Wonderland // Ned Stark // Petyr Baelish (1)

31. My Lovely Wife

"Oh... she is just being irrational."

"And she calls me crazy." Alice murmured.

"You are not crazy Alice." Ned assured.

"Why was Catelyn here? Why did she come all this way?" Alice asked.

"She thinks Tyrion Lannister..." Ned lowered his voice stepping closer to her. "She thinks he sent an assassin to take out Bran."

"WHAT?" Alice shouted.

"Hush, love.' Ned whispered brushing her hair behind her ear.

"No, Bran was attacked?" Alice questioned.

"He is fine." Ned assured.

"Why does she think Tyrion did it?" Alice countered.

"Little fi- Petyr lost his blade in a bet-"

"Betting on Jaime Lannister." Alice agreed. "I liked that little blade." Alice added.

"He lost it to Tyrion." Ned reminded her.

"Tyrion is not a killer, he is a flirt, a big lover, he doesn't... he wouldn't." Alice assured. "I got to know him quite well on my journey to Winterfell and he is a kind man, he wouldn't hurt Bran. What would even be his purpose?"

"I don't know. I don't believe it was Tyrion but your sister has it in her mind."

"What is she going to do?" Alice questioned.

"I don't know... that's what worries me." Ned remarked. Alice nodded slowly. "I just wanted to check on Arya but could we keep talking?" Ned asked and Alice nodded.

"I would like that." Alice agreed.

+

'Go away!' Arya shouted

'Arya open the door,' Ned requested, she begrudgingly got up needle in hand, 'may I come in?' he questioned coming into her room closing the door behind him. 'Arya who's sword is that?'

'It's mine' arya told him.

'Give it to me,' Ned requested holding his hands 'I know this makers mark,' he noted 'this is mickers work. Where did you get this?' she didn't answer. 'This is no toy.' Ned reminded her 'a little lady shouldn't play with swords.'

'I wasn't playing and I don't want to be a lady!' arya exclaimed. 'I want to be a knight!'

'Come here...' Ned said patting the bench at the end of the bed as he took a seat. 'What do you want with this?' Ned question holding her sword up

'It's called needle,' she corrected

'a blade with a name... And who are you hoping to skewer with needle your sister? You know the first thing but sword fighting-'

'Stick them with the pointy end,' she told him

'Yes that's the essence of it.' He laughed. His little Arya was going to be a warrior.

'I was trying to learn...' She told him 'I asked Mika to practice with me. I asked him it was my fault-'

'Oh sweet girl no no you did not kill the butchers boy.' Ned reminded her.

'I hate them I hate all of them, the hound, the king and the queen and Joffrey and Sansa. I hate all of them!' arya declared

'Sansa went before the king and queen and was asked to call the prince a liar.' Ned told her.

'So? He is a liar!' Arya told her father.

'shush my sweet girl, sansa will be married to Joffrey someday. She cannot betray him she must take his side even when he was wrong.' Ned informed her.

'But how can you let her marry someone like that?' Arya questioned

'Look at me, you are a stark of Winterfell, you know our words?'

'Winter is coming.' Arya recited.

'You were born in a long summer you have never known anything else but winter is coming.' Ned informed her. 'we must protect ourselves, Alice too. Look after one other, Sansa is your sister.'

'I don't hate her' she admitted 'not really.'

'I do not want to frighten you but I won't lie to either, we have come to a dangerous place we cannot fight a war amongst ourselves.' he handed her back needle 'go on this is yours.'

'I can keep it? 'She said happily

'Try not to stab your sister with it,' Ned told her 'if you're going to own a sword you're going to need to know how to use it.'

"Alice..." she spun around. "How about that swim?"