Lord Baelish had expected her to be overjoyed when he told her the news of her betrothal to Harrold Hardyng. She had smiled and gave him her prettiest thank you's, but in her mind she had made a decision.
When her protector had explained how this match would assure her of claims to both the Vale and Winterfell she had drawn one more conclusion. She had know Petyr Baelish long enough now that he would not do something if it would not benefit him directly. And after demanding more kisses when he had revealed all, more than ever forcing himself upon her it was clear to her that this was the plan he had made for her, but not the plan he had made for Littlefinger even if he was Alayne's father.
Even Alayne, a bastard born girl had seen enough of marriages and the betrayals that came with them. She would not let her life be played out by someone else who would only use her in the end.
And so her plans began to form at the same time as the plans for her marriage to Harry the Heir were made. Weeks went by until they became months and finally the time for her plans to come into motion was right.
She slipped out of her chambers when it was still dark outside. She knew the servants would be leaving soon and she had to meet them in time to go unnoticed.
The castle was busy these days preparing for the wedding. Lord Baelish wanted everything worked out to perfection and so it was a coming and going of all sorts of people. There were the servants from the castle itself, but also merchants from other towns intending to make a profit out of the happening.
There was a great need for all kinds of supplies and therefor every so often a group would travel to villages outside of the Vale to gather what was needed. Now that winter was upon them it was even more dangerous to make ones way outside of the Vale so the women found themselves travelling in groups.
She had planned this out carefully. The women she were to travel with were all from outside of the Vale, come only here to sell their goods. They kept to themselves mostly and it had made it easier for her to make sure they would not get a good look at her until she joined them on their journey outwards. It would not do for her to be recognized as the very girl who's wedding they were getting more supplies for.
With her plans set on leaving the Vale she had found she had also needed a new identity. She was tired of constantly needing to change but this time she could decide for herself.
She wouldn't be a girl highborn bound to courtesies if she even wanted to live.
Neither would she be a bastard girl to quickly looked upon to have a quick bite of before being bound to a marriage again.
She would be Sylene, an independent young woman bound to her own rules. She had made up a history to back her in conversations and to make it easier for herself to slip into this new girl's skin.
Sylene had been raised in the Vale by Lady Arryn's seamstress. It was thought her parents were from the Hilltribes as she was left as a baby to be found at the Gates in a wooden basket. She would've only just been born but had already had a big mop of beautiful black hair. When she was brought up to the Eyrie Lord Arryn didn't give the wailing babe a second look but also didn't protest when the head seamstress had taken the babe in her arms and given her the name Sylene.
Sylene would've been raised to take over her adopted mother's work one day. This role would ensure that she knew how to behave amongst the highborn Lords and Ladies.
However her true blood would show through often when she was amongst the other servants. She was sure of her ways and wouldn't let the boys chasing her sway her to come join them in secret adventures after midnight. Often turning them away with remarks that would leave them flushed faced with their tales between their legs.
Yes, Sylene was a smart, well raised and confident girl. She could make a living with her skills as a seamstress and knew where to put her foot between a door when it was needed. She could get around on her own in this world.
This was all very unlike the Princess she was supposed to be, but Sansa found herself safe within this girl. She had her own memories of the needlework she so used to love within her job as a seamstress. Yet there was also the self assured side which reminded her of Arya. She missed her so very much, yet there would be no reunion for them, she knew it in her heart. She had her doubts when she heard the first time of the marriage between supposedly Arya Stark to Ramsay Bolton, but when she had heard that she had run away and was hunted down in the end she had refused to think on it anymore.
The time she was a girl with a head full of songs about knights was now completely over. She wondered what he would say of her now. Would he laugh in that harsh tone of his? Or would he finally act according to the woman she now was. He already had in a way before... but it would not do to dwell on that. That was a life long gone now. She had learned to use her own mind up in the Eyrie and she would use it.
These days Sylene would've started her work in all quiet on the bride to be's dress. She would've had little time to make small talk with the traders while at the same time giving her a solid reason to go with them. The young bride had required for her seamstress to acquire pearls as they would symbolize water drops in the hopes that a new spring would arrive sooner than later.
This would require her to travel southwards to Maidenpool. As it was the closest harbor to the Vale that had ships from across the seas it would almost certainly sell these fine shaped jewels on the market.
That was the story she had come up with for her company. However they would not travel as far as Sylene would as they needed much simpler and common supplies than pearls. She would still head towards the same destination, only when she arrived there she would board a ship to take her away from Westeros forever.
She was reluctant at the thought at first, but there was nothing here for her anymore. Winterfell had burned and her siblings were all gone but Jon Snow, who was bound to a life in service of the Night's Watch. Although she did not doubt the newly made Lord Commander would receive her with open arms she knew that she could not stay there and would only put herself and her only kin left in danger by doing so.
The Vale was not so hard to leave, it had a breathtaking view wherever you went, but it was still a cage to Sansa and she was only to be taken out when a new owner would be bound to her.
But she had found her wings now and would move far away in search for a new nest.
Before she left she had managed to get a hold of some black dye for her hair. After constantly dying it for Alayne's appearance it was done quickly enough without any stains in her clothes to show the truth.
At last Sansa reached the place where she knew travelling groups to form around this time. Surely enough three women already awaited her. Two of them were girls only a few years older than her but the third was an elderly woman, and though she held a cane she still seemed very fit for her age.
"Have you come to join our group to travel out of the Vale? I would like your name if so is the case" the elder woman whispered as not to wake the Lords and Ladies still sleeping.
"My name is Sylene and I indeed come here to join you"
"And what is your errand outside of this place?"
"The Lord Protector has chosen myself as the seamstress to make the bride's wedding dress, she requires for me to decorate it with pearls. The closest place I will find them will be Maidenpool" she told her sincerely. She had recited the story so many times that it had almost become her reality already.
"Very well" the woman complied "there's still some more to join us and we won't leave for another half an hour I would say. We should take the time getting to know each other as we will share a perilous road together. My name is Gretha, I supply varieties of tapestries for such events as these. Now that I have my instructions I am to return to our shop back in Newkeep to get to work."
This sounded very familiar to Sansa as she had discussed them herself with Littlefinger. She showed nothing of the knowledge however and already the two younger women stepped forward with kind smiles. They were both tall and on the slim side and shared a facial structure. One had short brown hair while the other had slightly darker long curls.
"I am Aila and this is my younger sister Mea" the one with the shorter hair told Sylene.
She acknowledged them with a nod and a smile as Mea whispered a soft "pleased to meet you" to her.
The four of them chatted for a bit about the manner of their arrival here and the reasons to leave once more. It seemed the two sisters would take care of the flowers that would decorate the hall during the wedding. Their mother had run the business but since she had passed only a few months ago the two sisters now found themselves in charge.
They were happy to get this opportunity though even if it was going to be a challenge now that winter was upon them.
The remainder of the group Sylene were to travel with arrived shortly and they made off soon enough after a short round of introducing. There would be time enough on their way to chatter about their lives. For now they needed to set off while it was still dark to make the most progress.
Even though the dark still made the morning seem a cold and dark place no day had ever felt so refreshing to Sansa Stark, as she finally found herself on a path in which she would make her own decisions.