Willas POV
Rickon alive. Willas couldn't even begin to think about everything that could effect and change. He'd asked the Blackfish to come because he knew his wife had such a hard time when most of her family died. But now the Blackfish and Edmure and her half-brother who had-died-but-hadn't-which-couldn't-be-possible-but-according-to-Sansa-it-was-impossible-for-Jon-to-lie-as-well weren't her only family members.
She wasn't the key to the North anymore. Which meant that Willas could no longer leverage his marriage to her to promise Aegon Northern loyalty. A downside. But Sansa had a brother back, an upside. But it was her baby brother who had no parents left to raise him so it was practically guaranteed Sansa would never remain in Highgarden with ease anymore until Rickon reached maturity, she would want to be involved in his education. A downside. He would have to miss his wife for periods of time and the Reach would frequently be without its lady. And if her brother was truly alive, he was an enemy of the Iron Throne as the Starks had been cast away by Joffrey. So until the Baratheons on the Iron Throne were deposed, Willas couldn't openly support his wife's brother lest he endanger his father and sister. What was the best course of action for his family, and how did it compare to the duties he had towards his wife and good-brother?
As he had thought about all these things, Brynden Tully, who had never met Sansa before, selflessly promised to travel North to help out while her husband had been considering the pros and cons of his wife having a brother again.
Was he just being a ruler, or was he being a selfish prick by being disinclined to jump into action? As he noticed his thoughts multiplying in his head, his focus on the conversation with Sansa and her uncle started slipping.
'You know what, you two have some time together without me', he smiled, patting Sansa on the hand and giving them both an encouraging smile.
'You can stay.'
'You really deserve some private time. I've got things to do anyways so it's fine.'
Willas grabbed his cane and got out.
Was this what it meant to be a ruler?
He thought he was doing well by arranging a safe monarchy, and surprising Sansa with her uncle. But now he felt less capable than he had in months. He'd just closed one door with future problems and now.
He gazed up at the stairs. Leonette's and Garlan's rooms were on the next floor. There awaited another woman of his family whom he'd have to disappoint with his political considerations.
He hesitated before the door. This was his first time entering the chambers since Garlan died. Back when he'd last seen Leonette she was in the birthing room. He forbade himself from overanalysing the moment and opened the door.
What he saw was a marvellously rare thing.
Olenna Tyrell was smiling, not just in a smug way that had her thin lips curling around her teeth but a genuine toothy grin filled with affection. She was holding Chrysan while Leonette talked.
'Willas', Leonette greeted him with a small smile.
'Everything alright?' he asked her.
'Oh yes. He was just hungry. The fussy little boy that he is', Leonette said, smiling at her child. She was sitting beside Olenna on a dark green couch. The wallpaper was an excellently weaved green and gold one bought two decades ago in the Riverlands. Garlan and Leonette had never minded going with the styles that were popular in the Reach. As such, aside from a small harp, a painting of the couple and a stand in the corner with Garlan's training leathers and practice sword, nothing could have betrayed the identity of the owners of the rooms. It made the visit hurt less.
He watched the painted replica of his brother, looking down proudly with one hand resting on the library sofa he and Leonette always used, while his wife sat on the divan in front of him. The family dogs of the time lay at her feet. The picture made Garlan look even more regal than he did in life.
Oh brother. To have to say and do the things I'm about to right in front of you.
'I want to apologize for everything… If I had a choice, I wouldn't force you to wed again. Ever', Willas said, tearing his eyes away from the painting.
'I know. I don't blame you', Leonette said.
Willas moved closer to them, looking at the baby. He didn't dare ask where, if she and Olenna were both here, and Sansa and Brynden were together, the rest of the company had gone.
'Is it just me, or has he grown since I last saw him?'
'He's grown, I'm sure of it', Leonette said. 'And he's heavier too.'
'Well he has room for expansion now. It wouldn't have been clever of him to grow even bigger in that small belly of yours while he had already been folded up for months', Olenna said.
'My belly was everything but little at the end', Leonette protested, cheeks red from embarrassment.
'Mine was a lot bigger, I couldn't see my feet for the last two months when I was carrying that oaf of a father of yours', she huffed, giving Willas a nod.
He'd heard the story of how his father had been the biggest baby the midwifes had ever seen a million times.
He sat down in the chair opposite to Leonette and Olenna's couch. The child was eventually deposited into his lap.
'Tell me about everyone at the meeting', Leonette asked Willas.
'Same as every big get-together. You have clever men, stupid men, stupid men who think they're clever and boys thirsty for glory', Olenna shrugged.
'If you ask me what I think the outcome will be of this war I'd tell you that by the time this business is done another fifth of our lords will have lost an heir, or died themselves. They're all desperate to gain as much as they can. And you can't gain a lot without risking a lot.'
'Oh, Olenna. That's horrible', Leonette said.
'It's the opposite of horrible for us, dear. It's easier to wield power over weak inexperienced lords and frail dynasties', Olenna said. 'It's a good thing.'
Willas answered when Leonette asked him after a certain lord or family but he let his grandmother do most of the talking. She explained the rules and deals that were made, and it comforted Leonette to know that she was one of many many many widows and maidens to be wedded to someone unknown. Willas fazed out of the conversation, his attention easily focussing on the comforting weight that rested on his lap.
The little baby.
He traced an almost invisible eyebrow of Chrysan with his fingertip. The babe scrunched his face. He had mighty frown wrinkles for a baby. Did all babies look like that? He'd forgotten. The child stared him down boldly as some spit trickled past his lips. Willas tried to look for something in the child beyond the brown hair and eyes that signalled the child as being distinctively Garlan's or Leonette's. But the nose was too small and didn't remind him of either, the eyebrows were still invisible – hopefully they would become thicker – and the cheeks well, they were ordinary fat baby cheeks, neither Garlan's chiselled bearded jaw nor Leonette's square one. It could be any brown haired couple's babe.
Would his children look like this? Tiny and surprisingly heavy with dark hair and eyes? He smiled. Perhaps Sansa would fall in line with Leonette, his mother and his grandmother, all giving birth to nearly identical babes with the same features as if the blood of the mother didn't matter at all.
But there was always a chance the baby didn't look like a Tyrell. His eyes had refused to be brown, and when combined with Sansa's blue eyes it was possible for their child to have another eye colour. Perhaps it wouldn't even have brown hair. He considered a child with Sansa's colouring. No, that would be too much of a stretch. He'd heard Catelyn Tully's genes had been the dominant ones in her children, with all except for Arya inheriting blue eyes and auburn hair. But they could not be a suitable match against the Tyrell genes. Grey eyes might lose from blue, but brown rarely did.
The hair would definitely be brown. All Tyrells had brown hair, no matter his grandmother's red hair or his mother's silver hair. The only exception were the Redwynes. He wondered whether that was because Olenna had been a redhead and thus Mina Tyrell had also had fifty percent Redwyne blood before she was married to her fullblood Redwyne husband. Three out of four grandparents had been red of hair, that drastically increased the odds for Horas, Hobber and Desmera. But for Sansa's children? No, both Lord Eddard and Lord Mace were brown of hair, her mother apparently had auburn hair but to the browner side, and only Alerie had a really different hair colour.
'Pretending it's yours?' Olenna asked.
Willas looked up, finding both women were already looking at him.
'Thinking about what mine will look like', he corrected.
'Well just like this one no? Won't it be funny? Two cousins born within less than a year from one another, looking practically identical, both being heirs, growing up together, being best friends like you and Garlan were. They could almost be brothers', Leonette dreamed.
'Hm', Olenna said. 'I hope he gets some of Sansa's prudence.'
'You're both convinced it'll be a he', Willas grinned.
'Catelyn Tully produced three boys and two girls. Your mother produced three boys and one girl. Leonette made a boy. Mina had two boys and a girl. Moryn's son Luthor had three boys and one girl. Garth had two boys on that prostitute. Leo had three boys and two girls. Olymer had two boys and one girl. Elinor was the first firstborn girl in at least four generations and spread across six couples. But she got a brother shortly afterward. The only one with the bad luck of getting a girl for a firstborn and not a single child afterwards was Victoria Tyrell. And I'm sure that was because she married a husband five-and-twenty years her senior with weak seed.'
'But now back to the topic', Olenna said before turning to Willas. 'You're a young and healthy Tyrell male, you'll have plenty of children and the first will be male. I'm going to eat a rose, thorns and all if it's a girl. Especially since the Starks are also very good at big families with many sons.'
'I just really liked the idea of our children being like brothers', Leonette admitted with a small smile.
'And I like the idea of having dinner', Olenna said. 'We need to get back to the dining room. And you need to get to know your husband. The nicer you act, the less he'll feel like he can force you into doing something you don't want.'
Leonette accepted her child back from Willas. Chrysan and her both stared at each other with contemplative looks.
'I try to be nice but… I guess my heart isn't in it. I feel guilty when I act too nice.'
'If you're sweet he'll feel sorry for you and feel less inclined to force himself upon you. It is for your own good that I'm telling you to be nice. You must approach him as if he can be a real husband. Fertilize the soil even if you don't know whether you want to plant something in the future. Nothing grows in a barren ground. If you change your mind later on you might not have the option to plant something anymore because you let the soil rot.'
Leonette nodded. A maid appeared offering to carry the babe to the nursery but Leonette refused.
'I'll put him in the cot in the family dining room', Leonette said.
As the ladies got ready to leave, Willas felt he could no longer delay it.
'Leo, I'm afraid you'll have to marry tomorrow.'
Leonette held onto the door as Olenna quickly slipped through.
'I knew it was going to happen soon. You both wrote to me saying Lord Fell would only be coming for a few days before travelling towards the capital', she forced a tight smile on her face, her babe gurgling protest.
'It's going to have to be in the morning though, before there's many people walking around. We can't keep it secret as the records are publicly accessible and all but the longer it'll take for news to reach King's Landing the better. They'll start suspecting things when news of dozens of cross-region weddings comes in.'
'Perhaps we should do it in the Godswood in front of Sansa's gods. I doubt there'll be anyone there no matter the time of day. And no record of it either.'
'I always wondered how people from the North knew when weddings took place and whether they were valid without paper documents', Willas mused.
'Perhaps they didn't want paper documents so they could marry multiple people', Leonette laughed.
'See, I'm sure that must have happened more than once.'
'Ask Sansa or one of your books', Leonette laughed. 'Before that question starts keeping you up at night. Now come, we're dallying.'
They went to the dining room and discovered some seats at the head table were already occupied. On one sat Axel Fell. He looked up, and greeted the group. He'd been talking to Elinor.
Leonette greeted him, but kept her hands tight around her child.
'Can I hold him?' he asked. Even Willas was taken aback by the question. He glanced at Leonette but pretended to busy himself with sitting down.
Leonette was doubting. She was protective of her child but also realized that there would be no point in insulting her future husband by refusing him. Once he was her husband, he had just as much access to the baby as her.
'He's still very small. You need to hold him with utmost care', she just warned. It wasn't a no, but the message was clear. This was her child, the most important thing in her world, and he could only take it if he accepted full responsibility. He would have to prove he could be trusted.
'Show me how', Lord Fell said.
Leonette nodded, moving over to him as he pushed his seat away from the table to make place for the babe. She rearranged his arms while telling him what to pay attention to, before nodding at Olenna to bring the baby.
The baby was deftly placed in Lord Fell's arms. Tense seconds ticked past during which Leonette stared as Lord Fell readjusted the babe a little before stroking its hair.
'He looks handsome.'
'He is', Leonette confirmed with a hesitant smile.
'Only the mother's credit?' he asked, looking up at her with a smile.
She shook her head. 'He looks entirely like his father according to me.'
'Really? But the eye and hair colour –'
'We shared it', Leonette explained.
Lord Fell looked down again.
'Mine would've been about ten now', he said with a sad smile.
'Did you – my apologies if I am being insensitive – did you ever hold them?'
'Not like this. My wife gave birth too soon so it was stillborn. She was barely half as big as this lad', he explained, his smile thinning as he watched the child. 'I don't think I ever held a thing of similar weight to him. Only a sword. Only ever a sword, never a child', he tacked on sometime later. From the weight of his voice Willas guessed the man had reflected on that sad fact many times.
'My condolences.'
'Well, nothing to do about it. Happens to so many. You always risk losing both when you decide to get a child', he shrugged, staring at the child. 'This is kind of like a free heir. Didn't have to risk anything', he said. 'If you don't mind him being the heir to two castles instead of one, that is.'
Willas saw the moment a muscle in Leonette's neck bulged.
'Does that make the suffering any less? I think it's all the more tragic that it happens to so many', Leonette said.
He looked up with a grin, creases appearing in the flesh around his eyes. It was a tired grin, one that betrayed amusement at her comment but also the years of hurt hiding behind his humour.
'I suppose you're right.'
Roasted pumpkin and cheese salad was carried past them and put on the table together with vegetables filled with meat and cheese. His stomach was already rumbling. Willas had missed the kitchens of Highgarden.
'Do you get used to it?' Leonette asked after a while, reluctantly sitting down without her child.
'Yeah, after a while. Life doesn't stop and you've got to go on. And then in due time you realize that while you were busy, it occupied your mind less and less. But whenever you think of it… Still there. Just dulled with age.'
He doubted those were the words which Leonette wanted to hear. He tried to casually look her way, and found that instead of looking shocked or defeated, she was just nodding along as if it was the most reasonable and predictable answer in the world.
'I thought I'd go mad when I didn't have something to do', Leonette confessed.
'Idle hands combined with idle minds are the easiest preys for dark thoughts', Fell agreed.
I'd hoped they would connect over their shared experiences, but I hadn't thought they'd shake hands on the way they dealt with their grief as well.
At that moment Sansa appeared in the dining room alongside her great-uncle. As the Blackfish moved to sit down, Sansa stopped to ask something to one of the servants and listened to her reply.
His lady wife smiled, standing proud and sweet with her hands folded together as she listened. She was easily three heads taller than the old woman. Willas liked playing the diplomat, and had cursed at never being able to travel. Yet he had always been hesitant about being a lord to his people. He'd come home at six-and-ten a broken boy. Even as he learned to live with himself, he kept fearing the opinion of the outside world, especially with the solstice pressure placed upon his shoulders. He'd only realized how exclusive his day-to-day activities and duties before the accident had been when he found himself on the other side as one unable to participate in the activities others considered normal. Talking to people by walking around the castle seemed like such an easy job, unless one struggled with stairs. And then because he feared looking weak, he'd just stopped appearing in front of his people on the regular. Luckily Sansa was a natural. She made easy talk with people he doubted she had anything in common with. She moved amongst them freely, and managed to win them over one by one. He'd only ever been able to do things for his people at a distance. Out of the two of them, he knew which one would make sure their people were loyal to them. She was his eyes and ears on the ground.
She finished her conversation and a minute later she sat down beside him. Sansa accepted a cup of Honeywine, her eyes almost slipping closed as she leaned on her hand, waiting for a servant to fill her plate.
'Is my lady aright?' Willas whispered.
'Your lady is just tired', Sansa explained, laying her free hand on his and absentmindedly turning his ring.
'Shall we retire immediately after dinner?'
'Uncle Brynden is leaving after dinner', she sighed. 'I won't go before he's gone.'
'It'll be over soon', Willas comforted her.
'I don't know whether I want it to be over', Sansa admitted. 'This is my first time meeting a family member in years.'
Willas wrapped his hand around her smaller one. He knew she had felt scared and alone for years. It had to suck that the one time she got to meet a family member was when she wasn't feeling well enough.
'I don't know whether trying to keep him here would be wise', he teased, knowing now wasn't the moment for serious conversations.
Her eyes darted up at him, a small smile curling her lips.
'I don't think we could even if we wanted to', she replied.
'Strong-willed. I admire that in a man.'
'Of course you do', Sansa grinned.
'What are you implicating?'
'Oh nothing.' Her smile grew.
'My lady teases me.'
'I wouldn't dare mocking such a serious man.'
'Never, you are the epitome of a demure serious shy woman.'
'I was', she admitted. Her smile fell when she looked back at her food. 'The truth became a mockery. I wonder when it changed.'
'No one should be serious all the time', Willas said, a bit thrown off by her sudden mood swing. He stroked her hand with his thumb in a way he knew calmed her. 'And you are still quite demure. And shy well, isn't it a good change? You miss being shy?'
'Not really. I like feeling more safe and confident. It was so tiring, fearing I'd get hurt and mocked for every word and breath', she admitted.
'Well good, because I like my more confident teasing wife', Willas decided, lifting his eyebrows.
Her cheeks turned crimson when she looked away from him.
'Will you walk with me after dinner?' Willas heard Fell ask Leonette.
'Perhaps we can sit together in the library instead?' Leonette asked.
'That works too', Fell agreed.
'So, I've come to a conclusion', boomed Brynden Tully's voice, drawing Willas' attention back to his wife's side of the table.
'About what?' asked Willas with a smile.
'You lot are spoiled rotten', he said, looking at the table.
Looking at the three types of meat and nice array of side dishes – already a reduction since they'd started transitioning into winter – the table now looked less like a warm welcome for important guests and more like a taunting display of wealth.
'You've picked well, little niece', the Blackfish said. 'You picked the most comfortable spot in all of the realm to move to. Pretty, plentiful, cosy, and clearly you're not in want of company. If only your mother knew you'd landed safely on your own two feet.'
Sansa looked down, and Willas reached to touch her leg under the table. It hadn't been easy on her for a long while, and he hated that this could make her feel guilty about enjoying comfort while so many were suffering. Worse, the comment made Sansa sad because it reminded her of her mother in such a sad way.
'I didn't ask. Is she –' she stammered.
'Dead', the Blackfish said, his voice a lot lower. 'She got her revenge, and then she was put out of her misery.'
'H-how?'
The Blackfish let out a sound between a growl and a sigh.
'Please, tell me', Sansa begged.
'It was after we took Riverrun back with the brotherhood', he started. He looked quite reluctant to tell. 'She had tasked two people to take care of the Lannister caravan taking Edmure and Jeyne to Casterly Rock.'
'I heard it was ambushed', Sansa said, her eyes briefly flickering to Willas before going back to Tully. He'd told her back when he was Alayne. The memory seemed a little ridiculous now that Willas thought back on it. He'd actually explained to her who Jeyne Westerling was.
I should have guessed she wasn't who she claimed to be when she showed such interest in the former queen of the North.
'They were, but they'd employed a ruse first. The Kingslayer rode to the caravan and pretended he was taking over. He led the caravan straight into an ambush.'
Willas' eyes grew wide.
'Ser Jaime?' Sansa stammered. The Blackfish nodded. 'When all prisoners were returned to Riverrun by him, She decided She would kill him anyways, crimes being too great for forgiveness and all. Before anyone could react, the sword was at her throat.'
'He killed her?' Sansa asked.
'Tarth did. Something curious, those two. Brienne of Tarth devoted her sword and life to Cat. But… Well.'
He bit down on a chicken thigh, tearing the flesh off. He didn't look like he delighted in the food, the history in his mind probably ruining the taste.
'I suppose it was mercy. They'd both kept their oaths. Cat would have respected that. But She thought of nothing but vengeance. There was nothing in her life anymore aside from that.'
Sansa was shoving her food from side to side on her plate.
'I still can't believe she did all of that. That she was really alive. I never dared to believe –'
'She wasn't. Girl, listen to me good. I knew Catelyn Tully, I knew Catelyn Stark. That wasn't her. That was bitter vengeance become flesh. She would not have embraced you.'
A shiver ran down Sansa's spine. Willas winced at the idea of having to hear such things about a parent. He put on arm around her.
'But your brother will be able to hug you, as will Edmure and I. I have no doubt. I'll write to you every part of the journey.'
'Thank you', Sansa muttered, a small sad smile appearing on her pale face.
'Don't thank me, it's the only right thing to do. Those children need family. With Cat and Eddard gone, the duty is mine.'
'And mine', Sansa said, chin wobbling. The way his wife took everything personally, he did not doubt she saw it as her duty to take care of her brothers.
The Blackfish shook his head. 'A adult male's duty is to protect his family, a woman's is to nurture it. You can cuddle and coddle your brother once it's safe to do so. But it is never your duty to travel and risk your life. Especially now.'
Sansa looked down again.
'I am still grateful to you, uncle. There are many people who do not live up to their duties or their house words.'
'Those are the real bastards of the world. Nothing so low as a bad irresponsible man', he huffed.
'Very true', Willas said.
'So, what did you do to this Tarth and Ser Jaime then?'
The Blackfish' eyebrows rose as he looked away, his lips twisting into a dissatisfied line. Sansa had the same facial expression sometimes. Funny.
'Cover up the murder, accept them into our army, and try and settle things with the more unruly outlaws who were committed to shedding blood instead of supporting stable rule.'
'You- accepted them into your army? Willas asked.
'The Kingslayer is in your army?' Sansa asked.
'Technically it's Edmure's. He's the lord of Riverrun. But yes. Ironic, isn't it? The very army he fought to defeat. Not that the two of them are just loitering around Riverrun. Apparently, they're still trying to make good on a promise he'd made to Cat.'
'Being?' Willas asked.
Brynden's eyes slid to Sansa.
'Finding your sister, and bringing her home.'
Sometime later, they stood at the great entrance of the castle, Willas' coat over Sansa's shoulders.
'Take care, niece', the Blackfish said.
'You too, uncle. Please, I don't have many relatives left, don't rob me of another.'
'Ha! I'm not planning on dying anytime soon. Well, I better make haste, I have no doubt you can't wait until you hear from a valid source that the rumour about your brother is true', he replied.
Sansa nodded.
'And you, take very good care of her. Or else I'll be knocking on your door once I'm done in Winterfell, and it won't be fun I assure you.'
'And if I take good care of her?' Willas asked with a smile.
'Then I'll gladly accept the invite you'll undoubtedly send my nephew and I to come hunt while Sansa and Roslin play with the children together.'
'I don't know why but I seem to have a slight preference towards the scenario in which I treat my lady wife carefully.'
'Wise. Very wise', the Blackfish said. He took a step outside, snow crunching under his feet.
'Although you might come to regret that when I hunt down all your precious deer.'
'Just try killing them all, our grounds are filled', Willas invited.
The Blackfish barked and cracked his knuckles.
'Can't wait.'
Willas and Sansa walked over to the stairs together.
'You go ahead', Willas encouraged.
'Are you sure?' Sansa asked, not letting go of his arm.
'You're tired and take longer to get ready for bed. Go ahead.'
Sansa nodded, her shoulders sagging when she finally let her exhaustion show.
'I don't know why I'm so tired as of late.'
'Well, the maesters do advice women who are with child to take it easy and sleep a lot. Have you been doing that?'
'There was so much to do', Sansa shrugged.
'Not anymore, go and get ready, I'll be up there in a minute.'
After a kiss, Sansa skipped upstairs. Willas let out a sigh. They still had much to talk about. Rickon. Bran. Brynden. Westeros. Arianne's proposal. But now really wasn't the time for it. He hadn't seen his wife in over a week and just wanted to focus on being together with her. And on top of that: they were exhausted.
He finally made it upstairs and to bed. Sansa was just finishing up braiding her hair for bed, as he had expected.
'So, I take it you liked my surprise?' Willas asked as he crawled underneath the sheets.
'I did. Was it your idea or his to come over?'
'It took some convincing that he wasn't needed at Riverrun immediately, but he didn't protest with all his heart. He clearly wanted to meet you', Willas smiled. 'I couldn't have convinced him unless he wanted to come.'
'He does give that impression', Sansa agreed, sliding closer to him.
'I only wish… Does it sound horrible when I say I almost wish he wasn't going to Winterfell?' Sansa asked. 'Don't get me wrong. Grateful can't begin to cover the thing I feel he wants to do this for me and Rickon. But with all that we've been hearing about the North, I just can't help but fear I've sent another family member off to their death.'
'You didn't sent anyone. He chose to do it. He won't be beaten so easily, he's tough as nails', Willas calmed her.
'That doesn't make it the smartest decision.'
Willas felt overwhelming relief at that remark. He wasn't a monster. Sansa also had conflicting thoughts about whether they should run to her brother's aid. 'I wish there was a way to protect Rickon without endangering anyone.'
'So do I', Willas replied. 'Now try getting some sleep. We've got to get up early tomorrow for the wedding. We can't have many people running around to see it.'
'But Willas, hundreds of servants will wake up super early, hours before us. Isn't late at night when most have gone to bed a better time?'
'Oh. Well. I- I suppose you're right. I hadn't considered that possibility.'
'Good', Sansa said, curling herself around him.
'I'm glad to know that you, at least, will always be safe', she sighed, burying her nose into his chest.
The weight of Arianne's proposal fell like an anchor onto his stomach. No, he didn't want to talk about that. Not now.
'I'll always do my best to remain safe', he said.