Tyrion entered Sansa's chamber on the morning of their wedding. He could tell the girl was upset, being forced to marry the Imp.
"I want you to know Lady Sansa, I did not ask for this." Tyrion wanted the girl to be assured he was not in support of this forced union.
"I don't doubt that My Lord I just hope I can serve you well," Sansa was ever one for the proper niceties of court.
"You do not need to speak to me like a prisoner. Today you are to become my wife, which I suppose is a different form of prison. I can't begin to understand how you feel-"
"You're right you don't know how I feel," there was some bite in Sansa's response.
"Yes My Lady, I do not know how you feel and you don't know how I feel so I suppose we are to make the best of today. Tyrion stepped forward and took Sansa's hand in his, "But I promise you one thing my lady I will won't ever hurt you."
Tyrion saw a small smile forming on her lips and asked, "Do you drink wine?"
"Only when I have to," Gods she felt like such a child. Not a woman grown on her wedding day.
"Well today you have to." Tyrion knew the wine would help numb the poor girl against the whispers that would follow her now and for the rest of her life.
They walked arm in arm to the high sept, knowing the entire court awaited them. Waiting to watch the Demon Monkey and The Disgraced Daughter wed.
Sansa stood at the doors of the stept, everyone staring at her. Wishing so much for her father to be there, to walk her to her gallant knight. However her husband was not a gallant knight so it was only fair her father was not there either. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Joffrey approach her.
"As father of the realm it is only fitting for me to walk, since your father was a traitor." Joffrey forcibly took Sansa's arms and lead her into the sept. Sansa held back a comment on Joffrey's involvement in her father's death, and swallowed as she watched the court swarm and whisper as they walked towards the altar.
Once they reached the altar where Tyrion and the High Septon stood Joffrey let go of Sansa's arm and walked to stand by his mother. On his way to his mother he bent down and grabbed the small step that had been placed at the altar for Tyrion. Smirking, he tossed the step off to the side, narrowly missing Tommen.
The Septon invited Tyrion to place his cloak of protection on Sansa's shoulders. When he tried to reach he could hear the snickering from the courtiers. Finally Sansa relented and knelt so Tyrion could reach up. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, as did most of the feast. It was not until she was walking about greeting guests that she really became aware of her surroundings. It was then that she realized just how drunk her lord husband was. It wasn't her dream wedding, it was a nightmare, and Tyrion's drunkenness drove home her fears, she would never get that dream, she was trapped here, forever.
"You've finally done it you married a Lannister," out of nowhere Joffrey was by her side. "Soon you will have a Lannister babe if you. I suppose it doesn't really matter which of us puts it in you. Perhaps I will pay you a visit tonight after my uncle passes out." Sansa stiffened at the suggestion, "Would you not enjoy that? No worries Ser Meryn will just have to hold you down then." Sansa felt nauseous, she knew Joffrey would follow through with his threat. As she walked back towards her husband, she saw his eyes soften just a bit, taking in her white knuckled distress, and she knew at least he would try to be kind, as he had to her since he arrived.
As Joffrey lead Sansa back to the high table, he called for it to be time for the bedding ceremony. "Men please help relieve Lady Sansa of her clothes. She won't be needing them. Ladies attend to my uncle he's not very heavy."
"There will be no bedding ceremony." Tyrion pound his hand against the table. They were already forced into this travesty of a marriage, he would not have Sansa tortured by the slimy hands of Joffrey and his fellow nobles, she deserved better.
"Where is your respect for tradition, uncle?" Joffrey asked as he continued to try and get people to help him with Sansa.
"There will be no bedding ceremony, unless you would like to fuck your bride with a wooden cock!" Tyrion exclaimed and stabbed a knife in to the table.
"Excuse me? Did you just threaten the king?" Joffrey became irate. But Cersei and others saw wisdom in quieting the king and letting Tyrion and his new bride disappear in relative silence, though whispers followed them as they made their way out of the hall.
Once in the bedchamber, Sansa felt her fear ratchet to new levels as she watched Tyrion wander over, wobbling significantly less than when they'd left the hall. He poured himself another glass of wine with steady hands and she realized his drunken display with the knife, was just that a display, an act. Touched by his actions, but still fraught with fear she knew she had to do her duty as his wife.
Sansa's hands trembled as she undid the ties of her wedding dress. She felt Tyrion's eyes on her, hoping that he wouldn't notice how much she was shaking. When she finally got to the last tie, she let her dress slip off her shoulders. Staring ahead not focusing on anything Sansa wrapped her arms around her wait to keep the dress from falling to the floor.
Tyrion couldn't force himself to walk towards her. He knew she was trying to hide how much she was shaking, but he saw. He had seen her working intricate needlepoint, her hands were as steady as a maesters. The poor girl must be frightened of what comes next. Surely she's heard rumors of Tyrion's frequent visits to the brothels throughout Westeros. He didn't think he had ever laid with a virgin, well none that he remembered lying with.
"You don't need to be afraid," Tyrion said finally willing himself to cross the room.
"M-My Lord, I should have asked if you wanted to..." Sansa's voice drifted off at the end of the sentence and her entire body tensed.
Tyrion was confused, did he really repulse her that much. The thought of his touch has her frozen in disgust. He approaches her trying his best not to startle her any further, finally he reaches out his hand settling in on the back of her dress. After a long pause, she released the dress letting it fall to the ground.
Sansa turned to face her husband, rewrapping her arms around her body.
"My lord, can we please extinguish the candles?" Had he not seen her mouth moving Tyrion would have chalked the noise up to wind.
"Lady Sansa, you have no reason to be so frightened. I will be as gentle as one can be in this situation. But if you would prefer that there was less lights I can blow out some of the candles." Tyrion moved to extinguish the candles closest to the bed. "If you like my lady you can lay on the bed. I will be a moment, there are many laces on my boots despite their small size."
Sansa climbed on the bed, despite her husband's attempts to get her to relax she could not focus on anything other than what was about to happen. She knew he would try to be kind, be gentle, but he was not the dashing knight she'd always imagined. Closing her eyes Sansa laid back, her arms still wrapped around her waist. She felt the bed dip as Tyrion joined her. He began to gently run his fingers along her arms, her body tensed under his touch. Leaning next to her ear Tyrion asked if he could remover her shift, frantically she shook her head.
"Okay, My Lady. I am so sorry that I am not the knight in the songs, but please understand that this is what is expected of us." Wordlessly Sansa nodding knowing that it was their duty as man and wife. Tyrion had pulled away from her torso and repositioned himself by her legs.
Suddenly the air was on Sansa's legs, Tyrion was pushing her shift up. She could hear him softly whispering words of encouragement to her. When her shift had reached the tops of her thighs, she reached out to push the shift back down. She could not do this, she began to weep.
"Please, My Lord, I beseech you." Sansa cried as she sat up.
"My Lady, I am many things but I am not a raper. I will not lie with you until you want me to." Tyrion made his way off of the bed and pulled his nightshirt on.
"And what if I never wish to lie with you?" He could hear the shame in her voice.
"Then so it shall be. I will sleep on the chaise tonight. Please know I will not harm you Sansa."
"Thank you, My Lord." Sansa said as she climbed under the blankets on the bed, rolling over so her back was facing her husband.
"And so my watch begins," said Tyrion raising the wine he had taken off of the small table in their chambers.