Sansa Stark
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen….
Another year, another day, another sun, another time for Sansa Stark to spend sewing gowns and embroidery, there was nothing new.
Nothing new that all, there was no new gossip, no new friends, no summer dresses and no gallant knights to fawn over.
She sighed and looked passed the window of her solar, it was overlooking the wolfswood and the mountain and she often enjoyed the view.
It relaxes her and it calms her and she can smell the forest from where she sat.
She likes it here.
She likes the peace and silence, her room and solar has brought her but she also wants to experience the noise, the parties, tourneys, feasts and the balls that other noble houses often held.
Not here in the North though.
There were no knights here, no highborn ladies that prefer silk and satin over cotton and wool, no tourneys to dress up and hoped to become the Queen of Love and Beauty to, no feasts or balls to attend and dance into.
And there were no Queens, Kings, Princes and Princesses. They were all in the South and they were far, far away from her.
She wanted to get out of this cage. To venture to the outside world and met a Prince or a knight that would sweep her away and take her to a lovely castle with a garden full of beautiful flowers, exotic birds and pretty butterflies, then he'll marry her and they'll have beautiful golden babies that would fill the halls of their castle and they'll live their lives like the those written in the songs.
But this was only just a fantasy and Sansa Stark can only live in the South in day dreams.
Her father will never allow her to go, for the South is a dangerous and tricky place.
Especially for Starks.
The South is a dangerous place, my dear Sansa; she remembers her father say one time. She knew why. Why her father was reluctant to let her even step her feet outside the lines of the Neck.
Going to the South only brought death to the Starks.
Four Starks have died in the South seventeen years ago; her Uncle Brandon, her Grandfather Rickard, her Aunt Lyanna and her little cousin Visenya.
But they died during the war and the war was over, everything in the realm is at peace. There were no commotions or riots' happening throughout Westeros for the King was a good ruler and he knows how to manage his subjects well.
Still her father hated the man, the Silver King sitting on top of the Iron Throne. He hated him, for kidnapping her Aunt Lyanna and leaving her to die with her babe; he hated him for starting the war and for killing his best friend and for causing the deaths of her Uncle Brandon and Grandfather Rickard.
Sansa knew because she heard, she heard the gossips of their kitchen maids and handmaidens, she heard what happened in the past and of the deaths that still haunted the Lord of Winterfell that caused him to lock his children inside the walls of his castle and promised to never let them out of his sight for as long as he lived.
But Sansa was a girl, no, she's now a woman grown and recently flowered. She would need to marry and go out of Winterfell. But she doesn't want to marry an heir of her father's bannermen for they won't understand her instead she wanted to marry a Southern lord for she may be born of the North and the winter but her heart was that of the South and summer.
"-Sansa? Can you hear me?"
A soft voice woke her from her thoughts and she turned to meet the kind eyes of her best friend Jeyne Poole.
Today was a lovely afternoon, yet she spent it with her friends; Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel, inside her solar. They were burying themselves with needlework and currently she was embroidering a handkerchief she would give to her brother Robb.
"What?" She raised her brow at the girl looking at her with gleaming eyes.
Jeyne giggled.
"I said we heard a gossip!" Her friend exclaimed excitingly and it drew her attention.
She likes listening to gossips especially those from the South so she can know what is happening outside her world here.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
"The King is coming to Winterfell!" Jeyne broke and Sansa's eyes widened.
The King? In Winterfell? She asked herself. Impossible, father would never allow that! She then thought silently.
How? Why? Is this information legit? She wants to ask. Her heart was beating furiously.
Finally!
Her dream came true! She'll be meeting the King soon!
Oh, she should be making a new dress! A new dress for the welcoming at the gates, a new dress for the welcoming feast and a lot of others for the remaining days that the King will stay here.
Wait, will he also bring his family with him?
Breathe in, breathe out. She told herself. She needed to calm down and pacify the furious beats of her heart that she bets Jeyne and Beth could hear.
"Oh? Where did you here that? And do you have proof that it might be true?" She asked in her usual hushed voice.
It was Beth who answered this time, "The kitchen workers, they claim that they heard it from Maester Luwin and your Lady Mother. They say that the king comes here with half of the entire court and along with his family."
Her eyes widened. If it was indeed heard from her Lady Mother and Maester Luwin, then it was true and not just any rumour. She should prepare then, tonight, she'll ask her mother to commission new fabrics for she will sew new clothes for the King's arrival. She needs to be beautiful in hopes that she may catch the eyes of the King's children, specifically his sons.
She heard that the King has three sons and two daughters; Prince Aegon was already eight and ten and probably ready for marriage and the younger was Prince Joffrey who was the same age as her. They say that both Princes were beautiful but the opposite of each other; whereas Prince Aegon took after his father having his silver gold hair and dark indigo eyes; Prince Joffrey took after her mother having her golden hair and green eyes.
The youngest was Prince Tommen but he was just the same age as Bran so his practically just a boy.
"There's something else though." Jeyne broke the silence and there was frown on her lips that caught Sansa's attention.
Was there a problem? Did the servants hear her father complain? Will her Lord Father not allow the King's visit here?
"What?" She asked almost snapping at her friend when she shouldn't be.
"The King has executed the Queen, her brother and all of her children." Jeyne said with horror in her voice.
Both she and Beth gasped at their friend's words and Sansa covered her mouth with her hand in surprise.
Why would the King kill his wife and children? She asked. The king was no kinslayer yet why did he kill more than half of his family? Was there any reason for him to do so?
"Why did he do that?" Beth asked in fear, her eyes wide with worry.
Jeyne's voice was even more hushed than before, "Well, they say that the Queen's children are not sired by the King, they say that the real father of the Princes and Princess was their Uncle, Jaime Lannister! The Queen's twin brother!"
She inhaled sharply at the revelation. She never expected this thing to happen! Why on earth will the Queen have an affair with her brother? Wasn't the King not enough?
"Oh. That's awful. I feel sorry for the Princes and Princess though, they shouldn't have been executed, and they're innocent of their parents' crimes!" Beth cried and she nodded in agreement. The king should have let them go or exiled them.
Her heart saddened at the thought of the poor princes and princess that were killed. Mayhaps she could pray for their souls to the Stranger later so that their souls will be at peace.
"But that's not the reason why the King will come here though." Jeyne said again and crossed her arms against her chest.
"There's also something else! Something interesting! Very interesting!" Jeyne again exclaimed excitingly.
She doesn't know how her friend does it, but she wasn't quite sure how Jeyne could shift from fear to excitement.
"What is it?" She asked again.
If Lord Varys was the famed Master of Whisperers and Spies of King Rhaegar's council, Jeyne was her version of the man for it was Jeyne who often knows everything that's going on around them and who often tells them about the gossips and the talks of town as well as the things happening about other people.
"They say that the King is also looking for a new bride!" Jeyne exclaimed and she and Beth looked at each other with eyes full of surprise.
"Truly?" Beth asked, her eyes glittering with interest and Jeyne nodded.
"Truly. He is still quite young and I think that the council would want him to marry again and add more children to secure the line since his past wife's children weren't his." Jeyne answered.
"Oh, so do you think that's the reason why he comes to the North? To look for a bride?" Beth asked again and Sansa thought that it was impossible; if the King will look for a bride surely he'll prefer to visit Highgarden or Dorne. There were a lot of beautiful and eligible women there to be tied to him and make powerful allegiances with.
"I don't know but if I were you, I will start to make a new dress to impress him. Who knows, perhaps I'll catch his eyes and he'll ask me to become his Queen."
A new Queen, the King is looking for a new Queen. Sansa thought as she made her way to her father's solar after a servant told her that she was being summoned to come.
Her mind was still heavy with Jeyne's words that she didn't even bother to know why her father called for her.
The idea of the King going to Winterfell with his family and court members excited her but the prospect of the King looking for another bride, a new Queen bothered her. Was it truly his reason why he wants to visit Winterfell? To look for a new Queen?
But then who would he choose here?
The North, with the exception of the Starks, is composed of lesser houses and those won't guarantee the King advantageous matches. He'll gain nothing here, lumber and snow probably, and the military support and gold here and less than what he could gain if he'll venture to other place where there are a lot of high houses and wealthy families.
Unless….
No… She shouldn't be thinking about it. It was impossible… She shook the thought from her mind before it could even be formed. She focused her mind on why her father wants to meet her instead.
She finally reached her father's solar and she knocked before entering it. They weren't quite used to pages so they were the ones to announce themselves before entering someone's rooms or solar's in Winterfell.
She heard her father's muffled permission for her to enter and she took a deep breath before opening the door. He may have an important matter to be discussed with her. She doesn't know what it is but she'll know in a matter of minutes.
The Lord of Winterfell's solar so far was one of the most spacious rooms in the castle. It was as big as her chambers and it served not only as a solar but at the same time it was also her father's study. There were several shelves of books attached to the walls, mostly it contained records, documents and some tax proposals related to the North.
One of the shelves was used as a divider of the room; its wooden lining is usually the one that will welcome you when you come inside, on it was some runes that she knew were the language of the First Men, their ancestors.
Her father was currently occupying his study which was on the left side of the room. The space used to house his office was a little bit smaller than the solar. Inside was a small fireplace, there were tapestries draped on walls, some depicts "The Long Night" where her ancestors, together with the children of the forests and the wildlings fought the "Others".
Another one shows Bran the Builder pointing on a massive fort made of ice which should be the Wall that divides the Lands of Eternal Winter and the rest of Westeros. And the largest ones so far are the map of Westeros and the map of the North.
Her father was sitting behind his large oak desk; he was leaning on his massive wooden chair, his eyes closed. Her mother was beside her father, sitting on a much smaller chair, her face was turned into her father but she can see worry itched in her beautiful face.
At their back was a large banner, the sigil of House Stark; the grey direwolf running through the white and green plains. It was the largest piece in the room so far and she remembered helping her mother making it as a gift for her father's name day.
On her right, the windows were opened wide and there was a small door that leads to the balcony outside that overlooks the training yard, the courtyard and the gates of the castle. It was where her father would usually watch her brothers practice sword fighting.
She turned her attention to her parents who didn't seem to notice her entering the room.
"Father, Mother." She then said to catch the attention of her parents.
Her father opened his eyes and straightened his position while her mother looked at her with a soft smile on her lips. She curtseyed before them and she saw her father grimace, he wasn't really use to showing courtesies and propriety but it was her mother that encourages her to do so for her to become a proper lady.
"Sansa, my daughter, sit down please." Her father said and gestured towards the chair in front of the table.
She nodded and followed, positioning herself on the chair gracefully; she carefully folded her hands on her lap, her eyes downcast waiting for her father to speak.
Her heart was beating furiously against her chest and she was feeling nervous, she wondered why she was feeling this way. Perhaps it was because the unusual worried look on her father and mother's face.
She waited for them to speak but she was only rewarded by silence, so instead she cleared her throat and thought about asking her father about the King's visit. There was still a possibility that the gossip wasn't true so she wanted to learn for herself.
"Is it true Father? They say that the King is coming to Winterfell with his family and half of the court." She asked curiously but she did not mention that she heard it from Jeyne and Beth.
Her father flinched and grimaced at her words, he seems to be uncomfortable with the topic, she thought as she studied her father's expression.
The King and her father were no good friends and they share a "bad" history with one another so it was obvious that her father would be uncomfortable having the King around here.
She knew that the people of the North also felt that way. She wondered if they'll be welcoming the King on the day he arrives here. But she knew that they'll do it, the North was still a part of the Seven Kingdoms and there was only one King ruling Westeros and it was the Silver King on the Iron Throne, the Targaryen dragon.
"Yes, it's true. The King is indeed coming here in Winterfell." Her father answered after seconds of silence.
Her face lightened at the confirmation and she smiled, "We shall prepare then." She said as she clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling. But soon she regretted her words as her father frowned in response.
Her mother placed a hand on her father's shoulder and her father seemed to have relaxed as the frown from his face was gone at her mother's touch. She sometimes marvelled at her parents' relationship.
She may have been thinking and dreaming of marrying some golden knight or a silver prince but she also wanted to marry a man like her father. Her father was a kind, honourable and a loving person and she wanted to spend her days with someone like that.
"Indeed, we shall prepare for his arrival my daughter." Her father spoke. "The king…" he trailed off looking uncertain and divided if he would continue or not making Sansa curious what he will say next.
"The King sends his regards to you…" It was her mother who continued with a look of gloom on her face.
This time, Sansa raised her brow at what her mother said, the king? He sent his regards to her? Like to her only?
The words made her belly flutter. What does it mean though?
And it made her heart even beat so fast. The King… the King sent his regards for her! And it wasn't a jape since the words came from her father's lips and Eddard Stark rarely japes.
She would definitely tell Jeyne and Beth about this! The two would surely be jealous of her. It made her grin absently but she immediately wiped it from her face as her father and mother were looking at her both of them pursuing their lips and not entirely happy with the prospect.
"Sansa, my lovely girl, I believe you do know why I am uncomfortable and unhappy about the King's arrival here, am I right?" Her father asked and she nodded in response, she knew of course, she didn't need her father to tell her about it thanks to her "masters of whisperers".
"Yes, I've heard rumours father." She admitted and her father shook his head.
"Those weren't rumours. You already know about the King abducting your Aunt Lyanna in the past and that caused the death of your Grandfather and Uncle in the hands of the King's father, the late King Aerys. And it started war; a lot of people died in it both coming from the North and the South." Her father said repeating the words she already heard from others.
Her father doesn't want to talk about his past but she knew that it was haunting him, as well as the deaths of his family.
Her father sighed again, he rubbed his hand on his face, his shoulders were tensed and Sansa saw that her Father seemed to be very weary and looked older than his age.
She felt angry with the King's intrusion, she may want to visit the South and see the Royal Family yet if this was what her father will looked like at the thought of the Royals arriving, then she would prefer them not to come. She wanted to see her father happy and smiling not troubled and weary.
She loved her father fiercely despite him being over protective of his children, especially to her and Arya. Perhaps it was because of her Aunt Lyanna's death that her father doesn't want her daughters to be out of his sight.
"Sansa, you're a woman grown and flowered now. Do you know what it means?" Her mother asked and she turned to the older woman and nodded.
"Yes, it means that I will soon marry and have children, Mother." She answered and her mother gave a satisfied smile.
But Sansa wasn't smiling and her lips curled down. Now she knew why she was summoned in her father's study.
It was about marriage of course, they talk about her possible marriage! She's sixteen now and it was the start of the marrying age.
"That's right." Her mother stated and cleared her throat. "Well, there are a lot of lordlings that are asking for your hand for marriage for a long time now, yet I and your father can't decide because we believe that we should be asking you first if you are ready to do your duty…."
She felt herself gone deaf…
Yes, the duty of the daughters of the Lords, to be married to their fathers' bannermen or to other houses to secure an allegiance and gain support, it made her feel like she was a cow traded for a supply of wool.
This sometimes makes Sansa want to become a man instead of a woman. Whereas men were given lands, castles and titles to inherit it was rare for women to experience such thing unless their father and mother do not have a son.
And for her as the eldest daughter of the family, she'll need to marry soon, say goodbye to her parents and siblings and then she'll be dragged into an unknown castle with a husband she'll probably only meet at the day of their marriage.
This made her uncomfortable… If earlier she was thinking of someone taking her away, now she was nervous… She felt that it still wasn't the time…
Her father looked at her again with an unfathomable expression on his face, "You are sixteen now Sansa, you've grown into a fine and beautiful young woman that I could ever hope you to be… like your mother has said, there are already a line of young men asking for your hand but I would like to know for myself, do you already want to be married?" He asked.
Well, she doesn't have a choice right? In the end of the day she'll be paired with someone she might not even like, so there was no use arguing about the prospect of marriage. She'll just close her eyes and do what needs to be done. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"I think so, father." She answered and tried to hide the uncertainty and nervousness on her voice. "Is there someone asking for my hand in marriage?" She asked though both of her parents already told her so.
And who would that be? She hoped that her father won't be giving her to one of his bannermen's sons.
"Yes, quite a lot actually." Her father said in a nervous chuckle. "All are heirs of Lords; some are from the North and some of the South. But there is someone else added to the list, Sansa." Eddard Stark added with an unhappy look on his face.
She felt her breathing hitched. Her father was not looking pleased; it only means that her father does not approve of the "latest" person added.
Who might it be? She was curious and she felt herself tensed and excited at the same time.
"Who is it, father?" She asked but she managed it as a squeak.
Her parents were looking tensed and uncomfortable as she was but she didn't mind it as she was drowned with her thinking.
She listed down the possible names of people her father surely won't like to be matched to her in her mind.
Well, there were the Boltons… the Freys… the Lannisters probably but Jaime Lannister is already dead…
But the man her father was talking about wasn't in the names she thought and it may have tried to grace her mind earlier but she shook the idea thinking that it would be absurd.
"The King, Sansa. I believe the King is interested in asking your hand for marriage."
Sansa felt her world spin.
She is going to be a Queen..