Sansa did not sleep all night. Confusion and guilt corroded her, though she did not quite understand why. After all, she had always treated Arya like that, pushing her to be more like a lady. This time, however, Arya had not reacted as Sansa expected.
In the end, she went to the kitchens to speak with Sebastian, certain he would blame her.
"Sebastian, I am sorr—" she tried to apologize, but he stopped her.
"Muffin?" he asked.
Sansa mechanically nodded as she munched on the delicious treat. Sebastian brought her some tea to go with it.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded.
"My mother taught me that important conversations must never be held on an empty stomach," he said calmly. "So now, what did you want to talk about?"
And so she explained: the sigil, the competition she had imagined in her own mind, the guilt and confusion at Arya's reaction, and Sebastian's supposed promise. Sebastian listened carefully, then finally explained.
"We had an agreement with Arya. If she gave her all to embroidery, I would teach her a skill I learned from my mother. When you arrived with the handkerchief, she thought our agreement was now void."
"But… why?" Sansa asked, confused.
"Why not?" Sebastian replied, then continued. "When we are children, promises matter because children remember. For her, it meant that something she worked so hard for had suddenly become meaningless. Do you understand now?"
Sansa nodded, calmer now.
"How can I… make things right?" she murmured.
"An apology is a must," he said, a hint of mischief radiating from him. "But first—"
"—First, we go fishing," he finished, much to Sansa's confusion.
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Sebastian carried Arya while Septa Mordane and Sansa trailed behind them.
"I still cannot believe you kidnapped us against my will to go 'fishing,'" Septa Mordane complained.
"What a shame," Sebastian replied lightly, "but I asked for my lord's permission, and the ladies still require a chaperone."
"We are here," he said, and Arya finally saw the frozen lake.
"What are we doing, Sebastian?" she asked. She had been promised an adventure, though she had not been told which one would be.
"Fishing, my lady. It may not seem like it, but there are fish swimming beneath us," he explained, cutting a circle in the ice deep enough to reach the water.
"Why is she here?" Arya whispered, glancing at Sansa.
Sebastian only smiled.
"Septa."
"Butler."
They locked eyes. After a long moment, Sebastian spoke.
"I once chose discretion when it was not required of me. I said then that I would remember it."
He let the words linger.
"Consider it remembered."
Septa Mordane huffed. "What?"
"Five minutes," he said. "You may watch us from afar. I respect your professionalism."
"Really?" she asked, skeptical that such a small favor was being repaid.
He nodded, and she stepped away.
Sebastian retrieved three fishing rods, explained how to set the bait, and they waited.
Uncomfortable with the silence, Sansa finally asked, "Why are we doing this?"
"For several reasons," he replied. "For you, Lady Sansa, you need to learn how to fish. It is expected when you visit the Riverlands to see your grandfather. After all, the Tully sigil is a leaping trout."
He then turned to Arya.
"For you, Lady Arya, to teach the basics of fishing: bait, catching, cleaning, and cooking."
"Are we going to eat it?" Arya asked, eyes sparkling.
"But of course, my lady. And the final reason for fishing is—"
The girls leaned closer.
"—because I am terrible at it," Sebastian sighed.
"Eh?" they said in unison.
"Is that truly so hard to process?" he asked.
Sansa recovered first and nodded.
"Fishing frustrates me because I yearn for control. I like things I can control. But with fishing, all you can do is set the bait and wait. Will the fish bite? Will it escape? Are there even fish to catch? I have no control over any of it. Just like gardening."
He continued gently, "Just as Lady Sansa is better at embroidery than Lady Arya, and Lady Arya is more athletic despite her age. Just as Jon is the better swordsman, while Robb is the better strategist. We all have strengths and weaknesses."
He looked at Arya. "Lady Sansa did not know about our agreement. And do not worry, I only wanted you to try embroidery. I would have taught you regardless."
Then he turned to Sansa. "And Lady Sansa, I believe you owe Arya something."
Sansa approached Arya, who flinched slightly.
"I am so sorry, Arya," she said softly. "What I did was wrong… Will… will you forgive me?"
Arya looked at her, expecting an elaborate joke. When nothing followed, she hesitated.
"I… I forgive you," she said at last. "But promise you won't do it again."
She glanced at Sebastian, who gave a discreet thumbs up.
Sansa agreed, relief washing over her, and silence settled once more.
"We should return to fishing," Sebastian said as Septa Mordane came back into view.
Two hours later
"Well," Sebastian said lightly, "that was… an experience."
"You dragged us from a warm, cozy castle to fish," Septa Mordane snapped, "and you did not catch a single thing?"
She turned and began her way back toward the castle as the girls laughed.
Sebastian chuckled.
"Lady Sansa, would you like to know Arya's arrangement?"
Sansa nodded.
Sebastian produced four kunai and hurled them into the water, to Sansa's confusion and Arya's delight. He tugged the wire, and four fish emerged, each pierced cleanly through the belly.
"But, but you said you were bad at fishing!" Sansa protested as Arya placed the fish in the basket.
"I said I was bad at fishing," Sebastian replied calmly, "not at catching fish. Wording, my lady. They are the rise or ruin of entire kingdoms."
They returned to the castle beneath Septa Mordane's stunned gaze,for she never realized when Sebastian had caught anything at all, while Arya followed him to the kitchen. For she wanted to learn to gut, prepare and finally eat her fish and show off in front of her older siblings.
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A/N: If I did it in one chapter, it would be too long. So I made it in two (which I think it works). Please like, add a stone, review or comment.
(se va a dormir)