Hee hee. You warm my heart beats4Justin and Tainted-eve and all the other people who enjoy what I am writing. I've been writing a bit, and posting several chapters-mostly because I am anxious to get to the part I started this fanfiction for. I know I don't write much of Brienne...but that's because well...I am really not a fan of hers. I kinda lost my liking after she was a jerk and killed the Hound-who I did like especially HoundXArya not as aromannce but as a companionship-hm! I'm gonna give her a good ending though because she is being good to Sansa and Catelyn.
Have a goodnight/morning and Enjoy!
"You want to turn me over to Roose Bolton?" Sansa heard Stannis relay the message that had been sent to him by Raven.
"That's what he wants. It sounds easy. Deliver you to the enemy and they will leave us be. They will allow me to pack up what left of my dignity and my family then wave me off."
Sansa's heart froze in her chest. he had promised her protection. "It does sound easy." Selyse agreed. We can leave here with our lives."
"And go where?" Stannis demanded. "What would become of our family name? There is no where else to go."
Selyse watched her husband with confusion, not sure where he was going with this.
"It's a trick." Davos grumbled.
"A poorly thought out trick." Stannis agreed. "As soon as we handed you over he would finish us."
"And what if." Sansa began slowly. "You knew for certain that by handing me over he would surrender?"
"Not surrender, he said he will let us live." Davos pointed out.
Stannis took two steps and kneeled before Sansa. "I gave you my word that I would protect you. My word is my life."
Sansa. "What are you going to do?"
"We are going to wait until noon tomorrow and hope that Jon Snow makes it here with his army."
Davos gathered papers and maps before he exited the room.
Stannis squeezed Sansa's hand before he stood. "Get some rest girl."
"What do we do now?" Stannis asked Melisandre.
"Trust in the Lord of Light." She stated matter of fact.
"Meaning."
"You were right. We need to wait for Jon Snow's army."
"Good."
"There is a chance that Jon Snow may never make it,if he doesn't then all is lost I'm afraid."
"The vision in the fire-?"
"Is the effect of a chain reaction. Something needs to happen-the right events need to lead up to that moment. Nothing is set in stone my King. Not yet."
"What needs to be done?"
"Roose Bolton needs to die."
"And how will you achieve that?"
"Sansa."
"Sansa?"
Melisandre revealed to Stannis her plan and the result. Stannis argued with her, and he argued for that he had promised to protect her.
"And this is you protecting her." Melisandre countered. "She will not be harmed, in fact this small sacrifice will free her from darker chains that have been locked beyond her control. "
"No."
Melisandre tilted her head. "You ask for the Lord of Lights help, but you refuse to give back. Even your own daughter has been denied a certain honor by your-."
"That's enough." Stannis snapped. He turned on her and backed her up against the wall. He put a hand on the wall, caging her red woman tilted her chin up defiantly.
"Without a sacrifice, The Lord of Light cannot help you. Let me do what I can."
"That girl has been through enough hell." He muttered inched from her face.
"Let her have a choice then." Melisandre said lowly.
"She has more sense than that."
"I'll speak with her."
"We will speak to her."Stannis corrected. "First thing in the morning."
"As you wish." Melisandre murmured.
"He wasn't so bad a husband really." Sansa confided in Podrick. "I hated him at first. I thought that he was the cruelest joke that has ever been played on me. In truth Tyrion was the kindest man in King's Landing."
The two of them were alone in a room set aside for them. Brienne, as usual chose to guard outside the door. She trusted that task only herself after personally searching every in of the room. She did so to make sure there was no other way in or out.
"That's all I had ever wanted really." Sansa said almost sadly. "To have a good, kind husband. One who would love me. But now, what I want most is a good future. I don't care who I marry now. I just want to live comfortably."
Podrick looked down at the stone floor. He listened intently to Sansa as she opened herself to him. They had been talking about himself, how he came into Tyrion's service, Tyrion himself and now the future. Sansa stood in the middle of the room. She held herself together, both arms crossed over her chest and holding onto her shoulders. Sansa's hair was down. She hadn't bathed that night. Instead she took her hair down and had brushed it a bit before stopping. The light from the fire burning behind her illuminated her body. This made it hard for Podrick to focus and even harder for his heart to stop pounding. The way the light glowed through her long, flowing auburn hair gave her a fierce look. She looked strong and even more beautiful than ever at that moment.
Sansa noticed Podrick staring and took it as a different meaning. "You're right. It's a ridiculous thing to think about just yet.."
"No." Podrick said automatically, surprising himself. "I mean...I like to think about how I want my life to go."
Sansa looked in his direction. He could see the blue in her eyes from where he stood. "What do you think about?"
"I think about becoming a knight, a strong and brave knight. One who doesn't fight for the man with the richest pockets." Podrick looked to the left of Sansa when he spoke. For once he didn't feel nervous, he felt comfortable speaking to her and telling her a bit about his own desires. "I want to fight for a man with the richest and truest heart."
Sansa grinned. "That does sound nice."
"And then." Podrick shrugged. "If I have the honor of finding a lady who is good and true-I should like to give my heart to her."
"Will you have children of your own?"
"I don't know...I'd like to have a daughter of my own you know?"
"A daughter?" Sansa asked. "Not a son?"
"Maybe later." Podrick said softly. "But I would like a daughter whom I would raise to be independent. I'd want her to be brave and smart. Grow up to be a lady of influence and be able to live her way."
"That sounds like Arya. My little sister."
"Yeah. I remember her from that day we told you about. She was dressed in breeches and had short hair. I could tell from the way she stood with her little sword that she was independent."
"She had to be."Sansa sighed. "After our father was murdered-there's no telling how she got to where she was."
"She's alive and well, so are your brothers."
"It's wonderful."
No one said anything for a moment. Finally Sansa let go of herself and reached out for the hair was at that moment she thought something was stabbing her stomach. With asoundless cry she fell toher knees.
Podrick tore away from where he stood guard and fell to the ground next to her.
"No, I'm fine. I'm fine." Sansa assured him. "I've been having cramps all day long."
"We need to get you a maester."
Sansa smiled painfully. "There are no maesters here."
Podrick looked at Sansa, wanting desperately to help her even though there was nothing that he could do. Sansa pulled herself into a sitting postion, putting her back against the dusty sofa beside her.
"Ah." She breathed. The cramp seemed to pulse in her abdominals. She let her head fall back and waited it out.
Podrick watched her with concern. Her pretty eyelids were closed tightly and her soft red lips were slightly parted. He wondered what they tasted like, before shaking the thought from his head. He felt confused. Quickly he tried to get to his knees but he felt Sansa's hand touch him on the crook of his arm.
"Please stay here beside me." Sansa's eyes watched his. The blue was mesmerizing. An oasis in the midst of a fire that was her hair, illuminated once again by the ebbing flames from the fireplace. Her lips were pressed together now.
"I'll stay." He gulped. Podrick fell back beside Sansa. She scooted closer to him and lay her head on his side. His heart beat so quickly he was sure it could be heard knocking against his boiled leather armor. If she could hear his heart it didn't bother her at all. Podrick put his arm around her small shoulders, allowing her to snuggle closer. He hugged her him, determined to help her feel safe and warm.
"Thank you." Sansa murmured.
"Of course my lady."
Sansa stared across the room, but at nothing in particular. She didn't want to forget that Roose Bolton was outside, expecting her to be returned to him and Winterfell. Part of her had a small fear that Stannis would choose to turn her over, but that was fought with faith in her King. She felt safe in Stannis's company. She felt safe in the castle with Brienne protecting her and Podrick holding her. Being in his arms felt almost as good as her bath last night. She ached for another massage like that one. Even the Red Woman was being kind to her, making everything feel okay.
She didn't know how long they sat there exactly, but when the door opened the fire had decreased to smaller flames. Podrick looked and Saw Melisandre peering at them, a smile playing at her lips.