Sansa Stark was walking around with her loyal companion, Lady, when she bumped into a strange man.
"Pardon me, Ser."
The man said nothing, only looking at her with a scowl etched on his face.
"Do I frighten you so much, girl? Or is it him there making you shake? He frightens me too. Look at that face." Sandor Clegane, better known as The Hound, the Prince's sworn protector, appeared behind her.
The man had a permanent grimace etched on his face.
"I'm sorry if I offended you, Ser." Again, the man said nothing, causing Sansa to turn to The Hound. "Why won't he speak to me?"
"He hasn't been very talkative these last 20 years. Since the mad King had his tongue ripped out with hot pincers."
"He speaks damn well with his sword though." Prince Joffrey said, deciding to make his presence known. "Ser Ilyn Payne, the King's justice. The royal executioner. What is it, sweet lady? Does the hound frighten you? Away with you, dog. You're scaring my lady." The Hound walked away without another word, Ser Payne already having left, shortly after the Prince's arrival. "I don't like to see you upset. The sun is finally shining. Come, walk with me."
"Stay, Lady." The obediant direwolf sat where she was left, watching after her owner. Joffrey lead Sansa down to the Trident, offering her a sip of wine. "I probably shouldn't have any more. Father only lets us have one cup at feasts."
"My princess can drink as much as she wants. Don't worry... You're safe with me."
They heard a ruckus ahead. Soon Sansa's younger sister and an unknown boy with red hair came into view.
"I'll get you!" The boy shouted, playfully lunging at his opponent.
"Arya!" Sansa shouted, distracting her sister, causing her opponent to whack her on the arm.
"What are you doing here? Go away." Arya yelled, frustrated her sister had come to ruin a good time.
"Your sister?" Joffrey asked Sansa, who nodded. "And who are you, boy?"
"Mycah, my Lord." The boy answered, not meeting the Prince's eye. It would seem he too had heard the rumours of the cruelty of Robert Baratheon's eldest son.
"He the butcher's boy." Sansa interjected.
"He's my friend." Arya corrected.
"A butcher's boy who wants to be a Knight, eh? Pick up your sword, butcher's boy. Let's see how good you are." Joffrey taunted.
"She asked me to, my Lord. She asked me to." Mycah attempted to protest.
"I'm your prince, not your lord, and I said pick up your sword."
"It's not a sword, my prince. It's only a stick."
"And you're not a Knight. Only a butcher's boy. That was my lady's sister you were hitting, do you know that?"
"Stop it!" Arya yelled.
"Arya, stay out of this." Sansa told her.
"I won't hurt him... Much." He brought his sword to the boy's face. Knowing there was nothing he could do, he made a sharp cut on his cheek. That was until Arya decided to whack him with the stick she held. "Filthy little b¡tch!"
"No no, stop it, stop it, both of you. You're spoiling it. You're spoiling everything!" Sansa yelled.
"I'll gut you, you little cսոt!" Joffrey threatened, pointing his sword at the young girl. What he didn't account for was her protective direwolf who leapt at him, sinking her teeth into his hand, causing him to instantly drop the weapon.
"Arya!" Sansa yelled for her sister to call of her wolf.
"Nymeria!" Arya called, carefully pulling the wolf off the Prince. She then glanced at the pathetic, snivelling prince on the ground, grabbing the sword he'd tried to attack her with. She pointed it at him.
"Please don't." He whimpered.
"Arya, leave him alone." Sansa commanded. Arya did listen, but she also threw the prince's sword into the river before running off, her wolf not far behind.
Sansa knelt down next to her betrothed. "My prince, my poor prince, look what they did to you. Stay here, I'll go back to the inn and bring help." She tried to caress his cheek, but he pulled away.
"Then go ! Don't touch me."
Disheartened, Sansa did as she was told.
"The wolf's not here. Look down by the stream." The voice of who Arya assumed to be a Lannister soldier said.
Arya crouched behind a tree, hidden with Nymeria, as she heard the voices grow nearer.
"You've got to go. They'll kill you for what you did to Joffrey. Go on... run." The wolf only look at her before slowly turning around. "Go! Leave now!"
"It's a direwolf." She heard a voice nearby say.
"I'll check down here," said another.
"I think I heard a noise."
"Go!" Nymeria turned to look back at her owner. When she wouldn't oblige, Arya was forced to throw a rock in her direction, which finally sent the wolf running.
Night had soon fallen and Lord Stark was out with his men, searching for his still missing daughter.
"My lord! My lord!" The voice of Jory Cassel caught his attention. "They found her. She's unharmed."
"Where is she?" Ned asked.
"She's been taken directly before the King."
"Who took her?"
"The Lannisters found her."
"Right, get back." Lord Stark said.
"The Queen ordered them to bring her straight to him."
"Back! Back to the inn. All back!" Lord Stark commanded his men.
He burst into the crowded hall, looking for his young daughter.
When he reached her, he instantly drew her in for a hug.
"I'm sorry." Arya apologized.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"It's all right. What is the meaning of this? Why was my daughter not brought to me at once?"
"You speak to your King in that manner?" Cersei interjected.
"Quiet, woman." The King said, barely sparing her a glance, before turning to his friend. "Sorry, Ned. I never meant to frighten the girl. But we need to get this business done quickly."
"Your girl and that butcher's boy attacked my son. That animal of hers nearly tore his arm off." Cersei told what Aelinor was certain was a gross exaggeration.
"That's not true ! She just... Bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah." Arya defended.
"Joff told us what happened. You and that boy beat him with clubs while you set your wolf on him."
"That's not what happened!" Arya said, her voice beginning to rise.
"Yes it is ! They all attacked me and she threw my sword in the river." Joffrey said.
"Liar!" Arya accused.
"Shut up!" Joffrey shouted in return.
"Enough!" King Robert yelled, before turning to Ned. "He tells me one thing, she tells me another. Seven hells! What am I to make of this? Where's your other daughter, Ned?"
"In bed asleep." Ned answered.
"She's not. Sansa, come here, darling.
Sansa was led in by a couple of Lannister men, his posture showing her clear discomfort.
"Now, child... Tell me what happened. Tell it all and tell it true. It's a great crime to lie to a King." Robert commanded.
"I don't know. I don't remember. Everything happened so fast. I didn't see." Sansa said.
Aelinor knew this was a strategic move on her part. She couldn't very well accuse or confirm the vile nature of her betrothed, the future King. Not if she wanted to remain in his good graces.
Arya grabbed her elder sister by the hair and began shouting. "Liar! Liar, liar, liar!"
"Arya!" Sansa squealed.
"Stop it ! That's enough of that." Lord Stark yelled as he fought t separate them.
"Liar liar liar!" Arya continued to yell as she was pulled away.
"Stop! Arya!" Lord Stark commanded his youngest daughter.
"She's as wild as that animal of hers. I want her punished." Cersei commented.
"What would you have me do, whip her through the streets? Damn it, children fight. It's over." The King answered.
"Joffrey will bear these scars for the rest of his life." Cersei told her husband.
Robert turned to his eldest son. "You let that little girl disarm you?" Joffrey wouldn't meet his gaze, so he turned to Ned. "See to it that your daughter is disciplined. I'll do the same with my son."
"Gladly, your Grace."
"And what of the direwolf? What of the beast that savaged your son?"
"Savaged, mother? He was bitten by a large dog. At most, he'll have a few scratches. More than he'll earn fighting in any war." Aelinor spoke, causing her mother to glare in her direction.
"I'd forgot the damned wolf." Robert stated.
"We found no trace of the direwolf, your Grace." A Lannister soldier informed her.
"So be it." The King was ready to drop the matter, but the Queen, not so much.
"We have another wolf." Cersei suggested.
"As you will." The king waved her off, ready to get out of there.
"You can't mean it." Lord Stark regarded his friend.
"A direwolf's no pet. Get her a dog. She'll be happier for it." The king told his friend.
"He doesn't mean Lady, does he? No no, not Lady! Lady didn't bite anyone! She's good!" Sansa pleaded,
Frankly, it tore at Aelinor's heart that this was the way Sansa would begin to see Joffrey for who he really was; a spoiled cunt.
"Lady wasn't there! You leave her alone!" Arya shouted.
"Stop them. Don't let them do it. Please! It wasn't Lady!" Sansa pleaded.
"Is this your command... your Grace?" Ned asked his long time friend. The king used no words, but it was a silent confirmation as he exited the hall.
"Where is the beast?" Cersei asked.
"Chained up outside, your Grace." The same soldier replied.
"Ser Ilyn, do me the honor." Cersei commanded.
"No." Lord Stark intervened. "Jory... Take the girls to their rooms. If it must be done, then I'll do it myself."
"Is this some trick?" Cersei questioned.
"The wolf is of the north. She deserves better than a butcher." Ned told her.
"Well, I think you'll be glad to find, there is no need for a butcher." Aelinor spoke up, causing all eyes to fall on her.
"What do you mean?" Her mother asked.
"He said the wolf was outside. Maybe she was when he checked, but when I arrived, there was no wolf."
"She set it free!" Joffrey yelled, causing his mother to shush him.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. No one knows but the fourteen."
"You mean the Seven." Her mother corrected.
"No. I meant what I said."
Aelinor didn't follow the Old Gods or the New. She followed the Gods of Old Valyria.
"Now, let us be done with all this bother. No one was killed. I see no need for us to inconvenience our guests any longer." She gestured for the Stark girls to join her. "Perhaps we may return to my tent and find something to occupy our time. That is, if it is alright with your Lord father."
She turned to Lord Stark. "Um, yes, Your Grace. I'm sure my girls would love that."
"Splendid! Let us be off then. Eleanor, come." She called to her loyal friend, whose family had travelled to meet their party halfway on their return, who joined her as she escorted the Stark girls to her tent.
Lord Stark went outside to confirm the Princess' story. When he arrived, as she had said, Lady was no longer there.
However, he did see The Hound returning with a horse that had a body slung over it.
"The butcher's boy... You rode him down?"
"He ran... Not very fast."
This was only the first instance of the true depravity of the Capital Lord Stark would bare witness to. But it certainly would not be the last.