Chapter 60

Jaime noticed the tenseness in Sandor and it immediately caused him to be on alert. He watched a very striking young man with long dark hair walk into the room.

"Tomaerys! I was beginning to think you had been invited to join us."

"Never, my Queen. I was only delayed."

'So,this is Tomaerys. I can see why Clegane is jealous of him. I can see why Shalene took him as a lover, too.' As Tomaerys got closer, he could see the silver streaks in his hair and his amethyst eyes. He couldn't help but notice how much the man looked like Rhaegar. Except for his dark hair. He chanced a look at Sandor. He knew that look. He was positive that he had worn the same look so many times, during his wasted years watching his sister flaunt herself. Not that Shalene was doing that. He honestly hoped that his friend wouldn't be hurt.

After the initial shock of seeing Tomaerys, and feeling how tense Sandor was, Shalene knew she had to make sure that Sandor knew she wouldn't betray him. She cared for Tomaerys, but she was completely and totally in love with her husband and she wanted no other man. She took Sandor's hand in her own and moved closer to him, urging him to put his arm around her waist, which of course, he did. She looked up at him, making sure he was looking at her and whispered," I love you, Sandor. You are my best friend, my heart, you are my man. I want no one else. I am in love with you." She could tell he was looking for any signs of a lie in her eyes, but he wouldn't find one. She loved him with every fiber of her being. He must have seen the truth of her words, his grip on her relaxed, his eyes softened, his breathing became more steady. "I love you more, Woman."

Tomaerys bowed to Dany then leaned over and kissed the crown of her head. He gestured to the child asleep on her lap and said," I was away from you for one day, my Sister, and now you have a baby!"

Dany couldn't help but laugh."This isn't my child! She is Prince Clegane and Princess Shalene's daughter."

Tomaerys turned and looked behind him, "So, you finally allowed a man into those walls you built around your heart? I am sincerely happy for you My Princess. And you, also, My Prince." Tomaerys bowed to each of them. He looked back at the baby, "You even have a child, I always knew you would be a wonderful mother."

Shalene looked up at Sandor, he was pleased and relieved to see her love for him, very evident in her eyes. "Tomaerys, look behind you, she has a twin. They are my children but I didn't give birth to them. Kolene' was their mother. She did not live to see them, unfortunately."

Tomaerys glanced around, indeed, she was not there. He looked back at Sandor and noticed pain of the loss flash in his eyes. " I'm deeply sorry for your loss, My Prince. She was a loving, beautiful woman. May I hold your son?" Sandor nodded to him and watched him take Dexcian from the nurse. The first thing he did was to grab Tomaerys's long hair and give it a firm tug. Tomaerys just laughed and started talking to the child in Dothraki. The man was gentle and loving.

Sandor glanced around at the others. The Dragon Queen was cuddling his daughter, his Queen's face was so relaxed and peaceful. She clearly adored K'Alenedor. 'Who would have ever thought that this group of people would be in the same room without killing each other after all the history between the families.' He couldn't help but smirk at The Lion. If there could have been a more strange site, he didn't know what it was. All of Jaime's attention was on The Queen. Sandor knew that look, the man looked like he was thoroughly and completely in love. ' That fool just can't fall for the right women. What in the bloody hell is he thinking?' Hells, who was he to judge? Lannister still had his head, maybe she wasn't mad like her father. Maybe she would give him a chance to tell his side of the tale. Stranger things had happened.

All attention was brought to the group of people entering the room with Ser Jorah. He heard Sansa emit a strangled cry at the same time he saw a massive black direwolf trot into the room.'Bloody Hells! That has to belong to a Stark!'

Sansa had to grasp Bronn's arm to keep from falling down. "Rickon! Is it really you?"

The boy turned to Sansa, no recognition of her on his face. He was quickly followed by a dark haired woman, and a woman just a bit younger than Sandor, he noted the golden Kraken on her tunic and surmised that this must be Asha Greyjoy. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword. Beside the Greyjoy woman was a white haired man and a young woman around Sansa's age. His curiosity was soon satisfied when Sansa ran to the girl,"Jeyne, I thought you were dead! Where have you been?" The young woman, Jeyne, would not meet Sansa's eyes. He had seen that look before, she had been brutalized by someone.

Sansa's attention then focused on the man. "Theon? Oh, Theon! What has happened to all of you? I was told you killed my brothers! But here Rickon is with you!"

His companions were clearly as confused as he was. Daenarys was the one to speak first,"This could be a long discussion. If we must do this then might we do it without the children? "Sandor motioned for the nurse to take the babes and leave. Hecnok followed them to assure that they were guarded as ordered.

It was then that another figure entered the room. What resolve Sansa had left crumbled, all she could manage was a single strangled word. "Arya?" Sandor watched "Arya" walk to The Queen and bow, then take her place beside Ser Barristan. Clearly this was not a new position for her.

Daenarys calmly watched the group try to make sense of it all before she spoke. She noted how Lord Varys quietly took in all that was going on around him. He knew so much more than any of them knew. She wondered if he had told them about what secrets were hidden in Dorne. Apparently not, if he hadn't told them about this situation. Maybe he was testing the waters as she was. How much did Tyrion know? There would be time for those answers on another day.

Once the initial shock and tension was eased in the room Theon, haltingly, told of the events from the time he left Robb's camp, until the present time. Jeyne added events to back up his story in regards to what had happened with Ramsey Snow. Asha was able to add to this also. Sansa was horrified, tears freely flowing from her eyes as she heard every horrible aspect of what happened to those she had grown up with. She ended up hugging both Jeyne and a very broken Theon, until they had finished telling their story. The others were clearly shaken but didn't interfere in Sansa's need to comfort her friends. Sandor had been watching Arya throughout the exchange, she showed no emotion at all. She stood beside The Dragon Queen, her gaze settling on the direwolf for a few minutes then moving over the people around the table. He felt himself tense when her gaze fell on The Lion. Her gray eyes were cold and calculating. He managed to get Brienne's attention and with a slight cut of his eyes, indicated for her to ,surreptitiously, watch Arya and alert Jaime. Sandor started to feel that the greater threat was from Arya, not The Queen.

Brienne casually brushed her shoulder against Jaime's arm, he wasn't surprised at her touch, it did seem unusual that she would do it in a roomful of people, especially with Ser Addam sitting beside her. He turned to say some snide comment that was on the tip of his tongue when he felt her hand on his knee, under the table, he covered her hand with his, and felt her index finger pointing towards Sandor then move slowly away. He was immediately on alert, years of experience had honed him to not react quickly. He leaned to Brienne and made a comment that he knew would make her blush. With that accomplished, he and Ser Addam, snickering at Brienne's reddened face, turned to try to pull Sandor in on the joke, Jaime saw him quickly glance towards Arya, he knew what had them on alert then.

Jaime, being his cocky, confident self, wasn't about to be intimidated by a mere girl. He boldly turned to her,"Arya Stark! The whole of Westeros thought you dead. It's good to see that you're not. You don't look happy to be back with your brother and sister. It would seem to me that you have something on your mind. Would you share it with us or do you plan on cutting my throat while I sleep?"

Tomaerys was the one who answered after he gave Arya a cutting look. Jaime could swear that Tomaerys's eyes changed colors but when he looked at Jaime, they were that same amethyst surrounded by silver. "You have nothing to fear. Your name has not been spoken nor have you asked for mercy. She will not harm you." Arya glared at Tomaerys. He asked," Has he asked for mercy?"

"No."

"Has someone spoken his name? Has someone given you a task to complete?"

."

"You may not give the gift for your own vengeance. That is your intent is it not? Vengeance is a horrible, bitter thing. Once you have it you will find that the taste does not improve. It is not our duty to decide who should be judged. Who are you?"

"I am no one."

"No one has no history, therefore no one has no need to seek to take the life of one that The God of Death has not chosen. If you are no one, why would you seek to harm someone?"

Daenarys waited on Arya to answer. She hadn't thought about Arya destroying what fragile alliance had begun, when she found out who she was. She truly believed that Arya was as well trained and in control as Tomaerys was. She wanted to hear what this Lannister had to say before she decided anything.

Everyone was now focused on Arya. Tyrion stared at her in fascination,' a faceless man...woman. Interesting. And so young. No wonder she is with Tomaerys, they don't completely trust her yet.' Sandor had his hand on the hilt of his dagger, Brienne stood beside Jaime's chair, hand on the hilt of her sword.

Arya looked at each face, as if marking it. "He does not deserve life, he has taken many lives and harmed others."

Jaime felt his trademark smirk play across his lips."Yes, I have done many terrible things. I have killed and harmed. In war, we all do things we wouldn't normally do."

"You pushed Brandon from the tower because he saw you with your sister."

"Yes, I did. I have never lied about that."

Rickon cut in, his voice strong and forceful, "Brandon forgives him. If you cared enough to talk with the Old Gods, you would know. He's not dead. He's with the trees. He would not have been able to fulfill his role if it had not happened. The three-eyed crow would not have been able to come to him."

"You would have killed Robb."

"We were on opposite sides in a war. Yes I would have killed him just as he would have killed me. Instead, I was taken captive and held in a cage, chained like a beast, wallowing in mud, filth, and my own shit. Exposed to rain, snow and every manner of degradation that his men chose to throw on me. I was beaten, starved and my wounds left to fester. He even brought his bloody wolf into my cage and threatened me with it more times than I care to remember. He would not even consider trading me for you or your sister. You were not enough of a prize for him. If that is an example of your bloody Stark honor, then thank the Gods I am who I am. I'm sure that your sister was treated better by my despicable family than your brother treated me. If you notice, it was MY brother and his companions who made sure that your sister was kept safe and taken out of King's Landing. It was your Lady Mother who set me free with Lady Brienne, to see you two safe to her. As you can see, she had a hard time keeping me safe." He waved his golden hand at her. " She tried her damnedest, though. A very honorable woman. As far as what happened to your brother and mother. I was not there. I knew nothing about it. You may as well be like everyone else. Blame the sins of all of Westeros on Jaime Lannister! People have been doing it since I was seventeen years old. If you feel the need to kill someone, then by all means, do so. I'm bloody well sick of all of this! You are so righteous! None of you know, none of you have any idea!" With that said, he boldly walked to where Arya stood and took her hand, placing his dagger in it then put it to the area over his heart, "I believe this is the spot you want, Lady Stark. You are so full of that bloody Stark honor! What has that honor gotten your family? You see things in only right and wrong, you won't bend! What happens to things that don't bend? How do you think I survived all these years, through the horrors of The Mad King, living in the Red Keep, and defying the almighty Tywin Lannister? I can bend, Little Wolf. You think you are so perfect and sin free, then pass your judgement on me." He leaned into the blade, a tiny flower of red spread on his tunic from the cut that formed there. The room was tense, waiting to see what she would do.

From beside Jaime, he felt the direwolf brush his hip,'By the Gods, that beast is huge!' Shaggydog moved so quickly Jaime didn't have time to stop himself from falling as the beast threw his weight against him, knocking him to the floor. Shaggydog stood over Jaime, his deadly green eyes, meeting Jaime's shocked and scared ones. He had been in this position before, when Robb Stark's direwolf had threatened him while he was chained. He didn't even fight it, he just closed his eyes. When he didn't feel the pain he was expecting, he chanced opening his eyes and found that the direwolf was not threatening him but protecting him. Rickon walked up and put his arm around the wolf's back,"You won't harm him, Arya. His journey isn't over. He is part of the pack now whether you like it or not. I don't fear you, you don't know me as I don't know you. If you are no one, then you are no longer a Stark. I am the eldest male Stark now, I will protect him if I must."

Dany had heard enough. Arya was sworn to her service and she would follow orders or Tomaerys would have to remove her."Arya Stark, you were sworn to me by The House of Black and White. You are to follow orders. I was lead to believe that you had been properly trained. I find myself disappointed in the gift I was given. Tomaerys, my brother, you assured me that your Masters were thorough in her training. I feel I must have you contact them if this is the best they can do, I cannot have a person of her inadequate training around me if I cannot trust her." Dany hoped Tomaerys could see through her words and reign in this situation before she had to do something more drastic to ensure the safety of her guests.

Tomaerys read his sister perfectly."Arya Stark, you must follow me."

Sansa was having a hard time following it all. Too much was happening too fast, " What are you doing? You can't hurt her! Arya!" There was no response from either of them as Tomaerys and Arya left the room. Bronn pulled his wife back as she tried to follow them out. He wasn't privy to the inner workings of Faceless Men but he knew enough, from his years as a sell sword, to feel that she would only be reminded of her duties.

Brienne grabbed Jaime by the back of his tunic and helped him up, none too gently and pushed him behind her. Dany took this time to call an end to the evening. Tyrion, Lord Varys and Ser Barristan left with her. Sansa asked Rickon, theon, Jeyne and Osha to join her and Bronn so she could talk with them. Rickon was reluctant to do so until Osha spoke to him in a language that Sandor didn't recognize. He soon relented but told Shaggydog to stay near Jaime. Sandor could tell that Jaime wasn't too pleased but when the beast made himself comfortable next to Jaime's chair, he soon sat down. The rest of them were left in the room with Asha Greyjoy.

Asha sat down and poured herself a goblet of wine, making herself at home. She indicated to the chairs and said," Come now. Don't get your smallclothes in a bunch over me. We are on the same side. Have a seat, I have a great story to tell you." The next few hours were spent listening to how Euron and Victarion met their end, how she was now over the Iron Islands, how she found Rickon Stark and her brother, relaying the progress of The North and rebuilding of Winterfell. Shalene did give some of the events of their group but she was as reluctant as the rest to share much.

The group finally parted, Brienne and Ser Addam walking with Jaime, Shaggydog and Jaime's Unsullied guard. No matter how much Jaime tried to get the direwolf to go find Rickon, the beast wouldn't leave his side. Jaime found himself talking to the wolf as if it could understand exactly what he was saying. When he heard Ser Addam laughing, he realized what he was doing, he had to laugh about it himself. As soon as the door to his room opened, Shaggydog pushed his way in and made himself comfortable at the foot of Jaime's bed. "Bloody Hells! Good thing I don't have company coming!"