Arya’s stitches were crooked again.

She frowned down at them with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Sansa sat among theother girls. Sansa’s needlework was exquisite. Everyone said so. “Sansa’s work is as pretty as she is,”

Septa Mordane told their lady mother once. “She has such fine, delicate hands.” When Lady Catelynhad asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed. “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith.”

Arya glanced furtively across the room, worried that Septa Mordane might have read her thoughts,but the septa was paying her no attention today. She was sitting with the Princess Myrcella, all smilesand admiration. It was not often that the septa was privileged to instruct a royal princess in thewomanly arts, as she had said when the queen brought Myrcella to join them. Arya thought thatMyrcella’s stitches looked a little crooked too, but you would never know it from the way SeptaMordane was cooing.

She studied her own work again, looking for some way to salvage it, then sighed and put down theneedle. She looked glumly at her sister. Sansa was chatting away happily as she worked. Beth Cassel,Ser Rodrik’s little girl, was sitting by her feet, listening to every word she said, and Jeyne Poole wasleaning over to whisper something in her ear.

“What are you talking about?” Arya asked suddenly.

Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled. Sansa looked abashed. Beth blushed. No oneanswered.

“Tell me,” Arya said.

Jeyne glanced over to make certain that Septa Mordane was not listening. Myrcella said somethingthen, and the septa laughed along with the rest of the ladies.

“We were talking about the prince,” Sansa said, her voice soft as a kiss.

Arya knew which prince she meant: Joffrey, of course. The tall, handsome one. Sansa got to sitwith him at the feast. Arya had to sit with the little fat one. Naturally.

“Joffrey likes your sister,” Jeyne whispered, proud as if she had something to do with it. She wasthe daughter of Winterfell’s steward and Sansa’s dearest friend. “He told her she was very beautiful.”

“He’s going to marry her,” little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. “Then Sansa will be queenof all the realm.”

Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought withdull resentment. “Beth, you shouldn’t make up stories,” Sansa corrected the younger girl, gentlystroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. “What did you think ofPrince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?”

“Jon says he looks like a girl,” Arya said.

Sansa sighed as she stitched. “Poor Jon,” she said. “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard.”

“He’s our brother,” Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of thetower room.

Septa Mordane raised her eyes. She had a bony face, sharp eyes, and a thin lipless mouth made forfrowning. It was frowning now. “What are you talking about, children?”

“Our half brother,” Sansa corrected, soft and precise. She smiled for the septa. “Arya and I wereremarking on how pleased we were to have the princess with us today,” she said.

Septa Mordane nodded. “Indeed. A great honor for us all.” Princess Myrcella smiled uncertainly atthe compliment. “Arya, why aren’t you at work?” the septa asked. She rose to her feet, starchedskirts rustling as she started across the room. “Let me see your stitches.”

dskirts rustling as she started across the room. “Let me see your stitches.”

Arya wanted to scream. It was just like Sansa to go and attract the septa’s attention. “Here,” shesaid, surrendering up her work.

The septa examined the fabric. “Arya, Arya, Arya,” she said. “This will not do. This will not do atall.”

Everyone was looking at her. It was too much. Sansa was too well bred to smile at her sister’sdisgrace, but Jeyne was smirking on her behalf. Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her. Aryafelt tears filling her eyes. She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door.

Septa Mordane called after her. “Arya, come back here! Don’t you take another step! Your ladymother will hear of this. In front of our royal princess too! You’ll shame us all!”

Arya stopped at the door and turned back, biting her lip. The tears were running down her cheeksnow. She managed a stiff little bow to Myrcella. “By your leave, my lady.”

Myrcella blinked at her and looked to her ladies for guidance. But if she was uncertain, SeptaMordane was not. “Just where do you think you are going, Arya?” the septa demanded.

Arya glared at her. “I have to go shoe a horse,” she said sweetly, taking a brief satisfaction in theshock on the septa’s face. Then she whirled and made her exit, running down the steps as fast as herfeet would take her.

It wasn’t fair. Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older; maybe by the time Arya had beenborn, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way. Sansa could sew and dance and sing. Shewrote poetry. She knew how to dress. She played the high harp and the bells. Worse, she wasbeautiful. Sansa had gotten their mother’s fine high cheekbones and the thick auburn hair of theTullys. Arya took after their lord father. Her hair was a lusterless brown, and her face was long andsolemn. Jeyne used to call her Arya Horseface, and neigh whenever she came near. It hurt that the onething Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse. Well, that and manage a household. Sansahad never had much of a head for figures. If she did marry Prince Joff, Arya hoped for his sake that hehad a good steward.

Nymeria was waiting for her in the guardroom at the base of the stairs. She bounded to her feet assoon as she caught sight of Arya. Arya grinned. The wolf pup loved her, even if no one else did. Theywent everywhere together, and Nymeria slept in her room, at the foot of her bed. If Mother had notforbidden it, Arya would gladly have taken the wolf with her to needlework. Let Septa Mordanecomplain about her stitches then.

Nymeria nipped eagerly at her hand as Arya untied her. She had yellow eyes. When they caught thesunlight, they gleamed like two golden coins. Arya had named her after the warrior queen of theRhoyne, who had led her people across the narrow sea. That had been a great scandal too. Sansa, ofcourse, had named her pup “Lady.” Arya made a face and hugged the wolfling tight. Nymeria lickedher ear, and she giggled.

By now Septa Mordane would certainly have sent word to her lady mother. If she went to herroom, they would find her. Arya did not care to be found. She had a better notion. The boys were atpractice in the yard. She wanted to see Robb put gallant Prince Joffrey flat on his back. “Come,” shewhispered to Nymeria. She got up and ran, the wolf coming hard at her heels.

There was a window in the covered bridge between the armory and the Great Keep where you hada view of the whole yard. That was where they headed.

They arrived, flushed and breathless, to find Jon seated on the sill, one leg drawn up languidly tohis chin. He was watching the action, so absorbed that he seemed unaware of her approach until hiswhite wolf moved to meet them. Nymeria stalked closer on wary feet. Ghost, already larger than hislitter mates, smelled her, gave her ear a careful nip, and settled back down.

Jon gave her a curious look. “Shouldn’t you be working on your stitches, little sister?”

Arya made a face at him. “I wanted to see them fight.”

He smiled. “Come here, then.”

Arya climbed up on the window and sat beside him, to a chorus of thuds and grunts from the yardbelow.

To her disappointment, it was the younger boys drilling. Bran was so heavily padded he looked asthough he had belted on a featherbed, and Prince Tommen, who was plump to begin with, seemedpositively round. They were huffing and puffing and hitting at each other with padded wooden swordsunder the watchful eye of old Ser Rodrik Cassel, the master-at-arms, a great stout keg of a manwith magnificent white cheek whiskers.............