The ship was putting down anchor at White Harbor and soon Jaelyx Maegyr would be headed up the river to bring his sister home. He fingered the letter in his pocket. He didn't need to read it to remember every word. Mother had been so happy to receive a letter from her daughter, his sister. It had been years since they had heard from her. He still remembered Mother's rasping cough as she had read the letter aloud to him. Mother had been angry when Talisa left them but by the time she received that letter, Mother had just been happy to hear that her daughter was safe and happily married. That had been nearly three years ago. It was as if getting the good news about her daughter had been the thing that allowed his mother to finally stop fighting her illness and allow herself to die. She had stopped fighting but Jaelyx hadn't stopped. He had paid for the best healers and medicines. She just didn't even try to live anymore. And he didn't have the heart to tell her what those barbaric Westerners had done to his sister and her husband at the Wedding. He couldn't tell her. Now that Mother was gone too, Jaelyx only wanted two things of these Westerners. He wanted the bones of his sister brought back to Volantis where she belonged and he wanted the heads of the men who had killed her. He was going to get that from them if it cost him his life.
Jaelyx shouldered his bag and resisted the temptation to keep one hand on the pommel of his sword. He didn't trust these Westerosi. He was a foreigner and they didn't seem to like foreigners. The men didn't like him anyway. The women liked him well enough. Several women approached him as he walked through the village after he came ashore. He was a good looking man, olive skinned, muscular, with dark eyes and dark hair wavy hair cut in a longer fashion than the Westerosi. He was dressed well too, in riding boots with gold buckles and breeches with a blue silk tunic and leather coat. Although he wasn't oblivious to his looks he was unaccustomed to being approached by common women. His grandfather was one of the ruling Triarchs of Volantis and had been elected again and again for many years. The Maegyr family was practically royalty in his city. He would have never lowered himself to speak to common women and they would have never dared speak to him. He ignored the first few women who tried to speak to him and they seemed to get the idea that he wasn't interested.
It didn't take long to find a riverboat heading North. The boat was leaving first thing in the morning so he paid his passage and then went to find an inn where he could pass the night. The first place he was headed on this journey was to Winterfell. His sister had married a Stark so he could only hope that her bones were there in the crypts. He had to see to that before seeing to his revenge, otherwise if he were caught, he might never get the chance to send her home. He knew that House Bolton now held Winterfell and that the Starks were gone. And he knew that Roose Bolton had played a part in his sister's death. The man would pay for that soon enough. Soon enough. Jaelyx paid for a room and struggled to sleep. It was hard to sleep when justice was so close and yet so far away.
Sansa saw it all through a window. A handsome foreign stranger had arrived at Winterfell and Roose graciously and courteously let the man inside. She didn't expect anyone would tell her what was going on or who the visitor even was. She was hardly ever let out of her room and Ramsay only told her news if he thought it would upset her. With that in mind, Sansa was genuinely surprised when Ramsay told her openly that they had a guest and she was expected to attend dinner in the great hall with the family. He even left her room unlocked. Sansa dressed for dinner having no idea who or what to expect.
Sansa arrived in the great hall to find her husband and good brother were standing around the table. Walda was often too ill with pregnancy to attend meals. Reek and few servants were standing in the shadows in the corner waiting to serve but she hardly noticed them. She only noticed the tall stranger and the way his eyes met hers with something akin to pity in them. Ramsay pulled out a chair for her to sit in. Sansa took it and the men then seated themselves.
"Allow me to introduce my son's wife, Lady Sansa of House Stark." Roose was saying. "Sansa, our guest is Jaelyx Maegyr of Volantis."
"You have traveled a long way." Sansa said, unsure if she should call him a Ser or Lord. "I am pleased to meet you."
"And I am pleased to meet you, my lady." The man said. He had a lovely accent. "As you are the sister of the man my sister married."
Sansa tried not to let her mouth drop open from shock. "You sister was Talisa?"
"Yes, she was." Jaelyx said sadly. "I came here to visit the crypts in hopes that I might pay my respects."
"And I have freely granted that request." Roose said.
"You have partially granted my request." Jaelyx said with a smile. "I asked that I might see my sister's bones home to Volantis. You have given me no answer on that request."
"Actually, I believe my father said, 'I don't think that will be possible." Ramsay put in.
"Why is that?" Jaelyx asked, taking a sip of his wine. Sansa could see the anger in his jawline. He hated the Boltons as much as she did. She wondered if they realized that. "Why is it that you don't think it will be possible?"
"Because there aren't any bones left to speak of." Roose explained.
Jaelyx' grip on his wineglass tightened so that the whites of his knuckles were showing. "What have you done to her?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"Many of the bodies after the wedding were burned. Her ashes are in the crypts with the rest." Roose explained. "But I believe that traditionally the Starks bury wives alongside their husbands. Taking your sister would be an insult to Lady Sansa's heritage."
Sansa didn't want any part of this. How dare Roose make it her fault that he wanted to harass this stranger? Of course Robb would want to be buried next to his wife but there was no one here in Westeros to mourn her. It hardly seemed fair to keep her away from her living family. "I believe that Jaelyx loved Talissa for more years than Robb did. If he wants to bring her home then it is his right to do so."
"Thank you lady Sansa." The man said.
Roose only shrugged. Ramsay cut the meat on his plate with more vigor than was necessary but he said nothing. They finished the meal and spoke of other things, mostly of the happenings across the narrow sea. Sansa stopped listening. She was lost in thought dreading what Ramsay would do to her again that night. She didn't even notice her husband speaking to her.
"Sansa!" Ramsay said loudly. She jumped at the sound, knocking her fork to the floor. "Will you do it or not?" Sansa felt panic rise within her she hadn't heard the question at all. She busied herself reaching for the fork on the floor trying to avoid answering it. She felt a hand brush alongside hers under the table. Then the hand gripped hers and squeezed briefly. She got hold of the fork and sat up, meeting Jaelyx eyes as he nodded reassuringly and suddenly she understood that he would help her. The Boltons had helped kill his sister and he was here to do more than pay his last respects. He was here to kill them.
"You must forgive my wife." Ramsay was saying. "So often her head is in the clouds." Ramsay was saying.
But Sansa's head wasn't in the clouds anymore. It was right there in the present moment and for the first time in a long time she found that she had a little hope.
