Chapter 1.

Sansa woke up from a dreamless sleep.

Finally, she thought, finally a day that does not start with the bloody pictures of my murdered parents and brothers. Even if I did not see all of them die with my own eyes, I heard the stories with too many details and after all I had seen, I could clearly imagine the rest and assemble the whole story.

She dreamt nothing, her brain was completely empty and clear. I wish all my nights could end up like this and I could have a little bliss and more freedom from my past, she added.

But she knew very well that she wanted too much.

Only six months had passed since everything ended and King's Landing was completely demolished, since the remaining Starks came together in Winterfell and chose their own path to follow: Jon went to the Wall, Arya left for the seas, Bran became the King of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms.

As if it had been centuries ago and still all the memories were so fresh…

Sansa missed her sister and her brothers but deep inside her heart, she knew very well that she preferred being alone to being in their company – or anyone else's company.

She was not that naïve, happy little girl she used to be before travelling with her father and her sister Arya to King's Landing.

What a stupid little girl I was, she thought bitterly, my head was so full of romantic dreams of shining brave knights, wonderful balls and dinners, true love and sweet romances, all I could think of was beautiful clothes and fashionable hairstyles, roses, lemon cakes, silk, jewelleries, and Joffrey. What a selfish girl I was, she added, everything must have been centred around me and my dreams, and I did not appreciate my father and my little sister when I had the opportunity. I wish I had been a better daughter to my father and a better sister to Arya. I wish we had not fought so much over nothing.

Now she found herself busy with ruling over Winterfell, dealing with her land, her people and their everyday problems, trying to be the best Lady Stark she could ever be, trying to make their people happy and satisfied. When she had free time, she closed herself into the library and she was reading and studying the old books for hours. She was studying history, geography, everything she could learn about the soil, the nature, the animals and the human body. Samwell kept sending her the best books about these topics and some people said that she was going to be almost a clever master. Other people said that she was too serious and unhappy.

She was working hard to make up every hole in her education that she had missed when she had spent all her time on fashion and romances. Books became her best friends and she did her best to develop and improve to be the best Queen of the North, the best Mother and the best Defender of her people. At least now you could be proud of me, Father and Mother.

But was she happy? What or who made her happy? She bit her lip while she was combing her hair and thinking about happiness.

Happiness is just an overrated word, she thought, that does not belong to my world anymore. I feel content if I can be a good and true Queen of my North, it must give me pleasure and happiness because I have no chance for more. I have been married twice, I have suffered from men's brutality, dirty schemes and lies, and it was enough. I am unable to trust any men and their intentions, she added bitterly, and I soon will come to that point when I am able to believe that it is all right.

When she finished combing and preparing her long ginger hair, she dressed up and sat down to her writing table. She was about to start an interesting new book about herbs and plants. Samwell praised it enthusiastically in his last letter and he seemed to be more excited about her reading it as soon as possible.

Suddenly a strong knocking on the door was heard, and at the next moment the young Andrew entered, with his round face in the shades of bright red, breathing and panting so fast as if he had been running.

- Lady Stark, they have caught the Hound!