the thaw. [arya stark]

xvii. a labyrinth of you

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

A LABYRINTH OF YOU
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..."I'M SORRY, ARYA." Valeria's voice was reduced to a mere trace of a whisper, her violet eyes gleaming brightly in the moonlight as she spoke, and her pink lips navigating each and every one of her words with an infuriating, anxious, quickness. "I wasn't expecting Tyrion to storm in like that. Whatever...this...is, it shouldn't have to be a secret —"

"But it does." Arya's proclamation split her fleeting moment of hope in two, and Valeria simply sighed, for, however hopeful she was, the sad truth was inescapable — Arya was right. Nobody could know, for the consequences could be devastating, even mortal. "You know it. I know it."

"So why bother?" Valeria challenged, brazenly. "All this energy, all this time — only to stop at 'sorry but I'm too scared'. You can't do that." She breathed, and with a tilt of her silver—haired head, took a step closer, muttering; "You won't do that."

"You're right, I won't." Came her cool reply.

"So what are you going to do?" Valeria asked, an unquenchable, brazen fire rising within her. "You as good as know what I want — "

"And remind me what that is." Arya's sudden interruption was entirely unexpected, cruel even, and Valeria couldn't help but scoff. "I seem to have forgotten." She concluded, coyly, and Valeria rolled her eyes — was this some kind of twisted power play, or was Arya's determination to hear these o' so fateful words truly this unbreakable? Either way Valeria's heart was pounding — Arya had won.

"I'm not ashamed of it." She proclaimed, bluntly. "If you're trying to fucking humiliate me, Stark, it's not going to work."

"So say it, then." Arya egged her on, complete and utter frustration tugging at her usually smooth, calculating voice. "I know you want to."