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"Me too?" Tears welled in Sansa’s eyes "That’s not fair"

"The matter is not subject to discussion Go!"

Sansa stalked aith her head up She was to be a queen, and queens did not cry At least not where people could see When she reached her bedchamber, she barred the door and took off her dress The blood orange had left a blotchy red stain on the silk "I hate her!" she screa it into the cold hearth, on top of the ashes of last night’s fire When she saw that the stain had bled through onto her underskirt, she began to sob despite herself She ripped off the rest of her clothes wildly, threw herself into bed, and cried herself back to sleep

It was midday when Septa Mordane knocked upon her door "Sansa Your lord father will see you now"

Sansa sat up "Lady," she whispered For a mo at her with those golden eyes, sad and knowing She had been drea together, andandtrying to reers The dreaain

"Sansa" The rap caain, sharply "Do you hear ht I have a , but she did her best to make herself beautiful

Lord Eddard was bent over a huge leather-bound book when Septa Mordanestiff beneath the table "Coone for her sister "Sit beside me" He closed the book

Septa Mordane returned with Arya squirreen daown and a look of re the ratty leathers and roughspun she’d worn at breakfast "Here is the other one," the septa announced

"My thanks, Septa Mordane I would talk to hters alone, if you would be so kind" The septa bowed and left

"Arya started it," Sansa said quickly, anxious to have the first word "She called e at me and spoiled ave me when I was betrothed to Prince Joffrey She hates that I’, Father, she can’t stand for anything to be beautiful or nice or splendid"

"Enough, Sansa" Lord Eddard’s voice was sharp with impatience

Arya raised her eyes "I’ iveness"

Sansa was so startled that for a moment she was speechless Finally she found her voice "What about my dress?"

"MaybeI could wash it," Arya said doubtfully

"Washing won’t do any good," Sansa said "Not if you scrubbed all day and all night The silk is ruined"

"Then I’llmake you a new one," Arya said

Sansa threw back her head in disdain "You? You couldn’t sew a dress fit to clean the pigsties"

Their father sighed "I did not call you here to talk of dresses I’ you both back to Winterfell"

For the second time Sansa found herself too stunned for words She felt her eyes grow ain

"You can’t," Arya said

"Please, Father," Sansa ed at last "Please don’t"

Eddard Stark favored his daughters with a tired sree on"

"I didn’t do anything wrong," Sansa pleaded with hi; the pagaentry of the court, the high lords and ladies in their velvets and silks and gereat city with all its people The tournaical time of her whole life, and there was so much she had not seen yet, harvest feasts and ht of losing it all "Send Arya away, she started it, Father, I swear it I’ll be good, you’ll see, just let me stay and I promise to be as fine and noble and courteous as the queen"

Father’syou away for fighting, though the gods know I’ I want you back in Winterfell for your own safety Three of ue fro"

Arya was chewing at her lip in that disgusting way she had "Can we take Syrio back with us?"

"Who cares about your stupid dancing master?" Sansa flared "Father, I only just now reo away, I’m to marry Prince Joffrey" She tried to smile bravely for him "I love him, Father, I truly truly do, I love hiht, as much as Jonquil loved Ser Florian I want to be his queen and have his babies"

"Sweet one," her father said gently, "listen to h, I will h lord who’s worthy of you, so This match with Joffrey was a terrible mistake That boy is no Prince Aemon, you must believe me"

"He is!" Sansa insisted "I don’t want soentle, I want his, you’ll see I’ll give hi of all the real that ever was, as brave as the wolf and as proud as the lion"

Arya made a face "Not if Joffrey’s his father," she said "He’s a liar and a craven and anyhow he’s a stag, not a lion"

Sansa felt tears in her eyes "He is not! He’s not the least bit like that old drunken king," she screarief

Father looked at her strangely "Gods," he swore softly, "out of the irls he said, "I aalley to take you hosroad You will sail as soon as I can find a proper ship, with Septa Mordane and a corees to enterof this It’s better if no one knows of our plans We’ll talk again tomorrow"

Sansa cried as Septa Mordaneto take it all away; the tournaoing to send her back to the bleak grey walls of Winterfell and lock her up forever Her life was over before it had begun

"Stop that weeping, child," Septa Mordane said sternly "I am certain your lord father knohat is best for you"

"It won’t be so bad, Sansa," Arya said "We’re going to sail on a galley It will be an adventure, and then we’ll be with Bran and Robb again, and Old Nan and Hodor and the rest" She touched her on the arht to ly!" She wrenched away from her sister’s hand, stormed into her bedchamber, and barred the door behind her