Portrait// Sandor Clegane (1)

32. Lions

Every morning was the same an exhausted Avalon would lay in bed, limbs sprawled out over sandor, Sandor would untangle himself from her as she rolled over finding a more comfortable position and he was get ready for the day. Where his day was constantly dreadful, having Avalon to wake up to and fall asleep with made the days better, knowing he was going back to something, someone that loved him.

Avalons days were always different. Some days she laid in bed til midday having been up sketching all night long, others she was up with the sunset. When she had a mural to paint it consumed her mind. She became obsessed unable to focus on much else until it was done. She had Ned's mural on her mind. Since he got to the capital Avalon had been painting the blackest of black along one wall, taking forever to dry she sat out in the gardens watching Tommen and Marcella play. She hated that she couldn't replicate their golden hair. She painted little lions for them as they played. One with a crown and the other a flower crown. Cersei came up behind her looking over her shoulder.

'Little lions.' She remarked happily.

'I can make stags.' Avalon told her, knowing cersei preferred her lannister bloodline to the childrens Baratheon name. she kept painting the lions.

'Lions are more beautiful than stags.' Cersei remarked sitting down next to avalon.

'I like drawing lions,' Avalon told her sparing her a glance, she had never been this close to cersei unless she was giving her a drawing. But Cersei seemed content sitting next to Avalon watching her children play. 'Was there something I could do for you your grace?" Avalon questioned still not looking up from her sketch.

'No,' Cersei said simply. But she opened her mouth not done. 'You know Avalon, you spent so many hours silently working. You must find such peace in the silence.' Cersei noted.

'I am overly focused.' Avalon told her pulling free the lion for cersei. She smiled down at it.

'It is an outlet for you? Your art?' Cersei clarified.

'Yes. I draw and create what I feel and sometimes that's pain and other times that's beauty.' Avalon looked to cersei, her face turned down as she touched the little crown on the lions head. 

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'Good news?' Petyr said approaching Ned in the throne room ned held a letter in his hands. 'perhaps you would like to share it with your wife?'

'My wife is in Winterfell' Ned told him.

'Is she?' Petyr grinned walking past him. Ned followed him into the city, down to one of Petyrs brothels.

'I thought she would be safest in here, this is one of the safer establishments I know-' Ned pushed Petyr up against the wall.

'you're a funny man you know that?' Ned said 'a very funny man.' he said strangling him

'Ned.' cat called from above, ned released Petyr and moved to the Brothel.

'The starks and their tempers,' Petyr muttered following him in.

'Thank you for this Avalon.' Catelyn was saying as ned came up. Catelyn clutched the drawings to her chest.

'Of course.' Avalon said as she curtseyed before Ned. "Lord Hand.' Avalon said kindly before heading off.

'I wish I could see the girls.' catelyn said anxiously looking around.

'It's too dangerous.' Ned reminded her nervously.

'just for a moment.' Catelyn suggested hopefully, she looked back at the drawing it was as though they were here with her.

'Until we know who the enemy are-' Ned began

'I know it is the Lannister's in my bone they are not to be trusted I know it.' Catelyn assured him.

'If little fingers right I can't do anything without proof.' Ned reminded her.

'And if you find the proof?' Catelyn questioned.

'Then I bring it to Robert and hope he is the man I once knew.' Ned informed her. Catelyn kissed him quickly before pulling her hood over her head and riding off.

'Mocking bird? No problem.' Avalon said making a quick note in her book.

'Like this,' Petyr told her pointing at his own sigil.

'I got it... actually.' She remarked her fingers grazing the pin. 'Could I borrow this? Until I get a draft down of it?' Avalon asked.

'I suppose. But don't lose it.' Petyr warned.

'Never I'm very careful.' She was actually very clumsy. 'if you would prefer we can sit one day and I can sketch it or perhaps I could sit in on a small council meeting?' Avalon suggested.

'Tomorrow,' petyr told her. 'a small council meeting tomorrow you can sit in on and you can examine the pin.' Petyr told her.

'Great, tomorrow than Lord Baelish.' Avalon said sweetly walking off.