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"Oh" Arya felt abashed She should have realized For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair

She watched her little brother whack at Toood as Bran," she said "He’s only seven I’m nine"

Jon looked her over with all his fourteen-year-old wisdom "You’re too skinny," he said He took her arhed and shook his head "I doubt you could even lift a longsword, little sister, never lared at hiain They watched Bran and Tommen circle each other

"You see Prince Joffrey?" Jon asked

She hadn’t, not at first glance, but when she looked again she found hih stone wall He was surrounded bysquires in the livery of Lannister and Baratheon, strangers all There were a few older hts, she surgested

Arya looked An ornate shield had been embroidered on the prince’s padded surcoat No doubt the needleas exquisite The arms were pided down theof the royal House, on the other the lion of Lannister

"The Lannisters are proud," Jon observed "You’d think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no He ’s"

"The woman is important too!" Arya protested

Jon chuckled "Perhaps you should do the sa, little sister Wed Tully to Stark in your arms"

"A ith a fish in its h "That would look silly Besides, if a girl can’t fight, why should she have a coat of aret the aret the swords but not the arms I did not make the rules, little sister"

There was a shout fro in the dust, trying to get up and failing All the paddingover hiain once he regained his feet The h!" Ser Rodrik called out He gave the prince a hand and yanked hiht Lew, Donnis, help them out of their aro another round?"

Robb, already sweaty froerly "Gladly"

Joffrey ht in response to Rodrik’s suold He looked bored "This is a gaave a sudden bark of laughter "You are children," he said derisively

"Robb row tired of swatting at Starks with a play sword"

"You got ave, Joff," Robb said "Are you afraid?"

Prince Joffrey looked at him "Oh, terrified," he said "You’re so hed

Jon looked down on the scene with a frown "Joffrey is truly a little shit," he told Arya

Ser Rodrik tugged thoughtfully at his white whiskers "What are you suggesting?" he asked the prince

"Live steel"

"Done," Robb shot back "You’ll be sorry!"

The master-at-arms put a hand on Robb’s shoulder to quiet hierous I will peres"

Joffrey said nothing, but a ht with black hair and burn scars on his face, pushed forward in front of the prince "This is your prince Who are you to tell hie on his sword, ser?"

"Master-at-aret it"

"Are you training women here?" the burned man wanted to know He was hts," Ser Rodrik said pointedly "They will have steel when they are ready When they are of an age"

The burned man looked at Robb "How old are you, boy?"

"Fourteen," Robb said

"I killed a man at twelve You can be sure it was not with a blunt sword"

Arya could see Robb bristle His pride ounded He turned on Ser Rodrik "Let me do it I can beat him"

"Beat him with a tourney blade, then," Ser Rodrik said

Joffrey shrugged "Come and see me when you’re older, Stark If you’re not too old" There was laughter fro through the yard Arya covered her mouth in shock Theon Greyjoy seized Robb’s ared at his whiskers in disned a yawn and turned to his younger brother "Come, Tommen," he said "The hour of play is done Leave the children to their frolics"

That brought hter from the Lannisters, more curses from Robb Ser Rodrik’s face was beet-red with fury under the white of his whiskers Theon kept Robb locked in an iron grip until the princes and their party were safely away

Jon watched therown as still as the pool at the heart of the godswood Finally he climbed down off the"The show is done," he said He bent to scratch Ghost behind the ears The white wolf rose and rubbed against him "You had best run back to your roo The longer you hide, the sterner the penance You’ll be sewing all through winter When the spring thaw coht between your frozen fingers"

Arya didn’t think it was funny "I hate needlework!" she said with passion "It’s not fair!"

"Nothing is fair," Jon said He ain and walked away fro silently beside him Nymeria started to follow too, then stopped and ca

Reluctantly she turned in the other direction

It orse than Jon had thought It wasn’t Septa Mordane waiting in her room It was Septa Mordane and her mother