"Sandor............?" The lady said, as she looked up at the big man. The Hound looking between her and the rather angry appearing young king in the bed.
"I was.........I need to speak to you............"
"Oh of course, it was high time that I went back to my own room anyway........."
"But aunt........what if I still cannot sleep..........." Joffrey called out, as he scrambled from the bed and made his way over to her. The king doing his best not to become angry at the man that had just ruined his night. To not shout at the Hound and order him to leave.
"You are a grown man, Joffrey. If you are going to learn to be a true king, a king that can justly and fairly rule; then you can most certainly learn to sleep without me in your room. Now, I will see you later in the morning, I have things to discuss with your grandfather first; and now I will speak with Sandor. So, sleep. We have a long day tomorrow dealing with the villagers of the Kingswood............." The lioness explained, giving her nephew a kiss on the forehead, before grabbing her armour and sword and following Sandor out into the corridor. Sandor not blind to the murderous look that Joffrey gave him, as the door to the room was closed.
>>----------------------------------<<
"You think I have truly lost my mind, don't you............?"
"(Y/n).............?"
"Of course, you do. My brother's certainly do, so why not you. I am sure that when I speak to my father in the morning, he will think that I have lost my senses too.............." (Y/n) continued, suddenly stopping and looking at Sandor before he had a chance to say anything.
"As I told you earlier, I know that perhaps he is passed all hope; but I have to at least try. My father always told me that it was family that counted, your name the only thing that would go on once you were dead. And like it or not, Joffrey is family; he might not bear the name of my House, but he is my sister's oldest child, and therefore my blood. So, if I am ever to be remembered for what I did in my time on this earth, I do not want my name, my deeds, or my House associated with a tyrant. That is why I have to try and fashion him into some sort of king that will not be deemed by future generation to be as bad, or worse than the Mad King himself. You can understand that, can't you...........?" The lioness asked, as she looked up at the big man in front of her. Sandor finding himself nodding. Her smile showing that she appreciated the gesture.
"Tomorrow, we will take him out and start to try and work a miracle; but the rest of his lessons will have to wait............."
"Wait.......? Why..........?" Sandor enquired, as they started to walk again.
"I am going to ask my father to allow me to go north............"
"North...........? Now I do think that you've lost ya mind, woman........." The big man said in disbelief. Grabbing for the lady's wrist and turning her to look at him.
"If someone does not do something, there will be a war with the north; a war with the Starks, and I do not want that. Robb Stark is no fool, he will not want a war either, but neither House will want to be seen to back down. I cannot change what happened. I cannot give him back his father; but I can somehow try and make up for what my sister, what Joffrey did. I cannot allow my father to go, he is needed here. Jaime is a fighter, but my sister would never let him out of her sight; Tyrion is a negotiator but not a fighter. And Cersei is just a liability; so, the task must fall to me. I know how to negotiate a truce; how to form an alliance. But if it all goes wrong, and the young wolf does not want to see sense, then I will fight my way out of Winterfell and back here................"
"Then I'll come with ya.................."
"No, I will put no one else in danger. This is my idea, and if it all goes wrong, then it will be only me that pays for my misjudgment. Your place is here, watching over my nephew for me while I am gone.............."
"Ya father'll never agree..............."
"My father will do what is best for the kingdom and our family. And if it means using me to stop a war, he will do it. I avoided my sister's fate because I showed I can fight, I can strategies. It is the one thing I can do well; it is how I have always proved myself. And even though I try and fool myself that I will die an old woman in my bed; in truth I know that my end will come on some battlefield somewhere. All I can hope is that it will not be on a battlefield against the young wolf................." The lioness countered, as she carefully pulled her arm from Sandor's grasp.
"Believe me, if I were to have someone by my side on this, I could think of no one better than you, Sandor. But I will not be responsible for your death. I could not live with myself if anything happened to you, because of me. And please do not try to dissuade me, my mind is set; I have no desire to fight with you about this. No desire for our words to be angry ones. So........why don't you tell me what you wanted to talk to me about..............." The lady added. Sandor wanting to try and make her think again. Wanting to tell her it was a fool's errand; but he had known the woman long enough to know that it would be easier to turn back the tide than change the lioness' mind. The Hound simply choosing to do something that he had wanted to do for some time.
"This................" The big man growled, before taking her face in his hands and kissing her. Sandor letting out a pleased moan, as he felt her kiss him back.