Valyrian Steel

Chapter 15

Lady of the Vale

Sansa lay back laughing against her new husband, Harrold Arryn as he told her about the first time he kissed a girl and how he had sneezed in that poor girls mouth.

"I swear the look of shock and disgust was still on her face when I rode away in humiliation. To this day I still think she married her husband out of pure horror towards me." He said laughing as he held her.

"Gods! I want to run away just hearing this." She laughed and he held her closer.

"As if I'd let you." He growled playfully near her ear.

Sansa turned and kissed him with a smile, "I'll be sure to always keep a kerchief within reach."
"You'll never let me live this down will you?"

"Never." She grinned feeling wicked.

The wedding had taken place as soon as Jon's letter had arrived. He knew she was in the Eyrie and had entrusted Harrold with her safety. The wedding was wonderful save for two problems, Jon had excused himself from the wedding which meant that Petyr had to walk her down the aisle. Her half-brother wrote that the Others had risen and Petyr chuckled and said that poor Jon had to be daft. Sansa was not so certain, Jon had always been sure minded and never given to flights of fancy. Lady Waynwood had scoffed and said that the ice had frozen his mind.

The second shadow that marred her otherwise perfect wedding was the bedding. Harrold had specifically told everyone that if any of the men tried to remove more than her shift or become too rough with her the floor would be stained with their blood. He had been drinking but no one doubted the conviction in his cold blue eyes. Petyr, whether from drink or entitlement had not listened. He groped her and whispered that he was the most jealous man in all of Westeros, that he might visit her later.

Thankfully Harrold had ensured all her belongings would be transferred to his room. Sansa looked around and wondered how she would change or bathe in front of him. Then she blushed remembering what they had been doing until recently.

For the first night he had been gentle with her though she had to admit that the pain was not as great as some women had led her to believe. It was even pleasant. The men at the wedding had deposited her in the bed wearing nothing but her shift. She had hurried under the sheets pulling them up and blushing furiously. She wasn't afraid, but she had never been around so many with so little on, and it was very cold. When the ladies had tossed Harrold in the room naked, hard and laughing Sansa had seen Myranda Royce pinch his buttock on the way in. She had pushed down her jealousy long enough to give him a nervous smile.

Harrold had returned the smile and kissed her, gently at first with great tenderness before deepening it. She had stiffened up when his hands wandered south and he backed up. Even when he was slightly drunk he was a gentleman and she loved him for it. Before he could ask if she wanted to slow down Sansa had greedily dragged his face to hers. For the first time in her life she felt powerful, this was her decision and her life.

Harrold had not been rough with her, removing her shift and kissing her gently along her neck, chest, legs, back and even… below. For once Sansa was grateful for his experience. It was embarrassing and she had tried to cover her face, but he nudged her hands away and watched her greedily as he sucked and licked her sliding a finger into her wetness and pumping slowly. Sansa had felt her head heat and forgot the cold, tilting her head back and moaning loudly. She covered her mouth as her gasps and moans increased with his pace until she cried out and arched her hips completely off the bed. Even afterwards when she was still in her afterglow he did not enter her without lapping up the moistness from her and kissing his way back up to her. She had tasted herself on his lips and knew she was probably blushing all over.

He murmured that she was beautiful, that he loved her, that he would always protect her as he eased himself into her. She bit down on his shoulder from the pain and he chuckled kissing her. "My little dire wolf" he said and he kissed her forehead. Sansa smiled at that, and kissed him urging him on by rolling her hips experimentally. He let out a groan and she felt pride and power.

"Don't want to finish too soon." Harrold said as he set the pace. He was slow at first until he finally urged him fast. He adjusted her until he knelt upright and her legs were over his shoulders. She was completely bare to him and he to her while he entered her repeatedly. The world outside disappeared and all she could hear were their heady breaths, the slap of skin against skin (something she was sure she would never become accustomed too), and his adulations. It was beginning to hurt again as he quickened his pace but it was a good hurt. His motions became more erratic and he began to rub her over that little bundle of nerves. For a moment, Sansa lost all her sense of decorum and cried out as she was blinded by something that seemed too much to bear. Her fists clutched at the sheets and she arched her back crying out his name over and over again until it felt like her wildfire had gone loose in her head and she collapsed in a boneless puddle onto the bed. Harry had pumped a few more times before emptying into her with a groan. She was still gasping for breath when he kissed her and offered her water. He looked at the blood from her maidenhead with such obvious pride that she had to laugh.

It was more than pleasant and for once Sansa felt that her life was in a happy place. Harrold had pulled her close stating that they weren't going to leave the room for a week. It was their fifth day in their room Harrold had sent Lady Waynwood away stating that they were working on an heir. They had spent the last five days and nights making love, eating and talking about their respective childhoods. One thing that bothered her was using the privy when he was still in the room but Harrold had only laughed and said that the door was enough to keep the mystery alive.

"Didn't you tell me your sister had shoved sheep shit in your bed once? You should be more embarrassed about that. I've taken my fair amount of trips to the privy but I've never slept on sheep dung."

"There are some things you should never see a lady do, or acknowledge." Sansa admonished him as he kissed her shoulder running his hands along her thighs.

"Well would one of those thing be watching a lady ride me until I was certain I would go to the grave with a leer on my face and a tent in my britches?" He murmured nibbling her lobe. "Or what of a lady who bites and claws at my back howling like a she wolf, begging me to fuck her harder?" His hands slipped into her small clothes as he fingered her while she struggled. "Because I am certain I've seen a certain lady do these things. I'm also certain I'll see her do this again very soon."

Sansa struggled "If you don't behave you can be certain that will never happen." She said with a pout.

Harrold pulled his fingers away showed her how wet she had gotten, "Are you sure?" he smiled wickedly as he licked his fingers clean of her.

She kissed him hungrily and they were about to start again when a knock sounded at their door. Harrold let out a frustrated groan as he bent Sansa over drawing her rear up to face his hips.

"Leave the food and blankets by the door!" he yelled entering her wriggling body. Sansa bit the pillow beneath her and urged her hips back further.

"My lord, there is a letter for the Lady Arryn." The servant called out nervously, Harrold hated interruptions.

"Slide it under the door." He called out as he pumped into her reaching around and rubbing at that spot she loved. She pushed her rear back farther into him and he gave her a playful pinch.

"My Lord, Petyr Baelish and Lady Waynwood insist that it is very urgent."

"This is very urgent" Harrold emphasized as Sansa knelt upright and snaked her hand into his hair and turned her head to kiss him. He reached forward grabbing her breasts and stabilizing her position as he rammed into her.

"It's from Daenerys Targaryen," That gave Sansa pause but Harrold did not slow instead flipping her over so he could face her and picking her up and placing her against a wall. The cold stone made her cry out but he muffled the sound with his lips. She wrapped her legs around him and trusted her would not drop her. He brought her over the edge crying out into his lips as the servant continued. Harrold finally came and set her down with a cocky grin.

"What was that last part?" She asked hoping that she did not sound too breathless.

"There is another signature on the letter my lady, Lord Petyr told me you would want it immediately. My Lady…it's Arya Stark." Sansa shoved Harrold away snatched the robe on a chair and wrapped it quickly around herself. She flung the door open ignoring her husband's naked protests and snatched the letter from the servant. The four seals were unbroken, Targaryen, Lannister, office of the Kings guard and the Stark's dire wolf. On the other side was the signature of Ser Barristan Selmy, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister and messily scrawled was her sisters name. Sansa rushed back into the bedroom and grabbed one of the daggers on the bedside table. She carefully worked it so that she would not break the seals, especially the direwolf. Her hands shook from nerves towards the end and she cut herself. Harrold had pulled on some britches and inhaled when he saw the blood flow freely from her hand. The cut had been deep and Sansa held her hand out so she would not stain the letter. Harry grabbed a clean washcloth and held it to her hand calling for a maester while she tried to open the letter with one hand.

"Calm down, let me." He said kindly but she could not look at him, could not let him see her desperation. There was already one false Arya, why not another? This Arya's letters were still messy, not because she did not know how to write, she just never cared for the flourishes that Septa Mordane had taught them.

She read, scanning through the perfect penmanship of Daenerys Targaryen telling a story of how she kept Arya in the employ of her courtesan cousin the Black Pearl in Braavos as a handmaiden. The Dragon Queen asked that Sansa present herself at the Whispers in a month's time to prove her identity and that of her sister to the lords of the North, Riverlands, Reach, Dorn and the Vale. Sansa tossed the page aside to dissect later and focused on the second page. Tyrion sent his greetings and told her that he had found his first wife so she did not have to worry about him interfering with her new marriage. He also guaranteed that her sister was alive and well. Ser Barristan wrote that he believed the girl to be the real Arya Stark and that he hoped their reunion would be a happy one. He apologized for not helping her father and for her loss.

Finally the fourth page held the scrawled messy writings of her sister.

It's me, sorry about your dress. I saw you that day at the sept of Baelor. Why were you smiling, you knew they were lies? Syrio, my dancing master helped me escape. I would have saved you from Joffrey but someone took me away. Nymeria and I will be at the Whispers. The Dragon Queen wants me to wear a dress and a crown. I'll just wear one made of leaves and mud, if I can find any.

Sansa collapsed laughing and crying at the same time clutching the letter to her chest and reading it over and over again. It was her, it had to be. No one else would be so belligerent. Harrold held her and she clutched on to him.

"It's her, It's her." She sobbed holding the letter up to him. He wrapped her hand and read the letter she held up.

"Based on your stories I'd say you're right. But let me finish with your hand. You need stitches."

"We have to go, I need to see her. I need. I need." The maester appeared and offered her sweet sleep but she pushed it away and held out her hand for him to stitch. Maester Coleman stitched her hand and she laid out all the letters for Harrold to read. All she could see were Arya's words.

Maester Coleman finished stitching her hand and smiled kindly at her. "Lord Baelish, Lady Waynwood and Lord Royce are waiting for you in the dining hall."

Sansa nodded and called for a bath for her and her husband to wash the smell of sex off the both of them. Harry helped her clean her body so she would not get the bandages wet. His touch warmed her in a different way when he kissed her shoulder and brushed her hair back. They were sharing a tub and he was not trying to bed her even though he was hard and she was naked. Instead he calmed her down by holding her in the warm water and telling her the story of his first falcon who shat on him the first day he took her for a hunt. Sansa smiled and leaned her head back to kiss him.

"I know I said it's probably her, gods know that no one pretending to be a lady would write like that, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. You'll be hurt, it will be like losing her again." He held her tight letting the scented oils soak into their skin.

"I know all that, but it's her. She knew about the dress, she saw my father's confession and his beheading." Sansa laughed, "Of course she would present herself to half the realm in leaves and mud. It's her."

Harry kissed her forehead, "We'll go. I should meet your family and Dragons I'd like to meet a dragon."

"Hopefully it won't crap on you." Sansa added with a grin making Harry chortle.

He kissed her then helped her out of the tub. They dried themselves off and dressed themselves in suitable attire. Harry helped her with her laces, her bandages were cumbersome, and held his arm out for her. He kissed her deeply and gave her a supportive smile.

"For luck."

Sansa leaned against him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

)O(

The meeting went well given that everyone had agreed that Sansa and Harry should go and meet the Dragon Queen. Everyone remembered the story of Visenya flying her dragon up to the Eyrie, ignoring all the gates. Not to mention if Sansa did not attend the meeting her legitimacy would come into question. Harrold insisted on a large host to accompany them to the Saltpans since the mountain clans were desperate for resources and would surely attack. It took a week to get their resources prepared but when they finally set off Sansa rode in the front with her husband. Along the way she heard the call of wolves carried by the wind.