Author's Notes: Hey everyone. Sorry it has been so long since I last updated, hopefully this will help make up for my tardiness.
The escape of the two prisoners created quite an uproar. Contingents of soldiers were quickly dispatched to hunt them but they met with no success. The only one they believed to have found them was the one that failed to return at all.
Tyrion sent a raven back to King's Landing with word of this fresh disaster to befall House Frey. The reply he received expressed Tywin's displeasure with the Freys. Tyrion, ever the diplomat, told the Frey that his father expressed condolences for their recent lose and assurances of continual Lannister support.
Meanwhile Sansa did her best to undo his efforts. When they had first married he had dismissed her maids telling her they were spies for the Queen. Remembering this she kept an eye on the Frey guards and servants that seemed to often have reason to be near her, Tyrion or other members of the Lannister party.
When she had become decided on who she suspect were spies she contrived to let things slip in their hearing. Often she did this by speaking to Shae when they were nearby. Afterwards she gently probed her husband when he returned at night to see if what she had said had reached the Frey. She stopped this when she saw that, despite her best efforts to be subtle, Tyrion was beginning to look at her strangely.
Never the less she accomplished what she desire, she now had a reasonably good idea which of them were more than they appeared. After Tyrion relayed Tywin's message to the Freys she waited till one of the spies was eavesdropping on her and Shae she told her maid about how Tywin had raved about the Frey's incompetence and that the King had opined that perhaps their brains had rotted while they sought to win the favor of a doddering old man. None of this was true of course but it sounded like something he would say and it could only hurt the alliance.
This got back to the Freys, as she knew it would, and soon Tyrion began to complain of their increasing hostility. It did not help that the Frey were still quarreling over who was to become the new head of the family. While they all knew they needed the Lannister support to gain the title their hostility to Tyrion, whose presence had made him the focal point of their resentment towards the supposed Lannister scorn, found any council he offered rebuffed. A month after the escape a raven arrived ordering Tyrion to return to King's Landing.
The journey was without incident and they made very good time. Upon their arrival Tyrion was summoned to a meeting of the Small Council. He returned many hours latter looking quite worn. It seemed that her uncle had made his way to Riverrun, which was still under siege. With the Frey plan to use him to force a surrender thwarted the siege was now likely to continue for some time. Of Umber there was no word though all suspected he had, or was attempting to, return to his own lands. If he got there he would doubtless lead his house against the Boltons.
This news pleased Sansa, though she did her best to conceal it from her husband though she was not sure she fooled him. As the days passed she found herself seeking a new way to hurt her enemies. The Frey and Boltons were too far away and the Lannisters too well guarded.
The capital was all abuzz with the impending royal wedding and Margaery Tyrell often called on her to consult Sansa on her dress and jewelry. Though Sansa suspected that Margaery, who had a veritably army of female relatives and servant to assist her in this, only did so to be kind she still welcomed the distraction. Though she no longer cared about such things as she once did it was good from time to time to take her mind off of her frustration at her inability to set on a new course of action.
So when Shae announced that a messenger was there for her she assumed it was another invitation. To her surprise she found that it was not one of the Tyrell servants but one she did not recognize. It was a middle-aged man in simple but clean attire.
"Lady Sansa," he said with a bow; "The Lord Varys presets his compliments and requests that you do him the very great honor of going him for some light refreshments."
Sansa hesitated. She was suspicious of Lord Varys, as she believed most people in King's Landing were, he always gave one the impression that he knew all of ones secrets; which made Sansa, who now had a great many secrets, uneasy.
On the other hand, she was sure that he knew what she was doing and had not betrayed her; he had even helped her by giving her the essence of nightshade. She did not believe he was a friend and she no longer believed that anyone did anything for anyone else unless there was something in it for them but she did not care.
She already knew what her ultimate fate was and she did not care, it did not frighten her and if Varys was willing to help her for whatever reason she would take it. She sent back a reply humbly accepting his invitation and called for Shae to help her choose a dress.
Half an hour later she went to Lord Varys's chambers. On a table he had place a pot of tea and a flagon of wine and had a tray of lemon cakes and other treats. He invited her to sit and personally poured her tea.
"I am so honored that you would make time to accept my invitation."
"Please my lord, the honor is all mine." Sansa replied, falling back on the courtesies she had been taught.
"You honor me. If I may; might I be allowed to inquire as to whither my little gift to you was of any help?" Sansa felt a chill run up her body at the mention of it but she forced herself to remain calm.
"I am glad that I was able to be of some assistance. Especially as there seemed to be so many things occurring that could disturb a person's sleep." From there the conversation wandered to various meaningless subjects till it turned to the royal wedding.
"They say it will be the grandest wedding in history." Varys said.
"Indeed, they say it will be a grand affair." Sansa said, her mind drifting back to her own wedding and the grand one she had always dreamed about.
"One could hardly believe it." He said, his face and voice becoming speculative. "Less than a year ago the Tyrells were our enemies but now they are regarded as a cornerstone of the realm. Of course they had the aid of Lord Baelish and he is an expert in profiting from upheaval."
"I fear I do not take your meaning." Sansa said, who had heard there was no love lost between the two members of the council.
"I mean no more than what I just said my lady. Lord Baelish has always been a master in the art of turning upheaval to his gain. He was already Master of Coin under King Robert but it was after the King's death that his star truly began to rise.
"He was of great aid to your family the Lannisters during the…unpleasantries that followed the King's death. I believe that is why your family has entrusted him with so many difficult assignments and rewarded him with so many titles and sent him to marry your aunt and become Lord of the Vale."
Sansa gripped her cup and fought to hold on. She hated having the Lannisters called her family but it was the other thing he had said that gripped her. She knew the unpleasantness he was referring to was her father's alleged treason but she had not thought about Lord Baelish's involvement.
She barely heard the next thing her host said. "I am sorry?" She asked after he came to a pause.
"I said at the last meeting of the Small Council Lord Tywin decided to send a message to Lord Baelish ordering him to conclude his courtship of your aunt and to go to the Twins in order to smooth the strangely ruffled feathers of the Frey. I believe he will stay here in King's Landing of several days before continuing onwards."
Author's Notes: Well I hope you like it. Consider this my Christmas gift to you all. That is it for now please pray for all the sick and homeless out there, those effect by war and natural disasters and the Americans who will be spending this Christmas abroad, either as prisoners or defending us and everyone who needs a prayer. May Jesus bless you and Merry Christmas!