"Ah, she is clever after all," said Cersei, smirking.
"Wit is such a rare accomplice to beauty yet we
stand, alone, in a room crowded with only that."
Cersei lifted a thick strand of Eleonora's hair, ran it
through her fingers, and dropped it back o...
"I can hardly recall an instance my mother's face was more horrified," she laughed. "I worried her eyes would surely fall from her skull."
"I imagine the fact that Greatjon Umber had gotten so drunk that he pissed on the floor in the center of your Nameday feast did little to settle her nerves either," Jory laughed in spite of himself.
"Ser Helman Tallhart laughed so hard that he spilled an entire pitcher of wine on mother's new green dress," said Eleonora. "She stood up so fast that she knocked her own chair out from under her. Helman tried to help her up but slipped on the wine he had just spilled, knocked over a candle that proceeded to set one of the banners aflame."
"How could I forget about the fire," said Jory. "I also cherish the memory of Smalljon Umber rising nervously to his feet to propose a toast in your honor at the final dinner before their departure, and you then quite suddenly projectile vomiting onto Theon's lap beside you. To this day, I have never seen your brothers laugh so hard."
"Robb collapsed from his chair and took Jon with him," said Eleonora, giggling to herself.
"Smalljon is a good lad," said Jory. "I'd say he's fancied you since the two of you were children. I imagine he still does."
"I love Smalljon like a brother, and he would make a fine husband for a northern lady," she said, "just not for me."
"Then after you became ill at dinner and retired to your chamber, Lord Gregor Forrester tried to salvage the evening by making the humorous suggestion that his youngest son Ryon betroth Arya so that some good come from their visit," he said.
"Arya took his joke to be true and ran out into the night," said Eleonora. "I feared we would never find her."
"But we did find her," he replied.
"We did," she cooed. "She was curled up like a newborn pup, fast asleep under a pile of hay in the tower..."
Suddenly, a rustling could be heard from behind them. Jory drew his sword as quick as Eleonora pulled an arrow from over her shoulder holster. She aimed her bow at the noise just as Nymeria appeared, Arya looking exhausted and filthy behind her. Eleonora immediately lowered her bow as Arya sprinted forward and nearly knocked her sister over, hugging her waist. Jory removed his coat and walked around to cloak her. Eleonora held her little sister's head firm against her waist, stroking her hair as she sobbed. Finally, she knelt down to look into her sister's eyes, wiping away her tears.
"Oh, Arya, you have no idea how worried we've been," said Eleonora, pushing stray hairs from Arya's face. "What in the Seven Hells happened?"
"I was play fighting with Mycah, the butcher's boy," she sniffled. "Joffrey and Sansa saw us and Joffrey started hurting Mycah, so I fought him off. He was swinging his sword at me – not a wooden one – and Nymeria bit him, but she was just protecting me!"
"Of course she was," said Eleonora, nodding and Arya breathed a sigh of relief, "but, pup, you know Nymeria cannot come back with us now, not after what's happened?"
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