, but I understood and I agreed, "I won't tell anyone, I promise." By then we were at my door. "I enjoyed myself a lot tonight. Thank you for that nice and fun dinner" I smiled at him.
Damn it, it was fun.
"Maybe we could dine again together tomorrow?" he rasped. He seemed almost shy.
"I would love that, Sandor" I said happily. "On second sight, I like your face," I smiled at him and went in my room.
He felt weird. He could still hear her words "On second sight I like your face" They warmed him and made him feel uneasy at the same time. Did she mean it truly? He couldn't believe it. But she had smiled and they had laughed a lot. She had looked at his face the whole evening. And she had said his name. He had never liked the sound of his name as much as when she had said it. "On second sight I like your face" He could still see her smiling face. Could she really like him? He was strangely excited about tomorrow.