Through the years, Theon grew to become a good friend of the Stark children, specifically Sansa. At age seventeen, he was talking to Robb as the pair got ready for an audience with King Robert Baratheon.
"She's perfect" He spoke, beginning to dress after having he'd had his shave. "I swear…"
Robb rolled his eyes. "She's my sister. Also, you sound like her. A teenage girl" He chuckled a little, though needing to stay as still as he could considering he was getting shaved now as he spoke.
"Oh, she may be your sister, but I'd like her to be my wife" He said, chuckling. "Or at least one ni-"
"I wouldn't finish that sentence, Theon" Jon interjected. "I don't think you want to talk about how you want to sleep with a girl in front of her older brothers"
"Well, I guess I wouldn't want someone talking about my sister." He mentioned. Theon now knew of why he was kept at Winterfell, and he secretly resented it. He thought it simply wasn't fair to the family he should be loyal to. Still, the Starks had treated him with great kindness, and he had met fair Sansa because of them.
"I'll make sure to sit between you two lovebirds. Wouldn't want any funny business- she's only turned fifteen recently." joked Robb, standing up and starting to dress himself. "She's still young for marriage."
"When did I say marriage?" Theon asked, chuckling a little. "I just like her, I'll wait to ask her hand."
"I wrongfully assumed you wouldn't bed a woman before marriage." Robb retorted. "You really need to learn to be a bit more of a gentleman, or Sansa won't be interested."
"I think she is already." Theon responded cockily.
"Your head is up your ass" Jon muttered to himself, rolling his eyes.
Meanwhile, Sansa again sat at her mother's vanity as she did when she was a little girl, but this time Sansa brushed her own hair, and put on her own perfume. At fifteen she believed she was a woman, despite her mother, father and older brothers' disagreement with that notion.
"Do you think I did well with my hair?" Sansa asked, turning to her mother. It was braided and brushed as a northern maiden would, and that was exactly how Sansa liked it.
"You look wonderful" Catelyn replied, having Sansa stand. "Arya, sit down. I need to braid your hair."
Arya huffed, crossing her arms. She stuck her tongue out at her mother.
"Arya Stark!" Catelyn exclaimed. Arya was a difficult child, but still very kind and brave. She liked her mischief, but when mother gave that look she had to behave herself.
"Fiiiiine" Arya responded, plopping down onto the chair.
Sansa now sat on the bed, her direwolf puppy, Lady, resting at her feet. She smiled a little to herself.
"Do you think Theon will like how I look?" she asked, a glimmer of youthful excitement in her eyes.
Catelyn chuckled a little, shaking her head. She remembering being Sansa's age, and her childish crush on Brandon Stark. She was so happy she ended up being engaged to marry him-though he did die, but Sansa may not be so lucky. She knew Sansa was supposed to marry someday, but the likelihood she would ever be allowed to marry the son of a traitor wasn't all that strong.
"Of course he will, dear." She told her, looking at her red-haired daughter with pride. "He'd be a fool not to."
"Will dinner be starting soon? I want him to see me as soon as possible!" Sansa said excitedly, twirling in the blue dress she had sewn herself.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, my little love" Catelyn explained.
Sansa sighed in response, picking up Lady and sitting her in her lap. She petted her gently, only somewhat understanding what her mother meant.
"I suppose it's a hard concept for a girl your age to understand, but you will learn patience." The older Stark woman explained, finally finishing Arya's hair. "Now girls, I think dinner will be within the next thirty minutes, so come when you're called, alright?"
Sansa nodded eagerly, and Arya just crossed her arms. God, did she hate "lady things" like having her hair up and wearing big dresses.
"Sansa, I want to go out and play with Bran and Rickon" She said, looking out the window to see the younger boys rushing about with wooden swords. "I don't like this stupid dress. I look like a clown."
Sansa shook her head. "You look elegant! What are you talking about?" She never understood her little sister's disdain for such things as dresses and needlework. She always liked them and just couldn't grasp why Arya didn't.
"I feel stupid in this. I want to go outside" Arya stubbornly retorted.
"Well…" Sansa got an idea in her mind to help her little sister and smirked to herself. "You want to go outside and be a lady knight with your brothers?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Arya nodded vigorously. "Yes! It'd be much more fun than...this"
Sansa smiled a little. "You should be able to, but...a lady night cannot tell other knights she's a lady."
"Well, I suppose I could get in trouble for it." Arya sighed. "That isn't fair"
Sansa shook her head. "Of course not." She was actually serious, she may not have a lot in common with Arya, but she wanted her to be happy. "But look at it like this; a knight, or- an assassin, rather, but be quiet and unassuming. When you are at parties, play the role of being ladylike to trick your enemies!"
"Ooh...you're very smart, Sansa..." Arya responded, pondering the idea. "My enemies will never see me coming! Thank you"
Sansa giggled. "No problem, Ser-Lady Arya." She saw her sister dash off down the hall, probably looking for Nymeria.
Sansa really did love and care about her little sister, and prayed for her happiness every night. She knew she was a special girl with crazy ambitions, and she loved that about her. Arya wanting to pursue her own way was something she always admired.
Soon she was called down to dinner, so she touched up a little and headed downstairs, making a point to sit directly across from Theon. Her looked at him, all groomed and handsome, those sea green eyes looking at her in a moment of wonderment.
Theon looked at Sansa all dressed in blue, her red hair shining like fire in the candlelight, her snow white skin glowing. By the Drowned God...she was beautiful. As dinner went on, he found himself admiring her often. The way she laughed at his stupid jokes, the way she tended to curl a strand of her russet locks around her finger when listening intently, and her smile- oh, her smile. It was like a ray of sunshine on a day that was expected to be cloudy, like a gemstone that glints in a pile of rubble- or in more simpler terms; radiant.
After dinner, Theon found himself in the courtyard, looking up at the stars alone. Robb had stayed with his mother and father to meet the Baratheon family, Jon was likely asleep, and the younger three Starks were certainly asleep. Theon just didn't feel tired that night, so there he stayed, the stars reminding him of the glint in Sansa's eyes when she looked at him. It was a cosmic sort of phenomenon; like the universe had collided in her bright blue eyes in a supernova of love and girlish excitement. He just couldn't stop thinking about the Stark maiden. Maybe that was the reason he was sleepless on this chilly night.
Sansa was in the courtyard as well, coming upon Theon and sitting next to him. She sat Lady in her lap, stroking her soft fur, staring up at the stars as he did. The night was cloudless, and the stars seemed particularly bright that night.
"Look, a shooting star!" Sansa said, directing Theon's attention to it. "Make a wish!" She said excitedly.
"Oh, I already have" He said, his cheeks reddening. She looked so cute, admiring the comet with such wonderment and happiness. She was pure, and he loved that about her.
"What was it- wait, don't tell me" Sansa stopped herself. "It won't come true if you tell me."
"You don't believe that old superstition, do you?" Theon chuckled a little. "I think I should tell you my wish. Maybe you can help it come true."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, how can I help?"
"I wished that the most beautiful girl in the seven kingdoms would kiss me tonight." He said, looking into her eyes. His hand was now on top of hers. He had made his move.
"Oh dear me, well...I don't think she's here, Theon" Sansa humbly replied, unsure of what he was saying. She was in denial that Theon would ever find her as the most beautiful girl in Westeros. Maybe she'd be in the top fifteen, but certainly there were girls more beautiful than her.
"She is, Sansa. I'm talking to her right now." Theon got bold, leaning in and kissing her lips. He was gentle with her- he knew this would be her first kiss. It was his as well, so he wasn't entirely sure of what he was doing, just following his instinct.
Sansa kissed him back, her cheeks reddening more than they already more. She wrapped her arms around him. This had to be the most magical feeling in the world, she felt like she was walking on a cloud. It was in this exact moment she knew this was love.
"T-Theon…" Sansa spoke softly, gazing into his perfect green eyes. "I think I love you…"
Theon smiled, stroking her cheek. "I love you too, red wolf"
They took a moment, but they realized that they must go to sleep at some point. The two headed to their respective bedrooms, going to sleep with only the happiest of dreams. Sansa dreamt of happily ever after on the Iron Islands, marrying Theon, having children and being the perfect mother and wife she always wanted to be. Meanwhile, Theon dreamt of making Sansa his queen, his ruling partner and the mother to his children.
Little did they know, things would not be as easy for the couple as their dreams made them believe.