Wedding Jitters Part 2
Catelyn, Ned and Sansa sat in the kitchen of the family row house on Visenya's Hill in Kings Landing. Her father lived there when Parliament was in session, while the rest of the family remained at home in the North. It felt like home, a tiny bit Winterfell, with Sansa's architectural photos of the ruins of the oldest keeps, the gates and the ancient walls surrounding them. The kitchen itself was filled with some artifacts from the original kitchen and pantry, old bowls and plates with the direwolf sigil and the blue china with her mother's Tully fish sigil swimming along the edges, that she used when they entertained officially in town.
"Sansa, I hope you are going into this with a clear head." said her father. "I don't really understand this TV show, but if it makes you happy."
"Arya and I already discussed this with Mom. It couldn't be any worse than the current state of my love life."
"This is marriage, TV show or not." reminded her father.
"I wasn't thrilled about this either." continued Catelyn. "But, you agreed to this."
"My own judgement has been horrible."
"We probably shouldn't let you do this but, you are grown up."
"Ned, I did make some inquiries." started Catelyn.
"You did WHAT?"
"Yes, I did. Do you really think, I'd let you go off and just marry anyone. I'm sorry, Sansa. I'm your mother."
"I can't believe….."
"Your father is an MP. I felt it necessary."
"And?"
"And nothing. I was able to speak with Dr. Schwartz. She assured me that you were matched with an appropriate young man."
"What exactly is appropriate to you, Mother?"
"A good family, someone like us."
"Oh, great! Both Joffrey and Ramsey were from fine upstanding families and they were both jerkoffs."
"Catelyn. Sansa. You are both going to let this GO! Now, Sansa, since you have committed yourself to this, you will see this through. It's happening tomorrow."
"I didn't want our conversation to take this turn." reproached Catelyn. "I'm sorry. I can't help being a mother and wanting everything to be perfect for you."
"No, this was not my intention either." added Ned. "Your mother and I worry."
"I understand, Dad. And if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. I just thought I'd try." said Sansa frustrated with both of them and herself and Arya and everybody else.
Her father got up and went to the large cupboard. He brought out an ornamented box with a blue bow and set it on the table in front of Sansa.
"Forget about all our issues. My beautiful daughter is getting married tomorrow and I have something special for you. Open it."
Catelyn smiled at Ned. Sansa carefully lifted the lid off the box and unfolded the blue velvet. Inside was such a surprise.
"Mom, Dad, you…"
"Had this made for you. You know what it is." smiled Ned.
"A silver crown of winter roses. It's for the Queen of Love and Beauty, like in the grand tourneys."
"You deserve nothing less. This is our wish for you. May you be the Queen of Love and Beauty for the prince you have always hoped for. I will be the most honored father in all of Westeros, if you will wear this when I escort you down the aisle in the Sept."
"Then I will find my prince waiting for me."
MEANWHILE*************************************************
"I brought the cloak. It's in the garment bag."
"What do you mean?" asked Jon.
"For the ceremony, you know the cloak. You place it on your bride and bring her under your protection."
"Aunt Dany, this is the 21st century."
"This is Westeros and you will do it according to tradition."
"Did you have a cloaking ceremony?"
"No, the Dothraki don't cloak. Different culture, different traditions."
"So what did you two do? What vows did you say?"
"No words were necessary. It was like Woodstock without the hippies and weed. Just eating, drinking, dancing, and of course, gifts.
"Drogo's family gave me the three traditional gifts of a whip, bow, and arakh. Then the bride refuses them with traditional words, and the husband takes them. Once that happened, I was married. Of course, in private, we said our own vows under the moon and stars."
"So, if you married Jorah now, would you have a cloaking ceremony?"
"I guess, we would. Funny, it seems like Jorah has been protecting me for years. He was a military attaché in Essos with Drogo. He has always been there for me."
"Still is today."
"Let's get back to you. I know, I didn't consult you. I should have. I had a cloak made in the colors of House Targaryen and our sigil."
"I hate to ask but, it doesn't look like our bank emblem does it? I refuse to drape a cloak on anybody with that big red three headed dragon on it. That would be like a walking advertisement and I'm not going to embarrass a woman, I don't even know like that."
"Here open the bag and see for yourself. I do have good taste."
When Jon took the cloak out of the bag, he realized it was going to be an issue, especially for its size. It was simple black silk
edged in red. The cloak itself fluttered with a finely embroidered outline of dragon wings done in gold thread and a modern stylized head that wrapped around the shoulder to the left with a yellow eye that should lay over the bride's heart. Rather than a clasp, there were black ribbons that could be tied in a bow in front to allow the cloak to billow out as the bride walked back down the aisle.
"Are you sure she won't look like Batman in this thing. It's a bit theatrical."
"I was thinking regal."
"I get your idea, but I'm still seeing a bit of the caped crusader here."
"So, I guess, I have to cancel the wind machine then."
"You better be joking about that. You are just kidding, right?"
