In the morn, Anari was quick to find Sansa before the pair broke their fast with one another. It also provided them with a moment alone; allowing them to ensure both knew what the plan was. It wasn't a plan Anari wanted to do, but it was the only thing she could think of.
The mere thought repulsed her, but she knew it was the only way. Before the sisters joined the court to watch Robin spar for the first time, Anari sought out Lord Baelish. He wasn't too hard to track down, at least. Offering the man a coy smile from where she stood, Lord Baelish excused himself from the people he had been speaking with.
"My Lady," he greeted. Gently he took her hand and kissed it. While her stomach churned uncomfortably, Anari smiled. "I trust you slept well."
"I did, thank you," Anari replied. "I wished to thank you, for taking me and my sister here. I trust we will be safe."
"Of that, you have my word," Lord Baelish replied as he offered her his arm. Anari took it and the pair began to walk together. "We won't be staying here long, though."
"No?" Anari questioned. "Why not?"
"It's best you stay moving," Lord Baelish said lowly. "The more active you are, the less likely it is that the Queen will find you." Anari nodded in return, squeezing his arm with hers.
"I cannot thank you enough for how much planning has gone into looking after us," she said. "It means a great deal how far you're willing to go to ensure our safety." Flattery was not something Lord Baelish had expected from her.
In truth, he wasn't sure as to what little game she was playing with him, however, he couldn't resist the temptation to play. "You will be surprised to learn the lengths I am willing to go to protect those I care for." Lord Baelish replied.
Anari glanced at him, a questioning look in her eyes. "And do you care for us, Lord Baelish?" She questioned. The halls were quiet; they were the only ones there as Lord Baelish stopped walking. Turning to face her head-on, Lord Baelish looked into her eyes.
"You have no idea how much I have come to care for you," he said. Reaching up, he cupped the side of her face. Instead of the look he received when he had done such a motion in the Eyrie, it seemed Anari leaned into his touch as she looked at him. "I would go to great lengths to ensure your safety."
"All I want is for me and my sister to be safe," Anari nearly whispered. "I'm afraid, and I don't want to be anymore. I want to trust you, but I don't know how." In the light, her eyes looked so wide and blue. Her face was so innocent, and her words so sweet.
When she had become so tempting, Lord Baelish didn't know. While his resolve was strong, he found himself almost growing weak. "I will never betray you," he promised. "You have my word, Anari. Trust in me, I will keep you safe."
In lieu of words, Anari merely nodded in return. She let out a soft sigh as she did so, her breath shaky. Anari played up her reaction so as to better fool him into believing her. Unable to resist any longer, Lord Baelish leaned down and placed a small kiss to her lips.
Anari didn't react, as she had expected the reaction. She did not return the kiss, nor did she pull away. However, she closed her eyes the moment their lips met, fighting down the roiling in her stomach under his touch. When he pulled away, Anari opened her eyes and slowly stepped away.
"I trust you, Petyr," she whispered. Without another word, Anari walked away from him. Her words were a lie, and yet they felt oddly natural to say. Once she was sure she was out of sight, Anari scrubbed at her lips with the edge of her sleeve, clenching her jaw as she decided to distract herself.
She was disgusted, not only in how easy it was to manipulate him using herself as bait, but that she was even doing this at all. In the library of Lord Royce's hall, Anari's eyes scanned the books. None of them caught her attention until she found one with a blank spine.
Curious, she took it out and opened it to the first page. It was a diary, the diary of a septa. While it felt invasive to read it, Anari's curiosity won out and she began to skim the words. Nothing seemed overly interesting until she read a part about a maiden who was under the septa's care.
Sitting down at one of the tables, Anari continued to read. Her surprise and worry began to grow, as, unconsciously; her free hand came to rest over her abdomen. There wasn't much on the subject of the maiden, but it was enough for her to realize plenty of things.
Closing the book and placing it back on the shelves, Anari quickly made her way to her chambers. If what she suspected was true, then things had changed. Closing the door to her chambers, Anari walked up to the large mirror in the room and looked at her reflection.
Taking off her overcoat and leather jerkin, she stood in just her dark grey tunic and breeches. With concern shining in her eyes, Anari's hands went to her abdomen once more. Could it be? Could it be true? The signs had been there, but she had ignored them.
With the help of that diary, Anari began to realize the truth.
~
Hours later, Anari, Sansa, Lord Baelish, and Lord Royce were in the yard watching as Robin sparred with one of the other boys his age. "Shield up!" Lord Royce shouted to Robin. "Attack, you must attack!" Anari winced as she watched.
It was a pitiful display. Anari remembered when Robb and Jon were around Robin's age, and they were already showing a lot of promise in becoming skilled fighters. Even Bran, before his fall, had shown potential. So, to see her cousin fail so badly only served to make Anari fight the urge to cringe.
Lord Royce sighed at the display. "My sons had swords in their hands from the time they could walk," he scoffed. Robin was terrified of the other boy's sword, and his footwork was atrociously sloppy. Even when Anari had first started her training, she had more or less known where to place her feet.
While Anari could admit, being faced with someone else carrying a sword was intimidating at first; Anari knew that the fear of getting hit would fade. She remembered her first lessons with Jon. It had been after she had watched him and Robb spar.
While Robb went off to do another lesson, Jon stayed behind to clean up. Anari had been there and picked up a practice sword. She had challenged him to a fight, and when he declined, she had asked him to give her lessons, promising to take the full blame should anyone find out.
She had been ten when she had done that, and she had also been ten when she decided to sit outside the door during any and all war council meetings and strategy hearings. Anari wanted to learn all she could, and she often snuck in some of the same books her brother's got to read into her lessons.
They were fond memories, and Anari could only hope that Jon was doing alright, all things considered. She longed to see him again and to be around his comforting presence. She wasn't sure if she would be able to, however. At least, not any time soon.
"Lord Arryn will never be a great warrior," Lord Baelish agreed.
"A great warrior?" Lord Royce scoffed again. "He swings a sword like a girl with palsy."
"Lord Royce," Anari admonished playfully, her eyes lighting with amusement as a smile teased her lips. Lord Royce smiled faintly in response as he dipped his head.
"My apologies, my Lady."
Anari's smile widened, though her attention was briefly drawn to a squire handing Lord Baelish a letter. Deciding to ask about it later, though, Anari turned back to Lord Royce. "I have had training of my own," she admitted. "I'd like to think I'm fairly skilled."
"Have you now?" He questioned in return. He never would have thought Ned Stark would allow for one of his daughters to learn how to fight. However, given who his sister was, he could also see it happened. While he didn't know Anari all that well, he was already able to tell that she had some of the same spirit within her as Lyanna did.
"Do you think I wear this for decoration?" Anari teased as she rested her hand on the pommel of Valkyrie. Lord Royce's smile widened slightly as he looked at her.
"By all means, then," he said as he gestured to the grass. "Please show us your skill. Frankly, I think I've seen quite enough of Lord Arryn's progress today."
"I would be happy to, my Lord," Anari replied. "As long as it's alright with you, Lord Baelish?" She questioned as she turned to face the man. Lord Baelish looked up from his letter to meet her gaze. He was struck by how innocent and wide her eyes seemed as she asked for his permission.
"I don't see why not," he replied with a smile. The radiant smile he earned from her was worth saying yes as she stood up from where she sat. Given that she was no longer wearing a dress, Anari would be able to move much faster and with more accuracy.
However, she knew better than to ask for a spar with her sharp sword. So, Anari removed the belt from around her waist and placed her sword on one of the tables. Walking over to the training master, Anari smiled. "Pardon me, Ser," she said. "But I wish to practice, would you be so kind as to spar with me?"
"You wish to spar, my Lady?" he questioned. He wasn't opposed to the idea, but he just found it interesting that she was asking him. Had had seldom met any young women who wished to pick up a sword; however, he decided to humor her.
"I do," Anari nodded.
"Very well, my Lady," he replied. Together, they dismissed Robin and the boy he was sparring with to take the field with their own practice swords. Anari flexed her fingers on the handle, getting a feel for the weight of the sword. It wasn't as heavy as the wooden one Syrio had her practice with, but it wasn't as light as the one she used with Bronn.
Twisting it once in her hand to loosen her wrists, Anari parted her feet, standing side face as Syrio had taught her. Meanwhile, the training master took on the traditional stance of a Westerosi knight. Sharing a nod, the two began the spar. Anari's eyes assessed the training master, trying to see if she could guess what moves he would make.
Sword fighting was all about strategy and thinking quickly. It was also about skill, of course, so Anari decided to go with what she knew. Wading in first, Anari fainted a strike to his left. As he went to parry, however, Anari twisted quickly around him and tapped his shoulder.
Many who were in the yard watched the two as Anari's signature grin fell into place as she held her sword out in challenge. An amused glint lit in the training master's eyes as he could see that she had actually had some training before.
Deciding to test her skill, the training master moved first this time. His strike was powerful and had Anari not been as fast as she was, it would have hurt a bit had she been hit. However, Anari ducked and spun out of the way. Using the water dancing Syrio taught her, Anari decided to ware out her opponent.
She spun dizzyingly around him, blocking or dodging his strikes before she waded in with the training Jon and Bronn had taught her. With a grunt, she blocked his strike, using a trick Bronn taught her and bumped the pommel of the blade onto his hands. The trick worked as he moved back to get away from the movement. Taking in his minor retreat, Anari spun inwards and pushed up with her blade.
Nearly losing grip of his sword, the training master was forced to let the sword go with one hand to avoid being disarmed. A smile lit his face as he saw her as a worthy opponent. She must have had advanced training to be able to fight the way she did.
Brushing a strand of hair from her face, Anari nodded again for another attack. Back and forth the pair went, parrying, dodging, and striking. Their audience watched in captive rapture as they moved. Everyone was impressed by Anari's skill, and her obvious stamina to be able to continue with her impressive turns and twists at the same speed she started with.
Sansa had no idea how her sister had become so skilled with a blade. She didn't know when it was she had trained how to fight. However, she couldn't help the shimmer of pride mixed with jealousy. Sansa knew she would never be able to fight like her sister.
Not in a physical match, at least. She hadn't the skill or the will to pick up a sword. She had no need too. However, one thing she could fight with was her mind. Sansa was an intelligent young woman, and she knew how to use her intelligence now.
With her sister's keen mind and obvious skill with a blade, Sansa knew that the two could pose a serious threat to those that dared oppose them.
Once more using a trick Bronn had taught her, and a maneuver Jaime had shown her, Anari managed to finally disarm the training master. Both of them were a little lost for breath, however, Anari's grin never faded. Even the training master donned a similar grin as he looked at her.
Those that watched began to clap at the impressive display. Lowering her practice sword, Anari looked at those who watched with an open mouth smile as she fought to catch her breath. "Where did you learn to fight like this, my Lady?" The training master questioned as he walked over to her.
"I've had many different dancing masters," Anari replied. "Each one taught me something different, I have only recently learned how to apply each of the techniques I learned from them." There was no way Anari was going to give them any names.
She didn't want word spreading that she had trained with her brother, a Braavosi swordmaster, Bronn, and least of all Jaime. It wasn't that she wasn't proud to learn from her teachers, no. It was because she wanted to protect them and herself. The last thing she needed to do right now was to remind everyone that she was a Lannister by marriage.
It was dangerous enough to be a Stark, but adding her Lannister status would be a bad move on her part. Setting the practice sword back where it was, Anari gratefully accepted a skin of water a knight offered her. Many of the spectators looked at her with admiration and surprise, however, none of them had any looks of judgment.
After responding to a few words of praise from the knights and soldiers, Anari made her way back to her sister's side. "That was impressive, my Lady," Lord Royce said, a smile on his face. When she had said she had training, he wasn't sure what to expect.
He thought that perhaps she just had periphery training. Enough to hold her own, but no actual skill. Obviously, he had underestimated the girl. He would know never to make that mistake again. "Thank you, Lord Royce," Anari smiled in return.
Lord Baelish was impressed by what he had seen, as he hadn't expected such a display of power from her. He had known Anari was a dangerous young lady, he knew she had fought her way through the riot of King's Landing, and now he knew how she had done it.
Not only did she have the conviction and spirit, but she had the skill to do it. Yet another layer to her already complex appeal, another reason he had found to interest him and keep him wondering. She fought with her mind and she fought with a sword. It made Anari lethal on both fronts; it made her a dangerous opponent indeed.
As Lord Baelish rose, Anari was quick to move to reclaim her sword belt and secure it once more to her waist. She wasn't going to leave her sword for anything in the world. Through the corner of her eye, she watched Lord Baelish and his reaction to her display.
She wondered what he thought of her, now that she had revealed the extent of her skill to him and everyone else. Hopefully, it showed that she was more than capable of backing up the things she said with action. She was well versed in using her mind to fight now, and she knew that on the road, she would need her skills with a blade.
Anari played both parts well; she was a warrior, but she was also a lady. She knew when it was time to fight and when it was time to wait, she had decorum and more kindness in her little finger than most people had in their entire body. However, she had the strength and the will to see to it that no one used her. She proved she was willing to fight back on more than one occasion.
Anari was so simple, yet complex at the same time. She had many layers, yet she never seemed to lose herself within her roles. She truly was Ned Stark's daughter; it was plain to everyone on that day. "As hospitable as you have been, my Lord, we must depart." Lord Baelish smiled at Lord Royce.
Lord Royce nodded as the four of them walked over to the caravan that was prepared for them. "Thank you for all you've done for us, Lord Royce," Anari smiled at the man. "I will not forget it." Lord Royce was the first honorable man aside from Tyrion that she had ever met.
It was refreshing to know that people like that still existed. It brought Anari a sense of comfort that she knew a man like him. He genuinely wished to help her and her sister, and she had known her father. Any many loyal to her father was good in her eyes.
"I've done nothing more than my duty, My Lady," Lord Royce replied with a smile. Anari nodded in return, deciding not to pry further. She would be sure to remember him and his generosity when she was more stable. She didn't know when that would be, but when her name meant something again, Anari would see to it that those who were genuinely loyal to her and her family knew just how much she appreciated it.
With a bow and a curtsy to show mutual respect, Anari and Sansa entered the caravan. While Anari wouldn't have minded riding on horseback, she understood that they needed to be as inconspicuous as possible right now. Before entering himself, Lord Baelish walked over to Lord Royce.
"I do not doubt that on my return that Robin's skills will have improved immeasurably," he smiled. However, he highly doubted it; at least he knew that Robin would be taken care of during his absence.
"He'll be safe here," Lord Royce assured. "As for his skills," he trailed off as he glanced over at Robin to see him cringing away from the practice blade again. "I make no promises." He finished. He would have a lot of work ahead of him, but he would do the best he could.
Before Lord Baelish left, however, Lord Royce grasped his arm. He needed to tell the man one last thing before he left, while he didn't like him in the slightest, he knew that he was their only hope as of right now. Keeping his voice low but firm, Lord Royce spoke.
"Keep them safe, Baelish," he said. "Whatever you do, keep them safe on those roads. If I hear anything happens to them on your watch-"
"I can assure you," Lord Baelish interrupted. "I will see to it that nothing happens to either of them." Lord Royce narrowed his eyes for a brief moment before he nodded once, letting go of his arm.
The last Anari had heard, Lord Baelish was taking them to the Fingers. While she was unsure whether or not that was true, Anari knew that she would have to be on her guard. Not only was she playing a dangerous game with Lord Baelish, but she had some secrets of her own to keep, now.
Everything was different, now. Before, Anari was willing to do anything and everything she needed to do. But now knowing what she did, she had to be extra careful. Anari wasn't sure what she was going to do, but for now, she had time to plan.
For now, she could only focus on her next immediate move. Moves and counter moves, as the wheel keeps turning and the next piece is played. It was all a game, one with dire consequences should one lose. And Anari did not intend to lose.
~
"He never wanted you to be a King's Guard," Cersei said from where she stood. "He wanted you to be his heir and be Lord of Casterly Rock, yet here you are, protecting his body."
"The things he built," Jaime began. "All of the things he did, he did for us. He meant it all for us, and they're going to try and take it away. All of it, they want it all."
"They?" Cersei questioned. Together, the siblings looked at Tywin's lifeless body, the painted rocks that rested on his eyes as his hands lay clasped over his abdomen. Tywin Lannister was dead, and the moment the whole world knew it, Cersei knew that the vultures would come.
"All of them," Jaime hissed. "They're waiting to make sure he's truly dead and once they do they'll set to work on tearing us apart."
"They had nothing to do with it," Cersei disagreed. "It all comes down to one man; the man who murdered our father is out there and draws breath. He tore us apart, he is the enemy. I've been telling you for years and you've defended him for years."
"This is exactly what they want," Jaime said as he walked closer to her. "They want us fighting each other so we can't fight them. Don't let them win."
"Our father is dead, and that little monster is out there now. Probably on his way to find his wretched wife. They must have planned this together, one of them stayed behind to finish it all off before they ran away together." It was an interesting theory, however, Cersei knew the truth. "You set him free, didn't you?"
However, she got no response from Jaime. He knew Anari had absolutely nothing to do with this. While he was angry with Tyrion for murdering their father, he knew that some part of him didn't blame him completely. Tywin never showed Tyrion any love; he was always harsh and unfair. He was always critical and never seemed to be proud of anything Tyrion had accomplished.
He had seen it, the change in Tyrion since marrying Anari. He had also seen the change in her; they fit well together. For the first time in a long time, Jaime got to see his little brother be truly happy; he got to see the spark that Anari's eyes once held shine again.
Neither one of them had any part in killing Joffrey, that much he knew. However, it was obvious that Tywin died under Tyrion's hand. That was irrefutable. Jaime felt stuck, he wanted to hate Tyrion for what he had done, but at the same time, he understood why he did it.
"You're a man of action, aren't you?" Cersei questioned. "When it occurs to you to do something, you do it. It doesn't matter the consequences, you'll do anything you want when you want too." She shook her head with a cynical smile. "Take a look; look at what the consequences are. He loved you more than anyone in this world."
With that, Cersei walked away. She felt her ire rise as she did; knowing Tyrion was out there somewhere. She did not doubt that he was being taken to wherever Anari was and they were together again. How perfectly planned this all was, despite the setbacks.
They would pay for this; they would all pay for what they have done.
~
The only sound was that of the wheels rolling on the road and the horse's hooves trotting along. Grey eyes scanned the landscape out of the window in the caravan, realization flickering across her face. There previously hadn't been much talking, but no one really knew what to say. However, now that she realized where they were going, Anari knew she couldn't stay silent.
"You told Lord Royce you were taking us to the Fingers," she said, turning her head to face him. Anari and Sansa sat next to one another as Lord Baelish sat across from them. A small smirk threatened his lips as he saw Sansa look out her own window, the same realization flickering across her face.
"I did," Lord Baelish agreed. He was curious as to how long it would take the girls to realize he had lied to Lord Royce. As predicted, they did not disappoint, as they had only been on the road now for at least an hour.
"If we were going to the Fingers, we wouldn't be heading west," Sansa stated, her own face drawing together in confusion.
"Yes, we are," he nodded. Lord Baelish glanced away from Sansa and back to Anari. Unable to keep it from forming, a sly smile made its way to his lips as a spark in his eyes told Anari exactly what was going on.
"If Lord Royce wanted to betray us, he would have done so already," she sighed. "Why bother waiting as long as he did if he was only going to betray us? He knew we were leaving eventually, he had the time."
Lord Royce really had nothing to gain from turning them in. He had openly shown his dislike for the Lannisters, and Anari had grown to see that he was an opinionated man, unafraid to show how he felt about someone. Besides, he had shown that he didn't like or trust Lord Baelish.
That in and of itself was enough of an indicator that he was a decent man. For now, Lord Royce would be one of the leading Lords of the Vale until Robin came of age. "Lord Royce might be as honorable as he thinks he is, however, he is not alone in that castle," Lord Baelish replied. "Do you trust all of the people in that castle? The serving girls, knights, and stable boys?"
"No," Anari replied honestly. She didn't know them enough to trust them, so she was not going to be foolish. Besides, Anari knew that low born people would have more incentive than anyone to turn them in. It would be through no fault of their own; if desperate enough, anyone would do anything in order to move up in the world.
"Do you trust the carriage driver?" Anari questioned in return, raising a challenging eyebrow. "Do you trust the knights escorting us?"
Sansa watched as her sister and Lord Baelish verbally sparred with one another. It was apparent that a deeper conversation was happening through their eyes as they stared at one another. While Sansa knew that her sister was playing a very dangerous game with the man, she wasn't sure what she was doing right now.
It was also apparent that she was out of her league when it came to the two of them. While clever and smart in her own right, Sansa knew it wasn't the time to begin joining the two just yet. She wasn't ready, but she will be soon. For now, she had to wait and watch, learning everything she could before she properly joined the game as a player.
"No," Lord Baelish said at last. "However, I've paid them very well, and they've seen what happens to those who disappoint me." Anari resisted the urge to narrow her eyes in return.
While she wished to challenge him further, she knew she couldn't right now. With the game she was currently playing, she was supposed to make him think she was on his side. She had previously told him that she trusted him. Questioning him too hard would be a direct contradiction to what she had said.
So, instead of asking more questions, Anari sat back in her seat. "Then where are you taking us?" She asked her tone shifting. The caravan went over a slight bump in the road and the jostling caused her stomach to churn uncomfortably. However, she hid her reaction well, save for placing her arm around her abdomen.
"To a land so far from here, that not even Cersei Lannister can get her hands on you," Lord Baelish replied, his own tone shifting. It was interesting to him to see that Anari was adapting rather well to everything she did. Her little game intrigued him as well as thrilled him. Despite it all, Lord Baelish was just a man, and having the object of his desires reciprocating them, even a little, did many things to him.
Anari wasn't sure such a place existed. The Lannisters held sway in most of Westeros. That was once true for her own family, but because of the Lannisters, her family has been almost destroyed. It was up to Sansa and herself to stay alive for as long as they could.
Anari prayed to the gods that she survived. Things were so different for her now, not only did she have a husband, a man she loved with all her heart, but she still had her sister. Looking back out the window, Anari flexed her arm that still rested over her midsection.
And she had something else she desperately wished to protect.