Sansa holds Eddara so tightly to herself that sometimes she squirms as if uncomfortable and Sansa has to remind herself not to hold so tight. Mostly though Eddara is settled and babbling and unperturbed by her grandfather's words or the mood in the room. Sansa had thought it would be longer before this news reached her family but it seems not. She has never heard such bitterness from her father and she wonders what his reaction would be if he knew she had known of Joffrey. If he knew about her encounter with her former betrothed. She shudders like she needs to give her family more reasons for anger. At least Joffrey thinks it a secret so is not like to boast on it to anyone. Eddara pulls at her hair and Sansa lets her listlessly. Joffrey said he will find her, Sansa does not mean to be found. She can stay in Summerfell or . . . She had won permission to care for Caspian after long and persuasive arguments with her father. She wonders if he will withdraw that permission now. She hopes not, everyone knows Summerfell, marked with the direwolf banner she sewed. Joffrey would never think to look for her at Caspian's home.
At the news, Susan's first thought was for Sansa, and how much Joffrey's arrival must upset her; no wonder she looked so pale and frightened. Quietly excusing herself to Jon and Lucy, she went to sit beside her friend, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Sansa is so caught in her own thoughts she does not notice Susan until the arm is round her shoulders. She swallows hard and tries to look unaffected but her attempt to smile gratefully at Susan comes out grimace like and she takes a deep breath. Eddara squeals happily as she focuses on Susan and then gums on her fingers before reaching towards her aunt and Sansa wordlessly dries Eddara's hand on her skirt. "Shhh," she said, "Grandfather is talking."
Susan attempted to distract Eddara into silence by playing with her fingers, but didn't offer to take her off Sansa's hands for a bit, thinking that Sansa probably wanted to hold her daughter more than ever.
"Thank you," said Sansa whispering to Susan so as not to interupt, but Father's announcement was done and he seemed to be having a discussion with Arya. Sansa could guess the content, she did not need to hear it. She closed her eyes and reminded herself Joffrey had no-one to obey him here, not that that had made her feel any safer when she saw him. Maybe the Hound would kill him, she thought suddenly hopeful, surely he would be in no mood to have Joffrey marching about calling him, 'Dog' again. "The island has odd taste as ever," she said quietly. If they had not been brought here by the same force she would have called it dreadful.
"You're welcome." She glanced at Lord Stark and Arya and Robb and Arthur in their heated conversation, and winced. Susan was not fond of fighting, and understood why the kind of justice to which the Starks were accustomed would not work here, but for Sansa's sake she wished there were some way that the Stark men could simply arrange for an unfortunate accident to happen.
She hugged her arm around Sansa's shoulders a little more. "There's no way your father or brothers will let him get away with anything."
Sansa nods and does not say to Susan that they can hardly prevent it given the instructions they've received. Nor is she going to admit to anyone that she's already encountered Joffrey. Susan is married to Jon and would have to tell him and that would lead to Robb and Father knowing and then there would be trouble. Sansa can for once keep her mouth shut and try not to cause trouble. She glanced at Susan and tried to look as if she felt reassured. "No, of course not," she murmured.
"Perhaps the island will take him quickly," Susan said hopefully, though that couldn't be counted on. The island's whims were unpredictable, and besides, the boy's mother had been here for ages without disappearing.
"May the seven make it so," Sansa answered fervently, she was much more religious when she had something to pray for. It took Bran and Bran and Brandon and Benjen after so little time. Even Jaime Lannister had not been here over long.
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She hugged her arm around Sansa's shoulders a little more. "There's no way your father or brothers will let him get away with anything."
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