She might not have realized it yet… but she cares dearly for you.

The words still echoed against his eardrums, lingering within the walls of his mind. They affected Tyrion more than he'd like to admit. Mere words… Yet they meant more than all the gold from Casterly Rock. Why did they mattered so? How was it that words alone boiled his blood pumping it up to his chest? But most importantly, why did he care? Don't you answer yourself, dwarf, he told himself, you can't bear to look the truth in the face. You can't risk that, not again… silver coins and a golden chain…

Even so, he needed to find her now. He had an urgent, unexplainable feeling to see her again. Perhaps he needed to tell her something, but Tyrion couldn't remember what. What could he say to her? Gods, planning the Battle of Blackwater was easier than this.

Unbidden, his feet led him around Winterfell on the look for its new Lady. He found her at last shining under the bright light of the moon in the Godswood, her auburn hair shimmering at the touch. She sat on a log covered by snow, praying solemnly as always. He approached to her slowly, making sure to step on a wooden stick to announce his presence. She quickly turned at the sound and softened her expression once she recognized him. He didn't fail to notice the tears that shone like icicles against her cheeks. He rapidly reached nearer and wiped them off with his gloved hand before they froze upon her skin. She looked at him the entire time in a way that made his breath stop on his throat. Her eyes held immense sorrow, but also a hint of hope.

"Tyrion," she said, his name a poem on her lips, "what brings you here?"

He looked deeply into her, his hand still on her cheek. At the level she was seated on, he was slightly taller than her. Focusing on her question, he tried to think of a witty response to give, but nothing came. He reluctantly lowered his head and sighed. "I… don't know…"

Sansa frowned at him with queer. She must have sensed him tangled in a mixture of thoughts and emotions, for she relieved him from elaborating on his answer by asking him to sit next to her on the free spot from the snowy log. He did as bid, and soon after she placed her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his as if it was the most natural thing. Her breaths were unsteady as she tried to hold back her sobs.

"He was only a child," she said, "my baby brother. I remember holding him for the first time. He was a joyful boy, never knew any sorrow. He liked to play with my her, to hold him as I sang songs of valiant knights and fair maidens to him. Both unaware of how cruel the world was. Father always brought us here, all of us, to listen to him and pray to his gods. Rickon was too young to understand a thing, yet eager to learn the lessons and words of a Stark. 'In the winter, we must protect ourselves, look after one another'", her eyebrows arched with sadness, "How am I supposed to protect my family if they continue to be stripped away from me?" her last words broke in a cry.

Tyrion grabbed her by the back of her neck and placed a kiss on the top of her head, breathing the scent from her hair deeply through his nose and hushed her cries. "Your family is not gone, Sansa. You still have your brother Jon with you. And there is also your sister too. She might be lost, but you cannot give up the hope of her return."

She found her spot between his neck and his shoulder and buried her face there, "And I have you too." she said, her words vibrating against his furs.

His breath hitched. She might not have realized it yet… but she cares dearly for you. Tears dwelled upon his eyes for the only woman who has worried past his coin. He held her tightly against his small body and rested his chin above her earlobe. "And you have me too. Now and forever."

Her breast rose against his making Tyrion wonder if she was going through the same swarm of emotions that were dwelling up his chest. He grew bold at having her willingly holding on to him, as no one had ever done before. "Sansa… I have to tell something…"

She rose her eyelids to his as he continued. "I… if you find the scars of my body gruesome… you need to know that there are far more within my soul. I am a broken creature, through and through. I have cursed those who ever held me dear, wronged the world by coming to life and murdered my own kin. If I am to protect you, I should order you to stay as far as you possibly may from me. But… I can't… I don't ever want you away from me, Sansa. Gods I'm only a selfish little Imp at the end. You deserve better than a monster who wouldn't let you free-"

He was interrupted as his face was caught between her hands. "Tyrion Lannister. I can't begin to comprehend how many times I must this to you, but I shall repeat it as much as it is needed to. I don't care what the rest of them think about you, in my eyes you are no monster. I don't need for it to be dark any longer to see that you are so much more than a Knight of Flowers. I am not a prisoner anymore. I am free to make my own decisions and I have chosen to stay by your side because I want you. So stop pitying yourself and embrace who you are." she said in a tone fiercer than her mother's.

She wants me, he told himself. Will I risk it? Will I risk to give my curses up to her? Will I… will I be able to learn to love again with her? He knew the answers to them all, but was too frightened as to even give a thought about them. Suddenly, he found himself only inches apart from her face. His cowardice gathered courage in the feeling of her warm breath against his beard. He was about to pledge much more than a sacred vow in this kiss, but incoming steps forced the two of them apart.

Tyrion was about to curse the intruders when he noticed his brother entered with Brienne of Tarth.

Jaime cleared his throat noticing he had stepped into the scenery in the worst timing possible. "Forgive me, Lady Sansa, we didn't mean to… disturb your conversation with my brother, but I needed to seal my promise to your mother. Here with me is Lady Brienne of House Tarth. She was a sworn sword to your mother, Lady Catelyn. I made an oath to your mother to return her daughters home. I was not able to fulfill my vow, not entirely, but at least grant me permission to offer you Brienne, the finest and most loyal warrior you will ever meet."

And so, after a few exchange of words, Brienne knelt before Sansa as she pledged her service to the Lady of Winterfell. The moment was very touching, even for Tyrion. None of them saw the figure that had silently approached Brienne from her back placing a dagger against her throat. A girl no older than two and ten.

"Say a word and I will cut your throat." the girl said.

Jaime drew his sword and Tyrion placed himself in front of Sansa. From the dark of the woods, a woman appeared. She had the looks of a ragged corpse, with puddled white skin, scars along her cheeks and a completely slit open throat. She couldn't have been alive… then why was she breathing? Inspecting her closely, Tyrion's mouth hung open as he recognized her eyes. They were the same as Sansa's. He now stood in the presence of Lady Catelyn Stark.