A Game of Thrones, Chapter 15, Sansa
Summary
Sansa and Arya are invited to ride with Queen and princess Myrcella in the wheelhouse. Sansa is thrilled about it, Arya refuses to do it, she prefers to go riding with her new friend, butcher-boy Mycach. When Sansa goes to meet with the Queen she finds out that she’s welcoming new escort sent to them from Kings Landing. Ser Barristan, Ser Ilyn and King’s brother Renly are introduced. Queen wants to talk to them, so instead of joining her in the wheelhouse Sansa goes riding with Joffrey.
After drinking too much wine Sansa and Joffrey stumble upon Arya and Mycach training swordplay with broom handles. Joffrey wants to teach Mycach a lesson for hurting sister of his betrothed. Arya doesn’t let him hurt the butcher boy and hits him in the head. When Joffrey goes after her, he’s attacked by Arya’s direwolf, Nymeria. Mycach, Arya and Nymeria run away.
Quotes
Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different. It would have been easier if Arya had been a bastard, like their half brother Jon.
A grey blur flashed past her, and suddenly Nymeria was there, leaping, jaws closing around Joffrey’s sword arm. The steel fell from his fingers as the wolf knocked him off his feet, and they rolled in the grass, the wolf snarling and ripping at him, the prince shrieking in pain.
Commentary
The hatred between sisters grows. We knew that Arya was jealous of Sansa’s looks and skills, now we find out that the feeling goes the other way too. Sansa is jelous of the love their father has for the younger girl. Sansa can’t understand why her father approves the wild things her sister does. It’s clear that he thinks she’s better than Arya, which immediately made me dislike her character.
What struck me about Sansa in this chapter was how shallow and self-centred she was. She fell in love with price Joffrey before she got to know him. She couldn’t comprehend how someone would want to go ride horse instead of sitting on a pillow and eating lemon cakes. And when her betrothed went after her sister with the sword in his hand all she could think was that they were ruining her beautiful, romantic day with the prince.
Tags: Sansa
