chapter 162 part 1
Chapter 162: Morning in the Red Keep
Arya Stark drank her soup with a sense of relief. In her heart, Glyn was her good friend, and this was not difficult.
Sansa Stark's eyes glazed over. "Why are you asking me to go back?"
"Father, I will never argue with Arya again. I beg you, I don't want to go back."
Sansa racked her brain for possible reasons... she and Arya often argued, angering her father, so he wanted to send her back to Winterfell.
Lord Eddard was momentarily stunned. He didn't react for a moment, wondering why his daughter was suddenly admitting fault, and thus looked over with some doubt.
"Sansa, my daughter, I did not blame you."
For her love with Joffrey, Sansa mustered her courage, ready to argue forcefully with her respected father... In the end, she still burst into tears, her voice also filled with pleading.
"Father, I swear, I will be a good girl from now on! Really, just let me stay! I promise, I will behave as nobly and politely as the Queen."
Lord Eddard: "..."
Why would Ned's little wolf girl admire a woman like Cersei?
Lord Eddard only regretted that after coming to King's Landing, he neglected his children's upbringing.
"Sansa, I am letting you return to Winterfell because I am concerned for Arya's safety."
She had a premonition... If they separated this time, she might never see Joffrey again. Sansa cried even more heartbrokenly.
The eldest daughter wept incessantly. The Lord of the North couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling a headache. At this moment, he glimpsed a lingering figure at the doorway; it was Jon Snow.
"Sansa, when you return home, you will know the reason."
Arya, who had originally been smiling gleefully watching her sister cry, sobered up her schadenfreude. Sansa seemed genuinely sad this time? It didn't look like she was faking.
Arya reached out and gently patted her sister's arm: "Sansa, don't cry. Our whole family will soon live together again, and there will be many fun things on the road."
Sansa shouted: "I only want Joffrey!"
Having said that, she flung away Arya's small hand and quickly left the dining hall.
Father and his little daughter (Arya) first glanced at Sansa, who left in a huff, then exchanged glances: "..."
"..."
"Mind your own business! You're not my family!" Sansa's angry voice came from the dining hall doorway.
Arya's small body sprang up from the table, shouting loudly: "Sansa! Don't run! I'm going to beat you up!"
Although Arya was young, she was very clever. Her sister loved to pretend to be a lady. The only people who could provoke her into such an outburst were her (Sansa) and their... Brother Jon.
Before Arya could make another move, she was grabbed by her father's big hand.
"Arya, you don't have much time. Septa Moly is packing your things. You should go and see."
Father's expression was stern. Arya reluctantly let go of the hateful Sansa.
"..."
Outside the dining hall, at the stairwell, Lord Eddard patted Jon Snow's slightly pale face.
He comforted him: "Sansa is angry with me, my child."
Jon forced a smile and said: "I'm fine, Lord Stark."
After a moment of silence, Jon, with his head slightly bowed, suddenly looked up and stared directly at Lord Eddard and said: "Lord Stark, I want to know who my mother is?"
Before Lord Eddard could answer, Jon pressed on: "Is she still alive? Does she know I exist? Does she know where I am?"
Jon lowered his head and mumbled softly: "Does she care about these things?"
Lord Eddard's face flashed with a sorrowful expression. He reached out and grabbed Jon's shoulder: "I promise, she loved you most."
Joy appeared on Jon's face, but it quickly turned into anger.
His shoulder twitched, pulling away from Lord Eddard's hand: "Fa... Lord Stark, I'm not a child. I don't need pretty bedtime stories. I want to know the truth."
Lord Eddard hesitated for a moment and said: "My child, I haven't deceived you."
Jon's eyes reddened: "Is she a prostitute? Or... forgive me, my lord."
Jon turned his face away, quickly wiped the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand, and mumbled softly: "I haven't forgotten that I am a lowly bastard. Please forgive my offense."
After speaking, Jon left silently.
Lord Eddard stood rooted to the spot, as if turned into a statue, motionless... Lyanna, your child has grown up, perhaps it's time to find an opportunity to tell him about his parentage.
"..."
"..."
Maegor's Holdfast.
Cersei Lannister embraced Sansa, and said kindly and gently: "Good child, don't be sad. I will help you."
Sansa, with swollen red eyes, said: "I love Joffrey so much, but Father won't even allow me to say goodbye."
Cersei gently patted Sansa's back. She curled her lips and said: "Sansa, if you didn't love Joffrey, how would you come to see me, and confide in me about your father's plan to send you away?"
Sansa shyly nodded her head... She had always been an obedient and well-behaved good daughter, but when she secretly slipped away from the Hand's Tower, defying her father's wishes, she felt as bad as Arya... She had never acted so defiantly before; if she didn't deeply love Joffrey, she wouldn't have done this.
Cersei gently released Sansa, and then touched her small face, which was full of tear marks.
"Good child, I want to thank you. You helped Joffrey."
At this moment, Sansa admired Queen Cersei too much. She decided in her heart... From now on, she would definitely be like her, both noble and gentle, to be a good wife and a good queen.
"Lancel."
Following Queen Cersei's voice, Sansa saw a young man walk over, stand before them and bow.
"He's really handsome..." Sansa couldn't help but secretly glance again.
"Lancel, Sansa needs to rest. You take her to a comfortable room, and take care of my Sansa for me."
Queen Cersei stroked Sansa's hair and then said: "Sansa, he is my cousin. You go and rest with him. When Joffrey arrives, I will call for you."
Sansa nodded somewhat shyly.
"..."
"..."
Only Cersei and Jaime were in the room.
Cersei took a sip of Summerwine, paused, then put down the goblet.
She snorted coldly and said: "Ned is about to make a move."
Jaime showed a hint of confusion. "Listening to that little girl's meaning, isn't House Stark planning to leave King's Landing?"
As he spoke, he picked up the wine jug and poured wine for Queen Cersei.
Cersei's green eyes looked at Jaime. "My Jaime, you are truly naive."
As she spoke, she stood up and continued: "Ned's precondition for leaving is... to kill us. Jaime, today is a battle to the death. Either he dies, or we die."
Jaime's pupils trembled, and he said in a low voice: "Cersei, could it be that Stark has found out the cause of Robert's death?"