When Arya took her hand, Regina's heart contracted and fluttered with affection for this unusual child. "The price depends on the spell. Sometimes it's an unusual ingredient, a bit of blood, life energy. But for something so innocent, it's nothing to worry over. I promise, it hasn't hurt me."
"Okay." Arya nodded somberly, taking Regina at her word. She'd decided to trust her, so that was that. Maybe she had more of Eddard Stark in her than she realized. "Because I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of me."
"We may have to agree to disagree about that," Regina replied after a long moment. "If I get hurt looking after you or protecting you, and that keeps you safe, then I've done what I'm supposed to--" as a parent. "Neil feels the same. It's part of how we became friends. In fact, it's why I wanted to surprise him tonight."
"But I don't want to lose anyone else," Arya objected, swallowing hard as her eyes threatened to water. "I want to be able to protect myself. To protect everyone that I care about."
Maternal reflexes had to be quick and Regina's hadn't dulled. No sooner did that first 'but' make it out of Arya's mouth than she'd turned, gently caught Arya's chin so she could look in her eyes, and then stroked her newly smoothed hair to pull her into a hug. "I know, sweetheart. I know. Believe me." She sighed over Arya's head and was abruptly even more grateful for Neil, and hopeful that Charlie would take a liking to Arya. "I'll teach you what I can, and Neil can teach you more. I promise, you won't be helpless if the people you care about are threatened. I just don't want you to have to protect yourself by yourself. That's what I'm here for."
Arya hugged Regina tightly, giving herself a moment or two just to be held, to swallow past the tightness in her throat and push back the urge to cry. She'd already lost most of one family. She wasn't going to lose another.
"We'll protect each other," she murmured, her voice muffled by the hold. "Okay?"
"All right." Arya did have skills with her sword, and she had been on her own, taking care of herself. As much as Regina wanted to wrap her back up in swaddling cloths and give her a quiet, peaceful, safe life, the djinn of violence was out of the lamp. The best she could do now was protect her when it showed its face and make sure Arya could protect herself.
"In a way, that's why I wanted you to come with me tonight," she said after a moment, and although it was a sly turn on her intentions, it was neither untrue nor unkind, and Regina was pleased with it. "Neil has a young friend he's trying to protect, but it isn't going well. I think maybe you can help."
Since they needed to continue walking, Regina offered Arya her hand again. "Neil came on a little too strong, and now Charlie is being stubborn about living in a place that isn't safe because she chose it." That, she assumed Arya would understand; Regina knew it to be something she would have done in Charlie's case.
"I would like to have you at the Inn with me but you're too grown--" She gave Arya a small conspiratorial smile -- 'we're better at this' -- and continued, "To share a room with me. However, the rules of this world require children to be Charlie's age to be in a room alone. So, if you were to convince Charlie she would be helping you have some independence by sharing a room with you at the Amagi, we could get her out of danger without her feeling pushed around. What do you think?"
Unsurprisingly, the task involved being clever and sneaky, and that made it immediately more appealing to Arya. "I can do that," she replied with a toothy grin. "I mean, if you think she'd want to." Charm was where Arya fell short, after all--Sansa was always better at that, making people like her, even love her.
"I think she will." Regina didn't know much at all about Charlie, but what she knew was that the girl, like Regina and Arya, had had a difficult childhood, and that she tried to take care of herself. She'd also checked in on Neil to see how he was doing, which told Regina that she cared. Give her a girl like Arya and Charlie would probably do cartwheels to look after her, and if Arya liked her, to be a part of her life.
"You just be yourself. I want to help her and Neil, but you being safe and happy comes first."
"Okay." Arya had been forced to pretend to be other people to be other people, sometimes it was hard to remember what it meant to be Arya Stark of Winterfell. But she felt safer now, with Regina, than she had felt in a long time, and that made it a little easier. "I can do that."
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"We'll protect each other," she murmured, her voice muffled by the hold. "Okay?"
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"In a way, that's why I wanted you to come with me tonight," she said after a moment, and although it was a sly turn on her intentions, it was neither untrue nor unkind, and Regina was pleased with it. "Neil has a young friend he's trying to protect, but it isn't going well. I think maybe you can help."
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"I would like to have you at the Inn with me but you're too grown--" She gave Arya a small conspiratorial smile -- 'we're better at this' -- and continued, "To share a room with me. However, the rules of this world require children to be Charlie's age to be in a room alone. So, if you were to convince Charlie she would be helping you have some independence by sharing a room with you at the Amagi, we could get her out of danger without her feeling pushed around. What do you think?"
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"You just be yourself. I want to help her and Neil, but you being safe and happy comes first."
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