Eyes Open / Ned Stark / Oberyn Martell

27. Walk of Shame

Tywin Lannister provided the coin for Joffrey's name day, anything Joffrey wanted. Ned didnt care for his tourney it was really for Robert but Ned loved how big Satori smiled seeing Joffrey happy. 

Sandor and another knight grunt as they dueled. Sandor had the upper hand that much was clear. Sandor knocked the other man's shield away, and knocked the man off of a wall.

"Well struck..." Joffrey remarked softly before a wicked smile curved his face. "Well struck, Dog." Joffrey shouted. Sandor removed his helmet.

"That was great." Satori agreed.  Joffrey turned to Sansa.

 " Did you like that?"

"It was well struck." Sansa agreed.

"I already said it was well struck." Joffrey sneered. Sandor looked between them with a groan.

"Yes, you did." Sansa agreed. "Arya?" 

"It was whatever." Arya murmured bored. Sandor looked to Satori as she snuck glances back at Ned. 

"Are you having a good name day, my prince?" Ned questioned moving to sit closer to Satori.  Two men dragged the man away, leaving behind a trail of blood. A boy walked over to clean up the blood.

"I was." Joffrey countered holding onto Satori's hand. He was a posessive little boy. "Who's next?" Joffrey questioned.

"Lothor Brune, freerider in the service of Lord Baelish." The announcer gestures to a man, who then walked over. "Ser Dontos the Red of House Hollard." The announcer gestures in the opposite direction, but no one came forward. ''Ser Dontos the Red of House Hollard!" The announcer yelled out now.

"Are you having a good day, Satori?" Ned questioned. 

"I dont like these things but JOffrey does, its his name day." Satori admitted. 

"I noticed the queen and king are not here for this." Ned remarked. 

"Robert is with his female companions and Cersei doesnt like the heat." Satori answered. 

"Here I am." Dontos stumbled down some stairs, awkwardly clutching his helmet and weapon. "Here I am." he repeated as he dropped his helmet. "Sorry, my prince." he offered as he put his helmet on backwards. "My deepest apologies." he went on putting his helmet on correctly this time.

"Are you drunk?" Joffrey demanded and Ser Dontos took off his helmet to formally address Joffrey.

"It's a shame, his parents should be here for name days, shows the boy they care." Ned whispered. 

"I agree." Satori added reaching over to grab neds hand. 

"No. Uh, no, Your Grace. I had - I had two cups of wine."

"Two cups?" Joffrey questioned and Dontos nodded. "That's not much at all". Joffrey gestures to some wine before him. "Please, have another cup."

"Are you sure, my prince?" Dontos countered

"Yes, to celebrate my name day." Joffrey agreed a wicked smile on his face. "Have two, have as much as you like."

"Joffrey honey-" Satori whispered. 

"He needs to learn." Joffrey remarked. 

"I would be honored, my prince." Ser Dontos bows to Joffrey. Joffrey looked over to Ser Meryn.

"Ser Meryn, help Ser Dontos celebrate my name day. See that he drinks his fill." Joffrey sniggered out. Ser Meryn and two other kingsguard grab Ser Dontos. They bring him into a more open area nearby. Ser Dontos was forced on his knees. One kingsguard kept Ser Dontos down. Ser Meryn and the other kingsguard got a funnel and a barrel of wine. Ser Meryn forced the funnel into Ser Dontos's mouth. The kingsguard with the barrel began pouring the wine down the funnel. Ser Dontos began gurgling and struggled to breath.

"Joffrey please honey," Satori begged. Joffrey waved a hand.  "it would be bad luck to kill a man on your name day."  Satori assured.

''Some sort of peasant superstition.' Joffrey countered. 

'No your aunt is right,' Sandor told him 'what a man sows on his name day he reaps all year.'' Satori ran a hand over Joffrey's back. 

"Show mercy my love, I know you can. Its your name day let this be a good day. There is already enough bloodshed." Satori added, ned watched Joffrey's mind working. Ned could tell that Joffrey wanted to be vicious, wanted to have the man punished further, Meryn waited instructions. Ned saw Joffrey's face soften. 

"Let him go." Joffrey agreed. "This is my mercy of the moon."  the man was thrown to the ground spewing out the wine that was forced down him.

"Thank you my prince, my lady." Dontos said wheezing for breath before running away. 

"Mother its beautiful." Joffrey remarked that night when satori gave him his name day gift. Satori smiled kissing his cheek.

"I'm glad you like it." Satori agreed. "Safer than a sword."

'It is probably one of the finest weapons in the seven kingdoms.' Joffrey declared running his hand over the crossbow.  'It's beautiful will you show me how it works?' Joffrey asked

'It's a new design much easier to load there's no crank use this lever, I'm told." Satori remarked, demonstrating 'and you pull the string,' Joffrey watched with interest 'the bow goes here... And then you just...' Joffrey nodded and took it from her, he aimed at the boar's head on the wall, the king was always hunting boar it seemed. The arrow went right into the eye. 

"Oh Joffrey you are a natural!" Satori declared. 

''Thank you mama." Joffrey said putting down his bow and hugging her. 

"Anything for my baby boy." Satori agreed. She kissed his head and headed off. She closed his door and found Ned waiting outside her door. 

"Hello." Ned offered. 

"Hi." Satori answered. 

"You busy?" Ned questioned. Satori shook her head letting him in.  The door closed and Neds hands were on her, her back pressed against the door. Ned waited desperate for confirmation. 

Satori kissed him because she needed to get closer to him. She needed more than a promise for another day. Satori kissed him because they were a game and he was her pawn. Or maybe she was his. They had a start and finish date, she knew that for sure but she didnt want them to expire. 

Satori kissed him because she liked kissing Ned Stark. And she kissed him because no one told Satori Lannister what she could or couldn't do. Except herself, she told herself no too often and she was done doing that. He bit her lower lip, trapping it between his teeth. She tried to grin.

 "I like..." he released her lip "...kissing you." She nodded, rubbing her lips together to savor his taste and to keep from grinning too big. 

"I'm not ready to do the walk of shame." Satori whispered. 

"The walk of shame?"

"Leave you and wish I had more of you." Satori answered honestly.