CHAPTER 11 – LORDS ROBERT & PETYR

Word spread quickly that Sandor was now Lady Sansa's sworn shield but news of her impending departure threw the castle into a tizzy. The day after she'd announced her intention of leaving for Winterfell in a month's time, Sandor was summoned for an audience with Lord Robert. To his surprise, the boy received him alone. Still small for his age, Robert looked like a doll perched on his chair. His nervousness was palpable but after he gathered himself, he looked at Sandor directly when he spoke.

"I want you to tell Lady Sansa that she should stay in the Vale."

Sandor snorted. "It's not for me to tell her anything, little lord."

Robert creased his brow in frustration. "It's not safe in the north. Everyone knows that."

"I'll be with her."

Robert was clearly not reassured by that but was not brave enough to say so.

"I'm her family. Her place is here."

"You are an Arryn. Lady Sansa is a Stark. Her place is in Winterfell."

"Winterfell is in ruins. Everyone says so. Why would she want to go there?"

Sandor stifled a groan. "To rebuild it. Surely she told you."

Robert grudgingly acknowledged that she had.

"If your family's home had been destroyed, wouldn't you want to rebuild it?"

"Yes, but . . ."

"And hasn't Lady Sansa been away from home for a very long time?"

"Yes, but . . ."

"You've enjoyed having her here to keep you company." It was not a question.

Robert flushed. "Everyone has so why . . .?"

"She's enjoyed your company, too. She told me she'll miss you." She hadn't but Sandor wanted to leave.

"She did?" He looked mildly appeased.

"She did. Lady Sansa told me she wouldn't consider leaving if the Vale was not in such good hands," Sandor said flatly.

Robert shifted in his seat, a pout forming on his lips.

Sandor was tiring of the conversation. "You'd not see your cousin upset, would you?"

"No . . ."

"Make the next few weeks happy for her and maybe she'll want to visit. Make her miserable and she'll have no reason to ever come back."

Robert nodded, thinking, and Sandor sketched half a bow and left before the boy could speak again.

To Sandor's absolute shock, Lord Robert announced that there would be a ball two days before Sansa's departure. Sandor thought it was a waste of time and resources, but Sansa was thrilled by the prospect.

"Dancing! Oh, the winter was so long and there will be nothing at Winterfell but it will be so nice to have some music and dancing before we leave!"

Sandor could not let her think their impending journey would be easy. "Little bird, it's a long way to Winterfell, and winter may still linger there. You've got the northern lords to treat with, no castle to live in once you arrive, only the food we'll manage to carry or buy along the way, and no money. A ball . . ."

"No money?"

Sandor was not privy to any arrangements Lord Robert had made for his cousin but he doubted very much Sansa had the revenue to hire the sellswords she would need to protect her home as she rebuilt. He pressed his lips into a flat line.

"I have Lord Petyr's gold."

"Lord Petyr's gold?"

"Yes, although I suppose it's truly mine now. As his sickness became more . . . grim, Lord Petyr asked if I would care for him. He begged me not to refuse and I could not, seeing him suffer as he did. We were meeting a maester that day at the inn when you found me, although no one was supposed to know. Lord Petyr did not want anyone to know he was ill. Anyway, he had no other, well, he had no children of his own, no wife, of course, and no one he cared to leave his wealth. So he left it to me. He told me all he'd ever wanted was my mother and it gave him pleasure to see her in me. It was . . . very sad."

"So you're going to use Littlefinger's gold to rebuild Ned Stark's castle." Sandor's raucous laughter echoed off the walls.

Sansa gave him a reproving look. "I can think of no better use for it. I plan to rebuild the glass gardens first, in case this is a false spring. I would not risk men's lives if I did not intend to do my best to care for them. I don't expect it will be easy for anyone."

"No, little bird, it won't be easy." After that he kept quiet about the ball.