"Come forward my lady." Joffery offered and sansa slipped through my fingers, pulling her hand away when I tried to keep her by my side.
"The lady sansa of house stark."
"Do you have some business for the king and the council, sansa?" Cersei questioned, leaning back in her chair.
"I do." She kneeled down, bowing her head infront of them.
"Gods be good." I whispered to myself, twisting the ring on my thumb in pure agony.
"As it please your grace, I ask mercy for my father, lord eddard stark, who was hand of the king."
"Treason is a noxious weed. It should be torn out, root-" the maester interrupted.
"Let her speak. I want to hear what she says." Joffery spoke over the old creep to his left while leaning forward, placing his elbows on his knees in anticipation.
"Thank you your grace."
"Do you deny your fathers crimes?"
"No my lords, I know he must be punished. All I ask is mercy. I know my lord father must regret what he did. He was kings roberts friend and he loved him. You all know he loved him. He never wanted to be hand until the king asked him. They must've lied to him. Lord renly or lord stannis or somebody, they must've lied..." she pleaded.
"He said I wasn't the king. why did he say that?"
"He was badly hurt. maester pycelle was giving him milk of the poppy. He wasnt himself, otherwise he never would've said it."
He remained silent for a moment before before turning to me.
"Do you agree with your sister lady lyanna?"
I felt all eyes turn on me but the only ones I focused on were sandors. He nodded slightly to me and I stepped forward with sansa, placing my hand on her head, pulling it to lean on my thigh while gently rubbing her cheek.
"Yes, towards the end of his time as hand to the king he was...confused, scared. He dreamed of what happened to his father and brother and he was afraid something would happen to the realm. He only ever meant to protect your people."
Silence once again filled the room as they listened to me speak. My eyes occasionally drifted over to sandors who now refused to look at me. I felt myself shaking but I didn't try to hide it anymore, I couldn't, I was petrified.
"A child's faith. Such sweet innocence. And yet they say wisdom oft comes from the mouths of babes." Varys defended.
"Treason is treason!" Pycelle cried, trying his hardest to keep my father in chains.
"Anything else?"
"If you still have any affection in your heart for me, please do me this kindness, your grace." Sansa whimpered.
I looked down at her now crying face and sighed deeply before returning my gaze up to joffery.
After a moment of contemplation he spoke.
"Your sweet words have moved me. But your father has to confess. He has to confess and say I am the king...or there'll be no mercy for him."
I felt her nodd in my grasp and say he would, before I offered her my hand up and ushered her far far away from joffery and the rest of court.