When Sansa began to stir it was to the familiar sound of swishing skirts and light footsteps, but she was still too asleep to be concerned with nicety or expectations. She took her time settling completely back into the physical realm, curled up beneath fluffy feather blankets that enveloped her like so many clouds. She let the world and her place in it slowly come back to her, enjoying that space between sleep and consciousness where there is no fear or worry, just existence and gratitude for it.
At long last when Sansa felt as though she was able to face the day she pushed back the covers and sat up, surprising everyone in the room and even eliciting a small shriek out of someone to her right.
"My lady!" Someone cried as they rushed to the bedside, dark curls bobbing as she moved. "Emmalene, go, quickly, have them start heating the kettles. My lady," She said with a smile to Sansa. "I am Brenna, this is Aviana, and that is Emmalene. We are your handmaidens. If there's anything you require at all, please let one of us know."
"It's very lovely to meet you." Sansa said smiling at each of them in turn while she pulled her braid over one shoulder. It had come loose in her sleep and her ribbon was gone, though the thing was nowhere in sight. She peeked down at Winter and found him half awake, her blue ribbon wrapped around one paw and bearing several teeth marks. It took a few moments to extricate it from him, as he was less than willing to part with his new toy, but eventually she was able to coax it away from him and deposit the slobbery mess into a piece of cloth held by Brenna.
"Are you hungry, my lady?" Aviana asked, holding out a robe for Sansa to slip into. "Come with me, the sun is shining, it will do you good to break your fast on the balcony."
Finding the sound of this more than agreeable, Sansa simply let herself be towed outside to a pile of cushions, listening to Aviana describe the veritable feast that was to be delivered shortly. For the time being she contented herself with a cup of highly floral tea, indeed enjoying the warmth of the sun on her cheeks and shoulders. The storm from the day before hand passed, leaving behind a cloudless blue sky under which she sat with her knees pulled close to her chest, peering over the edge of the balcony where dew still clung to the blades of grass in the garden below. She watched finches and sparrows swoop gracefully around, landing in trees and tall bushes to sing sweet songs and gather material for their nests, completely unaware of and unconcerned with the complexities of man.
Eventually Leonette arrived and disrupted Sansa's musings, a train of kitchen staff laden with trays of food and drink on her trail.
"Good morning, my darling! How are we feeling?" She was already dressed for the day, walking confidently in a long pale pink dress that swept along the floor behind her.
"Quite well." Sansa said, watching the small balcony table fill with more food than ten people could eat, let alone the five of them. "Are there more people coming?" Leonette and the girls were one thing, but she preferred not to greet anyone else in her dressing gown.
Leonette looked over her shoulder and then at Sansa, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh no, not to worry. It's just us this morning."
The girls, as she learned during breakfast, were all three Tyrells, just not Tyrells of Highgarden, but because of long standing tradition between the branch houses and the main, they had always known that they were the obvious candidates for handmaidens should Willas ever marry.
"We had no idea!" Brenna said, setting down a ripe peach before it dripped down her arm and onto her dress. "We were all summoned to Highgarden, we thought, to meet you during your visit."
"It's true." Aviana added on energetically. "You can imagine our surprise when Leonette came to us last night, quite the shock really. We were all beginning to wonder if Willas would ever choose to marry, despite lady Olenna's machinations, so the fact that you are here is cause for much celebration. We're so very happy to be here, and over the moon for you."
If it meant they got to live at Highgarden's opulent court, she was sure they were happy to be here, but she had to wonder if that was as far as it went. None of them seemed like they were angling for anything, in fact, they just seemed like they wanted to do their duty well, and like Leonette, seemed genuinely interested in being her friend. Still, it would do well to keep them at a distance, for the crown's reach was far and she would be a fool to believe that Cersei had no spies outside of King's Landing.
On one level, she regretted the loss of her ability to trust people easily, on another she respected the necessity of it. Though how does one walk the line? How can you truly come to know someone without trusting them, or them trusting you? This conundrum was especially perplexing when it came to Willas. How could she possibly love and support Willas and not betray what family she had left? It was true that she would have more power and possibility as the future lady of Highgarden, but this would be limited. She could only push so hard or say so much without branding herself and by extension, her husband, as traitors, and after everything Willas had already risked that wasn't something she could allow to happen. She couldn't, wouldn't doom another family to destitution, rebellion, and tragedy.
Having had their fill of cakes and fruits the younger women stepped inside and began to set about their tasks, leaving Sansa and Leonette alone on the balcony.
"You seem far away, tell me, what do you see?"
"Nothing, just a bit tired still." Sansa lied blatantly, feeling a twinge of guilt as she did so.
Leonette made a face, looked inside to make sure the girls were still busy, and turned back. "Oh my dear, I'm not so blind as all that. I won't force you, just know that should you ever need to talk, I will keep your council."
"You are terribly kind, Leonette."
"Don't say that too loud, I don't want to give off the wrong impression, I have worked ever so hard on my reputation. Now, let's get you inside, lovely as it is we can't lay about here all day."
The three were fast at work inside, all dancing around each other like some sort of poorly choreographed ensemble, with more than a few near collisions. Aviana was laying out Sansa's gown and arranging the various pieces that belonged to it while Brenna and Emmalene tended the bath, sprinkling in bits of herbs and a healthy amount of rose oil, which thanks to a mistimed step almost ended up down the front of Brenna's dress rather than in the bath. Sansa was helped into the tub and told to relax, but she continued to keep a watchful eye on the three, as did Leonette, who was beginning to fret over every little move the girls made.
Unsurprisingly, this didn't improve matters.
To their credit eventually Sansa was bathed, dried, and laced into the work of art that was her gown. Thanks to the detailed and speedy work of the seamstresses it fit her perfectly. The bodice and skirt were an almost pure white silk brocade, the sleeves and high neckline made from a white sheer with embroidered crystal vines that grew up her arms. The same crystal vines reached up from the bottom of the skirt, fading before they reached her waist.
They twisted her hair into soft curls and pinned back the sides with small crystal roses, their brilliance shining in the mid afternoon sun. She let them add some color to her lips and cheeks and then sat for a few moments in front of the mirror, at once inspecting and acquainting herself with the woman that looked back at her.
Brenna stepped in beside her during these deliberations, offering up a small delicately carved wooden box.
"A gift from lord Willas, my lady."
"Thank you." Sansa said, taking the box into two hands and resting it on the table before her. With one finger she flipped the latch up and opened it, a small breath of air escaping her. Nestled inside was a silver necklace in which the direwolf of house Stark was emblazoned in the center of the Tyrell rose. She took it into her hands, letting it dangle loose between her fingers by the thin chain, only then noticing the folded piece of paper that had been tucked underneath it. She picked it up, a clear picture of Willas forming in her mind as she did so, and felt her heartbeat quicken in response. She took one deep breath and unfolded the note, her eyes trying to read faster than she actually could.
"Sansa,
As I sit in my room this morning I find that I am restless. The sun has yet to rise, but I can sleep not a moment longer. I regret that there will be no more words between us until our vows later today, and so I shall suffice myself with this note. I have never been one to make promises, as this world rarely gives one the luxury of keeping them. It is to you, my dear, that I will make the greatest promise of all. I swear to spend the rest of my life dedicated to your happiness, and may the gods strike me down if I ever prove to be less than the man you deserve.
W"
She noticed absently that her heartbeat hadn't slowed but was now accompanied by a warm blush that danced across her face. With careful fingers she refolded the note and discreetly slipped it inside her sleeve where it was held securely in place. She ran a thumb over the small bump it made and then draped the necklace over her head, pulling her hair through and settling the pendant squarely in the center of her chest. She stood and turned, delighting the girls, while Leonette was even more affected and was practically sobbing, which Sansa thought was well meant, even if she almost started crying herself.
It took a few moments for the group of women to collectively gather themselves but when they did they stepped out into the hallway where a significantly bolstered guard waited to escort them to the sept.
As they all walked and whispered between themselves Sansa began to appreciate that in certain ways this was the wedding she had always dreamed of for herself. There were certain key people missing that left a hole in her heart the size of Winterfell, but with enough determination she found she could keep it from her mind for small lengths of time. It made her feel guilty, but she enjoyed those moments in which she forgot about her past, where she was just a highborn girl being married to a lord, fulfilling the simple she always thought she was destined to play. Everywhere she looked there was so much good around her, so much possibility, and it felt like she only needed to embrace it to make it her own. If she could just move past the guilt and the sadness she could focus on the way forward, where her future waited.
Eventually they passed into an area of Highgarden that Sansa hadn't seen since the day of her arrival and she knew they still had quite a way to go. The sept was located outside of the main keep, a short ride by horse but longer by litter, which was her form of transportation for the day thanks to the anonymity it would provide. The shuttered windows and retinue of guards surrounding them prevented her from seeing much, but she could hear the voices of onlookers, their curiosity plain.
Leonette followed her eyes, tilting her head to the side."Some may suspect something, it would have been impossible to keep your arrival completely secret so we didn't even try, but I'd like to think most of them have no idea what is actually going on. It's a shame in a way. I think we all would have liked to have given you a more grand affair, you so greatly deserve it."
"This is enough, truly." Sansa said, taking Leonette's hand. "I want to thank you, in fact. For whatever hand you've had in all of this, and for your immediate and unwavering friendship. It means so much."
"Oh stop." Leonette said, dabbing at her face with a bit of cloth as the litter came to an easy stop.
The door opened and Sansa stepped out into the bright afternoon sun, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the sudden change. They all stood directly before the entrance of the sept, a set of huge wooden doors nestled between two stone pillars. It was without a doubt a very impressive feat of architecture and looked quite at home in Highgarden. Two guards held the doors open while the group walked inside, all noise from the outside fading away as the doors closed behind them. The silence that fell upon them was so pressing that Sansa's ears began to ring and every little movement or breath sounded incredibly loud.
After one last look from her watery – eyed friend and a quick hug, Leonette and the girls left to join the others in the inner chamber, leaving Sansa alone in the hall. She had only a few seconds to breathe and center herself before a soft - faced septa approached, smiling brightly.
"Not much longer now, my lady. The Septon is nearly ready to begin, come, stand here."
Directed to a spot directly before the doors to the chamber, Sansa smoothed the bodice of her dress, her heart beating so fast she could hardly think. The door opened and for two horrible seconds she panicked. Her legs turned to trees beneath her, her feet growing roots deep into the marble floor of the sept. She felt herself falling victim to the fear and the stares of those within, anxiety threatening to engulf her entirely. She could see Mace and Garlan, then Leonette and the girls, all of whom her eyes passed over in search of Willas.
He stood beneath the altar of the Mother, one hand on his cane the other behind his back. He looked resplendent in gold and green, a lord if she had ever seen one. Their eyes found one another and Sansa could breath, anxiety subsumed by certainty. The look in his eyes made her heart melt, propelling her at once into movement. She walked directly towards him, her head held high and her gaze unwavering. As she joined him before the altar she felt another rush of emotions, these amplified by his proximity.
The Septon smiled at each of them and began, his raspy voice echoing off the tall, vaulted ceiling. "You may now cloak the bride and bring her under your protection."
Beside her Willas moved, exchanging his cane for a bundle of green fabric that rushed to the ground when he grasped it by the collar. She took a deep breath in as he stepped behind her, wrapping the cloak about her shoulders. His fingertips brushed her neck as he pulled her hair from the confines of the cloak, sending shivers down her spine. Willas retrieved his cane and took up his place beside her, standing just a bit closer than he had been. He raised his hand for hers to rest atop of as the Septon continued.
"My lords and ladies, we stand here in the sight of Gods and men to witness the union of man and wife. One flesh. One heart. One soul, now and forever. In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls together – Lord Willas of House Tyrell, and Lady Sansa of House Stark, binding them as one for all eternity. Now, look upon each other and say the words."
Their voices wove together as they spoke, Sansa's eyes shining with unshed tears as she said the words. "Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone and Stranger… I am his, and he is mine. From this day, until the end of my days."
"I declare these two man and wife, for the rest of their days. Cursed be they who would seek to tear them apart."
A brief moment of complete stillness passed before Sansa stepped forward into Willas' arms, meeting in a kiss that took her by surprise, making her forget that she was surrounded by near strangers, now family.
They led the small procession from the sept arm in arm, an immutable smile on her lips as they climbed into a litter together. The sudden change from open expanse back to confined space was odd but welcome, and Sansa found herself leaning against him as they made their way back towards the keep, listening to Willas tell her about the places they passed while they both became accustomed to each other's presence.
They grew nearer to the inner keep and Willas grew quiet, prompting Sansa to look up at him.
"When I saw you step through those doors with the light shining behind you, I thought my heart had stopped. Never in my life have I seen a woman so beautiful."
"You flatter me." She said smiling, her head tilted to one side.
He reached out and cupped her cheek with one hand. "That doesn't make it any less true."
The enclosed space provided a certain atmosphere of intimacy that inspired her, and with clear intent she leaned forward and kissed him, loosing herself in feel of it. When the litter finally came to a stop and they were forced to part it was clear that they both regretted the necessity of it. There was a knock at the door and it opened wide but before she could move to leave Willas reached out and stopped her.
"Hold still, your hair's come loose." With deft fingers he removed one of the small rose pins and fixed the small bit of hair that had wiggled free before replacing the pin. "There."
With gratitude she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
The feast that awaited them back in the great hall was quite possibly the grandest Sansa had ever attended. Sprays of white and gold roses and greenery decorated the entryway and the hall which was filled with guests in various stages of shock at the announcement, read mere minutes before their arrival. As it turned out Leonette had been right. Most had thought the impending festivities were to welcome Sansa to Highgarden as its guest, not as its future lady, but this seemed to make little immediate difference. Their absolute joy at Willas finally getting married completely outshined her parentage or familys current state of rebellion, resulting in almost everyone greeting her with kindness and a sort of awe. One man, a lord named Johanis, even thought it was an advantageous move on behalf of Willas and congratulated them both quite vigorously.
Of the many things she learned as the evening went on, one thing was abundantly clear above all. The people of the Reach had great love and respect for the Tyrells of Highgarden, but for most that love and respect did not extend as far as the crown.
A constant stream of lords and ladies wandered up to the dais to congratulate them and upon their departure Willas would tell her everything he knew about them, sparing no detail. This was more often than not so humorous that Sansa had to strive to keep a respectably straight face as the next well wishing guest inconveniently appeared. It wasn't until Alyce Oakheart made her way to the dais that Sansa's mood began to sour ever so slightly. The moment the woman introduced herself Sansa felt a ripple of apprehension flow through her, making her watch the lady with a careful eye. She held her chin high, trying to channel her father's unyielding stoicism and mother's dignified grace as she listened to Alyce wish them good health with a tone that clearly wished them otherwise. Sansa didn't look away from the woman until she was safely reseated at her table across the hall and then looked quickly to Leonette, remembering her words from the other day.
"Out of them all, approach Alyce Oakheart with caution. Though it was a distant relation on her mother's side, Alyce has Lannister blood in her veins. Margaery managed to keep her well in hand, but you my dear will have a much more difficult time, because you are getting what she always wanted. Highgarden, and Willas."
They exchanged a discreet look and then each turned to the men beside them, knowing there would be time to speak later.
However subtle she had tried to be, Willas was not oblivious to her quick change of attitude and came to an accurate assumption.
"Has something frightened you?"
Sansa sat up tall, her shoulders back as she took a long sip of wine, trying to affect an air of casual indifference. "What do you mean?"
"Sansa, Alyce Oakheart isn't worth even a moment of your time. It's true she's mean spirited and that she and Margaery had many lively discussions, but she's incapable of inflicting any real damage."
'We'll see about that.' Sansa mused. While she wanted to trust Willas' opinion, she wasn't willing to dismiss her own instincts so easily.
She had finished eating several courses ago and the hall was beginning to close in on her, feeling smaller and smaller all the time. After spending so much time secluded from much of the public in King's Landing and Highgarden being around so many people was overwhelming. She tugged on Willas' sleeve, leaning close and speaking quietly.
"I think I could use some fresh air. Would you accompany me?"
"Anywhere."
The pair rose to an eruption of good natured jeers and shouts of encouragement and Willas waited for the hall to become quiet before addressing the crowd.
"My lords and ladies, I thank you all for your kind wishes, and above all, the warm welcome you have shown my wife. With that said, we wish you all to continue to drink and eat your fill, but must regretfully bid you all goodnight." There was a round of applause and Willas held out his hand to Sansa, who curtsied to the crowd, incurring further favor from the people and a grin from him. They made leave for the doors but before he was out of the hall Willas met eyes with his brother, who nodded his head and leaned over to Leonette, whispering. For Willas' plan to work they would need to move quickly.
Willas and Sansa ended up outside in a garden not far from the main hall, one that's paths led towards the inner keep and their ultimate destination. The change of atmosphere was a welcome one and they simply stood there drinking in the night air for a time, enjoying the cool darkness. When they began to move again it was towards the small bridge that crossed the wading pool in the center of the garden and they stopped at the top, admiring the view. The moon and the blanket of stars in the sky reflected back at them in the water creating quite the lovely picture, but Willas found it lackluster compared to absolute vision beside him. Her white gown and pale skin looked as though they radiated light in the darkness, giving Sansa the appearance of a primordial goddess, something powerful and beyond understanding.
The faint smile that had been playing at the corners of her lips blossomed as a group of water lilies drifted into sight beneath them and he felt himself smile in response.
"You appear to be in good spirits, I'm glad of it." Willas said
"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" Sansa looked up at him with a mask of bland indifference, one shrewd red eyebrow raised. He was starting to recognize her facial cues, subtle as they were, and knew this face was used to hide any trace of emotion, especially any connected to her family.
She'd opened up to him once and he wanted to encourage her to feel comfortable to do so again, even if it wasn't that night. "I won't pretend to know how you feel, but I will say that I don't want you to think you have to live some charade, not with me. Would you humor me? There's something I'd like to show you."
"Yes, I suppose..." Sansa answered, though the intonation in her voice made it sound like a question.
"Bare with me." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and they were off on a carefully curated route, one designed to give the others as much time as possible and put them in front of the Godswood without crossing paths with any guests returning to their rooms. Weeks of research and planning were all coming to a head, all for a gesture he feared could be seen as over the top, or worse, overcompensating.
Eventually they came to a small doorway and they entered the keep. By the look on Sansa's face he could tell she was trying to puzzle out the end location and thought for a moment that perhaps it wasn't right to possibly worry her over something she may not actually appreciate, but they were mere minutes away from the entrance to the Godswood and he'd already made it this far.
"I give up." Sansa said, looking around as they came to a stop. "Where are we?"
"When you first came here it was through the main entrance, this is a lesser used one." He leaned forward and pulled open the door, at once feeling an exorbitant amount of relief at the sight of torches in the wood. "If you would allow it, I would ask to marry you a second time."
He watched her look out into the night, taking in what she saw and what it meant "Aren't you worried…?"
"About what people will think? Rarely. Besides, we've already had one secret ceremony, what's one more?" He grinned and she nodded her head, one hand reaching out to grasp his.
"I would like very much to marry you again."
He squeezed her hand lightly. "I'm afraid I must leave you now, but just for a moment."
"Wait." She pulled him close, kissing him once. "Thank you."
Willas stepped through the door and back into the night, finding his brother at the head of the path to the Weirwoods.
"Brother." Garlan said. "I've got to hand it to you, as far as acts of devotion go this is indeed a grand one."
"Today marks the beginning of a new path for Sansa and I. I felt it deserved a grand gesture or two."
He strode down the path and around the small pond to meet the others, the torches they held blazing in the darkness. His father looked more effervescent as usual and Leonette was crying, though this he had all but expected. The smell of fresh air and trees was invigorating, heightening the sense of certainty and clarity he had carried with him throughout the day.
He turned to find Sansa approaching on the arm of his brother, a smile on her face that made him feel as if he was on top of the world. Willas extended his hand to her, the other gripped tightly around the handle of his cane for support. Be it the darkness or the imposing weirwood tree preceding over the events, something about this second ceremony felt more secretive and preternatural.
His father began to speak and, bless him, was trying very hard not to sound rehearsed. "Who comes before the Old Gods this night?"
Garlan stepped forward. "Sansa, of house Stark, comes here to be wed. A woman grown, true born and noble. She comes to beg the blessings of the Gods. Who comes to claim her?"
Willas moved closer to her, meeting her gaze. "Willas, of house Tyrell. Heir to Highgarden and the Reach. Who gives her?"
"Garlan, of house Tyrell, in place of her father, Eddard Stark."
Mace turned to her, his hands crossed over his stomach. "Lady Sansa, do you take this man once more?"
"I take this man."
As customary no more words were spoken after that, but the simplicity of the vows did nothing to dull the significance of their promise. The others faded away, leaving them alone together in the torchlight. She shook her head, smiling as he pulled her into an embrace.
"This was so profoundly thoughtful of you. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for what you've done tonight."
"I didn't do it in the hopes that you would feel indebted to me, I wanted to make you happy. I wanted to pay proper tribute to all that you are and where you come from, and most importantly, I wanted you to feel like you had a piece of your home here, no matter how small."
Sansa kissed him once, twice, three times until they all strung together and they remained there in the moonlight until Willas pulled away suddenly, feeling an impending sense of apprehension.
He'd meant to bring it up earlier, hoping to find a moment that felt natural enough to broach the subject. That time, of course, had never come. "Sansa, I hope you know I expect nothi-"
"Stop." She took his hand, holding it between her own. "You needn't worry on my behalf."
"But I will worry. It's important that you know I would never force you to do anything, not now, not ever."
"You're a terribly kind man Willas Tyrell. I don't know of many men who would afford a woman that choice and I'm grateful for it. Still, I know what comes next and I'm not afraid." She reached one pale hand up and touched the side of his face, her fingertips smooth and cool against his skin. "Not of you. Now, if you'd oblige me I'd like to see my new chambers."
He took a deep breath, "As you wish, Sansa."
They spoke more on their walk back, playing off the chemistry that had been building between them all night. Willas told her of his plan to take her on a proper tour, saying that the future lady of the house should know her way around her own keep, to which she wholeheartedly agreed.
They arrived in front of a door flanked by guards, an ornate iron handle bearing entry to the large room within. It was lavish by Winterfell's standards but surprisingly muted for what she had become too accustomed to as Highgarden décor, giving it a much simpler air of elegance. She walked into the room, her fingertips brushing against pieces of furniture as she swept by them, her eyes moving from place to place trying to take it all in. She stopped in front of the lit hearth, enjoying the warmth of it for a moment. When she turned around Willas was standing exactly where she had left him, a smile on his face.
"Is there something entertaining you?" She asked, circling back around the room to him.
"I've grown quite accustomed to living in these rooms alone, having you here feels like a welcome change."
She leaned into him, her lips finding his while her arms wound around his neck. The kiss went on unbroken until Sansa pulled away, freeing herself from the confines of the cloak about her shoulders and draping it over the back of a chair.
"I could use a hand with these laces, if you don't mind. These dresses are quite complicated, you know."
"I believe I can be of assistance." She felt his fingers at her back, the dress loosening as he worked, but still noticed an air of trepidation about him. She turned to face him, letting the dress slip off her shoulders and down onto the ground. With a finger under his chin she drew his gaze upwards to meet her own. She kissed him again, his hands warm where they rested on her waist. With little effort she removed his doublet, her hands finding the bare flesh that had been hidden beneath.
Out of the corner of her eye she spied a small piece of folded parchment and gasped.
"What is it?" Willas asked.
Sansa knelt and picked it up, holding it up so that he could see. "A small piece of you I carried with me." She sat it on a small table that stood near the bed, one hand wrapped around the rose and wolf pendant. "I meant to thank you earlier. It meant a great deal."
"I didn't want it to seem too forward, but I had it commissioned along with several others. I thought perhaps you choose from the ones you like best. It's an old tradition, combining sigils, and not always observed but I thought perhaps you would appreciate the symbolism."
"I do." She stepped back into his arms, letting the pendant hang free between her breasts. "I think this one looks quite nice, what do you think?"
"It pales in comparison to its setting."
A smile slid over her face as she was led back towards the bed, Willas sitting down as he pulled her close. He laid kisses on her stomach and chest as she climbed onto his lap, their eyes level with one another. Her forehead was against his, both taking deep breaths as they navigated the growing tension between them. Each move he made was prefaced with a hesitation, a question from him to her and her body answered in the same language, giving permission and encouragement.
She reached down between them and untied the laces of his pants and was pleasantly surprised when she felt him warm and firm against the inside of her thigh. The mechanics of what needed to happen next made sense, but her mind seemed to have difficulty putting together the execution. Willas seemed to pick up on this lack of direction and nudged her nose with his, kissing her once softly.
One of his hands slid beneath her, his voice quiet in her ear. "May I touch you?"
Given their current state she felt an insane urge to laugh, but bit her lip and nodded her head, plunging herself further into unknown territory. When she felt the tips of his fingers make contact with the sensitive flesh between her legs she felt a shivering wave move through her, emanating from his touch. He kissed her neck and shoulders, her breasts and lips, all the while continuing his ministrations. After sometime she felt her hips begin to move against him, her body seeking something she didn't quite understand. She could feel that his need had grown greater as well and so she leaned into him, one hand tangled in his hair.
"Please." She whispered, breathless.
He didn't question her but simply positioned himself beneath her and guided her hips, letting her have as much control as possible. She lowered herself slowly, an action that elicited simultaneous moans out of both of them. Instinct took over and their bodies found a rhythm with one another, a seamless cycle of pleasure given and received.
It was difficult to really form a clear thought but one thing kept popping up in her mind over and over. She hadn't expected to enjoy it. She'd expected to feel intruded upon, discomfort and quite possibly pain. Instead she found pleasure and a kind of empowerment she hadn't known existed. To look into his eyes and feel him inside of her, to know that every sensation he felt was because of her, enriched the experience.
His fingers took up their movements again, pulling her closer to some precipice. She didn't know what lay on the other side but she felt her body running towards it, eager for the fall. When it came there was no mistaking it. Her arms wrapped around Willas' neck and he held her close as it took her, shortly after finding his own completion. They kissed several times in between heavy breaths before Sansa extricated herself and stretched out on the bed beside him languorously. She lay there a few moments, letting all of the scattered pieces of her mind come back to her while she watched Willas do what she thought was likely the same thing.
Without the physical warmth from him Sansa began to cool down dramatically and goosebumps began to rise all over her exposed flesh. Willas reached out a hand and traced his fingers along her arm, his brow furrowing slightly.
"My darling, you're cold. Come here." After a quick repositioning Sansa found herself completely encapsulated in a bubble of warmth in his arms, the blankets pulled close around them. She lay facing him, her head on his arm and her forehead pressed against his chest. She had plenty of questions, plenty of things she wanted to say to him, but she felt content in their silence. She seemed to have a sense that there would be time for all of that and more later. For now she just wanted to be present, to enjoy the moment for what it was for as long as she could stay awake.