Chapter 4
Her kingly brother arrives back from his latest battle with a young bride by his side.
Catelyn Stark's lips are tight and her expression grim though she welcomes the girl graciously all the same.
Even Sandor, who has never taken much of an interest in politics, knows that the boy was promised to a Frey. Knows that this weakness might end up costing Robb Stark his war.
The King of the North has not noticed Sandor yet where he stands in the shadows, nor Sansa where she stands slightly in front of him, and Sandor takes the time to measure him.
Robb Stark is no longer a boy, and yet not quite yet a man. There is steel in him and courage, though perhaps not the wisdom that he will need to win his war. Whatever the boy's failings might be, Sandor is in no doubt that he will be a better king than Joffrey, a better master to serve. There is respect on the faces of the men around them, respect which would have been hard won.
Then Lady Stark is saying, "We have Sansa back at last." and her brother is turning, an expression of surprised happiness on his face. Sansa steps forward and he embraces her tightly, lifts her up and whirls her around, laughing in his joy.
"I worried that we'd never see you again," her brother tells her, "And look at you, you're so much taller than when you left…" He hugs her to him again.
They are happy in that moment and he almost envies her the closeness of family, the presence of those who love her. Then his little bird is whispering something back to her brother and they both turn to face him, a smile on Sansa's face, a frown on Robb's.
"Let us go somewhere more private to speak." King Robb announces, and holding a hand out for his lady wife, he turns to lead the way.
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They adjourn to Catelyn Stark's quarters; the family members including Lady Stark's Tully brother and uncle, and Sandor as the centre of focus. Robb Stark's young wife accompanies them also, he announces that he has no secrets from her. After giving up a valuable alliance for her hand, one would bloody well hope so.
"Your swap could not have worked so quickly," Robb Stark comments to his mother with a frown, "There would not have been enough time for Lady Brienne to take the Kingslayer there and come back with Sansa. And where is Arya? How has this happened?"
"This is not the result of my swap," Lady Stark replies, "The Hound freed Sansa the night Lord Stannis attacked King's Landing and brought her here. There has been no sign of Arya since Ned was arrested."
The news of his little sister's disappearance gives him pause but then Robb is once again frowning. "Then you need not have freed the Kingslayer after all." is his reply and it strikes Sandor that it is the thought of a King rather than a brother.
"No," his lady mother agrees quietly, "I need not have."
Robb Stark's young wife stands by his side, silent and watching the interplay between the family members. She must have expected to come to them as the centre of attention, for the resulting disapproval over Robb's choice of her. Instead she finds herself relegated to the second order of business, forgotten for the moment. Sandor wonders if she's relieved to escape from their attention for some time or disappointed. He supposes that the eventual confrontation between mother and son would anyway not take place within her hearing.
He turns his eyes to Sansa, where she stands by her mother. She watches them all, holding herself as if in preparation for something, though he knows not what. Perhaps his little bird thinks to speak up on his behalf and convince her brother that he's a good man underneath all of his anger and violence. He wants to laugh at the very thought.
It is then that Robb Stark turns to Sandor, and he holds himself tall in readiness for what must be said.
"You have my gratitude for saving my lady sister," Robb tells him, "You will be duly rewarded for it."
It is all that Sandor can do not to snarl at him for the presumption that he is a dog come begging for a bone. "I didn't do it for any reward." he replies harshly.
"Then why did you do it?" her brother asks Sandor, his tone hard, wary. "Why did you leave the Lannisters' service at last?"
The little bird's eyes are on him and he does not know what truth he could possibly say. Because he is a bleeding craven and could not face the fire, because he could no longer stand by and watch as Joffrey's cruelty grew day by day. Because he has never wanted anything in his life so much as he wants Sansa Stark, and he would do anything to keep her safe from harm.
None of these reasons can ever be said and least of all to her brother.
"A dog can only be kicked so many times before it seeks a new master." he finally rasps. "King Joffrey grows more like Aerys by the day and I'll not burn for his madness. I never swore any vows and I'll be buggered if I'll die for some crazy bastard that needs to be put down." he pauses here, thinks over his next words carefully. "I saved your sister because I could." almost as an afterthought, "Because she deserved better."
He can feel the little bird's eyes turn towards him from where she stands by her mother. There is a bright spark in them and he thinks that he should not have said the last part, that he should have just accepted a reward and then gotten himself as far away as possible from here.
Her brother opens his mouth to reply but it is the little bird who speaks first.
"Sandor Clegane tried to protect me when I was in King's Landing, from Joffrey's cruelty. There were many knights there... But none of them true. While he may not be a knight he was the only one who never hurt me on the king's behalf, who tried to keep me safe. He is a truer knight than all of them." her voice is sad, bitter, and her brother tenses at the words, a horror on his face as he thinks on what they may have done to her.
"Then you have my deepest gratitude," Robb tells Sandor, "And I would know what you would do now."
Sandor clears his throat, the noise harsh. It is a mistake he knows, but he cannot bring himself to break her faith or to leave her. "I have promised Lady Sansa that I will stay to protect her and be her sworn shield. I would fight for you also. I know the Lannisters, know their tricks."
Her brother is silent and Sandor knows that he is tossing over the possibilities in his mind. A soldier like Sandor is worth twenty ordinary men, and yet his loyalty must be questioned now that he is a turncoat.
"You were ever a loyal Lannister man before now," Robb finally says, "If you swear me vows of fealty, how should I trust them?"
"I'll fight for you, and help to win your war but I'll swear no oaths." Sandor replies, "What promises I had to make, I've made to your lady sister already, and I'll not break them."
"I'll swear to his honour, Robb." the little bird chirps, "He'll not betray you."
"Then I will take you on my sister's word," Lord Robb announces, his manner still wary, "And hope that she is right."
The little bird looks at him, eyes shining with pride, and he is certain that she will end up being the death of him after all.
