The wine washed down his throat like water . The taste of grapes was wasted on Sandor Clegane . Drinking was no longer a source of pleasure or amusement but rather a necessity he’d come to find himself indulging all too often . He had seen these very same symptoms plaguing both the imp and his sister ; those unhappy with the title which had been thrusted upon them often found comfort in the bottom of their cups . Clegane took another sip from his wineskin . And only then did he find it rather easy to convince himself that there was NOTHING TO BE UNHAPPY ABOUT .    ━━    He heard footsteps . A pitter patter that did not want to make itself known came rushing down the steps on his left . The Hound was bold enough and assumed to already know WHO THAT WAS before ever granting the escapist a glance . His guess was right .

     “   Best be careful , little bird .  ”   Clegane rasped from his shadowy corner , the one furthest away from the burning torches .  There was a great feast being had at that time . No member of the court would pass the opportunity to eat and drink and gossip under their king’s gaze . No one except for the Stark girl . This had not been the first time Sandor had noticed her flapping her little wings through the halls , happy to run back to her cage if that meant she could escape the scrutiny of the Lannisters’ gaze . EVEN LONELINESS WAS PREFERABLE TO THEIR COMPANY IT SEEMED . But if she were to do this every night , her beloved king would soon notice it . And her isolation would be taken away too . Clegane wondered about all the things a girl like Sansa Stark could hold dear . Most of his thoughts were awfully still ; all dead , he thought .

* 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 : 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍

                          The stillness of the hallway was interrupted by the fluttering of a dove’s wings . Clegane turned his head to look at the Stark girl . The longer she spent under the Lannisters’ thumb , the smaller she became . Like a flame flickering in the wind , fighting to keep burning . Small enough to cover with his hand .  At times , he felt compelled to do just that : shield her from the ugliness which lurked through that palace , keep at least one thing in King’s Landing untouched and uncorrupted . But then Clegane would catch his own reflection out of the corner of his eye and remember that HE MIGHT BE THE UGLIEST THING STALKING THOSE HALLS . He was made of nothing but sharp edges ; every piece of him had been brought up to wound others , never to nurture , never to create , only to destroy . The best thing he could do for Sansa Stark was show her his scarred gnarling face ; strip her mind away of all its’ songs and lemon cakes .    ━━    The world they lived in was far from sweet .