14 Moons Later
The Red Keep
Tywin knocked the goblet against the wall. "Another Moon has passed and still that stupid girl bleeds."
Joffrey, now nearly five inches taller than he'd been on his previous Name Day, seethed with anger. "You are forgetting Grandfather, Sansa was with child when she was murdered in your own home. Maegery not having a baby in her belly is her fault, not mine. Everyone says so."
Tywin murmurred but Joffrey screamed back, "The people say it is because I married so quickly after Sansa's death. They say I did not mourn my wife's death and the babe properly. "
Tywin tried to calm himself. After Sansa's death, several of her maidens had come forward claiming she was with child but there was no legitimate proof. Certianly Sansa had said nothing to Joffrey or anyone else about it. Still, a young murdered Queen with the next King in her belly was a more compelling story. No doubt, Joffrey had told the story so much now, he had forgotten it was rumors and gossip she was with child to begin with.
Tywin left the room in a huff muttering that, "at least Cersei had done her part."
Joffrey watched as his grandfather left the room before screaming at Loras Tyrell to find out, "where the hell Petyr Baelish was."
Water Ridge
Sansa gave a tired smile to her daughter as she kept repeating the phrase, "by self" over and over again. Hanna is way too much like Ayra for her own good. The little girl preferred dolls to swords but her independence streak was wider than the Trident. Hanna's hair was the color of lemon and cherry juice mixed together and her eyes were bright blue like her mother 's.
Sansa's own blonde hair fell down her back in a braid much like her mother use to wear. Theon's beard was full and his hair was longer than it had ever been before. They were Erric and Alayne Stone. He was the bastard son of a vassal in the south of the Vale. They'd come North to escape the war known as "The Red War."
Their home was nearly half a day's journey from Greywater Watch. Only a few days prior to her giving birth, they'd arrived at Greywater Watch with their new names asking if there was any work Erric could provide. Howland Reed had looked at the pair skeptically for a while before allowing them into his castle. He said nothing overtly warm or welcoming but his eyes had a sparkle to them that Sansa found comforting. Howland offered a stone cabin needing lots of repairs that had belonged to one of his men, a man who died fighting for Robb.
They'd been at the cabin ever since. Theon's bedroom was upstairs to the left and her room was to the right. The children's cradles were downstairs in the small hallway beyond the fireplace. They'd had a quiet life, receiving few guest save the Reed's bannerman needing a hot meal. Howland Reed had stopped by only a few times since their arrival. When he held Hendrick in his arms the first time, Howland told Sansa of another child he held long ago, "he's now a warrier in the true North." The next time he visited, he sang to Hanna one of the ballads written of Robert's Rebellion. He'd repeated the lines about Eddard Stark twice. He'd never said anything but Sansa knew he at least suspected the truth about who she was.
She pulled her necklace out of her dress and traced the lines of the flower with her fingers. She doubted Jaime ever thought about her. After all, it had been nearly two years since she'd seen him last. Sansa knew little about the day to day happenings in King's Landings, just that Joffrey was back on the Iron Throne and Stannis was running for parts unknown.
8 days later
The Lannister Camp
Jaime smiled at his brother, satisfied with the strategy for going forward. Stannis and the red bitch had been forced to retreat back East. Unbeknownst to the Stag, Edmure Tully's five thousand men were already waiting for Stannis at Storm's End. Likewise, the Vale's men were waiting for Stannis at Dragonstone, having seized the castle weeks ago. Tyrion thanked the group of men for their time as they began filtering out of the main tent. His brother asked Jaime to stay behind to discuss some business.
Jaime knew what this conversation would be about. "I am not marrying that…girl? At least I think she is a girl. The armor she wears doesn't really lend itself to knowing."
Tyrion cautioned his brother, "You've gotten out of marrying Highgarden. Cersei bedded Willis Tyrell and gave him a son already. Myrcella is to become the woman of the Vale when she is of age. If Edmure Tully's child ends up being a girl, she will become Tommen's wife. You marrying the Pyke girl is the least you could do. I would marry her myself, except…"
Jaime interrupted "except she scares you and you are could never be so cruel as to leave the whores of King's Landing without your patronage."
Tyrion smirked as he left the room, giving his brother a chance to reconsider.
Jaime laughed softly to himself. There was some irony in all of this. The Starks had five healthy children, three boys who carried his name. Same as Ned Stark's own father. Yet the only one left of his line was the bastard at the Wall. Same with Bartheon's. Three healthy males, each with their own great castle to lord over. Now two were dead and the other would be soon. The only legitimate child of any of theirs was Stannis' girl. She soon to be dead too. The Targeryn's had three children, now the boys were dead and the girl was across the world telling tales of dragons and slaves. Highgarden had three sons: the cripple, the sodomite, and the one who can't get his wife with child. Balon Greyjoy had three sons once. Two died in battle years before and the other was thought dead by virtually everyone in the Kingdom. Then there was the three of them: the bachelor, the dwarf, and Cersei. Yes, three was a cursed number for all families who fought on either side of Robert's Rebellion.
Jaime looked to the far side of the tent, waiting for Sansa to show up. She always shows up when Tyrion talks of marriage or when I think too much of the past. He waited for a moment before he saw her in the corner of the room. Her bright red dress shimmered in the candlelight; her hair was put up neatly allowing her neck to be exposed. The necklace he gave her sat around her neck dipping down into her cleavage. She shows much more cleavage now as a ghost than she did alive. I rather like that aspect. That..and she always finds me clever now whereas before I had to work for it.
The figure spoke in a stern manner, "He is right. You cannot avoid another marriage."
Jaime smiled at her for a moment and then asked why not, knowing full well her answer would be a long list of well thought out reasons as to why he should marry Asha Greyjoy. He sat down on the bench beside his table. When he was awake, he could see her and talk to her but never touch her. That only comes when I'm drunk or asleep. But for now, he was content to listen to her talk and watch her from across the room.
10 days later
Water Ridge
Sansa listened as the door slammed behind Theon. He was angry, furious actually. They'd had this discussion often. To everyone else in the world they were married with healthy children. Theon had done more than she could ever ask. He kept me safe when we were traveling all of those days and months. All this time he ensured we were safe and fed, even during the heavy snow. Everything he'd done was some small apology for the past. And still I turn him away from my bed.
She looked outside the window, watching as Theon made his way through the snow drifts covering the swamp lands. Winter had indeed come but it lacked the bitterness of the winters past. The heavy snow and never ending winds started only a few weeks after the babies were born. But it had been days since any snow fell and the sun was slowly melting away the white wall outside of the cottage.
As Theon's walked out of sight, she closed her eyes allowing herself a memory with Jaime. A quick one. They were in her room, it had one of the nights he brought lemoncakes to her room. He kissed her and she pulled away. He teased her, telling her that she lacked experience but had a natural talent for kissing. She had called him old and told him she'd kissed better. He'd laughed, she'd scoffed. They ended up talking about death. Morbid, but somehow it had been comforting. She told him about the day her father had been executed. He told her about the day Tyrion was born and his mother subsequently died.
She frowned as she heard horses approaching. Theon had just left, perhaps it was Howland Reed riding with one of his bannerman. As the hoof prints got louder, Sansa looked out the window and gasped. She could make out at least a dozen horses riding through the snow. In the sky, she could see two flags above the horses: a blue flag with a bird inside and another flag with two grey towers. The Vale and The Twins.
She couldn't help but scream as the door flew open and several men came barreling in. Behind them, they dragged Theon, blood dripped from above his eye and his breath sounded ragged. Theon's hands were bound by rope in front of his waist. The loud noise and commotion caused both children to scream from their beds.
One of the larger men grabbed Sansa by the arm. He belted out proclaiming them prisoners of House Frey as another man shouted for someone to quiet those brats up.