Ned started his announcement when Arya finally showed up to dinner. With all of his children present he told them the news.
"King Robert and his family are on their way to Winterfell" he said.
All of them stopped eating and looked up from their food. They were all surprised. Why would the King visit cold, harsh Winterfell?
"What is the reason for his visit?" Sonara asked.
"Someone that is very close to our hearts has recently died."
She decided to end it at that. As much as she felt for her father and as much as she was curious, she was not the sort of person who comforted other people. Thankfully Rickon who lacked tact, being a three year old asked who it was.
"Lord Jon Arryn. He was a father figure to both of us." he said.
She knew very little about their relationship through stories of the war but she knew him for something else. He was the King's Hand. She was a smart girl and she could put the pieces together. King Robert was riding to Winterfell to ask her father to be the new King's Hand. After all the King is a very busy man. He wouldn't ride all the way to The North just to pay his respects. She silently ate her dinner and contemplated the news. Suddenly she had an idea.
"Father, is the Prince coming with him?" she asked.
"I believe so" he said.
Sonara woke long before anyone else did and was too excited to go back to sleep. Today was the day that the King and his family arrived. She had thought of how this day would go for two weeks and the day was finally here. The first part of her plan was to look the best she possibly could.
The first thing she did was take a thorough bath. When she was done she arranged her dark hair into a complicated braided style that she only did on special occasions. Her dress was a deep purple that brought out the green in her grey-green eyes. When she looked in the mirror she thought for the first time she could be as beautiful as Sansa and her mother.
The next part of her plan was simple: to seduce Joffrey.
Sonara stood among her siblings outside of the dining hall waiting for The King and his family to appear for dinner. She was right in the centre of the line so that she would be the focus of their visitors eyes or more specifically the Princes. Robb and Sansa were on her left and right and her parents were on the very left waiting to greet their guests. She kept fiddling with her gown making sure there were no creases or tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.
Behind the gate they could hear the sound of footsteps and chattering. The children all immediately went quiet even little Rickon. Sonara straightened her posture and put on the dazzling smile she had been practising all week in the mirror.
When the gate was opened she Sansa's jaw drop at the sight of them especially Prince Joffrey. He was a tall handsome boy and he looked nothing like the boys they were used to in Winterfell. Mostly because nobody could afford to dress in the embroidered velvet's and silk's that the Prince sported. His father was dressed in similar clothing while the guards escorting them wore polished silver armour and chainmail. The sight of them was impressive and Sonara might have even done the same if the gesture didn't look so unattractive.
They approached on their horses and when the Prince saw the family his gaze drifted to Sansa for a second and then shifted to Sonara. She made sure her smile was perfectly in place and just as rehearsed. One side of his mouth turned up into a smile that bordered on a smirk. Sansa huffed and she felt her eyes burning into the side of her head.
The men on the horses took a moment to climb down from them. She let her smile fall for a moment while no one was looking but when she heard Robb scoff beside her she found that he had been watching the entire exchange. She turned to him and he lifted his eyebrows at her. She shrugged in response.
Her smile was right back on when the King turned to greet them. He started on the side that her parents were on. He stood in front of Ned and they both broke into a big childish smile that none of his children had seen before from him.
"Your grace" he said bowing.
"Get up Ned. How long has it been?"
"Too long"
They embraced and the King moved onto Catelyn and gave her the same bear hug that he gave Ned. She seemed thrown off guard but she smiled all the same. He went on saying things to her siblings like 'This boy's going to be a strong one when he grows up' or 'You must be...'. When he got to the second half of the line he asked for all of the girls names and said 'My, aren't you girls beauties'. By the time he was done the Queen and the rest of her children had gotten out of the carriage.
"Well everyone is waiting for our entrance. We'll pair off and escort you into the hall" Ned said.
The most important people in Winterfell were gathered in the dining hall awaiting the royals to attend the feast. Her father had sent someone off on the King's Road to see when they would be arriving and they arranged a day for the feast to take place. The Queen and her children looked like attending a feast was the last thing they wanted to do after the long journey.
"Of course" the King said and paired off with Catelyn by linking arms with her.
Sonara got the idea and turned to escort Joffrey but she found Sansa had got to him the moment she heard the words 'pair off'. Her plan wasn't getting off to a good start. She looked around but Arya had already linked her arm with Tommen's looking very uncomfortable and Rickon would walk with Bran. Ned noticed her predicament.
"Sonara take Prince Joffrey's other arm. I can't have my eldest daughter walk the hall alone." Ned said.
"Of course father" Sonara said.
She walked up to Joffrey and Sansa with the best grace and posture she could manage. Sansa looked like she was fuming. She was practically scarlet. When she reached them she curtsied and linked her arm in his.
"My prince, you look very handsome tonight" she said.
It worked like a charm. Joffrey broke into an arrogant smile. Now she knew how she needed to play it. He liked his ego being stroked so compliments would go a long way.
"As do you" he said.
First went in the Queen and Ned then the King and Catelyn. Rickon and bran were the first of the children to enter the hall then went Robb and Princess Myrcella then they went in. The hall was the fullest she had ever seen it. There were plenty of people on the large rectangular tables. The lowest class sat closest to the door and so on until the table right at the back where the royals and the Starks would sit. Hundreds of pairs of eyes watched them make their way through the center aisle. Sonara wondered if this was how it felt wherever you went if you were a royal. She loved how it felt. She got a rush from the power their respect and fear brought her. It made her even more determined that she would marry Joffrey one day.
They reached the table and took their seats. The seating went Ned, Cersei, Sonara, Joffrey, Sansa, Robb, Myrcella on one side and on the other side was Catelyn, Robert, Rickon, Bran, Arya and Tommen. Sonara was hoping she would be on the side of Joffrey that Sansa sat at because she would much rather sit with her brother than the intimidating Queen. She supposed however that she had best give Cersei a good first impression of her since Joffrey's parents would have more say in his betrothal than him.
After everyone was seated Ned began his toast. She wasn't listening to it but pretended she was paying attention while she thought of how she would manage to impress the people sitting on both sides of her. She had a long night ahead of her.
A/N: I know about 50% of this fanfiction so far has taken place in the dining hall but I promise next chapter will be the last (in Winterfell anyway). This chapter cut off strangely but I felt like it was going on too long and I still had a lot to add to this. Thanks for reading and remember to follow/favorite if you liked this story. Reviews would be appreciated too. :)