Chapter 37
Leana opened her eyes, her sight was blurry, her head felt so heavy. She saw shadows of people and heard hushed voices around. She heard Sandor's angry voice, followed by her Aunt Cat's, then she heard her Aunt Cat telling someone to get out from the chamber.
Then she remembered...and she felt tears steak down her face.
Sandor found her sulking in the stables with Jon Snow and Arya. She pretended to enjoy herself for Arya who was annoyed and sulking. She was sitting on a stack of hay when she saw him walked toward her.
He looked troubled and fuming mad.
"Sandor! You are not going to lie to me aren't you? Jon is a horrible liar!" she tried to joke but she saw how worried he looked, she kept quiet.
Sandor kneeled in front of her, he placed his head to hers. Right away she knew it was her Uncle Tyrion. Only very few people in King's Landing she cared for and Sandor knew.
Her dearest uncle warned her repeatedly not to send him ravens as it was not safe. He promised her that he'd send her ravens once it was safe enough. Lately, she had been waiting...and waiting, sometimes she would get excited when she saw a sentry walked toward her with scrolls on his hand.
She held her breath and felt disappointed when the man walked pass her. Sandor must have noticed, as she felt his hand on her and hold her tighter for a few seconds – he did not say anything.
"No...no...please Sandor...no." she shook her head as she closed her eyes in angst.
"I'm sorry, wife. I am so sorry." He whispered to her as he hugged her.
"No...not my uncle Tyrion. No..." he felt her body shook as she cried and hugged her own stomach.
Sandor saw Jon Snow and Arya along with their dire wolfs – watching them. Leana cried for the lost of the imp, a father to her for long ten years. He loved and protected her until the day he died. She was sorry that she wasn't there to hold his hand, she was sorry that she wasn't there to protect him. She was sorry for everything. She should have known...
She cried for her Imp father. Sandor Clegane said nothing, he just hold her for the longest time.
"Was he tortured?" she sobbed, thinking of what the Queen could do to him.
"No Leana, no. He died in his sleep Leana...he felt nothing. He wasn't in pain."
"I want to bury him, Sandor..."
"Leana, they probably took his body to Casterly Rock. He is in peace now, girl."
"He loves Casterly Rock." She nodded, agreeing.
"Bronn? Shae?" She gripped his arms, hoping for some good news.
"Bronn sent the raven. I don't know what he'll do next...I don't know about Shae. We are the first to know about your uncle's death...soon the whole Kingdoms would know."
"Come, girl, I'll take you back to our chamber." He saw Leana paled considerably.
"No Sandor, I'm alright." She briskly wiped her tears with her hand and gave him a fake smile. He knew her heart was still bleeding for the Imp.
"My Uncle Tyrion doesn't like me crying," She said to him as he helped her stood up. "He said crying is not going to solve anything! Before he waved his fingers at me...and I would..." she felt exhausted, she steadied herself on him; she was not a weakling. I am going to be a mother. She'd stay strong – just like how her Uncle Tyrion taught her to be.
But perhaps, she should go back to her bed, she felt tired. She looked up and saw Sandor's face, frozen in fear as he looked down on her. She looked down and saw nothing alarming, she saw her belly but nothing else.
Leana heard Arya gasped in horror and Jon Snow called for her. She looked back at them, followed their eyes and looked at her dress. She saw blood...staining her dress.
She heard Sandor barked at Arya for Maester as he scooped her into his arms. From the corner of her eyes she saw Arya ran toward the keep, while Jon Snow called for her father and aunt.
Fear gripped through her gut, she lost her child. Everyone she loved perished...That's the last thing she remembered before she opened her eyes again.
/n
"Sandor," She called for him.
"Leana. You are alright girl, you are alright," He enveloped her hand in his.
"My babe..." she cried.
"Leana, the babe is alright, he is still sleeping in you. Maester Luwin said, you are to stay in bed, but the babe is alright." Sandor took her hand and placed it on her belly.
Leana nodded furiously, she felt him wiped her tears. "My babe is alright," she told herself.
"I'm so sorry, Sandor. I don't know what happened."
"Hush, it's not your fault. You are just tired and you were grieving for your uncle. The imp will be most upset if you don't take care of yourself, Leana. You hear me?"
She nodded again before she closed her eyes, she just wanted to sleep.
She was in bed for a whole week; her Aunt Cat stayed with her most of the time, taking turn with her father while Sandor visited her as often as he could.
One week later, her father said good bye to her. He told her he had to make his way to the wall. He had duties and responsibilities, the Lord Commander had been kind enough to let him visit Winterfell for her.
He promised her that he'd be back when she birthed her babe. He told her that her mother loved her, her mother kissed her then bold head and had her in her arms for the longest time before she passed. She'd be so proud of her now.
Benjen Stark told his daughter that he had no doubt that her sweet mother would have approved of Sandor and would have loved him dearly too.
He told her that she was not alone, she had Sandor and he'd take good care of her. All Leana did was nodded with tears still running down her face. She watched from her window with her Aunt Cat; they saw Sandor, uncle Ned and all of her cousins bid her father goodbye.
She was miserable in bed but she did it anyway for her child. Soot and Winter accompanied her. There were growing up fast, their antics made her laugh; they had great instinct, many times Leana woke up to find those two laid their heads on her belly.
Their dire wolf pups started to growl, still puny growls, but they growled fiercely when someone open their door and only stopped started yapping when they saw Sandor. Sometimes, Arya would bring 'Hammer' to make her smile, but Winter and Soot weren't always happy with the intruder.
She saw her husband would beam at the two pups, praising them, 'good lad and good girl', they'd rubbed their fury faces on his chest before gnawing at his sleeve which was full of holes by then.
When her Uncle Ned recovered, Sandor had less pressure, but he still followed her Uncle around, learning from him and training his men. Some days he rode to White Knife with Jon Snow, she made him take Soot with him, even though he wanted to leave him with her. She hardly saw him, but she felt save in Winterfell – surrounded by her family. Sandor must have felt the same as he would never leave her if he didn't feel that she was safe.
Many times she saw Sandor talking to Jory and Jon Snow, she heard the ruckus they made as they laughed and joked. Sandor looked happy and contented, he felt safe. Gone were his mail and armour, if not for his melted face, anyone from King's Landing wouldn't recognised him anymore.
Her Aunt Cat loved Sandor, she felt much better that Sandor was always with her Uncle Ned when he travelled.
Leana thought it's funny because her Uncle Ned wanted Sandor in Winterfell so that he could have a peace of mind that his family was safe, while Her Aunt Cat wanted Sandor with her Uncle Ned when he travelled because she'd have a peace of mind that he'd be safe!
Thanks for her Aunt Cat who supplied Sandor's attire, he looked like a Northerner with his leather vest and breeches, along with his crisscross leather band across his chest to hold his black furred cloak along with a neck brace.
Simon, Sandor's boy squire followed him when he travelled. She made sure the boy did his studies with the Maester. Simon was an obedient boy who did what was expected at him. Leana saw the old Maester gave her a look to remind her that she was a lot harder to handle when she was young than good Simon Snow.
Just like Sandor when they were first married in King's Landing, the boy hated to take a bath – everyday. But he did it anyway, to please her.
Ghost, Jon Snow's dire wolf didn't really like Soot because the small pup was a complete pest to him. Still very young and wanting to play, the pup would annoy Ghost by snapping at his nose and yapping away like a tiny mad wolf.
"Be kind, Ghost." Jon Snow would say to Ghost. Leana loved her gentle and soft spoken cousin. Never once Jon shouted at Ghost.
Leana saw Ghost gave Soot a condescending look, snapped at the little pest and looked away. Soot would then lie on his back, showing his fat rounded stomach to Ghost and she laughed.
She thought Sandor never looked happier, he witnessed Soot's antic and saw his exposed rounded fat belly from the milk he was given, he would exhaled and laughed, he grabbed Soot by the scruff of his neck, raised the fat pup high to his eye level and said, "You forget your size, boy!" and took him away. Cradling Soot in his arm, loving the pup. He was good with animals and they helped him find his peace too.
Winter was a true lady, she was a lot calmer and less cheeky than Soot but she could be very nasty if provoked. Sandor got really upset when they started fighting. He hated it when they attacked Arya's pup 'Hammer' when he got too near to Leana or him.
She told him that it was nothing unusual, they were still young and they were siblings, but he was really bothered by it and said to her it was unacceptable. He would discipline them while she didn't have the heart.
Arya and she cringed when Sandor grabbed all of the three pups in his hands and locked them up in a crate, he'd wait on them to make sure no one was injured. He wanted them to tolerate each others.
Sandor was a son of a kennel master, since he was a boy he was surrounded by hounds and he loved them. He started training and breeding the hounds of Winterfell, along with Arya and her Uncle Ned. Leana loved hounds she swore to herself that once she gave birth she'd joined them.
Her cousin Arya looked so proud when she helped birthed five pups from one of the pregnant dog. She couldn't stop talking about it to anyone who would hear her and said that she'd start breeding horses and Winterfell would have the best hounds and horses in the whole Westeros.
Robb said she started smelling like the dogs and stables. Arya would snort...just like Sandor before she told Robb that she didn't give a shit.
Leana heard her Cousin Robb murmured under his breath, wondering who would be willing to marry his wild sister. Arya heard him and stuck her tongue at him and before she grinned and said she had plan to be married. She planned to live in Winterfell forever!
Suddenly all eyes were on Leana...and she remembered, those were her lines, she told everyone when she was a child that she didn't want to be married and wished to stay in Winterfell forever with her father. They looked at her, Sandor who was seated beside her and then her swollen belly and they laughed. She blushed with embarrassment and annoyance...while Arya and Sandor looked confused.
All was well, until it was almost time for her to give birth. By that time she was as big as a Keep. She walked so slow and felt so heavy. Her child moved a lot, she couldn't wait to have the babe in her arms.
Sandor looked at her belly sometimes with love but sometimes with fear. Even Maester Luwin looked worried, she belly was so big, she needed help to bathe and dress. No one was surprised; Sandor was a big man, bigger and taller than average men. Leana was very short, even Arya was slightly taller than her.
She was with Aunt Cat about to walk out from the Keep's gate to the nearest market in the village when she felt an excruciating pain, a second before she heard a crack, like a tree branch cracking. She broke her rib again. She screamed in pain and she fell to her knees. Her Aunt Cat started shouting for help.
"Auntie Cat. I am alright...I am alright. It's my rib. I am alright. I had worse...I can do this..." Her face was covered by sweat as she gripped her aunt's hands.
Jory arrived and he nervously carried her to her chamber, along with the Maester.
"I'll send for Clegane, Leana."
"No, Don't Jory, please! No." There was nothing Sandor could do, her rib was already broken.
Jory looked unsure and he called for her Uncle instead.
"Don't call for Sandor please. I am alright." She begged her Uncle Ned before Maester Luwin gave her a concoction to drink to help her rest. Sandor was not in Winterfell. One week ago he rode for White Keep with his squire Simon and Jon Snow; the last she heard he was with the Tully and was on his way to the Blackhaven for Dondarrion's men.
She had few weeks to go before her due date but Maester Luwin was unsure because she was so big. Despite her begging, her Uncle Ned must have sent for Sandor because her husband arrived few days later looking desperate and scared.
It was after supper, she was in bed while Arya kept her company, they were gossiping about Jon Snow and his beloved red haired girl named Ygritte. Winter and Hammer were playing and gnawing each others.
She laughed and realised that her cousin Arya spend too much time with The Hound and the men when she wondered if Jon Snow was going to get Ygritte with child before he married her. She warned her cousin not to let her dear mother and father heard that, before they were disturbed.
She heard a commotion before she saw him opened their door. He looked like he'd just been through the seven hells, his long hair plastered to his face, his beard grown and he was dripping wet, it had been raining for the past two days.
"Sandor! You are back!" She squealed and opened her arms for him, unperturbed by how he looked.
Arya smiled and said to him that he looked like a soak dog before she left them, looking for her beloved Jon Snow and Ghost.
"I was at Blackhaven. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am alright. My rib...It cracks again. But I am alright. I can't wait until I have our child in our arms..." She chirped.
"I told my uncle not to send for you!"
"Lord Beric woke me up in the middle of the night as soon as the raven arrived." He kneeled beside their bed and hugged her tight' he remembered banging on Jon Snow's door to wake him up and made their way to Winterfell. She couldn't imagine how he felt to be woken up with such news.
/n
Sandor would never forget the days Leana started her labour.
It started before supper time, they were seated at the dining hall. She was really quiet and for some reason he stayed really close with her that day, she had been mellow for the entire day; Leana wasn't her talkative self and she kept to herself a lot. She said nothing when she heard the lewd jokes and silly jest from Jon Snow and Jory, they were looking at her – because she made no comment. She just sat quietly...
He asked if she was in pain; weakly, she said 'no', and then she told him she was tired and wanted to go sleep early. It wasn't even dusk yet. He looked at her, worried; he knew his Leana, she never asked to go to bed early.
He nodded and he helped her up; he thought he'd stay with her in bed when he heard her gasped in surprised, a gush of water come out from her, like someone spilled water from a jug. She paled in fear.
Jon Snow almost choked on his drink before he shouted that she was fucking leaking and the Maester walked hurriedly to Leana, he told her that her water broke. The old man looked at Leana and smiled, "It's time Leana." He calmly said to her and took his wife from him.
Within seconds the old man and Lady Catelyn started barking their orders, as they each grabbed her hand, pushing him aside. Both Jory and Jon looked at her in fear – speechless. Sandor wanted to take her to their chamber but they said they had prepared a place for her. He said bugger it to hell, she'd stayed in their bedchamber.
His wife screamed and cried for four long days, he was losing his mind, all he could do for her was pacing in front of their door, or sat by the stairs. He was with Leana for a whole day before he got kicked out by the Maester himself. The old man shouted at him and asked him to get out, then Lord Stark and Robb grabbed him. He was also berated by Lady Catelyn Stark who closed the door on him.
All he could hear was her scream of agony...and there was nothing he could do about it.
TBC
Alrighty, the jig is up, the wait is over, you'll meet the babe in the next chapter!
Give me a CHEER! Hip Hip HOOORAY!
Are you wondering whether they'll have a son or daughter?
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