6th Month of 298 A.C. Winterfell

Lady Sansa Stark

For a whole month the royal party had been here in Winterfell. A whole month! It had been exciting, it had been nerve wracking and it had been full of surprises. Her father had been named hand of the king, she had been betrothed to Prince Joffrey and then at the feast a week ago, the king had announced that Robb was to be betrothed to Princess Myrcella. Sansa was happy about that she liked Myrcella, the princess was kind and charming and had gone out of her way to tell Sansa about King's Landing and the sorts of people that would be there. Out of all the royal children, Sansa most definitely thought Myrcella was the most sincere in what she said. Joffrey, Joffrey was charming but there was something to him, something bad and wrong when he did not get his way, something that turned him into a monster, something she had only seen after his duel with Tom, and that frightened her. She had tried to speak to father about it, but he had merely said that Joffrey had some hurt pride and not to make anything of it, and her mother had been wrapped up in her grief about Bran's fall. Bran, it hurt to think of her brother, lying there so lifeless and broken in his bed, his fall from the broken tower had been something else. He was not dead Maester Luwin had said, but it seemed like it, so unmoving was he. Mother was beside herself with grief, she and father had argued, and now were not speaking, Joffrey had not been to see Bran, Tommen had, but Joffrey her golden prince had not and she found that more than odd, almost rude.

Tommen, Tommen, her prince, he had always been her prince and now she was leaving him. She had thought he would come to King's Landing with them, but he had decided to remain in Winterfell to help Robb, and she found she admired him for that. She had been angry at him for the things he had said before the nameday feast, for what she had thought lies that had been thrown at her by him, the lies that Joffrey said were lies, and she thought him worse than his father. She had been hurt, she had heard about him sleeping with the whores in Wintertown and she had wondered why he would do that, did he not love her? She had been heart broken by that and then he had beaten his brother so badly during their duel and she had been even more shocked and angry about that, why would someone do that to their brother. They had argued and harsh words had been said, and then Sansa had gone to see Joffrey to give her golden prince some comfort and reassurance, and he had been so horrible to her, snarling and snapping and grabbing her and holding her so uncomfortably tight. She had been scared and then she had seen Tommen and….and well she could keep the memory of what had happened between them then a secret, her little secret, even thinking about it made her blush. Needless to say after that moment, she and Tommen had slowly begun to improve their relationship and now she was leaving.

It was this that plagued her thoughts as she walked with Tommen through the godswood, Ser Arys their silent white shadow behind them. "You could still come with us you know Tom. You do not have to stay here with Robb and Jon. Surely you want to see your home?"

Her prince chuckles slightly. "Still trying to get me to come with you are you San? Well I must say I applaud your efforts, but no I must stay here. Your brothers will need me. Lady Catelyn is still grieving for Bran, and though I know he will not die, that he cannot die, your mother still needs time to deal with his fall. My presence here can help with that."

"How though, you do not know how rule completely. And besides I thought you did not like doing such things anyway?" Sansa asks. Her arm looped through her prince's, Lady and Durran walking in front of them.

"Oh I would not be doing the ruling San. That would not be right. No Robb is the Stark in Winterfell with your father now in the south, and besides, he knows what he is doing. No I need to remain here to remind him that he is only a lad as well, not a man grown." Tommen responds.

"He will be soon though and then what will you do? You won't be able to completely boss him around anymore." Sansa teases.

"All the more reason for me to do it now, in the moon I have left before he turns into a man. Being a prince means I can do that. And besides, there is also the fact of Jon remaining here. Your brother is still in two minds about whether to go to the watch or not. I need to remind him of what he will be missing at the wall." Her prince replies.

"I thought Jon was coming south with us. Your brother kept mentioning how Jon was going to come south and become one of his squires." She says, she pauses then and then says. "I am glad that he did not decide to come south. There is something wrong with your brother Tommen."

"Other than the fact that he is the less good looking brother and is a complete idiot? What else could be wrong with him?" her prince asks.

Sansa hits him on the arm and says. "I am being serious Tommen, there is something wrong with your brother. There is something in his eyes now, some sort of hunger and lust. I do not know what it is. But it frightens me."

Her prince stops walking then and turns to look at her. "You are certain you saw something like that? And that it was not just your imagination?"

Sansa nods. "I am certain his eyes are always darker than they were before Tom. It scares me."

Her prince looks at her for a long time before he replies. "I am sure it is nothing Sansa. Joffrey has been agitated of late, because I have shown him time and time again that he is not as good as he thought he was. That would hurt anyone's ego."

Sansa is still not convinced but she nods anyway and then asks. "Was it you, who made it so that Jon does not go south Tom? I know that for a while you and Jon were not friendly to one another, but you seem to be friends now."

Her prince sighs then and says. "Aye, I am partly the reason. But Jon is also not as much as an idiot as he was before. He knows where his family is and where his loyalties lie. He had forgotten that, and now he will not go south, not with Joffrey. Perhaps not ever."

She sighs. "I am glad to know you and Jon are back as friends Tommen, but I also know Arya will be disappointed that Jon is not coming south. I think that was the only thing that made her consider that Joffrey might be more than an idiot as she calls him."

Her prince roars with laughter then and says. "And what about you San? What do you think of Joffrey?"

Her prince is looking at her intently, and Sansa can feel her skin begin to heat. She is silent a moment and then responds. "I think that Prince Joffrey is a charming young man, but there is a darkness in him. And that frightens me, I will have to deal with that darkness now for the rest of my life."

Tommen has taken one of her hands then and tangles their fingers together. "You do not have to if you do not want to San. Just tell me what you want and I can speak to my father and Lord Eddard and we can get this betrothal annulled. It does not have to happen if you do not want it do."

Sansa looks at her prince then and she feels her heart hammering away in her chest, she so desperately wants to say yes but then she remembers what her mother had said and she begins to falter and then eventually she replies. "I….as much as I would like to Tom, I cannot do that. Not to my family, this is a great honour that your father has given my family and to break the betrothal over some sort of fear, is not rational. I am not my aunt!"

Her prince looks sad then and her heart aches for him, but his voice is calm when he says. "I understand San, just know that if you ever change your mind you need only speak up and it will be done. With your father as hand and mine as king, no one would dare say any different."

"Your mother would Tom. I do not think she likes me, she did at first but then something changed and now she only glares at me as if I have done something wrong. I do not know why." Sansa replies hating how her voice shakes somewhat.

Her prince looks at her a long moment and then he pulls her into his chest and he whispers into her hair. "My mother is many things San. She has many good qualities, but when it comes Joffrey she is blind to his many faults. And when it comes to him and this betrothal, why I think she is quite angry with father for it. Be careful around her San."

She pulls back slightly then and looks up at him and asks softly. "Would you come with me? To King's Landing if I asked?"

Her prince looks torn then, he leans forward and whispers. "Are you asking me to come south with you San?"

She considers this a moment and then she says. "I want to know what you are doing and why you are doing it my prince."

He laughs then and says. "I am staying here, because I do not want to see my grandfather and listen to him drone on about the Lannisters. I want to stay here because Robb and Jon are here and they need me now. And I am staying here because going to King's Landing and seeing you with Joffrey would hurt too much for me to bear."

"We could run away together Tom." She says. She knows she does not mean it but she is merely saying it now to prolong their time together. "You and I we could run away be like my aunt and Prince Rhaegar. We could make it work if we wanted to."

Her prince laughs then and cups her face. His eyes look so loving Sansa feels as if she could drown in them. "I would love to do that Sansa, but we both know we cannot do that. Neither of us are that foolish. It would hurt our families too much."

"So we must suffer then? Suffer through the roles life has given us." Sansa asks.

Her heart breaks when she sees just how torn her prince looks. "Yes, for now we must."

With that they stop talking and then turn around and walk back toward the courtyard where the royal party and her father and sister are waiting for them. no one says anything as Tommen leads her to her horse, but she stops before she mounts the horse and takes out a scarf which she had made. "I meant to give this to you, for your nameday Tom. I hope you like it." He takes it from her and looks at it lovingly.

"It is perfect Sansa." He replies.

She smiles then and says. "Something to remember me by when I am in the south."

He smiles as well and then leans down and kisses her, there and then in front of everyone and she blushes but her heart is singing. When he pulls away he whispers in her ear. "I love you my lady."