Portrait// Sandor Clegane (1)

4. Be a good Dog

Paint laced her hands, arms, her dress. Avalon took a step back admiring her work. She looked at it and it was beautiful but bland. She stared at the lion staring confidently back at her. she should get the queen and Joffrey, but she didn't want to show them something that wasn't perfection and right now, this lion needed something. She was going off book. She was making it stand out.

Avalon dropped down to her knees, she started blending colors before taking a brush and flicking and splattering the paints across the wall. She looked like a mad woman. Colors streaked across the wall and her face, smearing across her cheek as she brushed her hair from her eyes. Clumps of her hair were stuck together with pain as well. She looked a mess but it was perfect.

Joffrey walked in as she was admiring her work and he let out a gasp. Avalon's face pinched, her lips pursed as Joffrey made his way to her.

'Shit.' She whispered.

'Avalon.' Joffrey said softly getting closer, examining the mural. 'this is...'

'I can change it back if-' Avalon began.

"Beautiful.' Joffrey told her. 'HOUND!" he barked. 'Fetch my mother. She will want to see this.' Joffrey reached out a hand but Avalon grabbed his hand gently.

'Its still wet my prince.' Avalon told him and he nodded dropping his hand to his side.

'you look a mess.' Joffrey remarked with a chuckle.

'it was worth it, if you like it.' Avalon told him.

'My sweet boy, what is it?' Cersei questioned but she stopped seeing the mural.

"Its beautiful isn't it mother?' Joffrey said pulling her closer.

'this wasn't what we originally agreed on.' Cersei reminded Avalon.

"I'm sorry, your grace.' Avalon began.

'this is better mother!" Joffrey assured her. 'Look at it!' Cersei looked down to her son, she had never seen him smile like this before. Sandor had to admit, it was good, hell it was great. The girl looked like a rainbow though as she stood before the queen an array of colors splattered against her.

'Wonderfully done.' Cersei told her. 'Marcella and Tommen will be happy for you to start on their rooms.' Cersei told her, it was beautiful. Lannister reds, hints of orangey, yellow in the mane... it was as though the girl knew but she couldn't. 'Why so much red?' Cersei questioned hesitantly.

'Lannister lions, your grace.' Avalon told her. 'I assumed that was why the prince wanted it, as an ode to his Lannister bloodline.' Cersei nodded, that was indeed an acceptable answer.

'Beautiful.'

Avalon cleaned up, cleaning the floors as Joffrey stood for what felt like hours admiring her work. She had done a lot of paintings for a lot of important people over the years but seeing the prince, a usually very obnoxious boy so pleasantly surprised with her work, made her really happy. She curtseyed before the prince her supplies over flowing from her hands as she left.

"HOUND!" Joffrey barked. 'Avalon forgot this.' Joffrey said pulling out her notebook, it had fallen under the couch. 'Be a good dog and give it to her.' Sandor nodded grabbing the notebook. As he walked he opened it up curiously only to find pictures of himself.