Author's Notes: Hey everyone, glad that you liked the last chapter and I hope that you will like this one as well, as always I own nothing.
Several days after later Elia again invited Sansa to go riding with her, and invitation Sansa eagerly accepted. Soon it became routine for them to go riding every couple of days, Prince Doran's journey to the Water Gardens having been delayed by an attack of gout. Some of these were several days and during these Elia took Sansa hunting wild goats which lived among the rocks. Elia would have her servants drive them from the rocks and then she would ride them down and spear them with her lance. She offered to teach Sansa how to do it but Sansa had politely declined.
During one such hunting trip, as the sun went down, the girls were waiting in a tent while the servants cooked the goats that Elia had killed that day. They sat across from one another cross-legged on pillows in the Dornish fashion. Sansa had also adopted the Dornish fashion of dress; layered silk garments and a head covering to protect her sensitive skin from the sun. Since she was out riding she wore baggy silk trousers which came down to her knees and wore snakeskin sandals came up to meet the trousers at the knees. She had blushed furiously when she had first put the garments on but she had to admit that they were much more comfortable than her own garments and gave her a good deal more freedom of movement.
As they waited for the goats to cook they drank Dornish wine, which Sansa found quite sweet, eating figs and dates. After refilling her glass Elia regarded Sansa with a serious expression.
"Uncle received a letter from Father a few days ago, I wasn't there of course, but Arianne was there and she told me what was said. In seems that a Lord Tywin Lannister has sent the Kingslayer, Jamie Lannister to the Twins."
Sansa forced herself to take a drink to feign disinterest. "For what reason?"
"According to my father the Hand of the King is not pleased. It seems that Lord Stannis, by his actions at the Wall, has gained influence among the Northern lords, many of whom apparently do not care for Lord Bolton and see Stannis as a preferable choice. After Lord Umber hailed Stannis as king many of the other lords followed suit.
"Nor is that the Crown's only problem. Edmure Tully, has been attempting to rally the lords of the Riverlands against the King. For obvious reasons he has not met with complete success, many of lords seem content to stay home and wait for it all to end. But some have rallied to him at Riverrun and due to their in-fighting the Frey have not been able to do much to stop him.
"So the Small Council decided to end the fighting by choosing a Frey to replace Lord Walder who died so suddenly." Sansa stiffened at the mention of that hated name and she found a smile forming which she swiftly squashed as she thought about how the man had died, she was not sure if Elia noticed but the other girl kept talking.
"It seems that the Council has decided to support Aenys as the new head of House Frey and they are sending the Kingslayer with a force to ensure the other Frey fall in line. After that they are going to move on Riverrun to deal with your uncle." Sansa felt her stomach twist at Elia's last statement. She only seen her uncle once, when he had escaped from the Frey but he was still family and she did not want anything bad to happen to him.
"So Lord Stannis is now lord in the North?"
"Indeed, with no Starks in the North they need a new lord." She paused for a moment and her look and tone became somewhat speculative. "Of course, if there were to be a Stark in the North again… well who knows? And besides, what are the odds of that happening?" She cocked her head and looked toward the entrance of the tent.
"Ah, I think the goat is done."
Author's Notes: Well what do you think? Things becoming a little clearer? Next chapter things will start to happen again. Well, that's all for now. Please pray for Pastor Saeed, an American held in Iran who is ill, that President Obama will secure his release in the meeting with Iran later this month. Please pray for the woman in Reno Nevada who lost her family the taxi driver who was shot there and the family of the other drive how was murdered. For for Lauren Hill, who has a terminal illness, the kidnapped girls in Nigeria, for Americans held abroad and for persecuted Christians and all others who suffer persecution, the sick, the homeless and runaways, victims of human trafficking, those who suffer, Gail Berry, a friend of the family suffering from mental deterioration and all others who suffer from physical and mental degeneration and all who need prayer, especially those suffering from Ebola, both in the US and Africa and that no more die or become ill and the man who went missing from the football game and the woman in Pakistan sentenced to death for being a Christian. And all who have lost family and for peace in Ferguson. Or may lose family to violence and the person injured in Reno and may Jesus bless you.