Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Thirty Six: The Queen Of Thorns

Aris passed children sick and dying on the side of the street, and she passed others who played together. She came to a doorway and skipped over a giant puddle and into the building were thousands of children had been orphaned. She had never seen something so horrible, even the thought of children without families broke her heart. She imagined if she had been one of these children.

Aris swiftly made her way threw the sea of children and up a stairwell, she stepped over children that sat on the stairs and climbed up to the second floor. She made way for children running past her and headed down the hall.

The third door to her left, she recalled LittleFinger's instructions. She tapped on the door lightly and waited a moment. The sound of the lock sliding and clicking open invited her in, she slid threw the crack in the door and it was closed behind her. In the small room was Codyn, Jelissa, Randyl and Wyllim who all surrounded a table where an older lady sat with a scarf around her head, beside her was LittleFinger and beside him sat a young beautiful women with locks of hair dropping to her lower back.

"Aris Stark." greeted the elder lady nonchalantly.

"The Queen of Thorns." greeted Aris kindly.

"Lady Olenna will do just fine, child."

The younger women turned around in her seat with a sweet smile and wide blue eyes, "It's finally a pleasure to met you, I'm Margaery Tyrell! I've heard many a great things about you."

"I haven't done many a great things."

"You survived the Red Wedding." she said astonished. "You all did. I have to say, I am truly sorry for your losses, but I am also quiet..."

"Please." said Aris stopping Margaery from talking. "You don't need to allure me with your words. We're all here for the same reason."

The smile on Margaery's face slowly faded, she was taken back by Aris' sharp words. But how could she blame her, after all she'd been through. Lady Olenna on the other hand, snorted with delight.

"You just might be the first person to have ever shut down my dear granddaughter."

"Like I said earlier." added LittleFinger. "A Stark is a Stark."

"But, you are correct. We are all here for the same reason and I don't intend to stay a moment longer in a place like this." Lady Olenna swivelled in her seat. "We all want Joffrey dead, all for different reasons, and we want Sansa Stark out of the Capital."

"Sansa is my one and only concern." announced Aris. "I don't care how you kill Joffrey, as long as it gets done and we can get Sansa away."

"He's horrible." Margaery's bright and bubbly aura changed darkly. "He enjoys torture and killing. He enjoys humiliating Sansa, not long ago he threw her down before the throne, had her clothes torn in front of the court, accused her of being her father's daughter. A traitor."

It made Aris' blood boil and she clenched her fists tightly. "On second thought, I want him to die horribly."

"Lucky for you." implied Lady Olenna. "I have just the thing. A poison, one much similar to the Dornish poisen they call 'the long farewell'."

"A horrible poison." implied Jelissa. "Do you have some?"

"I have something better, dear child. The strangler, they call it. I've never seen it in action before, but they say it's ruthless, horrible."

"Good." spat Aris. "But won't it be easy to slip poison into Joffrey's drink."

"That's where I come in." said LittleFinger. "As we speak, I have a jewels maker currently making me a necklace, one I will present to Sansa through other contacts, one of the gems will include a vial filled with 'the strangler' poison. On his wedding day, in a weeks time from now, Lady Olenna will pinch the vial from Sansa's necklace and slip it into Margaery's hand where she will then slip it into his drink."

"It's brilliant." Implied Codyn. "You forgot to mention how we'll take Sansa away."

"I've already booked a ship with two cabin's, set for The Vale." explained LittleFinger. "I will have someone else sneak Sansa away from the wedding while Joffrey is...." he trailed off with a smile.

"Why won't we sneak Sansa away."

"Having any of you there is a liability."

"He's right." implied Wyllim. "It's too dangerous for you Aris, if someone sees you, Cersei or Joffrey or anyone else, it'll be over. It's better for the sake of Sansa."

"Then why don't we meet you on the ship?" asked Aris.

"You could." said LittleFinger. "I can take both you and your sister safely to The Vale."

"What about the rest of us?" Codyn added. "You'd leave us, after everything? You'd leave Wyllim, and us?"

"No..." Aris replied, her hazel eyes gazing down to Wyllim who held a look of sadness. "I don't understand why you don't come with me?"

"The RiverLands are our home." said Jelissa. "And the North is your home."

"The Bolton's have my home."

"You're heir to the North, take it back."

"Easier said than done!"

LittleFinger stood from his seat holding out his hands preventing an argument. "I'm sure we can all come to an agreement that Sansa's safety should be our first and foremost important issue, the issue of the North comes second."

"He's right." spoke Wyllim. "We'll help you take back the North, after we rescue Sansa."

Aris smiled warmly down at Wyllim, she'd never expect him to say something like that. Even for her. Lady Olenna sparked a smile,

"Young love. It will eventually get you hurt."

"Grandmother." warned Margaery before turning to Aris, "I care about Sansa, I'll do whatever it takes to help her and you once this is over and once I'm Queen, I'll help you take the North."