THE TWO GIRLS SAT SIDE BY SIDE AS THEY WATCHED THE JOUSTING TRACK. Nalia found she didn't really enjoy jousting. She found it was an archaic sport, stabbing each other with a long stick on horses was just ridiculous.

She was also painfully aware of Littlefinger's presence behind her and Sansa. She liked that Ned was sat on the other side of Sansa. She hoped that they made up, but she was unsure. She figured that Sansa would have told her about it if she had.

"Where's Arya?" Ned asked, looking from his daughter to Nalia. Nalia simply shrugged her shoulders.

"At her dancing lessons." Sansa responded as Ser Loras rode up to them.

He held a rose in his hands as he approached. He leaned down as he placed a rose in Sansa's hand, a light blush rose on her cheeks.

"Thank you, Ser Loras." She smiled, twirling the rose between her fingers. Ser Loras nodded at the girl before he rode away.

Sansa turned to look at Nalia, a bright smile on her face at the beautiful rose in her hands. Nalia smiled back, despite the jealousy boiling deep inside her. She had learned that this was a feeling she was beginning to feel often around Sansa.

"Don't let Ser Gregor hurt him." Sansa grabbed her father's arm.

"Hey." Ned comforted his daughter.

Sansa covered her eyes as they lined up to begin the jousting. "I can't watch." She grabbed Nalia's hand in her free hand.

Behind them, Nalia heard Littlefinger making bets with Renly Baratheon. She audibly scoffed as she heard them speaking of whores and wine.

"A comment my lady?" Petyr leaned forward and spoke lowly to Nalia.

She turned around with a curt smile, "No, my lord." Petyr's eyes flickered down to the girl's adjoined hands.

"He's going to die." Sansa peaked between her fingers.

"Ser Loras, rides well." Ned assured his daughter. Ser Loras took off, taking the win in the round. Even Nalia was stunned, she was sure that the Mountain would win. He always did.

"Loras knew his mare was in heat. Quite crafty, really." Nalia had to clench her jaw from spinning around and yelling at Littlefinger. She had not liked him, even from when she had just met him.

"Ser Loras would never do that!" Sansa defended. "There's no honor in tricks."

Littlefinger tutted, "No honor, but quite a bit of gold."

A fight broke out between The Mountain and Ser Loras, The Hound stepped in defending Ser Loras.

The two girls gasp as the first punches are thrown.

"Stop this!" The king shouted. Almost instantaneously the fight ended, the opposing sides going in different directions.

The two girls were escorted back to their chambers.

"Can you believe that?" Sansa asked, a look of bewilderment on her face at the previous outbreak.

"It was hardly gentlemanly." Nalia scoffed. She had learned that men were quite archaic when they were by themselves. All men except Ned Stark of course. He was far too kind to be archaic.

"But did you see Ser Loras give me a rose?" Sansa gushed as she looked down at the red flower in her hand, the blush rising back to her cheeks.

"I did. He's quite handsome." Nalia bumped her shoulder into Sansa's. She approved of Ser Loras much more than she did Joffery. "I'd like it if you married him instead." She mumbled.

Sansa's face fell as she looked at Nalia. "You don't want me to marry Joffery, do you?"

"I do not think it matters what I think." Nalia stopped in front of her door. "If you want to be queen, I have no doubt you will become queen. At what cost, I'm unsure."

She opened her door and entered her room, leaving Sansa gaping in the hallway. Nalia found herself drawn to the silver dagger. She felt the weight of it, twirled it between her fingers, and just for a moment, she thought of what it would feel like to plunge the knife deep into someone's chest. She hastily put the dagger away before more thoughts could plague her. But they did. She thought about it as she fell asleep. Thirteen and thinking about death. Sansa didn't join her that evening, it had been the first time she had tried to sleep alone since they had arrived to King's Landing.

Her bare feet padded against the floor as she walked back towards the felt box. She traced her fingers along the blade, felt the sharpness.

A knock sounded at her door, and for a moment she was rendered stunned as she stared at the blade.

Ned Stark poked his head inside, his eyes fell to the blade in Nalia's hand.

"Jon gave it to me before he left. He said he hopes I don't have to use it, but I should know how." 

Nalia looked up at Ned. "Will you teach me, my lord?"

Ned entered the room, closing the door behind him. He extended his arm out and waited for Nalia to place the blade in his hand. She did, she knew how to follow orders well.

"Jon gave this to you?" His thumb traced over the blade. Ned's face looked more weathered than usual.

"Yes, my lord. Has something happened?" Ned looked up from the knife at Nalia. He knew that he should've lied. He knew that he should've just said he was tired. "Does it have to do with the King Robert?"

Ned slowly nodded his head. "I believe you should learn how to wield this. I'll come by in the morning." Ned gently set the dagger back in her hand, he spun on his heel and left the room.

"Good night, Lord Stark." She muttered as he closed the door behind him.

Sleep plagued her all night, she tossed and turned but found that she could not find peace. She grabbed the box once more as she looked at it. She hoped the knife would tell her the secrets she wanted to know. But the room was simply filled with silence.

"Tell me why you are here." She whispered into the night, but the knife said nothing back as she wished that it would.

Soon sleep washed over her, the dagger laid next to her in bed, as if it were a lover.

She didn't wake up until Ned Stark peaked into her bedchambers at dawn. "Nalia, dear." His soft voice made Nalia's heart ache at the thought of her own parents. As each day passed she had a harder and harder time remembering specific details about her parents.

"Lord Stark." She yawned as she sat up in bed, her hand still wrapped around he handle of the knife. She rubbed at her eyes with her free hand. "It is quite early." Her voice still held a lilt of exhaustion.

"The sun's just barely out." He spoke softly as he gently closed her door behind him. "Shall I give you time to prepare yourself?" He clasped his hands together in front of him.

Nalia nodded as she thought the entire situation over. "Yes, my lord. I will only be a few minutes."

Ned nodded and left her to herself.

Nalia dressed hastily, she usually had Sansa to tie her dress and she had found that she was struggling with the laces.

She tried to pull and tie, but to no avail. She held the laces tightly in her hand behind her back as she stuck her head out her door. She let out a breath of relief when no one was out there and she could tip toe all the way to Sansa's chamber.

She gently knocked on the door before she entered.

"Sansa." She whispered as she walked towards her bedside.

Sansa hummed, reaching her hand out to grab Nalia's in hers. After a moment of standing there, simply silent as she held Sansa's hand.

Sansa scooted back so there was room for Nalia in her bed, but Nalia made no move to lay with her.

"Come here." Sansa pulled Nalia's hand toward her, her eyes still closed.

"I need you to lace my dress." Nalia whispered into the dark quiet room.

Sansa's eyes hesitantly opened as she looked at Nalia. "Why? What are you doing this early?"

Sansa propped herself up on her elbow, her sleepy eyes falling adoringly on Nalia.

"Nothing." Nalia's voice had a higher lilt to it. Her tell. "I couldn't sleep, I was restless." Her voice evened out as she smoothed out her dress.

Sansa gently too the laces in her hands, she pulled with perfect precision, as she had done every morning for as long as her and Nalia had known each other. Her hands took such care with 

Nalia's clothes, as if they were a holy artifact.

"You are lying, but I will not ask." Sansa pulled, air left Nalia's lungs in a huff. "Though we never lie to each other, do we?" Sansa finished her tie.

Nalia spun around so she was looking at Sansa. The redhead's hands floated in the air in front of her, no longer having the purpose of Nalia's laces to keep her hands near her.

Nalia took her hands in hers, "I'm entitled to secrets."

A frown made itself present on Sansa's face as she looked up at Nalia in the low candlelight. "Whatever mischief your're getting up to, be safe." Nalia smiled at the girl, leaving her feeling like a lantern was lit within her soul. "I'm quite jealous you did not invite me."

Nalia pressed an excited kiss to Sansa's cheek, "Trust me, you would find yourself bored with my activities."

"Still would've been nice to have been invited." She teased.

Nalia inched towards the door, "I wasn't sure if Ser Loras was already accompanying your time.", she pressed her back to the door frame as she looked down at Sansa. Sansa who had already sprawled back out in her bed, her long red hair fanned out on her pillow. Her eyes watching Nalia, nothing but adoration in her eyes.

"Ser Loras would never be more important than you."

Nalia offered her one more smile before she slipped out the door and rushed off towards the direction of her own room.

Ned Stark was waiting in her bedroom for her when she returned. His fingers were gliding across the blade of the dagger, a serious look upon his face.

"We are going to do this, and you are not going to tell anyone about it." Ned spoke as soon as she closed her door behind her.

"Are we in danger Lord Stark?" Nalia whispered. She suddenly felt young, as if her bones were not done growing yet, that she herself was not done growing yet. That she felt as if she was far too young to be involved in anything dangerous. She was supposed to be worrying about meaningless things such as dresses, but as she looked at Ned Stark's sullen face, she was unsure about her entire world around her.

"I am going to teach you how to use this. You will practice. You will practice constantly." He walked around her room, looking at the decor that was put in there before she had ever come to Kings Landing. "The dagger will not be enough, I suggest you take up archery as well." His voice was monotone and it lost any of the gentleness it had previously held. The loss of the warmth let a cool chill settle over her body.

"Yes sir." Her voice shook despite her efforts for it not to. She was only thirteen. She didn't know anything yet, much less how to handle a weapon.

Ned knealt down by Nalia. "Promise me. Promise me you will practice.""I promise you." Her promise fell easily from her lips, especially because she meant it. She wasn't sure what was wrong with Ned, but it chilled her to her bones.

"You will stay with Sansa. You won't lose her. You won't ever lose Sansa. Promise me." He held her shoulders.

Nalia nodded, her vision blurred with tears at the situation.

Ned pulled away, took a deep breath and then turned back around towards Nalia. "Okay, I'll show you how to hold it." Ned placed the blade gently in her palm as he began to explain things.

Nalia didn't even leave her room until dinner and she was far too exhausted to continue practicing. 

v speaks!

how're we feeling?