Jet Blue Decision Making Steps free essay sample

Introduction David Neeleman is Chairman and CEO of JetBlue Airways Corporation. He started his career in the airline industry in 1984 when he co-founded Morris Air. As president of Morris Air, he implemented the industrys first electronic ticketing system and pioneered a home reservationist system . JetBlue is Neelemans third successful launch in the aviation business, His goal is to bring people back to air travel by offering low fares, friendly service and a high quality product. JetBlue is now the largest carrier at New Yorks John F.Kennedy Airport. And was rated Best Domestic Airline at Conde Nast Travelers 2003 Readers Choice Awards for the second consecutive year, and was runner-up for Best Domestic Airline at Travel ; Leisure magazines 2002 and 2003 Worlds Best Awards. Neelemans key decision was to to setup a career JetBlue which embraced the Southwest model of low fares and customer friendly service and a high quality product like all economy-class ,stylish perks such as leather seats, DirectTV and assigned seats. We will write a custom essay sample on Jet Blue Decision Making Steps or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He belives that business really needed some fresh thinking and fresh ideas. It depicts his idea of launching JetBlue and making it a customer oriented, high quality airline that stands out from other airlines. For making decision Neeleman used six stages they are Identifying and diagnosing the problem: The first step towards a decision making process is to define the problem. Obviously, there would be no need to make a decision without having a problem. So, the first thing one has to do is to state the underlying problem that has to be solved.Neeleman himself and with his staff spend quite time studying the customer problems and in convinces they faced during the flight. This helped him finding not only identifying and diagnosing the problem but also find out what customers wants and got fresh ideas. Generating alternative solutions: The situation of making a decision arises because there are many alternatives available for it. Hence, the next step after defining the main problem would be to state out the alternatives available for that particular situation.Here, you do not have to restrict yourself to think about the very obvious options, rather you can use your creative skills and come out with alternatives that may look a little irrelevant. This is important because sometimes solutions can come out from these out-of-the-box ideas. You would also have to do adequate research to come up with the necessary facts that would aid in solving the problem. By interacting with customers he gathered fresh ideas that require comfortable seats and entertainment in flights at low cost.And also a formal recovery plan when all gates is engaged during crises condition that included the purchase of mobile staircases at airports so that passengers could deplane even if all the gates were occupied. Evaluate the Alternatives: This can be said to be the one of the most important stages of the decision making process. This is the stage where you have to analyze each alternative you have come up with. You have to find out the advantages and disadvantages of each option. This can be done as per the research you have done on that particular alternative.At this stage, you can also filter out the options that you think are impossible or do not serve your purpose. Rating each option with a numerical digit would also help in the filtration process. He learned from the customers feedback and observation that apart from providing new efficient flights also need to provide good comfortable leather seats. Instead of providing on board meals he provided snacks in short distance flights and also entertainment options like satilite direct TV etc. Make the Decision: This is the stage where the hard work you have put in analyzing would lead to.The evaluation process would help you in looking at the available options clearly and you have to pick which you think is the most applicable. You can also club some of the alternatives to come out with a better solution instead of just picking out any one of them. During the winter storm that gripped the northeast United States on Valentine’s Day 2007 many of the flights were canceled,JetBlue soon found that many of its planes and flight crews scattered across the rest of the country were now out of place due to the disruptions at its hub in New York.As a result, as a result he has to decide to reset the airlines operation. However, came at a steep price: JetBlue was forced to cancel approximately 1,200 flights between February 14 and February 19. Implement the Solution: The next obvious step after choosing an option would be implementing the solution. Just making the decision would not give the result one wants. Rather, you have to carry out on the decision you have made. This is a very crucial step because all the people involved in the implementation of a solution should know about the implications of making the decision. This is very essential for the decision to give successful results. Monitor your Solution: Just making the decision and implementing it is not the end of the decision making process, it is very important to monitor your decision regularly. At this stage, you have to keep a close eye on the progress of the solution taken and also whether it has led to the results you expected.

Lexeme - Definition, Etymology and Examples

Lexeme s In linguistics, a lexeme is the fundamental unit of the lexicon (or word stock) of a language. Also known as a  lexical unit,  lexical item,  or  lexical word. In corpus linguistics, lexemes are commonly referred to as lemmas. A lexeme is oftenbut not alwaysan individual word (a simple lexeme or dictionary word, as its sometimes called). A single dictionary word (for example, talk) may have a number of inflectional forms or grammatical variants (in this example, talks, talked, talking). A multiword (or composite) lexeme is a lexeme made up of more than one orthographic  word, such as a phrasal verb (e.g., speak up;  pull through), an open compound (fire engine;  couch potato), or an idiom (throw in the towel;  give up the ghost). The way in which a lexeme can be used in a sentence is determined by its word class or grammatical category. Etymology From the Greek, word, speech Examples and Observations A lexeme is a unit of lexical meaning, which exists regardless of any inflectional endings it may have or the number of words it may contain. Thus, fibrillate, rain cats and dogs, and come in are all lexemes, as are elephant, jog, cholesterol, happiness, put up with, face the music, and hundreds of thousands of other meaningful items in English. The headwords in a dictionary are all lexemes.(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2003) Specifications of Lexemes [A] lexeme is a linguistic item defined  by the following specifications, which make up what is called the lexical entry for this item: its sound form and its spelling (for languages with a written standard);the grammatical category of  the lexeme (noun,  intransitive verb, adjective, etc.);its inherent grammatical properties (for some languages, e.g. gender);the set of grammatical forms it may take, in particular, irregular forms;its lexical meaning.These specifications apply to both simple and composite lexemes.(Sebastian Là ¶bner,  Understanding Semantics. Routledge, 2013) The Meanings of Lexemes Definitions are an attempt to characterize  the meaning or sense of a lexeme and to distinguish the meaning of the lexeme concerned from the meanings of other lexemes in the same semantic field, for example, the elephant from other large mammals. There is  a sense in which a definition characterizes the potential meaning of a lexeme; the meaning only becomes precise  as it is actualized in a context. Since the division of the meaning of a lexeme into senses is based on the variation of meaning perceived  in different contexts, a tension exists in lexicography between the recognition of separate senses and the potentiality of meaning found in definitions. This may well account in large part for the divergence  between  similar-sized dictionaries in the number of senses recorded and in consequent differences of definition.(Howard Jackson and  Ã¢â‚¬Å½Etienne Zà © Amvela,  Words, Meaning and Vocabulary: An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology, 2nd ed. Continuum, 200 5) Invariable and Variable Lexemes In many cases, it makes no difference whether we take a syntactic or a lexical perspective. Lexemes such as the and and are invariable, i.e., there is only one word corresponding to each. Also invariable are lexemes like efficiently: although more efficiently is in some respects like harder, it is not a single word, but a sequence of two, and hence efficiently and more efficiently are not forms of a single lexeme. Variable lexemes, by contrast, are those which have two or more forms. Where we need to make clear that we are considering an item as a lexeme, not a word, we will represent it in bold italics. Hard, for example, represents the lexeme which has hard and harderand also hardestas its forms. Similarly are and is, along with be, been, being, etc., are forms of the lexeme be. . . . A variable lexeme is thus a word-sized lexical item considered in abstraction from grammatical properties that vary depending on the syntactic construction in which it appears.(Rodney Huddleston and G eoffroy Pullum, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2002) Pronunciation: LECK-seem

Swatch Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Swatch Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that during the last few years, Swiss Watch Industry is holding a prominent position in the economy, by expanding its export operations. The brand name of Swiss, which provides its consumers the best quality goods with appropriate guarantees as well. This report is an overview of the marketing plan for the company to explore the market, and shows what strategies the company should adopt. The company should have clear objectives regarding the way market should be approached because the market is highly competitive in nature. The major objectives of the Swiss industry are that evaluating the customer preferences, provide needful product, and capture the market and a proficient market share. It is necessary to understand the taste and preferences of new customers. Moreover, the company should follow a customer-oriented approach, by understanding the strategy of its competitors. It is necessary to capture the market and maintain profitability thr ough innovative measures and designs. Like any other company, the marketing function of Swatch to has a great contribution to the success of the product in the market. The company was formed after the merger of two largest watch makers ASUAG and SSIG. Swatch dominates the watch market of the world at present. The company actually took over this position after facing a severe crisis in 1970 that is they faced the serious drop in its sales during that period. The peculiarity of Swatch products is that they range from very low priced products to that with the very high price. One of the important factors behind the company's success is that they had very good marketing strategies. Swatch was considered in the market as a fashion accessory or product. This impression was created through the continuous advertisement and publicity portraying this impression. The marketing plan of the company was to make available in the market the cheapest as well as the costlier watch. In order to make c heaper watch the company introduced several technologies. "The bottom end of the market was the subject of a technological revolution, which made watches much cheaper to produce". Â  The company offers products in various designs. Another success factor in its marketing strategy is that it sponsors many sports events the major one being Beach Volley Ball. The marketing aim of the CEO to make Swatch into a fashion accessory took the company to heights. In order to achieve this objective the company focused on reducing the prices of the watch to make it available to every common man. The marketing strategy helped the company to make record sales of one million units after the implementation of the strategy. The major contribution of the company's marketing function is that it helped the company to mark its presence in over 80 countries. The company has therefore sold over 333 million watches all over the world. The other element that contributed to the success of the brand is the inn ovative product design. The company introduced many smart and trendy designs in the market The Company made trendy designs and made that available at every store. Thus the brand gained wide popularity among the teenagers. Swatch made a landmark design in the 80's that posted record sales in the financial data of the company.

Managing Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Projects - Essay Example The Ashleigh Music Festival Company has been tasked with the responsibility of managing this project and ensuring that it is successful. This essay will discuss how the Ashleigh Music Festival as a major project can be executed so as to successfully organize and execute it. This essay will also discuss the key issues of the Ashleigh Music Festival project such as the key tasks to be completed so that the festival can be ready for opening, the importance of using project management skills and techniques and the skills and competencies required of the project team among others. Part B: The importance of Project management tools The Ashleigh Music Festival is an important event the needs to be properly managed so as to ensure that it is successful. Effective project management techniques and processes need to be applied to this project for a number of reasons. These project management techniques and processes may include the creation of a business case, defining the scope of the project , being clear about the goals and objectives that need to be achieved by the project, coming up with a viable project plan and selecting the best project team to execute the project (Archibald 1992). The first reason why it would be important to use these project management techniques and processes in the Ashleigh Music Festival is because the project management team will be provided with the opportunity to take charge of the available resources so as to ensure that the team produces the highest quality deliverables that are on time and within the set budget (Bradford, Duncan & Tarcy 2000). This is much easier when project management techniques and processes are used to plan and execute a project (Cleland 1994). The second reason why it would be important to use project management techniques and processes in the Ashleigh Music Festival is to ensure that all set deadlines for the project are met and that all the necessary actions have a timeline at which they should be executed and a chieved (Burt, Dobler & Starling 2003). When project management techniques and processes are applied, deadlines for each action are given. This means that all the actions will have a timeline during which they should be carried out and completed successfully (Cleland & Gareis 2006). This increases the chances of the entire project succeeding as opposed to when there are no set deadlines. Defining the scope of the project is important because it will help the project to focus on what it is set to achieve, and nothing else. It will enable the project team to remain on course and focus their attention on only what the project is set to achieve. Producing a project plan will outline all the processes that need to be conducted and show how they shall be executed. The plan will act as a guide for all the actions that take place during the project’s life cycle. Getting the right team together is also one of the most important factors that will determine whether the project is succes sful or not. The project team is the heart of the project because it is responsible for planning for it and executing it. Creating a business case is necessary because it will provide a solution to the problems likely to be experienced in the project. Essentially, project management entails a number of processes and standard control systems that will ensure the success of projects like the Ashleigh Music

DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Nurses Using Modified Delphi

DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Nurses Using Modified Delphi Research article DEVELOPMENT OF PATIENT’S DVT RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR NURSES USING MODIFIED DELPHI TECHNIQUE. Mr.Kapil Sharma1,Ms. Jaspreet Kaur Sodhi2, *Ms.Rupinder Kaur3 ABSTRACT Background Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a very serious, potentially fatal, and very preventable medical condition. It is important for all patients admitted to the hospital to be screened for the risk of developing a DVT. This could be easily accomplished by performing a risk factor assessment-screening tool on all patients. It is also important to educate the medical and nursing staff on the fact that all patients are at risk for developing DVT, not just surgical patients who are often believed to be at the highest risk of DVT. The implementation of the risk factor assessment could potentially save lives and reduce the hospital costs of treating and managing the complications of DVT and venous thromboembolic disease. The implementation of a risk factor assessment tool could potentially aid in the recognition and appropriate prophylaxis of those patients who are at extremely high risk for DVT. Without appropriate recognition of the risk for DVT, patients may be placed at risk for DVT and the p otentially fatal and/or debilitating complications associated with the development of DVT.1 Aim The aim of the study is to develop Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Staff Nurses. Objectives To select and pool the items to develop Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Staff Nurses. To obtain consensus of Panelists for the development of Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Staff Nurses. To organize valid items in a structured format for the development of Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Staff Nurses. Methods Using instrument development design for Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Staff Nurses. 66 Items were generated from evidence and qualitative data. Face and content validity were established through experts by 3 modified Delphi round. Content validity was computed. The content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each item i.e CVI-i, content validity index for experts i.e CVI-e and general content validity index for the tool i.e CVI-total. Item level CVI (CVI-i) is calculated by number of experts agreeing on the value of relevance of each item (value between 3 and 4) divided by total number of experts, expert level CVI (CVI-e) is calculated by number of items scored between 3 and 4 by an expert divided by total number of items and general CVI (CVI-total) is calculated by sum of all experts individual CVI divided by number of experts. Based on expert panel, CVI-i lower than 0.6 were deleted, (CVI-e) is 0.8,and CVI-total) 0.89. Results Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for Staff Nurses had face and content validity. The content validity index was 0.89. Conclusion The study concluded that assessment of DVT risk is essential in hospitalized patients.The identification of DVT risk at its earliest stage can help to decrease the morbidity and mortality rate in hospitalized patients.The Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool will be helpful to identify risk of DVT at its earliest stage so that preventive measures can be taken. Keywords Deep Vein Thrombosis,Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool.Modified Delphi Technique,Content Validity Index INTRODUCTION â€Å"An ounce of prevention is cheap, the pound of cure costly† (A.Taylor, B.J. Whiting) In India, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is not well highlighted and literature survey shows scanty works in this field. Most of the literature available in India is from the orthopaedic departments, overall incidence of DVT in general population is largely unknown. Most of the DVTs are idiopathic and occur in less than 45 years age group. Irrespective of the etiology, LMWH and Warfarins are efficient, safety is well demonstrated, and domiciliary treatment is advisable with surveillance. Idiopathic DVTs require long term follow up to watch for recurrent thrombosis.2 Each year, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs in 1 of every 1,000 Americans, hospitalizes nearly 600,000 for DVT-related complications, and kills up to 300,000. It is possibly the most common preventable cause of hospital deaths in the United States. Occupations in transportation, air travel, con ­fined spaces, and sedentary office positions pose risks for DVT. The risk of DVT increases with factors such as obesity, cancer, pregnancy, estrogen-containing medications, major surgery, and hospitalizations. , With an understanding of DVT, occupational health nurses are well positioned to promote DVT awareness and reduce the risk of complica ­tions for employees diagnosed with DVT.3 Deep vein thrombosis [DVT] is one of the most dreaded complications in post-operative patients as it is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Majority of patients with postoperative DVT are asymptomatic. The pulmonary embolism, which is seen in 10% of the cases with proximal DVT, may be fatal. Therefore it becomes imperative to prevent DVT rather than to diagnose and treat. Only one randomized trial has been reported from India to assess the effectiveness of low molecular weight heparin in preventing post-operative DVT.4 METHODOLOGY It is a methodological study to develop Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool. The tool was validated by 10 multidisciplinary health care professionals. The study was conducted in 3 Modified Delphi rounds.The validity of tool was determined by content validity index (CVI). The data was collected via e-mail.The tool was developed under three phases and under each phase some steps were taken. PHASE 1- Preliminary preparation During this phase the investigator developed the preliminary Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool for which the following steps were taken: Step-1: Review of Literature- An extensive review of literature was carried out from books, journals and through internet. Literature was searched which represent Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool from all aspects. Various tool were searched. Literature related to tool construction and standardization was also reviewed. Step-2: Items selection and pooling- Different tools were analyzed and related items such as risk factors were selected from the content and items were pooled together. Step-3: Preparation of first draft- Selected items were seemed to represent Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool to generate first draft of the tool. PHASE 2- Validation of first draft and subsequent drafts Step-1: Selection of panel- There were 10 experts in all Delphi rounds. The Delphi panel was consisted of multidisciplinary health care professionals (nurses, doctors, and administrator). The sample of the panelist were heterogeneous to ensure the entire spectrum of opinion to be determined. The written consent was taken from the selected experts to participate in the study. The first draft of tool was circulated among 10 experts from above stated field. Step-2: Delphi Rounds: The modified Delphi technique was used to validate the draft. (The Delphi is an interactive process designed to combine expert’s opinion into group consensus. According to this technique the response of each panelist remains anonymous that there are equal chances of each panelist to present the ideas unbiased by the identity of other panelist. There are subsequent Delphi rounds until a definitive level of consensus is recorded). All the panelist were requested to give their valuable suggestion pertaining to the content, accuracy of information, the item order i.e organization and sequence of the items and working of the items. The suggestions given by panelist was incorporated to generate the second draft of tool. Step-3: Modification: as per the experts opinion:The modification in the tool was made. PHASE 3- Assessing reliability and content validity of tool: Draft prepared after third Delphi round. Validity of Tool: It was done by expert’s opinion. The tool was circulated to 10 experts of various specialties . The experts were asked to rate the items in terms of relevance to the Patient’s DVT Risk Assessment Tool. A 4 point likert scale (1 not relevant, 2 somewhat relevant, 3 relevant, very relevant). The content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each item i.e CVI-i, content validity index for experts i.e CVI-e and general content validity index for the tool i.e CVI-total. Item level CVI (CVI-i) is calculated by number of experts agreeing on the value of relevance of each item (value between 3 and 4) divided by total number of experts, expert level CVI (CVI-e) is calculated by number of items scored between 3 and 4 by an expert divided by total number of items and general CVI (CVI-total) is calculated by sum of all experts individual CVI divided by number of experts. Based on expert panel, CVI-i lower than 0.6 were deleted, (CVI-e) is 0.8, and CVI-total) 0.89. Instrument development: The content validity assessment process described by Waltz and Bausell (1981) and Lynn (1986) was used. 66 items were generated and were carefully investigated for clarity, grammar, and construction. A likert scale was chosen as scale type. Each item was rated on 4 point likert scale (1 not relevant, 2 somewhat relevant, 3 relevant, very relevant) with significant agreement (10 experts rating item a 4 or 3) needed for it to be retained. The experts were asked also to evaluate the set of items to determine if any content area was missing. REFERENCES 1.Race TK, Collier PE. The hidden risk of deep vein thrombosis the need for risk factor assessment: case reviews. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly [serial on the Internet]. 2007, July;30(3): 245-254. 2. L Chinglensana, Santhosh Rudrappa, K Anupama, T Gojendra, Kala K Singh, Sudhir T Chandra. Clinical profile and management of deep vein thrombosis of lower limb. Journal Of Medical Society.2013;27(1):10-14 3. Emanuele, P,. Deep Vein Thrombosis, AAOHN Journal 2008; 56(9):389-392. 4.Anandan Murugesan, Dina N. Srivastava,Uma K. Ballehaninna, Sunil Chumber,Anita Dhar,Mahesh C. Misra,Rajinder Parshad, V. Seenu, Anurag Srivastava,and Narmada P. Gupta. Detection and Prevention of Post-Operative Deep Vein Thrombosis [DVT] Using Nadroparin Among Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Operations in India; a Randomised Controlled Trial. Indian J Surg. 2010 August; 72(4): 312–317

Nicotine Addiction :: Research Analysis

Nicotine addiction Cigarette addiction is responsible for over four million deaths every year. The question most people ask is why don’t people just put down their cigarettes? Well, the answer to that often asked question is nicotine. Nicotine is a neurotransmitter that targets certain receptors in the brain. It is a chemical messenger that induces feelings of pleasure. When someone takes a hit off of a cigarette, they ingest the harmful chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health threats. They only inhale these chemicals to get one thing and one thing only, nicotine. Curing addiction becomes harder and harder with each puff of a cigarette one takes. When nicotine is consumed, it communicates with the brain and is absorbed into receptor molecules, Doctors for years have undergone hundreds of experimental studies on the human brain to help understand just how these chemicals neurologically affect the brain, and which sectors of the brain are affected. This goal has not yet been accomplished due to the large amounts of receptor cells in the brain. In a study performed at the California Institute of Technology performed by Andrew Tapper, Professor Allan Collins from the University of Colorado, Several colleagues, and Henry A. Lester, the Caltech University Bren Professor of Biology revealed that nicotine affects a small subunit of the brain called alpha four. This subunit of the brain increases levels of pleasure, response, sensitization, and increases tolerance of multiple doses of the drug nicotine. Many people do not know what nicotine does inside the brain. Here’s how it works when the nicotine reacts with the cells in the brain. It creates nerve impulse that jump chemically across a gap between two different nerve cells. This action is called a synapse. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is used in this process and is used to affect specified receptors in the brain targeting post-synaptic nerve cells. After this process, the feel good brain messenger, dopamine, is released. This chemical is released into the brain creating an extreme high. The acetylcholine is then supposed to diminish the dopamine after completing its task. The drug disguises itself as acetylcholine causing the process of dopamine release to last for minutes rather than milliseconds. In several lab studies performed on mice in the 1990’s, results concluded that nicotine also affects the subunits of the brain labeled beta two. Knowing how this drug affects many different subunits shows just how complicated it is to find a cure for addiction to this drug.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-four

Sansa He wouldn't send Ser Loras,† Sansa told Jeyne Poole that night as they shared a cold supper by lamplight. â€Å"I think it was because of his leg.† Lord Eddard had taken his supper in his bedchamber with Alyn, Harwin, and Vayon Poole, the better to rest his broken leg, and Septa Mordane had complained of sore feet after standing in the gallery all day. Arya was supposed to join them, but she was late coming back from her dancing lesson. â€Å"His leg?† Jeyne said uncertainly. She was a pretty, dark-haired girl of Sansa's own age. â€Å"Did Ser Loras hurt his leg?† â€Å"Not his leg,† Sansa said, nibbling delicately at a chicken leg. â€Å"Father's leg, silly. It hurts him ever so much, it makes him cross. Otherwise I'm certain he would have sent Ser Loras.† Her father's decision still bewildered her. When the Knight of Flowers had spoken up, she'd been sure she was about to see one of Old Nan's stories come to life. Ser Gregor was the monster and Ser Loras the true hero who would slay him. He even looked a true hero, so slim and beautiful, with golden roses around his slender waist and his rich brown hair tumbling down into his eyes. And then Father had refused him! It had upset her more than she could tell. She had said as much to Septa Mordane as they descended the stairs from the gallery, but the septa had only told her it was not her place to question her lord father's decisions. That was when Lord Baelish had said, â€Å"Oh, I don't know, Septa. Some of her lord father's decisions could do with a bit of questioning. The young lady is as wise as she is lovely.† He made a sweeping bow to Sansa, so deep she was not quite sure if she was being complimented or mocked. Septa Mordane had been very upset to realize that Lord Baelish had overheard them. â€Å"The girl was just talking, my lord,† she'd said. â€Å"Foolish chatter. She meant nothing by the comment.† Lord Baelish stroked his little pointed beard and said, â€Å"Nothing? Tell me, child, why would you have sent Ser Loras?† Sansa had no choice but to explain about heroes and monsters. The king's councillor smiled. â€Å"Well, those are not the reasons I'd have given, but . . . † He had touched her cheek, his thumb lightly tracing the line of a cheekbone. â€Å"Life is not a song, sweetling. You may learn that one day to your sorrow.† Sansa did not feel like telling all that to Jeyne, however; it made her uneasy just to think back on it. â€Å"Ser Ilyn's the King's Justice, not Ser Loras,† Jcyne said. â€Å"Lord Eddard should have sent him.† Sansa shuddered. Every time she looked at Ser Ilyn Payne, she shivered. He made her feel as though something dead were slithering over her naked skin. â€Å"Ser Ilyn's almost like a second monster. I'm glad Father didn't pick him.† â€Å"Lord Beric is as much a hero as Ser Loras. He's ever so brave and gallant.† â€Å"I suppose,† Sansa said doubtfully. Beric Dondarrion was handsome enough, but he was awfully old, almost twenty-two; the Knight of Flowers would have been much better. Of course, Jeyne had been in love with Lord Beric ever since she had first glimpsed him in the lists. Sansa thought she was being silly; Jeyne was only a steward's daughter, after all, and no matter how much she mooned after him, Lord Beric would never look at someone so far beneath him, even if she hadn't been half his age. It would have been unkind to say so, however, so Sansa took a sip of milk and changed the subject. â€Å"I had a dream that Joffrey would be the one to take the white hart,† she said. It had been more of a wish, actually, but it sounded better to call it a dream. Everyone knew that dreams were prophetic. White harts were supposed to be very rare and magical, and in her heart she knew her gallant prince was worthier than his drunken father. â€Å"A dream? Truly? Did Prince Joffrey just go up to it and touch it with his bare hand and do it no harm?† â€Å"No,† Sansa said. â€Å"He shot it with a golden arrow and brought it back for me.† In the songs, the knights never killed magical beasts, they just went up to them and touched them and did them no harm, but she knew Joffrey liked hunting, especially the killing part. Only animals, though. Sansa was certain her prince had no part in murdering Jory and those other poor men; that had been his wicked uncle, the Kingslayer. She knew her father was still angry about that, but it wasn't fair to blame Joff. That would be like blaming her for something that Arya had done. â€Å"I saw your sister this afternoon,† Jeyne blurted out, as if she'd been reading Sansa's thoughts. â€Å"She was walking through the stables on her hands. Why would she do a thing like that?† â€Å"I'm sure I don't know why Arya does anything.† Sansa hated stables, smelly places full of manure and flies. Even when she went riding, she liked the boy to saddle the horse and bring it to her in the yard. â€Å"Do you want to hear about the court or not?† â€Å"I do,† Jeyne said. â€Å"There was a black brother,† Sansa said, â€Å"begging men for the Wall, only he was kind of old and smelly.† She hadn't liked that at all. She had always imagined the Night's Watch to be men like Uncle Benjen. In the songs, they were called the black knights of the Wall. But this man had been crookbacked and hideous, and he looked as though he might have lice. If this was what the Night's Watch was truly like, she felt sorry for her bastard half brother, Jon. â€Å"Father asked if there were any knights in the hall who would do honor to their houses by taking the black, but no one came forward, so he gave this Yoren his pick of the king's dungeons and sent him on his way. And later these two brothers came before him, freeriders from the Dornish Marches, and pledged their swords to the service of the king. Father accepted their oaths . . . â€Å" Jeyne yawned. â€Å"Are there any lemon cakes?† Sansa did not like being interrupted, but she had to admit, lemon cakes sounded more interesting than most of what had gone on in the throne room. â€Å"Let's see,† she said. The kitchen yielded no lemon cakes, but they did find half of a cold strawberry pie, and that was almost as good. They ate it on the tower steps, giggling and gossiping and sharing secrets, and Sansa went to bed that night feeling almost as wicked as Arya. The next morning she woke before first light and crept sleepily to her window to watch Lord Beric form up his men. They rode out as dawn was breaking over the city, with three banners going before them; the crowned stag of the king flew from the high staff, the direwolf of Stark and Lord Beric's own forked lightning standard from shorter poles. It was all so exciting, a song come to life; the clatter of swords, the flicker of torchlight, banners dancing in the wind, horses snorting and whinnying, the golden glow of sunrise slanting through the bars of the portcullis as it jerked upward. The Winterfell men looked especially fine in their silvery mail and long grey cloaks. Alyn carried the Stark banner. When she saw him rein in beside Lord Beric to exchange words, it made Sansa feel ever so proud. Alyn was handsomer than Jory had been; he was going to be a knight one day. The Tower of the Hand seemed so empty after they left that Sansa was even pleased to see Arya when she went down to break her fast. â€Å"Where is everyone?† her sister wanted to know as she ripped the skin from a blood orange. â€Å"Did Father send them to hunt down Jaime Lannister?† Sansa sighed. â€Å"They rode with Lord Beric, to behead Ser Gregor Clegane.† She turned to Septa Mordane, who was eating porridge with a wooden spoon. â€Å"Septa, will Lord Beric spike Ser Gregor's head on his own gate or bring it back here for the king?† She and Jeyne Poole had been arguing over that last night. The septa was horror-struck. â€Å"A lady does not discuss such things over her porridge. Where are your courtesies, Sansa? I swear, of late you've been near as bad as your sister.† â€Å"What did Gregor do?† Arya asked. â€Å"He burned down a holdfast and murdered a lot of people, women and children too.† Arya screwed up her face in a scowl. â€Å"Jaime Lannister murdered Jory and Heward and Wyl, and the Hound murdered Mycah. Somebody should have beheaded them.† â€Å"It's not the same,† Sansa said. â€Å"The Hound is Joffrey's sworn shield. Your butcher's boy attacked the prince.† â€Å"Liar,† Arya said. Her hand clenched the blood orange so hard that red juice oozed between her fingers. â€Å"Go ahead, call me all the names you want,† Sansa said airily. â€Å"You won't dare when I'm married to Joffrey. You'll have to bow to me and call me Your Grace.† She shrieked as Arya flung the orange across the table. It caught her in the middle of the forehead with a wet squish and plopped down into her lap. â€Å"You have juice on your face, Your Grace,† Arya said. It was running down her nose and stinging her eyes. Sansa wiped it away with a napkin. When she saw what the fruit in her lap had done to her beautiful ivory silk dress, she shrieked again. â€Å"You're horrible,† she screamed at her sister. â€Å"They should have killed you instead of Lady!† Septa Mordane came lurching to her feet. â€Å"Your lord father will hear of this! Go to your chambers, at once. At once!† â€Å"Me too?† Tears welled in Sansa's eyes. â€Å"That's not fair.† â€Å"The matter is not subject to discussion. Go!† Sansa stalked away with her head up. She was to be a queen, and queens did not cry. At least not where people could see. When she reached her bedchamber, she barred the door and took off her dress. The blood orange had left a blotchy red stain on the silk. â€Å"I hate her!† she screamed. She balled up the dress and flung it into the cold hearth, on top of the ashes of last night's fire. When she saw that the stain had bled through onto her underskirt, she began to sob despite herself. She ripped off the rest of her clothes wildly, threw herself into bed, and cried herself back to sleep. It was midday when Septa Mordane knocked upon her door. â€Å"Sansa. Your lord father will see you now.† Sansa sat up. â€Å"Lady,† she whispered. For a moment it was as if the direwolf was there in the room, looking at her with those golden eyes, sad and knowing. She had been dreaming, she realized. Lady was with her, and they were running together, and . . . and . . . trying to remember was like trying to catch the rain with her fingers. The dream faded, and Lady was dead again. â€Å"Sansa.† The rap came again, sharply. â€Å"Do you hear me?† â€Å"Yes, Septa,† she called out. â€Å"Might I have a moment to dress, please?† Her eyes were red from crying, but she did her best to make herself beautiful. Lord Eddard was bent over a huge leather-bound book when Septa Mordane marched her into the solar, his plaster-wrapped leg stiff beneath the table. â€Å"Come here, Sansa,† he said, not unkindly, when the septa had gone for her sister. â€Å"Sit beside me.† He closed the book. Septa Mordane returned with Arya squirming in her grasp. Sansa had put on a lovely pale green damask gown and a look of remorse, but her sister was still wearing the ratty leathers and roughspun she'd worn at breakfast. â€Å"Here is the other one,† the septa announced. â€Å"My thanks, Septa Mordane. I would talk to my daughters alone, if you would be so kind.† The septa bowed and left. â€Å"Arya started it,† Sansa said quickly, anxious to have the first word. â€Å"She called me a liar and threw an orange at me and spoiled my dress, the ivory silk, the one Queen Cersei gave me when I was betrothed to Prince Joffrey. She hates that I'm going to marry the prince. She tries to spoil everything, Father, she can't stand for anything to be beautiful or nice or splendid.† â€Å"Enough, Sansa.† Lord Eddard's voice was sharp with impatience. Arya raised her eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry, Father. I was wrong and I beg my sweet sister's forgiveness.† Sansa was so startled that for a moment she was speechless. Finally she found her voice. â€Å"What about my dress?† â€Å"Maybe . . . I could wash it,† Arya said doubtfully. â€Å"Washing won't do any good,† Sansa said. â€Å"Not if you scrubbed all day and all night. The silk is ruined.† â€Å"Then I'll . . . make you a new one,† Arya said. Sansa threw back her head in disdain. â€Å"You? You couldn't sew a dress fit to clean the pigsties.† Their father sighed. â€Å"I did not call you here to talk of dresses. I'm sending you both back to Winterfell.† For the second time Sansa found herself too stunned for words. She felt her eyes grow moist again. â€Å"You can't,† Arya said. â€Å"Please, Father,† Sansa managed at last. â€Å"Please don't.† Eddard Stark favored his daughters with a tired smile. â€Å"At last we've found something you agree on.† â€Å"I didn't do anything wrong,† Sansa pleaded with him. â€Å"I don't want to go back.† She loved Mng's Landing; the pagaentry of the court, the high lords and ladies in their velvets and silks and gemstones, the great city with all its people. The tournament had been the most magical time of her whole life, and there was so much she had not seen yet, harvest feasts and masked balls and mummer shows. She could not bear the thought of losing it all. â€Å"Send Arya away, she started it, Father, I swear it. I'll be good, you'll see, just let me stay and I promise to be as fine and noble and courteous as the queen.† Father's mouth twitched strangely. â€Å"Sansa, I'm not sending you away for fighting, though the gods know I'm sick of you two squabbling. I want you back in Winterfell for your own safety. Three of my men were cut down like dogs not a league from where we sit, and what does Robert do? He goes hunting.† Arya was chewing at her lip in that disgusting way she had. â€Å"Can we take Syrio back with us?† â€Å"Who cares about your stupid dancing master?† Sansa flared. â€Å"Father, I only just now remembered, I can't go away, I'm to marry Prince Joffrey.† She tried to smile bravely for him. â€Å"I love him, Father, I truly truly do, I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, as much as Jonquil loved Ser Florian. I want to be his queen and have his babies.† â€Å"Sweet one,† her father said gently, â€Å"listen to me. When you're old enough, I will make you a match with a high lord who's worthy of you, someone brave and gentle and strong. This match with Joffrey was a terrible mistake. That boy is no Prince Aemon, you must believe me.† â€Å"He is!† Sansa insisted. â€Å"I don't want someone brave and gentle, I want him. We'll be ever so happy, just like in the songs, you'll see. I'll give him a son with golden hair, and one day he'll be the king of all the realm, the greatest king that ever was, as brave as the wolf and as proud as the lion.† Arya made a face. â€Å"Not if Joffrey's his father,† she said. â€Å"He's a liar and a craven and anyhow he's a stag, not a lion.† Sansa felt tears in her eyes. â€Å"He is not! He's not the least bit like that old drunken king,† she screamed at her sister, forgetting herself in her grief. Father looked at her strangely. â€Å"Gods,† he swore softly, â€Å"out of the mouth of babes . . . † He shouted for Septa Mordane. To the girls he said, â€Å"I am looking for a fast trading galley to take you home. These days, the sea is safer than the kingsroad. You will sail as soon as I can find a proper ship, with Septa Mordane and a complement of guards . . . and yes, with Syrio Forel, if he agrees to enter my service. But say nothing of this. It's better if no one knows of our plans. We'll talk again tomorrow.† Sansa cried as Septa Mordane marched them down the steps. They were going to take it all away; the tournaments and the court and her prince, everything, they were going to send her back to the bleak grey walls of Winterfell and lock her up forever. Her life was over before it had begun. â€Å"Stop that weeping, child,† Septa Mordane said sternly. â€Å"I am certain your lord father knows what is best for you.† â€Å"It won't be so bad, Sansa,† Arya said. â€Å"We're going to sail on a galley. It will be an adventure, and then we'll be with Bran and Robb again, and Old Nan and Hodor and the rest.† She touched her on the arm. â€Å"Hodor!† Sansa yelled. â€Å"You ought to marry Hodor, you're just like him, stupid and hairy and ugly!† She wrenched away from her sister's hand, stormed into her bedchamber, and barred the door behind her.