DAGGERS TO THE HEART Part 2 - CLASH OF THE KINGS

Arya IV

Arya stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the departing litter carrying Olenna, Loras, and Lady Margaery. As it vanished into the distance, she turned to Jon.

"I've got a meeting with Tyrion in an hour," she informed him.

Jon nodded, his brow furrowed. "What do you need me to do?" he inquired.

Arya knew her concept for the wedding gift required refinement. With only four days remaining until the royal wedding, achieving the desired design for the golden goblet would prove challenging.

"Here's the idea for the goblet," Arya said, reaching for a piece of parchment and a quill. She swiftly sketched an image, detailing her vision. "The inner bowl will be crafted from red glass, encased in gold and adorned with garnets. Alternating panels will feature a golden lion motif. Surrounding the bowl, I envision intricate gold latticework. The stem will be pure gold, with a central garnet, while the base, matching the bowl, will boast red glass with gold lattice-work. The bowl must have a hole to allow the wine to flow into the stem, where the poison will be hidden."

Jon's expression morphed into one of incredulity. "You want me to commission this?" he asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.

"I want two to be made. If you pay the glass-blowers enough, you should be able to get those made today. Maybe even before my meeting ends with Tyrion," Arya instructed.

"How much will this cost?" Jon inquired.

"I don't know," Arya shrugged. "Does it matter? Littlefinger can afford it." She jotted the measurements and handed the parchment to Jon.

"I don't know my way around King's Landing," Jon lamented.

"I'll drop you off at Dragon's Square. That's where the Market Hall and Jewellers Guild are located. It should be the best place to start. Once the meeting is concluded, I'll stop off there and try to find you," Arya assured him, as she retrieved a tin from a drawer and plucked out a mint leaf. Jon grimaced.

"Sansa told me he chewed mint leaves for fresh breath," Arya explained.

"Shall I ask Ros to order a litter?" Jon offered.

Arya nodded. "Yes, best to get started as soon as possible. We can't carry out the plan without those goblets," she emphasised.

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Half an hour later, they reached Dragon's Square, a bustling hub where one could find just about anything. The square boasted a market hall, a bathhouse, the infamous Red Stag Inn, a theatre, the masons guild, and, most importantly for Arya's purposes, the jewellers guild, near the Street of Sisters.

The jewellers guild building stood tall, around four stories high, constructed from sturdy red brick. Its imposing entrance was adorned with a large door made of ironwood, known for its exceptional strength, unmatched by any other wood in the known world. All sixteen windows were shuttered, with ironwood to match, preventing any curious onlookers from peering inside at the precious jewels within.

Flanking the door were two burly guards, clad in light armour and armed with hefty swords. Arya assessed them, noting their vulnerabilities. Too easy to overpower, she thought. They would be slow and clumsy, and considering the heat, they would tire.

Still wearing Littlefinger's face, Arya approached the Jewellers Guild, poised to knock on the formidable ironwood door, when one of the guards turned to address her.

"Lord Baelish," he spoke through his helm. "What brings you to our guild today?"

"I wish to procure a gift for the King," Arya replied, maintaining her guise. "Having recently returned from the East, I found no jeweller with a reputation as sterling as our esteemed guild here in King's Landing." jeweller