The Hound, The Imp, and The Cripple // Sandor Clegane

Tyrion

As everyone sat down to eat and kitty filled her bowl with food. Robb sat next to her and offered her a smile.

"You look lovely Kitty." He said pouring her a drink. She didnt know why he was being nice to her today but she didnt question it.

"Thank you Robb, you look very nice too." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning to his own food. She took two bites before her mother came, a stern look on her face.

"Are you done?" She asked and kitty looked into her full bowl. "Well?" She questioned her eyes wandering to the queen. Robb rubbed circles into kitty back trying to comfort her.

"Mother," robb started but kitty rose shakily to her feet

"Of course." Kitty said she grabbed a second roll adding it to her bowl.

"Probably best you get some rest. You had a busy day today." Catelyn said distracted as she ushered her daughter out.

"Of course mother." As Catelyn walked away kitty put the bowl under her cloak and moved outside. Robb offered her an apologetic smile which she returned. She shouldn't have expected anything less from her mother. Her brother jon wasn't allowed in, not wanting to offend the king with jon's bastard title sitting in his graces presence. Why would we trouble the king with the presence of the deformed girl too. When she got outside she noticed jon unsheathing his sword.

"You hungry?" She questioned making her way to him.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Mother thought i looked tired after my busy day." Kitty said quietly.

"The feast just started. You cant possibly tell me youve eaten?"

"I brought my meal out to share with you." She uncloaked the bowl. He put it down on the table before lifting her up. And kissing her sad face. She started eating a roll as he picked at the noddles.

"I would much rather be here with you than in there with them any day." she said contently as jon kept an arm around her.

"well you certainly look beautiful my love." She smiled weakly at him. "You know I think that is the prettiest dress in winterfell." She kept her head down but rose her eyes slowly up at him. "I mean it. The flower detailing... looks like a professional did it." He knew she loved this dress, that she took the most time to make this one perfect. That's what she would do with all her dresses. Mother would give her bland ones and she would make them special. But jon knew this one was her favorite. "Maybe one of these days lady stark will allow you to have a dress that is anything but blue. Red perhaps? Or green?"

"I don't mind the blue." She said softly as she picked up a few beans. Although she did wonder what she would look like in purple or perhaps pink. Sansa had a pink dress that sparkled and arya had a purple one, to which arya hated but kitty thought it was the most beautiful.

"Maybe..." jon sighed as he pulled away from her and looked to the training dummy.

"What is it jon?"

"Maybe you just need to get out of witnerfell."

"Out of winterfell? Jon what are you talking about?" she stopped picking at her food and looked at him confused.

"I mean... what if its this place? These people? What if the rest of the world wouldn't treat you like this?" Kitty didn't speak, reflecting on his words. "Kitty you are the most wonderful person I have ever known, probably the best person in the world."

"Jon," she said with a blush.

"No I'm serious. But here, all anyone can see is what lady stark tells them. Maybe you need to be freed of this place so you can truly shine."

"He is right." A new voice said coming up and surprising them.

"Lord Tyrion?" Kitty questioned. Tyrion nodded in response before turning to jon.

"You are the bastard." Jon scoffed at his question and hit the training dummy square in the chest. "I mean no offense. But that is what you are? The bastard no?" Kitty looked down.

"Yeah. Whats it to you?" Jon snapped.

Kitty wanted to say something as they spoke but she didn't want to offend the lord, first impressions are important but she wanted to yell at him. She tried her best but she couldn't help herself. She snapped.

"Enough!" she yelled and both men turned to her.

"what would you know about being a bastard?" Jon questioned, eyes drifting back to the dummy.

"Every dwarf is a bastard in their fathers eyes..." his eyes moved to kitty. The beautiful cripple? He thought looking down to her feet but they were covered by her dress.

"Bastard, dwarf and cripple." Kitty said bitterly. "Jon didn't ask for our father to bed some woman that wasn't his wife. Jon didn't ask to be born out of wed lock!" Kitty said stepping down from the table. "Just as you I'm sure didn't pray in your mothers womb to be born a half man." Tyrion looked at her not with anger or amusement but admiration. "And I most certainly didn't ask to be left broken and unwhole. None of us chose this life but we were given it anyway. We were given this shit hand to live with. And its not fair and its not right that the world cannot see us for people... only misfits, bastards, imps and deformities. Not people." She snapped sadly. She had marched right over to Tyrion so she was standing directly in front of him. He looked up at her once she finished with a smile.

"Perfectly said my dear." Kitty cocked a brow at him, thinking he would be mad at her but instead he was... proud? "You must be Katarina." He said her name like purr and she felt her heart flutter, she swallowed the lump in her throat suddenly lost for words. "I have heard a great many things about you."

"All lies." Jon stepped in pulled kitty away from Tyrion.

"Oh I don't think they all were lies," Tyrion moved over to the bowl of half eaten food and plucked a grape. "I heard you were beautiful. I think that was understated though..." kitty looked away not wanting him to see the blush on her cheeks. "And compassionate, also passionate... i think from what I have heard and heard today... you seem very much passionate and compassionate... or perhaps this is a ruse? And you are a vile mean woman, with hatred for everyone because you were never known kindness?"

"That last one is a lie." Kitty finally spoke up. "Jon and my father have shown my kindness my whole life."

"Just jon and your father?" Tyrion questioned.

"And our wolf, ghost. In fact." She said with a grin. "Most animals love me and they don't care that I only have one leg." She pulled up her dress slightly revealing her false leg. Tyrion looked at it a moment. She was everything he had imagined and yet nothing like he imagined. He thought of the cripple stark girl in one of two ways. Bitter and angry, rightfully so, at the world and everyone for treating her as he assumed she would be treated, like an outcast, like him. Or compassionate, kind hearted and gentle. Not letting the world bring her to her knees.

"Youre missing the party my lord," jon spoke up and Tyrion looked away from the now covered leg of Katarina Stark.

"Wear it like a badge of honor," he told them both "and never forget who you are because the rest of the world most certainly will not forget it." Tyrion said with an authoritative tone that made kitty listen, really listen. He understood her. He turned to leave them but heard the noise and laughter of the party and decided he really didn't want to talk to anyone else but katarina. "Katarina." He said turning back to her. "Would you care to accompany me on a stroll?" Jon gripped her arm holding her back but she sent him a smile and kissed his cheek. She looked back to Tyrion a smile on his lips and a hand outstretched for hers.

"I would be honored my lord." She told him and jon let her go, begrudgingly.