But she still decided to follow Varys. After all, the clamor outside the window seemed to be growing louder, and she could faintly hear people shouting. Sansa knew she had little time left to hesitate.
If she stayed here, she and Jeyne might be caught in the fighting when Viserys's army attacked tomorrow, or Cersei might use them as bargaining chips. Going with Varys was just as uncertain, fraught with unknowns, but at least he knew about Arya. That gave her some reason to trust him.
She took a deep breath, glanced at Jeyne trembling beside her, then looked into Varys's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing into people's hearts. At last, as though she had made up her mind, she nodded and said, "All right, I'll go with you. But you must guarantee Jeyne's safety too."
Varys's smile deepened. "Of course, Lady Stark. I will keep both of you safe. But time is short, and we must leave at once. Put this on and follow me. The Red Keep has far more secret passages than you imagine."
With that, he took two gray hooded garments much like his own from the bundle he had brought. Sansa hesitated no longer, and she and Jeyne quickly pulled them on.
Holding Jeyne's hand, she followed Varys into the dark, damp secret passage behind the fireplace. She looked back at the room she had lived in for over a year, a place once filled with her fear and helplessness.
Now she was leaving, carrying a faint hope for her future. The passage was pitch-black, with only the weak light in Varys's hand illuminating the narrow path ahead.
Once they were inside, Varys turned and closed the opening behind them. Silence settled over the room, as though no one had ever been there.
Sansa