Sansa sighed in frustration. She was stood outside Roose's study and needed to discuss a discrepancy in the grain order. He was once again concealed in deep discussions with his most trusted vassels and it was starting to irritate her. Sansa had hardly seen him since the night she had returned to his bed. Yes, he was present at dinner and always returned to her at night but apart from that, she didn't see him. She was beginning to feel like a whore and not his wife. If he continued like this, she was going to start making decisions on her own and he would just have to accept them. It would annoy him but there was no other option; if he didn't want her to make all the decisions, he shouldn't have disappeared and left her to rule Winterfell whilst he hid in his study. That wasn't the only thing annoying her. His absence meant his was plotting something and she was being kept out of the loop. As his wife, she had a right to know especially if it would affect her.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Sansa knocked on the door. Roose would no doubt be annoyed for the interuption but she was already annoyed.
"Enter..." His tone was abrupt. Stealing herself, she slowly opened the door and walked in. The sight before her surprised her. Roose and four of his vassel lords were gathered around what appeared to be a map of Westeros. What were they planning?
"My lords, forgive the interuption." Roose narrowed his eyes at her. "Lord Bolton... there is something I must discuss with you." He studied her intently before turning to the men infront of him.
"My lords, if you'll excuse us for a moment." Quickly, they left the room, nodding to Sansa as they walked past her.
"Well..." he demanded.
"Our Castellan was doing a grain inventory when he noticed a discrepancy between what we should have and what's actually there..."
Roose glared at her. "You interupted a very important discussion to discuss inventory?"
"No... I interupted your discussion about some secret matter that I should know about to inform you that someone may be stealing from you."
"If you want to be involved in that discussion Sansa..." he said walking toward her. "Perhaps you should prove that I can trust you." He was infront of her now, so close she could feel his breath against her skin. Heat pooled between her legs and she cursed inwards. Why did her body always betray her to him? Roose smirked aware of the effect he was having on her.
"I trust you to deal with the other matter." He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear. Her breath hitched, she could already feel the wetness between her legs.
'Now, my dear..." he whispered, the tingling in her ear sending sparks through her body. "Leave me to continue my very secret and important decision." He stood up straight and returned to his desk. Frustration flooded through her as she composed herself before walking to the door.
"Oh and Sansa, we'll continue this later." Sansa's went red and Roose smirked as the blush crept over her ears. She definitely wanted him.

Frustrated both sexually and non sexually, Sansa was at a loss what to do. Roose was still keeping her in the dark about whatever he was plotting and now he had made her want him without satisfying that want. In the end, she decided upon a walk. Her legs took her to the Godswood. It had been quite some time since she'd last been, since she prayed. At first she wasn't sure what to do. Should she pray? The idea of that felt wrong; she'd gone walking to get rid of her frustration. She almost laughed. Gods if her mother could see her now. Quickly, she pushed that thought out of her mind, she did not need to go down that road. Praying was not the answer and so she sat on the small bench instead, her mind drifted to the man she had married. The last few days had been tense; their previous problems and his actions lay thick like a wall between them and playing the happily married couple was making it worse. She was once again in conflict with herself. She wanted him or at least her body did and yet she hated him, not for what he'd done but for insignificant he made it, how insignificant he made her feelings, her anger and her grief. He had killed her baby brother and expected her to be fine with it. Of course, she had known his reputation when they married, when she had sat in the Godswood so long ago, she had resigned herself to that reputation but living with it was different; she hadn't realised the lengths he would go to. Still, she had married him and apart from the obvious issues, they were fine or as fine as she could be married to him.

Sansa sat in the Godswood for a while longer before returning to the castle. The courtyard was alive when she returned but it was Locke that caught her attention. She hadn't realised he had returned from wherever Lord Bolton had sent him. He was saddling up his horse as people rushed around him.

"Lady Bolton." He greeted her as she walked across the courtyard.

"Locke, are you leaving us so soon?"

"Yes, Lord Bolton's sent me to the wall, a matter of urgency."

The wall, her mind drifted to Jon, the only family she had left, if she could even call him that. They hadn't spoken since that dreaded day when they all left Winterfell and even then, the words she spoke had not been of affection.

"It must be urgent if he's sending you and not relying on written correspondence with the Lord Commander." Locke laughed and Sansa sighed, it wasn't supposed to be funny but was intended to get Locke to disclose why. It was evident from his response that he wouldn't and so she wished him a safe journey before returning indoors.

Sansa hadn't got very far when she was stopped by a messenger wearing the King's livery. He handed her a letter addressed to her and Lord Bolton in a hand she recognised. What did Cersei Lannister want? News of Tywin Lannister's death had already reached them so it could not be that. Turning over the letter, her gaze fixed on the wax seal. The letter was addressed to both of them but should she open it? Unsure of what to do, she sent the messenger to the kitchens for food and then went in search of her husband. Unsurprisingly, he was cooped up in his study with Lord Karstark. She knocked hesitantly on the door.

"Enter." Again, his voice was harsh. Sansa took a deep breath before opening the door and slowly walking in.

"Twice in one day." Roose almost smirked at her.

"Forgive me, My Lords. A messenger from King's Landing just arrived with this." She handed him the letter. Roose raised his eyebrows as he recognised the writing. He opened it, read the contents and didn't say a word before handing the letter back to Sansa. How dare she! Cersei Lannister was demanding they redeclare their allegiance to her and the King Tommen now that Tywin Lannister was dead. Allegiance to Tommen she could understand and was happy to declare it but to Cersei? Sansa refused.

"It seems the Queen Mother demands our allegiance." Roose declared.

"And will you give it?" Lord Karstark asked, Sansa had forgotten he was even in the room.

"Of course, we are loyal subjects to the crown and to the Lannisters." The colour drained from Sansa's face.

"Roose you can't... not her."

"Leave us, Lord Karstark."

"Certainly, My Lord." With that, he left Sansa alone to face her husband. Neither spoke for a few moments.

"Never do that again Sansa. I tolerate and occasionally enjoy your outbursts in private but never do it again in public."

Sansa ignored him. "You cannot give our allegiance after everything I suffered at her hands, everything she allowed her son to do to me." She turned away from him as tears threatened to fall.

"I refuse. I won't do it Roose."

"You don't have to do it Sansa. I need the Lannisters' support if we are to keep the North. We couldn't hold the North against a Lannister army."

"Roose... please... don't..."

"Sansa, I will and that is the end of the matter." With one final look at him, she turned towards the door.

"There is one more thing Sansa." His cold voice stopped her in her tracks and slowly she turned to face him.

"Am I forgiven?"

"Forgiven, My Lord?" She feigned ignorance, this was not a conversation she wanted to have.

"Formy actions regarding your brother."

"Do you wish for an honest answer?"

"Yes." Roose moved around the desk and walked towards her.

"I don't think I will ever forgive you. I understand your reasons for doing it but that does not justify it.

He stared at her for several moments, studying her intently before he spoke. "I appreciate your honesty and I am sorry."

"I know." Tears were threatening to fall again and Sansa's lip trembled as she tried to keep them at bay.

Suddenly there was an abrupt knock at the door.

"Come in." Roose said frustrated at yet another interuption. Elmar Frey entered the room.

"Lady Mormont requests an audience." Roose nodded and the young man was soon replaced with Lyanna Mormont.

"Lord Bolton, Lady Bolton." She spoke, addressing Sansa with a friendly familiarity. "Bear Island may be small but it has always been loyal to the Warden of the North unlike others you hold in high esteem." The young girl paused for effect and Sansa felt an overwhelming sense of admiration for her.

"It is an insult thus to not be included in your private meetings." Sansa smirked and Roose narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"Very well, Lady Mormont." He replied leaving Sansa in a state of shock. The shock was quickly replaced with anger. How could he? Lyanna Mormont was allowed to know what he was plotting but his own wife was not. She was livid. Very well, if that was the game he wished to play, she would play it but she was going to change the rules.

It was the final night of Lord Bolton's festivities and Sansa was dressed for the occassion. She had commissioned a new dress especially and couldn't wait to see the look on Roose's face when he saw her in it. He knew how to tease her but she knew exactly how to play him.

"Will that be everything My Lady?" The maid asked her as she put the finishing touches to Sansa's hair.

"Yes, thank you. Will you take that dress to be washed." She gestured to the dress she had been wearing earlier that day. It was then that Roose entered the room. Catching his eye in the mirror, Sansa slowly rose from the seat. Her eyes didn't leave his.

"Leave us." Roose said to the maid who scurried out the room.

"You don't honestly think I will allow you to dinner wearing that?"

"My Lord?" She turned to face him.

"Sansa, don't play games. Change." His tone was hard.

"There's no time to change and the dress is fine."

"Fine? There is too much skin on display." Sansa smirked before walking past him out out of the room.

"I was sorry to hear about your attack." Lord Manderly said, his hand was placed on Sansa's back as they danced.

"My attack? Oh, you mean the attempted rape which you orchestrated?" Lord Manderly blushed before clearing his throat and replying to her.

"I did not intend for you to be hurt, just for your husband to die."

"Thank you for your honesty even if it is treasonous. I am sure Lord Bolton would be pleased to hear it." At the mention of his name, Sansa lifted her gaze and scanned the room for Roose. It didn't surprise her to find him in conversation with Lord Karstark. That explained how she'd been left to dance with Lord Manderly much to her chargrin. Still it had been the courteous thing to so. Her eyes met her husband's and he could sense her uncomfortableness. Quickly, he finished his conversation with Karstark and made his way across the Great Hall to rescue Sansa.

"Lord Manderly, I don't recall giving you permission to dance with my wife."

"I... I didn't... realise I needed it." Again the man blushed, releasing Sansa.

"As the man who organised the attempted rape of Lady Bolton, you do."

"I did not intend for it to happen."

"What you did or did not intend is irrelevant. You gave the instruction to attack us on the road." Roose leaned into the man. "You're lucky to be alive." Sansa watched as fear gripped him.

"You're alive because I allow. Your wife and children are alive because I allow it. You retain your title because I allow it. Do not make the mistake of crossing me again."

"Of course Lord Bolton. I apologise again Lady Bolton." He replied before leaving Sansa and Roose alone. She turned to face him, an eyebrow raised in both shock and disgust at what she had just witnessed. Gods her husband really was ruthless.

"An apology would've sufficed." She said before walking away from him and taking a seat next to Lyanna Mormont.

It was sometime later that she returned to her own seat beside Roose. They hadn't been sat there long when Lord Glover rose from his seat, glass in hand. The noise died down as he did so.

"To the one true Warden of the North." He raised his glass in a toast to Roose. "Lord Bolton."

Sansa blinked in disbelief as the other lords followed Lord Glover. Before long, all of their guests were standing toasting to Lord Bolton, Warden of the North. Sansa felt sick, Roose Bolton had reunited the North.