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Sansa knew the naht her over the years cauard," she said, "and councillor to Robert our king and to Aerys Targaryen before hiht Even in the far north, the singers praise the deeds of Barristan the Bold"

The green knight laughed again "Barristan the Old, you mean Don’t flatter him too sweetly, child, he thinks overirl, if you can put a name to me as well, then I hter"

Joffrey stiffened beside her "Have a care how you address my betrothed"

"I can answer," Sansa said quickly, to quell her prince’s anger She solden antlers,Robert has two brothers By your extreme youth, you can only be Renly Baratheon, Lord of Stor, and so I name you"

Ser Barristan chuckled "By his extre jackanapes, and so I nahter, led by Lord Renly hione, and Sansa was beginning to feel comfortableuntil Ser Ilyn Payne shouldered twoHe did not say a word Lady bared her teeth and began to growl, a low rumble full of entle hand to the head "I am sorry if I offended you, Ser Ilyn," she said

She waited for an answer, but none came As the headsman looked at her, his pale colorless eyes seemed to strip the clothes away fro her soul naked before him Still silent, he turned and walked away

Sansa did not understand She looked at her prince "Did I say so, Your Grace? Why will he not speak totalkative these past fourteen years," Lord Renly coave his uncle a look of pure loathing, then took Sansa’s hands in his own "Aerys Targaryen had his tongue ripped out with hot pincers"

"He speaks most eloquently with his sword, however," the queen said, "and his devotion to our realraciously and said, "Sansa, the good councillors and Ireturns with your father I fear we shall have to postpone your day with Myrcella Please give your sweet sister ies Joffrey, perhaps you would be so kind as to entertain our guest today"

"It would be my pleasure, Mother," Joffrey said very formally He took her by the arm and led her away froht A whole day with her prince! She gazed at Joffrey worshipfully He was so gallant, she thought The way he had rescued her fros, like the time Serwyn of the Mirror Shield saved the Princess Daeryssa fro Queen Naerys’s honor against evil Ser Morgil’s slanders

The touch of Joffrey’s hand on her sleeve made her heart beat faster "What would you like to do?"

Be with you, Sansa thought, but she said, "Whatever you’d like to do, my prince"

Jofftey reflected a ," Sansa said

Joffrey glanced back at Lady, as following at their heels "Your wolf is liable to frighten the horses, and hten you Let us leave them both behind and set off on our ohat do you say?"

Sansa hesitated "If you like," she said uncertainly "I suppose I could tie Lady up" She did not quite understand, though "I didn’t know you had a dog"

Joffrey laughed "He’s uard me, and so he does"

"Youso slow Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid "Is it safe to leave him behind?"

Prince Joffrey looked annoyed that she would even ask "Have no fear, lady I aht ood like your brothers All I need is this" He drew his sword and showed it to her; a longsword adroitly shrunken to suit a boy of twelve, gleaed, with a leather grip and a lion’s-head poly, and Joffrey looked pleased "I call it Lion’s Tooth," he said

And so they left her direwolf and his bodyguard behind the the north bank of the Trident with no colorious day, a ical day The air arm and heavy with the scent of flowers, and the woods here had a gentle beauty that Sansa had never seen in the north Prince Joffrey’s mount was a blood bay courser, swift as the wind, and he rode it with reckless abandon, so fast that Sansa was hard-pressed to keep up on her mare It was a day for adventures They explored the caves by the riverbank, and tracked a shadowcat to its lair, and when they grew hungry, Joffrey found a holdfast by its smoke and told them to fetch food and wine for their prince and his lady They dined on trout fresh from the river, and Sansa drank more wine than she had ever drunk before "My father only lets us have one cup, and only at feasts," she confessed to her prince

"My betrothed can drink asher cup

They wentfor her as they rode, his voice high and sweet and pure Sansa was a little dizzy fro back?" she asked

"Soon," Joffrey said "The battleground is right up ahead, where the river bends That here aryen, you know He sh the arinary warhammer to show her hoas done "ThenWhat’s that sound?"

Sansa heard it too, floating through the woods, a kind of wooden clattering, snack snack snack "I don’t know," she said It o back"

"I want to see what it is" Joffrey turned his horse in the direction of the sounds, and Sansa had no choice but to follow The noises grew louder and rew closer they heard heavy breathing as well, and now and then a grunt

"Someone’s there," Sansa said anxiously She found herself thinking of Lady, wishing the direith her

"You’re safe with me" Joffrey drew his Lion’s Tooth from its sheath The sound of steel on leather h a stand of trees

Beyond, in a clearing overlooking the river, they cahts Their swords ooden sticks, broo across the grass, swinging at each other lustily The boy was years older, a head taller, and irl, a scrawny thing in soiled leathers, was dodging and et her stick in the way of most of the boy’s blows, but not all When she tried to lunge at hiht her stick with his oept it aside, and slid his wood down hard on her fingers She cried out and lost her weapon

Prince Joffrey laughed The boy looked around, wide-eyed and startled, and dropped his stick in the grass The girl glared at the out, and Sansa was horrified "Arya?" she called out incredulously

"Go away," Arya shouted back at the here? Leave us alone"

Joffrey glanced froain "Your sister?" She nodded, blushing Joffrey exaainly lad with a coarse, freckled face and thick red hair "And who are you, boy?" he asked in a co tone that took no notice of the fact that the other was a year his senior

"Mycah," the boy nized the prince and averted his eyes "M’lord"

"He’s the butcher’s boy," Sansa said

"He’s my friend," Arya said sharply "You leave him alone"

"A butcher’s boy ants to be a knight, is it?" Joffrey swung down from his mount, sword in hand "Pick up your sword, butcher’s boy," he said, his eyes bright with aood you are"

Mycah stood there, frozen with fear

Joffrey walked toward hiirls?"

"She ast me to, m’lord," Mycah said "She ast lance at Arya and see the flush on her sister’s face to know the boy was telling the truth, but Joffrey was in noto pick up your sword?"

Mycah shook his head "It’s only a stick, m’lord It’s not no sword, it’s only a stick"

"And you’re only a butcher’s boy, and no knight" Joffrey lifted Lion’s Tooth and laid its point on Mycah’s cheek below the eye, as the butcher’s boy stood tre, do you know that?" A bright bud of blood blossomed where his sword pressed into Mycah’s flesh, and a slow red line trickled down the boy’s cheek

"Stop it!" Arya screarabbed up her fallen stick

Sansa was afraid "Arya, you stay out of this"

"I won’t hurt hi his eyes off the butcher’s boy

Arya went for him

Sansa slid off herwith both hands There was a loud crack as the wood split against the back of the prince’s head, and then everything happened at once before Sansa’s horrified eyes Joffrey staggered and whirled around, roaring curses Mycah ran for the trees as fast as his legs would take hiht the blow on Lion’s Tooth and sent her broken stick flying from her hands The back of his head was all bloody and his eyes were on fire Sansa was shrieking, "No, no, stop it, stop it, both of you, you’re spoiling it," but no one was listening Arya scooped up a rock and hurled it at Joffrey’s head She hit his horse instead, and the blood bay reared and went galloping off after Mycah "Stop it, don’t, stop it!" Sansa screa obscenities, terrible words, filthy words Arya darted back, frightened now, but Joffrey followed, hounding her toward the woods, backing her up against a tree Sansa didn’t knohat to do She watched helplessly, alrey blur flashed past her, and suddenly Ny around Joffrey’s sword arers as the wolf knocked hirass, the wolf snarling and ripping at hi in pain "Get it off," he screamed "Get it off!"

Arya’s voice cracked like a whip "Nyo of Joffrey and rass, whiled arm His shirt was soaked in blood Arya said, "She didn’t hurt youmuch" She picked up Lion’s Tooth where it had fallen, and stood over hi the sith both hands

Jofftey made a scared whimpery sound as he looked up at her "No," he said, "don’t hurt me I’ll tell my mother"

"You leave him alone!" Sansa screamed at her sister

Arya whirled and heaved the sword into the air, putting her whole body into the throw The blue steel flashed in the sun as the sword spun out over the river It hit the water and vanished with a splash Joffreyat her heels

After they had gone, Sansa went to Prince Joffrey His eyes were closed in pain, his breath ragged Sansa knelt beside him "Joffrey," she sobbed "Oh, look what they did, look what they did My poor prince Don’t be afraid I’ll ride to the holdfast and bring help for you" Tenderly she reached out and brushed back his soft blond hair

His eyes snapped open and looked at her, and there was nothing but loathing there, nothing but the vilest conteo," he spit at her "And don’t touch me"