Waiting Game. | Sansa Stark

VI.

WAITING GAME. | VI.
(' JOFFREY'S NAME DAY ')

SANSA WAS MISERABLE, and with just one glance at Raya, she could tell her friend was miserable too. It was Joffrey's name day, and he had his family and Sansa sitting, and watching as men killed each other. Sansa glanced over at Raya and their eyes met. Raya smiled at her and Sansa returned the gesture.

"Does Joffrey truly enjoy this?" Myrcella leaned over and asked her older sister. Raya glanced at the fight before them and nodded.

"Most people throw parties on their name day, Joffrey likes to watch people die on his," Myrcella giggled and Raya smiled. From the corner of her eye, Raya saw Sansa trying to hide a giggle. Raya knew the other girl had heard. It delighted her to know that she could humor her friend.

Joffrey chuckled as the man fighting the Hound, fell with a splat into the pit. Beside Raya, Myrcella winced.

"Well struck," Raya heard her brother speak to himself. "Well struck dog!" he shouted as a compliment to the Hound, or as much as a compliment Joffrey could give. Joffrey then turned his attention to Sansa, which made Raya watch him very carefully.

"Did you like that?" he asked her.

"It was well struck, Your Grace," Sansa answered calmly. It had been months since Eddard Stark had been killed, and just as Raya had suspected, an uprising had begun in the North. Robb Stark, the new Warden of the North. Led an army of his bannerman and were now marching South.

Her uncles, Renly and Stannis, both knew Joffrey's claim to the throne were not legitimate and were also ready to fight for the throne. Joffrey had already made a mess of things and he had only been King for a few months.

"I already said it was well struck," Joffrey bit back.

"She was just agreeing with you, now move on to your next victims," Raya intervened. Joffrey narrowed his eyes at his younger sister. How dare she speak to him like that, but Raya wasn't intimidated by Joffrey or his title. In a way it impressed Joffrey, how she challenged him. He liked it.

Joffrey said nothing in reply to his sister. "Who's next?" he asked.

Raya zoned out, not listening to who was being announced, but she did begin paying attention when a clearly drunken man in armor stumbled down the stairs. He began to apologize profusely.

"Are you drunk?" Joffrey asked.

"No. No Your Grace, I had two cups of wine," he told Joffrey. Tommen and Myrcella could have two cups of wine and they'd be in better condition than this man.

"Two cups, that's not much at all," Joffrey motioned to the wine that was under the tent he and Sansa shared, "Please, have another cup."

The drunken man seemed skeptical, "Are you sure Your Grace?"