Hard day, but here I am, thanks for the feedback
This chapter let me doubt that I will be able to preserve my reputation as cold blooded bastard
Maybe I have to kill someone ;)
4-5 Chapters left and the first part of the story is finished
Revisited 08.05.2013
I own nothing
Sansa stood in front of Margaery's door in the Maidentower. She needed some time to compose herself. She wanted to enter, to talk to her. But had she the right? Her husband had imprisoned her, Joffrey had beaten her. Was she even ready for what would wait behind the door? A glimpse on the faith she had escaped. But Margaery needed someone, like she had needed someone back then, when Joffrey had beaten her, so she collected her strength and opened the door.
She wasn't ready for what she saw. Margery sat on her bed, her brown hair still encrusted with blood and her skin was green and blue. Margaery had refused to see anybody and so she gazed at her in surprise. She pulled the blanked up to her chin in an attempt to hide her body. Was it shame? Why should she be ashamed in front of her?
Sansa slowly approached her, she knew how she felt, she had felt the same after her beating. But there was a main difference, she had had hope, her brother had still won his battles and there had been a chance for her, a chance to escape. There was a hope for Margery too, she just didn't know it yet. For now, all she knew was that her brother was in a black cell and the rest of her family arrested, their men disabled.
On her way to Margaery Sansa took a cup with water from the table and sat beside her, offering the older girl the cup. She hoped she could help her. Sansa gave Margaery what she hoped was a reassuring smile, still waiting for her to take the cup. Margaery didn't move, she gazed up and down Sansa, uncertain and suspicious. Sansa didn't mind, she remembered her behaviour after her beating, how she had rejected Tyrion's help. She felt suddenly stupid, he had offered her help and she hadn't trusted him, he was a Lannister, that had been her only reason back then, but it wasn't the time now to think about it. Margery was more important right now.
"The water isn't poisoned, you know" She kept her voice calming, not wanting to terrify her. Margery slowly let her guard down and took the offered water. When the blanked fell Sansa was able see what Joffrey had done to her. She still wore her ripped apart underclothes. Her body was blotched with small wounds and her skin was covered with bruises, she was dirty, most likely from her escape. Joffrey had been a monster, more than even she had thought. She had never imagined he would dare something like that during their wedding night, with Margaery's brother at the other side of the door. After the bedding he had most likely started his cruel game until her screams had reached her brother who had tried to rescue her. He had succeeded, at least partial.
Sansa laid her hand of Margerys shoulder, carefully not to startle her with the touch, Margaery looked like an animal in a cage fearing the butcher.
"Easy, I am not here to do anything against you, I know how you feel, I felt the same and I thought maybe I could help you" Margery gazed at her:
"You, me, why?" Her tone showed a hint of mockery and Sansa knew why.
"You mean why I help you although you and your family tried to use me to poison Joffrey?" Sansa asked her with a small smile. She didn't hold it against her, maybe it would have been better if they had succeeded, Margaery wouldn't have endured this. But there was no use in whining over the past. At the moment everything she wanted to do was helping Margaery. She might not be her friend but Sansa empathized with her.
There had been a time she had thought they would be friends, back then when she had wanted to marry Willas, but it had just been an act, they had wanted her claim, her knowledge about Joffrey not her. They had wanted to lull her. They had showed their true face during her wedding, standing at the side, pretending not to know her. But this didn't matter anymore too.
"We never wanted to hurt you" It seemed Margery found her voice back during her thoughts.
"I know, but next time" she tightened her grip on her shoulder a bit and smiled a bit brighter "search a better ally than Littlefinger, yes?" She was glad to see that a small smile appeared on Margerys face, even if she averted her eyes like she was in shame. "You should take a bath, and a Maester should attend to your wounds, may I call a Handmaid or two?" Sansa remembered how helpful the hot bath had been and Margaery's wounds had to be cleaned or they would be infected in a few days. "Everything will be all right, I promise" Margaery's façade fell, she began to sob wildly and leaned against Sansa when her tears started to roll over her cheeks.
Sansa personally attended to clean her wounds with a moist cloth during the time the Handmaiden needed to pour her a bath. She was in a much worst condition than it had looked like. Sansa was careful but Margaery still winced at every touch. Margaery was silent the entire procedure, she only exhaled a light gasp when Sansa removed her clothes. But she didn't resist. Sansa offered her to call for her cousins to help her.
"But they are under arrest in their chambers, the Hand wouldn't allow" Margery said in a weak tone until Sansa held up her hand to silence her
"And who am I? If I order the guards to bring them here, who would defy me?" She knew Tyrion wouldn't mind if she helped Margaery by calling for her cousins, he had a much better heart than he wanted to admit. "So? Should I?" Margaery was a bit taken aback by her speech.
"No, I don't want to see them" She answered her, gazing absently at the wall. Sansa assumed she didn't want to let them see how badly wounded she was. Nobody liked it to be seen so weak, broken, Sansa could understand that.
After the bath was ready she helped Margaery to get inside, the hot water would help. She wanted to send the Handmaiden away to give her some more privacy but suddenly though of something else, Margaery hadn't ate since yesterday and it looked like she had only drunken the water Sansa had given her. But she had to eat in order to regain her strength.
"What do you want to eat?" she asked her, gesturing the Handmaiden to pay attention
"I'm not hungry" Margaery sat in the tub and let her hands absently shivering over the water, glancing on her bruised body.
"Nonsense, you need to eat, so what?" Sansa found that she sounded like her mother. This realisation gave her a pang in her heart, she missed her, but she knew she would see her again, a certainty she hadn't for a long time. "I won't accept a no." But now she had to be stern with Margaery, she shouldn't be alone, somebody should take care of her, Sansa had been alone and she didn't wish Margaery would. If they would be nobody she would drive in the darkness. When did she start to become so? So mature? She was just a maid of two and ten but she acted like a grown woman. Maybe it was her time in King's Landing which had turned her to who she was now. She felt she had to be so, acting like a woman rather than a child in order to survive. But recently there had been moments she had been a child again, the moments when she was alone with Tyrion and joking around.
"Lemon cakes and milk" Margaery finally answered to her question, she still looked absent but Sansa was happy to get at least a bit out of her. She had to smile at her choice, she also loved lemon cakes, since she had been a little child. They always cheered her up and it meant she had more in common with Margery than she thought, and now it wasn't all bad.
She ordered the Handmaiden to fetch a plate of lemon cakes and milk, she also discretely demanded milk of the poppy and dreamwine.
After the Handmaiden left Sansa slit on the floor and leaned against the tub, facing the wall. She would have an eye on Margaery but didn't want to push her to do anything. It took a while until Margaery started to speak, her voice was still weak but it seemed she composed herself a bit.
"How did you survived it, I mean all of this?" Sansa wasn't sure how to answer, she had just done it, she had suffered and had cried, had hid behind her courtesies hoping for a miracle. But what could she tell her?
"I did what I had to do in order to survive. But I got lucky because it turned out that there was somebody to rescue me."
"You mean your husband?" Yes she meant him, Tyrion had saved her when he had decided to marry her, he had positioned himself between her and his family, like a shield. It had started rough with him but it had turned out to be so much more. "Yes I meant him. Do you know he refused to marry me first, so Lord Tywin wanted to marry me to Gregor Clegane?" A splash of water told Sansa that Margaery was surprised. Sansa still didn't face her, she just sat there and talked, like she would address the wall. "I overheard him talking to the Queen. I was scared beyond imagination and didn't know what to do. But then I had an idea, I know I wouldn't survive long as Clegane's wife so I asked, no begged Tyrion to marry me. And he did." Her voice was slow, but she decided it would be the best to share her story with Margaery. "The first days were really unpleasant; I didn't want to talk to him, turned away from him, from his scar. But he understood and gave me time. It was when Joffrey cornered me, wanting to play one of his cruel games again when he rescued me a second time. Since then everything is getting better. I can't understand now why I didn't trust him, or not wanted to be with him. I start to feel lonely if he isn't around me, just for a few hours. And I want to believe he feels the same" Sansa just told Margaery what she felt, hoping it would help her.
"Do you love him?" Margaery sounded curious, but also like she hoped for a reassurance. A reassurance there was something like love in the world, something Sansa doubted only weeks ago.
Did she love Tyrion? Sansa had to think about it. She remembered how she felt around him, how she wanted to be with him all the time of the day. She loved their games of Cyvasse and their discussions. How his eyes looked like and how she stroked his hair to calm him down. She felt complete around him, like she was supposed to be a part of him and he was a part of her. She remembered what fun they had, how she liked his humour and how he taunted his sister. Even the members of his family she liked, like Tommen and Myrcella. His gestures, like the gown or a book with stories he had found for her. Also what he had done for her, he had made sure Robb and her mother wouldn't die even if it meant he wouldn't rule Winterfell. It showed he cared for her. She knew he did it for her, she was better in reading him than he thought. And she remembered how he always shared his thoughts with her, came to her with his problems, involving her in everything and seeking her council and she did the same with him. And there was this warm feeling in her belly, like butterflies, last night when they had kissed, it was always there when they kissed. But last night it had been stronger she had wanted him so badly, had wanted his touch, not because of the touch, no, because it was Tyrion who had been with her. He was who she wanted to be with, nobody else. Was this love, it sounded like love.
She noticed Margaery gazed at her the whole time, over the edge of the tub. She deserved the answer and now, Sansa was sure she had the right one.
"Yes, I love him"
After the Handmaidens were back they helped Sansa to get Margery out of the tub and with fresh clothes back in the bed. Sansa seated herself besides her and put the plate with cakes between them. Margaery looked better now, still horrible beaten but better. They ate the lemon cakes and drunk the milk, it was more like two girls having a sleepover. Sansa made her talk about Highgarden and her childhood. She regretted it instantly because it would lead to Loras and would cause her sorrow.
"He will die, won't he? He did nothing wrong, only protected me" Margaery asked and started to sob again. Sansa laid her arm around her and squeezed her. She knew Margaery was intelligent; she most likely came after her Grandmother, the Queen of Thorns. Sansa thought of her as a potentially good Queen with an understanding for politics she hadn't when she had arrived in King's Landing. So she decided to tell her about what Tyrion and she had talked about last night. What kind of plan they had developed and what it would mean for her, although she hadn't to explain that, Margaery understand what she intended to say and she ended up finishing Sansa's sentences. She started to smile and finally she embraced her like a good friend or a sister, thankfully. Sansa was happy to give her back some joy and more important Margery had hope again, even if it depends on if her family would make the right decision when Tyrion offer them the deal. But he was persuading and Sansa had no doubt he would succeed. In the afternoon Sansa and Margery ended up with telling stories of their childhood and gossiping about Queen Cersei. Sansa was certain she found a friend.
I hope you liked it
Margery had a rough time, very traumatic, please don't hate me for making her so
It started to be a real problem that Sansa is just 12, nearly 13, now I know how GRRM feels
I actually didn't get much done today maybe there is a pause tomorrow but I try to make the update happen
Please review