Was his behaviour an example of her courtly ideal? Hardly. But then again, he wasn't entirely unlike certain noblemen at a grand feast. King Robert, certainly, could fill his plate just as lustily. And her brothers had never seen fit to skimp on their meals. Even so, Sansa wielded her knife and fork with grace.

A smarter woman would have had the foresight to warn Gendry not to overextend his appetite, for he'd been too long without regular meals and was likely to make himself sick. A smarter woman would have asked the kitchens to prepare something blander, and more easily digested. But hunger was a hell she'd never known.

After she had allowed him to eat in peace for a solid five or ten minutes, she spoke -- leaning forward to reach for her mulled wine. "Do you suppose it's terribly selfish of me to be glad you were captured?"