When Sansa finally opened her eyes, Sandor couldn't resist quoting one of her pleasantries. "I am truly delighted by your arrival."

"What?" She was breathless and flushed.

"It's what you told me earlier. It means that I'm glad you came." He was satisfied with his accomplishment, and stood back a few paces to fully appreciate the sight of her.

"Oh!" She was suddenly shy and nervous, flushing turning to blushing. She pulled up the shoulders of her gown, pulled down the hem, and smoothed her hair away from her face.

He was fully aroused, and began adjusting his sizable erection.

She reached nervously for his arm. "Is there some way that I can please you?"

Every inch of him screamed, "Yes!" So, he was absolutely astonished when he heard himself say, "Not tonight."

Her words were halting, and her question sincere. "Is it . . . is it only my maidenhead that would satisfy you?"

He understood what she was asking. "No. There are ways to please me without taking you." He assured her.

She was still genuine but faltering in her speech. "Could I? Could I try? Would you show me how?" He watched her in silence for a moment, trying to interpret her behavior. Was she motivated by desire or obligation? There was such intense passion in her eyes while he pleasured her that just the memory of that look made his manhood twinge.

Then, he remembered her hesitation on the terrace. A different memory awakened, one of little Tommen chasing birds in the courtyard at King's Landing. The boy would creep quietly and gently, with so much painful patience, trying make himself a familiar part of their environment, so much work to gain their trust. His tiny face revealed his delight when he finally had the bird eating from his hand, but the smallest twitch of that excited hand would inevitably cause the bird to flee in fear.

So, Sandor excused, "I think this has been enough getting to know you as a betrothed for one night."

She answered with a deep inhale followed by a deeper exhale. A mix of disappointment and relief? He couldn't read the peculiar look on her face.

"Go get cleaned up, girl. You promised me a walk by the sea. I didn't take my boots off for nothing."

Her smile returned, and she kissed him quickly as she hopped down from the table, convincing him that he'd judged rightly in exercising caution. He considered hurrying up to his room to quickly remedy the ache in his groin, but he decided against it, thinking on his earlier encounter with Kellan. His difficulty had dwindled by the time a glowing Sansa returned to the dining room.

He opened the terrace door for her and offered her his arm. She trustingly smiled up at him, and he led her down to the shore. "Most people love the sea, but I love the sand. When I am lonely for home, I imagine that it's all snow and that I'm back in Winterfell." Then carefully, she asked, "Do you ever miss your home?"

"No. Clegane Keep is a somber place full of bad memories. I'm glad to be rid of it, glad that the money will be used to help your people."

"They would be your people, too. You could learn to love the North. It would be a fresh start."

"You are reborn, and this new life is your gift from the Mother." He heard the Elder Brother's words again in his head. I promised her that I would go back with her, either to a cottage in the North woods alone or to the Dreadfort as her husband. North will be my new home, either way.

"Today, when Arya and I were alone, she told me that Bran would like to see the sharp, stone teeth merlons of the Dreadfort come to be known as the jaws of the Wolfhound." She giggled.

He was encouraged. Wolf-hound? You Starks will need a hound to breed with for that.

"Its name would need to be changed from 'Dreadfort.' What an awful title! Though, truly the Boltons were utterly detestable people, and I'm not sorry to see the end of their line." She confessed. "The torture chambers are being purged, and the metal found within is all being sent to the armorers to be re-forged into weapons to protect the North. There are few young, strong men left to wield those weapons, and even fewer capable of training the younger men properly and leading them."

"You need not convince me. I told you I'll go North, to a cottage in the North woods or to the Dreadfort, whichever you choose for me. I'll train your men, do whatever you need."

"The population has diminished, and many of the remaining are old, sick, or merely children. There are very few births." She paused as if she was waiting for a response to an understood question, but when he didn't answer, she asked pointedly. "Do you want children?"

The question caught him unprepared. "I never expected to be a father, never really thought it possible."

She was suddenly concerned. "Have you injured some necessary element?"

He almost laughed. She's worried that I held back because I can't perform, that there's more damage to accompany the scars she saw. "No. My elements work fine."

"Thank the gods!" Her intense relief amused him. "Have you had many lovers?"

Bold question, Little bird. "Lovers? No. None but you. Whores, a few."

"Did they please you?"

"Whores do what they're paid to do. No more. As you have learned, there are limits to what coin can purchase."

"Do you think I could ever please you?"

"Yes." He said it with certainty.

"What you did to me earlier, how many women have you done that to?"

"None but you."

She stopped walking, and turned to look him in the eyes. "Truly?"

"Aye."

"Will you ask me now why I stared into your eyes while we . . .?"

He spared her the need to label the action. "Why?"

"You insisted that I look at you on the night of the Hand's Tourney and the night of the battle. When I closed my eyes in my room that night, you never kissed me. You left me. And though I recall that kiss so clearly, it was a merely a well-remembered dream. I needed to keep my eyes open to assure myself that it was real this time, that it was no dream. I needed you to see me looking at you, to know that it was no other man's face I was picturing in your stead. I need you to not leave me this time, Sandor." She reached up and cupped his face in both her hands. "I needed to answer, for both of us, the question you asked me earlier: if this is what I want above me each night in the marriage bed. My answer is, 'Yes'."