Game of Thrones

Long Road Home

Chapter VIII

"We may have to choose one."

"Welcome to The Dreadfort." Roose Bolton's cold grey eyes bore a hole through her. Here he was, the man that had betrayed her family. She stood in the cold, damp courtyard of the Dreadfort. Flickering torches held in place by sconces made in the likeness of skeletal arms provided the only illumination. A very fine drizzle began to fall again, disturbing the stagnant yellow puddles that pooled in the courtyard.

Lady barked and tilted her head, Sansa found herself tilting her own head, looking Roose Bolton up and down "It is I who should be welcoming you, Lord Bolton." She spoke coldly "The Dreadfort is mine now. Your words have disappeared, your name has disappeared, your house has disappeared."

Roose nodded and looked upon the crown resting on her head "So I see Your Grace." His voice was as cold as she remembered "The real Dreadfort is indeed yours, but this place is mine. It will always be mine. Iit seems that this is where I am supposed to dwell. This is my place now, for all time. But you do not belong here… the sands have not passed on your time yet.

"We may have to choose one."

Roose Bolton looked around, as the disembodied voice echoed through his halls "You can hear that?" Sansa asked

"I hear everything in this place." He spoke coldly, as the distant sound of dogs barking roused Lady to bark and howl back. "Why are you here, Your Grace?"

"You think I would talk to you?" Sansa scoffed

"Why not?" Roose shrugged "In all probability, I am not real, a mere figment of a dying mind. Of course this could be the afterlife, in which case I am trying to help you."

"And why would you do that?" She half smiled

"Because this is not your time." He spoke gravely "This is not your place…. You need to go home, child."

"I don't know the way." She spoke distantly "I've come so far, been to so many places… I'm forgetting everything."

"You are nearly home now, Your Grace. Not many more people to see. Just follow the Wolfswood home."

"We may have to choose one." The voice echoed again

"You had best hurry, Your Grace." Roose's voice was still and calm, he turned his back on her and walked across the courtyard to a door obscured in shadow. "It sounds as if someone is going to choose for you."

Roose stopped at the door, a large woman with straight black hair emerged and stood by Roose Bolton's side, clutching a small bundle. "Lady Walda." Sansa smiled sadly.

"Hello" She replied happily "He's beautiful isn't he?" She motioned to the baby in her arms.

"He is." She swallowed hard, as the barking of dogs became louder.

"I wouldn't concern yourself too much, Your Grace." Roose told her "It doesn't last long."

"You know what happens next?" Sansa asked

"Of course." He nodded, "This is my place." Roose's voice was almost drowned out by the sound of dogs barking now "Yet as you can see, I am not destined to be here alone." Roose nodded across the courtyard to a door that had not been there before. "Though you honor us with your visit, it is not us you are here to see. It appears my penance is to watch over him… perhaps if I had done it in life, we would not all be here."

Sansa stared at the door, the barking of dogs becoming unbearable now.

"We may have to choose one."

"It was nothing personal, the betrayal of your House." Roose spoke matter of factly "I had a great deal of admiration for the young Wol…" Before Roose could finish his sentence a wound exploded in his chest as blood trickled from his mouth. He sank to his knees and finally collapsed to the floor. Sansa looked at Lady Walda and the babe, and immediately turned her back, the sound was bad enough, she did not need to see mother and babe both torn to pieces. With Walda's screams in her ears and Lady padding along at her side, she crossed the courtyard with a purpose. The door that had not been there before awaited her, without hesitation she forced it open, and entered the dark, dank kennels, lit only by a single lantern.

As soon as the door closed behind her, the barking stopped, Lady sat on her hindquarters. All the Kennels were empty, her only company in this dark dank place, a man, beaten and bloodied, tied to a chair. The lantern light danced across his face, illuminating a wide smile "My beloved wife." He greeted her "You have no idea how I have missed you."

"So, I get to see you torn apart by hounds again." She spoke coldly "This isn't such a bad day after all."

Ramsay laughed aloud "A beautiful sight, I am sure." He grinned from ear to ear "Who would have thought we have the same taste in beauty, I told you Sansa, I'm a part of you now. With you forever."

"We may have to choose one." The disembodied voice echoed again

"I hope they choose you." Ramsay smiled

"I don't know what they are talking about" Sansa looked to the ceiling

"I do." Ramsay nodded "They are talking about you…. And your child."

"I don't have a child." She spat back

"Oh but you do, my beloved wife." He grinned "Wolkan may be a frightful bore, and a coward, but the Maester knows his trade. I bet he's out there now…. In the real world, doing everything he can to save you both. But alas, a Maester is not a God, he may have to choose."

"A child…." Sansa trailed off

"Indeed." Ramsay nodded "Now the question that I want to ask is who put it in you? You can understand a husband's curiosity. Tell me Sansa, did you take other men after leaving my bed, after the things I did to you?" His grin widened "No… no of course you didn't. This was the first time wasn't it? The first man you let touch you after I broke you in. I'm flattered in a way. That I meant so much to you."

"I have never hated anyone more than I hate you at this moment." Sansa's voice was like granite, however a slight sheen where the tears collected in her eye gave her away.

"I know dear wife, I know." He grinned widely "That is what makes this so fun. Just think, when you finally die, we will be able to relive our best moments together, over and over again for all eternity." Ramsay let out a satisfied sigh as he saw the hatred wash over her body "Unfortunately for me though, that day will have to wait. My father spoke the truth, this is not your time. You need to run home dear wife, run back to your life. I will be waiting for you. I will always be here. You see, my words, my name and my house, did not die, they are alive and well, in you."

Sansa stepped forward and slapped him once around the face "You might want to step back." Ramsay warned her "The next bit gets rather messy."

Sansa clenched her jaw as flesh began to tear itself from Ramsay's body, muscle was ripped from bone as he was torn limb from limb before her eyes. She needed to get away, she found herself running, Lady hot on her hills. She ran out of the kennels, out of The Dreadforts gates, into the Wolfswood. She felt as if they had been running for days. Finally she emerged from the treeline, across gentle sloping fields, the walls and towers of Winterfell rose in the distance. She let out a noise that was half cry, half celebration. She stepped beyond the trees out into the snow.

"Nearly home." A stern voice greeted her.

She looked around, sat in the snow, leaning with his back against a tree, a wounded soldier looks across the fields, to Winterfell rising in the distance. "Do I know you Ser?" She asked as she and Lady approached. The man had an unkept beard and thinning grey hair, a piercing pair of blue eyes looked across the field. He wore expensive armour, a stag in a flaming heart adorned his chest plate, he held a gaping wound on his leg.

"Ser…" He half scoffed "... I was once, then a Lord…. Then a King."

"You're Stannis Baratheon."