25 Chapter 24 - Family Talk

~ Sansa Stark's Room ~

Tense. That is the only word that could describe the current situation in the future Queen of the Seven Kingdom's room. Ever since Sansa Stark had come down south, and the months she has spent in King's Landing and the Red Keep, she had been learning how to play the game and how to handle problems in the south.

But it seems she forgot to learn one important lesson. A lesson how to handle family drama.

That was what was going on in her room. When the guards stationed outside her room had informed her of the arrival of the Stark family (Robb and Catelyn) along with Arya Stark who were requesting permission to see her.

She had allowed them in and they were currently sat in her room. she sat on the bed her chambers had while her mother, brother and sister all sat on the chairs around the table placed in her room where she sat alongside the noble ladies that she invited for tea and coffee in the evenings and early afternoon.

That was 5 minutes ago.

For 5 minutes there had been nothing but silence as the 4 Starks looked at each other, without saying a word. Sansa sighed as she figured, she would have to be the one to initiate the conversation.

"Its good to see you again, mother, Robb. How has King's Landing been treating you?" Sansa asked as she displayed the same gentle smile on her face that she always did in the presence of her family. Though instead of making the atmosphere lighter, Sansa's question did nothing but make Robb explode.

"Really?! That is what you are asking?! Are father has been declared a traitor to the realm! Our aunt, whom we always thought of dearly, turned out to be a traitor who plunged the realm into war only because she didn't want to do her duty and marry the person she was intended to marry! Our father is being sent to the Night's Watch and our family name has been dragged through the mud, and you have the gall to ask us this?!" Robb shouted as he stood up with an angry expression on his face.

This caused Arya to nod along as she too glared daggers at Sansa while Catelyn looked conflicted by the fact she didn't know which child of hers she should scold.

"Orys showed leniency to our father. Even though he is my father, do you agree with what he tried to do to the Royal Family? Because I certainly don't and as for our aunt, she caused the death of millions only because she was promised the position of the Queen. As for our family name, we can build it back up in a few years. Plus, with me as Queen, it'll help make a good impression on the Kingdom regarding our family and people," Sansa calmly replied as she spoke in her queenly voice that she had been practicing with Orys to make a solid impression on the nobles.

"How can you still even think about marrying that man?! He is the reason we are losing our father!" Arya exploded as she moved forward to strangle her sister, and had it not been for Catelyn holding her back, she would have been met with guards that were assigned to protect the future Queen.

"Me marrying him is the reason our father is not dead right now! That is the reason Robb still has his positions, as does the Stark family! That is the reason you were only confined to your room and were not sold to brothels or the guards as a whore!" Sansa roared as she lost her cool. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have, but it was Arya.

How can she of all people doubt Orys?! He saved her from being killed along with Nymeria and Lady when she foolishly provoked Joffrey and later fought him, knowing full well what the consequences of injuring Royalty without permission would bring to her and her family. Orys had not only encouraged her fighting and other habits, he had protected her by confining her to her room rather than letting her rot in the black cells alongside her father.

"Stop all of this!" Catelyn screamed as she finally had enough of her children fighting. "We have to stick together now. Like it or not, Ned has been declared a traitor and our position among nopbles has dropped. We have to exercise caution. Me and Sansa will try to make His Grace more favorable to the North, while you Robb, you will make sure the North stays safe and our position in the North remains strong. The Boltons, and the Whitehills, along with the Dustin and the Ryswell family may take advantage of our vulnerability to exact their revenge. Arya, you have to remember, we are his hostages now, and we have to be careful or we will get treated the same way as Ned."

"Mother is right. And under no circumstances are you to help our aunt if she comes seeking our aid, Robb. She has given our family's enough problems as it is," Sansa declared as she agreed with her mother and tried to make Robb understand this. Much like the Starks before him, he was not adept in politics after all.

"What is wrong with all of you?! Why can't you see he is the reason for all this?!" Arya exclaimed as she stood up and kicked her chair away and stormed out to God knows where. Robb followed after her as he too did not want to hear any of this any longer. He was still reeling in from the shock that his father was a traitor at the moment.

Catelyn sighed and was about to move away when Sansa grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the balcony as a surprised Catelyn moved along. The two stood side-by-side as they gazed at the gardens of the Red Keep. But when Catelyn tried to ask what was going on, she was interrupted by Sansa who spoke a sentence that made her blood run cold.

"We need to talk about what you and Orys did when the Royals where in Winterfell…"

TO BE CONTINUED…