Sansa watched as Theon and Arya rode off to the Wall from one of the towers, and she continued to watch them until they were gone from her sight. Jon walked over and joined her just as they were fading from view.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked for no less than the fifth time since Sansa suggested that the two of them needed some time away.
"I'm sure," Sansa replied. "I watched him flinch three times before noon because of people moving in and out of the castle for the wedding, and Arya looked like she's about five minutes away from flinging herself from the top of the broken tower. Theon trusts me to do the important planning, and he trusts me to get everything done that needs to be done." Sansa caused as she hugged herself a little. "I want him happy on the day we get married, and some quiet time means he'll have better memories of the day we're married." Sansa didn't like to think about the last time her and Theon stood in the godswood for a wedding that involved both of them. It was a memory that she didn't like to linger on, and that night was even worse. The pain was terrible, but that fact that she had to look into Theon's eyes the entire time was even worse.
Sansa had been married twice, and both times were against her will. This time, she was the one making the choice. She was a rare noblewoman who had fallen in love, and her King allowed her to marry the man that she had fallen in love with. They were fortunate that Theon was actually a much better match than the houses of the North seemed to realize. He was a prince, and Yara was a valuable ally to have. Someday, she might go to the Iron Isles and rule with him as King, but that was something she very much planned on talking to Yara about when she arrived. There was a good chance she was going to get here while Theon and Arya were gone, but Sansa didn't mind that. She had a few things that needed to be said to Yara before they said their vows in front of the godswood.
A royal wedding was always so much planning, and Sansa often envied Arya for her simple weddings both times she said her vows to Gendry. There was little planning for their first wedding though the romantic in Sansa loved the idea of it all. They were star-crossed, which made the fact that they were separated hurt even more. Sansa didn't know what she would have done if she'd been there for the ruling. Bella had written a few times and used the code that the two of them had developed over the course of many months of writing.
Gendry was, of course, not taking all of this well either. He was angry, as angry as the waves that crashed among the shores and the thunder that rolled in the skies of the Stormlands. He was as angry as a Baratheon ever was. Bella told her that Gendry was smithing again, which was where she got the idea that he could make the rings. What surprised Sansa was to learn that Gendry was not only charging people for the things he made again, but he was charging far more than any other smith in the region. It was making other nobles angry, which only seemed to amuse Bella. Still, when Sansa asked how much he was going to charge for the wedding rings, Bella told them that the debt would be paid at a later date. As it was, Sansa was not entirely sure that the things would make it across the border at all or if someone was going to throw them out, thinking they had some nefarious purposes.
Ten days after Theon and Arya left, Yara walked through the walls of Winterfell with her guard and a familiar crown on her head. She didn't look overly surprised not to see Theon anywhere nearby and accepted Sansa's brief hug for what it was.
"I have something for you," Yara said later that night after they had all eaten and drank, and Yara looked at Jojana like she had no idea what to do with a baby. "Well, I should say that I have several something's for you. I have some heirlooms that I would like you and my brother to have once the ceremony is over. A few things from our mother that I think Theon would like you to have and one or two things from our father that I think he should have."
"I'm honored that you would give me something of your mother's, Yara," Sansa said.
"I also have these which were given to me by a ship flying Baratheon colors," Yara said and handed her a small pouch. Sansa swallowed as she opened the pouch, and two beautifully made rings fell out. When she asked Gendry to make the rings, she didn't tell him any specific designs because she knew whatever he made would be beautiful, and she was right. The profile of wolves around the two bands looked like the waves of the sea, and they were shining silver that took her breath away. The metal glittered, and she could see tiny flakes of what looked like precious stones throughout the metal, but they were smooth to the touch. There was a small scroll inside with a letter from Edric.
Sansa and Theon, many blessings to your wedding. My family and I send our love and hope that we may be reunited soon. My brother sends his love to Arya and let her know that he misses her every single day. Your family in the south by marriage, Edric.
As Sansa stared at the scroll, Val came over and joined her to look at the rings.
"Gendry's work?" Val asked.
"I wouldn't have anyone else make my rings," Sansa whispered.
"Your sister knows we're going to figure out a way to get him back. I can think of fifty different ways to smuggle that boy out of Storm's End, but I know what will happen if I do," Yara said with a sigh. "Well, know that my ships are ready, and I have people watching all of the ships that come in and out of the Stormlands just in case. As soon as you say the vows in front of that tree of yours, we're going to be family, and I won't leave family behind. Not again and not anymore."
"I wanted to ask you something," Sansa said as she put the rings and the scroll back into the pouch for safekeeping. "Are you planning on having any children, or are Theon and I to be your heirs?"
"You made your position on my brother on the Iron Isles quite clear the last time you visited, princess," Yara said. "My brother is the prince, and he is my heir for now, but I will get married and have children of my own someday. You won't have to come and rule the Island, my lady. I don't think they would suit your tastes anyway."
"I think you underestimate the fortitude of Sansa," Val replied. "I imagine she could adapt anywhere." For some reason, that was the compliment that made Sansa's cheeks burn with embarrassment, and she could hear Val and Yara talking. She probably should have been paying better attention to the two of them since there was no telling what they could get up to, but Sansa couldn't stop thinking about the rings in her hands.
Theon and Arya returned after nearly a moon away from Winterfell, and Sansa smiled when she realized that they both looked much lighter. The time away was good for them, and she could see that they had bonded in a way they never had before. Theon climbed off of his horse, walked right to Sansa, and kissed her in front of all of Winterfell, which was something he hadn't done in a very long time. As soon as they broke the kiss, Sansa let herself hold him and appreciated having him back in her arms. She knew he was so much better because Theon actually smiled brightly when he saw Yara and walked into her hug quite willingly. Yara broke their hug and pressed their foreheads together, and Sansa heard them whispering, "what is dead may never die" to one another.
"I have something I need to show you," Sansa said to Arya and guided her up to their rooms to give Yara and Theon a moment to catch up. Arya frowned but followed her up to the rooms. She talked about standing on top of the Wall and feeling like she was standing on top of the world. Arya spoke about the quiet that was on top of the Wall and how it was freeing in a way. Sansa showed Arya the rings and handed her the scrolls.
"His work is always incredible," Arya whispered as she looked over the rings with a soft smile. She opened the scroll and seemed to read it once and then again. "I can't reply, can I."
"The only reason Edric could get us such a direct message is because it was hidden with the rings," Sansa replied. "But he misses you, and Yara told me that she very much has a plan for getting Gendry out of there if need be."
"He wouldn't risk Edric, Mya, and Bella's lives," Arya said with a sad smile. "He's too noble for that." Sansa was inclined to agree, and even though Gendry and his siblings hadn't known each other very long, they would fiercely protective of each other. It just broke her heart to see her sister so sad, and no matter how much she raged at the heavens, there wasn't anything that Sansa could do to help Arya. All they could do was sit back and try to see if there was a way around all of this. At the moment, Arya didn't see one, and she didn't know what to think about that.
The rest of the planning for the wedding went well, and Theon seemed a lot better after some time away from the castle. Sansa was also glad to see that Arya and Theon had bonded, and they were closer in a way that she wasn't expecting. They spent a lot of time talking quietly to each other, and while Sansa always worried about whether or not Theon was all right, she knew that Arya would always look after him. Edmure, Roslin, and Robin all make the trip to Winterfell for the wedding, and Edmure was gleeful as he told the story of the black eye that Robin had to wear on his way back to the Vale. Sansa was glad to see that Royce was a good influence on her cousin, and he seemed to be maturing and becoming a better man now that his mother was out of his life.
Roslin settled down with Sansa to work on her dress. This was the third time Sansa was getting married, and she didn't want to remember any of those nights again. So there wasn't any gold to make her think of her marriage to Tyrion even if he was kind to her. There wasn't any white because that made her think of Ramsay, and he had no business at this happy moment in her life. So despite it not being Stark colors or Greyjoy colors, her wedding dress was blue. When someone asked her about it, Sansa said that it was blue like the ocean, which most people seemed to accept. With Roslin's help, they stitched silver waves into the sky blue fabric and lined the long sleeves with grey fur. The dress was both the ocean and the wolf, which meant it was both hers and Theon's.
The first guests arrived, and Sansa was trying not to be nervous about all of this. She had no reason to be, she knew that, but she still was. She tried to make a joke to someone about being an old hat at weddings, but it just sounded bitter and sad. Sansa wasn't happy at either of her previous weddings, and she wouldn't be unhappy now. Not when she was marrying a man that she chose and, more importantly, a man that she loved. They weren't supposed to see each other, but everyone seemed to silently agree that keeping them apart was probably not the best idea. Sansa sat next to Theon on their bed, clutching his hand, as they both tried to push the memory of the last wedding they attended together from their minds.
"I don't want him here," Sansa whispered.
"Me neither," Theon replied and held onto her a little tighter. She waited for him to ask if she was sure this is what she wanted, but the words didn't come. It loosened something in her chest to know that Theon wasn't second-guessing that she wanted to be with him anymore. At least, he wasn't in this moment, and that was progress that Sansa would take. Theon squeezed her hand and brought it up to his lips. He laid gentle kisses along her knuckles, and Sansa thought she was going to swoon like a maid.
It seemed their time to try and gather themselves was over as maids burst into the room. No one thought it was scandalous that the bride and groom were in the same room, but they did hustle Theon out so he could get ready in a different room. Arya walked in as they were doing her hair and smiled at her. Sansa thought that Arya would look sad, but she looked happy and let the maids fuss with her hair and dress like it wasn't a big deal at all. Jon joined them last, and Arya went ahead as Jon escorted her down to the godswood.
"I never thought I'd be so lucky to see both of my little sisters get married," Jon said with a smile, and Sansa blushed. "You look beautiful."
"I'm glad you're here," she said. "I'm glad you're the one to help me finally marry for love." Sansa paused as they were walking to the godswood, and Jon looked at her. "Thank you."
"It's no problem to walk you to your new husband," Jon replied, but he didn't understand what she was thanking him for.
"No, you gave me a choice. Arya was already married, so there wasn't much you could do about that, but I was a widow. You could have ordered me to get married to anyone for an alliance, but you let me choose. You don't understand how much that means to me; no one ever gave me a choice about who I get to be with, and you did like it wasn't a big deal at all. You could have been the one to insist that you marry for love, and I was the one that had to forge alliances, but you didn't, Jon, you let me choose and thank you for it." Jon reached forward and brushed away the tears that Sansa didn't even know were falling and smiled at her.
"Little sister, I would do anything to keep you safe and happy. We all went through hell, but you had all of your agency taken away in a way I can't ever understand. It's my honor to return it to you," Jon replied. Sansa threw her arms around her and hugged Jon as tightly as the day they were reunited what felt like a lifetime ago. They eventually pulled away from each other, and Jon continued to lead her through their home to the godswood. Sansa tried not to think about the night with Ramsay because this was different. This was different. There wasn't any snow on the ground, and the night was cool, not cold. There were more people, and she saw Arya and Bran and Meera and Val and everyone else smiling at her because they knew this was a happy occasion. Theon was standing at the godswood, and Bran was going to marry them. It wasn't proper, but Sansa felt something in her heart loosen when Theon grinned like an idiot at her. It was probably the happiest she had ever seen him, and it made him look so young.
"Who comes before the Old Gods this night?" Bran asked.
"Sansa, of the House Stark, comes here to be wed. A woman grown, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg the blessing of the Gods. Who comes to claim her?" Jon replied.
"Theon, of House Greyjoy, heir to the Iron Isles. Who gives her?" Theon said.
"Jon, of House Stark, King of the North and her brother," Jon said, and Sansa felt her heart sing a little at the thought of Jon saying he is her brother because he is. "However, Sansa is here to give herself."
"Princess Sansa, do you take this man?" Bran asked./
"I take this man," Sansa said, so quiet she wasn't sure anyone else heard, but then the godswood erupted into a roar of cheers, and Sansa laughed because she was so happy. Theon leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers as they exchanged rings, and they stayed that way, close and clinging to each other until they finally closed the distance and kissed. Sansa was crying again, she knew she was, and Theon's tears were mixing with hers. They clung to each other like the world would end if they weren't holding onto each other as their loved ones cheered around them.
There was a feast, and Sansa smiled as she watched everyone dance and have a good time. She loved watching her family be so happy, and even Arya seemed to be having a good time despite the circumstances. It was early into the feast, but Sansa could feel herself growing tired, and she could tell that Theon felt the same way. They both found this day extremely stressful because of bad memories, and it weighed heavily on them. Sansa touched Jon's arm, and he looked at her. His cheeks were a little flush with wine, and his smile was easy going.
"We're going to turn in for the night," Sansa said.
"Of course," Jon replied, and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Several members of their family insisted on hugs before they left but always made sure to ask before giving them, which Sansa appreciated. Theon took her hand and entwined their fingers as they walked up the stairs to the room that they already shared. This was a wedding night, but no one would be looking for bloody sheets when it came to them. There would be no bedding ceremony, and no one was going to expect her stomach to swell with children in less than a year. Someday, Sansa wanted to find a child to help raise, but it was something that she and Theon hadn't ever talked about because neither of them was ready for that.
"These rings are beautiful," Theon said. "Gendry?" Sansa nodded, and Theon looked a little sad. "Arya's not doing well, Sansa, but I think she'll hang on. I don't think she's going to try and run. Not anytime soon." That did make her feel a little better since losing Arya was one of the things she had nightmares about. They both pulled off their fine clothes as they got ready for bed, and when Sansa was comfortable in her nightgown and Theon was in his soft sleeping clothes did they finally climb into bed together. They usually slept with Theon at her back and his arm around her waist, but tonight was special, and Sansa wanted to try something different.
She settled into bed and let Theon wrap his arms around her. Sansa rested her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat, which was faster than it usually was. She was about to ask if this was okay, they hadn't held each other like this before, but Theon slowly relaxed in her arms. They just held each other for a long time, and Sansa could hear people moving around in the hallway behind her locked door. Theon rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, and Sansa just felt so loved. This was her wedding, their wedding night, and they were safe where no one could hurt them. They chose each other, and they were safe, and everything in the world was right.
Sansa shifted so she could look into Theon's kind eyes, and she could see how much healing he had done since he rescued her from Ramsay. She saw a strong man that might have been broken once but was stronger now, and she admired him. There weren't many men who would rather stay at the husband of a Hand to the King than the heir to an entire nation, yet here he is, in her arms, staying with her in Winterfell. Sansa couldn't find the words to say how much she loved him and decided to let her action speak for her. She was careful to make sure that Theon could tell that she was going to kiss him, and Sansa was delighted when he met her halfway.
While Sansa didn't want another man to touch her sexually ever again, and Theon wasn't overly fond of anyone touching him in any way, they both still enjoyed kissing. However, they hadn't spent a ton of time just kissing each other. Usually, they would kiss a little and move on, but Sansa wanted to try something else tonight. She leaned into the kiss a bit more, and Theon made a pleased sound in the back of his throat. Theon shifted their lips and gasped a little when Theon slid his tongue into her mouth. It was a different form of kissing and one that she wasn't that familiar with, but it made her feel more connected to him than she ever had before.
They kissed like that for a long time until Sansa's lips were nearly numb. At some point, she had pulled Theon nearly on top of her, and she thought she would panic to feel another man's weight on her, but she just felt safe. His fingers were in her hair, and it all felt incredible.
"Sansa," Theon whispered against her lips. "I love you."
"I love you too," Sansa replied. Theon kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose, along her jawline, and even placed a few kisses along her neck that made Sansa sigh. It was enough, it was more than she ever thought she would get, and they fell asleep with their arms wrapped around each other, utterly content with their place in the world.
It wasn't easy to get the rings out of Storm's End and into the hands of Yara, but Gendry had to make sure that everything was going to be fine. Sansa and Theon's wedding rings needed to get there safely, and he wanted Edric's letter to get there without anyone the wiser. The wedding was today, and Gendry wished he could have been there. Theon was a friend of his, and they would spend hours lamenting how unworthy they felt to be loved by the She-Wolves of the North. Sansa was someone who deserved all the happiness in the world, and he just hoped that her wedding was exactly what she wanted. After two weddings that ended in misery, Sansa deserved happiness. And he wished he was in Winterfell, dancing with his beautiful wife, drunk off of good wine, and celebrating that their family officially gained another member. Instead, he was in his forge, it was late into the evening, and he had nothing.
Gendry sighed and set aside the sword he was working on for some house in the Riverlands that he couldn't remember. He wanted a blade worthy of battle, and Gendry was going to make sure he paid for a blade of that quality. He used a rag to wipe the soot from his face and hands, and when he looked presentable enough, he walked back to the main castle. It must have been later than he thought because he hardly saw any guards or servants around. Edric told him that he, Bella, and Mya would be in his solar until late, and he should join them when he got the chance. He always enjoyed the time he spent with his siblings and climbed the long staircase to Edric's solar. There was a single guard at the door, a man that Gendry recognized, and they politely nodded to each other as Gendry walked in the room.
The first thing that hit him was the smell. It was blood in the air, and the room was quiet. Gendry froze as he looked around the room. Bella was across the room, and she was holding a hand to her stomach, blood leaking through her fingers and staining her dress, and when their eyes met, her lips moved as she tried to tell him something. Gendry took a step to run to her when a hand clasped around his shoulder, and there was a sharp pain in his back. It was the guard, the one who was waiting at the door, and he was laughing softly. Gendry felt the blade rip out of his back as the guard threw him to the ground. He could see Edric and Mya nearby as well, far too pale and bleeding out on the floor, the same that he was.
The world was going dark far too quickly, and the guard, the assassin, said nothing as he stood over all of House Baratheon and watched them bleed out. Gendry watched as his siblings went still, and as the darkness took him, he only had one thought; Arya, I'm sorry.
