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Arya

Arya’s stitches were crooked again

She frowned down at thelanced over to where her sister Sansa sat airls Sansa’s needleas exquisite Everyone said so "Sansa’s work is as pretty as she is," Septa Mordane told their lady mother once "She has such fine, delicate hands" When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed "Arya has the hands of a blackslanced furtively across the roohts, but the septa was paying her no attention today She was sitting with the Princess Myrcella, all smiles and aded to instruct a royal princess in the woht Myrcella to join theht that Myrcella’s stitches looked a little crooked too, but you would never know it fro

She studied her oork again, looking for sohed and put down the needle She looked glu away happily as she worked Beth Cassel, Ser Rodrik’s little girl, was sitting by her feet, listening to every word she said, and Jeyne Poole was leaning over to whisper so about?" Arya asked suddenly

Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled Sansa looked abashed Beth blushed No one answered

"Tell lanced over toMyrcella said so with the rest of the ladies

"We were talking about the prince," Sansa said, her voice soft as a kiss

Arya knehich prince she ot to sit with him at the feast Arya had to sit with the little fat one Naturally

"Joffrey likes your sister," Jeyne whispered, proud as if she had sohter of Winterfell’s steward and Sansa’s dearest friend "He told her she was very beautiful"

"He’s going toherself "Then Sansa will be queen of all the realrace to blush She blushed prettily She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment "Beth, you shouldn’t ently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words She looked at Arya "What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?"

"Jon says he looks like a girl," Arya said

Sansa sighed as she stitched "Poor Jon," she said "He gets jealous because he’s a bastard"

"He’s our brother," Arya said, h the afternoon quiet of the tower room

Septa Mordane raised her eyes She had a bony face, sharp eyes, and a thin liplessnow "What are you talking about, children?"

"Our half brother," Sansa corrected, soft and precise She s on how pleased ere to have the princess with us today," she said

Septa Mordane nodded "Indeed A great honor for us all" Princess Myrcella smiled uncertainly at the compliment "Arya, why aren’t you at work?" the septa asked She rose to her feet, starched skirts rustling as she started across the room "Let me see your stitches"

Arya wanted to screao and attract the septa’s attention "Here," she said, surrendering up her work

The septa examined the fabric "Arya, Arya, Arya," she said "This will not do This will not do at all"

Everyone was looking at her It was too much Sansa was too well bred to s on her behalf Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her Arya felt tears filling her eyes She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door

Septa Mordane called after her "Arya, come back here! Don’t you take another step! Your lady mother will hear of this In front of our royal princess too! You’ll shame us all!"

Arya stopped at the door and turned back, biting her lip The tears were running down her cheeks now She ed a stiff little bow to Myrcella "By your leave, my lady"

Myrcella blinked at her and looked to her ladies for guidance But if she was uncertain, Septa Mordane was not "Just where do you think you are going, Arya?" the septa deo shoe a horse," she said sweetly, taking a brief satisfaction in the shock on the septa’s face Then she whirled anddown the steps as fast as her feet would take her

It wasn’t fair Sansa had everything Sansa o years older;left Often it felt that way Sansa could sew and dance and sing She wrote poetry She kne to dress She played the high harp and the bells Worse, she was beautiful Sansa had gotten their h cheekbones and the thick auburn hair of the Tullys Arya took after their lord father Her hair was a lusterless brown, and her face was long and soleh whenever she ca Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse Well, that and ures If she did ood steward

Nyuardroom at the base of the stairs She bounded to her feet as soon as she caught sight of Arya Arya grinned The wolf pup loved her, even if no one else did They went everywhere together, and Nymeria slept in her room, at the foot of her bed If Mother had not forbidden it, Arya would gladly have taken the ith her to needlework Let Septa Mordane complain about her stitches then

Nyerly at her hand as Arya untied her She had yellow eyes When they caught the sunlight, they gleaolden coins Arya had named her after the warrior queen of the Rhoyne, who had led her people across the narrow sea That had been a great scandal too Sansa, of course, had na tight Nyled

By now Septa Mordane would certainly have sent word to her lady mother If she went to her room, they would find her Arya did not care to be found She had a better notion The boys were at practice in the yard She wanted to see Robb put gallant Prince Joffrey flat on his back "Coot up and ran, the wolf co hard at her heels

There was ain the covered bridge between the armory and the Great Keep where you had a view of the whole yard That here they headed

They arrived, flushed and breathless, to find Jon seated on the sill, one leg drawn up languidly to his chin He atching the action, so absorbed that he seemed unaware of her approach until his white wolf moved to meet theer than his litter ave her ear a careful nip, and settled back down

Jon gave her a curious look "Shouldn’t you be working on your stitches, little sister?"

Arya ht"

He smiled "Come here, then"

Arya climbed up on theand sat beside hirunts from the yard below

To her disappoint Bran was so heavily padded he looked as though he had belted on a featherbed, and Prince Toin with, see and hitting at each other with padded wooden swords under the watchful eye of old Ser Rodrik Cassel, the nificent white cheek whiskers A dozen spectators, e them She spotted Theon Greyjoy beside hiolden kraken of his House, a look of wry conte Arya judged that they had been at it awhile

"A shadethan needlework," Jon observed

"A shade rinned, reached over, and messed up her hair Arya flushed They had always been close Jon had their father’s face, as she did They were the only ones Robb and Sansa and Bran and even little Rickon all took after the Tullys, with easy smiles and fire in their hair When Arya had been little, she had been afraid that one to in her fear, and Jon who had reassured her

"Why aren’t you down in the yard?" Arya asked hiave her a half s princes," he said "Any bruises they take in the practice yard must come from trueborn swords"