chapter 164 part 2
Cersei pulled the terrified, trembling Sansa into her embrace and comforted her. "Good child, don't worry. Lord Stark will be fine."
Sansa's lips trembled, unable to utter a sound. She had always disliked being near the grubby Jory Cassel, but she suddenly remembered many fond things from her childhood... Her heart ached terribly... Had she been the one to get Jory killed?!
Jaime's expression was complex as he averted his gaze from Cersei. He looked at Lord Eddard, who sat on the ground, cradling the corpse.
Jaime sighed inwardly, took a step forward, and stood behind Lord Eddard.
Immersed in grief, Lord Eddard felt only a sharp pain before losing consciousness.
Jaime called two men to carry Lord Eddard away, then left the reeking, blood-soaked Throne Room with them.
Shortly after, the King's Justice, Ilyn Payne, appeared. He picked up the greatsword Ice and claimed it for himself.
***
After noon, without waiting for Cersei's summons, Greene Kleb led his guards into the Red Keep and arrived at Maegor's Holdfast.
Greene had learned from Arya that Lord Eddard had told both her and Sansa that Greene would send them back to Winterfell.
The crucial detail was that Sansa knew Greene was helping them in secret. He needed to confirm beforehand whether Sansa had revealed this to Cersei Lannister, so he could prepare for the coming situation.
Whether she had spoken or not was no great problem for Greene. He had a counter-plan either way; he simply wished to avoid unnecessary difficulties.
Thinking of this, Greene couldn't help but rub his head. House Stark truly seemed to be his bane, making his constant maneuvering all the more difficult.
Greene sighed inwardly. *It's merely a matter of choices...* *Cough.* He was, after all, a lord who could juggle five balls with both hands.
***
Inside Maegor's Holdfast, after one of Greene's gold dragons slipped into a serving girl's cleavage, he learned the location of Sansa's room.
"Lord Greene, no one is permitted to see Sansa Stark without an order from Her Grace, the Queen Regent."
Lancel Lannister's tone was dismissive. He had changed; he had already forgotten the friendship between them.
Greene Kleb glanced at the small tuft of beard on Lancel's chin. It looked quite ridiculous.
"Lancel, you..."
Lancel interrupted, "Her Grace, the Queen Regent, has already promised to make me a knight!"
"Then what should I call you? The yet-to-be-knighted Ser Lancel?"
Lancel's face flushed. His right hand gripped the hilt of the longsword at his waist.
Greene raised an eyebrow. "Lancel, are you sure? I would be quite happy to oblige."
Having said that, Greene's slender finger tapped his own sword hilt as he looked at Lancel provocatively.
Lancel: "..."
Lancel stood frozen, his expression shifting repeatedly. Finally, he released his grip on his sword hilt.
Lancel said fiercely, "Lord Greene, I will report all of this to Her Grace, the Queen Regent."
Greene Kleb rubbed his hair. He felt Lancel must have developed some deep-seated psychological issues from being constantly browbeaten by King Robert.
Seeing Greene approach, Lancel said nervously, "You... what do you want?!"
Lancel suddenly remembered the scene where Greene had made heads roll in the queen's own chambers.
Greene's hand gripped Lancel's shoulder, and Lancel instantly shuddered.
*Why must you provoke me?* Fortunately, Lord Greene was broad-minded and deeply benevolent.
Greene Kleb whispered in Lancel's ear, "You wouldn't want Ser Jaime to hear about those things between you and the Queen Regent, would you?"
As Greene's words fell, dense beads of sweat formed on Lancel's forehead, leaving him bewildered.
Lancel was about to kneel but was pulled back up by Greene's hand.
Greene patted Lancel's shoulder and said gently, "Lancel, I still have high hopes for you. Go on, open the door. I'll just say a few words."
***
On the night of the tourney, Sansa had dreamed of Joffrey sitting on the Iron Throne, with herself beside him, dressed in golden robes and crowned with a coronet. Everyone she knew came before her to bend the knee... She felt that the dream foretold her future.
Now, however, Sansa was weeping for her father. Her face was swollen from crying, her eyes clouded with confusion. Before Joffrey left, she had requested to see her father, but she had been startled by Joffrey's unfamiliar, cold demeanor.
Had her father's actions angered Joffrey? What should she do?
The Queen Regent had already promised to pardon her father's crimes, so her father should be fine, right? But then Sansa remembered the gruesome deaths of the Stark guards, and she became utterly distraught.
*Creak.* The door was pushed open.
Had Joffrey forgiven her and come to find her? Sansa looked over, her face full of joy, but her expression immediately fell into disappointment.
Greene paused. The changes on Sansa's small face did not escape his eyes: joy turning into disappointment... and defensiveness toward him?
*Sansa, ensnared by love...* Greene's brown eyes trembled slightly; he seemed to have guessed the answer.
Sansa took a shallow breath, quietly telling herself that she was a lord's daughter and must not forget her manners.
Sansa forced a smile and said, "Good day, Lord Greene. You look truly radiant today, exceptionally charming."
Greene: "..."
Greene ignored Sansa's polite words. He found a chair and sat down, leaning back and crossing his legs.
Greene watched Sansa expressionlessly. Whatever the reason, it was clear that the little girl before him didn't trust him. He needed to change his approach.
Greene had meticulously arranged everything, yet a flaw had appeared because of Sansa.
The three cooks, two stableboys, and one servant in the Tower of the Hand had been secretly bribed by Greene. Their task was simple: to immediately report to Lord Eddard if they saw Sansa slip out of the tower. The one who spotted her would receive a reward of five gold dragons. And yet, Sansa had still evaded everyone's watch and silently left the Tower of the Hand.
Apart from Lord Eddard's family, all the people he had brought from Winterfell and those hired in King's Landing had been killed. It was said that the spiral staircase of the Tower of the Hand was covered in corpses, the blood-stained steps slick and treacherous.
Greene could no longer investigate whether someone had intentionally let Sansa go, but at this point, there was no need for a major upheaval.
Greene wondered if Sansa, like Stannis, also possessed some easily overlooked trait. He even considered establishing a special team solely responsible for monitoring her movements.
Greene sighed. He had already promised Lord Eddard that he would safely return his daughters to Winterfell, and he had to keep his word. But to forcibly take her away now... *Never mind.* Lord Greene was all-powerful; he would just have to put in a little extra effort.
"Lady Sansa, your father saved my mother's life, and I have always been deeply grateful. But why did you intentionally undermine me?"
Greene's voice was cold, and Sansa felt a flicker of fear.
She said cautiously, "Lord Greene, you may have misunderstood my father; he is certainly not that kind of person."
Greene nodded. "Yes, everyone thinks so. I used to think so, too. But before he prepared for a coup, he asked me to take you and your sister away... Do you still think it's a misunderstanding?"
Sansa's swollen eyes widened. She opened her mouth but was unable to retort.
After a pause, she lowered her head and whispered, "I... I... I'm sorry."
Greene's lips curved almost imperceptibly. "Lady Sansa, what use is an apology? By the grace of the gods, you were not sent away by me, otherwise my guilt would be inescapable."
After a moment of silence, Sansa suddenly looked up and asked urgently, "Where's Arya?"
Greene glanced at Sansa strangely, his tone tinged with anger. "Don't you understand yet? I'm just a pawn. Only the gods know where she is."
(end of chapter)