CHAPTER 5. THE KING'S ROAD

The Journey back south is just as long or seems longer to Cassana. She ignores her mother and watches from a distance the budding romance between her half brother and Sansa Stark. She tries every seductive tactic she knows on Jon, but he will not yield. When they part Cassana wishes her Uncle Tyrion well in his travels; she is sad about Jon; so she turns her attentions to Sansa Stark. The girl desperately needed a dose of reality. "Lady Sansa may I speak with you?" Cassana asks when they stop at Moat Cailin two weeks after leaving Winterfell.

"Yes of course Princess…"

"I have been watching you with my brother…"

"I love him…"

"Do you really…"

"Yes I do..."

Cassana sighs, "Lady Sansa I grew up in King's Landing most of my life…It is a place of liars, schemers, monsters, users, and abusers…You seem like a nice girl…And a nice girl like you in such a place will be eaten alive…I don't mean to insult you…But you are too naïve…Tell me what do you know of my brother?"

"Nothing really…"

"I have known him all my life…A word of advice wolf's blood…Open your eyes…"

"What do you mean open my eyes?"

"I mean see the world around you as it is…not as you would like it to be…You have lived all your life sheltered at Winterfell…I grew up in King's Landing and later at Storm's End…When you get there trust no one and assume everything said to you is a lie…You seem angry now…Are you angry with me?"

"Yes…From I what heard you were head over heels for Jon Snow a bastard…I could ask you what did you know about Jon?"

"Not as much as I would like…Which is why asked people around Winteerfell about him…I am not saying people cannot fall in love at first sight…I am saying when it happens find out everything you can about that person…Before you give them your heart…" Cassana walks away hoping something she said will help Sansa. As they travel Cassana becomes a big sister to Arya. She even shows her some fighting moves and introduces her to Brienne. On they continue and soon they reach the crossroads.

Cassana exits her room and goes down to the river. She spots Arya practicing the sword with a young boy named Mycah. They pause when she walks up, "Playing Knights?" She asks with a smile.

"Yes Princess…" Arya replies.

"I told you call me Cass…"

"Cass…This is Mycah…"

"A pleasure to meet you Mycah…"

"Thank you my lady…I mean Princess and it is a pleasure to meet you as well…"

Cassana starts to walk away and after several feet Cassana hears a scream. She goes running back to see her brother swinging a sword at Arya. Then he is attacked by Arya's Direwolf. Cassana watches as Arya stands over her brother pointing a sword at him on the ground as he cries. She places her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Her Princely brother is on the ground begging for his life. As Arya throws the sword away she walks up.

"Bested by a little girl…The Prince who cried…"

"That girl and her beast attacked me…"

Cassana looks at Arya, "Is this true Lady Stark?"

"Arya! And he is a liar…Mycah and I were playing when he attacked us…"

Cassana looks at Joffrey, "Well lets here it…" She listens to his lies, then Cassana looks at Sansa, "Well Lady Sansa…what have you to say?"

"I do not know it happened so fast…"

Cassana grabs Joffrey and pulls him to the side, "Let me go! That little witch is lying…"

"Yeah I know and I am the Queen of Braavos…You say one word of this to mother and I will break both your arms this time…" Cassana looks at the rest, "Go I will tend to my brother…Say nothing…"

"What about my Direwolf…"

Cassana sighs, "I will have one of my men take her back to Winterfell…"

Arya runs up to Cassana and hugs her, "Thank you…"

Cassana drags Joffrey to her room and sows his arm. "You fell and cut your arm…Say anything else and I tear your hide apart…"

That is when Cersei bursts in, "Joffrey!"

"He is fine…"

She rushes to his side, "What happened?"

"He fell and cut his arm…"

Cersei looks at Cassana, "I want to hear what my son has to say…"

"I…" He looks at Cassana, "I…fell and cut my arm…"

"See…" Cassana says wrapping it.

"The Maester should look at it…"

"I know something of healing mother…It is not infected…"

"I still want the Grand Maester to look at it…" When they reach Castle Horn Wood Cassana pays the Maester to say Joffrey fell and he will be fine.

Cersei goes to Cassana's room not satisfied with the Maester's answer, "My son what really happened?"

"You lost the right to ask me anything…Murderer…"

"You are your father's daughter aren't you?"

"And proud of it…" As they travel tensions between Cassana and Cersei deepen and the relationship the two had been working so hard to build falls apart.