Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. The end of this story is not quite near, but the dark scenes will be coming very soon. The battle is in this chapter and I am not sure of what the length will be. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I will not be going into great detail on how the battle begins...just know that it begins..and i will go into their fighting.
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Battle and blood
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"He is quite strong and will no doubt survive," Sansa thought as she looked upon her husband on his horse. Sansa wore a gown of black and gold, Baratheon colors that stood out in the white snow. A plated corset protected her bosom and belly, just like what Cersei used to wear. She nearly fought Stannis about wearing it, but she realized it was to protect her and the child she carried, the child that was not his. Shireen wore a similar dress, but no armor on her tiny frame to protect her, so Sansa knew that should anything go wrong, she would have to protect the child. Sansa looked up and gave an encouraging smile to Stannis as he rode to her and spoke, "You shall have your own army protecting you both, but Sansa, remember what I told you should anything go wrong."
"Of course. You will return, Stannis-"
He shook his head, "I cannot say that-" Sansa walked forward and grabbed the reins of his horse and then his hand, "Promise me, Stannis. Promise me that you will return." His gloved fingers rubbed against her snow white skin and he nodded, "I promise." Stannis said his goodbyes to her and then to Shireen before they watched him ride towards the front of his men, ready to lead them into the fields of battle. Davos looked down at Sansa and cleared his throat, "Should anything go wrong during the battle, I will be coming for you both, so be prepared." Sansa nodded and held Shireen's hand tighter in her own, "May the seven bless you, Ser Davos."
With a nod of his head, he was riding with Stannis, leading their men to victory. Sansa closed her eyes and listened as the wind muffled their cheers and songs as they marched and rode over the hills and towards Winterfell. Shireen tugged her hand, "Sansa." She opened her eyes and looked down at her before looking behind them to see at least one hundred men awaiting her order. Sansa led Shireen towards their tent while speaking with the commander of their guard, "Your grace, what would you have us do?" She looked at him and finally answered, "I want you all to be around this tent, guarding us should anything go wrong. When my husband returns in the morning, you will be relieved of your post-"
"But your grace, what if-"
"I don't want to hear your 'what if'. My husband will return victorious and we will be marching towards my home by nightfall tomorrow."
Sansa was so sure that everything would be alright, that this battle would be won. Unfortunately, Sansa knew nothing about the Bolton's and the army they had on their side. Even more so, she would be finding out very soon how the Bolton's treated honored guests and prisoners.
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Roose Bolton clipped his last leather strap and looked at himself in the mirror, "You look wonderful, my dear." He looked at Walda, his fat wife, and smirked, "I do. I will look even better with Stannis Baratheon's blood upon my chest plate." Walda gave the most sincere smile she could as she thought the words, "Like father, like son."
"My lord!"
They looked towards the doorway and found a guard out of breath and holding a note in his shaking hands. He held it out and Roose read it aloud, "Stannis Baratheon marches to Winterfell." He tossed the note in the fire and ordered the guard, "Have my son waiting outside for me. I wish to give him my orders to protect this castle." Roose walked down the halls of Winterfell with Walda at his heel, following him with her eyes downcast, hoping that before he left he would grace her lips with a kiss. As they reached outside, the snow had stopped falling and Ramsay stood near the horses in his long black cloak, smiling as his father and step-mother walked down to him. He spoke to his father, "Tell me, whatever shall I be doing until they break down our doors?" Roose pointed to Walda, "You will be taking care of my wife and our unborn child and protecting this castle. When I return, I want to see our walls still standing and you standing in the gateway." He pointed to the large gates of Winterfell and Ramsay nodded his head,
"Yes, father, I will be there."
Ramsay looked over at Walda and watched in disgust as his father walked to her, placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her on the lips. He growled, "If you don't go now, she may just suck you in and eat you to feed herself and the babe." Roose pulled away and looked at his son as Walda frowned and closed her eyes in upset. He walked to Ramsay and grabbed his shoulder, "I swear to you, Ramsay, if you do not protect her and this castle, I will flay you and hang your body for the birds to eat. Just like you do to all of your victims." Ramsay nodded, a frown upon his face and his eyes dark as his father mounted his horse and led his own men out of the gates and towards Stannis. Ramsay looked at Walda and smiled, "Come now, mother, we shall get you inside. It's not good for a heavily...pregnant woman to be out in the cold. Reek!" Theon ran outside and bowed his head, "Yes, master?"
"Bring my mother inside and make her something to eat. I will be busy making my own plans."
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"Maester Aemon, I don't think I was a good choice to become Lord Commander."
The elderly man, one that Jon learned he was related to and who had always been a good friend, looked towards Jon, only seeing the slightest of a shadow with his eyes. He nodded slowly, "Sometimes, we do not always know what we want to do with our lives, and sometimes the wrong choices are made." Jon nodded, "My sister is in danger and by staying here, I am not helping. How can I-"
"Just leave, my boy. Go to Thorne and tell him you will return the title and then leave. Join the Wildling King and his people-"
Jon shook his head, "I need to get them over the Wall so we can go to Winterfell." Maester Aemon reached for his hand, "You are a dragon, Jon, a dragon of my flesh and blood. Give back the title and order them through, Alliser Thorne will back down, for even though I am blind, I know of the fear he holds deep inside." Jon pressed the subject, "What fear?" Aemon chuckled and whispered, "He fears the fire, Jon, he fears you and the power you are given. He fears the madness that is hidden deep inside of you."
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Usually when in battle, one does not have time to think of the future, but only keep his mind on the present. When Stannis saw the size of Bolton's army, he felt a chill go through him as he thought of what would happen to them all in only moments. His mind thought of what would happen to Sansa should he fall, what his daughter would do should he die. Before they charged, Stannis looked at Davos and asked, "Will you do me one kindness before we fight?" Davos nodded, "Anything for you, my King." Stannis gave him a sad smile, "Should I fall today, ride back to camp and get them out of here. Take Shireen and Sansa to the Wall, help them with anything they need. Protect them." Davos knew he could never say no to Stannis, besides, Shireen was like a daughter to him as well. Davos choked out, "I will do anything for them, Stannis." When words were promised, the charge began, horses carrying men towards others, swords held high, bows flying through the sky, striking fear and death into the hearts of every man below them.
It was when Stannis and Roose saw each other and raised their swords together, that Stannis felt his heart clench and his mind go blank. His eyes were full of hatred, his lips in a snarl, as he rode his horse with his sword swinging at Roose. Together, they clashed and fought with bravery and the sense that one or the other would be dying on that very day.
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"Do you know any songs?"
Sansa looked at Shireen and shook her head, "No, not anymore." She bit her lip as she remembered saying the very same to Sandor those few years ago. She often wondered what happened to him, where he was, and when she would see him again. She wanted to thank him. Shireen sighed, "That's a shame. My mother never sang to me, so neither do I." Sansa sighed and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "Well, there is one song that I remember my mother singing to me. It's a song from another country, but my mother said that her mother would sing it to her to calm her." Sansa thought of the lyrics for a moment and began,
"Sing me a song, of a lass that is gone. Say could that lass be I? Merry of soul, she sailed on a day, over the sea to Skye. Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
mountains of rain and sun. All that was good, all that was fair, all that was me is gone."
Shireen smiled, "It's a beautiful song, Sansa." Sansa smiled and continued to hum the song to Shireen as the girls sat together, awaiting the news of a win or loss against the Bolton's.
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Stannis and Roose were now off of their horses as men fought all around them. Each were losing men every minute and by that rate, the battle would be over soon. They had been fighting for several hours, the wear evident on each man's face. Stannis caught his breath, "Lay down your sword now and I shall let you live." Roose chuckled, shook his head, and licked the blood from his lip, "I have the North to take care of, but first, I am going to kill you, Stannis Baratheon." For several more minutes they fought, punching, using the hilt of their swords to hit one another, the blades grazing skin and armor. It was during all of the chaos, Davos shouting as an arrow shot into his arm, that Stannis was distracted and Roose took his chance. Roose yelled, "Long may he reign!", using the hilt of his sword to knock Stannis unconscious. As he felt the hilt of the sword hit his head, Stannis fell to the ground, his sword falling to the ground beside him and his eyes staring up at that dark sky above. His eyes slowly closed and he was no longer conscious of what was going on around him.
Roose grabbed two soldiers that were in the middle of the fight and ordered, "Tie him up and bring him to my horse. His men came here for a fight and a show? Well, that is exactly what they will get!"
As Stannis was brought away, Davos laid on the ground nearby, an arrow in his arm and a sword wound through his belly, slowly bleeding out and dying, his promise never to be fulfilled. And so the battle continued...
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Yeah...I hope you all enjoyed that. Seriously though, two chapters in two days?! I must be nuts! I hope you all enjoyed this one, though. Things don't get much better than this LOL. Thanks for reading and the amazing reviews! Also, the song that Sansa sings is the Skye Boat song from Outlander...since I love that show so much. Some ties will be in this story from that show as well.