Sansa (293 AC)

Sansa loved the stories of fair maidens and knights in shining armor that her mother and septa told her so much that she wished she would grow up right now so that she could find her knight as fast as possible. But for now, she was glad to just play with her best friend Jeyne Poole.

"'My fair maiden, I have returned home at last!'" the knight in Jeyne's hand proclaimed, as he was walked through the imaginary gate of his invisible castle.

"'My love, my shining knight, you have come back to me!'" the lady doll in Sansa's hand exclaimed as she was rushed forward to press against the knight in a facsimile of a loving embrace.

"'Yes my lady,'" the knight was rotated so that the doll could be fit between his arms bearing sword and shield. "'Harder than slaying the demon bear was being so far from your arms and lips, so that we may love each other forever!'"

"'No more talking! Kiss me!'" the maiden exclaimed, and the faces of lady and knight were pressed together and the exaggerated sounds of kissing were heard, until the girls both broke down in giggles.

Then a knock was heard on the door to Sansa's room, grabbing her attention. "Yes?"

The door cracked open and head of white hair with blazing violet eyes poked through. "I have them," came a conspiratorial voice.

Jeyne clapped in glee as Sansa immediately dropped her doll and rushed for the door to open it all the way to allow their agent inside with a kitchen cloth wrapped around something clutched to her chest.

After checking the hallway outside and then closing the door behind her, Sansa joined her two friends to enjoy what had been brought to them.

"Come on, come on! I've been waiting hours for this!" Jeyne harried.

"Yeah, it's not good to keep your ladies waiting!" Sansa concurred.

"Not to worry, miladies," their friend assured, as she showed off the tied sack before the two girls. "For the mighty and crafty Doll, Violet Strings, has evaded the watchful eye of Black Rock Shooter herself to brave the perilous depths of the castle kitchen to present to you, a fresh, piping hot batch of-"

Jeyne and Sansa mouths salivated as Violet pulled the bad open-

"TATERS!"

And promptly dried up at the sight of the steamed potatoes.

"Pfff-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Violet Strings burst out. "You two should have seen the looks on your faces!"

"Th- That's not funny!" Sansa scoffed.

"Yeah," Jeyne agreed, "and I don't want us all to get in trouble over potatoes of all things!"

"Hey, hey, calm down," Violet put the potatoes to the side on Sansa's drawers and held out her long, needle-like metal hands in placation as she walked to Sansa's bed. "It was just a joke, and a decoy."

The girls followed and hopped on Sansa's bed.

Then six, long spiderlike appendages unfolded themselves from behind her to reveal another tied sack that was then laid between the two girls. Violet then very satisfyingly untied the knot to reveal five fresh lemon cakes.

"Yes! Thank you!" Sansa cried, as she and Jeyne each snatched up a lemon cake and took a bite.

"Mmm," Jeyne moaned in delight at the sour-sweet citrus taste of the treat. "Now this is worth getting into trouble for."

"Speak for yourselves," Violet said as she picked up a lemon cake, "I still don't get the big deal with enjoying the taste of food." She put it back down.

"You don't- but I've seen you eat before," Sansa noted.

"Yes," Violet conceded. She then walked over where she had placed the potatoes and lifted up one of them. "And I can taste food, I just don't find enjoyment in it." She bit the steamed potato and chewed on her bite.

"So why eat, if you don't like to or need to?" Jeyne asked, picking up another lemon cake.

Violet swallowed. "Well, for one, it's because Black Rock Shooter told me to do it occasionally, said something about how it makes you feel more comfortable around us. Another is that it's part of the castle Dolls' training to tell if any or drink has been poisoned."

Sansa coughed as she swallowed her bite. "You mean, they fed you poison?" Sansa was very familiar with the idea of poison, the tool of treacherous cowards and lowly assassins to fell greater men than they, and it horrified her that her friend had been forcibly subjected to it.

"Of course they did," Violet said nonchalantly after a bite of lemon cake. "After all, poisons can't hurt us Dolls like it can you."

"Oh… right," Sansa was embarrassed to not realize that. She had always thought that there had to be a very good reason as to why she always saw Black Rock Shooter or some other Doll sample the food at mealtimes but never eat a full plate themselves.

"And the last thing is that I've come to like is the feeling of the eating itself, especially with how different foods feel when I eat them. This potato has a nice thin skin with just enough give to nice and chewy, and the insides are fluffy and warm. And I like apples, because they are crisp, cool, and crunchy."

Violet Strings then had a strange look suddenly overcome her. "Sansa, Jeyne, shouldn't it unusual to like two different foods for their opposite qualities?"

Sansa and Jeyne shared a quick look, then Sansa answered: "No. After all, if we only ate the things we liked, we'd get bored of it eventually, and then there would be nothing left to like."

Violet Strings and Jeyne nodded sagely at Sansa's words.

Then they all jumped when there was a knock at the door.

"Sansa," came the voice of Black Rock Shooter. "I have a message for you. Please open up."

Sansa glanced at Jeyne. There was only one cake left, which she promptly wrapped back in its cloth and stuffed down her dress and brushed off the leftovers from it and her face. She looked at Violet, who had wrapped back up her potatoes and stood breathlessly still on the side of the door opened against, one potato stuffed in her mouth like a gag.

Sansa did the same as Jeyne, stood from the bed, straightened her dress and hair, and walked to the door and opened it.

"Hello, Black Rock Shooter," she curtly curtsied. "What is it?" She hoped the message didn't take long or involved anything troublesome, because she didn't like being in trouble, nor did she like Black Rock Shooter. The Doll sometimes called the Executioner of the North was cold like Father, but almost never showed his warmth, and never played the games she wanted to. And Sansa, like her mother and her septa, wished she would just actually dress in something decent, even if it were like her friend Violet in her mannish trousers and long-sleeved vest.

"Your mother wants you to know that Septa Mordane is unwell and won't be able to teach your next sewing lesson, so she will be taking over an hour later than your usual time after she takes care of other duties."

Oh good, Sansa thought. "Thank y-"

"Also, tell Violet Strings hiding behind the door here that if she doesn't return the potatoes to the kitchen she will be serving a double shift on top of the tower tonight instead of just the one for stealing the lemon cakes for you two. Your mother will decide an appropriate punishment for you and Jeyne."

There was a thud and the sound of something rolling on the floor behind her. Sansa looked. It was a potato with a fresh bite mark.

Oh Seven Hells, Sansa swallowed, and turned back to look up at the Doll's very flat look. "U- Understood, Black Rock Shooter."

Black Rock Shooter nodded her head, and walked away to perform other duties. Sansa then closed the door, leaving the two girls and one Doll to stew in their collective misfortune.

Sansa looked at Violet Strings. "Sorry for getting you in trouble."

"Me too," Jeyne added.

Violet nodded. "Don't worry, I forgive you." She hefted the potatoes she was holding. "I may as well bring these back. See you later." She walked to the door and opened it.

"Wait," Sansa ordered.

Violet turned at that.

Sansa picked up the bitten potato from the floor and handed it to Violet. "The kitchens won't keep a bitten potato, so you may as well finish it."

Violet smiled, and accepted it. "Thanks, Sansa."

Sansa returned the smile. "You're welcome, Violet Strings."