Secret Flames (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter 4

"How are my girls holding up?" Baelish asked as he and Tallulah sat done to drink iced milk on another scorching hot morning.

"They struggle with their mood. Time can only heal what they witnessed I'm afraid" she shrugged back and looked out of the window.

"I hear you have also been offered work elsewhere?" he smiled. 

Tallulah knew he had spies all over the city, like most who played the game of politics and worked on the small council. This had taken her by surprise though, it had been three days since she helped Sansa back to the Red Keep. Why was little finger bringing it up now?

"I'll take you silence as a yes. I am pleased you decided to stay with us. Where you belong" he smiled. 

Tallulah didn't respond again, not wanting to give him anything further to work with. Although the man had been somewhat kind to her, she never completely trusted him. After all, Little Finger never did anything unless there was some sort of gain for him, Tallulah just hadn't figured out what his gain was in keeping her so close. 

Later that evening Tallulah was walking through the sitting room of the pleasure house where the men would wait for the woman to come and collect them. She had just been to see after one of the older girls who had apparently dishonored her 'guest' and ended up with a bloody nose. It wasn't broken though and Tallulah had quickly seen to the bleeding. 

"Woman" a husky voice after Tallulah as she disposed for the bloodied rags.

"You..." she sighed and turned around to see Sandor Clegane approaching her from across the room. 

As Tallulah looked up to met his eyes, Sandor seemed to have lost his tongue and just glared at the woman like a mute. 

"You waiting on Ros again?" she asked, trying to fill the strange silence as she noticed Litter Finger watching them as he lurked behind the partition.  

"Aye" he grumbled.

"Well enjoy" Tallulah shrugged and went to walk away when Sandor reached out for her arm and pulled her back towards him. 

"The little Stark wolf, she needs someone. Ain't no one she can trust in the city" he spoke in a slightly more hussed tone now as Tallulah looked at him in shock at his actions. 

"There's no one anyone can trust".

"You should reconsider the Imps offer, be better work for than in here" he replied and looked around the room in angered disgust. 

"You care about the girl" she smiled back, realizing there was a secret, more softer side to Sandor and she couldn't help think how many have actually seen it. 

"No one deserves what the boy king is putting the girl through".

An amused smile further creeped Talllulahs face as she dropped her head to the side and studied the seriousness in her eyes. Suddenly their moment was interrupted when Ros strolled over to them, her hips swinging seductively from side to side as she stroked her hand over his wide back. 

"Have fun" Tallulah winked. 

Tallulah spent the rest of her evening in her private chambers, reading through the latest healing books she had picked up from the market the previous morning. As the night grew on and her eyes grew more tired from reading, she finally plopped down her books and went to lean out for the window for a breath of fresh air. As she closed her eyes and leaned fowards against the window frame, a gently knock came from her doorway. 

"Come in" Tallulah called out without turning around to see who it was.

"So what exactly is going on between you and the hound" Ros instantly announced as she flew through the door was sat down on the bed. 

"Excuse me?" Tallulah scoffed as she turned around to face her friend with a smile and questioning eye. 

"Well firstly, he is certainty visiting a lot more and then I find him talking with you in quiet tones".

"Times are hard, men look for pleasure or some release where they can find it" she shrugged. 

"Aye, except our hound doesn't. The past two times he's visited me I couldn't even get him to let me use my mouth. He asks about you though, wants to know about you, where you're from and how you ended up here".

"Your'e not serious. What do you tell him?"Tallulah scoffed. 

"That you're a mystery to us all" she teased. 

Both of them burst into laughter as they turned the talk to the latest gossip and sipped on wine. Unbeknownst to them both on the opposite side of the chamber door stood Lord Petyr Baelish, listening to every single word the girls spoke. 

The next day Ros was sent off to the Red Keep on order by Baelish. It wasn't usual for the girls to actually go on visits to the Red Keep, most of time they had their own concubines to pass the day with. Baelish refused to explain himself to Tallulah though and quickly dismissed her from his presence with a look of distaste. 

There was strange tension throughout the brothel and it put Tallulah at unease. From the already maddening anxiety of most of the common people in the Capitol to the killing of so many young children and babes, there was certainty something brewing under the surface. None of that would matter though, not to Tallulah after she was called to Little Fingers private study. 

"It's time you earn you keep here. You services do not equal to the comfort that I have provided you. I promised your mother I would never move you into her work, but times have changes, things have become harder" Baelish smiled as Tallulah stood nervous at the other end of his desk.

"And if I do not wish to?".

"Then you will leave this establishment tonight. I do not have time for freeloaders and women with iron cladded legs". 

"Then I thank you for your kindness Lord Baelish and shall take my leave right away" Tallulah replied, trying to keep her voice strong, she would not let him know her fear. 

Baelish only smiled wickedly at the woman, this thin small lips shaped smugly as his eyes glanced up and down her with a look of only boredom. Talluulah could not longer take it, quickly she rushed out of the room without another words and back towards her own chambers. Panicked her breathing grew heavy in her chest as a sweat glazed her forehead and she tried to clear her mind and think of what to do. 

"Pack, just pack and get out" she whispered to herself and went to fetch her belongings. 

Quickly she flung most of her dresses, underclothes and books into her bag. Underneath her bag she reached out for the blade her mother had left her before she died. Placing it under the skirt of her dress and taking one last look around the room. Happy that she had as much as she could afford to take, Tallulah cautiously opened her chamber door and peaked around at the quiet corridor. With a sigh of relief she quickly tip toed out down the corridor and towards the exit. Although Little Finger had not said any threat or given her real reason to be suspicious, she had seen what had happened to those he had grown bored off in the past. The smile he had flashed at her was all she needed to know about her level of safety. 

As Tallulah finally reached the door, a sense of relief washed through her. Even though she had no idea where she would go now or how she would survive, at least she was out of the brothel and away from the snake. Or at least she thought she was...

Just as Tallulah went to open the large decorated oak door, two large but bony hands grabbed her from behind. "You didn't really think it was going to be that easy did you?"