More home truths are discovered in this chapter dedicated to Sansa and Daenerys' blossoming friendship. Strong WARNING of rape and abuse so read at your discretion. Although, this may be the only chapter to focus on that. Also, I add actual facts from the TV kingdom and book kingdom to add more of a backstory for the characters. Read this chapter at your discretion.
Dany jumped, hearing the thud of the phone on the wooden floor. She looked up to see Sansa's eyes narrowed in anger.
"Hello? Are you still there, Sansa? Dear?"
Sansa quickly picked the phone up. "I will get back to you. Goodbye, Uncle Edmure."
She hung up the call and raised her hands to her head in frustration.
"What's happened?" Daenerys asked her.
Sansa scoffed bitterly as she sat down. "My aunt set up an arranged marriage for me."
Daenerys frowned, "Tell her that you decline. Otherwise, she can come down here and drag you up there but I won't let that happen. Neither will Jon."
Sansa sighed. "You don't understand... it brings back bad memories."
"Of what?"
"More like 'who'. My ex-husband."
Dany's eyes widened in shock. "You were married?!"
Tears sprung to Sansa's eyes as she slowly nodded. "No one out of our immediate family knew about this. About what happened between us... It was an arranged marriage too which required a long engagement so I'd marry at twenty-five although my parents chose not to uphold the engagement and it was broken just after two weeks. Jon and Robb used to say that when they were growing up, Ramsay was always strange, ugly and quiet. But the Ramsay then was reserved, quiet and well, a stunner. It was a classic ugly duckling turned beautiful, story. I just thought that everyone was misjudging him. They didn't know him. I thought he was just shy and quiet and to be honest, there was more to him than meets the eye. His dad, Roose, was a tough dad; we all knew that but he was even tougher on Ramsay because he never did well academically nor sports-wise. Even into Ramsay's early twenties, Roose would verbally and physically abuse him and not his little brother or his older half-brother. No one knew, only his family. Everyone else thought Ramsay's quietness was just his personality but he had suffered over fifteen years of abuse and none of us knew until it was too late..."
"What happened Sansa?" Dany urged.
"I fell in love with him..." Sansa confessed. "Even though our parents decided against the marriage, Ramsay and I still eloped. I still lived at home with my parents and he had his own place that I'd go and stay with him, mostly under the covers... " She blushed. "Then things suddenly changed. He began to check my phone, my cards and receipts to find out whether I cheated on him. Every time I told the truth, which was a strong no, he'd slap me and not believe me at all. At first, I let it slide. He was paranoid I'd leave him just like his first wife, Jeyne Poole. But then whenever we slept by each other's side, he'd want me to satisfy him. But I would be tired from uni and he'd always force himself on me after I said no..."
"Oh my god, Sansa..." Daenerys breathed out.
Sansa smiled ruefully, her gaze lowering as she continued. "I'd scream for him to get off me but he never did and I was never strong enough to stop him so I'd let it happen. I always defended his actions, what he did to me. Saying that the years of abuse was getting to him - it was just a phase. I told myself that he'll get over it and we will continue our happy marriage but I was such a fool.
By then, I turned 19. I went partying with a couple of friends for my birthday and I got to his place at 3 AM the next day after he texted me the evening before to come over and spend it with him. He said he had a gift for me." She smiled sadly. "When I arrived, I saw him seething angrily by the dining table with a candlelit dinner long cold from waiting. Then I looked into his eyes and saw the hate and embarrassment that he felt. I was so drunk, I barely was able to make it to him to kiss him before he got to me first and pushed me into the coffee table. Then the punches and kicks started and I remember my life flashing before my eyes. He screamed that I'd made a fool of him and that he'd show me what real love was. Then he... raped me again. It was long until he finally left me be and went to work that morning. I remember getting up and feeling scared about going home where my dad would probably get his priceless heirloom, his Valyrian sword, and kill Ramsay."
"Fathers, eh? So what happened next?" Dany asked softly.
"So, I went to Jon's instead and Robb was there. I begged them not to say anything to our parents. They threatened to kill Ramsay or even hurt him somehow but I begged them not to. They tried taking me to the hospital that they worked at but I refused to go, begging to be treated at their home. So, Robb documented and photographed every injury and bruise I had sustained whilst Jon held me in his arms until he was finished."
Sanda picked her phone up and unlocked it, pressing 'gallery' before giving it to Dany, showing her the endless of photos taken over the months of abuse.
"I went back to him but the last straw was when Jon came to Ramsay's to see if he could understand what was happening and why. But Ramsay and I had an argument about him sleeping with other girls and before I knew it, Ramsay leapt at me and began to beat me to every inch of my life. Jon had to kick the door down to pull him off of me. That was when I had to go to the hospital, a week and a half after he'd had me running to my brothers. My parents found out and his too. Roose profusely apologised but Ramsay never did. He was proud of what he did, saying he did the same to his ex-wife and hid it so my parents filed for a restraint order against him for all of us. Even Robb because Robb had promised to kill him when he next saw him and Jon...
Well, he was the more reserved brother. Hated violence as well as you know but I could tell when my busted and swollen eyes met his. He'd make an exception for Ramsay in a heartbeat. It was the biggest mistake of my life and I vowed to never get into a relationship after that traumatic ordeal."
"But Loras seems nice. He is treating you right, isn't he?" Dany urged softly.
"He really is!" Sansa sobbed as Daenerys held her tightly to her chest "He's so sweet and understanding, I could never tell him about my marriage."
"Are you still married to Ramsay?"
"No. My mother managed to get a divorce written on the accounts of spousal abuse and so on and that I also wanted nothing form him even though I was entitled to half his fortunes, assets and properties. I just wanted to put him behind me. It was not an easy divorce but weeks before my parents, Rickon, Robb and his family were killed, my divorce was finalised. I was free again. I now have Jon check the guys I'm interested in just in case. Sam, you know him, his dad is a police chief constable and he always does background checks for us. Loras is a great guy it turns out. No criminal offences, a wonderful sibling, son and friend. He's an angel sent from above and this could be real love."
Dany smiled softly, rubbing Sansa's shoulders as she stared at the photo of her own husband.
It wasn't easy falling in love, only to have it broken one way or another. She too thought that she would never be able to fall in love again after Drogo but Jon was perfect and hearing how he'd wanted to protect his sister with the use of violence made her heart swell even more. She might just even get used to being a lady if it ever happened to them.
But things weren't meant to be and she learnt a long time ago to never have her hopes up.
"Do you want to go out? A bit of retail therapy?" Dany asked.
Sansa's eyes lit up with unshed tears. "Oh God, yes! I need an outfit for this Friday. It's Arya's eighteenth and we're going to the club to meet up with Loras who's organising a stag do. Do you want to come? Jon might be there, he hasn't confirmed since Bran needs a carer confirmed."
Dany pursed her lips, taking her phone out to check her calendar. "I have a night shift on Thursday and come home Friday morning but I should be awake to party by five-ish in the afternoon?"
Sansa grinned. "Perfect! We leave at half-seven. Jon probably has a shift but we can make this work. I think we're even throwing a party for Arya on Saturday. Would you like to come to that too?"
"If I'm not completely wasted on Friday, yes." Daenerys grinned. "Oh, this weekend will be one to remember."
"You're not such a witch, you know? I'm sorry for judging you so quickly before everything." Sansa mumbled.
Dany chuckled. "And you're not a bitch. It's okay. I like to be challenged sometimes. Hey, let's go and shop. We have dresses to find!"
And Sansa grinned happily.