NALIA WAS NEVER ESPECIALLY GOOD AT RIDING HORSES. She often felt like she was going to fall off at any moment. Which made the long trip to King's landing, especially agonizing. What she found was even worse was Sansa's anger toward her father and her adoration of Joffery.
Nalia couldn't help but sneer at the prince as he handed Sansa a flower.
The redhead's cheeks flushed as she twirled the flower between her two fingers. Her blue eyes turned to Nalia, as if to make sure that she had witnessed the interaction as well.
"Thank you, my prince." Sansa smiled at the boy.
"You're very welcome." He responded as he mounted his horse again.
Nalia dug her heels into her horse, trotting forward towards Ned Stark.
The older man looked down at the girl with a smile. He knew Sansa was angry at him, but Nalia wasn't. She wasn't sure she could ever truly be angry at Ned Stark.
"I am not quite sure I like him." Nalia tried to keep her eyes forward, but she couldn't help drifting to where Sansa was. Even in a room full of crowded people, somehow her eyes always found her.
"To be truthful," Ned paused and leaned towards the young girl. "I'm not sure either."
A smile graced Nalia's lips as she looked at the man. "I'm pleased you agree, sir."
"Nalia!" Sansa's voice broke through their tender moment. "Come back!" Her words dragged out, a childlike whining.
The redhead's horse trotted towards Nalia, coming up on her left side.
"King's Landing should not be long, my lady." Nalia's words were void of emotion as Ned Stark sped up away from his daughter. He knew where he wasn't wanted.
"How many times must I insist you stop with the formalities?" Sansa laughed, but Nalia's melodic laugh did not follow hers as it usually did. "Are you crossed with me?" The flower fell from Sansa's hands against the ground as she looked at her best friend.
"I am never crossed with you." Nalia lied poorly, eyes faced forward.
For the first time since the beginning of their intense friendship, they stayed in silence, all the way to King's Landing.
Nalia would admit that King's Landing was beautiful. With towering buildings and warm air, Nalia found she quite liked it. Not the people of course, but she didn't like much people.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Sansa's hands were threaded through her long crimson hair as she looked at Nalia. Nalia, who was enjoying the scenery from the terrace attached to their bed chambers.
"It's quite beautiful here." Nalia didn't spare Sansa a second glance. She loved Sansa, truer than she had loved anyone else. but during this time, after what Sansa had done. She was quite upset with her.
Sansa moved so she was standing right in front of Nalia, her long legs giving her a heigh advantage and leaving Nalia to not be able to look anywhere else. "You are cross with me." Her voice was soft as she looked down at Nalia, a light pout on her lips.
"Echo is dead, Sansa. You can understand that I'm a little cross with you." Nalia looked up at the girl. She knew that she would not easily forgive her, but it was much harder to be mad at her when she was standing in front of her.
Sansa held up a hand, suddenly frustrated with the girl. "You understand that it is not my fault, correct?"
Nalia sucked her teeth as she looked up at her, a peculiar situation of wills between the two girls. "No, but you lied." She stood up, practically chest to chest with Sansa.
"Yes! I know I lied!" Sansa gestured with her arms. She pulled her arms back in, a quick glance around them to see if anyone had heard their arguing. "He is the prince Nalia. What would you have suggested I do?"
"Stop getting lost in your mind over a boy. A wretched boy at-" Sansa's palm covered Nalia's mouth, her eyes looking around the terrace to see if anyone had heard her.
"That is treason, and it could get us all in trouble." Sansa's voice was low as she spoke articulately to Nalia. "I cannot afford to lose you to the Queen as well."
She pulled her hand away from Nalia's mouth.
"Dinner girls!" Septa Mordane stood by the door.
Ther pair pulled their eyes away from each other and towards Septa Mordane. The tension between them fizzling but never going away.
"Yes, Septa Mordane." Nalia composed her posture as she headed back inside.
Arya was already there, her food untouched as she practiced with the small thin sword that Jon had gifted her before he left.
"Enough of that, young lady. Eat your food." Septa Mordane scolded the girl as she sat. Nalia and Sansa had already taken their seats, choosing to leave a seat between them.
"I'm practicing." Arya responded, continuing to jab the sword in the air.
"Practicing for what?" Sansa began to cut her food on her plate.
Arya looked at Nalia and Sansa. "The Prince."
Nalia couldn't help but crack a smile at the girl. She thought of how satisfying it would be to see the sword slide out of Joffery, the silver sword covered in his red blood.
"Arya, stop!" Septa Mordane scolded the girl.
But Arya didn't stop, "He's a liar and a coward and he killed my friend."
Nalia continued to eat her food, sparing Sansa a few glances. Nalia knew that Arya could say those things due to status. If she had said them, her head would've been delivered to the king and queen on a silver platter.
"The Hound killed your friend." Sansa responded, her focus on Nalia.
"The Hound does whatever the Prince tells him to do."
"You're an idiot."
"You're a liar. And if you told the truth, Mycah would be alive." Sansa stopped at Arya's words, her jaw clenching as she mulled over Arya's words.
Ned Stark entered the room, an easy smile on his face as she gazed upon his daughters. "What's happening here?"
"Arya would rather act like a beast than a lady." Septa Mordane explained.
Ned looked at his youngest daughter. "Go to your room. We'll speak later." Ned waited for Arya to leave.
"Would you like me to leave you, my lord?" Nalia stood from her spot, offering respect.
"If you would, Nalia." Ned offered a kind smile as Nalia left the room. She retired to her bed chambers, entirely too tired from fighting with Sansa, it was an unusual practice she was not aware of.
It wasn't until Nalia was nearly asleep that Sansa had come into her room. She came without a knock and simply entered her room, closing the door behind her.
"I cannot sleep when you are so upset with me." She sat down on Nalia's bed. "It usually evades me when you are not there."
Nalia sighed as she thought about the situation they were in. "I cannot live my whole life dedicated to you Sansa."
Sansa took Nalia's hand between both of hers. "Why not? Why can you not always be with me?"
Nalia didn't move her hand. "It is not practical." She looked into Sansa's eyes. "When you marry Joffery, I will return to Winterfell. It is my home."
"And you are mine. I'll not have you leave me here all alone." She whined. Quite childish, but all of it was truly.
"I do not like him. I cannot like him." Nalia placed her hand over Sansa's. "I will tolerate him for you, but I cannot celebrate your life with him. I just won't."
Sansa held her hands. "You do not have to. Loving me is all I care you do."
"It's quite selfish." Nalia smiled.
Sansa smiled at her, a simple loving smile. "I usually am when it comes to you."

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