Arya arrives and removes a problem. Then she creates another.
22. Faceless Woman - Sansa
This isn't nearly enough, she thought, looking over the report that Maester Wolkan had written for her. Our food stocks are dangerously low. The North had always persevered through harsh winters before, but this time her people didn't have the opportunity to prepare. So many wars…
"My queen?" Littlefinger's voice called from behind the door.
She sighed, raising a hand to massage her forehead. When will I be rid of him? She wondered, before nodding to Brienne. The tall woman moved to open the door, and the man's smiling face greeted her.
"What is it, my lord? I'm a busy woman." She said, picking up a quill. Perhaps the Iron Bank can help. We can't eat gold or silver. They could trade it for something more useful. She would have to write to Braavos, then make sure White Harbor had enough ships for the voyage.
"Yes, of course." He nodded, with a smirk. "Being Queen in the North must be taxing. Though I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."
She paused and fixed him with a glare. Get to the point.
He blinked a few times and continued, "Well, I just wanted to warn you of Lord Robin Arryn's arrival. He's sent word from Castle Cerwyn, so he shouldn't be long." He glanced at the papers on her desk, trying to catch a glimpse of their content.
Sansa folded her hands and laid them on the desk, blocking his view. "Thank you. If that's all…" She raised her eyebrows.
"He's bringing ten thousand soldiers to help your cause." He made to leave, but stopped at the door to look back, "And all the surplus grain, wheat and vegetables the Vale had to offer." With that, he left.
Brienne closed the door behind him. "He certainly tries very hard to please you…" She turned around. "Too late, if you ask me."
Sansa sighed. Was the Three-eyed Raven right? Should I use him? "Indeed. Nothing he does now will ever erase what he did before. I'll never forgive him." She picked up the quill again and started writing.
"Your Grace!" Another voice disturbed her. This time it was unfamiliar.
She nodded to Brienne, and the woman opened. Two guards entered, looking flustered.
"Yes? Is something wrong?" She asked.
They looked at each other, almost trying to push the other one to talk. Eventually, one of them spoke, "W-Well, it's just that there's a girl at the South Gate, Your Grace."
The other gained courage and added, "And she's going on and on about Luwin, and Rodrik, and other names we've never heard before…"
Arya! She quickly rose from her seat, her heartbeat racing. "Where is she?"
"We told her to wait near the smithy."
Sansa practically ran towards the South Gate, moving as fast as her long dress allowed her. But when she arrived there, her sister was nowhere to be found. Where… She considered looking for her, before remembering that Bran could see everything. Next time, I'll just go to him first. So she went to the godswood.
The Three-eyed Raven was at his usual spot, near the Heart Tree. Only his chair was different. There were big wheels strapped to either side, and track marks on the snow. Clever. It should make it easier for him to move.
"Nice chair." She greeted him.
He turned to look at her with those dead eyes. "Maester Wolkan helped me build it. Based on an old design." He paused. "You're looking for Arya."
"Yes." Sansa replied, thinking of how boring it must be to always know everything. I suppose nothing would surprise me, she conceded, but not all surprises are unpleasant.
"You've just missed her. We were talking about your father." Our father, Bran, she thought, sadly. He continued, "She seemed upset when I told her that Petyr Baelish had been responsible for Lord Stark's arrest in King's Landing."
"What?" She didn't know about this.
"Eddard Stark had put his faith in Baelish, but when they confronted Cersei Lannister in front of the Iron Throne, he was betrayed." His monotone voice made it sound like he was reading stories from a book. A terrible story. He closed his eyes. "I did warn you not to trust me." He opened his eyes. "The knife he used then will be used again today."
Sansa was both angry and confused. "Can you at least try to make sense? Where's Arya?"
"She is going to kill Petyr Baelish." He replied. "You cannot stop her. He's on her list now." On her list? What does that even mean? The more he talked, the less sense he made.
"But where is she, exactly?" Sansa had her own plans for Littlefinger. He would still die, though only after she had proven his many crimes to the Vale lords. Especially Robin Arryn.
"She is at the Bell Tower, waiting for him." He closed his eyes. "He's sending a raven from the rookery. But he never leaves a room from the same place he entered. He'll take the bridge to the Bell Tower." He re-opened his eyes. "She has learned much from her time in the House of Black and White."
Sansa didn't even say goodbye before leaving. She had to convince Arya to wait. At least until Lord Arryn arrived with his army. If Baelish dies before that… She didn't even want to think about it. Robin might do something rash.
When she arrived at the Bell Tower, she climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and paused in front of the door to the bridge. She was about to push it open, when it creaked on its own. A short young woman dressed in men's clothes appeared before her.
"Sansa." Arya's voice was a bit different than what she remembered as a child, but the feeling remained the same. "It's been a-"
She tackled her sister in a fierce hug, holding her tight. The Starks are home now. Her eyes watered a bit, as she felt a mixture of guilt and relief at the same time. We were horrible to each other, but now we're the only ones left. After the emotion subsided, she noticed Arya wasn't holding her nearly as tightly. She pulled away from the embrace.
"You look good." Sansa took a moment to examine her. She had her hair pulled back in the northern style, and a thin blade on her belt. "When Bran said you were coming, I almost didn't believe him."
Arya frowned. "Bran says a lot of things now. He's different." That's an understatement, she thought, remembering another thing he had said.
"What about Lord Baelish?" Sansa craned her neck to the side, to try and see beyond. "Did you…" She didn't finish the question, afraid of the answer.
"Yes. He's dead." Arya replied, without emotion. "I took his knife and sliced his throat." And she presented the blade. Sansa recognized the familiar shine. It's Valyrian Steel.
She was unnerved by how her sister had so calmly talked about taking a life. "Arya…" She sighed, massaging her temple. "Why did you do that?"
Arya shrugged. "He was guilty. I swung the sword." Father used to say that. He who passes the sentence should swing the sword. Lord Stark had executed many deserters and criminals, yet none of his daughters had ever seen him deliver the king's justice. He wanted to protect us. It didn't work.
"But who passed the sentence?" Sansa had to make this clear, otherwise she could become a problem in the future. "If what Bran said is true, that was just another of his many crimes. We needed to put him on trial and make sure everyone could witness why he was going to die." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Assassinating him quietly doesn't help anyone."
"I wasn't trying to help. I was delivering justice." Arya justified herself.
"If nobody sees it, you can't call it justice." Sansa was growing tired, but she continued, "How are we going to explain this to the Vale lords? Or to our own people?" She asked, yet didn't wait for a reply. "If Baelish could be killed without a trial, then anyone can be killed in the same way. As far as everyone knew, he was a guest in our home. They would never respect the Stark name again. Have you considered that?"
Arya blinked a few times, clearly thinking about the question. "No." She said in a sad voice, casting her eyes down. Good, Sansa thought, at least she understands the gravity of the situation now.
"Lord Robin Arryn is coming from the Vale with an army of ten thousand soldiers." Sansa was already thinking of how to explain Littlefinger's death. Maybe he was poisoned by his enemies? She would need to speak to Maester Wolkan and persuade the man to help. "He was last seen at Castle Cerwyn, so he should arrive today. I'll have to find a way to convince him we had nothing to do with his father's death."
"His father?" Arya asked. "I thought Jon Arryn was his father."
"Lord Baelish had married aunt Lysa some time ago. Then he killed her." Sansa was the only witness to that murder. I should've accused him. So much pain and suffering could have been avoided had she only told the truth. "But Robin loved him even before that." His uncle Petyr.
Arya looked back at the way she came, a frown on her face. "Maybe I can help."
Sansa raised a hand, shaking her head. "No, that's fine." You've done enough, she wanted to say. "I'll speak to Lord Arryn."
Arya nodded at the door. "I'll take care of it." The body. She didn't want to look at it, but Robin might.
"Just make sure it's presentable. And that there are no visible marks." Sansa wasn't sure her sister knew how to do that. "If you need help, maester Wolkan should be available at the turret below the rookery."
She said goodbye and left her sister. What happened to her? Sansa wondered, as she made her way down. Bran is the Three-eyed Raven and Arya is a cold assassin. She wished Jon were here. Despite everything that had happened to him, he was still Jon. She could still talk to him like a normal person. He hadn't changed. But Jon is Aegon Targaryen, a small voice told her. Perhaps even he will change, after spending time with his aunt.
She shook her head. Let's worry about one thing at a time.
The Vale army arrived later that day. Houses Arryn, Belmore, Corbray, Grafton, Hunter, Redfort, Royce, Templeton and Waynwood were only a few of the banners Sansa could recognize at a distance. Practically every family has sent a representative, she mused, with trepidation. They must be expecting a wedding.
She was lined up with most of her lords and ladies near the South Gate. Sansa made sure to wear her most extravagant dress, a splendidly white gown adorned by red details at the sleeves, covered by a simple grey fur cloak. Brienne was standing close by, having been warned of the possibility of conflict. And Ghost was sitting on his haunches at a safe distance, his red eyes scanning the area with attention. Hopefully it won't come to violence.
A carriage with the banner of a blue falcon against a white moon on a blue field stopped by the gate. House Arryn. Two servants moved to open the door, and Lord Robin Arryn stepped outside. The young man was pale, with brown hair and big dark eyes. He was dressed in a doublet of cream and blue, covered by a thick white bearskin cloak.
He seemed overwhelmed by the number of people watching him, as he darted his eyes from one person to another. Lord Yohn Royce stepped forward to greet his liege, probably worried about how the Vale was represented in the North. Robin really doesn't make a good first impression.
"My lord, this is Sansa Stark." Lord Royce moved a hand towards her. "The Queen in the North."
Lord Arryn sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Graceful. "Nice to see you again, cousin." He said, bowing awkwardly.
"Likewise, my lord." She replied, with a practised smile on her face. "The North welcomes you. And we hope this alliance can provide a better future for all of us."
He nodded. "Yes. Uncle Petyr said something similar in his letter." He glanced around, narrowing his eyes. "Where is he, anyway? I expected to see his face before all others. He was the reason I came here in the first place."
Sansa took a deep breath, steeling herself. The key to a good lie is mixing a little truth into it, he used to say. Time to prove it. "Lord Baelish is-"
"Right here, my queen." Littlefinger's smooth voice interrupted her. She turned to see… Impossible. There he was, dressed in a blue velvet tunic, covered by a grey silk cloak fastened with a silver mockingbird, just the same as the last time she had seen him alive. He was coming from the direction of the kitchens.
Did Arya lie about killing him, or… What? Sansa didn't know what to think.
"Forgive me for my lateness, but I was dead tired." He smiled at her, his eyes shining.
Well, this is interesting. Sorry about killing him offscreen, but it was important that Sansa didn't get to see the body.
Alright, I had misgivings about this part of the story, but with Bran and Arya things can become quite fun.
The date is 31/05/2019