No matter how long I stared at her, aside from the blackness in her eyes,
she still looked like herself.
The same Sansa.
She, along with Abraham Starlight, were the only characters I never wrote anything concrete about.
And somehow,
her presence was something I didn't want to lose.
After deciding that, I let the topic fade, and continued chatting with Sansa like I used to in the past, ignoring the darkness that swirled quietly around her.
At times like these, meaningless, lighthearted conversations were more than welcome.
After all, isn't that what friends do?
And just like that, we lost track of time.
"You've been staring a lot lately."
Her voice came out of nowhere, and she turned toward me with a teasing smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, deflecting with casual denial.
She chuckled softly.
"That's unlike you, Frey. Could it be… you've fallen for me?"
"You know that's not the case."
I mean, she can literally read emotions from facial expressions .. so what was the point of asking?
"I know," she nodded.
"But do you know?"
"What are you getting at?"
"What kind of feelings do you think I have for you, Frey?"
She rose from the bench, eyes locked on mine .. those deep, dark eyes of hers.
There was no clear answer to her question.
I didn't have her ability, so all I could do was guess.
"I'm afraid if I say 'love,' you'll try to kill me."
"You're more clueless than I thought." Sansa shook her head.
"I could never fall for someone who breaks his promises."
…A promise.
I remember her bringing up something like that before ..
a promise made to the other Frey, the one who lived before I reincarnated.
Though honestly, I wasn't even sure we were different people at all.
"To be honest… I forgot about that promise."
So I told her the truth .. straightforward and unfiltered.
She nodded, showing no reaction.
"I figured."
Silence settled between us.
We stared at each other for a while.
"So?" I asked. "Aren't you going to tell me what the promise was?"
"No. It doesn't matter anymore if you've forgotten it."
Sansa turned to leave but glanced back at me with a faint smile.
"Even if you don't remember it, Frey… you've been fulfilling it perfectly all along.
I guess that's just the kind of person you are."
Her words stirred something in me.
But if she wasn't going to tell me, I figured I'd leave it be ... for now.
She was the last to arrive, and the first to leave.
The sun had already begun to set.
"It's getting late."
"Yeah…"
"You should head back to your room now, don't you think?"
"I'll stay a little longer."
Sansa had made up her mind to leave, as if something was forcing her to.
So I didn't try to stop her.
With one last look at her, I remembered how she was one of the few who stood by my side ..
even when others had called for my execution.
"Thank you… Sansa. For everything."
Maybe I wouldn't have survived if not for her.
So saying "thank you" was the least I could do.
Sansa replied with a smile.
"No need to thank me. You saved my life, remember?"
"So we're even then."
I waved at her, and she did the same ... disappearing from my view.
Sansa...
Yeah. I definitely don't want to kill you.
Slowly, the smile faded from my lips, replaced by my usual cold demeanor,
as I welcomed another uninvited guest.
"How long do you plan to watch from over there?"
I didn't even bother to turn around.
The blonde-haired prince clapped as he stepped forward.
"Impressive senses, as always… Frey."
"Aegon."
The prince, smiling as usual, glanced first at me, then in the direction where his sister had disappeared.
"I see your relationship with my sister is going smoothly."
He remarked with a smirk. I answered him plainly:
"Better than my relationship with you, at least."
"Ouch. That hurts, you know."
He feigned offense, then walked over and sat right where Sansa had been moments ago.
"What do you want?"
I asked, my patience already thin.
My relationship with him had never been friendly.
But Aegon was also good ..too good at hiding his true thoughts.
Dealing with this royal family was one long migraine.
"No need to worry, Frey. You're no longer one of my priorities."
"Is that so? Hard to believe."
Aegon wasn't the type to let a rogue piece wander around his chessboard, spreading chaos.
"Can't blame you. Normally, I'd just eliminate pieces like you… but you're too stubborn to die. Killing you's quite the hassle."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a dry laugh.
He chuckled as well.
"It was a compliment. You should be proud."
"I feel disgusted instead."
"So cruel."
Aegon shrugged, then gazed up at the sky.
"There are plenty of eyes and hands surrounding you now, Frey…
To be honest, I'm not sure if dealing with them is any better than dealing with me.
You might find me charming by comparison."
There was no telling what exactly he meant ... or who he meant.
But he wasn't wrong.
Maybe that was his conclusion after failing to kill me more than once.
I smiled faintly, staring at the ground.
"I'll figure things out… same as always."
"Then keep dancing on the board however you like. For now."
"You seem awfully calm. If I were you, I'd be feeling some pressure right now.
Sansa's not such an easy opponent anymore."
I threw the jab, and he only laughed.
"Is that what you truly think, Frey Starlight?"
"…"
Aegon stood up, and for once,
I saw his real face ... his real smile.
"My battle with my sister ended a long time ago."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
But Aegon was already walking away, still smiling.
"I've already won. It's over. Sansa destroyed herself with her own hands."
His words confirmed something:
he knew things others didn't ..
and unlike me, he didn't need a glimpse of the future to realize it.
"Look forward to the show that's about to start in the coming days.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it."
He waved goodbye and disappeared,
just like his sister had.
I sighed and remained seated.
"What kind of show…?"
And what blood would I need to spill this time?
With that thought gnawing at me,
I stood and left the garden as the sky grew darker overhead.