Arya did her best to remain focused as the days continued to drag on. Bran continued to drift further away but Meera insisted that she would continue to stay close as often as she could. It was hurting her to see him so lost but Bran would only seem like himself when Meera would reach out and take his hand. Howland looked at the two of them sadly but never said a word. He didn't even seem to care that his unmarried daughter was sleeping in a bed with a man. Arya gave him a lot of credit for that. In recent days, Howland spent more time with Jon as an advisor than anything else. Meera, on the other hand, spent her time teaching the women and children in the castle how to make arrowheads out of dragonglass. It was one less thing that Gendry and his smiths needed to make which Arya was thankful for.
It seemed that earning Daenerys' forgiveness meant that Arya got to have a lot more conversations with her. Arya always wanted to see the Free Cities and she enjoyed hearing about all of the adventures that Daenerys had in her time there. Sometimes, Arya thought about a certain coin that was at the bottom of her traveling bag that she never really got rid of. She didn't have any intention of taking Jaqen up on his offer these days but whenever Daenerys spoke of the east Arya thought of him.
Arya also got to watch Daenerys make some more amends. When she came to Gendry and her begging for forgiveness it was only the first of two she needed to do. No one else was there to see it but Daenerys told her that she had to beg Samwell Tarly for his forgiveness as well. Daenerys made a bad decision when she attacked Lannister soldiers and Randyll and Dickon Tarly, Sam's father and brother were victims of it. Daenerys said that she wasn't expecting Sam to forgive her and while Sam said he wasn't there yet he thought he could be someday. She gave him lots of space and Jon did his best to comfort his friend in his time of mourning.
It took another day or two for Sansa to finally relax around Daenerys but once Arya revealed that she had no hard feelings then Sansa had to accept that she couldn't either. Everyone was hard at work when there was a call that several riders were approaching the castle. Jon, Daenerys, and Sansa all walked out to greet the rider and Arya nearly fell over when Theon Greyjoy climbed off of his horse. He didn't look like the same man from her memories; gone was the cocky smile and easy-going attitude and before her stood a man that looked like he was barely holding himself together. He started to drop down to one knee but Sansa pushed past Daenerys and Jon and threw her arms around Theon. He held onto her like she was a lifeline. By the time they pulled away, both Jon and Daenerys were smiling softly.
"Your Graces," Theon said as he got down on one knee. "I apologize. Queen Daenerys, I helped rescue my sister Yara but the forces we control against our uncle are minimal. We decided the best use of our ships would be the claim the Iron Islands back in your name. As for why I'm here alone, King Jon, we once lived in Winterfell as brothers. I betrayed that trust and for that, I can never be forgiven. However, I would like to pledge myself to Winterfell and the north in the fight against the dead. It would be my honor to fight and die in the only place I ever considered a home with the people that treated me like family."
"Please stand, Theon," Jon said and Theon pushed himself to his feet. Sansa was still at his side and she stood close to him. If Arya didn't know better she would have sworn that Sansa was about to put herself between anyone who tried to hurt Theon. She knew they got close through their mutual suffering of Ramsay but this was the first time Arya realized just how close they were. Jon glanced at Daenerys and the two of them seemed to have a conversation without words.
"Lord Theon, I'm very happy to hear that your sister has been rescued and is well again. While I am unhappy that her and her army are unable to join us here I can understand the decision you both made. The Ironborn are best at the sea and we need the Iron Islands back under our control," Daenerys said as she nodded to Jon.
"Theon, the things you did were terrible and, as I told you the last time we met, the only reason you're alive is because of what you did for Sansa," Jon said and Sansa narrowed her eyes. "You aren't forgiven for your crimes but because of what you risked to help my sister and because you are here pledging to fight for our cause you won't be tried for those crimes at the moment. We accept your help and I welcome you back to Winterfell."
The people in the courtyard all go off in their own directions as Jon and Daenerys both retreat so they could continue to work on battle plans. Arya walked over to Theon and Sansa who were talking quietly to each other. Arya didn't know what she was supposed to say to this man that betrayed her family but was also the only reason Sansa was still alive.
"Arya," Theon said and even his voice was different. Arya couldn't believe this was the same man that used to run around with Robb and Jon as children. "I see you didn't grow much in the time we've been apart." Sansa smacked him on the arm while Arya rolled her eyes.
"And here I thought you might have matured in that time but apparently not," Arya deadpanned and Theon smiled softly at her like he appreciated the fact that she was willing to joke with him. Sansa had told her what Ramsay put Theon through and the fact that he was still standing was a miracle.
"That's enough you two," Sansa said as she looped her arm into Theon's. "Come, the three of us have much to talk about." Arya followed the two of them into the castle and was looking forward to the look on his face when she told him she was married.
"I still can't believe that little Arya Stark is married," Theon said after everyone had finished catching each other up. Sansa smiled as she watched Arya blush a little like she was still a little surprised that Gendry had agreed to marry her to this day.
"He's the best person I know besides Jon," Arya replied. Since the very public fight, Arya and Gendry had it was hard to see her sister suffering so much. Sansa knew all about being one's own worst enemy but after so much pain she had hoped that Arya would accept the happiness she got. Theon smiled even though Sansa could see that he was struggling just keeping himself together at the moment. While it was just the three of them in her solar Theon still looked like he was getting overwhelmed.
"Arya, why don't you go see if Gendry is willing to join us for dinner tonight?" Sansa asked. "I'm sure Theon needs to meet the man that agreed to marry you to believe that he's real."
"You're not nearly as funny as you think you are," Arya warned but she was smiling when she walked out of the solar. As soon as the door closed Theon seemed to relax a little.
"Sorry," he whispered. "It's just being in this place is kind of conflicting for me. I can think about you, about your family, how lucky I was that your father treated me so well. And then I think about him and-"
"I know," Sansa said as she took his hand into hers and held on tightly. "I wasn't sure I would ever see you again. I thought you would run from the north and never come back." Theon frowned as he looked over at her.
"This is the only place that has ever felt like home to me," he said. "Of course I would come back to defend it." He looked down at the table and squeezed her hand a little tighter. "I had to come back and defend this place. Then I need to answer for my crimes against your family." Sansa wanted to tell him that he paid for his crimes over the many tortures that Ramsay did to him but that wasn't going to be enough for the north.
"I want you to stay here," Sansa whispered and Theon stared at her with wide eyes. "I know what people will say and I don't care. I want you safe while you are staying here and the safest place is with me."
"Sansa, I can't-"
"Please," she said and Sansa was many things but she was not above begging to keep the people she cared about safe. She thought about Arya and how she kept Meera or Pordrick close to Gendry when they weren't sure who was going to hurt him. Sansa thought she understood that instinct but now she felt it. Theon needed to be kept safe and she was going to be the one to do it. Sansa took both of his hands into hers and held on tightly. "I know you would never hurt me or touch me in a way I don't want the same way I would never touch you or hurt you. The idea of having a man but you sleep near me makes me feel sick. The castle is full of people that could harm you so I want to keep you close. Please, stay."
"I really don't want to give your brother another excuse to execute me," Theon said and his hands were shaking.
"Let me deal with my brother," Sansa assured. "I promise that I am going to keep you safe the same way you kept me safe when we were running for our lives from that monster." Theon stared at her for a long time and she hated how afraid he looked. He leaned forward and the two of them press their foreheads together. They stayed like that for a long time until Sansa pushed herself to her feet. "Stay here. We can eat our supper here so you don't have to be with the crowds. If you really want to meet Gendry we can ask them to join us here. Arya and Gendry don't like to eat with everyone else either so I'm sure they will appreciate any excuse to avoid the crowds."
"Sansa," Theon said and she turned as she was leaving. "I'm very glad you made it home safe."
"All thanks to you," she replied. Sansa walked out of the room and made her way quickly through the castle. She found Jon talking to several men and took him by the arm so they could talk privately. He frowned but allowed Sansa to guide him through the castle to his solar which was the only place she knew no one would listen.
"Did something happen?" Jon asked. Sansa stood tall and stared Jon down as she channeled her mother in the best way she knew how.
"Theon will be staying in my room," she said in a tone that didn't leave any room for argument. Jon blinked once and stared at her like he wasn't sure what he just heard. Sansa didn't move a muscle; she stared him down and dared him to say a word.
"Sansa, I'm not sure that's the best idea," Jon said slowly.
"Half of the north wants him dead. I won't have him killed in a dark corner," Sansa said. "The same way we had to keep someone close to Gendry I want someone close to Theon. The best way for me to know he's safe is if he stays in my room with me." Sansa folded her hands in front of her and tried to come up with the best possible way to put this. "Jon, after what Ramsay did to me I don't think I can stand the idea of another man touching me. I'm ruined so it's not like my hand is going to be worth much but even then I've been sold twice for political purposes and I can't do it again. I just can't. Theon understands better than anyone what I went through. He went through a lot of it too and I know I can trust him."
"But I don't trust him, Sansa. He betrayed Robb and the two of them were closer than brothers, how could I ever trust him?" Jon asked.
"You trust me though," she said and he nodded. "So trust my judgment. When I say we will be sleeping in the same bed I mean we will be sleeping in the same bed. I told you what happened to him because I needed you to understand what he has suffered. I understand that there will have to be another trial someday but as far as I'm concerned; Theon Greyjoy has suffered enough the same as the rest of us." Jon stared at her for a long time and she was struck by how sad he looked.
"You are not ruined," Jon said. "And I would never, ever, make you marry anyone you didn't want to. I wouldn't make any of you do that. All I want for my sisters and my brother is for you all to be happy. I won't stop you from keeping Theon in your room and I'll make sure anyone who says anything answers to me. Just, please, be careful."
"I survived King's Landing and Ramsay Bolton," Sansa said with a small smile. "I can survive anything." She turned and walked back to her room. She knew that Arya and Gendry would be coming later but she wanted to make sure that Theon knew he was welcome before they got there. When she opened the door she saw him jump but he seemed to settle when he realized it was her.
"So, is Ghost going to eat me?" he asked with a laugh that sounded far too forced to her.
"No, I trust you and he trusts me so it's not going to be an issue. I will talk to Brienne and see about assigning someone to keep an eye on you. Perhaps Podrick will now that we know Gendry's life isn't in danger," Sansa said. She looked up and could see Theon getting ready to tell her that he didn't deserve that and she had to go through this once with Arya's husband she wasn't going to do it again. Sansa took a step forward and held up a hand to silence him. "Theon, I want you safe and this is the best way for me to keep you safe. You will stay here with me."
The sun was nearly down by the time Gendry and Arya came up to her solar for food. Theon seemed to relax a little around the two of them and she was glad that he seemed to be enjoying talking to other people. He watched the dynamic between Arya and Gendry, who were almost constantly touching each other like they were newlyweds, and he poked fun at the two of them a few times. Sansa was glad the first time he laughed and he was smiling by the time they left for the night.
They turned their backs to each other as they got dressed for the night. Sansa hadn't let anyone see the scars on her body and she didn't want to think about what she would do if she saw the scars on Theon's.
"I can turn around if you're ready," she said.
"Okay," Theon replied. They both turned around and Sansa held her breath. He was wearing long, comfortable-looking pants and long-sleeved tunic. Her nightgown had long sleeves and went down to her feet. She took a step forward so they were standing close. "May I take your hand?" Theon asked quietly and she nodded. His hands were shaking as he took one of her hands into his own. She touched the scars on his hands as he touched the scars on hers.
"Theon," Sansa whispered. "Would you kiss my hand?" This was a delicate thing between the two of them and it seemed like one wrong move and they would both shatter. Sansa knew she was strong, she knew Theon was strong too, but at the same time, they were both fragile. Theon nodded as he pressed his lips to her hand. Sansa took a deep breath and released it; he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Please stay with me," Sansa whispered as she squeezed Theon's hand. He nodded and the two of them got into her large featherbed. There was plenty of distance between them but they both fell asleep holding hands.
Over the next two weeks, Sansa and Theon made progress. She still made sure to ask him if she could touch him at any time and even apologized for hugging him the moment she saw him. He waved her off and told her that her hugs never bothered him. By the time the two weeks ended the two of them were sleeping side by side and she was close enough to count his eyelashes.
"Do you want to kiss me?" Sansa asked in the dark.
"Yes," Theon replied but he didn't look happy about it. "Sansa, I can't give you what you need. You know what he did to me. I can't-" Sansa cut him off as she placed a single finger to his lips. Theon blinked as he stared at her.
"I don't have any interest in anymore," Sansa replied. "I don't want another person to touch me like that ever again. I'm not entirely sure I ever wanted anyone to touch me like that and I just accepted that I was going to have to do my duty as a married woman someday. Things have changed now and Jon has promised that I can be with whoever I want. The one I want is you only what we have now. I want to kiss, I want to hold your hand, and I want to hold each other as we sleep. That's all I ever want from you, Theon, and what is all I will ever ask of you. If that is enough for you then I'm yours. A friend and a partner."
Sansa has been preparing for days how to tell him this and she wondered how it was going to go. Theon was a very sexual young man and was known to visit women in Winter Town when they were kids. The idea of being with a woman that you couldn't touch was likely the last thing he wanted. Things were different now and while she could tell that he was healing Theon didn't seem interested in women anymore. He was staring at her like he couldn't believe that she was real and Sansa didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad one. She pressed her lips together and began to berate herself for saying anything at all. She felt the apology on her tongue and took a deep breath as she prepared to tell him how sorry she was.
Then Theon leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. He was breathing deeply and she could hear him trembling. They were close but the only places they were touching were their hands and their foreheads. It felt intimate and more romantic than any kiss Sansa had ever experienced in her life.
"I would have you in any way you want, Sansa," Theon whispered. "I want nothing more than to stay by your side and keep you and your family safe. This is enough; this is more than enough and more than I deserve." He opened his eyes and they stared at each other for a moment. Sansa carefully closed the final distance between them and kissed him. It was chaste, almost sweet, and ended after only a moment. It made her heart race and Sansa tried to keep her panic from taking over. It had no place here. They smiled at each other as Sansa turned to face the other way as they settled close to each other. Theon put a careful arm on her waist and she fell asleep to his deep breathing against her back. This was enough.
Arya knew that Sansa and Theon were close but two weeks after he arrived back at Winterfell she saw them walking through the castle hand in hand. Everyone at the castle knew and she had personally threatened a few people that made snide remarks. All anyone could talk about was how all of the Stark's were paired off and there was no one left to form strong alliances with. Meera remained close to Bran but the moments when he was still with them he looked at her as if she was the sun itself. The Night King got closer every day and as he got closer they saw less and less of Bran. Now Sansa and Theon were public with their own chaste version of a relationship and Arya would not stand anyone saying anything about her siblings being with the people they want.
"Arya, I know you're trying to help but you need to stop threatening people who are just talking," Jon said when he found her in the forge one day. Gendry was snickering nearby as he worked but didn't say a word.
"They aren't allowed to say anything about us," Arya said and she wouldn't budge on this. "They insult Gendry and call him a bastard. They say Meera is a frog eater not good enough for the last trueborn son of Ned Stark. Now they're saying Sansa is committing treason by being with Theon. I won't stand for anyone saying those things and I will keep threatening them until they do." Gendry was outright laughing now and Jon glared at him but didn't say anything else. He threw his hands up in the air and left without another word.
Arya was sound asleep that night when a scream jerked her out of pleasant dreams. Gendry was awake too and they both frantically pulled on clothing to make themselves presentable as they raced down the hallway toward the screams. Arya knew that scream, it was Bran, and the last time he had screamed like that Melisandre had taken Gendry prisoner. Jon, Sansa, and Theon were already in the room by the time they got there and Meera was holding Bran in her arms as she tried to calm him down. His eyes were wide and it didn't appear he was really seeing them.
"Come back to me," Meera whispered. "You can fight this, you're stronger than this, come back to me." She leaned forward and kissed Bran's forehead. Arya knew the two of them were together in some capacity but this was the first time she had ever seen them do anything but hold hands. The kiss seemed to work and Bran took a deep breath and blinked. "You're back, you're back, it's okay."
"Bran, what happened?" Jon asked quietly. Other people were gathering at the door but all Arya could see was the fear in her little brother's eyes. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to say and a cold feeling washed over her.
"He broke through the gates at Eastwatch. The dead have passed through the wall," Bran whispered.