Part 104:

Arya let her gaze drift across the feast, soon the eccentrically overdressed Mace Tyrell caught her attention. Mace's clothing appeared to be intentionally over the top, yet the Lord Paramount looked far more comfortable in his finery than Jon did, Mace had even gone so far as to wear a golden diadem shaped like a wreath of roses, and he was not the only lord sporting one. (Monford wore a slim diadem of silver, inset with small stones of aquamarine and large white pearls, and Prince Oberyn's ruby studded golden diadem was so wide as to border on being a coronet.) Mace wore heavy chains of gold and gems around his neck as if they were feather-light.

Mace was seated beside Kevan Lannister, appropriate considering that they were equal in rank, and chatting animatedly with Prince Oberyn Martell, whom sat across the table from him. Arya let her eyes drift, she soon noticed a sullen young man sitting between Keven and Tyrion, hair cut short, feet bare, and dressed only in a rough, unbleached, monk's robe. Arya frowned, the poorly dressed man stood out greatly amongst his companions.

"Renly?" She whispered.

Renly turned a bright smile in her direction. "Yes Arya?"

Arya resisted the urge to point. "Who is that, beside Kevan Lannister?"

Renly's expression darkened momentarily. "Lancel." He muttered. "Kevan's eldest, he… was Robert's squire… Cersei's cousin, and likely one of her lovers… Some even claim she had him drug Robert's wine during the hunt, although I assure you he lacks the wit to do so, he's a soft-minded fool, and an arrogant one at that. Nobody's seen him at court since he took an arrow in the shoulder at the Battle of the Blackwater." Arya nodded and stood up. "Arya, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to talk to him." Arya replied calmly. She walked over to the table and greeted the guests with a smile. "Prince Oberyn," She greeted. "I'd hoped Myrcella and Trystane would be attending?"

"As had I." Oberyn replied with a smile. "They were traveling with Doran, but their ship seems to have been delayed, hopefully they will arrive on the morrow, Myrcella wished greatly to speak with you." He gestured towards another table where Balon Swann and Tommen were drinking with the Goodbrother triplets. "And it will be good for her to spend time with her brother." He grinned at the irony of the sentence.

Arya smiled at his little joke and nodded. "I'd hoped to speak with her as well, I hope the wedding has not been delayed on my account? I do wish to attend."

Oberyn's smile became a smirk. "An honour, princess, but I do not see your responsibilities allowing you to travel to Dorne anytime soon." He chuckled. "But tonight is not the time for such serious conversations, I will share your kind words when they arrive."

Arya nodded and turned her attention to Mace. "I hope you are enjoying the feast, Lord Tyrell."

Mace smiled, lowering his wine goblet. "Very much, princess."

"Yes, nice to see your crops on somebody else's table." Kevan muttered bitterly.

Arya turned to Kevan, an eyebrow raised. "Would you prefer they were your crops, Lord of Lannister? Last I heard your greatest export was gold, and I do not enjoy eating that."

Tyrion chuckled from his seat on the other side of Lancel. "Clearly you've never had saffron soup then, princess, a thin layer of gold truly enhances the flavour."

"Decadence, pure greed and decadence." Lancel snarled.

Arya nodded, screwing up her face. "I agree," She replied. "Think how many people that gold could feed if spent on crops instead of eaten."

Lancel snarled at her again. "You're one to talk, look at you! What could the pearls and gold you're wearing buy?"

"I apologise for my son's arrogance and appar-" Kevan stared to reply, but Arya raised a hand, silencing him.

"There is nothing to apologise for." She replied. "Lancel speaks the truth." She made a point of taking a good look at Lancel's attire, or lack thereof. "I assume you gave your shoes, and good clothes, to somebody whom you believed needed them more?"

Lancel nodded. "Yes, I did." He replied.

Arya nodded. "Good, very good, Balor the Blessed would have done the same. I hope you will start the day with shoes and nice clothes again tomorrow so you can repeat your act of charity?"

"I… ah…" Lancel stuttered. "That's not how it works."

Arya frowned. "Oh? You only want to help one person once? When the Dragonpit was being rebuilt for our wedding Gendry arranged for thousands of people to be given shoes, and food, and clothes. He personally looked for people that were ill and paid for their care from his own pocket. He paid for baths and barbers, and got as many people employment as he could. Yet you judge him as less than you because he's wearing fine clothing? I don't understand."

"No, of course you wouldn't, I've taken a vow." Lancel replied in a self-righteous manner.

"They call themselves 'sparrows'," Kevan interrupted. "Bloody fanatics, religion has it's place-"

"Lord Lannister," Arya cut him off. "My Septa taught me it was rude to interrupt another's conversation. And my father taught me not to judge a man by their religious beliefs, but by the merits of their actions." She turned her attention back to Lancel and offered him her hand. "I want to understand, come, walk with me and explain it."

Lancel gave her a sceptical look but she held his gaze and kept her hand out. "I would like to hear about your beliefs, I will hear you out, all I ask in return is that once you have done speaking you listen to mine."

Lancel snarled. "You think you can talk me around?"

Arya shook her head and smiled. "No, I simply hope you are intelligent enough to entertain a point of view without accepting it as your own." She glanced at Tyrion, before returning her gaze to Lancel. "Your cousin is."

Lancel pushed himself to his feet. "The imp is not smarter than me."

"Good," Arya agreed. "Now, lead me away from all of the decadence and prove it."

Lancel nodded and started walking to the trees at the edge of the feast. Arya followed, four guards a respectable distance behind her. Once she caught up with him he started to explain about his injury and his time recovering under the care of the faith. He told her about the High Sparrow and his teachings. The more Arya listened the more afraid she became, the High Sparrow sounded like areligious fanatic, just as dangerous at Melisandre. She listened as Lancel explained about his vow and his 'mission' to cleanse the corruption and depravity of Kings Landing, as he declared that there was no other gods but the Seven, no other way but the Seven Pointed Star. It was all too familiar, the High Sparrow was raising an army of desperate people, just as Melisandre had done.

They were deep amongst the trees by the time he finished talking. Arya remained quiet for a long while, then she reached into her pocket and pulled out the package of seeds that she always carried on her. "I have just one problem with what you're telling me," She said softly. "I've met Garth the Greenhand." She held up the package. "He gave me these Elder seeds."

Lancel sneered. "Sounds like you've been conned."

Arya nodded. "Maybe?" She agreed. "But if I can prove to you that I have not, will you accept that there are other gods and other paths?"

Lancel laughed. "Sure." He replied arrogantly.

Arya nodded. "Seeing is believing, I will need your help." She unravelled a layer of leaf, revealing a single Elder seed, she held it up for him to see. "Just a little seed, and all I want to do is plant it, will you dig a small hole for me?"

"This proves nothing." Lancel snapped.

"Then you have nothing to fear," Arya replied. "Will you dig me a small hole?"

Lancel dropped to a knee and scooped up a small handful of earth. "Happy?" He snarled.

Arya frowned, she wanted Lancel to be invested in this, but how? "Not quite, I need an offering, would you freely give me a single strand of hair?"

"This is ridiculous." Lancel argued.

"Do you doubt your faith, Lancel?" Arya challenged.

"No." Lancel replied.

Arya shrugged. "Then what harm is my request? What danger is there in a seed, a stand of golden hair, and a handful of earth?"

Lancel looked up at her from where he was kneeling, the handful of earth still in his hand. "Fine." He muttered, with his left hand he plucked a strand of hair and held it out to her.

"Thank you, Lancel." Arya replied. She took the short strand of hair and did her best to wrap it around the seed, then she pushed the seed into the handful of earth. "Plant it with me?" Lancel pulled a face but obliged. "Garth, father, ancestor, bringer of harvest and fertility, I ask that you bless this earth and the seed within. Lancel of House Lannister believes that you do not exist, I ask that you show him that there are different gods, and different ways of thinking."

"This is stupid." Lancel muttered.

Arya remained silent and kneeled on the ground beside him. "Shh, didn't Balor teach patience?"

A minute passed, then two, but nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly Lancel pushed himself to his feet. "See, you were conned, this is stupid."

"But you doubted for a moment." Arya replied.

Lancel's confidence wavered, and in that moment a pale green shoot, almost golden, emerged from the ground. "I… what magic is this?!"

"No magic, only faith." Arya replied. "Not faith in the Seven, but in the Old Gods, the gods of tree and stream and stone. Faith in Garth, whose line House Stark was born of twice over, once through his son, Bran the Bloody, and once through his daughter, Rose of Red Lake." The shoot grew as she spoke, other shoots grew as well, until the shoots became a bush, and then a tree. Lancel stepped back in fear. "I'm not saying your gods aren't real, Lancel, I'm not saying they've never shown themselves to you, I know the Stranger well… know him by many names. I'm simply saying your way of worship is not the only way."

The bush was as tall as Lancel now, it looked like an Elder tree in shape, but Arya had never seen one with pale gold leaves. "You're a witch!" Lancel snapped as the tree began to blossom, white flowers like lace.

"Is it witchcraft to create food?" Arya asked. "If it is, most witches live in the Reach, and a good share in the Vale." But Lancel was no longer looking at her, he was watching in horror as the flowers turned to fruit, the fruit looked like Elder berries in shape, but they were a bright Lannister red. Arya held her hand out under a cluster and it ripened and dropped into her hand. She tasted one, they tasted like Elder berries, but sweeter, she held the berries out to Lancel. "Here, you helped create this food, try some." Lancel stepped backwards from her, fear in his eyes, but it took her a moment to realise they weren't focused on her. Garth was behind her, plucking some fruit and tasting it.

"Hmmm, these are good, little wolf." Garth said, his voice booming around the trees, he had a long staff in one hand and the green in his hair had shifted to autumn colours. "This is perhaps the best thing to come of Lann's line, ignorant grandson that he was. Forgive me for taking so long to come to your call, as Autumn waxes my power wanes." He chuckled. "A Golden Elder, whoever would have thought? I love the plants you create, Stark."

"You-you're…" Lancel stuttered.

"I am Garth the Greenhand, and your ancestor." Garth replied calmly. "I'm not asking you to worship me, only to not judge those that do. The trees have whispered your conversation to me and I don't like it, this High Sparrow does not sound very kind. You want to worship the Seven? That's your choice, but stay away from this 'High Sparrow', he's corrupting your beliefs for his own gains." Lancel screamed and ran off into the trees, Garth shook his head, chuckling. "Hmm, not the smartest Lannister, is he?" He turned his attention to Arya. "I cannot help you with Winter, but, you bring me spring, and I'll spread these Golden Elders all over the Westerly Lands."

Arya nodded. "I'll bring you spring." She promised.

Garth nodded, he reached up to a high branch and picked a large clump of berries, handing them to her. "Now, go back to that feast of yours, I'll keep an eye on that silly Lann-child." Arya nodded, she brushed the soil off of her fingers and took the berries, returning to the feast.

Renly met her with a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes when she returned to the top table. "Where the hells have you been?!" He asked quietly. "Your absence has made quite a scene."

"Debating religion with Lancel." Arya replied with a shrug. "Here, have some berries." She returned to her seat, ignoring Gendry and Jon's worried looks, she lent in close to Renly and took a berry. "Next time you see Olyvar, tell him we need to learn everything there is to know about a religious fanatic called the High Sparrow, sounds like he's about to be a problem."

Renly gave her a careful look then nodded, he seemed to relax a little. "You've been working then?"

Arya nodded. "I see a threat, I act, anybody that can make the heir of House Lannister take a vow of poverty is a threat."

~~/~~