Chapter 8.
It is an intimate setting as far as gatherings go at The Keep. Those present are King Joffery, Queen Regent Cercei, Lord Tyrion, Prince Tommen, Lady Sansa, Lady Shalene, a few other various Lords and Ladies, Bronn, on guard for Lord Tyrion and two of the King's Guard, Ser Meryn Trant, and Sandor Clegane. As usual, Sandor is behind Joffery, slightly in the shadows, his eyes dark and raging, looking at some point on the wall. Cercei is watching it all, beautifully dangerous as she always is. Joffery is starting to act bored as the feast progresses. He keeps throwing disgusted looks at Sansa. Shalene has been talking with Lord Tyrion and Sansa, discussing various excursions and trades that go on across the Narrow Sea.
Shalene is watching Joff from the corner of her eye, waiting. Hoping to keep anything from happening. He makes several hateful comments to Sansa, she responds as she was taught. Lady-like, proper courtesies, eyes lowered. Shalene can feel the tension thrumming in the area. Tyrion is talking with someone beside him, she can't recall the name. Cercei has had plenty of wine tonight and with Joffery's increasingly bad mood, she smirks at Sansa then sweetly at everyone else and excuses herself, Ser Meryn following behind her. Shalene knows about this supposed unknown affair.
Tyrion asks Shalene if she is satisfied with her riding companion and smiles broadly at Sandor, who doesn't respond, just continues to look at some interesting point on the opposite wall. This catches Joff's attention, and though he doesn't say anything , Shalene can tell he will before long. Shalene responds," Why yes, Lord Tyrion. I did have some concerns in the beginning about his ability to control his unruly charge, and his mounting skills and stamina, but in the end, he has proven himself to be a most appealing companion and I do think he could stay mounted and ride for as long as he was needed." Shalene glances at Sandor and can tell every muscle in his body is taut. His eyes are raging, jaw is clenched and tense. She can't help but smile. Lord Tyrion however, bursts out laughing."Lady Shalene! I'm so pleased to hear that Clegane has been able to satisfy you." Sansa is aghast! She has never heard a Lady talk like this although she has spent time with Shalene, the things that she says sometimes stuns her. Sansa isn't exactly sure what Shalene means by all the mounting, she can hazard a guess that it isn't entirely proper by the way Lord Tyrion is laughing. The Hound is livid, Bronn is having difficulty keeping a straight face and the Lady Shalene is looking at The Hound. She wants to ask, but doesn't know who to ask or how. Instead she just looks at her lap.
It's at that time that Joffery says," Lady Shalene, since my Dog had been able to service you as you like, maybe I should share him with you more often. He'll do what he's told, won't you, Dog?" Sandor is barely able to control the rage rolling through his veins! (I'm not some toy to be passed from hand to hand!) but what can he do but as he's ordered. He rasps," As Your Grace commands." Joffery then says,"It's settled then, Hound, unless you're in Court with me, you are to do as the Lady bids. No matter what it is." He smirks and then stands up and walks to where Sansa and Shalene are seated. Shalene can feel the tension increase, Tyrion has gotten quiet, The Hound has stepped closer, Sansa is trembling and looking at her hands. Shalene decides to try to calm the situation by looking at Joffery like he is the most desirable male in the world, she smiles seductively and says," Your Grace, you are too kind. You honor me by making sure I am safe and secure, providing me with your personal guard. Not to mention that he is the most feared Warrior in Westeros. I am humbled." Joffery steps forward and takes Shalene's chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilts her head and smiles at her. If she didn't know what an evil, demon he was, she could have been charmed. Instead he turns to Sansa and says," Why couldn't you be like her? Smart, witty, beautiful. Instead all you do is mumble your stupid words and cry. You are so stupid and the sister of a traitor to boot."
He looks like he wants to hit her, Sansa never looks up. Just replies," Yes, Your Grace. You are right. I'm sorry to have disappointed you. It was not my intention." This seems to enrage Joff and he slaps a goblet off the table causing wine to splash all over Sansa and her beautiful silk blue dress. She starts to cry, afraid to move, afraid to look up. Shalene decides she has to take the situation in hand before The Hound does something he will regret and Tyrion opens his mouth, so she takes Joffery by the hand and stands up, effectively capturing his attention because of the silky golden dress she has on offers him a clear view of what hides beneath. She smiles and says," Your Grace, please. May I be so bold as to ask you to explore the gardens with me. It's such a beautiful night and I have heard that your gardens hold secrets that can make a maiden blush." Joffery looks at her a moment like he may refuse and go back to terrorizing Sansa so Shalene leans into his arm, rubbing her breast against it, licks those full red lips seductively and smiles at him, gently pulling him away from the table with the suggestion of secrets of her own, if he'll just come along. Sandor has his fist curled around the hilt of his sword, rage and hatred naked in his eyes. Tyrion sees this and clears his throat loudly saying," Excellent idea, My Lady. I'm sure my Nephew needs a distraction as I can see how stressed he is. " Joffery, not knowing how to take that comment nods in agreement and offers his arm to Shalene. She wraps her hand into his arm and turns away from the table. They walk towards the gardens, Sandor falling in behind them. Tyrion immediately sends Bronn to get Shae and comes around to Sansa, taking a cloth and trying to help her until Shae arrives. Talking quietly to her as she cries. Secretly hating Joffery and praying that The Hound controls himself. Although he's concerned about Shalene, he knows she can handle Joffery, at least Cercei decided to keep Ser Meryn busy.
Sandor is still in such a rage, he only mildly notices that Shalene is directing Joffery into a darker part of the gardens, and when he does, years of prior instinct kick in and he becomes wary of her intentions, she is a Martell after all. He catches her glance back at him and shake her head barely perceptibly and she turns back to Joffery, as he continues to berate Sansa. She pulls Joff forward a bit and leads him beneath a tree, and turns to face him, she has to look up at him because even though he's younger than she is, she is petite and he is tall for his age. Sandor stops and turns his back to them, hoping she doesn't do anything stupid, hoping he doesn't have to rescue her. He can hear their soft conversation, her giggling, then he hears cloth ripping and a loud slap and a female's startled gasp. He grits his teeth as he knows that Joff has hit Shalene. He can hear Joffery laugh and he glances over his shoulder into that shadow, he sees Shalene on her knees in front of Joffery, he has his hands buried in her long hair, savagely pulling it, forcing her mouth down on his little cock. Sandor turns back forward and hates Joffery anew, listening to him play the lover. The pitiful excuse he is, he hears him as he climaxes and after a few minutes hears him snoring, the little bastard has fallen asleep in the garden after raping the Lady Shalene. The buggering bastard! Sandor hears Shalene walking up behind him, as she starts to pass him, he reaches out to stop her, when she looks up at him, there are no tears as he expected. Just the same rage in her eyes that he has in his soul. He notices that she has blood at the corner of her mouth, obviously from the slap he heard. He reaches to wipe it off with the handkerchief he's produced, but she stops him, taking the cloth herself and wiping the blood. She looks him in the eyes for the longest time and then says," Be at ease, Hound. You're not the only one who can keep the Little Bird safe. At least she only had to suffer words and spilled wine tonight." He reaches towards her and Shalene pulls away from him and says," Save your words for her. She's the one who needs protection. Besides, she's the one you care about, right?" She walks off, leaving him reeling, angry, and having to get the worthless shit of a King back to his chambers.