AN: Apologies for the wait. It has been… A hectic time.
Before anyone worries, at no point was I actually in physical danger or anything that extreme. It's just one thing after another that keeps on happening.
First, was just a common case of Writer's block. I decided to step away for a few days and focus on life just to clear my head. But then, my laptop was sent in for a replacement battery, only for me to be informed that the battery is fine, and the Motherboard was malfunctioning and has to be replaced. I am still waiting on it back, and I sent it out back in October/early November. Most of this chapter is being written on an older laptop that I do not dare take away from the power cord.
When I finally get ready to sit down and finish this, one thing or another pops up and takes my attention and motivation.
I also had inconclusive results of a blood test at my new doctor's, which required me to give blood to redo the tests twice. So that was annoying.
So here I finally am, far later than I had ever hoped. Consider this, My Christmas Gift to all of you who read this.
Now, you have all patiently waited long enough. Let us jump into it.
KING'S LANDING
ARYA
Arya stood on the Street of Steel, watching all the normal people as they went about their lives.
The way to King's Landing, Sansa had prattled on and on about how grand the city would be. She was convinced that it would be much larger than White Harbor- Arya would agree on that- that it would be cleaner- Arya had a laugh when that turned out to be untrue, but Sansa found solace in the Red Keep being better than the city itself- and that everyone would be a true knight, but that Prince Joffrey would be the best among them and see her beauty in a way no one in the North could. When Robb pointed out that Maester Luwin received a raven explaining about Joffrey's exile, Sansa had brushed it aside as him not wanting to be kept from the war, and wanting to fight, but King Robert not wanting to risk his son's life.
If not for Gilly and Ygritte sharing their room on the ship, the sisters would have gone to their usual hostility right away, but their presence stopped that. Arya, because she could spend more time with Ygritte, who had plenty of stories of adventures beyond the Wall, and Sansa, because Ygritte made her nervous, while Gilly was like a clumsy maid.
Technically, they were supposed to act like that. How Father convinced Mother to let them go with Wildlings for maids was beyond her, but she guessed it may have something to do with Septa Mordane being rumored to have been found in a drunken stupor by Maester Luwin. The Septa was supposed to teach them to be ladies, but she was not doing well recently in setting an example. Perhaps Father thought that the Queen would be able to take over while the Septa recovered?
Arya shook off the thoughts. She did not want to be some lady to just be married off and have some lord's children.
Sansa was always praised for her ladylike self. That was not to say that everyone thought she was better than Arya. Maester Luwin had said, perhaps to reassure her, that Arya was better at the duties that a lady was expected to handle from a day to day standpoint. She was better at sums, she had an easier time talking to the people in Winterfell, and she actually took an interest in dueling. While it was viewed as something for men, since it could cause actual injury and death, Father said that it was better she knew how than not. Sansa had little interest in the Cards once they had all gotten used to them, but Father would not push her to get better just yet.
Arya had not gotten to duel at all yesterday. She had been too busy helping Gilly, who was still shocked just at the size of the City. But now Gilly was with Sam. Which left her free to do as she wanted.
She knew that there were people looking at her. She was younger than anyone else in the tournament. They probably were unsure if she was an actual participant, or just some child that refused to hide her duel disk.
Arya put her hand over her deck. Not the one that was made of her brother's (and Theon's) discarded cards. But the one she had actually built herself, until her Mother took it away. She finally managed to get it back, and now she could prove just how good she was.
Most people would think she would not win the tournament. She knew Robb and Jon saw her participating more as a way to humor her than actual belief in her. But she was going to win the Twins, have her own castle, and then she would never need to get married. Rickon could be her heir.
All she needed was to find a good opponent to start with.
She walked through the crowds, her small size letting her move quickly, looking for those with Duel Disks.
Eventually, she found someone. A skinny boy, younger than Jon and Robb, with thin hair, and a thick neck.
There could have been a multitude of reasons why Arya chose him in particular. The fact that he seemed to just be completely alone made him an easy target. The fact that he seemed young, and thus may not underestimate her as much.
In truth, it was simply because everyone else with a Duel Disk was already fighting each other.
"Hey!" She yelled at the boy only a few years her senior.
Startled, he jumped in shock, turning to her and standing rigid, fear or nervousness very evident in his eyes.
Even once he realized he was talking to a young girl, the boy did nothing to relax himself.
"S-sorry! Do you need my help or anything, My Lady? If you want Lord Beric, I am afraid that he is busy with the Melee, but he, well he told me not to wait for him, and continue on with the tourney."
He spoke so nervously and fast that Arya almost did not understand any of it.
"Doesn't matter. And I am not a lady." She said, "Both of our Duel Disks are out. Which means we can fight each other."
"Are you sure my lady?" The nervous boy asked. "I-I don't want to cause you trouble or anything."
Arya was starting to get annoyed at this boy. "I told you I am not a lady. You think I won't be a challenge?" She accused.
"N-no My lady." he said.
"Well then, you have no reason to refuse!" She pointed out, getting further annoyed by his insistence that she was a lady.
"Ri-right." He said with a nervous gulp. He suddenly stood straight, as if he forgot something. "Uh, my name, My Lady. My name is Podrick Payne."
"Payne?" She questioned. "Like Ser Ilyn Payne? The King's justice?"
She had seen the tongueless knight once in the hall, but had not gotten a good look at the man. But she could tell that the man was completely different from the boy in front of her. No one would ever think they were of the same house.
"Distantly." Podrick said, paling as if in fear of his own kin. He swallowed. "Can, can we just begin?" He said, choosing what was apparently the lesser of his fears.
Arya smirked. "Finally. By the way, I am Arya Stark of Winterfell." She yelled as she ran to get some distance between her and Podrick so they could start.
Podrick brought up his Duel Disk and activated it before her words registered in his mind. "W-what?" He mumbled.
The duel began.
A: 4000 P: 4000
"You want to go first or shall I?" Arya asked.
Podrick looked nervously around, as if searching for a way to run. When none appeared, he gulped. "You can go first, Lady Stark."
"I keep telling you I am not a lady." Arya muttered to herself. "Fine." She drew her hand and looked at it.
"I summon Kanan the Swordmistress!"
A woman wearing green armor and armed with a sword and shield appeared on the field.
Arya grinned at finally being able to use her actual deck. For so long she had to make due with the spare cards of her brothers, but now she could prove herself.
"I put two cards face down and end my turn." She finished.
"Right then, my turn." Podrick said as he drew.
He stood there, staring at his hand blankly for several minutes.
"Hurry up!" Arya yelled to him.
Podrick almost dropped his hand in shock at the yell. "Sorry! Uh, I summon Man Eater Bug, in attack mode!"
Arya watched as a brown bug with long claws materialized onto the field. She figured Sansa would scream if she saw a bug that large.
But despite its appearance, it was very weak. There was no possibility it could take out Kanan.
"And I will end with a card face down." Podrick said, seeming to relax as Arya turned her focus to her own deck.
"My turn then." She said as she drew. 'Is he only pretending to be nervous, too lure me into a trap?'
Arya certainly hoped so. She really did not want her first duel in the tournament to be against someone so weak. It did not seem fair.
'In any case, my two face downs should protect me. Which means…'
"I summon Amazoness Trainee." She declared. On the field appeared a girl dressed in blue who appeared to be a few years older than Sansa. In her hands was a chain with a knife shaped like a miniature lance.
"Now then, Amazoness Trainee, attack his giant bug!" Arya commanded.
The Trainee started spinning the chain, before it suddenly shot towards Man Eater Bug, impaling him through the chest.
A: 4000 P:2950
"But that is not all!" Arya said. "Since Amazoness Trainee destroyed him, he is not sent to the graveyard. Instead, he is sent to the bottom of your deck!"
The other end of Trainee's chain whip flew towards Podrick's Duel Disk, and Man Eater Bug was dragged along it until he was on top of Podrick's deck. He then seemed to sink into the Deck, and his card suddenly materialized on the bottom of it.
"Now, Amazoness Trainee gains 200 attack points, but while she grows stronger, I will have Kanan attack you directly!" Arya said.
As the Green clad warrior approached Podrick, he took a step back and held his arms up to protect himself, fear evident for all to see.
Until a voice called out, "Your Face Down Pod!"
Podrick opened his eyes at the command, and revealed his face down. "I activate Negate Attack. It stops the attack and moves us out of the battle phase."
Kanan's sword strike halted as a purple blob of space appeared and acted as Podrick's shield.
Arya could have cared less that Podrick had activated a trap. What she was more incensed by was the fact that he was ordered to do so.
"Who said that?" She yelled.
"Apologies My Lady, but that was me." A man younger than her father stepped forward. "My name is Beric Dondarrion. You are dueling my Squire. When I saw him freeze up, my instincts took over."
Podrick seemed even more nervous now that the knight he was a squire for was here. "My Lord, sorry. I was waiting for you, but Lady Stark here ran up and cha-"
"Enough." Beric quieted down the young Payne. "You have no need to explain. But you do need to do your best. I had hoped this tournament would help build up your confidence. And now is the time to do so. So, this is all I have to say. Podrick Payne, I command you to win."
Podrick gulped. "Yes, My lord." He said, though it was clear he had little confidence in being able to do so.
"Just no more telling him how to duel." Arya said. "I challenged him, not you."
"Understood, My Lady." Beric said with a kind smile.
Arya nodded at Lord Beric's acceptance. "I end my turn."
"My move." Podrick said as he drew.
Podrick looked at the cards in his hand.
"I play one card face down, and then I summon Armed Dragon Level 3!" A baby sized dragon appeared on the field. Its scales were orange, but large portions of it were covered in some kind of armor.
'Why would he say his monster's level?' Arya questioned. 'Regardless, it is still weaker than either of my monsters.'
"I end my turn." Podrick said.
"My turn." Arya said as she drew once again. She looked at the card she just drew. A weak monster, but with her face down cards to protect her, she would be in no danger by summoning it.
"I summon Amazoness Blowpiper!" Arya said. On the field a third female warrior appeared between Trainee and Kanan. She had blue hair, and had some sort of demonic skulls covering her knees, but her most important item was the blowpipe in her hands.
'It won't be enough to end the duel, but if I can attack with all three, he will have less than a thousand life points. I may have wanted him to be tougher, but how many people win without taking any damage at all?' Arya thought to herself.
"Amazon Trainee, attack his Armed Dragon!" Arya ordered. Once again, Trainee started spinning her whip, only for the Armed Dragon to open its mouth.
What came next was a roar that caused everyone to clutch their ears, even Podrick.
Trainee faltered, disheartened by the sudden sound coming from its target.
"My trap card." Podrick said. "Threatening roar. It prevents you from attacking this turn."
"Fine then, I end my turn." Arya said.
"My move then." Podrick said as he drew.
Suddenly, the Armed Dragon started to grow. His scales turned from orange to red, and the grey parts turned darker.
"Armed Dragon Level 3's ability." Podrick announced. When he is on the field during my standby phase, I can turn him into Armed Dragon Level 5 instead."
The now grown dragon let out a roar more akin to what Arya thought a Dragon roar would sound like. Not only was it more dangerous than its younger form, but it was twice as powerful, at 2400 attack points.
"Now, since that was a special summon, I can still normal summon this turn." Podrick said. "And I summon Alligator Sword!" The human sized reptile appeared on the field.
"Now, Armed Dragon will attack your Trainee!" Podrick declared.
Arya bit her lip. She wasn't expecting something that powerful to come out so suddenly, she could use her trap to mitigate the damage, but it would not be what she wanted to use them for. And when she looked in her hand, she realized her other trap would not help her out much right now.
The red scaled dragon opened its mouth, and a ball of orange flame shot out, striking Trainee and burning her to ash.
A:3300 P:2950
"Now, Alligator Sword, attack Kanan!" Podrick quickly followed up on. The reptile met the warrior woman in the middle of the field, and while near in strength, used his tail to grab her by the leg, tripping her as his blade took her head.
A:3200 P:2950
"With that, I end my turn." Podrik said.
Arya grit her teeth. 'There goes my perfect victory, but I am still in the lead.'
She noticed that the Armed Dragon seemed to glow briefly for a second, only for nothing to change.
'An ability Podrick decided not to use?' She guessed.
"My turn." She said as she drew. "Now, Amazoness Blowpiper's ability activates. She lowers the attack of one of your monsters, and obviously, I choose the Dragon."
Putting her mouth on the blowpipe, a single dart shot out, and struck the Armed dragon. It did not grow smaller, but it did take on a more greenish color, as if to show that it had been poisoned.
It went from 2400 attack points down to 1900.
A small change, but one she would need to take advantage of.
Once that was done, Arya looked at the card she just drew.
She could use it right now, but she already had a different strategy she wanted to use.
"Next, I will summon Amazoness Princess." Arya said as she summoned a girl around her age onto the field. She had white hair and wore a headband with animal horns. All along her body were pieces of jewellery made from animal bones and teeth. In her hands was a spear with a blade the size of her head.
She only had 1200 attack points.
"Thanks to her ability, since she was normal summoned, I can add any Amazoness spell from my deck into my hand. And I choose to bring out the Amazoness Fighting Spirit, which I will now play."
Suddenly, a yellowish aura surrounded the princess.
"Now, she will attack your weakened dragon, and when she attacks, Amazoness Fighting Spirit raises her attack by 1000 for that battle. I can also use her ability to discard one card and special summon an amazoness monster from my deck, so long as it is put in defence mode. So I choose Amazoness Swordswoman."
She discarded the Pale Beast she had in her hand, and the field was suddenly joined by a red haired woman with a sword the length of her body.
'If I didn't already draw it, I would have summoned what I just got.' Arya thought to herself. 'Bad timing, but I can just summon it next turn anyway.
Once her subject was fully on the field, the princess leapt into action, charging at the dragon. Her aura shone brighter as she stabbed between the monster's scales, and it dissolved into a pool of poison.
A:3200 P:2650
Podrick took a step back, shocked that his monster could be destroyed so quickly.
"I end my turn." Arya said with a grin. The dragon had surely been a shock, but she had managed to handle it easily enough.
"My move." Podrick said as he drew. His confidence shattered.
"Calm down Pod." Beric called out. Arya thought about objecting, but figured that so long as he did not actually yell out specific moves to make, it would be fine. "You have not lost yet, but if you start to panic, then any hope of victory may be lost. Just calm down, observe what is on the field, and plan accordingly."
The words of his knight helped Podrick stay focused. He looked at the cards on the field, and what was in his hand.
"I activate Fissure." Podrick said as she revealed the spell he just drew. "It will destroy the monster you have with the lowest attack points, so your Blowpiper is gone."
A hole instantly appeared underneath Amazoness Blowpiper, and she fell in. A THUD was heard as she presumably struck the bottom of the hole.
"Next, I summon Twin Sword Marauder, in attack mode."
A man shaped monster came onto the field. He wore some strange brown armor, unlike that of a knight. on his arms were two swords, connected to the armor, like his name suggested, only each sword had multiple blades, though the extra blades appeared far more crude. .
"Next, I will equip him with the Sword of Dark Destruction." Podrick revealed the card from his hand.
Another sword appeared, replacing the blades in Marauder's right hand. Just like a golden aura surrounded Amazoness Princess, an aura of black shadow started to emanate from the Marauder. It raised his attack points from 1600 to 2000, but at the same time, his defence was lowered to 800.
"Now, I will have Twin Sword Marauder attack your Amazoness Swordswoman! When he attacks a monster in defence mode, he inflicts piercing damage." Podrick declared as the Marauder started charging forth. "And once he does so, his ability will allow him to then attack your princess!"
The marauder charged forward, and engaged the swordswoman. She deflected the first blow, but was unprepared for the second sword, ending with it pierced through her stomach. However, in her last breaths, she suddenly tossed her blade at Podrick, whose instincts screamed at him to dodge.
A:3200 P: 2350
"When Amazoness swordswoman is in an attack that would involve me taking damage, that damage is shifted to you instead." Arya declared.
Pod gritted his teeth. "I can still destroy your princess!"
"I activate my Trap Card, Kunai with Chain! And I use it to target my Princess" Arya revealed. "But that is not all. Since there is a card targeting an 'Amazoness' Monster, I can activate my other trap, Dramatic Rescue. This allows me to return the princess to my hand, and special summon another monster in her place. So I selected the Amazoness Queen!"
The Princess retreated, dodging Marauder's attack, and in her place a more grown up version of her stood, holding a large blade of her own in her hands.
"I end my turn." Podrick said, unable to make any other moves.
"My move." Arya grinned as she drew. It felt good to finally be able to use her own deck that she had made. For her, it was basically the first time she actually managed to use some of these cards for real. She was enjoying every moment of it.
"First, I activate the spell I just drew, Lightning Blade!"
A second sword came to the Queen's side, summoned with a clap of thunder. It increased her already impressive strength from 2400 to 3200.
"Next, I will resummon the Princess." Arya said, as the younger girl reappeared on the field.
"Now then, Amazoness Queen, destroy his Marauder!" She commanded.
The blue haired woman lifted up both her swords, and charged.
The marauder parried the regular large blade with its own, but when the Lightning Blade and Sword of Dark Destruction crossed, lightning rushed up the orange blade and shattered it, before striking the marauder himself, shocking him until all that was left was a burnt corpse.
A:3200 P:1150
It was clear to all what would happen next.
"Now Amazoness Princess, finish him off!" Arya said, unable to contain her joy at finally being able to win.
The young girl simply went forward to Podrick, and tapped his chest with her spear, signalling his death.
A: VICTOR P: DEFEAT
The field between them faded out of existence with the Duel's end. The squire fell to his knees, shame clear on his face as Arya approached him.
Lord Beric reached him first.
"My-y L-lord," He stammered out. "I'm sorry!" He added quickly, scared of the knight's reaction.
Beric sighed. "Get up now Pod. You lost fairly, and you tried your best. So give her the respect she deserves."
Podrick got up, though his legs still shook a bit. Luckily, by the time Arya reached him, he had returned to the balance of an average person.
"Well fought, My lady." Podrick said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Gold Dragons.
"I am not a lady." She said once again, trying to get this squire to stop calling her that. Nonetheless, Arya accepted them with as much courtesy as she could give. She had started pitying this boy, and she thought intentionally humiliating him was not something her father would approve of.
She looked at the gold, and was shocked to see the same symbols she already had; Light and Water.
"Congratulations Lady Stark." Lord Beric said after she put away her Gold Dragons. "While I cheered for Podrick, I do see some humor in the fact that both my squire and I fell in this tourney to Starks."
Arya noticed at that moment that Lord Beric did not have a Duel Disk out, meaning he was no longer in the tournament. "Who beat you?" She asked bluntly, childish curiosity coming to the surface.
"Your half-brother, Jon Stark." Beric said with a smile. "It was an honor to be able to duel the Hero of the North, and thank him for finally dealing with the Kingdom's Sparrow issue."
The first time that Arya had heard about the Sparrows, it had been a simple rumor talked about in the kitchens. That those who worshipped the Seven had seen the Cards as a sign from their gods, and that it gave them the right to betray the King and lords. Maester Luwin assured her that it was likely much smaller than the rumors made it sound like.
That all changed the next time she heard about the Sparrows. It was when Robb called the Banners of the nearby houses and went to lead them off. Suddenly, this small group of fools being led by sly tricksters was an organized force, one that required an actual army to attempt to stop. They had all been shocked, and then scared for Robb as he rode off to fight, Arya desperately wishing that she could join him. Then she had heard that Jon had defeated them almost as quickly as Robb left, and then everyone was celebrating. Even her Mother, though it was clear even to Arya that what her Mother felt was a strange mix of joy that Robb and her Father were safe, and jealousy that it was Jon Snow who fixed the problem.
The only people at Winterfell who were not even remotely happy were Septa Mordane and Septon Chayle. When Arya mentioned their sullenness, her Father took her aside and told her to view it from their perspective.
'They have dedicated themselves to serving their gods, and to do so have lived among those who disagree with them for the better part of twenty years. Now, people who share their beliefs have done something heinous. It may well have shaken them greatly. Give them time, and they will return to normal.'
And so she did. But by the time she and her siblings left, it did not seem like they were beginning to recover.
Arya shook her head and let those thoughts go. They did not matter. All that she needed to focus on was the tournament.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go find someone else to duel." Arya said, hoping to cut this conversation off fast.
"Of course." Beric said with a kind smile. "I suppose I shall wish you and Jon well. We both shall be looking forward to seeing you compete in the next round."
With that, Arya rushed off, hoping to find another opponent to duel.
'I am going to win this tournament.' Arya thought to herself. 'Then no one will be able to tell me what to do with my life.'
RED KEEP
SANSA
After their short meeting yesterday, where Stannis had also been present, The Queen invited Sansa to come to her chambers the next day.
Sansa chose the best dress that she had brought. Part of her wished she had time to either make or at least buy a better one, but there was simply not enough time to do so before when the Queen said to come.
Sansa looked upon Cersei Lannister as she sat at the table across from her. She was beautiful, elegant, everything that a highborn lady was supposed to be like. But there was a sadness in her actions, no doubt linked to the exile of her firstborn.
"Thank you so much Your Grace for inviting me to be here." Sansa said gratefully as a maid poured tea for them. It was her fifth time thanking the Queen, but she still felt as though she should show her gratitude more.
They had discussed Sansa's lessons, what her mother taught her, as well as her personal interests. Whenever Sansa gave an answer, her heart jumped at Cersei's confirmation that she liked those same things.
One thing Sansa was surprised the Queen agreed on was their neutrality regarding the Cards, ironic as it was that a tournament with them is what brought them together. Sansa was curious in the first couple days, but seeing the monsters appear while others dueled had scared her so much that she refused to do anything with her own deck. It was too violent, not something for a lady like her. Her mother had agreed, but Arya was of course obsessed with them, even when Mother took her cards away.
"Thank you, sweet child for accepting." The Queen said with a small smile, before a wave of sadness came upon her face. She fought it back, trying to maintain the mask of courtesy expected of her. "Your company has been helpful. These have been quite trying times recently… I am sure you heard of the cruel torment His Grace has inflicted on his own son, completely unprovoked."
"Yes, I heard about that." Sansa agreed. "Was it truly without reason? I had thought that the Prince and His Grace had argued."
"No justifiable reason at the very least." Cersei explained. "All my sweet Joffrey wanted to do was help Robert in some small way, since both my husband and I forbade him from going to the actual fields of battle. Yet what did he get for his trouble? Banishment, and possibly being removed from the line of succession! In what way could the gods ever find such a punishment to be just?"
Sansa was nervous. The Queen was right before her, pouring her heart out. "I, I can not fathom how much torment this has caused you." She said, empathizing with the Queen.
Ever since she was old enough to understand that she would one day marry, she dreamed of becoming a Queen, like in the stories. When she understood that the king was actually friends with her father, and that he had a son around her age, she started imagining herself marrying Joffrey while everyone in the Seven Kingdoms looked on. She told the Queen as much when they first met.
"Surely, if you were to beg the King to bring him back, he will." Sansa tried. "His anger must have cooled by now."
Cersei let out a small laugh. Not one of warmth, but a laugh like when you know someone is being a fool. "You have not spent much time in Robert's presence, have you? His anger does not fade. It may smoulder, especially when he has distractions, but one reminder, and it flares back up."
Sansa was shocked to hear it. "So, are you saying Prince Joffrey may never return to Westeros? That would be terrible!"
"That is what I fear most of all dear." Cersei said. "My son is alone, surrounded by those who would have no reason to protect him, with only a small number of leal servants. But Joffrey may have some hope yet."
"Really?" Sansa asked. "What is it Your Grace?"
"You, my dear." Cersei said. "Your father is Robert's brother. More so than Stannis or Renly could ever hope to be. If I can not convince him, then perhaps you can. Tell him what you have told me of your love for the boy. If a mother's love can not convince him, then perhaps a Maiden's can."
Sansa felt herself blush.
She may have dreamed of being married to Prince Joffrey, but she never expected that the Queen would support her love so easily.
The Lions of Casterly Rock were a strange subject in Winterfell. Lord Tywin's evil acts in this very city, as well as the False Knight Jaime Lannister's Kingslaying caused their reputation to suffer greatly in her Father's eyes. And even she heard tales of the Imp's lustful and lecherous actions. That and his stature garnered him little love anywhere.
But Cersei, very little was said about her beyond her marriage to the King. Sansa's father could not lay fault on her for her family's sins, she had simply been at Casterly Rock during the Rebellion. The worst thing Ned Stark had ever said of her was that her being Queen was rewarding Tywin for his actions.
Sansa had been nervous that Cersei may be like the rest of her family. But, perhaps Cersei was like her. Sansa had little in common with her own siblings, and yet she still loved them dearly. Could the Queen be like that?
Cersei gently put her hands into Sansa's, holding them tightly. A silent plea for aid. It took Sansa out of her thoughts and back into the present.
"I-if you think it could help." Sansa stuttered out, embarrassed that she was making a fool of herself when the Queen counted on her. "When should I do it? Is he here in Maegor's Holdfast?"
"No, I am afraid not." The Queen said. "Truth be told, I am not quite sure what he is doing while this… tournament, if you can even call it that, is being held. I have heard no word about him competing himself, yet he was also out of the castle all day yesterday, and likely will be out all of today as well."
"Then when should I request an audience with him?" Sansa asked.
"I may not know all about this competition for the Twins, but I have heard some details." Cersei explained. "Once this round is over, the King shall hold a great feast. Seated in places of honor will be all the competitors who have managed to move on to the next round, to dine at the high table with the Royal Family. The nobles and knights who have rooms in the Red Keep will also feast, but sit in the lesser tables, as well as their guests, such as yourself. Robert has been my Husband for longer than you have been alive, I know him well. Once the feast is nearing its end, leave before him. I will arrange for you to be waiting on the way to His chambers. He would not refuse a Stark a private audience. There, you will beg him to bring our beloved Joffrey back to us. If we are lucky, then he will be in a good enough mood for your words to reach him."
Sansa walked through the plan within her head. "But, won't His Grace be drunk after the feast? Will he even remember if he vowed to bring the Prince back?"
"That is the gamble we play." Cersei said. "If he is too drunk, then simply approach him the next day. He may be flustered to realize he was rude to you, and that will just make your plea even more likely to succeed."
Sansa was unsure of these details. Was trying to manipulate the King in this way really a good thing?
Another squeeze of Sansa's hands reminded her who was asking her for help. The Queen herself. How could she ever doubt her?
"Alright, Your Grace." Sansa said. "I'll do it."
Cersei gave her a kind smile. "Thank you child. And remember, 'A Lannister always pays her debts.' If this works, I dare say the dreams you shared with me will come true."
Any worry in Sansa's heart disappeared at those words.
AN: AND FINALLY DONE!
Apologies again for how long this took. I can not make any promises as to when the next chapter will be ready. Consider this chapter to be an early Christmas gift announcing that I am back.
AS for my usual breakdown of my own works, this chapter focuses on Arya, with Sansa's first POV rounding it out.
Arya and Pod are both young, so I figured having them make plays that are not ideal would be a good way to show that. Pod normal summoning Man Eater Bug being the main way to get his iconic nervousness to come through.
If you were wondering about the Armed Dragons, Pod only has 3 and 5. While plenty of people build their decks for specific cards, Pod has had neither the luck nor the wealth to search for the other Levels, and I thought it would be a nice little reality check that not everyone is going to have all the best combos and powerful sets off the bat.
In the end, Arya is victorious, and her desire to be independent and prove herself is driving her forward.
Next, we move onto Sansa. Sweet, Idealistic, Sansa. This is the first chapter where she has a POV, after having a bit more present during the Robb Vs Baelish parts. I have not used her much, in this or other fics, largely because as a character that is essentially imprisoned and used as a chess piece with little to no agency, I had a hard time connecting with her the same way I did other characters, so I figured it would be better to keep her fairly in the background. But I recently found a good audiobook reading of the series, and going through it again with someone putting the emotion into those lines helped me click with the character better. Especially early Sansa. I hope I did a good job in conveying her naivete from those early chapters.
As for Cersei, she has basically been ignoring the tournament and everything else since Joffrey was banished, but now is the time she starts thinking of moves. A simple plan, largely thought up on the spot when she first saw Sansa and talked to her. Will it work? Will it fail? Who (Besides me) knows?
Once again, Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays.
Hope you all stay safe. I wish you all luck in all your endeavors.
Jaehaerys . Joestar.