A/N: This chapter is the first repeat POV of a character other than Stafford. The character happens to be Arya, but Robb will gets repeat POV next after the Stafford's chapter. The voting results for the pairing poll is hidden to avoid bias. The polls, however are very close to let people know. This is another alternate POV to which instead of Eddard Stark having his umbrella POV in the novel.

BrotherCaptainShepherd: Sansa's indecisiveness was what made it hard to portray in the POV. It was really hard to write it without making Sansa seem unlikeable. You explained my thought perfectly during that scene. Thank you for your review.

Enjoy!

Arya

"Robert, you cannot mean this," Arya's father protested. Arya after already being relatively agitated got even more agitated at the prospect of her sister losing her direwolf. Sure, she had not stuck up for her, but having her wolf that she clearly cherished and cared for executed for something that it did not do also did not seem fair. It was Nymeria that bit Joffrey not Lady. The king seemed to be in no mood for more argument.

"Enough, Ned, I will hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later it would have turned on your girl the same way the other did on my son. Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it." he stated. Arya looked at Sansa and she noticed she finally had begun to comprehend the situation.

"He doesn't mean Lady, does he?" She saw the truth on his face. "No," she said. "No, not Lady, Lady didn't bite anybody, she's good . . ."

"Lady wasn't there," Arya shouted angrily. "You leave her alone!"

Suddenly, Stafford stepped up to his father's presence. Unabashed and unabated, he looked directly in his father's eyes. Arya thought for a boy of fifteen, Stafford had the bravery. For what Stafford lacked in age and experience, he compensated with an unyielding brave attitude, that he would get what he desired. Arya admired him more for that than any story Sansa's prince Joffrey could even make up.

"Father, her direwolf did nothing wrong. The direwolf wasn't even in present for the events that occurred in the trident. Where is the justice in striking down the innocent?" Stafford proclaimed. The entire court had their eyes on Stafford. Arya noticed Ser Barristan nod in approval at his comment. From what she had been told by Stafford at the trident, Ser Barristan had taught him more than just combat. It seems his ideals have spread into the young prince's heart.

"Stafford, you're brother was just brutalized by one of those beasts? Is that not justice to execute the kin of the very abomination that hurt him?" His mother the queen responded.

"Mother, I just don't see how that makes any sense. If I had committed a heinous crime and fled Westeros, and the Lord, for which I committed my heinous crime demanded the head of my brother to compensate for whatever I had done, is it not injustice?" Stafford retorted with aggression. His mother looked down at the ground almost speechless. However, she mustered the courage to look Stafford straight in the eye once more.

"If you had been attacked by the beast, you would understand how I would feel. If it had been you that had been hurt and brutalized by the beast, then I would have that beast cut down faster than even Ser Ilyn would execute a man. No one hurts any of my sons and walks unpunished," the queen proclaimed.

"Stop them," Sansa pleaded, "don't let them do it, please, please, it wasn't Lady, it was Nymeria, Arya did it, you can't, it wasn't Lady, don't let them hurt Lady, I'll make her be good, I promise, I promise . . ." She started to cry. All her father could do was take her in his arms and hold her while she wept. He looked across the room at the king. His old friend, closer than any brother. "Please, Robert. For the love you bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please."

The king looked at them for a long moment, then turned his eyes on his wife. "Damn you, Cersei," he said with loathing. Stafford didn't budge, he still tried his hardest to defend Arya's family. Stafford sided with them against his own blood, which either says something about Stafford's loyalty to his family, or it was just his sense of justice. Arya thought the latter.

"Do it yourself then, Robert," he said in a voice cold and sharp as steel. "At least have the courage to do it yourself." Robert looked at Ned with flat, dead eyes and left without a word, his footsteps heavy as lead. Silence filled the hall. "Where is the direwolf?" Cersei Lannister asked when her husband was gone. Beside her, Prince Joffrey was smiling.

"Wipe that grin off your face, this isn't over. I will not allow this! However touches the damn wolf will have to answer to me! And by the seven my wrath is greater than even the mad king's madness," Stafford roared. He drew his sharp hand axe, and everyone in the room gasped at the sudden turn of events. Stafford began to back away slowly. Arya's father, Lord Eddard, looked stunned at the young man. The grin quickly waned from Joffrey's face

"Put that axe back where it belongs, Stafford," Ser Barristan declared as he approached him, "We will not tolerate violence in the audience chamber that we ourselves do not even own." Stafford stared at Ser Barristan, he wanted to respond, but Arya felt like Stafford couldn't bring himself to do it. She felt that Stafford had too much respect for the old knight. Very reluctantly, he dropped the axe on the ground. The sharp castle forged steel hand-axe clanged to the ground.

"Very good, Stafford at least your father taught you decency, unlike some other princes I know of," Ser Barristan declared, ""The beast is chained up outside the gatehouse, Your Grace." Arya felt deep reluctance in the voice of the old knight.

"Send for Ilyn Payne."

"No," Her said. "Jory, take the girls back to their rooms and bring me Ice." The words tasted of bile in his throat, but he forced them out. "If it must be done, I will do it."

The queen regarded him suspiciously. "You, Stark? Is this some trick? Why would you do such a thing?"

Her father drew a sigh with every man and ear tuned to whatever he would say. "She is of the north. She deserves better than a butcher." Sansa looked at her father, almost pleading for this not to happen.

"Seven hells, Joffrey I hope you're proud of what you have done. Look at what you are doing to the lady you are supposed to care for. If you had an inch of true care for her, you would not allow for something she cherished to be taken away like this. All I can say now is but words. I'm no king, I have no throne. Yet you're supposed to be the next king and you act selfish. She, honestly deserves better than you! In fact, I'll give you a more than just words to prove it!" Stafford boomed and almost on cue ran at his own brother. Before anyone can intervene, he landed a sharp blow to head of his brother.

Like ship in a hurricane, Joffrey fell to the floor dazed and stunned. Ser Barristan quickly broke things up before anything got escalated. Arya still felt like Joffrey had deserved that. Silence filled the entire audience chamber, with everyone stunned at what just transpired.

"Do whatever you want, I've given my piece and apparently everyone has given their decisions," Stafford stated. Without another word, he went over and picked up his axe that he had dropped on the floor of the audience chamber and stormed out of the room. Arya not wanting to stay in the audience chamber anymore, ran after him. Her father tried to stop her a little bit, but almost immediately gave up.

Arya managed to trail Stafford to where he finally ended up. He had to follow him all the way to the stables, where he sat on the ground right next to his horse. The horse was a fine destrier, which towered over the young boy, even if he stood up. Arya was surprised the king had given his son that quality horse, as many of the horses children usually didn't possess warhorses. Even if Stafford was fond of tournaments, and combat he had never actually been in a situation where he needed a fine bred warhorse. As soon as Arya went into the stables, Stafford immediately stared up at her. He had the look of confusion and it looked like the rage he had possessed earlier had all, but faded.

"Did I ever tell you the story about my horse?" Stafford asked as he continued to sit fiddling with the hay on the ground on the stables. Arya shook her head, Stafford had not talked about his horse, in fact the only time she had ever seen the horse was when he entered Winterfell, "His name's Orys, He was given to me as a foal as a name day present back when I was nine by my father. He was bred to be a warhorse, and we basically learned how to ride together. They harnessed him when he was two and from then on we basically grew up together. Six years after he was given to me we had been inseparable. When Joffrey had tried to ride him once, he got thrown off. No one else could ride him without him bucking and throwing them off." He got up from his seated position, brushed himself off, and began to pet the horse's forehead.

"That's fascinating, I didn't know horses were that smart. I always thought they were just mindless beasts that were controlled when they were ridden," Arya stated. She never thought horses were that smart, especially when they are the kind of beast that lets another living thing literally get on top of them, control them, and ride them for hours on end.
"You'd be surprised, sometimes I think this horse is more competent than Joffrey at times," Arya laughed at this statement by Stafford. It wasn't like he was wrong at his statement, "The reason why I had to defend your family over mine today, is rooted with this horse. Your sister's care about the wolf reminded me of how much I cared about this horse. And I didn't want to see someone punished for something my brother had started."

"You really don't like your brother do you? I mean I don't blame you…" Arya stated. Arya felt like she didn't really have the best relationship with her sister, but it wasn't as bad as Stafford's relationship with his brother. The two did not really have any sort of common interests, they were always at each other's throats, and they never seemed to get along in any regard.

"I don't hate my brother. I don't really like him either, but he's still kin. It pains me to have to hurt him sometimes, but I'm not much good at controlling myself. When I feel someone deserves something, even if they are kin, and I have the ability to give them what I feel they deserve, I gladly oblige," Stafford reasoned. Stafford began pacing around the stables, "Just listen to me ramble on and on. It's pathetic really."

Arya noticed Stafford pick up his axe. Stafford threw the short handaxe at the stable walls, sticking to the wood as it landed on the wall. The precision of the axe impressed Arya. Stafford had one of the best skill repertoires of any boy of his age. Her brothers were skilled, but Stafford a year younger had much more skill in the art of combat. Sure Stafford couldn't best everyone in the Seven Kingdoms or even the Free Cities, in fact he was far from it. What Stafford possessed that none of his betters in combat was the attitude of unyieldingness. The attitude to never give up even in the face of insurmountable odds. If Stafford were to lose or were not to get his way, he will make sure you still remembered him and how he tried to defend his stance.

"I kind of like listening to you ramble like that," she blurted out. Arya didn't know where that came from. It surprised even her that those words came out of her mouth. Stafford, a little surprised, turned to her and let out a little chuckle.

"Arya Stark, you never cease to surprise me. At least now I know King's Landing won't be so dull and boring," Stafford declared. He quickly grabbed the axe he used to throw at the wall of the stables, "I think we should get out of these stables and get some fresh air. Shall we?" Arya nodded in reply and they got out of the cramped horse stables, Stafford had stormed off into.

The castle gate had opened when Stafford and Arya had left the stables. Unlike some of the castles in the Riverlands, they stables were inside of the castle walls, because they wanted to make sure steeds, were secure in case of siege. Not only could they be kept safe for a cavalry charge to try to drive back the invaders in case they broke through, they were also kept there for their meat. If you were stuck in a siege, you would eat anything just to survive the predicament. Arya saw her father and Ser Jory with some mounted men, who looked like they were knights of some kind. The men were mounted on destrier about the same size as Stafford's, but much more compact and well built.

One of the men had something slung on his shoulders. Stafford and Arya drew closer to the men, and by the look on Stafford's face he recognized the man. And when they finally stood side by side with her father and Ser Jory, she started recognizing the man too. It was the burned man with Joffrey during the sparring sessions at Winterfell. Her father gave her a look to recognize that she was with them.

"Stafford, it's good to see you. We just got back from the hunt," the burned stated, "It looks like you found the girl. Good on you. We got her little pet, if she wants to see it." Arya dreaded those words. They had hunted down her direwolf and probably killed it. Her eyes began to tear up, and she felt like something had just gutted her in the belly.

"What did you do to it?" Stafford asked, who looked like he was beginning to tense up. Arya couldn't even muster a word. Deep sadness and feelings of confusion began to creep up on Arya. She could feel her chest tighten as the man flung whatever he had slung on his back.

It was the butcher's boy, Mycah, his body covered in dried blood. He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above.

"You rode him down," Ned said. The Hound's eyes seemed to glitter through the steel of that hideous dog's-head helm.

"He ran." He looked at Ned's face and laughed. "But not very fast." Arya lost it and burst into tears.

"What in the seven hells is wrong with you? What did you ride down the butcher's boy for?" Stafford protested almost ready to use that axe he had in his hands

"Watch your tongue with me, lest you remember who helped teach you how to use that axe of yours. I know all your tricks, and I won't hesitate to cut you down to teach you a lesson," the burned man declared. Stafford still holding his ground against him looked at her. Arya was on the ground next to her butcher's boy crying. She couldn't believe how the man had just killed him in cold blood. Mycah did nothing, yet he was struck down and had his life cut short by the monstrous man. Arya tried to get herself together, if Stafford continued standing up to the man, he could get seriously hurt.

"Prove it then," Stafford brashly stated. The burned man laughed and dismounted his horse. He drew his sword on Stafford.

"Let's test your mettle with my live steel then!" the burned man taunted. Ser Jory tried to intervene.

"Alright enough you two, please before anyone gets themselves hurt or worse," Ser Jory stated. However, Ser Jory was shoved down to ground by the burned man. And the burned man clashed steel with Stafford's hand axe. Stafford went up and used his skills to try to deflect the man's blows. However, Arya could tell Stafford was having trouble with the strength of the blows he was deflecting. Stafford tried his hardest to respond with a barrage of axe. The burned man simply smiled.

Suddenly, the burned man timed one of the axe blows from Stafford, and was able to parry it to the side. He managed to land a slash to the side of Stafford. Stafford's boiled leather armor managed to protect him from any cuts. Stafford tried to come back at him with some more axe, but unsurprisingly, the burned man knew how Stafford's axe shots would land. He managed to predict where the axe would come from at just the right time. Arya suddenly snapped out of her daze, and drew up enough courage. Just as Stafford ran out of breath, the burned man sent his hand axe flying in the air.

"Stop!" Arya stated as she managed to put herself in between the burned man and Stafford. Her father, who had tried to stop the fight multiple times, suddenly almost sprung into action.

"It seems your lady has seen enough of your incompetence," the burned man mocked. He picked up Stafford's axe and handed it to him, "Next time match your bravado with some skill." Stafford snatched the axe away from the burned man, and still clearly looked enraged. Stafford drew some breaths, and Arya felt like he had calmed down at least enough to speak.

"Alright, besides hunting down the butcher's boy, what else did you do while hunting? Did you manage to find the other wolf like you were tasked?" Stafford asked the burned man. The burned man gave a quaint smile in reply.

"No, my dear prince. It seems like there is not a trace to be found of the beast. It seems it has run off to the wilderness where it belongs," the burned man stated. Arya still visibly upset after what he had done to Mycah almost felt like she wanted to run. But for some reason, she felt like she wanted to stay, to be face the truth. Mycah was dead, and there was nothing she could do about it. She still felt sad and in truth she felt responsible for his death. She had been the reason he had even been at the trident in the first place. Stafford shrugged a little bit and finally spoke.

"What's done is done. Just get that head out of sight, I think we've seen enough of that for today," Stafford stated. The burned man smiled and grabbed the head and wrapped it up in the cloth again.