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[HARRENHAL]
[ARYA runs down the steps. Not looking where she is going, she runs into AMORY LORCH]
"You never look where you go!" Sansa hissed, her voice laced with so much worry that Arya jumped from surprise. She stared at Sansa, but the girl did not look back at her.
"Where are you going, girl?"
"The armoury, my lord."
"Why?"
"Lord Tywin sent me."
"What might this be?"
"Lord Tywin gave it to me."
"What for?"
"To take to the armoury."
"Lorch is not the sharpest sword in the armoury, but even he can see through that" Tyrion snorted. This was the girl that his father respected? What a joke!
"Why would he do that? Let's go and ask him."
[ARYA flees and AMORY pursues her. ARYA scampers through the courtyard and he follows clumsily. AMORY loses sight of her, and she stays hidden out of sight just beyond a doorway. AMORY goes the wrong way, and she takes advantage of his mistake and runs the other way. She encounters a guard who she mistakes for JAQEN. She grabs him for attention. He turns to her, and she realizes her mistake. She continues on and finds JAQEN just a bit further on.]
"Amory Lorch."
"A girl has named a second name. A man will do what must be done."
"Now!"
"A girl cannot tell a man when exactly he must do a thing. A man cannot make a thing happen before its time."
"But he's going to tell Tywin. He's getting away. It has to be now."
"It might have been better to just give him Tywin's name" Jon whispered to his brother, so low only he would hear him.
"Arya is still a child. Children don't think things through" Robb whispered back.
Jon nodded, finding some sense in what he said.
[HARRENHAL, THE COUNCIL ROOM]
[AMORY enters the council room, where TYWIN sits working. TYWIN rises while AMORY collapses to the floor, dead.]
How odd... the faceless man seemed to listen to Arya. Usually, they take their time but always get the job done, which is why people trust them. The pace and method were things they decided for themselves. For him to listen... it was beyond his debt to the Stark girl. At least Oberyn felt as much.
[THE STARK WAR CAMP.]
[ROBB walks among his men and greets them as he passes them. ROBB sees TALISA sitting by a tent. He approaches her.]
"You're smitten" Brandon the Elder noted. If not for the seriousness of his words and looks, Robb would have argued with the man.
"Lady Talisa."
"Your Grace. I'm not sure I'm a lady. Westerosi customs are still a bit foreign to me."
"It's hard to keep all the rules straight. But if I remember my lessons, a woman of noble birth is always called a lady. Unless she's a queen or a princess. I could find someone who knows."
"You're definitely smitten" Jon snorted.
He, Robb whacked on the arm.
"Why are you so sure I'm of noble birth?"
"Because it's obvious."
"What if I told you my father sold lace on the Long Bridge, and my mother, my brother, and I lived with him above our shop?"
"I'd call you a liar."
"Not very noble to accuse a lady of dishonesty."
"She's not like your usual ladies of nobility that's for sure" Renly noted.
"I always thought I was a brilliant liar."
"Better at amputations, I'm afraid."
Jon sighed dramatically and earned himself another whack. Jon was just happy Robb wasn't wallowing in his betrayals.
[They look around, awkwardly.]
"Will we be here long?"
"I couldn't really discuss troop movements with you."
"Good boy" Brandon the Elder nodded.
"I'm not a spy."
"Of course, a spy would deny being a spy."
"You're right. You've found me out. I'm writing a letter to the Lannisters: The Young Wolf is on the move."
"Perhaps you'd join me... If you've got time, of course, for, well-"
[LADY CATELYN STARK approaches with LADY BRIENNE OF TARTH. ROBB turns to CATELYN and embraces her. TALISA looks down.]
"Mother. Mother, this is Lady Talisa. She's been helping with the wounded. She's been very... helpful."
"Lady Talisa."
"Lady Stark.
"Lady Talisa...?"
"Maegyr."
"Oh... Oh my."
"You know of her" Ned Stark stated to the Spider.
"I know of her family. The Maegyr are Volantene, one of the current ruling triarchs to be exact. They are a family who always advocates for war... for a daughter of theirs to be so different... curious..."
"You don't like her," Lyanna said to Catelyn, quickly moving so she was now sitting beside her sister-in-law. "Why?"
Catelyn was a little surprised by the move but recovered quickly. "I do not dislike her" Catelyn clarified.
"I saw how you looked at her when Robb began flirting... or what he would assume was flirting. Why?"
"Again, I do not hate her. Robb is betrothed and he is a boy still, no matter how big a host he may lead. I fear he may do something stupid."
"He is a Stark, he will stick to the promise he made."
Catelyn raised a brow before sneaking a glace beyond Lyanna. The younger woman did not need to know who she was looking at.
For that, she did not comment.
"Maegyr? Forgive me, I do not know this name."
"An uncommon name here. An old name in Volantis. Excuse me, my lady. Your Grace."
[TALISA exits. ROBB watches her go. CATELYN looks knowingly at her son, a wry smile on her face. LORD ROOSE BOLTON enters.]
"Your Grace. My lady. News from Winterfell."
[ROBB'S COUNCIL CHAMBER]
[ROBB, CATELYN, and ROOSE BOLTON are in the midst of a discussion.]
"We've had ravens from White Harbor, Barrowton and the Dreadfort. I'm afraid it is true."
"Why? Why would Theon-"
"Because the Greyjoys are treasonous whores."
"He isn't wrong" Brandon the Elder leaned back to stare at the two Greyjoys. Theon did not lift his head, while Yara smiled and waved. Brandon bared his teeth but Yara kept smiling.
"My brothers?"
"We've heard nothing of them. But Rodrik Cassel is dead."
"I told you, never trust a Greyjoy!"
"I must go north at once."
"There's still a war to win, Your Grace."
"How can I call myself king if I can't hold my own castle? How can I ask men to follow me if I can't-"
"The men will also question you now since you left someone incompetent to rule over Winterfell in your absence and they have lost it. No fault of yours Brandon, you weren't raised in the way to hold a castle like that. I am afraid none of you have been" Rickard spoke, seeing the faces of his grandsons.
"Father-"
"I know, Ned. I don't blame you" Rickard said quickly with a smile. "These are peace times. You had little reason to raise sons for war. Much like how I hadn't prepared you or your brother for a war."
"Peace times, turbulent but peace times" Ned smiled at his father. "You had little reason to prepare us for war."
Rickard smiled back, even though he knew the peace would not long last in his time.
"You are a king. And that means you don't have to do everything yourself."
"Let me go and talk to Theon."
"He will kill you on the spot to make a statement" Lyanna snarled, glaring at the screen. "You can never trust a turn cloak to respect someone's intentions of coming in peace."
"She isn't wrong..." Ned muttered. "If not Theon, his men will egg him on to kill you."
Catelyn nodded with pursed lips.
"There will be no talk. He will die for this."
"Theon holds the castle with a skeleton crew. Let me send word to my bastard at the Dreadfort. He can raise a few hundred men and retake Winterfell before the new moon. We have the Lannisters on the run. If you march all the way back north now, you'll lose what you gained. My boy would be honoured to bring you Prince Theon's head."
"Tell your son Bran and Rickon's safety is paramount. And Theon, I want him brought to me alive. I want to look him in the eye and ask him why. And then I'll take his head myself."
Theon flinched. He had never heard Robb speak in such a tone, so cold and murderous. And it was all pointed at him.