As Sansa climbed the steps back to the Red Keep, her mind spun.

Tyrion and Shae... They had been...intimate with each other. She had been in love with him. He had at least cared for her-if not loved her back. Shae had been a...whore...for the man Sansa had just married...Gods, who knew how long they had carried on. And Shae had said Tyrion had sent her away...it couldn't possibly have been for Sansa-Shae had disappeared long before their union was announced. Could it have been for someone else? Could Tyrion have a...a whore that Sansa didn't know about? Is that why he was so patient with Sansa consummating their marriage? Because he already had someone fulfilling his needs? Did he care for this mystery woman? Did he love her?

She couldn't help but stagger at the thought, causing what few wedding guests that had ventured into the gardens to look at her sideways. But Sansa couldn't find it within her to care. Her mind was much too preoccupied to worry about what she looked like at the moment.

But then why did she care so much? If Tyrion truly...was in love... with another, someone who was taking care of his physical needs yet not interfering with their sham of a marriage, why should she care? She had certainly not known of Shae and she had never heard a whisper of another woman being kept at court by her husband.

So why should she care if he kept a mistress as long as he kept it quiet. As long as it brought no shame to her. Why should she care if he was in love with someone. Why...why should she care at all?

Yet as she stumbled through the keep, she realized her face was wet with tears. She did care. She didn't want some hollow, loveless marriage. She didn't want to be constantly watching her husband's interactions wondering which woman who held his attention. She didn't want to have any woman satisfy him more than she did. Didn't want his smile directed at anyone other than her.

She wanted him to love her. Needed her little husband that she had come to rely on and care for to love her like she had always dreamed her husband would. Wanted him to look at her with those mismatched eyes of his filled with longing and kindness. She longed to escape from this hell that was the capital with Tyrion at her side to guide her as she stumbled into adulthood. She had been alone ever since her father had lost his head on the steps of Baelor and she didn't want to lose the only person who made her loneliness fade away. He was her last chance at having a family and she wanted his love more than anything. They were on the edge of freedom and she had been eager to see how their relationship would progress without the ever looming threat of Joffrey hanging over them. She was ready to trust him. But how could she if he had someone else that held his heart? Perhaps Shae could spirit her away from this place...

As she stumbled through the keep aimlessly, hesitant to see Tyrion's face quite yet, she was stopped abruptly by someone calling her name from behind her. Instantly, her foggy mind cleared and she wiped the tears from her face as subtly as possible before turning to greet whoever it was searching for her, slipping her mask back on. She sank into a curtsy when she recognized Jaime Lannister approaching her.

The kingslayer had returned to kings landing about a week ago yet Sansa had not seen him. Still, she was glad to be warned by Tyrion about the gallant knight's loss of his sword hand. She forced her gaze not to linger on the golden replacement and to meet his eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice the redness surrounding hers.

"Sir Jaime" she murmured smoothly, glad that her voice did not shake. "We missed you at the breakfast."

He smirked at her courtesies and then shrugged slightly, the essence of nonchalance. "Didn't care much for the show" he said, waving the idea away with the glinting golden hand. "Your piece of pageantry though, was rather impressive." Now he was eyeing her pointedly and she squirmed under his gaze.

"I do not know of what you speak..." she said vaguely. But he chuckled lightly.

"You and my brother were quite the pair, shining with blinding happiness. Tell me, Lady Sansa, how do you find your marriage?" Sansa couldn't help but bristle slightly under his mocking, sarcastic tone.

"I love my husband with all my heart" she parroted off, hating that it reminded her so much of the declarations of love she always spoke for Joffrey. She was coming to care for and respect Tyrion, very much so, but that was not good enough under this harsh interrogation. Her words did not have their desired effect though as Jaime Lannister's eyes only narrowed with snide amusement. In that moment he had never looked more like his golden twin. Like a cat cornering a mouse.

"Do you now, my lady? You would not...say...jump at the opportunity to go home?" He stepped ever closer to her, his voice dripping with dangerous seduction. Sansa couldn't help freezing as the man brushed a lock of her hair over her shoulder and leant in even closer until his lips were next to her ear. "I promised your mother I would help you. Say the word and I will send you north..."

Sansa felt fear crackle through her, but she couldn't help the anger that came with it. First of all, how come the second escape is in her sight, everyone now wants to whisk her away? First Shae, now the kingslayer?

Before she could school her response to something acceptable, she was already replying hotly. "And just where would you send me, my lord? Winterfell has burnt and my family is dead. Are you suggesting to ship me to the ruins? Or perhaps a family reunion is more in line with what you're thinking. Tell me, Sir, will you send me to the seven hells yourself?" Her own words and tone surprised herself, but with the emotions that had already been swirling in her, she couldn't stop the words from flowing freely.

The seductive grin was promptly wiped from the knights face at her anger, but the amusement was still evident in his eyes and he chuckled as he stepped away from her, his hands raised as if in surrender. "It seems my brother has wrangled himself a she-wolf indeed" he said quietly before gaining his composure. "I only meant...if you wish to escape my brother and my sister and my father and my...nephew and the whole lot of them, I will help you. I've heard of the troubles the king has put you through and the seven knows Tyrion cannot be the husband a pretty little thing like you could hope for.."

Again, Sansa felt herself bristle in anger. "You know nothing of what I hope for," she snarled in a hushed whisper, unable to rear back her tongue now that it was unleashed. "I used to hope to be Joffrey's queen, yet now I do not envy the Lady Margaery! I want a man who will protect me and treat me with honor and respect-something the rest of the Lannister family is clearly incapable of! How Tyrion was born into your family is a mystery to me!" It was like all the transgressions she had been dwelling on just moments ago was washed away in her anger over Jaime's unfair words. She didn't know how the kingslayer had managed to irritate her to the point of breaking so quickly, but now there was no going back. Jaime's face had lost all hints of mirth and now he just stared at her in shock and wonderment.

Suddenly the words and treason she was speaking caught up to her. She took a deep breath and tried furiously to calm herself. "Tyrion will take me from this place and protect me. I have no need of your help, Sir Jaime." She turned on her heel and stormed away from him, now walking directly to her chambers with purpose.

She didn't even catch the words the Lannister knight muttered as she left.

"A gallant knight after all..."