ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ꜱᴏ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ, ᴀ ꜱᴜɴ ꜱᴏ ʙʀɪɢʜᴛ

xvii. interruptions and how to handle them

┌─── ∘°❉°∘ ───┐

She had taken to staying at inns more and more.

It was comforting in a way. Not just the beds - but the people and the conversations as well. She didn't feel as lonely anymore.

And yet, with every moment she spent clearly visible in public, the danger to be discovered by those who wished her ill rose.

The door creaked open, and three Lannister soldiers stepped into the inn. Almost immediately, all noise ceased. Every pair of eyes was laid upon the intruders, who seemingly were not aware of the precarious situation they had gotten themselves into.

"Have you idiots not seen the sign?" Henrietta, the inn's owner, said. "No Lannisters Welcome."

The soldier in the front swept his gaze across the room, searching for something. "We are looking for the Golden Paladin."

Shit. Not again.

A handful of eyes had shifted onto her, yet thankfully not enough to give away her presence.

"Have any of you seen her?" the soldier continued.

"Leave," Henrietta said once again. "You have no business being here."

"We act at the behest of Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King. The Paladin has been pronounced an outlaw by the crown, aiding or hiding her is an act of treason. If you hand her over now, we will forget you were ever here."

She had known her grandfather was looking for her, of course, yet it was one thing hearing it from Arya Stark, and a completely different seeing it for herself.

"The hell you will!" someone shouted.

The room's mood was tilting rapidly, and if she didn't do something soon, something terrible was bound to happen.

"She is right, you know?" she said with a smile, standing up from her place in the alcove. "This is Stark territory. You are lucky you have not been killed yet."

The soldier studied her. He had the visor of his helm opened, yet still she could not see much of his face.

"The entire country stands under control of the Baratheon crown, no matter which petty lordling thinks he has the right to rebel."

"Try telling that to the swords that will be piercing your skull in a few minutes if you keep up that attitude."

He frowned. "Who are you supposed to be, again?"

"Why, me? I am the one and only Golden Paladin, in the flesh." She bowed so excessively that it could only be taken as mockery. Light giggling could be heard from around the room.

The soldier inspected her again, longer and with more care. Something in his eyes made her skin crawl.

"M'lady, I must ask you to come with me." He stepped closer, and several hands shot to their sword hilts.

At least she knew that if something happened, she would not be left to her own devices.

She tilted her head. "Must you? And where exactly do you want to take me?"

"King's Landing. Lord Tywin has commanded to speak to you."

"If Lord Tywin so desperately wants to talk to me, he should come himself and not hide behind his guards. Or is he truly that afraid of a little girl?" The snickering was louder this time.

"The Hand has a lot of duties. He cannot distract himself with chasing someone like you."

"Someone like me?" She put her hands on her hips. "Do I have to remind you who sent soldiers into enemy lands to find a girl who is only helping in rebuilding destroyed houses?"

The soldier seemingly had enough of her resistance. "You are coming with us whether you want to or not."

Yet before he had even taken three steps, over a dozen men had jumped up from their seats and drawn their swords. The other two soldiers had their hands on their hilts as well, but hesitated to unsheathe them. Any wrong move from either of them, and this would end in a blood bath.

"As I've said-" She walked closer towards the man in the front. "The Lannisters do not hold power here. So please, tell Lord Tywin that if he wants to talk to me, he should come himself."

The soldier's gaze flickered around the room, across the swords directed at him, before turning around and leaving the inn, his two companions close after him.

Shouts and cheers filled the room as soon as the door had fallen close. People patted her on her back, saying how stupid those men were for thinking they could simply take her, how she proved why she was the Golden Paladin. She celebrated with them.

If only her grandfather knew who it was he was after.

└─── °∘❉∘° ───┘

a/n: bit of a shorter chapter to prepare you for the utter madness that is coming next week hope you don't mind xoxo