Sansa

Sansa was awakened the next morning by a maid pouring warm water into the jug by her washbasin. The maid was a slender girl with dark hair and eyes. When she noticed Sansa was awake she smiled warmly.

"Good morning, miss" she said, curtsying neatly.

Sansa was surprised to hear her thick, foreign accent. She sat up in her bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "'morning" she mumbled sleepily.

The maid smile widened and she moved closer to help her out of the bed.

"My name is Shae, I am to be your hand maid" she said as Sansa stood.

"Oh, I didn't know I would get a hand maid, well it's nice to make your acquaintance" she said, smiling sleepily.

"I've never been a maid before; Mr Clegane never has had a lady to the house…" Shae admitted, a blush lighting her cheeks prettily.

"That's alright; I've never had a maid before."

Shae grinned at Sansa then. Sansa went to her washbasin and washed her face and neck, grateful for the water's warmth after her groggy awakening. When she was done, she turned to find Shae watching her expectantly.

"Um, can you help me get dressed?" she asked, the maid nodded and went to the wardrobe, throwing the doors open and studying it's contents.

"What would you like to wear, ma'am?"

Sansa grimaced at the name she had heard servants call her mother all her life, "please, call me Sansa."

Shae smiled over her shoulder at her, "Sansa then, what would you like to wear?"

"Something simple and warm."

Shae selected a lovely pale blue dress with silk roses sewn into the neckline and bodice. The sleeves were long and the skirt floaty. She helped Sansa change into her smallclothes, chemise, corset and a white petticoat. The blue dress was next, Sansa held onto Shae's shoulder as she stepped into it, gathering her petticoat around her as Shae pulled the fabric up and over her, Sansa slipping her arms into the sleeves. Shae tied it at the back and stepped back so Sansa could admire her reflection. The dress was beautiful and fitted perfectly. She twirled and giggled when the skirts flew out all around her.

Then she sat down at her vanity and Shae brushed her long hair, remarking on its beauty.

Sansa stared wistfully in the mirror all the while, lost in thought. Then she blurted out a question had had been hanging in her mind since Shae told her of her lack of experience in being a maid.

"Do you know Mr. Clegane well?"

Shae's hands did not stop in brushing her hair, "He usually doesn't spend much time here, he prefers the company of the Lannisters and Baratheons – I think he is lonely. But this place holds sad memories for him.

Sansa nodded at her reflection, he had lost his parents and beloved sister here, and his burns that had been inflicted by the wrath of his brother. It would be difficult for him to spend time here.

"What does the master like to do? In his spare time, what could I suggest to him for us to do together that he would enjoy?"

Shae thought for a while, her hands stilling in Sansa's hair, "Well…he likes to walk along the beach mostly, or spend time with the dogs. He rides sometimes, mostly he visits his si…um, the beach, yes that's probably his favorite."

Sansa had wanted to go to the beach since the moment she stepped out the carriage and smelled the sea air, heard the waves crashing away down below.

"That sounds wonderful; a walk along the beach. I can't wait to see it!"

"you have never seen the sea before?" Shae asked, shocked.

Sansa blushed, "I've lived in Winterfell my entire life, and I've never traveled very far."

"huh, I'd never thought of that. I suppose since I've seen it all my life I'd take it for granted that I get to be near it - travelled on it too."

Sansa was going to ask her where she came from but a knock at the door at that moment interrupted them, a voice spoke from behind the door telling them breakfast was being served.

Shae pulled two strands of hair behind her head and secured it there with a few pins, showing her with a mirror that she had twisted the hair around to look like a rose.

Satisfied with her appearance, Sansa walked with Shae to the dining room.

V

Sandor's arm was there again for her to cling on to when she stumbled on a long blade of grass. She smiled up at him gratefully and righted herself. She had changed into a pair of soft brown boots for the walk down to the beach among the sand dunes. She had not expected the sand to be as…unsteady as the ground. The toes of her boots sank into the soft grain as she walked and Sandor had laughed out loud at her amazed expression in that moment.

"honestly, little bird, you'd think you had stepped in a pile of gold" he joked at her, offering her his arm when she had lost her balance.

Sansa had took it gratefully but let it go soon after she got used to the feel of the easy ground beneath her boots, until she had stumbled on the long, thick blades of sand grass. So now she clung to his arms as they neared the edge of the beach and Sansa breathed, quite grateful when they left the long grass behind. Now it was just sand, slightly wet from the autumn rain that had fallen in the night. It was windy here but she barely felt it, wearing a black, velvet jacket and her fur lined gloves. She was going to wear a bonnet also but Shae had told her it would be windy there and she could lose it, so now her hair blew free about her face in the wind, glinting red in the sunlight that filtered through the clouds.

She grinned back at Sandor who walked behind her, clad all in black and grey, seemingly unaffected by the cold. His dark hair flew in all directions in the wind and his scarred cheek twitched at her smile.

But it turned to a grimace when she felt the annoying rub of sand within her boots. She looked down at them, lifting her skirts to glare at them. She then proceeded to kick them off, her small stockings too and discarded them at her bewildered husband's feet, squealing in delight when the freezing, wet, grains of sand were beneath her bare feet.

She pulled her skirts to above her ankles – throwing her usual propriety to the wind. She was only with her husband after all, he would see her her entire life – she was allowed to be a little wild every now and then. Heaven knows Arya got away with it often enough!

She stood, ankle deep in the freezing cold water, squealing happily and grinning from ear to ear at him, holding her skirts up in each hand.

He was grinning back at her, that look back in his face.

"It's freezing!" she shouted to him over the crashing waves around them, laughing at loud as one rushed through her legs making her lose balance for a moment.

"it's autumn! Come back you're going to catch a cold, little bird!" he shouted back, but he was still grinning.

Another wave rushed through her legs – stronger than the last making her lose her balance completely and she dropped her skirts, arms flailing as she toppled backwards.

And strong arms came around her, hoisting her up out of the water. She wrapped her arms around Sandor's neck, laughing at his expression.

"You saved me!"

"And now I'm soaked!" he said, grinning when he saw she was ok, turning and carrying her back to shore.

He set her down on her feet again, the bottom of her skirt was soaked to her shins and her hair whipped around her face in the wind. She grinned like a little boy with a new toy up at him and she wondered if she looked like Arya.

"Me too!" she sang, bursting into laughter and he along with her.

The barrier was down. They were even better than before, she realized. They were laughing, being free and having fun. Sansa felt better than she had in a long, long time. And she was very glad for it.

V

"It's wonderful seeing him smile again, it's been too long," Babs said to Shae wistfully as they watched the two forms running along the beach. Even from the house, they could hear the peals of laughter coming from them.

"She is good for him," Shae said, folding her arms in front of her and smiling, "they really do love each other."

Babs chuckled softly, "let us hope in time they will realize that" she said, smiling her friendly smile and turning from the window to continue her work.

Shae continued to watch the couple until they began their walk back and her smile widened when they neared the house, hand in hand, smiles plastering their faces.

V