Sansa's night was filled with restlessness. The return of her sister filled her with an anxiety that she could not quite comprehend. Arya had always hated how Sansa had conformed and the fact that his had not so much changed would no doubt cause her to be judged harshly. She wondered what Arya had been doing for the time she had been gone and winced at the idea of the trouble she might have got herself into.
Petyr's night was also shrouded in discomfort. That night he had realised just how strong his feelings for Sansa were. If she had asked him to leave everything in that moment simply to be with her, he would have accepted without thinking. He had never been so vulnerable before, not even with Catelyn and the possibility of rejection terrified him to his core.
Arya awoke to the usual city smell of King's Landing. But, instead of being disgusted by the scent, she was rather relieved to be in the safety of the Red Keep. Only a moment after she awoke, Sansa knocked at her door and let herself in.
"Would you like to dine alone or join the inhabitants of the Red Keep?" Sansa asked, allowing Arya to make the choice for herself. She was so afraid of being alone with Sansa, having to admit what had happened to her in the time she had been away, that sat in a room full of courtiers seemed less painful.
"Very well. I shall warn you, there are not many of us." Sansa smiled and sat herself on Arya's bed. She itched to know what had happened, but she understood that it was rude to ask, so kept her mouth closed. Arya dressed in her rather masculine clothes and braided her hair to make herself look the least bit presentable. Sansa would have made a comment if they were still the children they used to be. But they weren't and she was perfectly content with her sister's attire.
They walked together in silence. Neither could bring themselves to begin a conversation. The silent company seemed comforting enough. They met with Lord Tyrion on their walk to the eating room and watched as his eyes widened at the sight of Arya Stark.
"Lady Stark, what a pleasure it is to see you, after being away for so long." He bowed and joined them.
"I have missed everything that has happened in King's Landing since I left." Arya stated, wanting the awkward air to dissipate.
"Do not fear. We are starting afresh and all of the gossip and wrongful doings of the old crown shall be put to rest." Tyrion reassured Arya and looked to Sansa with a supportive smile.
Once they reached the dining hall, Varys, Petyr and Brienne were already sat, eating their breakfast. Once again, eyes widened and the feasting ceased, all attentions being paid to Arya.
"Lady Stark, not even my little birds had heard of your being alive." Varys whispered to her.
"I learnt to hide." She replied, causing him to smile.
"Clever girl." He replied, impressed by her skill.
"It is a wonderful surprise to see you again, after all this time." Petyr bowed to her. She shunned off his compliment, much to the worry of Sansa.
"Lady Stark, I am Brienne of Tarth, Lady Sansa's personal guard." She bowed and Arya took an immediate liking to Brienne, opting to sit beside her, rather than beside Sansa.
Petyr saw the fear and anxiety behind the joy in Sansa's eyes. Nonetheless, she still took the seat that remained unoccupied beside him, much to his glee.
"When did she arrive?" He asked, his mouth close to her ear, causing Sansa to blush at the breakfast table, not that anyone was paying them any mind.
"Last night." Was her only reply. Her voice was shaky and her body was tense.
"I am sorry about last night. I was confused and I shouldn't have said what I-" Her voice was only a whisper, but it was frantic and worried. He placed his hand in her's under the table, ceasing her apology.
"Stop, it was I that was in the wrong. We can speak about it later." He smiled down at her and she nodded, glad that any blame that could have been placed on her had been forgotten.
After breakfast, Sansa and Arya walked the streets of King's Landing, for the first time since their Father had been executed.
"Arya?" Sansa began and Arya prepared herself for the questioning. She knew that her sister deserved answers, but they were so difficult to give.
"Arya, what happened? Where did you go?" Sansa asked simply, pain riddling her voice. Arya took a deep breath and began.
"I was abducted the day that Father- well I was taken to be a member of the Knight's watch, because they thought I was a boy. Things got very difficult there on in and all that you need to know is that I am here now and that that part of my life is over." They stopped and surprisingly, Sansa was satisfied with Arya's answer. It seemed that the less she knew, the less she was haunted by the fact that she did not do enough. She nodded to Arya, but Arya noticed that Sansa was not exactly the same as she used to be. There was a hardness behind her eyes that had not been there before.
"Sansa, what happened to you?" The last time that Arya had seen her, Sansa was living a rather affluent life, one that many would pine after, on the road to becoming the future Queen of Westeros, exactly what she wanted.
"Joffrey replaced me with Margaery Tyrell and married me to Tyrion Lannister." Sansa hung her head in shame. Arya knew this much from the crude plays that she had seen.
"After Joffrey's death, Lord Baelish saved me and took me to the Vale. I had to disguise myself in fear that Cersei would have had me killed. I then married Ramsay Bolton, and that was where things all went wrong." Sansa hung her head once again. Arya knew not to push the subject, now knowing what men could do to women.
"Rickon is dead." She announced as they walked further.
"How?" Was Arya's instinctual reply.
"Ramsay Bolton." Sansa replied flatly.
"Did he suffer?" Arya asked, hoping that a vile death had befallen him.
"I fed him to his dogs." Arya was surprised by her sister, but more proud than disgusted.
"Good."
Arya had arranged a sword fighting lesson with Brienne and Tormund after their morning of Knight workshops and they both found that they enjoyed her company immensely. Sansa was a wonderful girl and they respected her undoubtedly, but she did not have fun the way they had fun. Arya was quick and skilled in her sword fighting, but there was still so much she needed to learn.
Sansa herself had been given the measurements of the Queen and had set herself to work straight away. She did not wish to dress the Queen in gaudy colours or flashy designs. So, she had a deep navy fabric picked out and based the design around her white gown that she had worn to the coronation. She knew it was not what the Queen was used to wearing. But perhaps she would be glad of a Westerosi addition to her wardrobe. Sansa adored the new project as it allowed her mind to wander as she sewed. She was delighted that Arya had returned, but would she stay? King's Landing had never been the place for Arya and Sansa had a niggling suspicion that she was not planning to stay.
Sansa was in fact right in her predictions and Arya set off to the docks to search for a captain crazy enough to sail west. She asked many men, hoping she she would find one. Just as she had accepted defeat, a man called to her.
"I'm heading West." He called out in a gruff voice.
"There are good fish in the West." He added and Arya raised her eyebrows in curiosity, looking at this rotund fisherman, wondering if he was her ticket out of Westeros.
Petyr sat at his desk, working on his financing. The Queen had agreed to begin the sale of dragon glass produced by her creatures, meaning that the crown could begin to dig its way out of the hole they had created for themselves. However, Petyr was not focused. The arrival of Arya Stark plagued his mind. He was glad, of course that Sansa's sister had returned. But he could not help fearing what this would mean for Sansa. Would they return to the North? Would Sansa feel the need to look after her sister and take her away from King's Landing? He did not know. But he knew that Arya had not always been his most avid fan and that this was going to be an issue.
Arya had decided that she would journey with the fisherman. He was offering a very small price and would take her as far as he could venture, and this was all that she had asked for. However, the downfall was that they were to leave the very next day and she knew that her sudden departure was going to hurt Sansa. So, she asked her to the gardens, knowing that it was best to break the news somewhere where she could be happy.
Sansa knew as they began walking, that something wasn't right. There was a tension that had not been there before and she felt her body begin to stiffen, hardening itself against what was to come.
"Sansa, for a long time I have been seeking a dream, a dream that is now possible for me." She began, wondering how to break the news.
"What is this dream?" Sansa asked, wondering what her sister sought after.
"I wish to travel west of Westeros." She stated plainly, letting the coins fall where they may.
"I do not know what to say." Sansa muttered. This was something she should have expected from Arya. It was dangerous and exciting, exactly how all her dreams had been.
"I have found someone to take me." Sansa's pace slowed as she attempted to fight back tears.
"I am glad for you, to be able to find your dream." She attempted to keep her composure.
"We leave at dawn." She continued and Sansa bit her cheek so hard that she tasted the coppery flavour of blood. She would not cry, not in front of Arya.
"I do hope you find what you seek." She stated, before turning and continuing her journey into the garden. Arya watched her, remembering the betrayal that she saw in Sansa's face. She could have followed her, attempted to comfort her. But no, she had not been there and things were different now. They were two different people and Arya was choosing to go her own way. So, she turned and left, leaving Sansa alone, in the garden.
Sansa sat on one of the stone benches and stared at a blue-grey flower. It was one that she had never seen before, but found herself entranced by now. The one chance she had at being with her sister had been ruined and she had not said anything. She knew that she could not change Arya's mind, she was far too stubborn to ever be swayed. Sansa wondered if she would ever see her sister again, but then realised it didn't matter all that much. Arya had chosen Arya, rather than the Stark family and in doing so, she was not truly a Stark. Sansa allowed one tear to fall, only a single tear. Then, she stook, patted down her skirt and continued her tour around the garden.
Petyr noticed at dinner, that Sansa was not herself. Her sister was absent and her expression seemed to suggest that things had not gone to plan. He wanted to speak to her, to ask what had happened and find out if he could help. But he could not, he could not embarrass her that way in front of everyone.
"Where is your delightful sister, Lady Sansa?" Varys asked and just as he had, he wished he hadn't, as Sansa looked up at him with noticeable tears in her eyes.
"My sister shall be be joining us no more. She sails West at dawn. Sansa's voice was flat and unfeeling. Petyr understood now. Her only true flesh and blood had decided to leave her, abandon her, just as she feared he would.
"Ah, I see. The West is an area unchartered, I am sure she shall make some fine discoveries." Tyrion added and Sansa nodded.
"Yes, I am sure." She stated, closing the subject.
Everyone watched Sansa leave the dinner hall and it was obvious that everyone wanted to help her. But in a silent agreement, they decided that she was best left alone. She did not cry, as she had suspected. Rather, she threw herself into her work and continued with the Queen's dress. She did not sleep that night, and managed to complete the dress to her satisfaction. However, when the sun threatened to break into the sky, she left her room, only in night clothes, to the highest spot in the Red Keep, to watch her sister leave.
Petyr knew that he should not go to her, but he knew exactly where she would be when Dawn was about to throw the world into brilliant light. He walked through the Red Keep, heading towards the Throne Room. Then, he saw her, stood in her white nightgown, her fiery hair tumbling down her back, stood by the window, watching the ships. She did not know which one her sister was on, only that Arya was out there and she was in here and the separation in that moment seemed very profound. He stood far away from her, not wanting to disturb her, but after a while, he began to approach, wanting to comfort her, in any way he could.
She heard his footsteps, making his way towards her and sighed. She was glad that he had come, fearing that she would have stood there all day if he had not. He kept his distance, standing just behind her, not touching, simply watching. She knew he would not make the first move. She knew that he would only offer her help if she asked for it. So, she turned away from the boats, away from her sister, growing ever smaller and slid her hands under his arms, resting her head on his chest. Her breath became heavy as she felt his arms envelop her. She wondered even more now, if he would leave her. If her own flesh and blood could leave, then what was stopping him?
"I will never leave you, Sansa Stark." His whispered against her hair, as if reading her thoughts. And for the first time, looking up at his face, full of sincerity and honesty, she fully believed him.
"I know." She replied and saw the wave of relief wash over his face, he had gained her trust and it dawned on Sansa then that what they had was not so much a game, playing against one another, rather a war against both themselves and those around them, and the only way that they could be victors was if they worked together and to Sansa, that seemed like a challenge she was willing to take on, so long as he was there, to help her and aid her, through everything that might come their way.