Really loving the positive feedback!
Herbstkind- I'm glad that even though it bothered you, you stuck through. I knew this chapter would eventually happen, Sansa would need a big wake up call since the beating wasn't enough. And Catelyn will be interesting for sure, as she tends to have some stupid reactions.
Brahitsemily- You are just one of my favorite people. You've been following this intently and reviewing each chapter, you're amazing simply put.
Veridissima- I knew his first name would be Drogo (duh) and sat there for about twenty minutes trying to decide if I should actually make Dani calling him Mr. Khal or if I should make his last name pertain to horses. Glad I went for it.
Rickon walked into the starkly white room and took a seat beside the bed.
He didn't understand exactly what was going on except that his father was furious with his mom, to the point he almost struck her.
The pair were in the hall arguing, along with his older siblings, most of them ganging up on the Sand Man who had brought Sansa here.
Catelyn had accused him of hurting her, but Arya had stepped between them and declared him Sansa's savior.
Arya had told him to wait in the room, away from all the misdirected rage. Sansa needed some calmer company anyways.
Rickon was young, but he understood that something awful had happened to his oldest sister.
Looking at the hospital bed, he was convinced that the Gods had turned a blind eye to whatever had befallen his beautiful sister.
Her usually rosy skin was pale white in some places, while in others it was black and blue.
Her face was swollen and it looked as if she was missing some clumps of her rich auburn hair. She wouldn't like that, Sansa loved her hair. She thought it her most beautiful feature.
Rickon always thought it was her eyes. The Tully family blue that he too had inherited.
But of all the things wrong with the image, what struck Rickon so hard was her fingernails.
Sansa gave herself a professional manicure once a week, leaving her nails pearly pink and always flawless. Rickon had occasionally helped, gathering materials and helping her do things until they had dried.
The nails were now chipped and cracked, with her left index finger wrapped in bandages, making him wonder if there was a fingernail left there at all.
He had heard the Sand Man say something about Joffery and some other boys hurting her. No one would tell him exactly what they did, but it looked like they had just beat her relentlessly.
He frowned,wondering why anyone would hit Sansa.
He was only twelve, but Sansa was fragile, even to him. She was delicate and needed to be protected.
Of course, physically speaking, Arya was much more petite than Sansa. Sansa was tall and willowy, whereas Arya was like a dainty china doll.
In his eyes though, Arya was one of his toughest siblings. There was just something in her that would never allow her to be a victims whereas Sansa was the definition of easy target.
That in mind, he crawled up on the bed at her side, just like he usually did when he was younger. He had come to make Sansa feel better, not stare at her wounds like she was some kind of circus freak. That would only make her feel worse.
"Sansa, I brought our favorite book. You always read it to me when I felt bad, so now it's my turn to read it to you. It's really long and it has some big words, but I'll try to pronounce them right."
He glanced over to see her eyes had opened, those big blue eyes looking at him with a deep sadness.
Rickon smiled at her gently, picking the book off the table where he had placed it and showed it to her. He liked to think he didn't imagine the small lift at the corner of her mouth.
He began reading, not making his voice soothing or gentle, he read as he normally would to Sansa. Just like when she had taught him how. He noted the tears filling her eyes, some escaping and falling down her face, but she never told him to stop, so he didn't. He read the different voices and even sang the songs. Usually however, the songs were duets. This time his counterpart was silent.
Though they could both still hear the loud accusations from Catelyn and the thunderous anger of Ned, they were no longer sitting in a hospital room.
They were in Sansa's bedroom, reading their favorite book, just like they always had.
Sansa listened quietly as he read the story about the little hobbit who discovered that he could have courage, even though everyone else doubted him.
Rickon felt she needed this story more than she knew. Sansa would need to find the courage to heal herself, and what better role model than a Baggins?
I really wanted a sweet moment between Sansa and a sibling. Also, Rickon has hardly been mentioned, so it seemed fitting. Plus I just adore those books. Not so much the films.
R&R please
