Chapter 12: Decisions

~o0o~

Petyr Baelish took a sip of his strong, black tea as he looked over the various photographs and newspapers in front of him. Each consecutive headline inched his current smirk up the right-hand side of his face.

The Princess is a Player: Two Men in One Week

A Match Made in Royal Heaven: Daenerys Targaryen and Robb Stark – Everything We Know

Young Love: A Night on the Town for Britain's Most Eligible Royals

Picky Princess – Has She Dumped Daario?

Good or bad, the headlines were coverage in the right direction and Petyr felt he was fulfilling what both his King and Eddard Stark had asked of him. He would make Daenerys and Robb's romance appear as one for the ages, no matter what it took.

Setting the dailies down, Petyr looked up at his companion, sitting across his desk and sipping her lemon tea. "These are even more promising…"

"If you think so…" Sansa Stark said, leaning over to look at the new pile of pictures. They were not of the best quality and taken with a telephoto lens through the window of her hotel room the night before. There were a few of Sansa and Jorah talking, standing close to one another, and then at least a dozen of them locked in an embrace, kissing. Sansa fidgeted with her teacup, uncomfortable that Petyr was studying them so closely.

He had paid for the photographer and bought the memory card as well. No one would see these photos if he didn't want them to. And for now, they would reside under lock and key in his desk drawer. "Looks as if he didn't stay very long, according to the timestamps."

Sansa sighed. Although she had a few blissful moments kissing Jorah, he didn't stay for anything more, and that had left her feeling rather dejected and agitated. He had said he didn't want things to move too quickly between them and part of her was sad, but the other part was thankful that wasn't caught on film. "Maybe fifteen minutes…Petyr, Captain Mormont is a good man. Why do you want this to blackmail him?"

Petyr sat back in his chair and steepled his hands as he looked across at his beautiful Sansa and thought through the elaborate web of lies and favors and plans that he had spun in the past six months. The only piece of the puzzle that he couldn't credit himself to was Rhaegar's death.

Lynesse Hightower – formerly Lynesse Mormont - was Lady Catelyn Stark's closest friend and confidante, even before her marriage when she was still Catelyn Tully. The Hightowers, Baelish's, Tully's, and Starks were all old, noble families in rather close proximity in the North of England. Petyr, Lynesse, and Cat all ran in the same social circles from a very young age and Petyr wasn't more than a boy of eleven when he developed a crush on Cat. His ardor was very briefly returned before Cat was set up with Eddard Stark and they were married shortly after. Petyr then turned his attentions to Lynesse and was led on until she found Jorah Mormont, a man from a respected military family, but not a noble one. It enraged Petyr that a man so beneath both of them could win her heart. It still did to this day.

All of them remained socially entangled throughout the years, as Petyr climbed the ranks of the Royal Household, Cat and Eddard situated themselves as the second strongest House in Britain, and Jorah began to work with Rhaegar.

Petyr still held a torch for both Lynesse and Cat and would do anything they asked. When Lynesse and Jorah's marriage was beginning to show cracks, he fueled the fire – passing falsities to Cat who he knew would tell Lynesse - lies about seeing Jorah with other women and a made-up drinking problem, finally culminating in Petyr securing the best divorce lawyer in Britain for Lynesse so that she could take nearly everything from Jorah. And she did.

Petyr thought that would have given him some satisfaction, as he hated the man. Jorah was so well-liked throughout the palace, a war hero, and a true friend to Rhaegar in a way that Petyr knew he would never fully be with Aerys. But Lynesse still didn't want Petyr after her divorce and he started to focus more of his attention to Cat and her wants.

Cat and Ned wanted one of their children as a Prince or Princess and Petyr knew he could make that happen. And he wasn't going to stop at only one. Robb and Daenerys were working out swimmingly, but Sansa and Viserys were a different story.

It was partially because Sansa and Viserys hardly wanted anything to do with one another, and partially because Petyr didn't want to let Sansa go. Not quite yet.

They had been sleeping together for about six months and Petyr reveled in the knowledge that not only did he finally have an even more attractive substitute for Cat or Lynesse warming his bed, but that she was proving essential to some of his other schemes as well.

Until today, when she had questioned his motives regarding Jorah.

Sansa was feisty and opportunistic, much like her mother, and she hadn't initially doubted her lover's plot to put Jorah in a compromising situation. Lynesse had asked him to destroy Jorah's reputation and he was eager to comply for his own personal reasons. He knew it would have to be a long game and having Sansa seduce him and then framing him as the predator would not only remove him from his station in the Royal Family, but also endear the public to Sansa, which he needed if he was going to make anything happen with her and Viserys. But it all had to happen at the right time, so he was slowly gathering his evidence and what he needed. However, as he looked at Sansa's face, he knew immediately that something was wrong.

"You think Captain Mormont is a good man?" Petyr repeated her, watching for her tells. She started to bite on her bottom lip and his heart sank. "You are falling for him, aren't you?"

"What? No…of course not…" Sansa shook her head, quickly raising her tea cup back up to her lips. Petyr leaned back in his chair. This was not part of his plan.

~o0o~

"I'm not going to lie, I've missed you, mate. But what is this all about?" Jamie Lannister asked as he slid onto the barstool next to Jorah, who was looking up at the Chelsea/Arsenal game on the tv above the bar, absently eating a packet of salt and vinegar crisps.

"I'm in trouble…" Jorah sighed, turning to his friend in the pub. It was nearly empty inside, past the lunch rush and Jorah had a few hours before he needed to be back at Kensington. Jamie ordered a pint for himself and a second round for Jorah.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Jamie asked. Jorah still wasn't used to seeing him without his arm. His shirtsleeve hung limp and it was a painful reminder of what they had all endured.

"Sansa Stark is what is wrong…" Jorah grumbled and took a sip of his ale. "Jamie, I am coming to you for advice. As a friend. We don't have Rhaegar anymore…"

"God rest his soul." Jamie raised his glass just a little and took a drink, "You have me. And you always will. Now tell me…"

"She's been after me for weeks now. And God, I want to cave. I really do…" Jorah ran a hand over his face and then back through his hair. It had been torture to turn and walk out of Sansa's hotel room after kissing her. But he was drunk and he had other things on his mind. And another woman. And that was what confused him the most.

"So why don't you?" Jamie asked. He knew out of anyone, Jorah deserved to be loved. He was a good man and had been through hell.

"If people found out…her mother, you know…"

"She's friends with Lynesse, how could any of us forget?" Jamie hated that shrew of a woman. He had watched with Rhaegar as everything fell apart for Jorah. "But if it's real with her, doesn't it deserve an honest go?"

"Because of the Princess." Jorah stated, looking back up at the game, trying to distract himself.

"Your love life is none of her concern unless you want it to be. I know us guys always talked, but it doesn't have to be the same with her. She doesn't need to know…" Jamie offered.

"But she hates Sansa. The girl hasn't been very nice to her."

"And what she doesn't know won't hurt her. You deserve this. You deserve to have some fun and have a pretty girl on your arm. God knows I wish I had that…"

"The thing is, I don't want to hurt her…" Jorah said quietly, and Jamie studied his friends' face. Now he knew why Jorah had called him. This was much more than just giving advice on whether or not to have sex with Lady Stark.

"You care about Daenerys' opinion of you. Because you cared about Rhaegar's opinion and you don't have him around anymore, is that right?"

Jorah stayed silent and drank, trying to come to terms with his own feelings as Jamie tried to draw them out of him.

"Or, you have feelings for her, and you don't want this thing with Sansa to ruin any chance you may have with her."

Jaime hit home with his words and Jorah finally looked at the man sitting next to him. "But I would never have a chance with her, that's the thing."

"Why not?"

"I'm not a Stark. I don't come from a family line that Aerys would ever deem acceptable for her. I work for her, and him. And look at me – middle aged, relatively poor…"

"You don't have my looks, that's true," Jamie smirked, "But one of the most gorgeous girls in Britain is already trying to hold you down. I'd say you have more of a chance with Daenerys Targaryen than anyone else I know."

Jaime gave Jorah a knowing look and Jorah raised an eyebrow, "What did Rhaegar tell you?"

"That he hoped the two of you would end up together. And that he was telling me in case you never got the letter he wrote for you. But I'm guessing you did," Jaime smiled, "Look, mate - stranger things have happened – if you want to be with Sansa, I support you. If you want to try with Daenerys, I support you too. Both paths are going to be rough, but you just need to decide what you want."

~o0o~

"The Princess just got back from her day out with Lyanna. I think between the two of them, they bought out half of Harrods." Grey smiled as he greeted Jorah when he returned back from the pub. Jaime had given him quite a lot to think about, and he needed to start making some decisions and examine what his heart was trying to tell him.

"Unsurprising. Lyanna brings out the clothes horse in her…" Jorah noted. He remembered conversations with Rhaegar when his girlfriend would take the Princess out shopping and they would both come home laden with dozens of bags. It drove Rhaegar mad, but he never denied Lyanna anything that she wanted, even if it meant giving up closet space.

"She's in the living room watching the telly. She had us order in Indian – it's in the kitchen. I'd grab some before Gilly takes all of the naan." Grey advised and Jorah headed to the kitchen, where, sure enough, Gilly was sheepishly snacking on the last piece of naan. Jorah made a quick plate for himself, set on finishing the night off in his office planning for the week.

But he felt like he had barely seen the Princess in a few days. Part of him wanted to ask her how her date had gone, since he had been the one to plan it. And part of him just wanted to see her smile.

He ventured into the living room and saw her with her legs tucked underneath her on the couch, her long, blonde hair down, and she was just in black leggings and an oversized Rolling Stones t-shirt. Her plate of chicken tikka was set aside and she was thoroughly entranced in whatever she was watching.

"Good call on the take out," Jorah said and she looked up at him with a smile. It made his heart thump faster in his chest.

"I was craving it…come on…eat with me…" she patted the seat on the couch next to her and he hesitated.

"I should get some work done, Princess."

She raised an eyebrow at him, not liking his answer.

"Fine, just for a bit…" he acquiesced and sat down as far away from her on the couch as possible and started to dig into his dinner. "What are you watching?"

"The new season of Great British Bake Off just started and I'm obsessed, have you never watched it?" Daenerys looked at him, surprised.

"Your brother and I only watched football, rugby, and cricket, I'm afraid. And the occasional superhero movie," Jorah shrugged, "But there is a first time for everything."

"You'll love it, I promise. And if you don't, well, then you can just tell me you liked it anyway," she teased. She was in a happy mood and Jorah wondered if it was from Robb or just a nice day spent with her best friend. Whatever it was, it drew him closer to her as she explained the premise of the show and they watched everyone bake for the next forty minutes, laughing together at the cheeky comments of the hosts and marveling at some of the cakes.

But it wasn't really the show that caught Jorah's attention. In fact, he barely kept a pulse on what was happening there. He was too busy looking at her when she wasn't aware. Noticing the small diamond studs in her ears, and the way she was picking off some of her nail polish. The way her eyes crinkled when she laughed at the show, or the genuine earnestness in her voice when she turned to explain something to him. It was so endearing that he wished he could stay in that moment forever.

In another life, it would have been simple. Just him and his beautiful girlfriend on the couch in their house watching tv and eating takeout. But it was all just a fantasy that Jorah was happy to entertain in his head as he spent the night next to her instead of in his office, alone.