Her sister had lost her mind. She couldn't be serious. Her sister the good girl, the perfect little highborn lady, running away from home. With Theon Greyjoy, of all people!
Father and Mother were out of their minds with worry. As soon as they realised she had disappeared from the castle they convened a council to decide on their next course of action. Robb was present as the oldest but she lurked outside waiting to hear news of her suddenly wayward sister.
I know she's disappeared and I suspect who with but if I tell the family...
Her parents would not take the news well at all...
I have to speak, but what do I say? I promised Sansa that I would not raise the alarm until the morning. I've never seen her so desperate to get away and escape her duty. Did she ever want to marry Joffrey at all?
If Arya were completely honest with herself she hadn't relished the thought of the crown prince becoming her good-brother. He had a vicious streak a furlong wide and he was immensely rude to everyone he met.
I don't think he's said one polite or pleasant word to anyone at Winterfell since he arrived.
If Sansa had finally come to her senses and walked away from a disastrous match in the making she could see why, even if she didn't understand. Maybe she'd cracked under the pressure of the royal proposal and the relentless drive to be perfect at all times. But what a time to do it!
Robb got up to find Arya pacing outside his door.
"What is it, squirt? You're up early?" he said fondly.
Arya's guilty conscience made her confess, feeling like she was betraying her sister. "Sansa...she's gone."
Robb frowned , his nose scrunching up. "What are you talking about?"
"She isn't in her bedroom. Jeyne hasn't seen her." Arya's voice rose in agitation and more than a hint of guilt. "She's made a run for it!"
Robb frowned. "Perhaps she's gone on a wander."
"All night?" Arya said sceptically. "No Robb, she's gone from the castle and Mother and Father return from White Harbour soon. What do we tell them?"
His face fell in disbelief, registering what his younger sister was frantically trying to tell him. "You're serious, aren't you?
"Of course I am! D'ye think this is something I would joke about? She's run away!"
Robb scratched his fiery curls. It was far too early in the morning for this. Theon had sloped off to town again. He had discouraged him from following him for a revel, merely hinting that he was busy courting some girl. Robb suspected that this dalliance was a little more serious than usual but Theon refused to confide in him- he had got very secretive of late.
"Alright, Squirrel, let's have a look for myself." he said, shaking his head.
"She's gone missing." Robb was forced to report to his father. He couldn't believe his sister, his pretty proper lady of a sister had run off in the night with his best friend Theon, arya had reluctantl suggested. Had she lost her mind?
Ned couldn't believe it. Where could she have gone?
"She must have disappeared in the middle of the night. She was gone by next morning."
"It's even worse, Sir." Jory didn't want to be the one who had to break it to his lord but he had to know the truth, before the Lannisters came up roaring hellfire and demanding heads roll for the insult.
"How could it be even worse, Jory? My daughter is missing! She could be in danger, hurt, alone-"
"Where could she have disappeared to?" cried Cat.
Jory's honest face twisted into an awkward expression. "Theon Greyjoy is missing as well, my Lord. Hasn't been seen not even in Winter Town all day."
Cat looked at Jory in alarm, her fair face falling in dismay. "Theon? He's not here?"
Jory was forced to shake his head. "No, Ma'am, not a trace of him."
"He might still be underneath some whore in Winter Town. you know what that lad is like." Ned said, hoping against hope it was true and that the unthinkable had not just happened. His ward, son of his enemy Balon Greyjoy had just stolen off with his pride and joy. When he got his hands on the lad he was going to kill him. Slowly. With his bare hands! No wonder he had stammered so guiltily as he asked to court her. Ned went cold at the thought.
How long has he been pursuing her? Months? Years?
And this was going on right underneath our noses and we had not the slightest idea?
"You're sure about this?" Cat had gone white at the lips. This was a nightmare. Not her sweet daughter, in the hands of that dreadful boy? "That they've disappeared together?"
Maester Luwin sighed. "No one has seen hide nor hair of the pair of them. I'm terribly sorry, my Lady, but what other conclusion can we come to?-"
Jory agreed with the maester. "I would say that they had gone missing together. That's the only logical conclusion, m'lord?"
Ned sighed, looking years older all of a sudden. "Send out a search party far and wide. Do not rest until you've found the lass."
"She's very distinctive." Jory said, trying to be of some comfort. "-she can't have gone far, m'lord. We'll find Miss Sansa, I promise you."
Ned sighed. "I'm coming with you-"
"Ned!" Cat wrung her hands. "It's the dead of night."
"She has to be found. Tonight." Ned got up keen to be doing something, anything to bring back his girl.
"We searched all the way to the border of the Bolton lands and the White Knife. We lost all trace of them there."
"The forest-" Ned hoped they hadn't gone through there. Theon's woodcraft was as good as theirs and if he'd taken her through the Wolfswood, it would be harder for them to track the guilty pair down.
Cat stayed up all night waiting anxiously for a sign of her husband or her daughter. It was nearly noon when a weary Ned made his way back to Winterfell without any sign of the girl.
"Did you have any luck? Ned?" He shook his head, looking like he was about to drop. "I'm sorry, Cat. Not a damned sign. We'll have to widen the search-" Cat and Robb swopped a worried glance. If they prolonged and widened the search for Sansa they would not be able to keep it a secret any more. Before long, every family in the North would know their shame and the Royal family were still touring in the area visiting their vassals. How long before the news filtered through to them?
"We have to keep on. We don't have a choice."
"There's a raven from Ser Jason. I wonder what he could want?" Cat observed that morning as they received messages from the outside world.
Despite himself, Ned felt a spark of hope. "D'ye think he has any news of them?
"Seagard is near to the coast." Cat reasoned.
"All they would have had to do is get a ship across Ironman's Bay and they would have been out of our reach." the knowledge that Sansa and Theon had got so far, that they were determined to take this as far as they had was a distinct worry.
Cat looked hopefully at her husband, both keyed up and anxious. "Let's open it and find out."
Ned scanned the parchment, hope dawning on his stern face. Cat didn't dare to hope, but things looked promising.
"Ned? What did Ser Jason say?"
Ned smiled with relief for the first time since their daughter had disappeared. "Thanks the Gods they're still on the mainland. They've been found!"
"I would have thought that they would have attempted to make their way to the Isles. Once they got to his homeland it would have been near impossible to get them back." Cat thought it through.
"I suspect that was what they were planning to do, only the couple ran out of funds. By all accounts they work-"
Cat was outraged at the thought. "My daughter, working!"
Ned took charge, changing his strategy in the light of the new information they'd received. "We'll tell Ser Jason to keep a discreet eye on them. If they realise they are being watched they might attempt to flee again. If they do, we might never find them."
As soon as Ser Jason arrived at Winterfell to report his findings Ned and Cat were eager to question him as to Sansa and Theon's whereabouts.
"You say they live as man and wife, Ser Jason?" Ned questioned as they gathered in his office.
"Aye Ned, that's what my informant tells me. I have men keeping a close eye on them but so far they seem to be staying where they are."
"He's dishonoured her, he must have dishonoured her. I'm going to wring his neck. I swear it!" Cat muttered with a positively murderous look. She paced fretting about the whereabouts of her child.
"Aye, they share a humble room at the 'Trout and Boots' in Seagard town. She works at the inn and takes in a bit of fine sewing and he's a jobbing labourer on the docks. My informant tells me they seem very much in love."
Ned knew it then; the lad had seduced his girl. He was living in sin with the lass, probably debauching her nightly. There was no way they would be able to hush this up.
"Thank you for telling us what you know Ser Jason, and for hurrying here to tell us what you know-" Ned said. "Jory and I will return with you to apprehend them and bring them back before any more damage is done."
"I have always been a loyal bannerman to you and yours, Ned. Pray the Gods Sansa is found and brought back safe to you."
As soon as they had received word of the runaways from Ser Jason, Ned and Jory sent a party to fetch them back as soon as possible.
"We must make all possible speed just in case."
"But what if the couple flee, m'lord?"
"Ser Jason has spread the word through the docks. They won't get a passage across Ironman's Bay now, not for a thousand dragons."
Ned groaned as soon as his men left him alone with Cat.
Theon had been known throughout Winterfell for many moons for his skirt-chasing ways and debauchery. He had often suspected the Miller's sons might be his though the woman had never admitted to it, even under scrutiny.
He hadn't put a stop to it at the time, reasoning to himself that if he was tupping every lass who let herself be dazzled by his silver tongue, dark handsome looks and cocky arrogant smile, at least he wasn't planning their slow painful deaths or stealing anything not nailed down. He was a young lad, perhaps he just needed to sow some wild oats.
Perhaps he should have expected some trouble from a Greyjoy, but he had never dreamed that it would involve his daughter.
"What are we going to do?" Cat fretted. "How are we going to explain this to his Grace and his family? They're on their way now as we speak. What are we going to do?"
"She can't marry him now. It's impossible. And this isn't the type of thing we're going to be able to hush up. Too many people know the truth now."
How long before people started to talk, and come to the wrong conclusion? Damn Theon and his pursuit of the girl! They should have paid more attention. Nipped anything untoward in the bud before something like this happened. He remembered that dance they'd shared, the closeness of their embrace as she'd looked up at Theon all adoringly, the slide of his hand on the small of her back. I should not have given the lad the benefit of the doubt. I should have listened to my gut. Never trust a Greyjoy isn't that what they say?
"How could she have done this?" Cat looked bewildered. "She was always such a good girl. Never gave Septa Mordane a moment's trouble. Always so sweet and biddable. And she knew her duty, I assure you."
"I don't know, Cat but I promise that I'll get to the bottom of this." Ned tried to comfort his wife. "I promise we'll get her back."
Back at Winterfell
Sansa was having to face her mother, father and Robb to explain her conduct. She quailed at the thought of the disappointment and anger she would face but she had to be firm. Theon was depending on her. She couldn't give up on them.
"Tell me why I should not have his head, Sansa? He stole you away. He dishonoured you!" Ned said.
Sansa had never seen her father so furious with her. She had to stand her ground, no matter how angry he was with her. "He didn't dishonour me. "
He shook his head. "Do you expect anyone to believe that, Sansa? You ran away with him. You threw away your reputation on a worthless boy."
Her chin lifted up. "He isn't worthless. He cares for me, I know it. He loves me, as I love him-"
"Oh, Sansa." Ned shook his head, a sad expression on his face which made her feel even worse. He was genuinely disappointed with her. She had let him down. But she'd had no choice, and she would do it again if that was what it took to stop the marriage to Joffrey.
"Did he threaten you? Coerce you into doing something so out of character? That's the only explanation I can think of." Her mother asked, her voice tight with anxiety. Cat had large dark circles under her eyes which made Sansa feel terribly guilty inside. They were probably worrying themselves sick as to where she was.
If only I could make them understand I had no other option. Not with Joffrey on his way back here, ready to demand her hand in marriage. She recoiled at the thought.
"He didn't force me." Sansa insisted. "You've got it all wrong."
"You know what type of a man he is. A wencher, a drunkard? He's a Greyjoy. How can you want to ally yourself with that?" Cat's voice was bitter with disgust and disappointment. "A no good reaver from a family of savage brutes."
Sansa knew it wasn't sensible, not when he was in such disgrace, but she couldn't let that injustice slide. "How can you say that about him. Do you think he asked to be sent here? To live in our halls?"
"That was the price of Balon's rebellion." Ned started feeling out of sorts. "I took him as a ward as surety for Balon's good behaviour and I thought it actually worked."
"How is that Theon's fault? Why should he have to pay the price for his father's crimes?" Ned was shocked. His sweet bidable daughter talking back to him, defending her lover.
"He's got you seeing night as day, you don't know what you're talking about. He's no good for you-" Cat shook her head at her daughter.
"Please tell me that he didn't touch you."
"Nothing happened." Sansa said firmly to both of them. Robb scoffed in the background. "C'mon, this is Theon we're talking about. I don't think there's a serving wench or whore in Winter Town he hasn't tupped. He's a hound. Everyone knows this. And we're supposed to believe that he ran away with you and didn't touch you. Not even once?"
"He wouldn't, not until we were wed." Sansa told them firmly, putting that out there. No one as yet had adressed that side of the problem, almost as if they were pretending it didn't happen.
"Wed? He wanted to wed you?" Cat couldn't believe her ears. The presumption of that boy! It was just as well he wasn't in front of her right now, or she'd box his ears for that one!
"At least he had the slightest scrap of sense. I think Father would have lopped his head off if he had proof of him dishonouring you. Perhaps the situation can be salvaged-" Robb said in a rather doubtful tone of voice.
"How? She's promised to Joffrey."
Robb mused aloud, looking for a solution. "If the king released her from her vows. We could find someone to marry Sansa. All doesn't have to be lost. It's not ideal but-"
"That's the trouble." Ned said shaking his head. "The king will not release her."
"What?" Mother and son were struck silent by that.
"Prince Joffrey and Queen Cersei insist upon the wedding. They will not be thwarted, even by your disgrace."
Sansa reeled in horror. This was getting worse and worse! She'd run away from home to flee from Joffrey and his unwanted attention and now she was back in the castle and the prince was returning?
"The king and queen are all coming back here?" Cat asked faintly.
Ned looked uncomfortable, knowing this was hardly going to improve matters, yet he'd had no choice but to inform the King of the situation. "I had no choice but to send a raven to them. They're heading here as soon as possible."
TheonTheon lay in the brig, unsure of whether it was day or night. The cell was dark and deserted and he saw few people except for when one of the men came round twice daily to give him rations and empty his slops bucket. What is going to happen to me?
He had no doubt that Ned was going to punish him for absconding with his daughter.
He was probably destined for a life sentence at the Wall or exile far away.
The Starks would attempt to sweep the scandal under the carpet and marry her off the someone else, a lord who was desperate for an heir and not too fussy about where it came from.
They would never be allowed to be together.
Arya shook her head. She would have never dreamt that Sansa had it in her to be so stubborn and defy everyone. Theon must have really messed with her head, got her believing up was down and black was white. What could have happened that Sansa was so adamant she wouldn't have Joffrey at any price? I have to use my brain. Think Arya!
When she was brought back with Theon there was one question her sister flat out refused to answer: Was she still a maiden? Everyone believed her silence was evidence of Theon's guilt but what if-
Arya stopped dead in her tracks, horrified by her sudden thought.
What if it wasn't Theon who dishonoured her sister? What if it was Joffrey instead?
She resolved to try and see Theon to get the truth out of him. It was going to be harder said than done.
"Why did you seduce my sister?" Arya demanded as soon as she had let herself into the cell. She was a persistent wench and aggressive with it as well. He had no doubt that she would try to enact revenge on him. "You knew that she was gullible that she believes all those stupid tales about knights and lady-loves. It must have been so damned easy to seduce her into doing what you wanted. Was that your revenge? Shaming my sister?"
"Shaming her, what are you wittering about?" he replied with some impatience. Gods, the girl was irritating in an argument.
She glared at him. "Mother always distrusted you. She said one day you'd try and get revenge for your father's defeat."
"You prattle about things you don't understand." Theon sighed, shaking his head.
"Then what is it about if not revenge?" She challenged.
He decided to shock her with the truth. Let's see if the little wolf-maid can handle it. "Love."
She laughed at him disbelievingly.
"If you really loved her as you claim then you would leave her be."
Theon had to admit it hurt just a little that Arya didn't seem to believe that he was capable of love and tenderness. That his feelings for her sister were real and true. Everyone thinks that it is nothing but a lie and yet our love for each other is the purest truth I know.
"What lies did you tell her?"
"I told her no lies."
"Pfff! Everyone knew you were a wencher and a rake. You dallied with every serving maid in Winterfell! Why couldn't you just leave my sister alone?"
"You ruined her. What high-born man will have her now? And all for a roll in the hay you could have got from any other girl with just a smile and a wink!"
Theon thought this was mightily unfair of her to accuse him of this, considering the many nights on the run where he had desperately tried to keep his hands off Sansa. "I put my cloak around her and we said the words in front of the septon because I didn't want to despoil her."
"You did what!"
"Put my cloak round her. We are wed in the sight of your gods and men-"
Arya's mouth had been gaping open in shock. She closed it suddenly, a sceptical look on her face."I hope for your sake that you lie because my father and mother will never forgive you. I wouldn't be surprised if they sent you to the Wall for this. It's no more than you deserve!"
"Why would I lie about this? About something so important?" He asked her.
Arya hesitated, not having an answer to that. "Why did she flee? You know, don't you? Was it Joffrey?" By his silence she knew that she had hit upon the truth
"What did he do to her?" Arya demanded, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and shaking him.
"Tell me what Prince Joffrey did to my sister or so help me God-"
Theon shook his head.
"Don't you dare lie or hold back! Haven't you done enough damage? You ruined her!"
"He attacked her. There, are you happy now?" Theon burst out, stung into a revelation he didn't want to let out. He stared at her, wishing he could have taken back those words but it was too late now, the truth was out in the open.
Arya drew back in horror at his admission.
"Attacked her? How?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, making her look quite fierce.
"How do you think? I don't want to talk of this. Sansa wouldn't like it."
Theon felt the cold steel of her fine little blade against his throat. He had no doubt the little hellion would slit his throat as soon as look at him. "You're going to tell me everything. No holding back."
"I found her with Joffrey in the stable. He's lured her there and trapped, saying horrendous things to her. I don't know exactly how far it had gone, but he'd ripped her gown and pinned her down. I lost my temper and punched him. I might have kicked him in the stomach as well-"
"Why didn't you tell my parents of this?" Arya's voice rose utterly appalled by what she'd heard. "Why didn't you go straight to them? They wouldn't have forced her to marry Joffrey if they knew he was capable of this!"
She glared at him in the gloom with accusing grey eyes, as if saying, I hold you responsible for this mess.
"She asked me not to," Theon admitted, "She begged me not to say a word."
"Stupid girl," Arya muttered. "Why?"
"Because she believed it would be her word and mine against the Crown Prince and who would believe us? She was desperate not to marry Joffrey, now do you see why?"
Sansa
She wasn't imagining it. It had definitely been two moons since she had her moonblood. Sansa felt a terrible sense of dread as she tried to come to terms with it. She ought to have known. Her dresses had become a little tight round the waist and chest since she had arrived back home. Sometimes her breasts and nipples felt swollen and more sensitive. But the queasiness in the morning was the final clue to the latest development in her troubles.
What was she going to do?
If her mother or Septa Mordane found out this new development they would force her to drink tansy. She would lose her child, the only scrap of Theon she had left. She couldn't bear the thought. A child. I'm going to be a mother.
She should have known something like this would happen. Once they had gotten married they'd hardly been careful, making love every night -sometimes several times a night, and her mother's side of the family had always been famously fertile. On reflection she'd shouldn't have been remotely surprised that this would happen.
I have to see him, no matter what the danger. Somehow, I have to get past the guards and get into the brig. I must tell Theon. He has to know that he is going to be a father!
Gods help us both, what have we done?
- Jeyne tried to comfort her friend, who said little but gazed with morose eyes out of the window. Since her disappearance with Theon her freedom had been severely curtailed down to a couple of hours out of her room every day always in the company of someone else mostly her mother or Septa Mordane.
It wasn't fair. Sansa was so unhappy without him and it wasn't right to separate them now that Theon had given her his cloak. What they had done was incredibly reckless but now that Sansa had told her in secret what had happened when they had run away from Winterfell on their desperate flight there was a part of her that thought that it was a bit romantic as well.
They loved each other so much they were prepared to risk everything to be together despite the dangers. Theon looked at Sansa as if he genuinely cared for her. She knew her mistress was madly in love with him and always had been in truth, though it had taken a long time to admit it. She couldn't see a way out of their predicament and things were only going to get worse if what she suspected came to pass.
She hasn't admitted it to me just yet, but I think that she's having his child. Lord Eddard and the royal family will never forgive either of them for this!
