Sansa Stark

Joffrey could not understand his mother's behavior at all. An outsider had openly defied her son, the king, and instead of punishing the hateful man, she protected him. She had even mentioned Grandfather Tywin to warn him.

Joffrey was almost mad with anger. The council chamber humiliation still burned in him.

He had begun to realize that the people around him did not truly treat him as a king. That infuriated him, but he could do nothing about it, because the king had no power that belonged only to him.

When he saw that man strolling toward him as if nothing had happened, Joffrey hated that he had no truly mighty weapon in hand.

"King Joffrey."

Joffrey scoffed. Joffrey turned and walked away without answering. Clearly, he had no wish to endure another insult from that detestable man. What a proud little king. Ronan had expected as much.

Then he noticed the girl beside Joffrey. She followed the young king, though he seemed uninterested in her.

"Hello," Ronan said. "I am Ronan."

The girl had meant to follow Joffrey, but Ronan stopped her. Used to noble manners, she answered instinctively.

"Hello, Lord Ronan. I am Sansa."

"Sansa. A fine name. But you look northern. Are you..."

At the mention of the North, the girl looked ashamed and afraid, yet she nodded woodenly.

The only northerners in the Red Keep now would be Starks. Ronan could be nearly certain the girl before him was Arya's sister, Sansa Stark.

The girl Ronan had once dismissed as naive.

It could not be denied that Sansa was a traditional beauty. Gentle in manner, tall and graceful, with clear blue eyes and thick auburn hair, she had inherited the beauty of her mother.

What made her so criticized was her foolish devotion to Joffrey.

Unlike Robert, Joffrey had inherited the beauty of his true parents: golden hair and a handsome face. For a sheltered northern lady, that sort of pretty prince held obvious temptation.

It explained why, even after her family suffered, Sansa still clung to a girl's love for him. People blinded by romance could be frightening.

Seeing Sansa about to follow Joffrey again, Ronan called her back.

"Wait. You are Sansa Stark, aren't you? Your sister mentioned you."

"Arya?" Sansa's eyes widened. "Arya is alive?"

Listen to that. Was this truly how an elder sister should ask?

That was why so many had judged her harshly. When facing outsiders, she always gave off a faint sense of uncertainty, perhaps from timidity, perhaps from caring too much about how others saw her.

In a family of rough northmen, producing a proper lady was rare. Even Lyanna Stark, whom people praised so often, had not been a gentle lady by nature.

Sansa did not know that her manner sometimes seemed out of place. Northerners were expected to be blunt and fierce. Arya fit what southerners imagined of the North far better than her polished sister did.

"Do you not want to see your sister?"

"I... I do. But..."

Ronan understood her hesitation.

"Do you still want to become Joffrey's wife?"

A blush actually rose on Sansa's face. What a tragedy for House Stark. Her father was imprisoned, her sister was in another man's hands, and she still had the heart to dream about love.

Perhaps sensing Ronan's gaze, Sansa hurried to explain.

"I want to ask King Joffrey to spare my father. He is not a traitor. He is a good man."

"And then?"

"What do you mean, and then?"

"I..."

The thought could never come true. Even if Joffrey did not hate the betrothal already, and even if the king agreed, what would that change? Would Tywin agree?

Holding Eddard meant holding House Stark. Holding House Stark meant the North could not disrupt the Lannisters at the critical moment, politically or militarily. The Lannisters would keep the advantage.

Ronan would not explain those things to Sansa. She would not listen now. Even clever people became foolish when they were desperate for love.

"Very well," Ronan said. "I understand your difficulty. But if you want Joffrey's attention, you need to learn how to change."

"Change?"

"Yes. First, change your nature. Haven't you noticed that Joffrey dislikes this soft, helpless manner of yours? Watch his mother carefully. She is the one who truly frightens him."

Sansa looked confused. "Why would I want Joffrey to fear me?"

"People are most obedient when they are afraid. Then he can be as gentle as you wish him to be. Do you not like a gentle King Joffrey, future Queen Sansa?"

Ronan's words awakened the image Sansa most wanted to see.

"Thank you, Lord Ronan."

For some reason, speaking with him felt comfortable. In the Red Keep, Sansa felt rejection almost every moment. Because she came from the North. Because her father had been arrested.

The servants' eyes had grown colder, and they did not bother hiding it anymore. Even Joffrey, her betrothed, seemed to hate her more each day.

Yet Lord Ronan, whom she had only just met, felt warm and kind.

Sansa studied him carefully and realized, belatedly, how easily his calm smile made her want to trust him. That frightened her more than his questions had.

Compared with him, her betrothed seemed much less impressive. That thought frightened her, and she quickly looked away.

"I am Commander of the City Watch," Ronan said. "If you encounter trouble, come to the barracks near Cobbler's Square. I will be glad to offer help to the future queen."

"Commander Ronan, thank you. I will remember."

Looking at how easily moved the girl was, Ronan felt his ability to deceive people had improved.

He still remembered Joffrey complaining to Cersei about him. It had not harmed him, but Ronan was a man who remembered small grudges. He looked forward to Sansa's future performance.

What he did not know was that a few comforting words had already changed the shape of Sansa Stark's path.

...

When Ronan returned to the barracks, he met a visibly pleased Rovyn. That meant the matter of Allar Deem had been handled.

"Commander."

"Mm. Has anything happened recently?"

Rovyn thought for a moment. "Two royal relatives seem to have rebelled. Lord Tywin left King's Landing in a hurry." Tywin had left.

That explained much. Ronan had wondered why Cersei had become so bold again. The mountain over her head had moved away.

At this rate, Cersei and Joffrey's true natures would be released completely.

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