Chapter 53 Chapter 52: Sansa

They did not take Sansa to the queen until the third day after the incident. She chose a simple dress in dark gray wool, plainly cut, but richly embroidered at the cuffs and collar.Without the help of a servant, she had to tie the silver belt by herself, and her fingers felt clumsy and inflexible.Jenny Poole, though under house arrest with her, was of no help.Her face was swollen from crying, and she kept crying for her father. "I'm sure your father is all right," Sansa told her after finally buttoning up her clothes. "I'll ask the queen to let you see him." The red and swollen eyes stared at her blankly, and then cried even harder.What a little kid.

On the day of the incident, Sansa also cried.For all the protection of the heavy walls of Maegor's Tower, and the doors closed and barred, the carnage had been horrific when it began.She grew up listening to the sound of gold and iron clashing in the square, and saw swords almost every day, but once she knew that the outside world was real, everything changed again.They became so strange, and unheard-of sounds kept coming: grunting in pain, cursing in anger, cries for help, and groans of the wounded and dying.The knight in the song never screams, never kneels and begs for mercy. So she cried and begged through the door for them to tell her what happened.She called to her father, she called to Septa Mordane, she called to the king, she called to her Prince Charming.It's a pity that even if the guards outside the door heard her pleading, they didn't respond.They only opened the door late that night and pushed in a bruised and trembling Jenny Poole. "They killed everybody," the steward's daughter screamed at her.Said that the Hound broke into her room with a warhammer, the spiral staircase of the Prime Minister's Tower was full of dead bodies, and the blood-stained stairs were slippery.Sansa wiped away her tears and tried to comfort her friend.They slept in the same bed and hugged each other like sisters.

It was even worse the next day.The room where Sansa is imprisoned is located on the top floor of the tallest tower in Maegor House.From the windows, the iron gates of the gatehouse could be seen lowered, and the drawbridge raised over the dry moat, cutting off the city within the city from the rest of the castle.Lannister guards patrol the walls, armed with lances and crossbows.The fight was over, and a cemetery-like silence enveloped the Red Keep, leaving only Jenny Poole's endless sobs and sobs. They weren't hungry—hard cheese, fresh bread and milk for breakfast, roast chicken and greens for lunch, beef and barley soup for dinner—but the food delivery man refused to answer Sansa's questions.In the evening, some women brought some of her and Jenny's clothes from the Prime Minister's Tower, but they were as panicked as Jenny. When she was about to ask questions, they avoided it as if they had seen the gray blight. I'm afraid it's not enough.The guards outside the door still did not let them leave the room.

"Please, I want to speak to the queen," she told them, as she told everyone that day. "She wants to see me, I know. Please tell her that I want to see her. If you can't see the queen, please go to Prince Joffrey. He and I will marry when we grow up." The deafening bell rang at sunset that day.The bell was deep and loud, but the slow and long lingering sound made Sansa feel inexplicable fear.The bell continued to ring, and a moment later they heard the bell answering in the great sept of Baelor on the hills of Visennia.The sound was like thunder, rumbling through the whole city, heralding the coming storm.

"What happened?" Jenny asked, covering her ears. "Why are they ringing the bell?" "The king is dead." Sansa couldn't say how she knew, but she just knew.The slow, endless tolling of the bells filled the room, lamenting like a dirge.Did an enemy break into the city and kill King Robert?Was this the fight they had heard? She fell asleep full of doubts, restless sleep, and worried.Is her handsome Joffrey king now?Or did they kill him too?She was worried for him, and also for her father.If only they'd told her what's going on out there... That night Sansa dreamed that Joffrey sat on the throne, and she herself leaned beside him in gold, with a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known bowed their knees before her.

The next morning, the morning of the third day, Ser Boros Braun of the Kingsguard came to escort her to the queen. Ser Boros was a thick-chested, ugly man with short legs that turned outward.He had a flat nose, flabby cheeks, and grizzled gray hair.He wore a white velvet tunic that day, and a snow-white cloak fastened with a lion brooch.The lion was plated with soft gold leaf, and had eyes set in tiny rubies. "Ser Boros, you look so radiant and charming this morning," Sansa told him.The official lady can't forget to be polite all the time, and she is determined to look like an official lady no matter what.

"Miss, you too." Sir Boros said flatly, "Her Majesty is waiting for you. Please follow me." There were Lannister guards in red robes and lion helmets standing guard outside the door, and Sansa gave them a very friendly smile good morning as she passed.It was the first time she had stepped out of her room since being brought here by Sir Alex Oakheart two days earlier. "It is for your safety, my dear boy," Queen Cersei told her. "If anything happens to Joffrey's dear girl, he will never forgive me." Sansa had expected Ser Boros to escort her to the royal chambers, but instead he led her out of Maegor's Tower.The drawbridge has been lowered again.Several workers are hanging their companions by ropes to the dry moat bed.Sansa looked up and saw a corpse impaled on the huge spikes below.She quickly looked away, not daring to ask questions, not to look again, not to imagine that it was someone she knew.

They found Queen Cersei in the council chamber, sitting at the head of a long table covered with papers, candles, and piles of putty.Sansa had never seen such an ornately furnished room before, and her eyes widened at the carved wooden screens, and the statues of sphinxes squatting on either side of the door. "Your Majesty," Ser Boros said, as another of the Kingsguard, the dead-faced Ser Mandon, led them in, "I have brought the girl." Sansa had expected that Joffrey would be with the queen, but unfortunately her Prince Charming did not come, but the three important ministers were present instead.Lord Patyr Baelish sat at the queen's left, Her Majesty Patyr was on the other side of the table, and Lord Varys, who was scented with flowers, swayed around them.She suddenly discovered with horror that they were all dressed in black, the color of mourning...

The queen wore a high-necked black silk dress, with hundreds of dark rubies stitched on the upper body, covering from the neck to the chest.The gem was carved into the shape of a teardrop, and at first glance, the queen seemed to be weeping blood.Cersei saw her with the sweetest, yet saddest smile Sansa had ever seen. "Sansa, my dear child," she said, "I know you've been wanting to see me, and I'm sorry I didn't come to you until now. It's just that I can't find the time because of all the chaos lately. I miss my men. Didn't make you feel wronged?"

"Your Majesty, everyone has been so caring and friendly to us, thank you very much for your concern," Sansa said politely, "It's just that, well, no one wants to talk to us, or tell us what happened... " "Us?" Cersei seemed confused. "We sent the steward's daughter to live with her," Ser Boros said. "We don't know what to do with her." The queen frowned. "Just ask first next time," she said sharply. "God knows what she's talking about in Sansa's head." "Jenny was terrified," Sansa said. "Crying all day. I promised to ask if I could let her see her father."

Old Master Paicell lowered his eyes. "Is her father all right?" Sansa said anxiously.She knew there had been fights outside, but no one would hurt a housekeeper, right?Vayon Poole was not even worthy of a sword. Queen Cersei glanced at each important minister in turn. "I don't want Sansa to be frightened needlessly. My lords, how should we settle down as a little friend?" Lord Petyr leaned forward. "Let me find a place for her." "Don't stay in the city," said the Queen. "Do you think I'm a fool?" The queen ignored him. "Sir Boros, please escort this little sister to Lord Petyr's residence, and tell his men to take good care of him until he returns. Just tell her that Littlefinger will take her to see her father, and that should appease her. Her emotions. I hope you get this sorted out before Sansa goes back." "As you order, Your Majesty," said Ser Boros.He bowed deeply, jumped up straight, and left shaking the white cloak behind him. Sansa was confused. "I don't understand," she said, "where is Jeyne's father? Why didn't Ser Boros take her to him directly, instead of Lord Petyr?" She was determined to be a lady. , to be as gentle as the queen, as resolute as her mother, Lady Catelyn, but at this moment she suddenly became afraid again, and even worried that she would shed tears. "Where are you sending her? She's a good girl, she's done nothing wrong." "She scares you," the queen said softly. "We can't let this happen again. Forget about her, huh? I assure you, Lord Baelish will take good care of Jenny." She patted the side chair. "Sit down, Sansa, I have something to tell you." Sansa sat down beside the queen.Cersei smiled again, but this time it did nothing to ease her uneasiness.Varys wrung his soft hands, and Grand Master Pycelle stared at the paper with sleepy eyes, but she could feel Littlefinger's gaze on her.The way the short man looked at her always made Sansa feel as if she was naked, and she couldn't help getting goose bumps all over her body. "Dear Sansa," Queen Cersei said, putting a soft hand on her wrist. "You are a beautiful, good boy. I wish you knew how much Joffrey and I love you." "Really?" Sansa gasped.Littlefinger was instantly forgotten.Her Prince Charming loves her.Nothing else matters. The queen smiled and said, "I almost regard you as my own daughter, and I know that you love Joffrey with all your heart." She shook her head slightly. "But about your lord father, I'm afraid I have some heavy news to tell you. Son, you must muster up your courage." Her calm words gave Sansa a shudder. "what news?" "Your father is treasonous, my dear," said Lord Varys. Grand Master Pycelle raised his old head. "I heard Lord Eddard swear to King Robert that he would protect the little prince and treat him as his own son. Unexpectedly, as soon as the king died, he immediately summoned his important ministers to try to steal the throne that should belong to Joffrey." "No," Sansa blurted out, "he would never do such a thing, he would never!" The queen picked up a letter.The letter paper was torn and stained with dried blood, but the sealing wax that had been removed was undoubtedly his father's direwolf crest. "Sansa, we found this on your captain of the guard. It was addressed to my dead husband's brother, Stannis, and invited him to claim the throne." "Please, Your Majesty, this must be a misunderstanding," said the sudden panic that made her dizzy. "Please, call my father, and he will explain to you that he is a friend of the King and would never write such a letter." "Robert thought so too," the queen said. "It would have broken his heart if he had known. But the gods were kind enough to keep him from seeing it." She sighed. "Sansa, my dear boy, you must know how embarrassing this matter is for us. This matter has nothing to do with you, we all understand that, but you are the daughter of a traitor after all, how dare I let you marry my son?" "But I love him," Sansa sobbed in confusion and fear.What are they going to do with her?What did they do to their father?Things shouldn't be like this.She must marry Joffrey, aren't they engaged?Hasn't he already promised her?She also dreamed of the scene of the two getting married.Because of what his father did, it was really unfair to take him away abruptly. "Don't I know that, child?" said Cersei kindly, kindly, tenderly. "If you didn't love him, why did you come to see me and tell me your father's plan to send you away?" "Yeah, I love him so much," Sansa said quickly, "but father won't even let me say goodbye." She was always a good, obedient daughter, but she slipped past Septa Mordane that morning. Kai, who felt as bad as Arya when she went against her father's wishes.She had never acted so capriciously before, nor would she have if she hadn't loved Joffrey dearly. "He's going to send me back to Winterfell, marry me to some unknown hedge knight, and don't care what I want. I told him, but he just won't listen." Her hope was only the king, only the king To order her father to let her stay in King's Landing and marry Joffrey.Having said that, she has always been afraid of this rough-spoken and drunken king, not to mention that even if he did see him, he would probably just send her back to her father.So she went to the queen to confide her heart and soul. After Cersei listened, she thanked her solemnly... Then she sent Sir Alex to escort her to the high tower room of Maegor Tower, and arranged guards outside the door, Not long after, the sound of fighting came from outside. "Please," she finished, "you must let me marry Joffrey, and I shall make a good wife, indeed, and promise to be a queen like you." Queen Cersei looks at the others. "My lords, what do you think of her request?" "Poor child," Varys murmured, "Your Majesty, what a pure infatuation, it would be too cruel not to agree to her... But then again, her father is ultimately to blame, and we can still How is it?" He rubbed his soft hands together, making a helpless and helpless gesture. "Since she is the seed of a traitor, I'm afraid that a traitorous nature has already taken root in her heart." The national teacher Pai Xier said, "She is a cute and good child at the moment, but what will happen in ten years? No one can say No." "No," Sansa said in horror, "I am not, I will not...I will never betray Joffrey, I love him, I swear I do." "Oh, it's poignant," Varys said, "but, after all, vows are not as reliable as blood." "She is like a mother, not like a father," Lord Petyr Baelish said softly, "Look at her, this hair and eyes are exactly the same as Kate back then." The queen looked at her obviously troubled, but Sansa saw kindness in her clear green eyes. "My child," she said, "if I could believe that you were not like your father, I would be more pleased than if you married Joffrey. I know he loves you with all his heart, too." She Sighing, "I'm afraid Lord Varys and Master Paicell are right. Bloodlines determine everything. I still remember how your sister let the wolf bite my son." "I'm not like Arya," Sansa blurted out. "She has the blood of a traitor, and I don't. I'm good. Just ask Septa Mordane. I just want to be Joffre." A faithful and good wife." The queen examined her face carefully, and she could feel the weight of the queen's eyes. "Son, I believe what you're telling is the truth." She turned to face the others. "My lords, in my opinion, if her family members are willing to swear allegiance to the royal family in this turbulent time, then we don't have to worry about her." Grand Master Pacelle twirled his soft beard and frowned thoughtfully. "Lord Ed has three sons." "They're all children," Lord Petyr shrugged. "I'm more worried about Lady Catelyn and the Tully family." The queen took Sansa's palm with both hands. "Son, can you read and write?" Sansa nodded uneasily.She is better than her brothers in reading and writing, but she can't do it when it comes to arithmetic. "I'm glad. There may be hope for you and Joffrey..." "What do you want me to do?" "You have to write to your mother, and to your eldest brother...what's his name?" "Robb," Sansa said. "I believe that the story of your father's treason will reach their ears soon, so it is better for you to tell them yourself. You have to tell them how Lord Ed betrayed the king." Sansa desperately longs for Joffrey, but she wonders if she has the courage to do as the queen bids. "But he didn't...I don't know...Your Majesty, I don't know how to write..." The queen clapped her hands. "My dear boy, we will tell you what to write. The important thing is that you must urge Lady Caitlin and your brother to maintain peace in the country." "If they don't want to obey, the situation will not be good for them." National Master Pai Sear said, "For the sake of the family relationship between you, you should urge them to make a wise choice no matter what." "Your lord mother must be very worried about you at this moment," said the queen. "You should tell her that you are well cared for by us, and that you are safe and well-fed. And invite them on the day Joffrey takes the throne, Come to King's Landing to swear allegiance. If they do... hey, then we know that there is not a single trace of contamination in your blood. When you have menstruation and become a real woman, we will let you marry the king in the Great Sept of Baelor , let the gods of heaven and the people of the earth bear witness." ...to marry the king... the words made her breathless, but Sansa still hesitated. "Perhaps...if I could meet my lord father first and talk to him..." "Rebellion?" Earl Varys prompted. "Sansa, you have disappointed me so much." The queen's eyes turned serious, like a hard rock. "We have told you about your father's crimes. If you are as loyal to the royal family as you say, why should you see him?" "I...I just wanted to..." Sansa's eyes were wet. "Is he all right? ... Tell me, please, is he ... injured, or ... or ..." "Lord Ed is unharmed," said the Queen. "But...how are you going to deal with him?" "Only His Majesty the King can decide on this matter." The Imperial Prefect Pacelle declared thoughtfully. Your Majesty!Sansa blinked back tears.Then it occurred to her that Joffrey was king now.Regardless of his final decision, she believed that her Prince Charming would never hurt her father.She was sure that as long as she went to him herself and begged him for mercy, he would listen.How could he not listen?He loved her so much, didn't the queen say the same?Although it is inevitable for Xiao Qiao to punish his father, and the officials will also expect so, maybe he can send him back to Winterfell, or exile him to the free city-state on the other side of the narrow sea.As long as he stays at ease for a few years, when she and Joffrey marry, once she is queen, he can persuade Joffrey to pardon his father's crimes and let him go home. But... if mother and Robb do something illegal, such as summoning vassals to rebel, or refusing to swear an oath of allegiance, the consequences will be disastrous.Although she knew in her heart that Joffrey had a noble and kind heart, but after all, as the king of a country, he must punish rebellion severely, so she must let her mother understand that she must do so! "Then...then I'll write it," Sansa told them. Cersei Lannister smiled as warmly as the sun, and leaned over to kiss her softly on the cheek. "I know you will. Joffrey will be proud when I tell you how brave and wise you are today." In the end she wrote a total of four letters.The recipients included mother Lady Catelyn Stark, her brothers at Winterfell, and aunts and grandfathers, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun.By the time she finished writing, her fingers were numb and stiff, stained with ink.Varys brought her father's seal. She melted white beeswax on the candle, carefully poured it on the envelope, and watched the eunuch seal it with the Stark family's direwolf seal one by one. Jeyne Poole and her things were gone when Ser Mandon Moore walked her back to the tower at Maegor's Tower.Don't have to listen to her cry anymore, she thought gratefully.However, without Jenny, the place looks colder and colder, even if she lights a fire.Pulling up a chair near the fire, she took a favorite book from the shelf and allowed herself to hide for a while in Florian and Jonquil, Miss Sheila and the Rainbow Knight, and the valiant Prince Aemon and his brother's wife doomed to tragedy In the ending love story. Sansa didn't remember what she had forgotten to ask her sister until she was getting ready for bed that night.