Bad Dreams / Sandor Clegane

18. Nervous

"Princess Amelia Baratheon?"

"Yes." She agreed.

"Your uncle will be so glad to see you."

"Do I know you?" Amelia questioned.

"Podrick Payne, princess." He introduced. "I'm your uncles squire."

"I gotta piss." Sandor grumbled pushing past Podrick. Amelia chuckled watching sandor move to the row of bushes. "Dont move Amelia," Sandor called back to her.

"Where is my uncle? And my mother? Do you know?" AMelia questioned.

"I think they are in a council meeting still, princess." Podrick answered.

"And my siblings?"

"I'm not aware, lessons perhaps?" Podrick offered.

"Alright lets go." Sandor remarked nudging Amelia along.

"Thank you, Podrick." Amelia called back.

'From this time till the end of time we are not part of your realm we are free and independent kingdom of the north.' Cersei ripped up the letter, the peace treaty. 'He has more spirit than his father I will give him that.' she remarked

'You have become quite effective at tearing up papers.' Tyrion remarked 'we can give him his fathers bones back at least a gesture of good faith.'

'Will you give the Starks our reply cousin?' Cersei asked

'I will your Grace.' Alton said

'Did you see my brother? When you were the Starks guest?' cersei added

'I did.' Alton admitted 'they have not broken his spirit your grace.'

'If you speak with him... Tell him he has not been forgotten.' Cersei told her cousin. "Amelia... she wasn't there was she?"

"No your grace." Cersei nodded slowly.

"Well... Tell Jaime if you see him..." Cersei began again.

'I will your grace.'

'Safe travels cousin.' Tyrion added.

"You ready?" Sandor questioned.

"As I will ever be." Amelia agreed. "I dont know why I'm nervous, I didnt do anything wrong."

"No, you are perfect." Sandor assured.

"Gosh I really dont know why Im nervous. Im never nervous around my mother unless joffrey gets me in trouble." Amelia remarked.

"Aye. Hes a good whiner," sandor agreed.

"Im not in trouble they are going to be happy to see me. Over joyed really." Amelia presumed.

"They best be," sandor agreed. She held to his hand as they walked and the closer theybgot to the council room the more sandor wanted to run away with Amelia and never look back.

'You do have a dept plan with diplomacy.' Tyrion mused.

'If that's everything?' cersei remarked.

''A raven flew in this morning from Castle Black.' the maester said

'Trouble with the wildlings.' varys said

'That's why they're called wildlings.' Petyr remarked

'Some of the wildlings it seems have stopped killing each other and started following this king beyond the wall.' varys added

'Another King.' Cersei remarked 'how many is that now? Five I've lost count.'

'Lord Commander asked that we send more men.' Tyrion read off the note 'to man the wall.'

'Perhaps he forgot we were fighting a war and we have no men to spare.' Cersei told him

'Cold winds are rising and the dead rise with them.' Tyrion went on

'Northerners are superstitious people,' the high maester said

'According the Lord Commander these dead men attacked one of their camps. Mormont does not lie.'

'How do you kill a dead man?' Varys questioned

'Apparently you burn them.' Tyrion said reading through the note again.

'One trip to the wall and you come back believing in grumpkins and snarks?' Cersei teased.

'I don't know what I believe.' Tyrion told her 'here's a fact for you though the nights watch is the only thing that separates us from what lies beyond the wall.'

'I have every confidence that the man of the nights watch will protect us all.' Cersei said leaving Tyrion.

"I worry for Amelia." Tyrion called after her.

"As do I." Cersei sneered.

"No need." Cersei shot up runing to her daughters voice. "Hi mama."

"My baby!" Cersei declared holding tight to her. "You are home!"

"Sandor got me home. Arent you glad I convinced you to let me keep him?" Amelia mused.

"Thank you Clengae." Tyrion agreed.

"Oh my sweet girl," Cersei sobbed. "We will kill them all!"

"Just Robb." Amelia corrected. "And Catelyn." Sandor smirked.

"You still got a little crush on the Stark boys?" Tyrion mused hugging her. "I'm glad you are alright, I'm sorry I couldnt get you out."

"Thank the Gods for Sandor." Amelia assured.

"My baby!" Cersei pushed tyrion away and held to Amelia. "I was so worried about you honey."

"Im home."

"Did they hurt you? Mistreat you?"

"I was their prisoner." Amelia agreed. "And besides mental manipulation they didnt beat me or anything." Amelia assured. "They just... wanted to keep me scared."

"Your father was an idiot for trusting them. I was stupid for leavingnyou there not putting up more of a fight," cersei remarked.

"I was happy. Robb was sweet to me. Things took a turn and all went to hell. We couldnt have known." Amelia assured.

"My sweet girl-"

"Im home mama. Lets just focus on that."