A short one, mostly to set up other stuff.

5. Proposal - Sansa

"My lady?" Brienne's voice disturbed her concentration. She had been knitting another cloak for Jon. A white one, to match Ghost.

Sansa dropped her hands to her lap. She had called for Brienne a while ago, but the woman usually spent her afternoons practicing in the yard. Sometimes she was joined by her squire, Podrick Payne. He wasn't very good with a blade, though. The few times she had watched them fight, she felt sorry for him.

"Please send for Ser Davos Seaworth and Lord Petyr Baelish. I will meet them in the drawing room." Brienne nodded and left the room. She knew she couldn't trust Littlefinger, but the man had spies everywhere. He'd find out about her plans eventually anyway, so she might as well include him. And Jon trusted Ser Davos more than anyone else. Together they might find a middle ground.

She looked down at the mass of white furs and leather, then stored it safely in a chest and went to the drawing room.

Lord Baelish was already there, waiting for her. "My lady." He smiled and bowed low. "I've been meaning to speak with you privately for some time. I'm glad you've finally-"

The door opened, and Ser Davos came walking inside. "My lady." He said, bowing to her. Then he glanced at Lord Baelish. "My lord." He looked from one to the other with a furrowed brow. "What's this about?"

Sansa cleared her throat. "This is about Jon." Ser Davos narrowed his eyes. Such loyalty... She grinned. "Or rather, about Jon's wife."

Ser Davos looked confused. "His Grace isn't married."

Lord Baelish understood, however. "You wish to find him a good match." She nodded, and he continued, "Wise. An unmarried king can cause uncertainty. And the best marriages can forge strong alliances." She could almost see his brain working out the possibilities.

"I won't force him to do anything. No one can do that." Sansa had more experience than most with forced betrothals. She won't allow that to happen to Jon. "But the Northern lords aren't exactly pleased with his decisions. Perhaps a wedding could bring us all closer together." She finished, looking at Ser Davos to see his reaction.

The old knight looked uncomfortable. "Shouldn't he be a part of this discussion? He won't like being the last to find out about his own wedding."

"He knows enough." She replied. Even if he didn't like it. "I've discussed it with him a few days ago, but I called you both here to help me find suitable candidates."

Lord Baelish smiled. "A northern lady would surely secure their loyalty. However, the North needs allies. Southern allies." Sansa never liked it when this man smiled. He's up to something.

Ser Davos was lost in thought. "I'm afraid the past wars haven't been very kind to the South. Not many options left." He was right. The Baratheons, Martells and Tyrells had been wiped from the board. Well, the Martells were represented by Ellaria Sand.

"Perhaps a Sand Snake?" Sansa offered, not really meaning it.

Lord Baelish shook his head. "Ellaria Sand and Oberyn Martell's daughters aren't in complete control of Dorne. Their coup wasn't very well planned, so when they killed Prince Doran and his son Trystane, many lesser Houses chose not to follow her."

Ser Davos seemed interested. "Ellaria swore for Daenerys Targaryen, didn't she?" Sansa nodded. "And what about the dragon queen? Is she married?" The old knight inquired.

Lord Baelish considered. "My sources claim she had both a husband and a paramour during her stay in Meereen, but the husband died and she left her paramour there when she sailed to Westeros."

Sansa didn't like that at all. Was a husband not enough for her? And how did the husband die? Had she grown bored of her paramour, and that's why she left him? That's all without considering the possibility that she might be mad. Targaryens were known for that.

Ser Davos didn't seem as conflicted. "So she might be available for a betrothal."

Lord Baelish nodded. "She'd be the best match, I believe. If my sources are correct, she commands the biggest army. It'd be wiser to join her than to oppose her."

Sansa was still hesitant about this. "Is there truly no alternative?" She didn't like the idea of her brother marrying this dangerous woman.

Lord Baelish smiled. "I suppose he could simply marry a northern lady." He was looking at her with interest. "But he must marry, my lady. It's imperative for a king to have heirs."

"I know Alys Karstark has been trying to catch his eye." She remembered the girl couldn't take her eyes off of him whenever they shared a room. "Perhaps marrying a former enemy would send a strong message. I'll speak to him first."

Ser Davos made to leave, but Lord Baelish cleared his throat. "Since you've raised the subject, I must also impress upon the need to find a suitable match for you, my lady." He said, without a hint of self awareness.

"Excuse me?" Her voice was cold. How dare he? After the last marriage he had arranged, Littlefinger should be the last man to offer her advice on this.

He must have sensed her fury, for he tried to avoid her eyes. "I only meant that you could help your brother by forging new alliances yourself."

Ser Davos noticed her anger too. "I believe Lady Sansa has had enough arranged marriages for a lifetime." He said, looking at Littlefinger with narrowed eyes.

The man bowed his head, but he didn't give up. "We are all slaves to circumstance, good Ser. Lady Sansa could remain unmarried and free. But freedom has its price. Wise rulers would surely sacrifice their personal happiness for a good alliance, if it meant protecting their people." He finished with that smile of his.

Sansa was tired of his voice, even if his words made sense. "I'll consider it." But she couldn't imagine going through yet another marriage. "For now, I think we're done here."

I'm going to start putting a date at the end of each chapter, to keep some sort of record. It should be the date of publication. And if I edit them later, I'll add that date too. In a Day/Month/Year format.

The date is 15/05/2019