The cold awoke her. She could barely tell the time, yet somehow that cold seemed so familiar to her. It wasn't the mountainous cold of the Vale, it was something much different. She quickly dressed and ran out of her cabin to see why the cold was so familiar. When she got out, she saw land. She never saw those rocks before, yet she knew she was finally back in the North. She could not help but laugh loudly for a while. She actually cried tears of joy, something she hasn't done in a long, long time. Tears of fear, of sorrow, those happened often since she left Winterfell. She saw the merman banners flying proudly above the port, the White Castle that was every bit as majestic as she had imagined from Old Nan's stories. She laughed for quite a while.
"My dear Alayne, are you fine?"
"Oh, yes, Father, never better. Why?" she asked, still smiling from ear to ear.
"I was afraid that your laugh was a symptom of some kind of disease," Petyr calmly answered.
"It's just that I'm happier than I have been in a long time."
"How does a mere sight of an unknown city amuse you so, I can't understand," he said, cheekily smiling himself.
"An unknown city, yes. And my last bastion of hope."
"We need to tread carefully, Alayne. Let me do the talking, at least until we are alone with lord Manderly."
She nodded. "Don't worry, Father, I won't say anything stupid."
"That's my girl," he said through a smile and caressed her cheek.
Before long, the boat was safely docked and Alayne, Petyr, Robyn and their escort started walking through the streets. Everyone was looking at them with a puzzled expression. Understandably. What business might a non-Northern noble family have here in White Harbour. And one of them even looks like an Arryn. They know the Vale doesn't stretch to here. They were better off not knowing who they are.
Petyr saw horsemen approach from the distance. "Let's wait here," he said. "I think I see lord Manderly's envoy."
The horseman and three guards approached their group and stopped before them. The smallfolk moved away so they weren't stomped. They also didn't mind much for the high lords' talks. The horseman in white armour with a merman drawn on his chest dismounted. The guards holding the Manderly banners remained horsed. After dismounting, the knight bowed to them. Alayne noticed that this knight was quite fat. His voice echoed through the port as he spoke.
"Lords Baelish and Arryn, I presume. And Lord Baelish's baseborn daughter." Of course, she had to play that part still. "My name is Wylis Manderly and I am lord Wyman's only son and heir to White Castle."
Alayne didn't forget her courtesies and kindly bowed to the knight. Petyr spoke. "It's my honour to be welcomed by such a high-esteemed knight such as you. We are who you think we are, a bit early, yes, but the winds were very favourable."
"Let's skip the courtesies now. My lord Father is expecting you. He sent a carriage to pick you up." Saying that, he pointed behind the guards and finally they could see two beautiful white horses pulling a delicately ornamented carriage that was as white as the snow that lay on the ground. Alayne stood in awe at the sight of the carriage. It really was a view to remember.
Trying not to waste too much time, Petyr, Robyn and Alayne quickly entered the carriage and the ride began. The horses weren't as gracious as they looked, since the way was quite bumpy.
"Lord Manderly seems excited to meet us," Alayne observed.
Petyr answered almost in an instant. "Lord Manderly has always been known as a very kind host. It's not exactly the stuff of legends, but pretty much everyone knows that he would never accept a guest without showing him all the courtesies and more on top of that."
The journey to the New Castle took quite some time, but the horses either got more gracious or the road started becoming much better. Farther away from the docks they went, the smoother the ride was. Alayne watched through the window of the carriage and a smile didn't leave her face even for a second. She was almost home, she could feel it.
As the carriage approached the castle on the hill, Alayne watched it with her mouth agape. She pulled her head in and couldn't conceal her excitement. "The castle is so gorgeous!"
"One of the prettiest in the North, I hear," Petyr answered. Robyn was quiet. He didn't know anything about the North so he preferred not to come about as dumb. His metamorphosis was truly an amazing sight to behold. Not even a month earlier he would join in everything, if only to show his ignorance. He stopped looking and acting like the spoiled brat Alayne viewed him as while Lady Lysa was alive.
The carriage came to a stop. Ser Wylis came to the carriage. "We're inside the walls. You can come out now, the Merman's court is right here."
They stepped out of the carriage and thanked Ser Wylis for escorting them. He bowed, still on horseback and went behind the hall, presumably to the stables. One of the guards walked before them and the two guards at the gate to the court opened it. What a sight! Wooden planks tightly stuck together and on them the finest pictures of sea creatures Alayne has ever seen. The court was quite full of people, mostly Manderly bannermen. There was one Frey banner and it made Alayne sick. Luckily it seemed like there were only three people sitting by that banner, each of them looking almost the same. She looked all over the hall but there were no Bolton banners, which calmed her down again. And on the dais Lord Wyman Manderly and his fat were sitting in all their glory. Alayne knew she shouldn't be thinking like that, but she couldn't help it. The man's waist was humongous.
As Lord Wyman took notice of the visitors, he stood up as quickly as his fat allowed him, which is to say, not very quickly. His deep voice echoed through the hall. "Young Lord Arryn, Lord Baelish, Lady Stone," he started. Alayne liked that he called her a lady instead of a baseborn daughter or something to that effect. She already liked the man. "Welcome to White Harbour and New Castle. Please, come here and sit at my table. It's not very often we get to see guests of such esteem here in our city. Your escort may sit wherever they please."
Petyr bowed and urged Robyn and Alayne to do the same. "We thank you for your kind welcome, Lord Manderly, and are glad to be able to share your table."
Without saying more, the trio went to the dais and sat themselves down at his table. The chair to his right was reserved for Wylis, so they sat on the three chairs on Wyman's left, Petyr sitting closest to him, Alayne next to him and Robyn next to her.
"My dear friends, eat! I have ordered a small feast in your honour."
Alayne looked over the hall. It was so nice to once again be on the dais with most people below her that didn't hate her. She intentionally refused to look in the corner of the hall where the Freys were. When she wasn't looking around, she was talking to Robyn who seemed impressed by Wyman and the feast. Petyr said something to Wyman from time to time, but Alayne couldn't hear what he was whispering. After a while, Ser Wylis came to the hall and Alayne noticed he looked very much like his father, down to the walrus moustache and the fat. He didn't like to talk, Alayne noticed. His daughters, Wynafryd and Wylla, were both older than her but they seemed very friendly. What she also noticed was that they laugh almost all the time.
Not more than an hour's turn passed and Wyman stood up. "My friends and subjects! I shall be leaving now, but you can stay here and feast until you find something better to do. Just try to make sure not to stay here the whole day, you've still got some work to do."
Everybody in the hall stood up and bowed as Wyman waved at Petyr, Alayne and Robyn to follow him. His granddaughters followed as well.
"You know, Lord Baelish," he started while walking up the steps to his chambers, "that this castle is much younger than the city?"
"Of course, my lord, I have heard about it. The old one is being used as a prison, isn't it?"
"You are damn right. And you know who gave it to us, along with this city?"
"I think it was one of the Stark kings, wasn't it?"
"Right again. Those pesky Gardeners exiled us from the Reach and we have only gods and Starks to thank for existing. Wylla, Wynafryd, will you two be so kind as to go play some games with young Lord Arryn here? Of course, if the young lord agrees."
Robyn looked cautiously at the big man, but Alayne patted his shoulder and nodded to him, so he just said "Yes. I agree." The moment they got to the top of the steps, the Manderly granddaughters and Robyn disappeared.
"Now that we're alone, we can speak more privately. I think that's what you said to me in your letter, didn't you, Lord Baelish?"
"Yes, my lord. Me and my daughter here need to speak to you in private, but we must have your word that nobody else knows what we will be talking about."
"Naturally. Over here, if you will." He showed the door to his left and they entered a simple room that had a table and three chairs in it. There was also a lit brazier that emanated warmth and Alayne jumped closer to it to warm her hands a bit. Lord Wyman and Petyr sat down. Alayne joined not a minute later.
"So, as I was saying," Wyman started again, "only gods and Starks are to thank for our existence. But unfortunately, now all I have to thank is the gods, since there aren't any Starks left. A sad story, I'm sure you'll agree."
"As sad as a story can get. I couldn't help but notice you keep the Seven here. I thought all the North kept the old gods."
"Ha-ha, Baelish, you are damn right! That's another thing we have to thank Starks for. We are Reachmen after all. Starks let us keep the Seven and in return they didn't ask for anything but loyalty. And that we have given them, until the bitter end."
Alayne silently cried after hearing him speak. Lord Wyman noticed that.
"Lady Stone, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"I'm sorry, my lord."
"She is most distressed by the... Dissolve of the Stark family, my lord.
"It is a sad story, yes. I find it weird but oddly satisfying not only the North is mourning."
"Is it, though?" Petyr asked.
"Well, not all of it. Some."
Petyr looked at the man for a minute, clearly judging him and thinking of his next move. He must have seen something appealing, because he smiled. "The young lady is actually the reason I asked if I could visit you, my lord," Petyr said, "But first I must ask you this: How loyal were you to the Stark family?"
Lord Wyman put his hand on his heart and said "As loyal as one can get. Stood with them until the bitter end, never doubting them. I swear to the old gods and the new, if I ever thought of betraying a Stark, let my heart fail now and let me die."
"That's good to hear," Petyr said with a grin. "Alayne, won't you tell lord Wyman about you?"
Wyman's eyes narrowed. Alayne stood up and went to his chair. "My lord, look at me."
Lord Wyman did as he was told. "What am I supposed to be looking at, my lady?
"My face probably can't tell you much, but my eyes should, my lord."
Wyman stood up and got closer to her. Suddenly, he jumped a little backwards. "Seven hells, those eyes look like Tully eyes! I thought you said you were a Stone, my lady?"
"I had to colour my hair so that nobody could recognize me and I played lord Baelish's baseborn daughter to avoid suspicions. But I could never forget who I truly am. Lord Manderly," Alayne said confidently, "my name is not really Alayne Stone. My real name is Sansa Stark of Winterfell, daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully."
Hi! Thanks for reading. Any reviews are appreciated.
New chapter next week, nothing much to say here.