The Dragonborn Comes

8. Your Innermost Desires

Petyr Baelish

Sansa was innocent.

I could see that clear as day as the days stretcjed into weeks and I tried to teach her the art of scheming and plotting.

First I had to teach her all about Westeros history. The Houses, allieances and enemies, treaties and proposals, laws and oaths..... eveything mattered when it came to finding the loyalties of the people in the Seven Realms.

One thing I didnt have to teach her was ettiquette. Sansa knew perfectly well how to act and how to behave. I could find no fault in her behavior as I quizzed and questioned her about the rules of being proper and polite.

When we finally covered all the basics, I decided it was time to move into murkier waters, so to speak. I wanted to start teaching her about manipulation and convinving. About plotting and planning. About scheming and decieving. There were som many things that mattered when it came to games of power, so many details to take into account.

And while I loved spending time with Sansa, I had other things on my mind. As Lord of the Vale I now had Lysas son under my care, which was probably the only reason I was still alive.

The other nobles in the Vale didnt take kindly on having someone from a lesser house, a Baelish, as their new Lord. They couldnt do much about it though, although some protested heavily.

So I was forced to work hard. To do what I did best and plot and plan. I was trying to win over the remaining Lords of tbe Vale, convincing them one by one of my cause. Convincing them of how beneficial it would bw for all of us if I remained in charge as Lord of the Vale.

"Lord Bae-Petyr?" Sansas voice brought me back from my strained thoughts.

I smiled, liking the way my name sounded on her lips.

"Lady Sansa" I said, sitting down on a chair on front of a heavy wooden desk. We were in my what I had made into my office, papers scattered around the desk and a bookcase standing against the far side of the room.

"What...What are we doing today?" she asked, her eyes darting up to meet mine briefly.

"Today I will teach you how to persuade someone. How to.... convince someone" I mused as I stood up and made my way to the window.

Looking out over the valleys and rocky mountains I couldnt help but feel a certain sense of pride. I had done this. I  had made this possible for myself. A name. A title. Lands. Riches. All of it.

"....Persuade people?" Sansa asked curiously.

"Yes. Persuasion. People are creatures of feelings. Of sensations. Pleasure. Fear. Pain. It all comes down to feelings" I started my explanation.

Sansa nodded, but her brow furrowed and she pursed her lips.

"Ask, Sansa. Dont be afraid to ask questions" I encouraged her as I observes her cautiously. She was dressed in a deep blue gown that brought out the reddish glow if her hair and the pale parlour of her skin. He hair was braided, a ocean blue hair net keeping a few loose strands at bay.

"Some men aren't ruled by emotions..." She mused "Some people are controlled. Calculating. Ice cold"

My head snapped up and I looked at her carefully, noting the tense line of her jaw, the rigid stance of her shoulders....

"...Some people are juat better at hiding it. In the end, emotions are what drive us. Hatred. Anger. Determination. It all helps us channel our energy into getting what we want" I said, making my way to where she was sitting bedore putting a hand on her shoulder "...but....who were you talking about?"