Dark Wings (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter Fourteen

"They made me write a letter to Robb, telling him of how father betrayed Robert and tried to take the throne. It said if Robb was to bend the knee to Joffrey he would spare them all. The queen made me do it, said it was the only way to help father" Sansa whispered with tears down her face as she and Jaslin walked to the great hall on summons from the new King Joffrey.

"You did what you had to sweet one. Do not worry, we must do and say as they command, keep our head down, it is the only way we can help your father now" Jaslin tried to reassure her as they walked into the great hall and everyone turned to glare at them both.

"What will happen to us?" Sansa asked.

"I don't know, but I promise, I will protect you Sansa. We will survive this".

The meeting was just coming to an end, and once all the noble lords and ladies had departed King Joffrey, his queen mother, other members of the small council and Sandor Clegane walked over to the girls.

"Do you fare well my lady?" Joffrey asked with a fake smile of interest.

"Yes, your grace" Sansa replied with a weak voice.

"I believe Lord Stark is to be tried tomorrow?" Jaslin spoke.

"Yes, the traitor is to tried on the step of the Sept tomorrow morning" Maester Pycelle.

"And may I ask, what is to happen to Lady Sansa and I?"

"Sansa shall marry the King as previously arranged... As for you, you are not a Stark and do not share the traitor blood, however, you have grown up among them and have no family of your own, we shall find a suitable match for you though, ensuring any possibly traitor mark is removed" Cersi smiled with her head to one side.

Jaslin held onto Sansa's hand tightly as they all walked away. She couldn't help but look at Sandor. They had not spoken in near three days, and now he would not even turn to look at her for a second. Jaslin knew then they was truly alone.

There had still be no word of Arya, and most whispered that she had died trying to escape the city, everyone said how she was more wolf than any of them. Jaslin  had to keep her sprite up though, if she allowed herself to dwell on them for too long, she feared she would enter a depression with no chance of escape.

The next day, Jaslin helped Sansa dress. She was sick with nerves and had not even managed a mouth full of breakfast. Jaslin could not blame her though, as she felt just as ill.  By mid morning they were led to the steps of the Sept. Below them stood most of the people of Kings Landing, waiting with excitement to find out the traitors fate.

"It shall be okay Sansa. They will just send him to the wall, he will spend the rest of his days with Jon. It will be okay" Jaslin kept repeating to Sansa in an attempt to stop the child from fainting.

As Jaslin looked out at the crowd, the statute of Baelor the Blessed caught her eye. Sat by the feet of the sand stone statue was a small child.

"Arya" Jaslin whispered under her breath as she suddenly saw a man she knew walk over to the statute.

The crowd had began to shout and boo loudly now as Lord Eddard Stark was brought to the steps. Jaslin was still watching Arya though. Yoren, a man from the nights watch she had met a week earlier quickly grabbed Arya from the statue and pulled her down into the crowd. Jaslin knew Yoren was a trusted friend of Neds and Benjens, he was also a sworn brother and had no mind for the politics of King Landing. So in that moment of madness, Jaslin found some peace in knowing, or at least believing, that Arya Stark was safe.

Soon Maester Pycelle began to read out the charges against Lord Stark as he stood before the crowd below. Jaslin had  turned her attention back to him, and for a brief moment caught his eye. There was nothing but sorrow there, and Jaslin had to fight her desperate want to run up to the man and save him.