"The Honored Guest" Chapter 4 Interlude - Correspondence

Note: Readers – I am going to tease you with the adults' reaction to Arya's game "you show me yours, I'll show you mine". That will be uploaded for the weekend. Meanwhile, I have some plot development to address. The initial set-up was extremely far-fetched, and I plan to have my AU deviate from the canon dramatically. After all, who really wants to see noble Ned die? I am planting the seeds to save his life.

Ned

Ned sat in his cramped room in Castle Darry, holding Arya's message.

Dearest Father, it read, Do not worry about me. Lord Connington and Prince Aegon are treating me very well. No one fusses, not even my septa, about my wearing breeches and acting like a boy. The maester is clever, and the master-at-arms is teaching me swordplay. The prince is as much fun as Robb or Jon, and even Nymeria likes him. Lord Connington is stern, but fair. I miss you terribly, but I am actually happier here than with Queen Cersei. Do not let concern for me affect what you have to do as Hand. Your loving daughter, Arya

He inspected the parchment again. The penmanship was atrocious, and there were lots of ink blots. It was obviously in her hand. Some prisoner! He thought, she writes as though she has gone on a progress!

Search parties were returning to Castle Darry again. Jory Cassel, Ned's captain of the guard, knew his search was a sham, but kept that fact a secret, of course. Jaime Lannister returned empty-handed, but his eyes were hard and angry. Only he and Queen Cersei knew that the injured prince was his son, not Robert's. The Hound arrived, a grin on his wicked face as he dropped a large bloody cloak on the ground in front of Ned with a loud thump.

Ned's blood froze, Oh no! The monster has found Arya or her direwolf! He hurried to open the sack, and felt ashamed to be relieved as he realized that the awful corpse within was that of Arya's friend, Mycah the butcher's boy, and not Arya herself. He looked at The Hound accusingly, "You rode him down."

The Hound retorted with a nasty laugh, "He ran. But not very fast."

Anger raged inside of him. These Lannisters are cruel; there is no kindness in their constitution. Robert was a fool for marrying into this family. Tywin Lannister is as evil as a snake and I don't trust him!

He made up his mind and decided on his course of action. "Jory, you are going to take another message to Lord Connington under a flag of truce. Then you will return and guide me to his camp. Tell no one of my plans." Jory's eyes went wide, but he nodded in agreement. Then Ned called for his steward, Vayon Poole, and told him to fetch him Arya's trunk.

He tried to consider every detail. I'm leaving Sansa with this nest of vipers! He summoned Septa Mordane and ordered her to study Cersei's and Joffrey's behavior towards Sansa carefully. Strangely enough, Cersei still considered Sansa as Joffrey's betrothed and insisted that she constantly attend court. Ned ordered the septa to find some excuse to remove Sansa and her companion, Jeyne Poole, at any sign of trouble. He called in Desmond, one of the Stark's best guardsmen, and ordered him to be Sansa's shield, to watch the people around her carefully, and to protect her with his life if needs be. He added, "Do not discuss my orders with anyone."

Finally, Ned he went to the main hall of Castle Darry, where the king and queen were holding court and amidst all the drama. Queen Cersei was still angrily calling for Arya to be maimed in retaliation for Joffrey's wound when she was found, and had ordered that Sansa's direwolf be killed because Nymeria was still missing. Ned had had to carry out that awful task, and Sansa was still distraught. Robert had said nothing about the cruel act, and Ned had even less love for the Baratheon-Lannister court now.

Ned was relieved to see that Robert was not excessively drunk as he approached. He addressed his king. "Your grace, word has arrived that Prince Aegon Targaryen, Lord Jon Connington, and the Golden Company have landed at Maidenpool and are invading the Crownlands. Several of the local Houses are flocking to the prince, who is preparing for war. I suggest that you make haste to King's Landing, as your honor guard of two hundred soldiers cannot adequately protect you from this army. I will follow you after I investigate the scope of the Targaryen forces right now."

King Robert was happy to have an excuse to abandon uncomfortable Castle Darry and immediately gave the orders to depart. Good, thought Ned, they will be out of my hair for the moment. I only hope that Sansa will be safe until I can fetch her.

Connington

Jon waited impatiently for Lemore to fetch Arya and Aegon. He had more important things to do instead of disciplining children, but since Arya had arrived in camp, he was forced to deal with her continually. Thinking back on Aegon's request to be her betrothed, he thought, she will be a curse to any husband. But his sense of humor had to add, however, a life with Arya would always be interesting! He wondered aloud to Haldon, who was standing next to him, "Mayhaps I should bind the girl up in rope, gag her, wrap a ribbon around the whole package, and send her and that damned wolf off as a gift to her father. She is not worth the trouble she causes."

Feeling exasperated, he asked the half-maester rhetorically, "Why do you suppose she is so contrary? I have never met such an unusual child."

Haldon actually had an answer. "Milord, have you observed that Arya holds her sword in her left hand, not her right, as most people do?" he pointed out, "she writes and probably holds a sewing needle with her left hand, also. Her penmanship is poor and she admits that she hates sewing. Lessons in all these activities are designed for right-handed people. Arya has been at odds with normal behavior her whole life. Mayhaps that explains why she is so different from other girls."

Connington was inclined to agree and responded, "You may have the truth of it, but I suspect that there is more. Stark women have a tendency to be special."

At that moment, a guard arrived with a Stark messenger. Jon took the parchment offered to him and read it. Lord Connington, I am most appreciative that you have been kind to Arya and have made her visit in your camp so delightful for her. I know she can be a handful. I would like to meet with you, as I feel we need to parlay face to face. If you agree, my captain, Jory Cassel, who bore this message, will accompany me to your camp. Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell.

Hmmm, Jon observed, he omitted 'Hand of the King'. Mayhaps he considers this meeting a private matter? I am most curious to hear what he has to say. And he writes, 'I know she can be a handful'. What an understatement! I will be surprised if he actually intends to reclaim her!

He turned to Jory, "You may tell Lord Stark that I welcome a parlay. My maester will compose a writ of passage and you may go and fetch him."

Connington was having a very busy day. Soon afterwards, Haldon approached with a raven from Dorne. This parchment read, Lord Connington, Please give my respects to Prince Aegon and inform him that Dorne rejoices in his arrival to combat the Usurper's forces. The hands of Robert Baratheon and the Lannisters are drenched in Targaryen and Martell blood, and Dorne demands vengeance. You can depend on your allies to the South. My sister, Nymeria Sand, will arrive soon to discuss strategy.

Obara Sand, Captain of the Army of Dorne

Well, Connington thought, in the space of a day, I may have lost an adversary, and gained an ally! He was feeling so pleased that he chuckled to himself, mayhaps Arya is a good luck charm as well as a distraction!

Note: Arya will find Lady Nym to be a good role model, but Connington may not agree.