Sansa
The weeks on the road slowly passed. They'd settled into a routine, getting up early and riding their horses for a few miles, up to twenty depending on the weather until they settled for the night at an inn. Now that war had gone and the winter had loosened its grip on them, inns were a flourishing business once again. They hadn't yet had to struggle finding a bed for the night, much to Sansa's relief. Sleeping in tents on the hard ground with three children under five didn't fill her with joy.
They'd left Casterly Rock by the River road, and after that headed north on the Kingsroad. After years of danger, it was wonderful to be able to travel freely. Sansa alternated between riding her horse and riding in the carriage with her children.
One day when they were reaching the Neck, Sansa stopped her horse. She was riding with Maeri, who had a harness attached to her mother in case she lost her grip on the horse. Sansa had an arm protectively around her daughter as she looked over the rise they'd just climbed. Below them, looking almost picture perfect were the Twins. Where the late Walder Frey had viciously butchered her brother and her mother at a wedding feast. Sansa had never seen the place they died. Now she was looking at it, it seemed horribly normal.
At the moment, Walton Frey was in residence, after a hefty fine from Danerys, which he was still paying off. Walder Frey hadn't accepted Daenerys as Queen, probably not believing a woman could hold Westeros, and he'd paid for it with his life. So had his sons, who'd also refused to acknowledge her and raised a very brief and bloody rebellion involving the deaths of Walder Frey's sons. So Walton Frey was a very meek twenty year old who didn't want to step out of line, which Sansa thought, was probably why Daenerys had allowed him to keep the Twins. It was convenient to have someone who'd do what she wanted.
She sighed as she looked at the building. How could it look so normal? Not the horrendous place where Tywin Lannister had ordered her family's death. Her father in law. Even though he was dead, it still hurt, and at this moment, she was angry with Tyrion. She felt rational enough to know it wasn't his fault, but the anger kept seeping through her.
"Mama?" She looked down at Maeri whose wide blue eyes were staring at her. Sansa forced a smile and ruffled her daughters blonde locks gently. "Why we stop?"
"I'm just thinking, sweetheart," she said gently.
"Can we move?" Maeri said. "Go horsey, go!"
"Yes, we can move," Sansa said. On impulse she turned away from the train and rode towards the Twins. She had no reason, just felt the need to be closer to the place her mother was murdered.
"Sansa!" She heard her husband call her name, but she didn't stop to turn and explain. She just rode like the wind, Maeri giggling and shrieking with delight as the landscape parted in front of them.
She stopped when she was much, much closer. She could actually hear noises from the castle now, carried there on the wind. The clink of swords from the armoury, the neigh of a horse which made her own mount, Ashi twitch nervously, hearing horses she couldn't see.
"Mama?" Maeri said, now that they'd stopped again. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said. "Just… nothing." They both heard the sound of a horse coming up behind them, but Sansa didn't turn around. She knew it would be someone coming to drag her back to the train heading northwards. Probably Tyrion.
"Dada!" Maeri said, seeing her father. Maeri held her arms out for him to take her, but he didn't while on the horse. "Dada?" she asked, blue eyes wide at her father saying no to her.
Tyrion had no resistance to that look from his daughter, and everyone knew it. He smiled slightly and threw the reins of his horse to Sansa as he clumsily got off the horse, landing undignified in the dirt. He shook himself and reached for Maeri. Sansa had untied the harness around her daughter, and Maeri was so eager to be held by her father that she almost jumped off the horse and winded Tyrion.
"Oof," he breathed as she squealed in his arms. Sansa smiled as their daughter gave every appearance of not seeing her father in months, rather than an hour or two.
"Anyone would think she's never going to see you again," Sansa said.
"The way this world works, one time she won't," Tyrion said darkly. Sansa looked at him, before sliding down off her horse, keeping a tight grip on both sets of reins. She knew where his melancholy thoughts were coming from, the building they were looking at.
"I had to… see it," she said.
"I know," he said. "I'm sorry."
"They died here," she said. "What had my mother ever done to warrant having her throat cut?"
Mother of the King of the North, Tyrion thought. Mother of a rebel, but he wasn't stupid enough to say it.
"I'm sorry," he repeated.
"Your father did this," she said. "He may not of stabbed Robb, but it was on his orders."
"Robb?" Maeri said, recognising her brothers name.
"Robb's fine," Tyrion assured her, holding her closely. "And yes," he said to his wife. "It was. Disgraceful too." Sansa kept looking at the Twins. "Come back to the train," he said.
"I will," she said.
"Now," he said firmly. "We're falling behind, and staring at this building won't bring your family back."
Sansa sighed with her whole heart. "I have my family," she said, smiling at him and he felt his heart in his throat with the way she looked at him. "I just miss them. We should go," she added.
"Can you…?" Tyrion nodded to the horse and she knew what he was saying. She helped him up into the saddle, then gave him Maeri.
"Just hold her for a minute while I jump up," she said, clambering into her own saddle with a little more grace than her husband had. After a little manoeuvring they got Maeri in Sansa's arms again, wearing the harness.
"Come on," Tyrion said. "Lets catch up to the others." She turned her horse and did.
