First House of Westeros ♛ Dictated ♛ I am Alayne Stone, Father

[songsandstories]

[This place held wonders that Alayne had not dreamt of, not even as Sansa Stark. When she first awoke, it was disheartening. This was not the Vale, old as it may be. It took her some time to leave in search of answers, but now that she was in the lobby, she was better learned of this place, though she held little trust in its inhabitants.

Cautious as she was to whoever could be listening, she took to the speaking book. Alayne needed answers.]

I am in search of a man. If anyone knows the whereabouts of Lord Petyr Baelish, I would be in your debt. [Which is something to say, regardless of her name or who she is. But finding him is of the utmost importance.]

I have just arrived. I know not of what my purpose here may be. They call this place Paradisa? That is no House I have ever heard. Pray tell, whose bannermen does it belong to? [Although calling out Petyr Baelish's name has already allied her. And then, perhaps not. The Vale was its own now, Petyr working what he could against Lysa's council. Still, it was the easiest way to gauge where she stood.]

Comments

[squirrelhunter]

Ain't no-one here by the name o' Baelish. Not that I know of.

[songsandstories]

[So the talking book speaks. Alayne stares back at it.]

How can that be? I was just with him in the Vale.

Action?

[wintercat]

[Catelyn stops in her tracks when she hears that voice, almost afraid to believe it. But then she turns and- there she is. Different than she last saw her, but a mother knows her daughter.]

Sansa? [Emotion chokes her voice, keeping it to a near whisper.]

[songsandstories]

[The voice hits her before she even sees her. How is this possible? How is Petyr not here, and yet her mother stands so close. Her real mother. The illusion of Alayne Stone nearly falls a part right then and there.]

Am I dead? [It can only be the answer. If she lies in the same place as her mother. Have the gods finally taken her?

But then she stands, much taller and older than Catelyn remembers.]

I-- please, do not call me that. [She can't outright lie to her mother.]

[squirrelhunter]

Y'ain't where y'were. The castle takes us from our homes an' traps us here. Y'ain't gonna be goin' back until the castle lets ya.

[wintercat]

[How much time has passed for Sansa? Enough that...she has seen what Catelyn has only been told will occur. Enough that she has grown and is swiftly becoming woman.]

No, you are not dead, my darling girl. [She moves to embrace her daughter, any concerns she might have over her odd request outweighed by the overwhelming relief she feels at seeing her alive.] What would you have me call you but your name?

[songsandstories]

[That is a relief at least. If she had died without Petyr. She swallows when her mother hugs her, a little taken aback. Such kind gestures are still foreign to her.]

Sansa is dead. With Joffrey. [She needed to keep this. It was all she really had left, with so much destruction and death in her life.]

Please, I beg of you. It is not safe to use that name. I am Sansa Stark no longer.

[songsandstories]

I know enough about traps. [Although an inanimate object has yet to do so.]

Can you tell me whose House this castle is under? It is clearly not in the North, for Winter has come.

[wintercat]

[Catelyn pulls back, the hurt evident on her face. To hear her deny herself like that. To deny her father's name...]

Do not ask me to pretend you are not my daughter.

[songsandstories]

You do not know me. [Her jaw tight and out, so very much a Stark right now despite denouncing her name, yet again.]

I am Alayne Stone, daughter of Petyr Baelish, Lord of the Vale. [She says this as if she's recited it a hundred-- no, a thousand times over. It is true. And no matter how much Cat tries to convince her otherwise, even with the red hair (her own dark locks taken as her loss). She is a bastard now.]

1/2

[wintercat]

Sansa-

[It's like a knife in her heart. Like she's found her only to have her ripped away all over again.]

[wintercat]

Petyr. [Her own jaw clenches, the family resemblance only becoming more apparent.] Lord of the Vale? What has he done now?

Action!

[demontobeloved]

[Have a demon shimmering into the lobby, Sansa. Cole yawns and stretches as he materialises in the centre.]

[squirrelhunter]

It ain't under no house. Some sorta magic, people say. No-one knows fer sure.

[songsandstories]

He saved me. It was only time until Joffrey saw to it to do with me as he wished, even with Tyrion Lannister's help.

[She separates from her mother, looking more angry now. Even if things between her and Petyr were a little blurred at the moment, no one would talk ill of him.]

He took Lysa Arryn as his bride, and I was to wed Sweetrobin. [Was. Now she was not sure what was to happen or what her role in the Vale was.] He is Lord of the Vale now, and you shall not speak of him like that. He is noble. And my father.

[Her heels dig in now. She may not be quick to action like a Stark is, but in this, in this she fights so much like a Tully, determined and hard. She will not buck. Not when her life was on the line so often.]

[songsandstories]

Those are just stories birthing women tell to keep babes at their teat. [Does not believe you.]

What sort of lies are these?

[songsandstories]

[And that just makes her stare up at him. Wildlings talked of such things. Their gods. But Catelyn said she was not dead? Had she beheld one of the seven?]

[squirrelhunter]

Believe me, don't believe me. I don't give a fuck.

[Daryl's drawl is still lazy. He doesn't really care.]

We're here an' that's all that matters.

[songsandstories]

You will watch your tongue around the daughter of a lord. Whose bannerman are you?

[She's almost guess a Lannister, but then knowing the likes of them, he'd have his tongue cut out by now.]

[demontobeloved]

[Pff. Cole? A god? He's flattered.

He does notice the girl staring at him, however, and looks down.]

Oh, god. I thought the castle was done with this...

[The way she's staring means Cole's assuming she's new.]

[songsandstories]

[She dips her head at that. She did not mean to stare. She has never been in the presence of a god.]

I did not mean offense, your... Grace. [What do you call a god?]

[squirrelhunter]

God, it's like the castle raided some medieval fayre or some shit. First there was that weirdo yesterday, an' now some chick...

An' I ain't got no clue what a bannerman is.

/sob

[wintercat]

He betrayed your father. Or have you forgotten?

[It's all mixed up now. Love for her daughter and joy at seeing her mingled with anger, pain, and a distinct feeling of betrayal.]

And now you tell me he has wedded my sister. [One Tully girl is as good as another, apparently.] Do you think I will have kind words to say?

[demontobeloved]

Woah, woah. I'm not a grace. Though I am flattered.

[A pause] I take it you're new around here?

[songsandstories]

Where do your allegiances lie? [Said like he is clearly stupid.]