Cersei Lannister's body was found at the bottom of the Western Tower the next morning. At this discovery, most of the people at the Tourney were in shock and they began speculating about who could be responsible for the woman's death.

Arya, of course, ignored the gossips and simply resumed her day like nothing happened.

Most importantly, she wanted to keep a low profile, even though no one suspected her for committing the crime. Yet.

.

.

.

"The next person you must kill is King Aerys Targaryen." Death told her the moment Arya contacted him the next morning.

"You want me to kill who now?" She asked.

"I want you to kill the King," Death repeated.

"And how do you want me to kill him?" She inquired.

"With poison, most specifically the Tears of Lys."

"When do you want me to do it?"

"Tonight. During the private dinner with the royal family...you must use the face of the King's food taster and slip the poison in the King's drink."

"That sounds easy enough...but who is going to be there during dinner?"

"The Queen, the Prince, and probably two of the Kingsguards will be there."

"And how do I slip the poison with four other people looking on?"

"I will provide you with a hidden contraption to hold the poison. You will put it around your wrist, which will be hidden beneath your sleeve. The contraption has a secret mechanism wherein once you press it, it will shoot the poison into the King's drink."

"Where is this contraption you speak of?"

"Yandry, your servant, is fetching it as we speak."

"Well, I can't wait to try it on."

.

.

.

The royal suite is as silent as a tomb, despite the six occupants inside it.

No one spoke. Not even the Queen or Prince who sat alongside the King in a round table at the center of the room. The only sound that could be heard is the crackling sound of the fire in the fireplace and the heavy breathing of the King.

The family didn't talk about anything, not even Cersei Lannister's death. Perhaps they found the topic too morbid to discuss at the dinner table.

Arya, disguised as Eroll the food taster, sensed the palpable tension in the air and couldn't help but feel affected by it. Her palms were clammy and her heart was racing as the royal family waited for dinner to be serve by the Lannister servants.

They didn't have to wait long, for a moment later, they heard a knock at the door. The two Kingsguards stationed at the door - Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower - immediately admitted the servants bearing trays of food.

The procession of servants came in and delivered the food at the royal family's table. Arya barely glance at the contents of the trays, instead she concentrated hard on the contraption hidden beneath her sleeve. The time to use the contraption was drawing near and Arya hoped that everything would work out just fine.

"Food taster, come here." King Aerys ordered and Arya immediately moved to obey. As Arya neared the King, she immediately see the bowl of potage beside the King's wineglass.

"Come and taste the potage," The King said to her and Arya did as instructed. She used the spoon she was asked to carry and took a good portion of the soup. Afterward, she brought the spoonful of potage into her mouth and savored it. She could taste the meat and vegetables in the soup, which was probably boiled and stirred until it formed into a thick mush.

It tasted delicious.

Too bad Arya wouldn't be able to enjoy the food or anything at all, not when she was about to kill the King.

"It's safe to eat, your grace." Arya told the King. "I don't detect any poison in it."

"Are you certain?" King Aerys asked, eyeing her warily.

"Yes, I am completely certain." She replied, nodding her head in affirmation.

"If you are wrong, and I am poisoned, I will have you burn alive." The King threatened and Arya was tempted to slit the man's throat and be done with the pretense.

However, considering that there were two Kingsguards stationed at the door, Arya was wise enough not to follow after her instinct to kill the King in front of witnesses.

"The potage is safe to eat, your grace." Arya repeated. "Your wine, however, must be tested as well."

Arya reminded the King, hoping to change the subject.

"Yes, yes, my wine." King Aerys replied, "Taste it, if you must."

Arya did as instructed and grabbed the wine glass at the table and poured the bottle of arbor gold. A moment later, she drank the wine and felt the burn down her throat and straight into her stomach. The Arbor gold was too strong that Arya was tempted to spit it out, but stopped herself from doing so.

"The wine is safe as well, your grace." She told him after a while. She placed the wine glass back unto the table, but not before Arya activated the hidden mechanism.

With the insides of her wrist touching the rim of the wine glass, she pressed the mechanism and instantly heard something hiss softly. Arya coughed loudly to hide what she was doing and sensed more than see when the poison shot out from the small contraption around her wrist and towards the wineglass half-filled with arbor gold.

"Now that your food taster has tasted your food and wine father. Might mother and I begin eating?" Prince Rhaegar asked and Arya finally directed her attention towards the Silver Prince.

"Yes, of course," King Aerys said, waving his hand. "You may start eating. Both of you."

"Thank you, father." Prince Rhaegar replied, bowing his head.

Once more, the room fell silent, except for the sound of utensils being used while the royal family ate. Arya had moved to stand a distance away from the royal family and simply observed everything around her. Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold remained standing at attention at the door while staring at nothing in particular.

The second course arrived a few minutes later. This time it was a stuffed peacock and once again Arya was ordered to taste the food right before the King did. The same went for the third and fourth course, which was Mutton in Onion-Ale Broth and pears in red wine respectively. As the dinner progressed, Arya continued to observe how the King drank his wine and wondered when the poison was going to take effect.

She hoped that the Tears of Lys would start affecting the King after the dinner. Not during the dinner. Because Arya was certain that she couldn't escape from there without taking out two outrageously strong Kingsguards and a Prince first, especially after they realized that she was responsible for poisoning the King.

However, Arya must have run out of luck because she finally began to notice the effects of the poison on the King.

The King began to sweat and become pale during the fifth course. The King was eating a selection of nuts and he seemed to have trouble swallowing it.

Any moment now and the people in the room would notice the King's pale condition.

Arya prepared herself to run. Her eyes eyeing the only exit to the room, which was guarded by two Kingsguards.

The moment the King collapsed on the table. Arya Stark knew at once that she was done for.

"My King!" "Father!"

Both Queen Rhaella and Prince Rhaegar cried out as they abruptly stood up from their chair. At the same time, the two Kingsguards run towards the King, who by this point, was grimacing and groaning at the table.

After the Kingsguards vacated the doorway, Arya saw her chance to escape. Immediately, she tried hard to remain unnoticeable by anyone in the room while she made her way towards the door.

"Your grace!" Ser Gerold said while she half-ran, half-walked towards the door.

"I've been poisoned!" King Aerys moaned loudly while his face contorted in pain. "Someone has poisoned me!"

"Where's the food taster?" the Queen suddenly asked, probably noticing Arya's absence from her original spot.

"He is getting away!" She heard Ser Arthur shout and Arya looked behind her just in time to see the two Kingsguards coming after her.

Arya didn't wait for them to catch up to her and so she ran hard from there like her life depended on it.