The room was bright with morning sunlight when she awoke, and as Sansa stretched and tried to get her bearings she realized that she was not in her own chambers. Hers were large and airy with a wide, soft bed and other sumptuous furnishings; this room was much smaller, with little in the way of decoration.
And she was lying on a firm bed, her back pressed against Sandor's chest.
Oh, no. Oh, no no no, she thought, panicking as she tried to extract herself from his arms. If anyone realizes I'm not in my room...if anyone finds me here...
Just then, a banging on the door roused Sandor from his sleep. At first he seemed confused about where he was, as well - or perhaps simply about why she was there - but once he understood the situation he snapped, "Fuck." The person banged on the door again, and after exchanging a dismayed look with her, Sandor growled, "What in hells is going on?"
"Clegane, it's Ser Willem. Lady Sansa has gone missing! She's not in her chambers and no one can find her!"
Sansa's heart was thudding in her chest as she looked to her right, then to her left, trying to find a place where she could hide when Sandor inevitably had to open the door for Ser Willem...but the room was a sparse one. The bed was too low to the floor, and there wasn't even a wardrobe...she had nowhere to go, and Ser Willem was becoming more insistent, pounding on the door again as he called out, "Clegane, open up, dammit, you need to come help us look for her!" Sansa reached for Sandor's hand and grabbed hold of it, her grip so tight that her knuckles went white. He took her chin between thumb and forefinger and forced her to look at him.
"This is bad, little bird," he told her.
"I know," Sansa murmured, "but wasn't it always going to happen eventually? Us getting caught, I mean? Isn't that why you pushed me away these past weeks?" It has to be why, she mused. He loves me...so why else would he have wanted so badly to avoid me?
Sandor looked uncomfortable and averted his eyes. "Aye, it was always going to happen, little bird. If we kept doing this, I mean. And now...here we are."
"Here we are," Sansa repeated, squeezing his hand. "And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, or with anyone else. We'll make them see. We'll make them understand."
"I doubt that, little bird. I doubt that very much."
"There's only one way to find out," Sansa insisted. She scrambled off the bed and straightened her robe and hair as best she could, gesturing for Sandor to stand and make himself presentable as well. Finally she strode to the door and pulled it open. "I'm right here, Ser Willem," she announced, as calmly as she could manage. Sansa saw the shock register on the young knight's face, though he quickly tried to hide it.
"Lady Sansa - I - a maidservant arrived to serve you breakfast this morning, and you were not in your chambers..." His face went red and he focused his gaze on the floor, clearly wanting to look at something, anything, other than her. Not that I can blame him, after...but no, she wouldn't think about that. There was no need. She didn't owe Ser Willem anything, and clearly she had other issues to deal with just now.
"I could not sleep last night, and as I wandered the halls I heard noises...as if someone was throwing their belongings about. Perhaps it was silly of me to follow such sounds, but I was curious...and I'm glad, in the end, that I gave in to my own curiosity, because I came upon Sandor packing as if to leave. I've spent the better part of the past several hours convincing him that he mustn't do so, of course." It wasn't entirely a lie, and not the best of stories, either - but Sansa could not forget Sandor's own insistence that she was a horrible liar. Besides, no matter her reasons it was not proper for her to be in Sandor's room with him, alone, the door shut and locked...
Luckily for her and Sandor, though, Ser Willem seemed overly inclined to believe her story - likely because he simply wanted to believe it, rather than face the idea that Sansa had fled from his arms and into Sandor's. The knight breathed what could only be a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad that we've located you, my lady. You must be exhausted - and hungry? May I escort you to your own chambers so that you can partake in a traditional Dornish breakfast?"
"Thank you, ser, but I believe that Sandor can show me to my room." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper and continued, "He owes me that much after the fright he gave me last night, threatening to leave as he did."
Ser Willem obviously didn't care for this idea, but he was too well mannered to argue his case. "Very well, my lady. I hope to see you later today?"
Sansa smiled beatifically. "Certainly - perhaps we can all sup together? I understand that Prince Doran does not want very many people to see me about this palace, so I'm afraid that you and Sandor are the only company I can keep at the moment." From behind her Sansa heard Sandor give an annoyed grunt, and when Ser Willem raised his head to glare at the other man over Sansa's shoulder she reached out and gently laid her hand on the young knight's arm, hoping to pull his attention back toward herself. "If that will be all, ser, I think I will take your advice and return to my own chambers for a bit of food and some rest. I will ask after you later, closer to the evening meal."
The handsome young man nodded reluctantly, bowed, and finally left her alone with Sandor. Sansa turned to face this man who she loved, unable to keep herself from smiling...but he was not smiling back. "That was close," he snarled in frustration - but Sansa refused to be cowed.
"It was," she agreed, "but thankfully it was only Ser Willem - "
"Only Ser Willem? Did you see the way he looked at me, little bird? If he didn't suspect something before, he sure as hells does now! We're going to have to be far more careful than this, or risk the Martells throwing you out on your pretty little arse."
"For what?" Sansa demanded. "For loving you?"
"That. And for acting on those feelings. The Martells can keep you safe, Sansa, and you can't tell me that you want to give that up!" Sandor insisted.
Sansa smiled again, and shook her head. "No, I don't want to lose the Martells' protection," she admitted, "but if it meant being with you, truly being with you, I'd leave this place in an instant. You kept me safe for quite some time; you could do so again, if need be." She reused to question this of all things; even without Sandor's declaration of love, she knew that so long as he lived he would never let any harm come to her.
"Don't be a silly little bird," Sandor spat. "You wanted to come to Dorne, and here we are. Don't tell me that now you want to leave."
"Is that what I said? No," she retorted, her hands settling on her hips in a most unladylike manner. "If we had no other choice, I'd leave - so long as I knew that you would be with me. But for as long as we're here, I plan to make the best of it." She stepped into his arms, and it was naught but a moment before he wrapped them around her and kissed the top of her head, pressing his lips there for several long moments.
"This whole thing is foolish, little bird," he mumbled into her hair. Sansa pressed her cheek against his chest and breathed in his scent, musky sweat and wine and something else that was entirely his.
"Of course it is," she replied. But I wouldn't have it any other way. "Now would you please show me back to my chambers? It's past time I had breakfast, and I may not be able to explain away my presence here a second time."
Sandor chuckled and released her. "Finally, the little bird chirps some sense."
Sansa hit his chest playfully. "Little bird, little bird," she mocked, grinning. "Why don't you call me by my name more often?"
"What, Sansa? It's not nearly as..." he trailed off.
"Amusing?"
Sandor nodded.
"I suppose you're right." She tucked her hand inside his elbow and they left his room, walking in silence for some time as Sansa tried to remember where her own chambers were located. When they finally reached them, she glanced around to make sure no one was around to see, and then gave Sandor a soft kiss on his scarred cheek. "I missed this," she whispered. "I missed us."
"As did I, Sansa," Sandor admitted. She reached up to caress his face.
"I will see you in a little while, then?" He nodded again, and with one last glance back she let herself into her room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it and hugging herself. That was a close call, she knew...
But it was so very worth it, another part of her was saying.
And Sansa smiled.