Bolton Rising Part 70 - Peytr & Alayne

“Little Bird…” Petyr whispered softly, peering down at the young woman crying at his feet, his heart aching at her misery. “Do you remember our first night together? You gave me such a precious gift…” Baelish reached down, placing two fingers under Alayne’s wet chin and lifted her beautiful face, teary eyes meeting his paternal gaze. “Your untouched body, a girl’s pure innocence, and your trust I would never hurt you."

The Mockingbird took Alayne by the upper arm and helped her to her feet. He could feel his lover trembling under his touch. “Did I not vow to always keep you safe?” he questioned while smoothing Alayne’s red locks of hair back, tucking a wispy red curl behind her ear, letting his fingers caress the shell of the girl’s ear and down her neck. "Perhaps you are my only weakness in this world and that is a very dangerous proposition for a man like me. So, I must know everything that is going on or you endanger us both.” Petyr spoke with a calm but serious tone, hiding his anger perfectly, yet his inflection warned the girl not to trifle with their lives.

Alayne did not know what to do. She could not imagine losing Petyr, or worse, hurting him. She knew he loved her more than anything in the world. Alayne also knew he could be ruthless, it was a part of him which she'd never witnessed firsthand, however, she had heard whispers of the things that happened to people who crossed Petyr Baelish. What would he do to her, or have done to her? What would he have done to Sandor Clegane if he knew?

"I can't... I'm sorry Petyr..." she began. "Please, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve any of this." She looked around at her luxurious surroundings. "I should go. You deserve so much more, someone so much better..." Alayne pulled away, turning and crossing the room to open her closet door. Grabbing a bag, she began to fill it with a few of her belongings, sobbing as she pulled on a pair of jeans and fumbled as she tried to pull a sweater over her head. "I'll go to a hotel... I'll... You won't need to worry about me anymore... I'll always love you... Petyr."

Littlefinger stood by the bedroom door and frowned slightly as Alayne packed her things to make an escape, rather than face him with her actions. “You must have me confused with someone who would just let you go." He slammed the door shut and locked it, strolling towards his lover, a dark jealously lashing out as he grabbed Alayne by the wrist. "I expect answers and I will have them any way I deem necessary.” Petyr's grasp continued to squeeze until the girl cried out and dropped the bag, before forcing her against the wall and caging Alayne in with his body.

“Do I need to punish you to have my answers Little Bird?” Baelish pressed, his free hand collaring Alayne by the neck, while grey-green eyes darkened with a mixture of proprietorship and carnality. “I see now, I’ve been too soft hearted with you... only because it gave me such pleasure to spoil you. Like a father doting upon his beloved daughter. But you are a woman now, Alayne. The one I longed for in my dreams to be my wife and I won’t allow you to ruin that future."

"Please, Petyr, you're hurting me!" she gasped and he loosened his grip, but only a little. He would not let her go. For the first time since she had met him, Alayne felt afraid of Petyr. Until today, the thought had never crossed her mind that he would ever physically harm her. Now there was so much anger in his eyes that she began to tremble all over. Littlefinger, they called him. There was no one in business or in politics who was more successful, who had more power than this man. He had the world wrapped around his little finger. Although he rarely showed anything but charm, there were many people who were afraid of him. Now she could see why.

"I would rather leave than say words that I know will hurt you, Petyr. I never wanted to hurt you," she whispered. "Do you want to hear that I was unfaithful to you? That I love someone else, in the same way that I love you? Because I do love you, Petyr. That has not changed. It never will."

The Mockingbird pulled his hands away as she spoke, for once at a loss for words and a facade to cover the depth of his wounded emotions. ‘Don’t go... You said you were mine!’ The words rose from the depths of his mind, an old memory forged in pain, long forgotten but so familiar. Petyr stared at Alayne, her face wavering over another’s, like a mirage of someone he should know, lost and never recovered.

“I have no need to know any more. I can guess who ​it is you speak of.” Petyr grabbed his coat, unlocking the bedroom door and throwing it open. He turned slightly, but didn’t face Alayne directly, she had been allowed to see too much already. “This is no game I play with you, yet I have been made the fool nonetheless. Wherever you go, Alayne, I will make him suffer… and suffer greatly.”

Littlefinger walked out and called for the car, ignoring anything else Alayne said as he made his way to the elevator. He turned around as the doors began to close, catching one finally glimpse of his “Little Bird” as she pleaded for the Dog’s life, smirking softly because despite Alayne's betrayal, he still loved her.

​"Petyr please, it's my fault. Punish me, but let him go..." Her words fell on deaf ears, but she did not know what else to do. Her head spinning, she followed him to the door, pleading for mercy, pulling at his ​​sleeve, but he brushed her away. ​​She felt dizzy as she watched the elevator doors close, cutting her off. ​​Her bag was half packed. She should go... but where? Alayne's heart pounded as though it was trying to break though her chest.​

He knows, he knows, he knows.

​Running through the dark penthouse, she called for the Hound, but he was not there. He'd been there when she went to bed. Had he heard? Did he know? Alayne ran back to the bedroom and scrambled around in her bag until she found her phone. Her hands shook so hard she could barely slide the unlock screen. She hesitated a moment then, before touching Sandor Clegane's number, not knowing what to do or what to say. Where are you?

The phone rang and rang before finally going through to voicemail. Not his voice, just the default message. It could have been anyone on the other end of the line. "Where are you? He knows. He's looking for you. Please call me... I love you..." she whispered.

Walking slowly back out into the darkened living room, she crossed to the bar, poured herself a tumbler of Petyr's scotch and carried the glass out onto the balcony. Just a few hours ago she had been standing in this very spot, looking across the city at the light in Petyr's office. Now her entire world was crumbling around her and she felt numb all over. She tipped the scotch back, swallowing it quickly, shuddering at the burn, but finding some small amount of solace in the knowledge that she could feel something, even if it was more pain. She balanced her glass on the railing and looked down at the lights of the cars below. Without thinking, she reached out and pushed the tumbler off the railing, watching it disappear into the darkness. Alayne leaned over the railing. The drop was so great that she could not hear it when it hit the ground and shattered. I wish the Hound were here. Staring down into the dark, she waited.