Chapter 7

At the archery field.

"ARROWS!" The hound bellowed and a sentry ran to him with arrows & bows, Must he shouts? She thought as she flinched in annoyance.

Sandor promptly shot the arrow on target with no problem, but not a bull's eye.

"Come now, any boy can do that...even Podrick can do that!" She rolled her eyes at him, mimicking Bronn and nudged him nonchalantly to move aside as she took position.

Bronn was scratching his chin absentmindedly while looking at the pair, the rest of the crowds was betting between the tiny Stark and the Hound.

Podrick asked Bronn, "Would you like me to get Lord Tyrion?"

"What for?" Bronn replied while still looking at his girl.

"It's...him! It's him, Ser." Podrick looked at the Hound. He is damn ugly and scary. How could the Lady Stark look at him in the eyes? And not be intimidated.

"She can handle him," Bronn replied with confident. "I have no doubt," he murmured to himself and saw the scene in front of him. One thing Bronn loved about his girl was her bravery and loyalty. Perhaps he was wrong to think that Tyrion spoilt her rotten.

Because the way she was treated by the Lannisters, like shit, Leana was always kind to people and she never judged, she gave the same respect to whores at the brothels to the Lords and Ladies at the court.

Calmly and with confident Leana grabbed her bow, this is what I am excellent at. Swoosh...bull's eye! And Bronn smiled proudly.

"Again, Sandor." She ordered the scowling man next to her. This is so good for my ego.

He did as bid, he was getting ready to shot when he felt her; She touched his arm, "relax your elbow...breathe slowly...focus!" How the hell was he supposed to shot when she was so close to him, distracting him with her touches, standing so close to him, she smell of sweat and summer with a hint of...mint? His second shot was worse off. "Fuck," he swore.

Leana shook her head in disappointment; she picked her arrow and shot his arrow that it split in half. The Hound looked at her - stunned. He knew she was good, he'd seen the little twit grazed Prince Joffrey's cheek with her small arrow when she was a kid - but she just split his fucking arrow!

"You are not at peace, Sandor," she noted.

"Again," the same word he barked at her when they were training as she hit his armoured stomach with the back of her hand.

"She is not scared of him," Ser Barristan looked at Lord Varys who was perplexed; no one dismissed the Hound as Leana did.

Sandor tried again, concentrating, "Sandor, you need to relax, breathe - you are not a rock, you are as fluid as river," She murmured to his ear, "and think of your happy place..." she whispered in his ears.

Bronn saw everything, standing few steps away from them, Leana was standing on a wooden stool as she was almost two feet shorter than him, this time not touching him but was whispering and giving him instruction.

SWOOOSH! Much better!

"Yes! Much better, Sandor!" She looked at him proudly.

Again, she shot at his arrow which split into two, "My happy place was Winterfell...before they throw me to the lion's den – Winter is coming." she said to him before walking away towards Bronn. Seconds before she walked away, he thought she looked sad.

The Hound thought this girl was fiercely loyal to her family...unlike him; he hated his brother and the House Clegane meant nothing to him because of Gregor, but Leana was his complete opposite. She loved her family, away from Winterfell for more than ten years, but when she said 'winter is coming'; she spoke it like a true Stark, no one can doubt that she was a Stark. He met Lord Eddard Stark before and had heard him said those words; she sounded just like him – grim and vigilant.

"Lessons over...good day ser. C'mon White." he heard her calling her White who was sitting between them.

Sandor thought he had lost his mind, but he wanted to annoy the hell out of her – just for the sake of it, just to see the sparkle in her eyes...one more time. He knew exactly how to piss her off.

"Arrows are cowards' weapon." He said indifferently as she just started to walk away with Bronn and the squire.

Ser Barristan and Lord Varys looked at the Hound and then Leana who stopped in her track – But Bronn hold her shoulder and pushed her along, she walked away grudgingly...until Sandor continued, " I like to fight up close, I like to see a man's face when I put the steel in him." he handed his bow to the sentry. He sounded like a pompous ass.

Bronn closed his eyes in exasperation, as he felt Leana stopped in her track – again! Shit, he thought. The Lady Stark turned around and walked back to Sandor fiercely; Ser Barristan saw the motion and he came closer to the two of them, he will strike her.

Leana looked up at the mountainous man – hands on her hips, White the dire wolf on her heel "Why? So you can kiss him?" she replied rudely.

Sandor was so shocked he didn't say anything – a twitch on his lips. Ser Barristan smiled and Lord Varys laughed which he quickly stopped when the Hound glared at him.

Bronn grabbed Leana, "Come on, let's go!" managed to dragged the masked Stark few meters away from the Hound.

"He called me a coward!" She shouted at Bronn, still looking back at Sandor – wanting to punch him in the nose.

"My Lady...please," Podrick was scared for their life.

"Sometimes you forget your own size, girl." Bronn said to her, still shoving her away, "he can kill you! He can snap your tiny pretty neck in a single twist!"

"I dare him to try!" they heard her from far.

The Hound found himself looking at her walking away pissed off. He heard Lord Varys murmured to him, "That girl is no coward..." and he walked away.

Aye, the Hound said to himself, no coward dared looked at him in the eyes, let alone confronted him, wishing he could steal a kiss from her instead. But who would kiss a monstrous thing like him. Sandor Clegane fucked whores but he never kiss a woman.

The following fortnight, the king was present at one of their practiced. Leana told herself she did her best; she stood patiently and was waiting for him to give her his massive sword which six weeks ago she could hardly lift. She felt she barely improved.

They both stood on near each other as they were getting ready:

"Here, use this." Sandor handed her a sword, she never seen that particular sword before, it was minute compared to his.

She held and looked at the exquisite sword, "It's beautiful,"

"It's yours," he brusquely answered and looked away.

"But...this is too much, I can't take this - It's castle forge sword!" looking at him in disbelief, this sword did not come cheap.

"I have you hold my sword because it is heavy and I know you don't have the strength to wield it," Leana was still looking at him, not expecting this from him.

"This is your sword, it's made for you...it's yours." He turned to bow at the King who just arrived, cutting their conversation.

He was right. She could finally wield her sword with ease. Since she had been training with the heavy sword, this is easy for her; she developed a good strength from her training. She still lost to the buffoon but the King was please with her performance, he said she was much better than before, he knew that she could do it.

That night, Sandor finished late, Prince Joffrey was at the market place with some of the knights, being a bully and strutting his way in the capital. He was amazed that someone that small can be that cruel and cunning... not a trait that King Robert possessed. His blond prince was a weakling and a bully – but he couldn't care less, the Royal made him rich with gold.

Sandor Clegane took his bath and sat on his chair against the window, feeling the cool night air, torches lighting the castle can be seen illuminating the shadow of the night. He was only donned in his breeches, eyes closed when he heard a knock from one of the servant.

"Come in," He growled, he hated being disturb and wondered what else was in store for him at such hour, it might be Joffrey and another of his antics; the king had a new bow toy.

The heavy stilted door opened gently... head with a mask popped in, it was no servant, it was the lady Stark. The realization woke him up from his stupor. "My Lady,"

"Sorry to disturb you, Sandor. I just want to thank you...for the sword." She explained, not bothered at all with the fact that he was half naked. She glimpsed of gnarly scars on him and winched.

"Sorry I didn't know you are about to go to bed..." and she quickly retreated her steps and about to close the door.

"All great swords have a name...have you named your sword?"

She stepped back in, one hand on her hip, "Do you think I was born yesterday?...Yes I have named my sword, Sandor. Good night, ser," she started walking out again.

"What's its name?" He asked.

Leana smiled at him and said, "Hound." As she left and closed the door behind her.

For the next couple of month, life at King's landing was fairly calm, no more incidence. Leana has mastered the art of avoiding the queen and Joffrey, after her talk with the King, she somehow become more accommodating to her fate at King's Landing. The King somehow made her feel...safer. She trusted him.

Her Uncle Tyrion was happy with the woman she acquired for him; she was a foreign beauty called Shae, Leana loved her jazz for life and that was the reason she picked her.

She saved her from Ser Boros who was about to slapped Shae for her insolence; Leana threw a pouch of gold coins to Lord Baelish, "I'll take her...it's more than enough there,"

She had been scouring the many taverns and whore houses for days before she found her.

By now the Lady Stark was getting use to the weather and the crowds at the capital; actually she loved the bustling crowds at the market. She often roamed the streets with White by her side or riding horse.

No one really bothered her. Bronn said no one bothered her because they know who she was: the Glass – faced Stark and who in the right mind would attack a girl with her sword and bow buckled on her back – not forgetting her freaking dire wolf.

All was well, until the day the King and his entourage decided to leave for hunting beyond the King's Wood followed by Winterfell as he planned. It took about a month to ride from Capital to Winterfell, another month coming back home, no one know how long the King will stay up North. It could easily be three or four months or more until she would meet the King again. Her Uncle Tyrion was not happy.

After the King left the capital, Tyrion warned her repeatedly for her to make herself scarce from the Queen and Joffrey; for without the King, she was more vulnerable. Lady Stark spent more time outside the city gate with her dire wolf.

She stopped attending the small councils, less and less visit to the maester or even Lord Varys. None needed to be said, they know that she was avoiding the queen and the blond prince at all cost.

She keep practising her archery and went riding through the outskirt the King's wood – feeling as free as a bird, a bird with a broken wings. She often wondered how her life would turn out if her mother was still alive or she stayed at Winterfell with her families. The only way Leana could survive was by dreaming what could have been? And when she will return home.

The only time she visited her uncle was at night with Bronn, she smiled when she looked at Tyrion who looked happy with his woman - Shae.

Unfortunately, it was a different story for Sandor Clegane, it was rather hard for him not seeing her. He missed her presence and her nonstop chatter and how she made his day bearable. The two hours daily he used to have with her was like water to his thirst.

Their daily practices were stopped because he was with the queen, sometimes Joffrey who kept him very busy and he didn't want to attract any attention to the Lady Stark who was avoiding them. The last he wanted to do was to get her in trouble with the Queen or Joffrey.

By the time he was back at the quarter, it was too late and there was no sight of her, either she was already asleep or away with Tyrion and Bronn. There were times when he went to the common hall hoping to caught a glance of her – but she was nowhere to be seen.

One day, when he was with Joffrey at the castle; from the corner of his eyes - he saw her! Sneaking away with the dire wolf; Lady Leana Stark was like a breath of fresh air to the Hound. He had no idea that very soon, for the first time in his life, he regretted taking a life.

All his life as a sellsword he had been killing with no mercy, no tear nor blood can move his cold heart, which he was about to found out that was not always the case. Amongst the hatred he had for his brother Gregor, hypocrisy and people, he was about to found out...the hard way.

The following day, Joffrey commanded him to be out of his sight, the prince was in vile mood. Sandor made himself scarce and stayed with the queen.

The Queen was in the Iron Throne, receiving lords but she was abruptly disturbed by a scream from Joffrey. The Blond prince stormed into the Throne hall clutching his left hand, "The bitch attacked me! The fucking bitch wolf attacked me!"

"The dire wolf does not attack unless provoked, nephew!" Tyrion stepped in.

"It's the fucking wolf! It's feral!" Joffrey looked at his uncle in rage.

"Ser Gregor, bring them to me." The queen commanded the Mountain. He nodded curtly and walked off to do her bidding.

Before dark, Lady Leana Stark and White were brought to the queen, seated at the Iron Throne, looking down at her as Ser Gregor had a steely grip on her shoulder, shoving her in front of the queen while White was on a tight leash, hold by the Mountain.

TBC