The gentle walk through the keep was soothing for Rhaena, especially now that she no longer had guards breathing down her neck at every twist and turn. Lord Stark had asserted that she no longer needed watching as she had given her word to the Hand that she would not try to run away or start a rebellion behind the king's back, which had made her laugh at the thought of anyone following a mere seventeen year old girl to war. Still, she relished in these days of peace and a smaller degree in freedom. She had not been called upon by the queen in weeks to be reprimanded or punished for one thing or the other, had not been at the beck and call of lords and ladies or the subject of insults and abuse by the knights and soldiers, and had most certainly not crossed paths with the king either by design or unfortunate mishap…it was bliss. It was fortunate, perhaps, that Rhaena happened to be passing by the very same gate which Arya was attempting to enter through after having returned from her own misadventures.
Her voice had drifted into Rhaena's attention before all at once she snatched hold of it, swiftly turning on her heel and rushing towards the source as Arya had been missing for quite some time. Rhaena had simply believed her to be training for her dancing lessons and gotten carried away, but to hear her from outside the gate meant that she had somehow left the castle and was now struggling to get back inside. When she came to a halt and saw Arya standing her ground against a pair of Gold Cloaks, Rhaena almost gagged at the sight of her. She was filthy and looked like a beggar and she could smell what the filth was even from where she was standing. "I want to see my father!" Arya was saying angrily as the two imbecilic guards laughed at her, clearly not knowing who she was. One even gave a rather disgusting remark about what he wanted to do with the queen. It was fortunate for him the queen did not hear otherwise that man would no longer be wearing his head on his neck.
"You want your father, boy? I'll tell you exactly where he is." The other said. "He's lying on the floor of some tavern being pissed on by his friends." Arya drew herself up and snarled like the little wolf she was as Rhaena recovered from her shock and began to hurry forwards.
"My father is Hand of the King, my name is Arya Stark of Winterfell and if you dare lay a hand on me, my father shall first cut off your hands then have your heads on spikes. Now let me pass!" She ordered and the soldiers hesitated. "Or do you need me to smack you around the ear to help with your hearing?" Truth be told, Rhaena rather admired Arya for her remarks and was quite impressed with her tenacity. "Rhae!" Brightening upon seeing her friend, Arya flung out her hand towards the two guards. "Tell them who I am Rhae! These idiots won't let me in!"
"Let her pass." Nodding her head with an outstretched hand to Arya, Rhaena fixed her eye upon the guards. "She is indeed the daughter of the Hand of the King. You should count yourselves lucky this did not escalate as her father would have met with her threats and more." All colour visibly drained from their faces as Arya scampered passed them and rushed to Rhaena who had to breathe through her mouth and not her nose in order to be able to tolerate Arya's presence. "Where in the name of the gods have you been? And what are you covered in? Arya, you had better have an excellent explanation for all this. Your father is just about ready to begin tearing King's Landing apart stone by stone for you."
"Never mind that Rhae, I must find my father, it's important!" Arya paid no attention to any of Rhaena's questions and instead took hold of her hand in order to pull her forwards and have her follow her inside in search of her father. Of course, when the servants and guards in Lord Stark's employ began to notice that Arya had returned the word quickly spread which meant by the time, they had located Lord Stark in his office, he was waiting for them patiently. Rhaena had first taken Arya to quickly wash and clean up because she was in no fit state to be presented to her father in such a manner, taking the clothes and instructing for them to be washed and if they could not be salvaged than to donate them to the poor. Arya never liked bathing, however this time she did not fuss or protest as Rhaena helped to wash her hair and scrub under her fingernails as she sat in the tub.
"Honestly Arya, you gave us all such a fright." Rhaena reprimanded as she poured another jug of water over Arya's head to begin rinsing out the soap suds. "Wherever did you go? You are lucky you were not beaten and thrown back out of the keep with the way you returned covered in such muck and smelling like a pauper." Doing her best to be gentle but quick, Rhaena began to comb through Arya's hair to ensure that she had managed to get the filth off her all the way to her scalp.
"I need to tell my father what I heard whilst I was chasing cats, it's very important! You see…" To this Rhaena quickly hushed Arya, lowering her voice as she leaned down so that she would not be heard.
"Not here, not now. There are ears listening to us. Save it for your father and tell me later, little wolf." Sighing softly, Rhaena then gave Arya a smile as she sponged at her face. "I am simply glad you are back, safe and sound." Once Rhaena was satisfied that Arya was clean and no longer smelled like a sewer, she patted the younger girl dry and helped her to dress in clean, fresh clothing before then taking her by the hand to all but march her to her father who must have been out of his mind with worry. Having reached Lord Stark's office they found Jory guarding who gave them both a respectful bow before he then knocked smartly on the door before opening it in order so that Rhaena could guide Arya inside. "Lord Hand, Arya has been found." She announced simply, giving a stern look to Arya who at least had the decency to look a little guilty so eventually Rhaena smiled and winked at her as her father released a heavy sigh of relief. He had been fraught with worry for his daughter when she could not be found. Lord Stark gave Rhaena his thanks so she bowed her head gracefully before then drawing the door closed so that Arya could speak with her father in private. Whatever it was, the news did not appear to be good. She waited politely outside the door without listening even to the slight murmurs from within, waiting until they were done before she could whisk Arya away to have her wash and change into something clean and perhaps be more recognisable as the daughter of a lord. Having stood there for only a few minutes with Jory who was keeping guard, Rhaena heard approaching footsteps and looked up to see a man she did not recognise, but wore a distinctive black uniform. A man of the Night's Watch.
"My lady." He greeted politely which Rhaena was not expecting but returned the delivered bow with a curtsey of her own. The man seemed a little ragged as if he had ridden a long way in a short time, mud splattered and unkempt from his travels. Giving her a brief nod and even a hint of a smile as his eyes searched her face, he then turned to Jory in order to announce himself. "I'm here to see the Hand of the King on urgent business."
"The Lord Hand is currently unavailable…" Jory began however the stranger insisted that he needed to speak to Lord Stark immediately as his news could not wait. To this Jory glanced to Rhaena with a look, seemingly uncertain on whether or not to interrupt Lord Stark whilst speaking with Arya but Rhaena could see that this man was unlikely to take no for an answer and would probably force his way inside if he was not permitted in.
"I should think it would be alright, Jory." She told him softly with a nod of her head, to which the stranger gave her a grateful tilt of acknowledgement as Jory then knocked on the door and pushed it open in order to address Lord Stark.
"Pardon, my lord. There's a Night's Watchman here begging a word. He says it's urgent." Craning her neck Rhaena was able to see Lord Stark as he nodded his head before the stranger went on inside to deliver his news. Jory did not close the door so Rhaena was able to see and hear everything as Lord Stark asked the stranger for his name, greeting him as a friend.
"Yoren, if it please." Introducing himself, Yoren then looked at Arya who stood at her father's side. "This must be your son. He has the look."
"I'm a girl!" Finding Arya's indignation amusing, Rhaena lifted her hand to her mouth in order to hide her smile. For someone who insisted at swordplay as well as dressing and behaving like a little boy, Arya always adamantly defended that she was a girl every time she was mistaken for a boy. Sometimes Rhaena teased her for it, though never out of malice and Arya always ended up laughing.
"Did Benjen send you?"
"No one sent me, my lord. I'm here to find men for the Wall, see if there's any scum in the dungeons that might be fit for service." So he was here to recruit men for the Night's Watch. Immediately thinking of Jon, Rhaena wondered how he was faring so far North. Was he finding his duties easy? Difficult? Was he being treated well? There had still been no letter from him though he had promised to send one as soon as he was able. Perhaps men of the Night's Watch were forbidden to write letters, especially to women since their oaths forbade them from ever marrying or fathering sons of their own. Not that there was any sort of notion between Jon and Rhaena, only friendship, but she thought it would be a little too cruel to forbid sending letters to friends and family when they had very little else to give them comfort in such a harsh environment. Lord Stark responded with a promise that recruits would be found for Yoren to take back to the Wall, however it appeared that this was not the only reason that he had come seeking the Hand of the King. "Thank you, my lord, but that's not why I disturb you now. Your brother, Benjen…" Rhaena recalled vaguely glimpsing Benjen Stark when he had taken Jon away with him North to the Wall when their paths had separated on the Kingsroad. "His blood runs black. Makes him as much my brother as yours. It's for his sake I rode here so hard I damn near killed my horse. There are others riding too. The whole city will know by tomorrow."
"Know what?" Now the apprehension and concern could be heard in Lord's Stark's voice, however to this Yoren looked to young Arya at her father's side and tentatively suggested that this news was better shared in private. Understanding, Rhaena watched as Lord Stark placed a kiss on his daughter's head before gently pushing her forwards. "Go on. We'll talk more later." Giving her a reassuring nod, Lord Stark then turned to both Jory and Rhaena who had stood silently at the door all the while. "Jory, take her safely to her room. My lady, if you would be so kind as to keep her company, I would greatly appreciate your kindness." Jory immediately gestured for Arya to come with him as Rhaena curtseyed acceptingly, hoping that whatever news had been brought to Lord Stark it would not be so terrible, though judging the tension carried by Yoren, she doubted it was anything cheerful.
"Come along, my lady. You heard your father." Arya seemed hesitant to leave even as Rhaena took her hand, looking back over her shoulder until the door had closed firmly shut between herself and her father. The young girl then immediately looked to Jory with her brow furrowed deeply in concern.
"How many guards does my father have?"
"Here in King's Landing? Fifty." If he was surprised by such a question then Jory did not show it, though Rhaena was now growing increasingly concerned for Arya. She had never known Arya to be fearful or nervous about anything, but now the young girl was seemingly overcome with anxiousness and something was clearly weighing upon her mind.
"You wouldn't let anyone kill him, would you?"
"No fear on that count, little lady."
"Arya, what has gotten into you?" Concerned for her younger friend, Rhaena continued to hold her hand all the way back to her chambers where Jory opened the door and bowed to them both as they entered. "Thank you, Jory. I will stay here with Lady Arya for the time being." To this Jory smiled handsomely and thanked Rhaena before closing the door between them, allowing the girls some privacy and Rhaena immediately set about searching the room to ensure that there was no one hiding under the bed or in the dresser and even poked up the flute of the hearth to check that no one had crammed themselves up there in order to listen in on their conversation. It had happened before and Rhaena was not taking any risks even as Arya frowned at her in bewilderment. Once satisfied they were alone, Rhaena then took Arya by both hands to sit her down and asked her to tell her everything that had happened slowly and as best as she could remember. It was no shock that the story began with chasing cats, for Syrio Forel, Arya's dancing master, had suggested that observing cats was an excellent way to develop agility and grace, but Rhaena had Arya gloss over the cat in order to reach the main point of the story.
Arya related the great skull of a dragon she had found in the dungeons but had heard two men talking so she had hidden herself inside the skull as not to be seen, where the men talked about wolves fighting lions and something about savages though Arya could not remember any specific details, but she distinctly recalled the men discussing her father the Hand, and how if one Hand could die then another could as well. "My father is in danger, Rhae. Someone intends to kill him!"
"Are you certain this is what you heard?" Grasping Arya tightly, Rhaena looked at her with a calm and steady gaze whilst feeling a rioting sickness within at the thought of someone hurting Lord Stark. "Think carefully Arya, this is important. Did you recognise either of the men who were talking?" To this Arya shook her head, explaining that it was too dark to see properly but she remained adamant that they had discussed her father and that he was going to die. "Hush now, I am certain we will get to the bottom of this. Now, what happened next?" It was the next words which Arya related to Rhaena which were perhaps the most shocking of all. She had managed to escape from the castle through the dungeons by going through a tunnel and making her way out where it joined the sewers and led to the shore at the bottom of the cliffs below the keep. "You…you escaped? You have found a way out?" Hardly believing her ears, Rhaena's throat went completely dry as she thought back on all those years running and hiding from everyone, all the suffering she had endured, and she could have run away from it all if she had just found that very same passage. "Do you think you could remember where it is, Arya, and how to get out again?"
"I'm not sure…possibly. If I went back there again I think I could find my way." It was upon this that Rhaena hung all of her future hopes, because she had lived in King's Landing long enough to be able to recognise when there was something dark unfolding around them. Secrets and plots, threats and fears, everything was beginning to rise to its zenith. Rhaena worried for the future and safety of the Stark girls and it appeared her concerns were well warranted because barely an hour later that movement was heard from outside. Lord Stark's men had gathered and were now positioned outside of not only Arya's room, but Rhaena's and Sansa's as well.
"Excuse me, but please could you tell me what is happening?" Rhaena asked quietly as she pulled the door to as to not wake Arya who had fallen asleep not long ago.
"Lord Stark's orders, milady." One of the men said to her gently with a compassionate look for Rhaena's worried expression. "We're just here to ensure the safety of the young ladies and yourself. We've not been told anything else." Nodding her head, Rhaena glanced up and down the hallway before retreating back into Arya's room and began to pace. Something had clearly happened. Lord Stark would not have his men gather to protect his daughters unless there was a chance that someone might come after them for some reason. The only reason someone would seek to take his daughters would be to use them as leverage against him, which meant whatever new news had arrived centred around Lord Stark. Rhaena was desperate to know however the only person she could ask was Lord Varys and she could not openly go looking for him. She would have to wait until he came to her, if he ever did, and the only valuable information that she possessed was what Arya had told her about what she had heard in the dungeons and the route with which she had managed to leave the keep undetected. As much as she liked Varys and trusted that he would never do her harm…she could not trust anyone else with such precious information. If things were to suddenly go sour as she expected they very well might, then that escape route may be the only thing that will save her life and perhaps even the lives of Sansa and Arya. No, she could not barter that away. She would find some other method, and pray that she will never have a need to smuggle the Stark girls out of the Red Keep.