Sansa POV

There was something horribly ironic about being awoken with lemon cakes to be spoiled and feeling queasy when smelling them. Sansa shoved the plate a bit further away from her, and took the platter of bread and the jar of strawberry jam.

Dawn had come and passed, and after half an hour of cuddling to make up on lost time, Sansa and Willas were now sat at the breakfast table.

'Alright?' Willas asked.

'Yes, fine. It is just that some scents…'

'Lemons', Willas said, looking at her with pity.

Sansa nodded, throwing her sleep-tousled braid over her shoulder so it couldn't land in her food.

'Now I feel like a monster, stealing the thing you love most to hatch my heir.'

'My lord, please. They're not the thing I love most', Sansa smiled

'What then?' Willas teasingly asked, leaning forward on the table.

'No elbows on the table, you're a horrible example for our child.'

'It can't see through your belly, can it?' he grinned.

Sansa rolled her eyes.

'What I love the most is…'

Her eyes grew wide when she realized she had no clear-cut answer.

It would have been Willas but –

'Ouch', her husband teased.

'It's just – '

'Your family', Willas guessed without letting her finish.

'It's another kind of love though. You don't take the same place. I love you. But my family… I've lost them all before, for years I wished and prayed I'd get to see them again, just one more time. The idea that one of them actually lives. It's a miracle. Isn't it? To have survived everything he has?'

'And a boy at that', Willas said.

'The baby' Sansa said, her eyes connecting with his. 'I feel awful for not going to him, even though I know it is the wisest decision. Just imagine. He's almost been as long without his family as with his family. He's been raised by a wildling for a fourth of his life. The gods only know what kind of effect such a savage can have on him.'

'Children are flexible though, if one year is enough for a wildling to ruin him, two years under the stable guiding hand of your family will set him straight again.'

'Still, you hear these things about once a child is ruined… He can't be ruined. He must be good and educated and strong to be lord of Winterfell.'

Willas nodded. His eyes stayed focussed on her, and she realized he was waiting for an addition on her side. She knew what addition. She wasn't a fool. No matter how much they wished to pretend to be just a family, they were also rulers, and as such, dynasties always had to be taken into account.

'I'm glad I have my brother back, though I also hate that such a weight as the title "Lord of Winterfell" will soon be put upon his small shoulders. I think… I'll have to do some trips to Winterfell to help him, as I have a lot more memories of Winterfell, our people, our customs, and knowledge of running a castle than him. But it's better than me having to be the sole warden of the North, isn't it? We talked about what we'd do with the North before.'

Willas nodded, eyes empathic. They'd never been able to sort out the details. They hadn't been able to conjure a satisfying plan.

'I would have had to appoint a permanent steward until our second son was of age, or travel there for half of the year to rule, away from you and our children. It wouldn't have assured loyalty in the same way as a Stark who remained in the North fulltime would have. I would have been the "holiday ruler" who married a southerner and couldn't have been there when they needed me. This is better.'

Willas scratched his head, his hair had grown quite a bit since they met, she realized, it was nearly grazing the edges of his shoulders. Few men in the south had really long hair, but well, in war people had better things to do than caring about their hair. That included the men planning the war. She had to admit she kind of liked the more wild look. It was funny, in a way. In the North she'd abhorred men with big beards and long hair, it had juxtaposed with the fair southron knights she'd dreamt of. She thought back on all the men she'd considered handsome in the recent past. After Joffrey she'd started disliking everything associated with him, including his looks. She wondered if she'd ever come around to being neutral or positive about anything related to King's Landing again.

'You're right. It is more practical', Willas agreed. 'But he's currently watched by Stannis', Willas added.

He looked conflicted by that. That pleased something within her. She'd felt the same hesitation and had thought about that long and hard. But, luckily, she'd also found some thoughts that had comforted her, and could now comfort him.

'He wouldn't hurt Rickon. He's the one lord Stannis can control, who has to support Stannis.'

'Won't that cause us trouble?' Willas asked.

Sansa nibbled from her bread. It put her growling stomach a bit at ease.

'I've considered it. I feel that Stannis wants us to side with him out of gratitude. I kind of feel that pressure. He's treated both Jon and Rickon very well while he didn't have to. He could have appointed anyone as lord of Winterfell as long as they swore allegiance, but he took the effort to find and fetch Rickon. I doubt he went through all the effort of finding Rickon just so he could demand the Reach to bend the knee. I suspect he heard Rickon was alive and felt like only a Stark would be recognized as ruler. And because he put him in power, everyone around Rickon will feel the need to remain loyal. It's a clever tactic to secure himself of the North. However. It is precisely for that reason that I feel we don't have to switch sides. He can't kill Rickon. If he kills a Stark, a very very young child at that, the North will never accept him as a ruler. So regardless of what we do, he has to treat Rickon well. We can use that for now.'

Willas nodded. She saw his shoulders relaxing.

'I don't see Stannis winning from Dorne, Aegon and the Crownlands once he's conquered them. Even if we and the Riverlands stayed out from now on. I'd have hated to switch sides right now', he said.

Sansa sniggered, looking down at her plate. She wasn't really hungry, but perhaps some bits of apple and pear baked with cinnamon wouldn't hurt. She'd grown tired of her bread.

'Yes, I panicked about it as well. But I do feel like I want to reward him. Without him I wouldn't have learned my brother was alive, and I definitely wouldn't have been able to return Rickon to Winterfell as quickly as he did, or reinstate him in power. That's something only a king can do.'

'Or your uncle, he skipped the royal seal of approval', Willas teased.

Sansa tried out a bit of apple. It wasn't horrible. She pricked a bit more onto her fork.

'Well, he was looking for a king to recognize the title he reclaimed', Sansa smiled.

'And he'll get it. Good, so to sum everything up. Your brother is alive, he's well, and currently we don't have to do anything to repay that favour.'

'No, but we do have a duty to help the Wall. Rickon and Jon are in danger. I really trust Jon on that. He wouldn't lie.'

'We can work on that', Willas assured her. 'We have enough means. We can present it to Aegon and Arianne relatively soon. According to the plans, Aegon will be seated on the Iron Throne before the new year.'

Sansa nodded. If they were truly good responsible rulers, they would look into the issue once they had their throne.

'Could we send some more prisoners and clothing over though? We have enough of those.'

Her husband agreed. Sansa put some more apple and pear on her plate. It tasted a lot better than the other things, and it was easy on her stomach, or at least it appeared so.

'So…' she started, licking her lips and looking up. Willas quirked an eyebrow in question.

'I've been waiting for you to start telling me about your nose out of your own volitation.'

'Oh, so you noticed?' he asked with mock surprise.

She rolled her eyes.

'I don't want to disturb you, but it's really bumpy.'

'Really? A maester claimed to have put it straight.'

'He what?' Sansa asked. 'Willas, what did you do? You have to be careful. I thought you would just be doing some political talking.'

'Hey, easy. Grandmother said no stress remember?' Willas smiled, taking hold of her hand. 'I did go there to talk politics and that's what I did the entire time I was there, aside for some ten minutes.'

'And in those ten minutes?' she asked.

'Well, diplomacy's a hard playing field.'

'You can't call fighting diplomacy.'

'There's many kinds of diplomacy that are anything but diplomatic.'

'Well, I don't like those types', Sansa said. She had thought Willas was more mature than that. He always had such meticulous plans. She closed her eyes and breathed in. He himself and his mother had said he'd matured into prudence. Well, now she got proof he wasn't born with it. 'Please, there's only one babe and their birth and survival is still far from certain.'

'I know, I know', he sighed. He raked a hand through his hair, his blueish eyes finding hers. 'Listen, someone insulted me and my family. A sellsword. I was hardly harming anyone important.'

He looked at her in a way that told her he thought that would appease and comfort her. It did the opposite.

'You fought a sellsword?' Sansa asked, quirking an eyebrow. 'I would have rather heard you hit a lord. Those men know how to kill, lords don't always.'

'I'm here. Clearly, I'm one of those lords who knows how to at least hold themselves.'

Sansa pinched her nose and breathed in. And out.

'Are you six? Five-and-ten? I expected such things from my brothers, not you.'

Willas' eyebrows rose high in shock. Sansa bit her lip, heat rising to her cheeks. She wasn't usually so bold. She'd never even lashed out at Joffrey who'd said much worse things. She didn't understand why she suddenly felt so frustrated and… protective? She'd never doubted Willas' ability to keep himself safe before. Why was she so worried now? Alright, he'd also never put himself in danger before, but it was an environment with a lot of onlookers who definitely would have stepped in if a sellsword had dared to seriously hurt the heir to the Reach.

'I'm sorry', she rushed to say.

'Look, I'm not defending it. I made up with Aegon for beating his sellsword, Aegon critiqued the man for starting the taunting that resulted in the fight, it's over and done with. And now I'm here with good conditions for our loyalty so… It's not that bad', Willas said.

'No, only the nose', Sansa teased.

'Too bad to look at?'

'If I had to choose, I'd always pick looking at a husband with an ugly nose above looking at one without a nose.'

Willas frowned, and then his mouth fell open when he understood.

'I heard, was it really disturbing?'

'It's a bit sad. I'm sure he wasn't happy with the state of his nose either, it's not like he chose it. He just got caught up in a battle. He entered it because he had to not because he wanted to.'

'Okay, point taken', Willas laughed. 'Don't bring your nose in danger voluntarily, life will risk it for you.'

'Happy we reached an understanding, my lord', Sansa smiled.

'I'm glad we do. I'm attached to my lady's opinion on my looks.'

'Really?'

Willas coughed, looking at his plate. 'Well, I always did hope my bride would at least not hate looking at me.'

Sansa's shoulders relaxed again. Willas was here, safe, with her, and he had promised to stay safe this time. Looking outside, a thought floated down to her conscience like one of the snowflakes twirling outside of the window.

'I hope Leonette will be able to look at Lord Fell.'

'So do I. But at least they talked yesterday.'

'Still. It's horrible either way. If she doesn't like him, she'll be married against her will. If she does like him…'

'What's horrible about that?' Willas asked.

'Well, some time ago Alerie said I could call her mother if I wanted to. But that seemed… Disrespectful to my mom. Even when she can't be there, I want my mother to be unreplaceable. Leonette already said the thought of thinking about being with someone like she was with Garlan made her ill. So she'll probably feel as miserable liking him as she'll feel miserable when she doesn't like him.'

'And I'm making them marry today', Willas sighed.

'She doesn't blame you.'

'I know. Still. I don't particularly enjoy giving my brother's wife to another man either. I'd rather have her around.'

'I like having her as well. She's so…'

'Leonette is very easy to get used to', Willas agreed, and Sansa smiled when he understood her without words.

As they finished their meal, her eyes went to the outside.

'You didn't get back before first snow.'

'Unfortunately', he admitted. 'It was there sooner than expected.'

'Sooner than expected? By your calculations we would've had snow by the end of the eight month', Sansa teased. 'They were a bit off.'

'A bit. But I'm glad it didn't accelerate at the level I anticipated.'

'But it's bad enough as it is. I heard some roofs caved in underneath the weight of the snow at Cider Hall.'

'Already?' Willas asked. 'When?'

'I only know Leonette's mother left about four days ago.'

'Why would the roofs cave in? I never heard of that before.'

'Probably because they're too flat, the snow collects.'

'They are pretty flat', Willas admitted. 'I passed it by Lady Alerie, she agrees we should look into the roofs of the important buildings around Highgarden.'

'When do you have that planned?'

'I hadn't, actually', Sansa admitted, leaning her head on her hands. 'I was just… I kept today clear because I didn't know what we would need to do, once you were back.'

'You filled every day before I came back?' Willas asked.

'My days were filled to the brim before you left as well. But I do think I might've overdone myself the past month. I keep being tired.'

'Then rest some more', Willas suggested, his hand coming to rest on her knee under the table. 'Your rest is worth as much as your work.'

'Mhm, maybe I should just take a bath this morning', Sansa said, a yawn stretching her mouth before she could help it. She covered her mouth with her hand. 'And the wedding was going to be tonight?'

Willas nodded. 'At eleven perhaps, by that time many will have gone to bed and it'll be dark.'

'Then I should perhaps spend the rest of the day with Leonette.'

Willas nodded.

'Winter can wait, for now. We've done what we could. One day won't make the difference.'

Sansa nodded suppressing another yawn.

'Perhaps I should join you.'

'Really?' she asked, perking up.

'Travelling really crawls into my skin', Willas admitted with a smile. 'Some hot water might help.'

'I haven't come here since Leonette gave birth', Sansa admitted as they walked into the bathroom. The maids had made the water run, the giant pool of blue stone was filled with steaming water. 'I just used the washing basin and the small tub in the dressing room.'

'It's been even longer for me. I really have episodes I come to this place almost every day, or not for moonturns on end', Willas confessed as he sat down on a chair beside the bath. Sansa sat down on the floor in front of him.

'Every day? That's a lot of water', she said as she helped him out of his shoes.

'I suppose it was.'

She stood, letting her chamber robe slide down her arms.

'It helped soothe the ache, on the bad days', he said. 'Sometimes hot baths to ease the muscle. When it was too swollen a cold bath. It became such a habit at one point that I started taking entire books down here and stuck around for over an hour. Nobody ever disturbed me here.'

'A hiding place.'

'If you will', Willas said. He walked over to the cupboard, holding onto his cane with his left hand as he picked out two bottles.

'Everyone always interrupted me everywhere else.'

'My apologies', Sansa said. 'I remember interrupting you elsewhere.'

'Yes, but that was not for work purposes. That was a distraction I rarely enjoyed', Willas smiled as he walked back. He poured some green liquid in the water.

'Rosemary, against muscle spasms and muscle aches. And lavender, to relax the mind', he explained as he poured something from the next bottle. As he turned around again, Sansa slipped out of her nightgown and dipped a toe in the water. It was quite hot, but she bit away the hurt, and focussed on the scents that floated towards her as she pushed her foot in deeper. It did smell lovely.

The gardens had always been fragrant but now winter had come, Highgarden had lost many of its olfactory delights. She forced her other foot to come in, another step down. And another one. The image of Chrysan floating in the water appeared in her mind, but she pushed it away. The bath had been cleaned since.

Once she hit the halfway mark, she released a relieved sigh. She'd forgotten how lovely it felt to feel hot all over. She quickly looked up at Willas.

'Impatient to get in, aren't we?' Willas teased when he turned around from the cupboard at her sigh. It was a good thing her skin was already flushed, or she would have blushed all over.

As she sat down on the bench under water, she watched as Willas walked back towards the chair. He threw a look at her, and she smiled in return.

'So you sneak in, but you're all eyes when I –'

'You mind?' she asked with a pout. 'I can turn around.'

'And now you're manipulating me', he jested as he untied his chamber robe.

Sansa watched the dark green fabric slide down his arms, revealing ever more inches of his chest, arms and legs.

He was very much awake, Sansa noticed as her eyes slid down.

He stepped into the bath carefully, making sure his steps were steady and his weight distribution was fine before he put down the next foot, until he'd reached the bottom.

She watched his eyes slip shut as the water splashed around him. His chest rose as he breathed in. A smile crept on her face. She really was happy with him.

Willas sat down beside her. Now that their weight was partially lifted by the water, she could put her legs over his without worry for his bad knee.

She shuffled a bit closer, until she could burry her chest against his side and rest her head on his shoulder.

'I missed you.'

It slipped out before she'd even thought about it. She'd missed cuddling him. Missed his heat in the bed. Missed him in so many more ways than just his words and face.

Willas put both his arms around her, and she could feel his lips atop her head.

'I missed you too.'

'So I can feel', she said, deciding that as nice as their tender moment was, she also wanted to keep things light and airy.

'Really? How? I have no clue what you mean', he said, pulling his arms tauter around her which made her float up from the bench and onto his lap.

'Willas', she laughed.

'What? I'm just trying to look at you while I'm talking to you.'

Sansa shook her head, looking him in the eyes.

'Much better.'

His hands slid up from her waist.

'You look tired', he observed.

'Maybe I am a little.'

'Then you'll sleep in tomorrow.'

'But-'

'Grandmother won't like it if I don't treat you softly right now.'

'She'll probably also say she made three big trade deals with other parts of the realm and won a swordfight blindfolded while seated upon a horse when she was pregnant just to show she was superior.'

'That would also be my grandmother', Willas admitted. 'But we know we must ignore her when she imposes impossible expectations upon us. Just take it easy. You've already given us so much, now you can help us by being relaxed and getting through this pregnancy alright.'

Sansa nodded, laying her head down on Willas' shoulder.

'I just… Well, I am just interested in everything. I don't want to stop helping with the rule of Highgarden. I feel so useful doing it. I'd feel awful and bored if I just lounged around in my rooms. And bad too. Leonette, Amaryllis and so many others have it way worse than me and they keep working every day. I don't want to be weaker than them. I can handle it, I'm not weak', she admitted, ashamed to voice the feelings she'd been struggling with.

'That's not what I was implying at all', Willas protested. 'I just meant that you should not exhaust yourself because of our duties, because that would be bad for the babe. I just notice how tired you've been, and how much you've been doing ever since you got here.'

She closed her eyes as Willas rubbed the bare skin of her back.

'I just don't understand why I've been so tired. I'm doing nothing different yet I never seem to get enough energy', she sighed.

She just hadn't been able to rest while there had been so much to do. And she'd also feared that everything she didn't take care of would become someone else's burden. And then there was the part of her that was proud of her work, that delighted in working beside people and having them come and thank her for how useful she was. It validated her presence and it validated her abilities that had been constantly critiqued by the Lannisters.

'We've been shaken out of our routine a bit with everything that had to be arranged. But I'm back now, and everything is arranged and planned. Now we can take it a bit easier as everything unfolds. We don't have to race around all day. We'll cut back our hours in the office a bit, spend some more time with the family, take a bit more time to sleep. How does that sound? Are those terms reasonable? Hm?'

She lifted her head and pressed a kiss against his lips.

'I like those terms.'

'And maybe it wouldn't hurt to have Maester Lomys check up on you. I just realized we've never actually told him you're with child.'

'But there was nothing really urgent to report', Sansa explained.

'I know, but just as a precaution, alright? And then he might be able to say whether such exhaustion is within the normal limits when one is growing a babe or not. I'm meant to meet up with him anyways. He did some research for me while I was gone.

Sansa nodded.

'Fine', she agreed. 'What was it about?'

'Merchant relationships and dependency on other parts of Westeros and Braavos.'

'For?'

'So that I can guess how much of our economy and our supply streams would be hurt by the continent being covered in inches of snow.'

'Ah.'

She stretched out across the stone bench, her head held above water by Willas as he told her about his week and all arrangements until she could finally form a good imagine of the council. They got out sometime later, and had the good old maester check up on Sansa.

There was no prodding, to Sansa's delight, just some questions.

'Well, my lady. Some exhaustion is to be expected. In less than ten moons you grow a child of about seven to eight pounds, if the past births in this family are anything to go by. That's quite a lot your body has to grow. By studying unborn children, we discovered quite some time ago that most of the development takes place during the first couple of months, while your belly is still flat. Afterwards, all your babe does is increase is size, but the limbs and fingers are all already there. Your body is doing a lot of work.'

Sansa nodded, sitting on a bench beside Willas, who had an arm thrown around her. The maester seemed to hesitate as he looked at her. Sansa leaned in closer to Willas, she felt like she was only a foot tall again, being examined by maester Luwin for a cough. A thought sprung to her mind, but she repressed it so the maester could speak.

'But, if I may say, you are very healthy but rather willowy, my lady. You do not have a lot of reserves. And you are also quite young. How old are you?'

'Seven-and-ten at the end of the year', Sansa quietly replied.

The maester gently nodded. He looked as if her reply suited whatever he was thinking.

'Becoming pregnant late in life is not ideal, but little is said about how being a young mother also isn't ideal. It is alright to become a mother at your age, many have come before you, but you are still on the very young side', the maester explained.

'But a maiden can marry from the moment she gets her moon's blood. Then she is a woman grown', Sansa said. She felt a bit prickled. She was old enough for ruling beside Willas. Old enough to be twice wed. Old enough to bleed. But now her age was affecting her?

'Yes and no', the maester replied. 'You are seen as an adult, and you are treated as such. It is only right that someone who lives like an adult is treated as such. But think of the girls of two-and-ten you know. Imagine them, scrawny and small. Some still have inches to grow, and the flesh is still so thin on their bones. Imagine them having the belly you saw on your good-sister.'

Sansa shivered. She imagined Leonette's belly during the final month on her own body from when she was two-and-ten, just before she started bleeding, after she'd been starving herself for months to keep them off. The belly would look monstrously big on her.

'Not only are young ladies at the time of their blood still shorter and slimmer, it is a fact that their hips still need to grow wider. You have attended a birth, I need not explain why you would want larger hips.'

Sansa shook her head. Big belly, small hips. The content of the belly had to pass downwards via the hip region.

'This is also the reason why many grown women who are tinier struggle with childbirth. You will be fine my lady. Women younger than you and women who are smaller – although you are very slim – have given birth before. But it may be more taxing on you than on most. You may be more tired. You may need more food and sleep.'

Sansa nodded.

'I understand, thank you.'

'Do not fret, my lady. You will most likely be fine. I merely wished to explain to you why you might feel tired.'

'No, no. I wanted to know. I got the answer. It's… interesting. I didn't know there was an explanation. And such research.'

'There's many more things we wish to find out, alas. Child birth is not the most popular topic in the citadel. We mostly leave it to midwives. But they don't have access to our studies or cadavers.'

'Thank you, Maester Lomys', Willas said.

'If that is all, my lord?'

'Oh, I have one more question', Sansa said, perking up when she remembered the question she'd thought of a bit earlier.

'Yes, my lady?'

'Did you know Maester Luwin?'

The maester's thinning grey brows lifted high onto his forehead.

'It's just that… You seem about the same age.'

'I do, in fact. But he is over five years older. He took a long time studying, even bothered to forge a Valyrian Steel link before he went to work for the Stark family.'

Sansa smiled.

'We were good friends, actually. We picked our maester names together. Lomys and Luwin sounded funny when said together. We were boys, even in our twenties', the maester said, a gentle genuine smile appearing on his face.

Sansa could not imagine Luwin as a boy, not even as a man of twenty. He had always been old, but hearing stories of him was nice. It made her feel closer to him and Winterfell, somehow.

'You lived very far away from each other.'

'Ah, such is the life of maesters. We know we have to profit of our time in the citadel because chances of seeing each other afterwards are slim. We wrote to each other from time to time. I was sad to hear of his death. Well, it was never announced, but I haven't heard of him in a year so I believe I can safely assume he died.'

Sansa nodded.

'My condolences.'

'And my condolences to you, my lady. You grew up with him.'

'I did. I always thought he was very kind and wise… if a bit chaotic.'

'Oh yes, brilliant man, but he had no order in his affairs', maester Lomys chuckled.

He moved to the door.

'Oh, and my lady, my congratulations on your babe.'

Sansa's smile grew.

'Thank you.'

They went to Leonette afterwards. She was trying to pick out a dress which would function as a wedding dress. She immediately asked them how they were, and as Sansa answered, wanting to be honest to win some pregnancy advice, Leonette listened to Sansa's problems and her conversation with maester Lomys.

'I've thought about it a lot too since giving birth, you know? The whole experience… Pregnancy. I had a pretty good one, but many women die. And even with my good one something happened to Chrys. It makes me want to – this is important for us. Everyone knows of someone who died in childbirth or had a sickly child or who felt miserable whilst pregnant. I wish that would end. Don't women deserve that? Wouldn't that benefit everyone?' Leonette asked as a maid brought two other dresses into her living quarters.

Alerie, who had been pregnant since before Sansa and Willas appeared, nodded.

'It is to everyone's advantage if woman and child are well.'

'Willas, can't we do something with that?' Leonette asked while she waved the two new dresses away. They were pastel summer dresses, not fit for winter evenings.

'I'm sorry Leo, me and Sansa are buried in work as is.'

'I'm not. Could I?'

'Could you what?'

'Like invite midwives and have them talk with maesters. Have the maesters think together with the midwives on good practices. Have them write to the citadel. Have the citadel investigate some questions.'

Willas shrugged.

'If you care to arrange that, I don't see why not.'

'Really?'

'Leo, my wife's pregnant. I'm not going to complain if you wish to have the citadel look into childbearing. It can only benefit us.'

The maid came back in with a black and a dark grey dress.

Leonette looked at them as the maid held them up. Seconds passed and the maid was just about to go back when Leonette held up her hand.

'Wait, what do you think about the grey one?' she asked.

'It's dark', Alerie said.

'Well, my husband died about three months ago, I'm still supposed to be in mourning.'

'I think grey is close to white', Sansa said. 'Perhaps with some white trimmings. That's respectful of the occasion and your situation, isn't it?' Sansa asked.

'I think so too', Leonette said. 'I think I have some white fur trimmings. Willas, what do you think?'

'Like anyone would dare say anything about your outfit tonight. Peasants marry in their everyday clothes. I doubt the gods are going to scowl because you don't wear white.'

'And it's not like wearing white saved my last marriage', Leonette sighed.

'I think I like it', she muttered. 'Garlan liked it.'

'It would be like taking a piece of him with you', Sansa said.

'I'm always taking a piece of him with me', Leonette smiled sadly.

The old hall with the uneven tiles was eery after dark. The round arches cast dark shadows on the floor that was illuminated by only a couple of candles. Nobody expected anyone to wander around the sept and crypts at this hour of night. There were no nearby rooms in use so there was no traffic at all when Sansa slipped past the pillars and corridors until she arrived at the doors of the sept.

One by one, the family had "retired" so as to make it look inconspicuous. Not that there were many people still watching them. The number of people in the hall was down to twenty by the time she left.

She cracked open the door just enough for her to get through.

The sept was dark in the back. She could only just make out the contours of the statues on the sides. The candles at their feet were down to their last inch. Only the chandeliers at the front were lit. Right in front of the altar sat a single line of witnesses.

Megga, Elinor, Leona, Alerie, Olenna, Willas and the future groom.

Ser Raymas would arrive last, because he usually left the hall last of all the people present.

As Sansa moved forward, she noticed Leonette at the statue of the Mother, shielded from her husband's gaze by a big stone pillar. Sansa sank down beside her.

What could she say at a moment like this?

'Would she listen to me if I asked her forgiveness for marrying again so soon?' Leonette asked.

'I think she knows. The mother is merciful', Sansa replied.

Leonette nodded, looking up at the face of the giant statue. Sansa noticed she'd painted her lips and cheeks a darker shade.

'Is it weird if I ask her to have some mercy on me now?' she asked without averting her eyes.

'What do you mean?'

Leonette's throat bobbed with emotion.

'To not have this wedding end in a funeral and tears. I didn't choose this marriage, but that doesn't mean I want a second dead husband. I talked with him yesterday night and he was really honest in what he expected of me, and fair in what he asked… I don't know. I guess I just want the Mother's blessing. We don't deserve bad luck after our past marriages.'

'That's not weird at all. Shall I pray with you?' Sansa offered.

'I'd like that.'

Sansa closed her eyes, inhaling the gentle familiar smell of incense. She hadn't prayed to the seven in a while but she still knew the prayers by heart. She'd always loved the prayers. They weren't just beautiful. They expressed a desire and a promise Sansa had always wished to be real. And tonight, for Leonette, she wished for the prayers to be true with all her heart.

She wanted the Mother to have mercy. She wanted the Mother to save all the men from war. She wanted everyone involved in the war to have a better day. She wanted the Mother to give strength to Leonette. She wanted the Mother to help Leonette through the Fray. She wanted everyone to be kinder.

Their prayer came to an end when Ser Raymas lay a hand on his sister's shoulder, the cloak of House Tyrell in his free hand.

A tear rolled down Leonette's cheek when the cloak of House Tyrell was wrapped around her shoulders for a final time.

Sansa wrapped her arms around her.

'You'll always be our sister', she promised, giving her a kiss on the cheek before joining Willas.

Axel Fell, wearing a green doublet over his otherwise black clothes, stood in front of the septon, face aimed at the dull crystal hanging above him, as Ser Raymas and Leonette made their way to the front.

They only sang while Leonette made her way to the front, barely louder than a whisper so as not to draw attention. It made it feel both intimate and forbidden.

The septon looked just as unsure, looking at the bride with a pitying look. Sansa had asked Willas how they could be certain of his cooperation and silence. Willas said his post was always checked, he'd blessed bastards of Garth in private before, and they had him spied on.

'In front of us today are Lady Leonette Fossoway-Tyrell of Brightwater Keep and Lord Axel Fell of Felwood. The two before us have expressed a desire to become one. We ask the Gods to attend their union and bless them in all the time that is to come. The bride wishes to leave her family behind, and devote herself to the man's so they can become one of name, one of soul, one of flesh. They shall now profess their desire to be united as husband and wife which they shall seal with a kiss. Family, you may remove the bride's cloak. Husband, you may offer her the protection of yours.'

Ser Raymas paused beside his sister, briefly rubbing her arm before he removed her cloak. Technically, as she was remarrying, it was supposed to be done by Willas, as he was the most important male of her house. But they hadn't wanted that. Willas didn't want to give Leonette away, that would feel too much like kicking her out of House Tyrell. But they also hadn't wanted Leonette to use her maiden cloak as if her wedding to Garlan never happened. So they combined the cloak of house Tyrell, and her real brother. That way, she was given away by both her families.

Lord Fell loosened the ties holding his thick long travel cloak together and wrapped it around Leonette's shoulders in one smooth movement. The bride remained unmoved throughout it all as he tied the knot around her neck.

'Lady Leonette, do you pledge to love this man?' the septon asked when she didn't immediately continue the ceremony.

'With this kiss, I pledge my love and take you for my lord and husband', Leonette promised quietly.

'With this kiss, I pledge my love and take you for my lady and wife', Lord Fell vowed in turn.

Sansa bit her lip as they looked at each other like they didn't quite know what to do. But an understanding must have passed between them, for Leonette nodded and Lord Fell moved forward, placing a hand on her neck when he leant in for a short kiss. When he leant back, Leonette nodded again, as if to confirm it was fine.

The septon scraped his throat.

'The two lovers have pledged their love before you, oh gods. Now, as you are their witness, they are one flesh, one heart, one soul. Now and forever.'

As Leonette and Lord Fell united their hands, they all repeated one prayer out loud before the service was ended. Leonette handed back the cloak, as walking around in it would be suspicious.

The congregation broke apart, too emotional to string together a message that was appropriate for the occasion.

Lord and Lady Fell left first, together with Ser Raymas, as if they had done nothing the past hour but walk the grounds together. Then went Alerie, Willas and Sansa, and finally the remaining girls.

Sansa really hoped that if any god had been in attendance, it had been the Mother, and that she had heard their prayers.