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The Starks were to feast the Crown and the mob of Lannisters at sundown. It was well past their time of arrival and King Robert had still not come to see his daughter after so many years. He made time for Lyanna Stark, a dead woman whom he had loved many years ago, but not his own blood. Years at Winterfell had forced Lorinna to unlearn the ways of the Seven and appreciate the Old Gods who were still worshiped this far from the city. Septas and Septons had come north with the princess those years ago but two had passed and the last was an old drunk who could care less about whatever Gods there were. In times of loneliness the girl sought refuge in the Godswood. She leant against the great weirwood with a book in hand and prayed that the Gods would grant her peace and solitude while she escaped into the writings. Just as she broke the brittle spine of the old book in once more a figure walked toward the space. The princess clutched the small dagger she brought with her everywhere now that the castle was overrun with people she did not know, anyone could have followed her, but it was only Lord Stark. He looked down at the girl regretfully. She opened her mouth to speak to him but tears threatened to spill. After a few moments of preparing and composing herself, she looked back up at the ever-solemn man, "He's not said a single word to me or even glanced in my direction." Ned Stark was a quiet man, he only nodded and muttered a few soft 'aye's as the princess complained to him. "It's you he's here for, I'm sure of it." This time the 'aye' was more definitive. "Will you accept the position? You and Sansa would be able to come home with me and I wouldn't be alone there."
"You'd have your family." Lord Stark felt uneasy as he lied to the girl and she could tell. She looked at him with watery eyes and a fearful scowl while he could not bear to face her. Lori's presence had changed his life, she was a force even at a young age, always causing mischief and often competing with own children in terms of rowdiness. "Let's finish up our prayers in hope the God's will bring you your family. The sun is saying it's goodnights to us, my dear."The hall was alive with both angered, cheerful and alcoholic spirits. Princess Lorinna had decided to force her father to speak with her. She put on a pretty dress and downed a cup of wine before entering the hall with Robb at her arm. Neither of the young ones wanted to but Lord and Lady Stark agreed it would be best to present, even if it was false, the friendship of the two oldest children of their families. Lorinna would have preferred to walk with Jon than Robb, he was much kinder to her than his noble half-brother had been since she was only two and ten years. Honestly, she'd have rather been accompanied by Hodor, the castle's own giant dummy. As the doors opened before them Robb looked at her, watching as her breasts moved ever so slightly with each step, "You might as well take the dress off, it's not covering a thing." Knowing how it may look for them to be fighting while trying to show their parents how 'happy' they were, Lori kept her mouth shut and only stepped on his toe on their next step. Robb tumbled over her leg and almost pulled her down with him as he did. The hall fell silent and all looked toward the King who sat beside Lord Stark in the centre of the tallest table. For a few seconds he stayed silent, Lorinna joined the crowd and stared at her father, waiting for his reaction to the mess she'd caused. He looked as though he was about to scold her but instead let out the comical laugh of an average drunk, round-bellied man. Soon the whole hall erupted wit laughter, all but the queen who glared at her daughter disapprovingly.
Once seated, Robb sat as far from the Princess as he possibly could. She glared at him for the opposite corner of the table as he whispered to Theon. Every so often Joffrey would looked toward Sansa and she'd giggle like a young child, it made Lorinna want to throw up. He was fine looking but he was not some one she'd expect Sansa to be drooling over. He was her brother. He did not speak to his twin once. At some point the Stark girl went to talk with the queen and left the two Lannister twins alone with Jeyne Poole who was too busy staring at Robb to eavesdrop. "You don't seem to have many friends here sister." Joffrey laughed the maniacal laugh his sister had expected him to and she replied with nothing more than a scoff before standing from the bench and storming off. Lori couldn't understand any of it. Everyone despised her and when she went home she wouldn't even have Jon Snow, she didn't even have him now. The girl could feel her mother's eyes watching as she made her way towards the large doors in search of fresh air.
At last, the winter air sent shivers down Lori's spine but it was the nicest feeling she'd felt all day. Refreshing in contrast to all the disappointment and rejection she'd faced. Her small uncle Tyrion walked through the doors in the opposite direction as she sprinted over to Jon. Her embrace knocked his sword from his hand and he turned to hug her back. She was sobbing softly into his shoulder and he only stood there and listened. She continued her rant for a few more minutes until Jon began to pull away from her and nod his head in the direction of the hall. The princess turned quickly only to be met by the ugly face of the knight who'd ridden beside her brother earlier. "Ser? Is there something you need?"
"You're mother, the Queen, has ordered that I escort you back to the feast. I'm no 'ser', Princess." The man's voice was gruff and raspy, but he did not scare her. She thought him rather kind in comparison to the other knights she'd met in King's Landing- but he was no knight, maybe that was the reason.
"What am I to call you, if not 'ser'?" she questioned the man who's face gave away nothing.
"The same as your mother and father and siblings, I am the Hound." the man's face now gave away something, a look of pure disdain as he mentioned Lorinna's family.
"Well, ser, I won't be calling you that or returning to the feast. Tell my mother you escorted me back to my chambers or whatever you must. I am leaving." with tears still in her eyes, the princess raced off towards the Godswood. The breeze sung in the the branches of the tall weirwood as it powered through the dark night. She was overcome with hysteria and the effects of her wine as she wept and raced through the trees but his footsteps slapped the mud in a consistent rhythm behind her. He tried calling out her name as he trudged through but the wind caught his voice and it got lost in the night sky. Star twinkled above them as Lorinna came to a slow next to the warm springs which continued to bubble by night. She laid flat on her back while catching her breath. Warmth left her mouth and filled the air in front of her as her heartbeats softened bit by bit. When the Hound caught up he looked all around and could not find the princess until she let out a small childish giggle. He looked down at her as she smiled, wiping away her tears. "Let's go back now," he grunted, not a single sense of the exhilaration he felt represented by tone or expression. When Lori refused to move he bent over and scooped her over his shoulder. For a second she thought about screaming, but she chose not to worry Jon."I cannot direct you to my chambers if I've no idea where we are. I can't see." Lori complained to the tall man who was carrying her through the torchlit walls of the castle. She didn't mind being held this way other than the part of his armour which was digging into her ribcage. The not-a-knight felt his face grow slightly flushed as it could as she shuffled around in his grip, his hand begging to move further up her thigh. He told her he knew where he was going and she began her drunken giggling agains. "Lord Stark has never let me drink more than one cup of wine before, but I had more than one tonight and I think I really liked it. I feel really good inside, especially when your hand is there," the tipsy princess' words reminded him of how easy it would be for him to take her right here, right now, with everyone else at the feast, but he kept walking and she continued talking. "I think it's mean of my father not to talk to me at all. I know he's the King and that makes him busy and important, but I am his daughter and I am very pretty even though my face is weird. Kind of like you. All the boys around here say you're cruel and scary, but I disagree. Maybe you're the reason I feel so good inside right now and not the wine. Your hand is really big, a lot bigger than Theon's and it hurt when he tried so it must h-"
"Shut your mouth before you dig a bigger hole for yourself." Was all the soldier could bring himself to say with his mind wandering to unseemly thoughts, a princess and a dog who killed for her brother fucking in an empty castle while her surrogate family feasted her true family.
"I don't know what you said but don't talk about my hole."Sandor Clegane dropped the barely conscious girl onto her bed and pulled the thick covers over her. She stirred, half asleep at this point, kicking the blanket off and pulling on the strings of her dress. When the front of her gown was untied all the way down to her navel and her breasts slipped into view she began working on the back. With her eyes still shut the man decided to stay for a bit, just to know that she wouldn't get up and begin roaming again. It was how he justified taking in this sight.
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Beauty and a Beast | Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane
FanfictionA Lannister doesn't need to grow up around Lannisters to know who she is.