The next morning Sansa woke to sunlight flooding through the high arch windows that faced her bed. She stretched and smiled, wriggling in the warm, comfortable bed. She rolled over to shake Arya awake and frowned when her fingers connected with nothing but cool air.
She cracked an eye open and found herself not in her bed in her home, but back in Sandor Clegane's bed in Tyrion Lannister's home. Everything came flooding back and the sunlight slipped back behind some clouds.
She threw the covers off her and shivered as the morning autumn air ghosted over her skin. She padded barefoot over to the windows and pulled back the thin, white curtains. The sun was struggling through the thick clouds that covered the sky, trees with golden leaves shedding them slowly. Today was the day she left all this behind; going to her new home with her husband. The thought excited her which was surprising, but a small amount of fear was still with her.
She washed her face and neck in the basin and put on the dress laid out by her maids. All her dresses and materials had been packed in big, heavy trunks the previous night and taken down to the carriage. She had a few books and other things to occupy her time in a bag she would keep with her in the carriage.
The dress was beautiful; dark blue material with silver embroidery on the sleeves and neckline. It was long and flowed around her as she walked. She brushed her hair, leaving it to drape around her shoulders but pulled two strands at her temples back and secured them with a simple silver clasp.
She had a grey fur cloak to wear over it, black gloves and a silver bonnet with red ribbon. She left those with her bag and smoothed her hands over the material of the dress as she made her way downstairs.
Sandor and Tyrion were already eating when she arrived in the dining hall. Tyrion greeted her with compliments on her new dress. She took her seat and looked up to see Mr Clegane gazing at her almost in awe. She blushed and hid her smile behind her napkin.
"All is prepared, everything packed and loaded. You can leave once you have finished eating."
Sansa smiled at him, his mismatched eyes twinkled at her in their usual mischief but his smile was sincere, "thank you, Tyrion, for everything you have done for me. I greatly appreciate it, and I won't forget it."
His smile widened and he reached over to pat her hand, "I only did what was right, my dear. Now all you have to do is try not to get too bored by dear Clegane."
Clegane rolled his eyes at him, "we will leave in an hour or so" he said it more like a question to Sansa who nodded and smiled before taking a sip of tea.
A servant came in then and leaned over to speak quietly to Tyrion. She saw his eyes widen in surprise but he waved the servant away with a smile.
"Well, my dear Sansa, it seems you have visitors."
Sansa stared at him completely taken aback but when her eyes found the two figures being led into the room her face broke into a wide smile.
She rose and ran to embrace her sister who laughed out loud, "Gods, I don't see you for a night and a day and this is the state you are in – what will you do when you actually leave?" but her hands clung to her older sister and her face buried into the red hair. Arya smelled of fresh air and her cheeks were cold, they must have ridden here.
She pulled away from Arya and embraced Jon next who smiled at her solemnly but held her tight, "Father told us everything," he said quietly into her ear so only she could hear him, "but I need to hear it from you – do you love him?"
Sansa pulled away from his warm embrace and looked up into his Stark eyes, his mother's eyes, her father's eyes, "yes."
Those eyes searched her face but he was smiling a small, shy smile and nodded.
"Then I wish you all the happiness in the world."
"Thank you, I'm so glad you both came!" she breathed, grinning at them both, "I will miss you both so much. How is mother?" she asked, more serious.
Arya and Jon shared a look, "she was upset at first," Arya said slowly, "but father spoke to her for a long time and she calmed down. But she is still quite upset, but when father told her you were happy and the marriage was true – that you really loved each other she seemed to accept it…"
"She's more or less the same as father – she said she noticed you and Clegane had a sort of bond, but she didn't expect this."
Sansa nodded at their answers, there was little that could be done now. She hoped one day her mother would find it easier, but that day was not likely to be any time soon.
Clegane came up to stand a little behind her, "Everything is ready," he said softly, "we will leave whenever you are ready."
She smiled at him and nodded, "I'll fetch the last of my things."
He bowed to them and left without another word.
"Hm, still not too chatty is he?" Jon muttered quietly which had Arya giggling. Sansa swatted his arm playfully and he laughed.
Arya accompanied her upstairs to get the last of her belongings while Jon went outside to ready their horses for their ride back home.
Arya looked around the chamber as Sansa carefully piled her hair atop her head in a simple fashion, securing it with a number of pins.
"Have you really bedded him?"
Sansa nearly choked on a pin she held between her lips at Arya's sudden words.
"Of course not!" she hissed at her sister's reflection in the mirror, "it is a marriage of convenience, you know that! We are just as we were before – it was all done so Joffrey-"
"-I know that much," Arya huffed, annoyed, "it's just that everything Father said seemed very…real. Even I had my doubts thinking maybe you both really were in love and I didn't even notice!"
Sansa found herself laughing as she secured the last of her hair in place then stood to carefully slip the bonnet over her auburn curls, tying the ribbon under her chin and admiring her reflection in the mirror.
Arya helped her drape the gray cloak around her shoulders, admiring the soft fur trim then handed her the gloves which she slipped on her hands. They too were lined with fur inside and when she looked in the mirror, Sansa saw a regal lady looking back.
"Gods, you look like mum!" Arya exclaimed behind her, tickling her sister through the lavish materials making her squirm and spin away.
She picked up her bag then followed Arya to the door, casting one more wistful glance around the room then closing the door behind herself. She descended the stairs carefully, holding the skirts of her dress and the hem of her cloak in one hand and holding the banister with the other, chatting to Arya all the while.
Clegane waited at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes sweeping over her with that same, amazed expression on his face, quickly righting himself when her eyes met him. He held out his hand to her which she took and he tucked her arm in his.
Arya walked with them out into the drive where Jon stood with his and Arya's horses beside the simple, black carriage that would carry her to her new home. She hugged her sister and cousin goodbye, extracting a promise from Arya that she would visit. Then she turned to Tyrion who grinned up at her. She knelt and kissed his cheek, whispering a thank you to him and smiled when his ears went red.
The she turned to her husband who held open the carriage door for her and stepped inside to begin her new life.
V