Chapter 6: Sansa

We settle into our roles in King's Landing, me more easily than the others. Father is so pleased to see how well I have taken to the Capital but he is sad as well. He misses Winterfell but feels as if he has failed in some way because Lady and Nymeria are gone. Soon after we arrived he found Arya with her sword, Needle, and arranged for her to be properly taught. I suspect he wants to make up for the loss of her wolf. He bought me a beautiful doll, hoping to help fill the hole Lady has left. It was nice to receive something to connect to my father's love but he forgets I am not a child anymore.

Robb sent me a raven soon after we arrived, inquiring after my health and well being. Clever boy, my brother. I tell him we are all fine and settled in at the Red Keep. I implore him to talk to Father, for I'm sure he is missed and I also inquire after the family. I sign, hoping Greywind is doing well. He will know that he is to watch after my Lady and that I will keep us safe here. I hope I can do so.

I adopt a southern style of hair as soon as we get to the Red Keep now that I have my own hand maidens would can assist me. I hate the extravagance of the styles but needs must and it is far too warm for Northern styles. I wear the dresses I fashioned in the North but even those are too warm. I planned that.

I request an audience with Queen Cersei a moons turn after we arrive at the Capital. She obliges me and I meet her for a walk in the Gardens.

"Thank you very much for agreeing to see me, Your Grace," I say as I come up to her. She is already drinking wine this morning and she is alone besides her guard. I guess our walk will not involve actual walking.

"Come, sit with me, little dove." She smiles, nothing but beautiful, but I see the hate in her eyes. I must find out what irks her so, though I suspect I already know. "Why have you asked to see me?"

"I hoped you could help me, Your Grace," I began, sitting in the chair she had indicated, show my stomach and make her think she is the alpha. She looks interested in my plea for help. "I don't know many people here and you seemed so kind and… and it my be presumptuous of me but I was hoping you could tell me what fabrics to make dresses out of." I blush to add to my innocent display.

She laughs and drinks more wine, "That is all you want, little dove? Could you not ask a hand maid?"

"It's just…" I look down and fidget with my hands, "I think you are so beautiful and your dresses are the most exquisite in court, as they should be, I mean you are the Queen. I…" I breath deeply and look up at her, "I am so warm her, Your Grace, and there is no way a low born hand maiden would know which fabrics are really the best for me to use." I say the last bit with disgust. I know she loves her wealth and showing it based on how she reacted to Winterfell.

She laughs and I see a flash of something close to true happiness. She is vain, and she worries I am more beautiful than her. I have put her at ease, she is still in control, or so she thinks. "Little Dove, you will go to the dress maker with me and we will have several dresses made for you. My Joffery loves fine things and we will make you fine enough to be his Queen. Would you like that?"

This is a test, always games in the Capital. She is very poor at the game, too caught up in herself. "I… I would be so honored, Your Grace! I only wish to please Prince Joffery and you, Your Grace." I play the proper excited little girl. She will never see anything other than that girl, I will find a way to make her pay for her evil and I will have fun doing so.

I learned to pick up on the whispers of the Keep, gathering information on the people around me. I would sit to embroider with the ladies of court every day, never indulging in the wine many seemed to prefer having. The more they drank the more they let slip, and I learned much about the character of the Prince and his Queen mother. He was an evil little brat, the true spawn of Cersei. He loved pain in every form so I would have to learn to give it to him without ever getting any of that attention on myself.

I took long walks with Prince Joffery in the Gardens, listening to him talk about knights and how good he was with various weapons, chiming in to allow him to believe I shared his interests without drawing to much attention away from his favorite subject, himself.

His younger siblings, who were close to Bran's age, were a delight. Myrcella loved to hear stories and songs about the North. Tommon was the sweetest boy I'd ever met. We discussed history and I taught him house names and sigils.

Arya, Father, and I take our dinners together in his solar if he is available and in my solar if he was not. We have taken to calling Arya's sword fighting lessons her "dance lessons" and she is only happy when she talks of them. She is not a proper southern lady, and that bothers her here. Some days she will join me to embroider and I make sure to talk with her only those days. I hope she won't have to stay here long.

One day in the Gardens, Joffery tells me he is going hunting and wishes for me to join him.

"Are you sure you would not mind my presence, your Highness? I worry I will get under foot." I look away shyly. He touches my chin turning me towards him. I have to fight not to smile, he is too easy to manipulate.

"I would love to have you with me, my Lady." He smiles at me in a way that he thinks is charming and I guess it could be to a stupider woman than I. He kisses my hand gently, and I finally allow myself to smile.

"I would be honored to come with you, my Prince," tilting my head slightly into the hand that still caresses my cheek. It is clammy and weak, not the hand of a true man, but a boy.

We will leave in three days time and I go to talk to Arya, I will need her help with deciding what to wear.

"Why is he taking you? This is very odd." Arya says as she looks through my dresses later that day.

"He loves hunting and I am to be his lady wife, he wishes to have both his loves together." I smile, Arya knows my true feelings about that fact.

She laughs, knowing the walls have ears, "What a thoughtful Prince. This one would be best." She is holding a light blue southern style dress without a corset. "And were the hair net with the sapphires to keep your hair out of the way. This dress will hid your riding boots well."

"You are a wonder, Arya!" I say as I take the dress from her. "I wish I could take you, you would enjoy a good ride." I really am sad she will not be able to join me. It would be nice to have some company.

"Father has arranged extra dancing lessons so I'll be okay," she hugged me then, "be safe." She whispered so no one but me could hear. I tightened my hold on her ever so slightly, I love her very much.

The hunting trip went without much incident. The Prince only killed one stag, but was very proud of it, claiming that a Stag was no match for a Golden Lion. It gave me a bad feeling, but I could not dwell on it for long in front of him.

"Are you going to bring your kill to the castle, my Prince?" I asked, knowing he would love to hear me take an interest in the thing dead at his hand.

"No, my lady. Come with me." The gleam in his eye was not one I enjoyed but I complied to his request.

He brought me to where the beast was, propped up on a table. "I'm going to skin it, and we are going to have it for dinner." He picked up a knife, looking positively manic with his happiness.

My poor Prince, he was so easy to please. "That is amazing, my Prince! It must be so invigorating eating that which you brought down yourself! Is it common to do that on hunts?"

It was hard not to smile as he preened in my compliment. "I only wish to give you the full experience of hunting, my lady." He then pulled up his sleeves and started to make a cut on the creature. Blood started dripping out, and he had to apply more force than he had originally thought. He could not finish this job, and called for someone else to skin and prepare the animal. He enjoyed pain but not getting his hands dirty himself.

"I've changed my mind, I'd rather spend time with you my lady." He went to wash his hands and I allowed myself to smile. He was a weakling, of mind and body. Nothing like Jon or Robb. I would have the power in this relationship.