Sansa

Sansa for the first time since the gifts had been delivered to the solar, smiled, it was almost a smirk it was so self-satisfied. "Don't curse in the Godswood Arya" she said in mock indignation as she continued to beam at her little sister, navigating through the trees and hot pools to the Heart tree. "I was going to present him to you tonight, he has no idea that you sent for him so you can take that panicked look off." She said, noting Arya's wide eye's and open mouth.

"He's legitimized now anyway so he'll probably be betrothed before moon rise." Sansa teased as she stopped, the Heart Tree in sight she took a breath amazed at how little she felt the cold. She straightened her dress and checked the black onyx ring on her right hand. "I am to be married." She stated out loud.

"yes… that's what we're all dressed up for." Arya said only a little sarcastically. Jon and Rickon lingered behind the pair, listening intently. Pod was watching them from the tree, his face a little panicked at the sight of them all standing still, no longer walking towards him. "If you want to run we can, I know people." Arya whispered to her, Sansa wasn't entirely sure her little sister was joking, but it didn't matter because she wasn't going anywhere.

"Mother said that when she first saw father under the heart tree that's when she was sure she loved him." Sansa said almost dreamily.

"is that how you feel now?" Arya asked, not rushing her in the slightest.

"My heart feels like it might explode out of my chest" Sansa whispered as she continued to stand and stare.

"That's probably it then." Arya said with a smile "Come on now, you're going to get a cloak in a minute… unlike me who remains freezing with chafing nipples" Arya smiled and nudged her sister back into the present and away from thoughts of their parents and all the loss that went with them.

"I like that one of the last things I heard as a maid was "chafing nipples"" Sansa giggled as she walked briskly to the incredibly relieved looking group of men standing round the weeping heart tree.

The ceremony flew by, and she felt elated from start to finish. This was nothing like her other wedding, she was excited… almost breathlessly so, Podrick placed his cloak over her shoulders. It was not his families but a new one Tyrion had had commissioned for him, they had kissed and the watchers who had dared to climb up the walls and spy from there let out a cheer, the cheer rolled across Winterfell. A chant flew up of "Queen and King in the North!" as the party made its way back through the Godswood towards the Courtyard, the women heading to the great keep to change again and the men to the winter hall to drink.

"I wish I was coming with you." Podrick whispered as they approached the Godswood entrance and the cheering crowd.

"me too" she'd whispered before landing a swift peck on his cheek, the crowd who could see through the small door let out a frantic cheer, which made the queen giggle and the king blush. She heard Tyrion who was somewhere behind her say in awe "they really do have love for her."

The crowd were far less placid on exiting the gate, they threw handfuls of green pine needles over the couple "to represent fertility and endurance in winter" Agatha had told her that morning. They were un-jostled for the most part, but her guard remained a tight circle around the pair the other Starks had the wolves and Brans massive wheeled chair to part the crowd.

Sansa was carried over the stoop of the keep by Podrick, when he placed her down over the threshold and placed another kiss on her lips, the crowds of lords and small folk cheered again and Podrick was carried off in a sea of men to the Winter Hall where he'd be forced to drink a horn of ale very quickly "to represent that no matter how important the day, your husband will be in the tavern getting pissed with his friends" Coralline had said that morning with a giggle, making the rest of them laugh.

Sansa and Arya were back in the Solar, the mood between them was jovial again. Sansa felt calmer now that she was officially married… she somehow felt safer and even allowed Arya to talk her into drinking her own horn of ale 'very quickly' Lyle the servant boy ran faster than lightning without spilling a drop and handed both Queen and Princess a horn each on bended knee. "To the Queen!" Arya had shouted, Lyle, Agatha and Coralline joined the cheer and Sansa tilted her head back and managed to sink almost three quarters of the horn. She handed the rest to Agatha with a grin "here, you've been a wonderful help. Share my drink." The maid took the horn with a grin and imitated her mistresses action finishing it off.

"You better not be expecting seconds of mine Cora!" Arya laughed.

"I'd be disappointed if my mistress weren't capable of swilling a horn in a single draught!" Coralline jibed back.

Arya, true to form, necked the entire horn, belched then shouted something of equality. She did pour coralline a glass of wine which she too necked. Sansa grinned "we'll be drunk before the feast" she said breathily as Agatha lifted the heavy day dress over her head and began unlacing her corset. Lyle the serving boy was now sat on one of the small chairs smiling and listening to the chatter happily, he liked being around the ladies and their maids.

"What have you been up to little Lyle?" Arya asked him noting his little face had almost gone unnoticed in the hurry to get undressed "are you trying to catch a peak of the queens under things?"

"I've already seen 'em!" he said proudly and Sansa shrieked a laugh in return

"Lyle!" she chastised him, though Sansa enjoyed the little serving boy very much. He liked to impersonate the older wenches, swaying his bottom around, his tiny nine-year-old body bent into all sorts of funny shapes.

"Well I 'ave your Grace" he said all innocent and light "I help old Stump tooth with the laundry on a Sunday."

"So he wasn't lying then." Arya turned to Sansa with a grin, Sansa still had on under skirts a corset and a vest. Arya on the other hand was in nothing more than her corset and smalls, Lyle seemed entirely disinterested.

"I'll tell you a secret!" he said to Arya with wonder in his eyes.

"Go on then." Arya said walking closer.

"can I get a plum?" he asked, Sansa allowed Agatha to let her hair down for a spell as she watched the little serving boy and her sister at play.

"I'll give you two if it's a really good secret!" Arya lifted a box from the table and wiggled her eyebrows at the boy, opening the box a crack to let him see the sugared plums inside.

"I've been helping your friend get ready" Lyle responded eagerly.

"What friend?"

"The handsome Lord with the big arms! All the girls in the castle think he's the boars tusk. He likes me so he does, he talks to me… he's not like a proper Lord!" the boy squeaked excitedly "He's been asking all sorts about you all day. I only told him the good stuff."

"What kind of stuff has he asked?" Arya, for the first time in Sansa's eyes looked like a maid, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she stood in her finest small things, with silk bows and ruffles.

"Where you've been, who you were with, what you do all day, who you do it with… that sort of thing, but like I said Your Grace I told him only nice things, none of the bad stuff." Sansa liked little Lyle, he had a knack for engaging his betters and his elders without being tiresome.

"What's the bad stuff?" Arya asked withholding the sugar plums.

"Your odour and demeanour for starters your grace… but not today, you smell lovely today princess. How lucky for Lord Gendry!" He giggled and reached out his hands. Sansa could not contain the bubbles of laughter at her sisters face, bested by a little boy.

"Give him the whole box, that was a mummer's farce of the highest order!" Sansa clapped her hands with delight as Arya slowly handed the box of plums to the boy, pulling it away a few times when he reached for it.

"If I'd known we already had an entertainer in the castle, I wouldn't have sent for a fool." Arya smiled at the boy.

"be off with you Lyle, I don't want you telling the castle you've seen the queen naked." Sansa said with a wave of her hand at the puckish boy.

"as you wish M'Grace!" he bowed low and scurried off to enjoy his sugared plums in some dark corner.

Sansa was re-corseted, her smalls changed and her hand sewn gown pulled on, the dress she had made for the feast was a less modest than her day dress, the tops of her breasts were visible over the 'V' of the bodice, long flowing sleeves hung from her shoulders, the skirt a cascade of grey silks with wolves and flowers embroidered down the front in white thread. Her hair was tied back up after much debate, Agatha won out after she insisted her neck was too beautiful to hide tonight. She hadn't paid attention to Arya and her maid, not until Arya spun into her line of vision and asked "any thoughts?"

Perhaps it was because Arya so often dressed like her father, or perhaps it was that she rarely looked this clean, but it seemed almost shocking to Sansa to see her little sister stood before her looking like a woman. Coralline had put her mistress in a dress which had been sent from an anonymous patron in Braavos, the finest blue lace ran from her clavicle all the way down to her toes, two flowing sleeves were attached with gold hoops, gold threads embroidered the lace in a meandering vine round her hips and down her legs. The garment, which would not look out of place in the free cities fastened behind her neck with a thin gold chain. three rows of blue ribbon wrapped around her bare back and were tied in beautiful bows holding the lace front to her chest but leaving swathes of her skin visible right down to her lower back where the skirts began, the lace with the gold embroidery ran straight from waist to toe, thinning on the lower half so the silhouette of her legs was visible. Sansa struggled to find words, it was beautiful but unlike anything she'd ever seen. The dress made her sister's usually hard small body seem soft and long.

"You look beautiful." She said honestly.

"If I'm going to look ridiculous, I might as well do it in style." Arya murmured self-consciously patting down the skirts, even her hair looked lovely, a long plait with gold thread which hung down her back.

"You don't look ridiculous. I cannot guarantee Jon will not force you into a cloak." Sansa laughed as she stood and prepared to walk the short distance to Winters Hall "the crowd should have thinned, there's a pit roast and mead at all of the gates" Sansa called the wolves to her side and moved to the door, when she pushed it open she was slightly shocked to see Sandor, though she shouldn't have been.

"finally" the old hound grumped as she exited the room and headed, with excitement and trepidation to her wedding feast.