Bad Dreams / Sandor Clegane

32. Life if a Lie

The three of them smashed onto the horse amelia leaned into sandor her mind and body racing from the night's disaster. But sandor ran a calming hand over her and her breathing slowed and she relaxed into him as arya pouted and gripped from amelias lap.

Word spread quickly of Robb's new wife, of her death too. Amelia wondered if they would have been her, dead if Robb had actually loved her. 

''You know when robb heard he might be married to you he couldnt shut up about it. He said he was going to marry the most beautiful girl in the world.'' Arya told her. Amelia looked over at her but aryas focus was on the trail. ''Then he met you and i think he fell in love on the spot.''

''He was sweet to me in the beginning...'' Amelia half lied to her, it was the least she could do after what they witnessed. Merciful lies. ''He was a kind and brave man... he wanted to bargain me for ned your father... but things took a turn." amelia told her.

"Clearly.' Arya grumbled. ''You heard what they are saying right?'' Arya asked

''About my mother and my uncle jaime ?'' Amelia mused

''Yeah'' arya agreed

''Its true.'' Amelia confirmed. Sandor stared down at her. ''I knew... i saw them sneak away when i was younger. I didn't understand it then but...''

''You're a Lannister now.'' Arya remarked

''I've always been a lannister.'' Amelia corrected. ''You want me dead to get back at them? Is that it?'' Arya finally looked back at her. ''Walder frey killed your mother and brother because he was working with my fucking family.'' Amelia shouted. ''Go on. Hate me! Kill me!''

''Amelia,'' sandor whispered.

''No she has every right. My parents are alive and they are cruel and evil and manipulative and her parents were good people and they were slaughtered.'' Amelia went on.

''My family was butchered by yours.'' arya agreed.

''But your family wasnt perfect either. But maybe i deserve to die.'' Amelia remarked. ''Robb was kind at first but then he was mean, he wasn't in the right either. We might have been happy when you left winterfell but once my father- once Robert, once...'' she corrected "I was a prisoner as well you know.'' Sandor rested his chin on her shoulder as they rode.

'Robb didnt mistreat me at first but he didnt trust me.'' Amelia told them

''Youre a Lannister.'' arya reminded her. ''Lannisters are not to be trusted.''

''Robb kept a guard on me. Not for protection but because he wanted to make sure i didnt run away first.'' Amelia told her. ''It was understandable i was a bargaining tool but i felt so alone. Luckily I had sandor so you trying to kill him, just makes me hate you more because sandor is one of the only good people in this damned world." Amelia shouted. "I just wanted to go home. maybe it was close proximity or being trapped with him and only him but i thought i loved him at first but that was short lived when I saw who he really was.'' Amelia told her. 'Hell i married him. I'm glad sandor got me out, I dont know what would have happened if he didnt." Amelia went on and Arya glared back at her. "So hate me kill me. I dont care anymore. my whole fucking life was a lie. My family legacy a lie my own father wasnt my father and now! Now im running again.''

''Are you scared?' arya asked

''No.' Amelia answered.

''You should be.'' arya remarked

''I know that even if you tried to kill me sandor would kill you first.'' Amelia told her sternly. 

''He hates your family just as much as i do.'' Arya remarked

"You see Sandor is not like you and your fuck face of a brother Robb, Sandor can hate my family and still love me." Amelia informed her.

"He hates you." Arya said confidently.

"Not me.'' Amelia spat ''right sandor?''

''I love Amelia." Sandor assured. "I wont let the little bitch hurt you.'' sandor confirmed kissing amelias cheek. 

''none of the starks had anything to say after that meal!' a group of men sat around the fire, arya and Sandor listened as they spoke about the red wedding. Robb and Catelyn's fall. They were laughing as if it was the best thing in the world... Amelia's eyes were closed as she leaned back into Sandor, she felt safer than she had in a while. Robb and Catelyn being dead although she didnt know that they deserved it she felt safer that they wouldnt try to hurt her like Arya was trying to, to get revenge on Amelia for her twins evil doings. 

Amelia wondered about Bran and Rickon.  She wondered what would have happened if she was still at winterfell when Theon came. If she could have helped or she would have died along with them. They were the best of the starks and they were gone. 

''tell you what though the hardest thing was getting the wolfs head to stay on the body.' Arya had enough, she jumped down, moved to the men quickly. Sandor muttered a few curses before stopping the horse.

'Stay.' he told Amelia. 'you get the fuck out of here if something happens.' He told her running after arya. Amelia sat uselessly looking back at the scene unfold.

'what we ended up doing was we hooked the needle right on the collar bone..' arya made her way behind the man speaking, the others watched curiously. Their eyes drifting to Arya. 'give it a nice firm... what do you want?"

''mind if I keep warm?' arya asked.

''fuck off.'

'but I'm hungry. And very cold.' Arya said sweetly.

'does fuck off mean something else where you come from?'

'ive got money.' Arya held out the coin jaqen gave her.

'what kind of coin is that?' the man asked.

'its worth a lot.' He reached out for it and she dropped it to the ground. 'sorry.' She said innocently.

'you little shit.' He muttered picking it up and when he bent down arya snapped. She stabbed the man, she kept stabbing him. Over and over again. Sandor marched over and finished the last man,

'where did you get the knife?' sandor asked arya coming up behind her.

'from you.' She held it up for him he took it looking down at where it was usually kept, the little thief.

'was that the first man you killed?' sandor asked.

'the first man.' Arya confirmed.

'next time you are going to do something like that, tell me first.' Sandor said looking to Amelia she was gnawing at her lip as she watched them come back to the horse. "You alright gorgeous?" Sandor asked and Amelia nodded.

'valar morghulis' arya said picking up her coin.