This is the wedding chapter! It will primarily just have the wedding day, including Sansa enjoying breakfast with the queen up until the bedding ceremony.
Enjoy!
...
The day was finally here.
Sansa woke to the sound of birds outside of her balcony and as soon as her feet touched the stone floor, her door opened, "Good Morning, my Lady!" Shae walked in with a tray holding a pitcher of warm water and a bowl of berries. Sansa yawned, "Morning? Yes. Good?" The two girls shared a look and Shae sighed, "I know, but just think, you will be a married woman this afternoon. I hear that is a glorious thing, a wedding." Sansa rolled her eyes as she picked a raspberry from the bowl, "I don't know how much I would enjoy married life."
"Not even with Tyrion Lannister?"
Shae filled a washing bowl with the pitcher of water and questioned, "Has he ever harmed you?" Sansa shook her head, "No." Shae continued, "Has he ever mistreated you? Shouted at you?"
"No."
Sansa bent over and washed her face, "Then do not worry so much. I think he will treat you better than Joffrey would have." After Sansa's cleaned her face she looked at Shae, but before she could say anything, a guard entered her room, "My Lady, I am here to escort you to breakfast with the Queen." Shae walked forward, "The Lady Sansa is not yet prepared for breakfast. She will be ready in a few minutes, but you will wait outside!" Sansa smiled, "Shae, why are you so kind to me? I've never had a friend here before you."
...
"Come in, sweet girl, breakfast awaits you."
Cersei gestured to the dining table and Sansa sighed in relief at the fact Joffrey was not there. Sensing her relief, Cersei smiled, "The King is quite busy this morning, so unfortunately he cannot join us for your wedding day breakfast." Sansa placed a frown on her face, "How unfortunate. I was hoping that the King would join us. Joffrey is a busy King, as you said, I only hope he-"
"Stop that."
Sansa bit her tongue and looked at the Queen, "You no longer have to marry my son, you can stop with your pretty words. Now, come here and eat with me." The two women ate in silence until Cersei smirked, "My brother seems to be thrilled to be marrying you." Sansa looked up at her, but said nothing, "Are you happy to be marrying him?" Sansa opened her mouth and snapped it shut once more, "You can tell me, little dove, for I may just hate my brother as much as you hate him." Sansa shook her head, "I do not hate him, your grace. I do not know him."
"Do you hate Joffrey?"
Cersei looked at her over the rim of her glass, "Speak freely, we are alone." Sansa placed her fork down, "I-I don't..." She trailed off as the door to the room was opened and Tyrion Lannister entered, "Had I known breakfast was being served here, I would have come sooner." Tyrion looked at Cersei and questioned, "Why was I not told of my own wedding breakfast?" Cersei smiled, "Dear brother, you've interrupted my conversation with your betrothed. Go on, Sansa, tell me what you truly think of my son." She felt trapped, like a wolf backed into the corner of a kennel. Sansa shook her head and stood, "Joffrey is my King and will always be my one true love."
She looked down at Tyrion and staggered back from she was sitting, "My Lord, I am sorry. I do not feel well." She looked at Cersei, "May I be excused, your grace?" Cersei smirked and waved a hand, "Go on, little dove, fly back to your chambers and prepare for your wedding night." Sansa walked to the door and once she was behind it, she began to run down the hall with her gown clasped in her hands.
"What were you doing to her?"
Cersei looked at Tyrion, "I was simply asking her about Joffrey." Tyrion hissed, "You were trying to make her say something she truly wants to say, but she knows should she say it in front of you, it will be passed to the King." He snatched a roll from the table, "I don't want my innocent bride bruised and bloody."
...
She hated her gown, she hated her hair, she hated everything about this day. Sansa sat up straight in her chair as her handmaidens bustled around her to finish her rouge and hair. Shae spritzed her neck with lavender when a knock sounded in the room. Shae walked to the door and opened it to see Tywin Lannister standing in the doorway. Sansa looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw the tall Lannister standing in the doorway,
"Move aside, girl. I'm hear to speak with my soon to be daughter in law."
Sansa took a deep breath and stood, "It's alright, Shae. Thank you." Shae bit her cheek as she left the room so they could be alone. Sansa looked up at Tywin and spoke first, "My Lord, how kind it is of you to visit me before the wedding." Tywin smirked, "Yes, how kind. Sansa, I've come to speak with you about your wedding." She became slightly confused as he stepped further towards her and began to speak,
"You are to marry Tyrion today and it has come to my attention from my daughter that he has a soft spot for young, broken things."
He eyed her up and down and continued, "I fear this softness will keep him from doing his duty to this family." He paused and allowed Sansa to catch up to what he was saying, "Duty, my Lord?" Tywin chuckled, "So naive, girl, yes duty. Tonight, after the feast, there will be a bedding ceremony. It is traditional in marriages and once back to his chambers, he will have the duty to lay with you this very night and hopefully put a child in your belly. I trust you have been seen by Maester Pycelle?" Sansa blushed as she thought of the session with the old Maester only a few weeks prior, "Yes."
Her answers were short and Tywin liked that about her. Tywin nodded, "Good, you are healthy and young Lady Stark, no doubt that his seed will take to your womb." Sansa took the breath she said been holding and asked, "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't Tyrion be the one-"
"Tyrion knows his duty, but if I know him as I do, he will hold off from bedding you for as long as he can. I am telling you so you can make sure he does what he must to join our two houses. You will make sure? I would hate for the King to learn how you have disappointed us so."
Sansa nodded, "Of course, my Lord." He stepped closer to her and could smell the lavender coming from her hair, "My Lady, just remember one thing." He reached out and touched a long strand of her red hair,
"When you marry one of us, you marry all of us."
...
"When you marry one of us, you marry all of us."
Sansa looked around as the people in the Sept clapped and cheered. She remembered the words that Tywin had spoken to her and her eyes fell to his in the crowd. He looked at her while clapping his hands and gave her a nod of the head as Tyrion grasped her left hand in his and walked down the steps with her. Joffrey jumped out of the crowd and stopped them, "Come, come, Sansa! Put a smile on that horrid face of yours! You are finally a Lannister. I suppose, it really doesn't matter which one you married!" He laughed and Cersei joined in, "Yes, very good, my son. Let the newlyweds pass so they can go to the feast."
Tyrion could feel her shaking as they walked away and he took notice of her silence, "Do not be upset, my Lady. Worse things have happened." Sansa looked down at her new husband and whispered, "Of course worse things have happened. I'm living proof of that, aren't I? I'm only shaking because we must sit through this feast with him laughing at us." Tyrion looked ahead at Joffrey walking with Cersei and chuckled, "Yes, we must. But just think, in a few months he will be married to the Tyrell girl and we can laugh at them."
"Laugh at what? Joffrey is handsome and Margaery, she is beautiful and smart. There are no faults."
He stopped her as they reached outside of the feast and looked up at her, "Lady Lannister." Sansa rolled her eyes slightly and whispered, "I do not wish to insult you, my Lord, but I do not wish to be called that more than I have to be." Tyrion smiled, "You never let them see this side of you, Sansa. Why?" She shook her head as he continued, "We will laugh at them together, because we know of the trials and tribulations they will go through as King and Queen. You can laugh at the thought you once had of wanting to marry Joffrey and I shall laugh with you."
Sansa could not help but smile, "You are so kind to me, my Lord. You are not like them." Before he could say anything more, Tyrion took her hand once more, "Come, let us drink until we can't make proper words anymore."
...
Sansa took a sip of her dinner wine and hastily swallowed the bitter liquid. She hadn't touched it all night, but when she saw Cersei staring at her from across the room, she took the wine to appease her in some way. She glanced at Tyrion at her right and watched as he drained his sixth glass of wine. He smiled at her, "My beautiful wife!" Sansa sighed and leaned back in her seat, uncomfortable as she saw several of the people at the feast staring at them.
"My Lord, will you pardon me?"
Tyrion snorted and waved his hand, "Of course! You don-don't need to-" He burped and laughed, "May I have your wine?"Sansa sighed and left her seat, her handmaidens walking with her to the balcony to get air. How could she enjoy being married to Tyrion when at one moment he was kind and respectable, but the next moment he was drunk and foolish? Sansa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the chill in the night air made her smile as she thought of Winterfell.
"Lady Lannister!"
Sansa sighed and opened her eyes when she realized Joffrey was standing behind her. She turned around, "Your grace, you look very handsome tonight." Joffrey scoffed, "Are you saying I don't look handsome every day?" Sansa gulped, "No, I mean-" He shook his head and waved it off, "No need to speak. Come, Sansa, it is time for your bedding ceremony!" He had grabbed her hand, his own hand cold and dry, as he pulled her back inside and down the steps, "Uncle! I found your young wife and she is eager to begin the bedding ceremony!" Sansa blushed and whispered, "Your grace, please don't-"
Joffrey paid her no mind and pushed her towards the head table, "Gentlemen! Join us up here and disrobe Lady Sansa as you carry her to their wedding chambers! Ladies, fear not, my uncle is not so heavy." Everyone began to laugh as Joffrey poked fun at Sansa and Tyrion, the whole time Sansa turned red and nearly began to cry. Suddenly, Tyrion growled and stabbed a knife into the wooden table,
"Fuck off! There will be no bedding!"
The room went silent and all eyes looked to Joffrey and Tyrion. Joffrey flared his nostrils and hissed, "What? What did you say?!" Tyrion smirked, "I said fuck off or you'll be fucking your own bride with a wooden cock." Sansa looked at Margaery and saw that she was laughing to herself, "My Lord, I think-" Tyrion shook his head, "You are my-my wife now, Sansa. I will not let this-"
"It looks as though your uncle has had too much to drink."
Sansa jumped when she realized Tywin was standing just behind her, his chest nearly touching her back, "One often forgets himself when they've had too much." He looked down at Sansa and she moved down a step to let him pass, "Your grace, excuse his terrible behavior, for he has celebrated for far too long tonight." Sansa watched Joffrey slowly calm and Tyrion began to laugh,
"Ah yes! I have had too much to drink! Come, Sansa, we shall show ourselves to our wedding chambers."
Tyrion staggered towards her, falling against the table twice as he did so. Sansa sighed as he took her hand, "You're not tired are you? I have a story to tell you on the way to our room. Have I ever told you about my upbringing? You'll love this story so."
...
"Home sweet home."
Tyrion closed the door and watched as Sansa walked to the middle of the room and looked around. She saw her trunks and vanity had been moved to this chamber and she realized that she was truly married now.
"You're so beautiful tonight."
Sansa looked back at him and he chuckled, "I meant-you are beautiful everyday, but-" He watched as she began to pour a glass of wine and he realized just how frightened she was to be with him. He sighed, "Wine helps you forget." Sansa took a sip and whispered, "Enjoy and forget." It was something that Cersei had told her when they were held up in the Red Keep during the Battle of Blackwater. Tywin's words began to float through her mind and she turned to Tyrion, "If I'm not mistaken, you and I have a duty to uphold." She removed the sewn neck wrap from her gown and placed it on the table, "I'll...prepare." She walked to the bed and like a good wife, she began to undress, the feeling of being watched burning into her back. Tyrion licked his lips as Sansa undressed down to her shift when he finally cleared his mind of the horrible things he wished to do to her,
"Stop."
His heart dropped when she turned to him and wrapped her arms across her chest, "Stop? Are you not pleased?" He closed his eyes and smiled, "Yes, Sansa, I am- I mean, I could, I would, but- do you think marriage is nothing but doing our duty?" Sansa frowned, "Your father-he said that your duty is to make sure you put a Lannister babe in my belly." Tyrion became angry, "If my father wants someone to get fucked tonight, I know where he can start!" Tyrion bowed his head,
"I will not touch you tonight. I will not touch you until I hear your sweet voice saying you want me to."
She watched as Tyrion backed up to the lounge and slowly passed out. A panic rose in her stomach as she realized they did not consummate their marriage, but Sansa soon realized he was doing this for her. Sansa was not ready for this and Tyrion knew it, so she could not help but smile and fall asleep while watching the kindest Lannister snore in his deep sleep.
"When you marry one of us, you marry all of us."
...
The guard bowed his head, "They reached their chambers but no sound came from within, my Lord." Tywin frowned, "How disappointing. I was quite sure I put my point across with the young wolf." He shut the book he had been reading, "Keep guard at their door all night and do not leave until her handmaidens arrive in the morning. The night is still young and no maiden will keep so quiet." The guard bowed slightly, "Yes, my Lord."
...
I hope you all enjoyed this long chapter. Next one, tywin will be on the prowl!