"Would a Brother Kiss You Like That?"
Chapter 15 Interlude: The Vale
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Note: Readers, I hope you do not find this chapter derivative and distracting, but as I pondered Arya's present situation, the concept blossomed in my mind as a solution for her scheme to retake the North as well as a fitting end game for this tale.
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The Vale
'Alayne Stone' was not happy. She had been spirited out of the Red Keep and brought to the Vale for her safety, and forced to hide her identity, Sansa Stark, a proud highborn maiden of the Great House of the North, a descendant of the Kings of Winterfell. 'Alayne' did not enjoy masquerading as the natural daughter of Petyr Baelish, a minor nobleman and brothel keeper, whose ambitions had taken him from the former Master of Coin to King Robert to Lord Protector of the Vale and young Lord Robert Arryn's guardian. 'Alayne' felt humiliated because she had to play the role of a common bastard, dress modestly for the part, and behave accordingly. The poor girl's self-esteem had suffered greatly, as save for her lord father, who she reluctantly had come to believe loved her spoiled baby sister more, every grown man at court had mistreated her. King Robert had thought her frivolous and stupid, Prince Joffrey had cruelly tormented her, the Hound had sneered at her innocence, and Lord Baelish simply used her for his own devious purposes. Only her unexpected, repulsive, and unwanted dwarf husband, Tyrion Lannister, had treated her kindly, but she had let him know in no uncertain terms that she had no desire to be his wife, and he did not hide his disappointment. What could he have expected?
In the Vale, 'Alayne' was not a pampered lady, but a nursemaid to her cousin Robert Arryn, a sickly, petulant, spoiled little boy, and she was obliged to read to him and cater to his capricious and childish moods in order to stave off his fits of temper and shaking sickness. She called him 'Sweetrobin', flattered him, permitted him to kiss her, ugh!, and worst of all, allowed him to sneak into her bed on the nights when the troubled child suffered his beloved mother's death most deeply, and burrow his head between her breasts. Lady Lysa had never truly weaned her undersized, unhealthy son, and 'Alayne' was most disgusted when he tried to suckle at her bosom. Caring for the invalid, even with the help of three servingwomen and the weary maester, all familiar with his frailties, was energy-draining and left her exhausted and with painful headaches. Petyr had even implied that someday she might marry Robert and become the lady of the prosperous kingdom when it was fortuitous to reveal her true identity, but that future hardly appealed to her. How could it? She was desperate to escape her situation and felt hopelessly trapped by the devious Littlefinger, whose touch made her skin crawl. Since Lysa's death, Petyr frequently fondled her and required her to kiss him on the mouth during private moments. Sansa felt quite disheartened by her fate.
Her one distraction from her wretched life was her friendship with Myranda, "Call me Randa, for I am certainly randy", Royce, the daughter of Lord Nestor Royce, High Steward of the Vale and castellan of the Gates of the Moon, the comfortable castle that guarded the mountainous entrance to the floor of the valley and the road to the Eyrie, the main castle of House Arryn. When Littlefinger married the widowed Lady Lysa Arryn, his close friend from childhood, he brought Sansa to the Eyrie, located several thousand feet high at the summit of the imposing mountain that overlooked the entire Vale, the Giant's Lance. Although the castle was beautiful to the eye, consisting of seven slender white marble towers, it was cold, windy, and forbidding. The sept had no septon, the Godswood had no heart tree, and footsteps echoed with loneliness in the wide, empty halls. 'Alayne' had hated living there and had been pleased to leave it with the onset of winter, for the entire fortress would soon freeze solid. Before her death (cruelly murdered by Littlefinger, a horrible secret Sansa was forced to keep for her own safety), Aunt Lysa had hated her and treated her badly, for she was jealous of her new husband's attention to her pretty young niece. Lysa's characteristic Tully loveliness had faded from worry and too many miscarriages, and in contrast, demure Sansa shared her lady mother's beauty. As the Arryn entourage precariously descended the mountain, Sansa vowed to that she would never return to that accursed castle.
Lively Randa Royce possessed less than thirty namedays and insisted that she was an unwanted widow, smirking that she had killed her husband, an older man who had died on top of her and inside her. The irreverent woman was absolutely delighted to note how intensely 'Alayne' reddened upon hearing these words and giggled at her embarrassment. From that moment on Randa amused herself by finding ways to cause the pretty and innocent maiden to blush. Since it was commonly believed that bastards were hot-blooded and licentious, Lady Myranda loved to repeat salacious gossip to 'Alayne' and observe the naïve girl's discomfort. Although Randa presented herself as a frivolous airhead, she was actually quite astute, paid attention to the news, and had a very clear idea of the political climate of Westeros.
'Alayne' had learned about Prince Joffrey's death, Tyrion's trial and disappearance from Randa. She was also dismayed to hear Randa's recounting of the Red Wedding and was forced to hide her emotions upon hearing the details of that horrible affair, but soon found some privacy and cried her heart out. Sansa was startled to also learn from Randa that supposedly the Lannisters had arranged for their new vassal, the treacherous Ramsey Bolton, who had been awarded Winterfell after the fall of the Starks, to wed her younger sister Arya. Randa was suspicious of this act, relating that rumors held that the girl in question seemed to be too old to be Arya, and was probably an imposter. Randa pointedly asked 'Alayne' if she had seen the younger Stark girl imprisoned in the Red Keep, and Sansa shook her head in the negative, whilst thinking, Arya would have died before allowing herself to be taken prisoner, and she went missing the day that Father was dragged to the cells. Arya would kill anyone that tried to force her into a marriage! She could just imagine her violent younger sister furiously swinging her little wooden sword at a perceived enemy and wondered what the truth was about this 'Arya Stark'.
At the Gates of the Moon, Randa enjoyed 'Alayne's' company and kept Sansa apprised of the news of the realm. Randa told Sansa about the strange rumors originating from the Twins, how on the night of Lord Walder Frey's sudden death, the information was hysterically reported by a mysterious young, brown-haired kitchen scullion in a bloodstained dress named 'Nan', who first raised the alarm in the dining hall and subsequently disappeared, never to be seen again, along with five score of imprisoned Northerners, leaving behind one dead dungeon guard, stabbed through the heart in the same manner as Lord Frey and his heir. Sansa was very doubtful about this 'Nan' and suspected that somehow Arya might be involved. A bloody act of vengeance was definitely something she would have expected of her hot-tempered sibling. Strangely enough, the thought of Arya exacting retribution for the wrongs done to her family improved her mood and gave her a bit of hope.
Several months after the news of Lord Walder's mysterious death arrived in the Vale, 'Alayne's' monotonous life was disrupted when Randa enthusiastically informed her that Westeros was abuzz with the news that the long missing Arya Stark was alive and had retaken Winterfell with a host of Northerners. Sansa also learned that Ramsey Bolton was dead, decapitated by Lady Arya's sworn shield, an enraged mountain of a man. Ramsey's bride had been revealed as an imposter, the daughter of the castle's former steward. Startled, Sansa realized that false Arya had been her old friend Jeyne Poole. Now Sansa was eager for all the news of the fighting in the north that Randa received.
Just as Sansa's patience was wearing thin, stories arrived recounting that Torrhen's Square and the Last Hearth had been retaken from Lord Roose Bolton's allies, and the Northern army was marching to the Dreadfort to confront Lord Bolton. Randa excitedly added, "Since King Robb and many of his closest supporters were murdered, the surviving vassals of the Starks intend to proclaim Arya the Queen of the North and she is now leading them to battle."
Abruptly, Sansa's mood turned dark and jealous, and she bristled, I should be Queen of the North, not my baby sister!
Randa's eyes sparkled and she continued to relate the gossip, "They say that Lady Arya is beautiful and resembles her Aunt Lyanna Stark, the one who caused Robert's Rebellion, and has many suitors. I would love to meet her; it would be so exciting!"
Sansa was beginning to lose her temper, Arya horseface is now considered a beauty! That cannot be! I am the beautiful sister and should have lots of suitors! By now 'Alayne Stone' was quite fed up with the drab colors, plain dresses, and subdued jewelry that she was required to wear as the highborn natural daughter of a lord. She was jealous that her baby sister had the right to dress as extravagantly as she desired as the Lady of Winterfell and possibly the Queen of the North. I cannot take any more! Arya never wanted to be a lady or even a queen, but I always have! Sansa fumed. She cautiously enquired of her friend, "Randa, Arya Stark has an older sister, Sansa, who was wed to Tyrion Lannister against her will and disappeared after Joffrey died. Would not the older sister have a stronger claim to be Lady of Winterfell and Queen of the North?"
The clever woman looked very thoughtful and replied, "I suppose that if Sansa Stark reappeared and claimed her birthright, her lord father's vassals would to so honor her." Then she smirked, "But, Alayne, I suspect that if the missing bride of the absent kinslayer Tyrion Lannister openly declared her identity, Queen Cersei would forthwith remove her head in vengeance for her poisoned son."
Now Sansa grinned conspiratorially, "But what if Sansa Stark was far removed from the clutches of the queen?" Randa's eyes widened with surprise as she realized that 'Alayne' had some interesting information to relate, and she loved a good mystery. Bending the top of her head towards the older woman, Sansa ordered, "Randa, look at the roots of my hair. What do you see?"
Randa stuttered in amazement, "Alayne, they are red! Brown is not your natural color!"
Sansa smiled, "Aye, my hair is actually auburn. And what of my eyes?"
Lady Royce's countenance displayed her shock as she exclaimed, "Your eyes are Tully blue, like Lady Lysa and Catelyn Stark!" She paused and put her hand over her mouth, "Alayne, are you Lady Catelyn's daughter?! Are you Sansa Stark?!"
Sansa beamed triumphantly, "Aye, that is my real name, and I am sick to death of pretending to be Littlefinger's natural daughter!" But then her countenance clouded over, and with a gush of emotion she related her whole wretched history since leaving Winterfell to Randa, who listened to the tale with rapt attention and occasionally wrapped her arms around weeping girl when she disclosed how she had witnessed the beheading of her lord father and later learned about the murders of her lady mother and brother Robb. Drying her eyes, Sansa looked bravely at her friend and asked, "Randa, will you help me take what I deserve?"
Lady Myranda considered what a grand adventure that would be and nodded, "Aye, Alayne, like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, I will help you emerge as Lady Sansa Stark."
Possessing seven and ten namedays, Sansa Stark had become as stunningly beautiful as admirers had predicted when she was still a child. Randa brushed out her long, loose auburn locks until they shone, and demurely applied only enough make-up to enhance her striking blue eyes, full lips, and high cheekbones. Lady Lysa had maintained a wardrobe in her chambers at the Gates of the Moon and Randa found an attractive frock from when Lysa had been more youthful and had it tailored to Sansa's frame. She also fitted Sansa with a corset to help her appear older and to augment her developing voluptuous figure. Randa adjusted the bodice to reveal just enough décolletage to capture every man's attention but not enough for her to appear wanton. Clever and well-endowed Randa was well aware of how men responded to varying amounts of displayed cleavage and often took advantage of this fact. Lastly, she decorated Sansa's pale throat with Lysa's diamond and emerald necklace and arranged a delicate golden chain embellished with the same gems into her hair. When she done, Randa stepped back to admire her efforts and murmured, "Well, Alayne, I mean Lady Sansa, you certainly do look like the Queen of North."
Sansa approved of the visage that gazed back at her from the mirror and was most pleased. Having been flattered constantly from a young age by those who loved her, she was quite vain about her appearance and Randa's ministrations had brought out the best in her looks. As she twirled in the silk gown before the mirror, she smiled and thought, There is no way that Arya can be more beautiful than I am! I shall become Queen of the North! Turning now to her friend, Sansa bobbed her head in appreciation, "Thank you, Randa, you are a genius. You made me appear exactly the way I feel!"
Randa nodded in agreement and asked curiously, "So now what, Princess?" She was most intrigued about the ramifications of what was to come and was looking forward to an adventure.
"First we must inform Petyr that I shall no longer pretend to be the bastard nursemaid to little Robert. Then we must contrive to persuade him to take me north."
With a thoughtful expression, Randa replied, "I think that can be arranged, and it will certainly disrupt the politics of the Vale."
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The Lord Protector of the Vale was at his desk in his solar reviewing correspondences when Sansa regally sauntered into the chamber, with Lady Myranda Royce following close behind her. "Ah, Alayne, my dear," Petyr endeavored to suppress his surprise at Sansa's appearance as he enquired curiously, "What is the meaning of this?"
Desperately trying to hide the nervousness she always felt when dealing with the devious Littlefinger, Sansa bravely pronounced, "I am done playing 'Alayne Stone', Petyr. I wish to become Sansa Stark again."
Glancing at Randa and realizing that another person was involved in Sansa's strategy, whatever it was, he replied, "Really, sweetling? And for what reason?"
Sansa's confidence grew as she explained her purpose, "I have learned that the Northern lords, believing that my recently reappeared sister Arya is the sole remaining descendant of my lord father, are prepared to proclaim her the Queen of the North, a role that is rightly mine. I am prepared to travel to the Northern army as they defeat the upstart Boltons and announce my existence. Will you support me?" She was relieved to have uttered such a bold statement without stuttering and now imperiously stood tall, awaiting his answer.
Petyr did not respond immediately, but sat with a parchment missive still raised in his hands as he gazed thoughtfully at Sansa. Lord Baelish was well aware of the recent events in the North and had followed the reports about the movements of the suddenly reemerged Arya Stark and the army she had gathered. Petyr thrived on chaos and disruption of normal politics and had been considering how to adapt this turn of events to his advantage. Now his young ward had unwittingly dropped the opportunity into his lap.
The Lord Protector knew that he was unpopular with the Lords of the Vale, who would have been mightily pleased if he simply disappeared, but had grudgingly allowed him one year to prove that he deserved the titles of regent and advisor to young Lord Robert Arryn and leader of the extremely prosperous kingdom. His schemes included revealing 'Alayne's' true identity at the proper moment and wedding her to sickly Lord Robert, or, upon poor Robert's natural or contrived (through an accidental overdose of medication) death from the shaking sickness, to marry her to the sole surviving descendant of Lord Jon Arryn, his dissolute nephew, Harrold Harding, a grown man squiring in the service to Lady Anya Waynwood of Ironoaks Castle, and known as 'Harry the Heir'.
Either course of action would have served to consolidate his power in the Vale, but now Sansa had unexpectedly given him the means to increase his influence beyond the mountains that surrounded that isolated kingdom. The Lords of Vale hated the Lannisters, blaming the Lions and their minions for their losses whilst fighting the Targaryens, as well as for the suspicious death of their liege lord Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, in the Red Keep. They were also somewhat loyal to House Tully of the Riverlands and the Starks of Winterfell. If Petyr could convince the Lords of the Vale to aid their neighbors by sending their well-equipped and powerful army to join the battle, whilst implying that he would leave the Vale with Sansa, he would still have allies in said kingdom, as well as earning the appreciation of two others. The possibilities of personal gain for the crafty opportunist were boundless!
Petyr looked closely at Sansa and drawled, "So, Sansa, the allure of marrying Sweetrobin and becoming Lady Arryn of the Vale has lost its allure for you, heh? You would like to return home now and claim a throne instead? Mayhaps that is a loftier goal." Then he looked past Sansa and added, "Lady Royce, I assume my ward has confessed the truth about her identity to you." Randa simply nodded and Petyr continued, "Know that the subterfuge was necessary for her personal safety."
There was a pause in the conversation for a moment, and then Petyr face bore a smile that was more dangerous than pleasant, "Well, since you ladies are both so clever, I suppose we must devise a plan that will lead to Sansa's success. Let us put our heads together."
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A few days later, Lady Waynwood, Lords Yohn Royce, Gilwood Hunter, Horton Redfort, Benedar Belmore, and Sers Symond Templeton and Lyn Corbray, representing the most powerful Houses in the Vale, met in the Great Hall of the Gates of the Moon, their presence urgently requested by Lady Myranda's father, Lord Nestor Royce. The membership of this council was significant because they represented the 'Lords Declarant', specifically the leaders of the Houses most loyal to House Arryn, and had tried to depose the Lord Protector and failed. The lords frowned and wondered why they were called when they observed Littlefinger in attendance, standing by the side of little Lord Robert Arryn, looking thin and wan as he sat on a pile of pillows in an imposing chair much too large for his undersized frame. Sweetrobin's nose was running, his eyes were damp, and he appeared decidedly unhealthy. Not for the first time, the lords of the Vale wondered how much longer their liege lord would survive the Lord Protector's 'loving care'.
The lords were even more surprised when an astoundingly beautiful young woman swept proudly into the hall, her head held high and exhibiting the carriage of nobility. Baffled, they felt that there was something familiar about the lass, but they did not recognize her. At that moment, Baelish spoke up, "Aye, my lords and lady, you may have noticed some similarity between the lovely maiden and my natural daughter, Alayne Stone, whom you all have met several times, but you have before you now, Lady Sansa Stark of Winterfell, Princess of the North, and she and Alayne are the same person."
The assemblage erupted with loud exclamations and questions, and Petyr raised his arms to call for silence and continued, "Both my dear departed Lady Lysa and her sister Catelyn were close childhood friends of mine, and I had the opportunity to rescue Lady Stark's daughter from the clutches of the evil Lannisters and brought her out of King's Landing. The Lannisters have agents everywhere and I found it safer to hide Lady Sansa's true identity for the nonce. Now that the Northern lords have reorganized and are reclaiming their kingdom from Lannister minions, it is the proper time for her to return home and assume the leadership of her House."
There was a buzz in the hall as the attendees considered and discussed the unexpected news and they gazed at Lady Sansa, now perceiving her obvious kinship with House Tully.
Lord Yohn Royce, the military and political leader of the Vale, pushed himself forward and loudly enquired, "That is all very interesting, Lord Baelish, but what does it have to do with us?"
As though he had been waiting for an opening, Littlefinger turned to Lord Royce, and eagerly responded, "A wise question, my lord. Ever since the Lords of the Vale temporarily approved of my stewardship, I have endeavored to prove my worthiness of the post. I have also made it my business to observe the business of the kingdoms outside our mountains. Careful study of the present hostilities in the North leads me to concur that the contentious armies are almost evenly matched at this point, and there is no guarantee that the Northerners will defeat the Boltons. However, I have calculated that with the aid of the formidable knights of the Vale, the army of Winterfell would seize the day. In fact, I believe that the combined forces of the North, the Vale, and those Houses that remain loyal to Riverrun, which was awarded to the Freys by Tywin Lannister, could drive the Lions from the Trident region and our borders."
Ser Lyn Corbray roughly demanded, "You said that there was an advantage to helping the North, Lord Protector?"
Littlefinger nodded, "If the North prevailed, I am sure that they would show their gratitude whilst sharing the wealth of the Dreadfort as well as other forms of remuneration. There is one other reward I have considered. As you know, The North may be large in area, but it is limited in population and croplands. In contrast, the Vale is blessed with ample produce, but must compete with the Crownlands and the Reach for a market to sell our goods. Especially following the enemy occupation, the North will be eager to seek trade agreements that would favor their allies. I propose to serve as the Vale's ambassador to the North and secure the contracts."
Lord Royce raised his eyebrows and quickly spoke up, "You would leave the Vale?"
Once again, Baelish nodded, "I would accompany Lady Sansa to Winterfell as her advisor, the role I have readily filled since the unfortunate demise of her noble parents.
The lords of the Vale shared discreet glances, all thinking as one, We would be rid of the devious Littlefinger! The prospect of financial benefits was also most appealing to the lords and their interest had increased as Littlefinger spoke. Although he knew that Petyr held the true power, Lord Royce formally addressed his liege lord. "What say you, my lord? Shall the Vale go to war?"
Young Robert had been listlessly observing the proceeding from his cushioned seat and rubbing his bleary eyes, and he spoke up in a thin voice, "I want to help my cousin Sansa regain what was hers. I want to make her happy."
Several days earlier, Sansa, Randa, and Petyr had consolidated their plans, which included Randa convincing her lord father to call the meeting and then preparing Sansa to appear exactly as she had when she entered Petyr's solar. That evening, when the whimpering Sweetrobin crawled into her bed, she steeled her nerve and gritted her teeth as she allowed the needy child to abuse her bosom. She stroked his head and whispered calming phrases. When the boy finally laid his face quietly between her breasts and appeared to be relaxed, she began to cry softly. Robert raised his head and asked, "Why do you cry, Alayne?" Sansa began to weave an artful tale of her true identity and how much she missed her home and family, and now learning that her dear sister was alive, her heart ached to see her again. Robert truly loved his sympathetic cousin and boldly vowed that he would make her happy. Wiping her tears, Sansa explained what he could do to help, and the simple boy nodded vigorously. Sansa cleverly added that her trip north would only be a temporary one, and as soon as she could, she would return to her beloved Sweetrobin and relate the wonderful tales of her adventures to him. Both Littlefinger and Sansa were most pleased when Robert played his part so well at the meeting.
Lord Royce was ready to take action. The bold warrior was known as 'Bronze Yohn' and still chafed at the fact that Lady Lysa had forbad her army from seeking revenge for the death and capture of her Stark and Tully kinfolks at the Red Wedding. She had insisted that the Vale remain neutral and avoid the wrath of the powerful Lannisters. House Royce was related by marriage to the Starks and now Lord Yohn saw his opportunity for vengeance. Ser Lyn Corbray, another formidable and bloodthirsty warrior of the Vale, also moved forward and announced that he would join Lord Yohn in preparing their forces for departure post haste.
Lady Myranda Royce interjected that, as Lady Sansa had no handmaidens of her own, she would provide the necessary noble trappings and travel with the maiden as her companion. To everyone's surprise, Harrold Harding, better known as 'Harry the Heir', stepped forward and loudly proclaimed that he would accompany Lady Sansa as her personal protection. With Lady Waynwood's blessing (in return for debt forgiveness) and Lord Baelish's encouragement, Harry had been wooing 'Alayne Stone'. However, he was really a cad and was also seeking to seduce young Alayne as well, having previously sired natural children by two of Lady Waynwood's servants. Harry was truly fond of the Lord Protector's pretty natural daughter, but once he learned that she was actually a beautiful princess, he convinced himself that he was in love with her.
Sansa enjoyed kissing Harry, for he was very handsome and she enjoyed his lively company, but when they kissed, his hands were far too active in molesting her body, causing her to feel very uncomfortable. In fact, she was so displeased with the questing lips and groping hands of Sweetrobin, Petyr, and Harry, that she wished to be free of them all! Sansa gifted Harry with a false soft smile for the declaration of his devotion, but was not all that happy with the idea of having to endure his company on the journey north. Mayhaps clever Randa can keep him at bay, she thought, but added grimly, Even better, mayhaps my fierce little sister Arya would poke both Harry and Petyr full of holes if I beg her to end the harassment! Harry observed how broadly Sansa smiled at this thought, and assumed her good humor was the result of his statement.
Surveying the mounted army of the Vale as the knights in their shiny plate armor lined up to pass through the Bloody Gate, Littlefinger smiled conspiratorially at Sansa and murmured, "My, my, little spider, what a fine web you weave. I give you credit for your ingenuity, for as your mentor, I am proud of what you have achieved."
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Notes:
'Alayne Stone's' adventures in the Vale are covered in "A Storm of Swords", "A Feast for Crows", and "A Dance of Dragons". If the actions of the lecherous and crafty Littlefinger makes your skin crawl, you will be most intrigued by the nefarious plans that he explains in detail to Sansa. Like much of "ASoIaF", it makes for great reading.
Next: Back to the Northerner's intended confrontation with Roose Bolton's forces.
