Chapter Text
Chapter One: The Accused
The entire throne room was silent but for the sound of Missendei’s voice echoing. The crowds gathered on either side of the central aisle were silent as the grave.
“Lady Sansa Lannister, aliases Alayne Stone and Sansa Hardyng Stark. Age Nineteen. Born Lady Sansa Stark in the year 286 AL at Winterfell. Daughter of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, Warden of the North and Lady Catelyn Tully. Wife of Lord Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock. Lady Sansa is accused of the murders of Lord Petyr Baelish of Harrenhal, Lord Harrold Hardyng of the Eyrie, Lord Wallace Coldwater, and Lord Robert Arryn of the Eyrie, complicity in the murders of Joffrey Baratheon and Lady Lysa Tully Arryn, treason, fraud, and conspiracy of Northern secession.”
Jon gripped Longclaw’s hilt, his knuckles a bright white underneath his thick leather gloves. He stood upon the royal dais with his eyes glued to the accused, who stood quietly before the steps of the dais, her blue eyes staring straight ahead. She was trying to pretend that she wasn’t shivering violently, but it was no secret. She had every reason to shiver. The fact that she was being dragged before the Dragon Queen and the court to answer to a whole host of severe charges would have been enough to make any young woman lose their composure. Sansa was also standing in the large, cavernous throne room dressed in nothing more than a length of dirty sackcloth that barely went past her abdomen. And it was still winter.
Jon had to give her credit, though, she kept her bare arms by her side resolutely, and not a tear fell. If anything, Sansa just looked exhausted.
Meanwhile, Sansa’s ever-smug accusers, Lord Damon Coldwater and Lord Rhys Moore, stood at the foot of the dais, smirking in satisfaction. Both were looking quite healthy. Lord Damon, flaxen-haired and portly, was adorned in red and blue velvets trimmed with white fox fur. He looked every bit his forty-eight years and more. Lord Moore, tall, muscular, and very handsome, was in gold and white.
Jon felt more bothered by her state than she looked to be. Seeing her like this killed him. She was not only barely dressed but also filthy and thin. Her once beautiful, shining red hair was a rat’s nest. Jon barely recognized her.
He just wanted to scream at his Aunt, who stoically sat to his left upon the Iron Throne. How could you do this to her? She’s been through enough! Leave her be! But Daenerys insisted upon this. “This girl is not your sister, Jon, nor is she the girl you once knew. She’s accused of murdering a child. The Lords of the Vale are determined to see her brought to trial for Robert Arryn’s death. Furthermore, she was found with Petyr Baelish’s blood literally on her hands.”
“How do you answer to these charges, Lady Sansa?” Daenerys inquired.
Jon’s former half sister took a deep, shuddering breath before speaking. “On the charges of fraud, complicity in the deaths of Joffrey Baratheon and Lady Lysa Tully Arryn, and the murders of Robert Arryn and Harrold Hardyng, I plead Not Guilty.”
She spoke unbelievably well, given the circumstances. Daenerys’s eyes widened. “And the other charges?”
“As to treason, to my knowledge, I have committed no acts of betrayal towards Your Grace or any rightful King or Queen of Westeros. I admit to involvement in the Northern Secession Movement in order to free my homeland from Lannister control, however I maintain that I abandoned such goals upon the restoration of House Targaryen. I killed both Wallace Coldwater and Petyr Baelish in self-defense. Furthermore I claim my slaying of Lord Baelish was partially done in service to Your Grace.”
That last bit sparked quite a few whispers. Daenerys leaned forward, looking intrigued. “If you would explain your claims regarding Lord Baelish’s death in detail?”
Sansa nodded. “Upon Your Grace’s arrival to the shores of Westeros, Lord Baelish wished for me to continue to assert my claim to the title of Queen in the North and ally myself with Stannis Baratheon against you. His intention was that I would betroth my son, Eddard Hardyng Stark, to Shireen Baratheon to secure the alliance, satisfy Stannis, but still maintain a separate Northern crown in the process. I wished to instead give up the title of Queen and support your claim. During an argument, Lord Baelish grew aggressive and forced himself on me. As he did so, he confessed to murdering my husband, Harrold Hardyng. It was at this point that I managed to grab a nearby blunt object and bludgeon him to death with it.”
Everyone gasped. Jon started forward, but Daenerys held out an arm to stop him.
“I see.” Daenerys pursed her lips. “Lady Sansa, you do know the claims that have been made about you regarding your alleged murder victims?”
“I believe that Lord Damon Coldwater and Lord Rhys Moore are claiming that I was Lord Baelish’s willing and knowing accomplice in a treasonous plot to create a new kingdom comprised of the North, the Trident, and the Vale. They claim I helped Lord Baelish murder Lady Lysa and Lord Robert. That I fraudulently married Ser Harrold Hardyng, Lord Robert’s heir Presumptive, in order to seize full legitimate control of the Vale. They claim that I happily and willingly deceived them into making me Lady of the Vale and supporting my campaigns to reclaim the North and the Trident by marrying Harry. That I lied about both being a maid and that I lied when I said my marriage to Tyrion Lannister went unconsummated in order to secure the match. They say that not only was I lying about Tyrion having never touched me, but that before and during my marriage to Harrold, I was Lord Baelish’s lover. They also claim that my son, Eddard, was not Harry’s child, but Littlefinger’s bastard. The Lords also accuse me of purposely passing Eddard off as Harry’s trueborn son as to cement Baelish’s and my own control of the Vale and install a Baelish as Lord of the Eyrie. Alleged, I helped Baelish murder my husband after we’d taken back Winterfell so that Petyr and I could be married and install ourselves as King and Queen of the North, Trident, and Vale, and that I only killed him to avert suspicion of my complicity in his crimes.”
“And you maintain your innocence in all of this?”
“I will admit that I did know that Lord Baelish murdered Lysa Arryn and lied about it. I did so out of concern for my own safety, and was coerced into doing so. I also knew that Lord Baelish wanted to control the Vale and install me as Lady of the Eyrie, and that he was counting on my cousin Robert dying in order to make that happen. I had no idea he intended to murder the boy, and I still question that he did to this day. My cousin was not a strong or healthy boy. He was small, mentally unsound, constantly ill, weak, and afflicted with the shaking sickness. Winter was coming, and so while I would not be surprised if Lord Baelish killed him, it is entirely possible that Lord Robert did in fact die of natural causes. My opinion is that Lord Baelish merely allowed his death to happen, believing it to be a certainty.”
“What of charges that Lord Baelish exacerbated the Lord’s weakness with an overuse of sweetsleep?”
“That is more than possible. I presented the Maester’s warnings regarding that very issue to Lord Baelish, and he ignored them.”
Jon’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sansa? Covering the footprints of a murderer? Cooperating with a man who was counting on the death of a child? His stomach turned.
Sansa continued to speak. “If Lord Baelish did in fact poison Lord Robert, though, I had no involvement in that. Littlefinger did not tell me everything.”
“But you did know of a number of his crimes and intentions.”
“Yes, I did.”
“And you cooperated with him?”
That was a trick question, and Sansa knew it judging by the way her mouth twisted.
“It depends on what you’re referring to. Lord Baelish committed an incalculable number of offenses, nearly all of which I had no involvement with and/or knowledge of. I lied for him to the Lords Declarant and I was willing to marry Harrold Hardyng once he’d informed me that he’d arranged the betrothal. I also continued to masquerade as his bastard daughter and oversaw the household of the Eyrie following Lady Lysa’s death.”
“Are you saying that Lord Baelish betrothed you to Harrold Hardyng before he actually told you?” That actually was a very good point to seize upon. Jon was pleased to hear it. He knew Sansa had chosen her words carefully, and she’d clearly been hoping Daenerys would seize upon that statement. If true, it perfectly exhibited that Baelish was doing most of his plotting without Sansa’s involvement and illustrated the degree of her coercion. It made her look less like his willing, nefarious collaborator and more like a pawn in the man’s game.
Sansa nodded. “Yes. Littlefinger did not seek my consent in these matters or others. I arrived at The Gates of the Moon and he informed me that he’d arranged a match for me already.”
“Lady Sansa, why did you lie for Lord Baelish regarding Lysa Arryn’s death?” Daenerys inquired upon hearing this. By the looks of things, she wasn’t going to delve too deep quite yet. After all, they’d have witnesses and evidence brought forward later on to confirm or deny Sansa’s statements.
“This was in the aftermath of Joffrey’s assassination, and I was wanted for his murder. Lord Baelish had me spirited out of King’s Landing. He was protecting me, having me live under the identity of his bastard daughter Alayne.” This was all known by now. But it was a pertinent thing to remind people of. Jon looked upon his former half-sister in amazement. Despite her disheveled appearance, she was doing a brilliant job defending herself. She looks unprepared, but sounds like she’s been practicing for days. Jon could only look on in awe as his sister continued. “The only people who knew of my true identity were him, one of the men in his employ, and Lady Lysa. I was afraid that if I defied him in any way, that he would expose me and that I would be delivered back to Queen Cersei and executed. Furthermore, he killed Lady Lysa because she’d tried to kill me.”
Another spark of whispers. Daenerys’s jaw fell. “Tell us about what happened.”
“My Aunt Lysa loved Lord Baelish passionately, and she was a very unstable and jealous woman. Lord Baelish had dearly loved my mother, Catelyn, Lady Lysa’s sister. I believe part of the reason he had helped me was because of her. I greatly resemble my mother, you see. Lysa knew who I was, and with my mother dead, she transferred her jealousy towards my mother onto me. She had reason to, as Littlefinger had transferred his lust for my mother to me as well. One morning in the Eyrie, he kissed me, and my Aunt saw. What she didn’t see was that I’d pushed him away. That afternoon, she summoned me to the Audience Hall of the Eyrie and had the door locked. She brought me over to the Moon Door, opened it, held me over it, and tried to throw me out. There was a struggle between us. Thankfully, Lord Baelish arrived at this point and managed to break into the Hall and distract her. I escaped my Aunt’s grip while her attention was diverted, and he pushed her out of the Moon Door.”
Jon shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. This story was already enough to make him sick, but it was going to get worse. A number of the basic points of this story, he knew somewhat. But all of Sansa’s details were just making an already horrifying outline of the tale that much worse.
To Daenerys’s credit, her voice actually did start to sound sympathetic as she asked, “Lady Sansa, were you Lord Baelish’s lover?”
“Lord Baelish liked to think I was. He didn’t rape me in the traditional sense until after I was pregnant with my son Eddard. However, he’d begun forcing inappropriate contact with me right around the time of my betrothal to Harrold Hardyng.”
More whispers. Jon glared around at the surrounding court. That managed to quiet them. Daenerys looked like she was shaking, her face was a mask of horror.
“Would you please clarify your relationship with Petyr Baelish?”
“Until the night after Joffrey’s death, I didn’t even know I had one. I knew Lord Baelish as this advisor to the Queen, a man who had betrayed my father and had history with my mother. We’d had a couple of conversations before where he warned me about the court. Aside from that, I didn’t know him well at all. When Joffrey was dying, I was whisked away from the wedding by on Ser Dontos of House Holland. I had saved Dontos from execution by King Joffrey many moons earlier and since then he had been meeting me in secret to plot my escape from King’s Landing. I knew at the time that he had accomplices, but was kept completely in the dark about their identities. It was only after I stepped onto a ship that I discovered that Lord Baelish had engineered my escape and Joffrey’s murder.”
Daenerys interrupted. “Speaking of which, would you clarify your involvement in that affair?”
“Yes. Weeks prior to Joffrey’s death, Ser Dontos gifted me with a hairnet made with black amethysts. He told me I should wear it to the royal wedding and that a certain point, I would receive a signal and would need to sneak away to the Sept when I saw it. I wore the hair net as instructed. I did not know it until later, but the gems in my hairnet were not black amethysts at all, but crystallized poisons. During the wedding, one of Baelish’s co-conspirators had snuck over and pulled one of the gems from my hair without me realizing it, and deposited it in Joffrey’s cup. When Joffrey started choking, I took that as my signal and snuck away to the Sept in the midst of the panic. There, Ser Dontos met me again and led me away to the harbor and brought to a ship where Lord Baelish was waiting. It was there that he revealed that he’d killed Joffrey and arranged my escape. Until then, I’d had no idea that there was a plot to kill Joffrey, that the hairnet was involved, or who had arranged Joffrey’s death. All I knew of was some sort of plot for me to escape during the royal wedding that involved a hairnet. All other details were kept from me. To this day I cannot be completely sure as to who was truly involved. I was an unwitting pawn in the assassination.”
“Who do you believe may have been Lord Baelish’s conspirators?”
“It is hard for me to tell. Ser Dontos, of course. But other than that, little to nothing was revealed to me. Petyr rarely ever told me much in case I ever betrayed him. He was a very careful man.”
“What of rumored Tyrell involvement?”
At this, Sansa hesitated. Jon wasn’t sure why. At this point, it was generally accepted that someone from Highgarden had to have been involved in Joffrey’s murder. Mace, Alerie, Margaery, and Loras Tyrell were all currently imprisoned in the Great Sept and awaiting trial for that and a score of other crimes. But why would Sansa be afraid to speak of that? “I believe that Lady Olenna Redwyne Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns, was an accomplice. At one point during the wedding, she had come up to me to adjust my headdress. It is possible that she took the poison and put it in Joffrey’s cup. But I do not believe the other Tyrells were aware of what she was doing. Lady Olenna had a habit of embarking on her own secret undertakings which she carried out under the nose of her son and daughter-in-law. She had never been in favor of Margaery marrying Joffrey. However, Lord Mace was very determined to make his daughter a Queen against the advice of his Mother. Lady Olenna, when she wasn’t obeyed, had a habit of taking matters into her own hands to get what she wanted. She was well aware that Joffrey was an absolute monster. She even had me tell her herself. The woman absolutely adored her granddaughter above all others and wasn’t going to risk Margaery’s safety in such a manner, especially after what happened with King Renly. All the other Tyrells, however, were certain that placing Loras on the Kingsguard would be enough to keep Lady Margaery safe. Lady Olenna wasn’t as confident.”
“And what of Lady Margaery?”
“I believe Margaery was innocent of any plot to kill Joffrey. She may have become aware of her grandmother’s actions after the fact, however, I have no reason to believe that she knew of anything beforehand.”
“Very well. Be aware that your testimony may be required again when the other Tyrells are charged. But we should move on.” Daenerys sighed. “Returning to your relationship with Lord Baelish, what happened after you got on his ship?”
“He told me he was taking me to the Vale, and that I would have to masquerade as his bastard for a while in order to keep myself safe. He promised me that I would be protected in the Eyrie with my Aunt. For a while he merely treated me as a daughter and acted as my friend. Then one day, I was out in the gardens, and he kissed me.”
“This was the kiss that led to Lady Lysa trying to kill you?”
“Yes.”
“And what happened after that?”
“After her death?”
“Yes.”
“He started treating me as his daughter and as an apprentice of sorts. When he was actually at The Eyrie--- he traveled around The Vale constantly, leaving me behind--- he would confide in me any plans he felt I should be aware of and began to tutor me in politics and subterfuge. While he was securing his control of the Vale, he had me nurse Lord Robert and oversee the Eyrie’s household for him. He helped me craft my lies for the Lords Declarant, and I spoke whatever words he instructed me to say. He treated me like I was his beloved daughter both in public and private. Our relationship altered once we moved to the Gates of the Moon.”
“What happened?”
“Lord Baelish began to act on his lust towards me.” Sansa replied nervously. She was now staring at the ground intently, her jaw clenched.
“He took your maidenhead.” Daenerys replied. Sansa shook her head.
“No. My marriage to Tyrion Lannister was unconsummated. I was still a maid. And for me to have a valid marriage, I had to be a true virgin. So Lord Baelish forced himself on me in less conventional ways, making sure not to breach my Maiden’s place.”
Jon shivered. He could vaguely imagine some of what that might entail, but he didn’t want to think about it in detail. Littlefinger had been the most prolific and powerful pimp in the Seven Realms. Jon was sure whatever the man got up to went far beyond what Jon could think of. He couldn’t bear to hear Sansa have to elaborate, so he spoke. “I don’t think it’s necessary for Lady Sansa to have to go into detail about how Lord Baelish satisfied his lusts. The point is, your maidenhead was not breached, correct?”
“Yes. Lord Baelish forced himself on me in other ways.” Sansa said, not meeting his eyes.
“So you relationship was nonconsensual?”
“I was coerced into allowing him to do as he wished with my body, knowing that if I didn’t comply, it could mean my death. After a couple of initial struggles, I eventually gave up trying to fight him off and allowed him to do as he wished. I consider every intimate encounter I had with him during that time period to be rape. However, it was the sort of rape that allowed me to go to my marriage bed technically a maid. My maiden’s sheet bled that night. Harrold Hardyng was the first man I ever had traditional intercourse with. Petyr didn’t start raping me in the conventional sense until after I was pregnant with my son. After Harry died, I had no one to turn to, and I sought Petyr as a source of comfort. It was after Harry’s death that our relationship became somewhat consensual. That is, until the night of Lord Baelish’s death. Until that evening, I’d had no idea that he’d killed Harry.”
Daenerys frowned, her eyes flickering in disbelief. “You didn’t suspect?”
“No. Harry had died in battle. I thought it was by an enemy’s blow. I had no idea Petyr arranged it. It’s possible I suspected him on a subconscious level, but that I was in denial because of everything that had happened. I was fighting a war, protecting and caring for my newborn child, and trying to reclaim my family’s birthright.”
“And yet you stayed with your raper?”
Sansa looked up at Daenerys. “He was all I had.”
Once again, Jon moved to run towards her and Daenerys stopped him. She gave him a warning look this time. Not again, Nephew. She then turned back to the accused.
“So why did you kill him?” The Dragon Queen asked.
“All manner of reasons, both political and personal. Learning that he’d killed my husband definitely turned out to be the tipping point in our relationship. It was when I finally achieved full clarity as to the nature of our personal relationship. It didn’t help that the last time he raped me, it was particularly violent. But there were also, I admit, political reasons. His plan was too risky. I had no doubt that you would squash any force Stannis and I would bring against you. I knew that if we did this, we’d lose everything and that my son would be killed. I believed the only way to keep Eddard safe was to ally myself with you. Petyr was willing to put Eddie’s life at risk just to be King of the Vale. Furthermore, he’d killed Harry. And all of it, including the rape, was too much. So I killed him to save myself and to save my son….” At this point, Sansa’s voice wavered. She began to shake more violently. “Of course, I didn’t know then that I would never be able to save my son no matter what I did.”
And it was at this point that Sansa sunk to the ground, hugging herself. This time, Daenerys couldn’t stop Jon from running off the dais.
As Jon neared his sister, a woman in purple hurried over to Sansa and blocked him out. “Get away from her, you Targaryen scum. Hasn’t she been through enough?”
Jon recognized her. The woman was Lady Anya Waynwood. Nearly all of the Lords of the Vale had been calling for Sansa’s head, but she’d had two supporters: Lady Waynwood, and Lady Myranda Royce. It was their intervention that allowed Sansa to have a trial. Otherwise, she’d have just been dragged to the Vale and thrown through the Moon Door.
A recess was declared. Daenerys stood up. “We will resume this trial tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I order that Lady Sansa be taken out of the custody of the Septons and moved from her cell in the Great Sept. She is to be placed in the custody of Prince Jon until further notice.”
Jon looked up at his Aunt, overcome with appreciation. He could tell by the look on Daenerys’s face that she’d more or less made up her mind. Her suspicions were melting away and being replaced with pity. Daenerys came over to him quickly, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Get her someplace she can actually hide and experience some comfort.”
Lord Damon, his eyes dark and narrowed, stepped forward. “Your Grace, I must protest. Placing this woman in the custody of a man she used to call brother presents a clear conflict of interest.”
Daenerys turned a burning violet gaze upon him. “Lord Coldwater, I would not question my commands right now if I were you.”
There was no further protest. Jon diverted his attention to Sansa, crouching down next to Lady Waynwood, who gave him a poisonous look.
“My Lady, please. I mean her no harm.” He protested. “I will make sure she is taken somewhere safe.”
“If you cared a fig for her, Boy, you’d have never let this trial come to pass in the first place.” Lady Anya snarled. “You have allowed her to endure this much humiliation.”
“Anya…” Sansa said, struggling to get up. Both Lady Waynwood and Jon helped her get to her feet. “This accomplishes nothing. He can take me whether you and I want him to or not. The Queen put me in his custody.”
Jon’s heart sank. He didn’t want to take her away against her will. He wanted her to trust him. “I could ask the Queen to place you in Lady Anya’s care.”
“Lady Anya is a witness for the defense, it would be illegal.” Sansa replied, still shaking. “It’s fine, Your Grace.”
He had a million questions for her. They could wait. Jon removed his black velvet cloak and threw it over Sansa’s shoulders. She almost fell under the weight of it, and Jon quickly scooped her up. She stiffened in his arms, as if his touch hurt, but didn’t struggle. Jon called his guards to him and gave quiet orders for them to have a room in the royal wing prepared. “Get a couple of maids, as well, and have a bath brought to my room. See if we can’t acquire some proper clothing for her.”
He invited Lady Waynwood to follow him. When they got to the exit of the throne room, Lady Myranda Royce stood waiting. She insisted on joining them as well. The two women followed him back to his apartments. When he entered, Satin, who had been sitting by the window, sprung to his feet and rushed over. “My Lord, what----?”
“My sister has been assigned to my care.” Jon said simply. “Go have some food prepared for her and brought here.”
The steward nodded and hurried off. Jon laid Sansa down on his bed as gently as he could. Before he could say something, Lady Myranda pushed Jon aside and felt Sansa’s forehead.
“You’re not feverish, thank the Gods.”
“The Gods couldn’t be bothered if I’m feverish or not,” Sansa mumbled, looking away.
“They’ve kept you alive this long,” Lady Waynwood replied, pursing her lips. “They must care about something.”
“I’d have preferred it if they had extended their concern for my child.”
Jon swallowed. “What can I do?”
Lady Waynwood glared at him. “You could get that Aunt of yours to do the right thing and put an end to this charade. Or maybe you can’t. In that case, you’re useless.”
Myranda sighed and turned to Jon, her expression a bit more sympathetic. “If you could secure her a reliable bedmate for the night. I can't do it, I’m a witness as well. But if there is anyone you can think of…”
“My Direwolf, Ghost.” Jon replied. “He can sleep with her tonight. He won’t hurt her, and no one can claim he presents a political conflict.”
Myranda nodded. “They’ve been keeping her in that awful little cell with a dirty mat on the floor, a rag for a blanket, and cold broth to eat for a week now.”
“And he did nothing to fix it!” Lady Waynwood growled. “The Lady of Winterfell and the Eyrie! A trueborn daughter of House Stark! Cousin to the Prince of the Realm! And the Prince of the Realm couldn’t be bothered until now to get her a bed to sleep on.”
“I tried to intercede on her behalf,” Jon said weakly. He’d made inquiries as to Sansa’s accommodations and asked to visit her. But Sansa herself had refused to see him.
“Oh yes, I’m sure your efforts were legendary.” Lady Waynwood glared some more.
“My Aunt is in a precarious position. She doesn’t want to offend the Lords of the Vale.” He knew that was a weak excuse even now.
“That woman has dragons. She killed the Night’s King. She doesn’t need to worry about offending a few idiots. These charges are worth spit and everyone knows it. Coldwater and Moore started this all so they could seize control of the Vale and to get revenge for Wallace’s death. Never mind that the man murdered a three-year-old boy in his nursery. Where’s Eddard’s justice? Where’s Sansa’s?”
“It will come, I promise you.” Jon said solemnly. I guarantee it. “Once Sansa is acquitted, we will bring charges against the Coldwaters and Moores. They will face justice for this.”
“They should have all been arrested the moment Eddard died.” Myranda said angrily. “Instead, they just used everyone’s hatred for Littlefinger as an excuse to distract everyone.”
“I know. But it won’t work. Sansa… Sansa thus far has done beautifully. And the evidence is in her favor. She has told her tale incredibly well and it holds up far better than what Coldwater and Moore are claiming.” Jon replied. “Anyone who believed them who saw what happened today are undoubtedly calling them into question.”
Their conversation was interrupted with Satin and a number of maids arriving with a steaming tray of food, a tub, and pails of hot water. Lady Waynwood took this opportunity to dismiss Jon from his own chambers. Jon reluctantly went, leaving Ghost behind. He charged towards his Aunt’s private chambers, only barely waiting for the guard to announce him before he burst in. Daenerys sat at her map table near the window, alone. Her actual appearance suddenly reminded him of how intimidating she could be. Jon took a deep breath, but his Aunt stopped him short.
“I know what you’re going to say, Jon. So let me spare you the breath. "