[ She cannot speak to him openly, not while she sits in the same room as Robb and he hears the things that she says aloud. Still, Stannis' device chimes with a new message. Private word, sent from the girl called Alayne Stone, only—. ]
Your Grace,
I beg you, humbly and upon bended knee: please tarry in speaking openly of certain Westerosi matters with Robb Stark. There is much anguish we look to spare him of, given the events at the Twins.
[ She waits until she is safely secreted away from Robb before she answers again, loathe to have unwanted truths given breath where her brother can here. She writes in text, he responds with voice and, once alone, she offers him her countenance in kind. The truth shall be known soon enough and perhaps if he is given the measure of her face, he will be able to best judge her sincerity. (Alayne has no intentions of being wholly truthful, but in this, the lie will be soon pulled back and there is the question of what Stannis knows.)
As befitting a Stark's high birth and Stannis' title as a king, Alayne dips in a low bow. Still, a hesitation passes before she speaks: ]
[ She bristles visibly at the name Lannister and forces herself to hold her tongue by biting the inside of her cheek unkindly. Alayne had contacted Lord Stannis in the hopes of learning what he knew, in trying to divine what bridges could be built and what hopes at treatise should be put aside. Only then could she whisper her worries into Robb's ear, and only then would she know which secrets of hers were safe and which were unguarded.
When she speaks it is with her gaze lowered. Though her voice wavers with held emotion, there is no hesitation to it. ] Few aboard the ship know of Sansa Stark. And there are those in Westeros who seek her, many of whom do not wish her well.
Please, Your Grace, I beg pardon for such deception.
[ for a moment, he is silent, as if contemplating things in his mind, connecting the dots to one another as best as he may. ]
You speak true enough on that matter. The way the tales tell it, you and your Imp of a husband gleefully murdered mine alleged nephew. [ a grimace ] Yet I have learned well enough not to trust all that I hear. [ another shrewd look. ]
Tell me then, how did the abomination meet his fate?
[ there were many and more questions he intended to ask, but he would rather hear her tale of the event.
it might help determine how much of a Lannister she truly was. ]
[ Odd, perhaps, how readily Alayne comes to the Imp's defense, but in truth he had been merciful in his way, having never taken from her his husbandly right. ] Though there was no love between myself and King Joffrey, nor between he and his uncle, once Hand, I swear to you we conspired no such thing.
Many a foul deed did transpire 'tween the walls of the Red Keep during my captivity there, but the capital is a nest of vipers. There is no knowing from whence the poison came that tainted his wedding chalice. [ A mockingbird's song, a rose's thorn. Yes, there are whispers, but she does not share them. ] But whatever the fang, its venom fell true, and hard and sudden upon the king. One moment he laughed his cruel laugh and the next—
[ She explains no further. ]
I will confess I longed for it, that I prayed to Old Gods and the new. For with Joffrey's death I thought I would be given leave to go home and that I would have no use to anyone anymore. [ Alayne looks away, unhappily. ] A foolish thought perhaps. A silly girl's hope. But not treason, not murder.
[ a fact that he could not help but note, despite her queer statements of what he could only interpret as some manner of loyalty towards the man. Still.... he listens, and slowly nods hie head, much as he once had with her baseborn half brother. ]
I know King's Landing well enough to know you speak the truth. As for Joffrey, the boy always had a streak of cruelty about him, from the time he was a young lad. Regardless of who did the deed, they did the realm a true favour. Yet be that as it may, Tommen is no more fit to rule than his elder brother.
[ Another abomination. He is silent for a moment, as if brooding over the justice he may enact, before speaking again. ]
Tell me then. How did you escape? [ though something tells him that the answer was far too close at hand. Lord Stark might very well be a man of honour, but Lord Baelish was another matter entirely. ]
[ She could tell him of Sansa's wedding night, of how the Imp had been roused to take her, but out of pity he had forsaken his husbandly duties. He had not wished to be married to her any more than she had wanted to be married to him; the lack of consummation attested to that. But no, that is not a tale she is eager to relay. Besides, he asks about Alayne now, about Sansa's flight and the birth of a bastard. For a moment, Alayne wonders if she should tell the whole of it, if Stannis will suss the unfilled gaps and empty spaces and will assume her a liar for them (quite right of him, for a liar is what she is).
Her thoughts move passingly over Dontos — Sansa's sad Florian, her supposed knight. Thickly she swallows and speaks carefully, not out of fear but precision, as if unwilling to let even the slightest detail escape Lord Stannis' perusal.
Petyr— The word is there upon her tongue but she catches herself from speaking it. ] Lord Baelish helped me in my flight from the capital, certain that the queen would call for my head in the wake of Joffrey's death. There was so much confusion, the whole keep was a tumult. I stole away to the water's edge and he took me away. [ Demonstrably she touches the mockingbird upon her breast, followed by a lock of her dark brown hair. ] Tully red, he said, would catch the eye too readily and so he hid me in plain sight. We chose the name Alayne— [ A lie. Sansa had wanted to be called Catelyn after her mother, but Petyr had chosen his mother instead. ] —and made me a Stone.
He took me with him to the Fingers. [ Then afterwards the Vale, but Alayne does not make mention of her aunt nor her own perilous peer down the Moon Door's gullet. ] He said no one would think look for me there and no one did.
[ Curiouser and curiouser. What sort of game was Littlefinger playing at? What could he have possibly hoped to gain from such? There was much and more that Stannis Baratheon did not know, and he misliked it.
But he knew Lord Baelish well enough to know that the man could not be trusted. ]
And what of your lord husband? They say he too vanished in the wake of Joffrey's death, though not before murdering Lord Tywin.
[ And there you remain. Alayne bites her tongue and makes no protest, only lowering her gaze in reply. Such a look was often taken as concession, as was decided silence, and so Alayne offers both, allowing such misunderstanding to color the truth that Lord Stannis gathers to him. (Better to let her dumbness lie for her, rather than to speak it herself. There was less blame in it — wasn't there?)
Her expression pinches at the word husband. Oh, she did wish Lord Stannis would stop repeating it, though it was not in her place to remand a king, let alone one that held her under such close examination. Although the game of thrones eluded them here, it did not mean Alayne was not better served by caution. Of all of her secrets, Lord Stannis knew many and the only way to keep such truths safe was to win his favor, or at least his word. (The later seemed much more likely than the former.)
Whatever displeasure shows in Alayne's expression, she banishes it quickly. ] Forgive me, Your Grace, but I know not of Lord Tyrion's fate. If he gave flight from the Red Keep, it was not in our wake. We travelled alone, quick and with purpose. I can only assume Lord Tyrion did the same.
[ he moves his teeth from side to side... slowly, before finally replying. ]
I believe you.
[ he had once spoken the same words to Jon Snow on the Wall, when he had told him an equally curious tale. yet, though he had never been fond of the man, he knew Ned Stark to be a man of hid word, and his daughter would gain nothing by spinning such a manner of elaborate tale. and it did explain many things that had given him pause.
but none could quite explain what Petyr Baelish meant to do with the Stark girl, and what that would mean for Westeros. ]
[ Alayne watches as Lord Stannis grinds his teeth, her eyes landing on the exact spot where his left jaw hinges from side to side. Did Sansa ever know a man of the same manner? She cannot recall and so is left uncertain as to what such a grinding of teeth means. (Perhaps he lies and thinks her unfaithful. Perhaps his mind says one thing and his gut another and that grinding helps forge the diference. But no — that did not sit well with Lord Stannis' character. He was a man of justice, not gut, not lies.)
He claims to believe her and Alayne has no choice to believe him in kind.
She bows low now, lower than she ever has to him in the past. ] Thank you, Your Grace. [ It is not a matter of thanks, of course. Perhaps Lord Stannis would go as far as to remind her as much. Still, courtesies are courtesies. ]
May I ask, Your Grace, what is to become of me?
[ What is to become of the truth is a more accurate question. ]
[ What is to become of her? Aboard this vessel, there was little to be done, was there not? There was no Iron Throne (no war, perhaps, for there were none to fight it). Still... ]
I would find you a more suitable husband than Tyrion Lannister, my lady. [ a slight pause, and perhaps as an afterthought... ]
And a more trustworthy guardian than Lord Petyr Baelish.
[ Eager comes her reply, too eager perhaps to a wary eye. ] Lord Baelish saved me from great treachery, [ Alayne says, dipping her head as if some physical show of obeisance would counter the defiance in her words. ] Would it be not for his grace and sacrifice, my head would decorate the walls of the Red Keep. It would be ungrateful of me to return such favor with suspicion, Your Grace.
[ Perhaps the truth was evident to Lord Stannis, but it seemed less so to Alayne. For despite the quick clip of her words, there was earnestness there in her voice as well. Genuine gratitude and something else, perhaps. Something more profound, like loyalty or love. ] Time and again, he has protected me.
[ His words are blunt, and he lacks tact. Yet, he can never bring himself to soften them, not even for a young maid. ]
Your trust is misplaced.
[ He does not pretend to comprehend her odd maner of affection, and nor does he care. It seems far too simple to him. Petyr Baelish always had some motive behind each action, something that would benefit that game he had been so fond of.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
( T E X T | encryption 50% )
Your Grace,
I beg you, humbly and upon bended knee:
please tarry in speaking openly of certain Westerosi matters with Robb Stark.
There is much anguish we look to spare him of, given the events at the Twins.
With all due respect intended,
Lady Sansa Stark.
( voice | same encryption )
Sansa Stark.
[ Lady Lannister. perhaps his suspicions were almost confirmed. ]
( video | same encryption )
As befitting a Stark's high birth and Stannis' title as a king, Alayne dips in a low bow. Still, a hesitation passes before she speaks: ]
Your Grace.
( video | same encryption )
Sansa Stark. Lady Lannister. Alayne Stone. Names and names. Lies and lies.
[ almost fitting of a so-called bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish. though he knew (or rather could not help but guess well enough who she truly was. ]
I would have you speak truly as to why you did not first name yourself, my lady.
( video | same encryption )
When she speaks it is with her gaze lowered. Though her voice wavers with held emotion, there is no hesitation to it. ] Few aboard the ship know of Sansa Stark. And there are those in Westeros who seek her, many of whom do not wish her well.
Please, Your Grace, I beg pardon for such deception.
( video | same encryption )
You speak true enough on that matter. The way the tales tell it, you and your Imp of a husband gleefully murdered mine alleged nephew. [ a grimace ] Yet I have learned well enough not to trust all that I hear. [ another shrewd look. ]
Tell me then, how did the abomination meet his fate?
[ there were many and more questions he intended to ask, but he would rather hear her tale of the event.
it might help determine how much of a Lannister she truly was. ]
( video | same encryption )
Many a foul deed did transpire 'tween the walls of the Red Keep during my captivity there, but the capital is a nest of vipers. There is no knowing from whence the poison came that tainted his wedding chalice. [ A mockingbird's song, a rose's thorn. Yes, there are whispers, but she does not share them. ] But whatever the fang, its venom fell true, and hard and sudden upon the king. One moment he laughed his cruel laugh and the next—
[ She explains no further. ]
I will confess I longed for it, that I prayed to Old Gods and the new. For with Joffrey's death I thought I would be given leave to go home and that I would have no use to anyone anymore. [ Alayne looks away, unhappily. ] A foolish thought perhaps. A silly girl's hope. But not treason, not murder.
( video | same encryption )
[ a fact that he could not help but note, despite her queer statements of what he could only interpret as some manner of loyalty towards the man. Still.... he listens, and slowly nods hie head, much as he once had with her baseborn half brother. ]
I know King's Landing well enough to know you speak the truth. As for Joffrey, the boy always had a streak of cruelty about him, from the time he was a young lad. Regardless of who did the deed, they did the realm a true favour. Yet be that as it may, Tommen is no more fit to rule than his elder brother.
[ Another abomination. He is silent for a moment, as if brooding over the justice he may enact, before speaking again. ]
Tell me then. How did you escape? [ though something tells him that the answer was far too close at hand. Lord Stark might very well be a man of honour, but Lord Baelish was another matter entirely. ]
( video | same encryption )
Her thoughts move passingly over Dontos — Sansa's sad Florian, her supposed knight. Thickly she swallows and speaks carefully, not out of fear but precision, as if unwilling to let even the slightest detail escape Lord Stannis' perusal.
Petyr— The word is there upon her tongue but she catches herself from speaking it. ] Lord Baelish helped me in my flight from the capital, certain that the queen would call for my head in the wake of Joffrey's death. There was so much confusion, the whole keep was a tumult. I stole away to the water's edge and he took me away. [ Demonstrably she touches the mockingbird upon her breast, followed by a lock of her dark brown hair. ] Tully red, he said, would catch the eye too readily and so he hid me in plain sight. We chose the name Alayne— [ A lie. Sansa had wanted to be called Catelyn after her mother, but Petyr had chosen his mother instead. ] —and made me a Stone.
He took me with him to the Fingers. [ Then afterwards the Vale, but Alayne does not make mention of her aunt nor her own perilous peer down the Moon Door's gullet. ] He said no one would think look for me there and no one did.
( video | same encryption )
[ Curiouser and curiouser. What sort of game was Littlefinger playing at? What could he have possibly hoped to gain from such? There was much and more that Stannis Baratheon did not know, and he misliked it.
But he knew Lord Baelish well enough to know that the man could not be trusted. ]
And what of your lord husband? They say he too vanished in the wake of Joffrey's death, though not before murdering Lord Tywin.
( video | same encryption )
Her expression pinches at the word husband. Oh, she did wish Lord Stannis would stop repeating it, though it was not in her place to remand a king, let alone one that held her under such close examination. Although the game of thrones eluded them here, it did not mean Alayne was not better served by caution. Of all of her secrets, Lord Stannis knew many and the only way to keep such truths safe was to win his favor, or at least his word. (The later seemed much more likely than the former.)
Whatever displeasure shows in Alayne's expression, she banishes it quickly. ] Forgive me, Your Grace, but I know not of Lord Tyrion's fate. If he gave flight from the Red Keep, it was not in our wake. We travelled alone, quick and with purpose. I can only assume Lord Tyrion did the same.
( video | same encryption )
I believe you.
[ he had once spoken the same words to Jon Snow on the Wall, when he had told him an equally curious tale. yet, though he had never been fond of the man, he knew Ned Stark to be a man of hid word, and his daughter would gain nothing by spinning such a manner of elaborate tale. and it did explain many things that had given him pause.
but none could quite explain what Petyr Baelish meant to do with the Stark girl, and what that would mean for Westeros. ]
( video | same encryption )
He claims to believe her and Alayne has no choice to believe him in kind.
She bows low now, lower than she ever has to him in the past. ] Thank you, Your Grace. [ It is not a matter of thanks, of course. Perhaps Lord Stannis would go as far as to remind her as much. Still, courtesies are courtesies. ]
May I ask, Your Grace, what is to become of me?
[ What is to become of the truth is a more accurate question. ]
( video | same encryption )
I would find you a more suitable husband than Tyrion Lannister, my lady. [ a slight pause, and perhaps as an afterthought... ]
And a more trustworthy guardian than Lord Petyr Baelish.
[ Yet that should have been evident. ]
( video | same encryption )
[ Perhaps the truth was evident to Lord Stannis, but it seemed less so to Alayne. For despite the quick clip of her words, there was earnestness there in her voice as well. Genuine gratitude and something else, perhaps. Something more profound, like loyalty or love. ] Time and again, he has protected me.
There are few I trust more.
( video | same encryption )
Your trust is misplaced.
[ He does not pretend to comprehend her odd maner of affection, and nor does he care. It seems far too simple to him. Petyr Baelish always had some motive behind each action, something that would benefit that game he had been so fond of.
And Stannis would not trust him. ]