Sansa stood at the bow of the ship, watching as the Red Keep grew larger as they approached the docks of Kings Landing. Her heart had begun to pound so hard she could feel it in her throat and in her ears. She had one arm wrapped tightly around Sandor's, not wanting to be away from him while she approached the one place she feared most.
"Worry not little bird, Joffrey is not here, he cannot hurt you anymore." Sandor had leaned down and whispered the reassurance in her ear before placing a soft kiss on top of her head. Why he had done it, he wasn't entirely sure. He still fought the urge to take the girl in his arms and kiss her all over, knowing it would probably just frighten her.
Her arm tightened around his as she looked up at him and smiled, "I know, I just cannot help but be flooded by the memories of the things that happened to me here." She looked up to the castle walls, nothing had changed, it all was the same, but in a way it felt different.
She could hear the men around them working, getting the ship ready for landfall, but another noise caught her attention. Her senses had been raised since Braavos, causing her to jump at every sound. Turning her head slightly, she thought she caught sight of a small rowboat but it quickly disappeared. She tried to lean over the railing but Sandor quickly pulled her away.
"Careful little bird, we don't need ya fallin' in." He grinned slightly at her. "What are you trying to see down there?"
She looked up at him with a confused look, "I thought I saw a rowboat." She looked back down at the water, "must have been my imagination." She couldn't shake the feeling though, causing her grip on Sandor to tighten.
He looked around the water cautiously, noticing how it moved with the flow of the boat, all but in one area. "Ser Meryn!" He suddenly turned, causing Sansa's grip to fall from his arm.
Meryn walked over with a confused look to his face, "what is it?"
Sandor led him to the side of the boat and they both looked over the railing, both men quickly unsheathing their swords as Meryn shouted to his men to prepare for battle.
Sandor ran to Sansa and pulled her back inside the boat and into the Kings room. "Lock the door little bird, and do not open it for anyone but me."
She looked at him, her face full of fear, "what is it?"
"We're being boarded." Loud shouts from outside caused him to turn from her, "lock the door!" He then ran out to the deck. Sansa waited a moment until she heard the familiar sound of swords clashing, her heart sinking. The last time she heard that sound, she had lost her dearest friend. She hadn't moved to shut the door yet, she was tired of hiding, and she was tired of people fighting and dying for her.
Taking in a deep breath, Sansa slowly walked from the room to the deck of the ship, her eyes widening in horror at the number of men that had managed to get on board the ship. Her eyes roamed the chaos and found that the wooden ramp had been lowered, obviously to allow more of the men advancing onboard. Her gaze then fell on Sandor who had been fighting off two men at once, his eyes suddenly locking with hers.
"Sansa! Get inside!" He had attempted to move towards her but found more men advancing on him.
She shook her head and stepped more out into the open. Then, with a deep breath she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Enough!"
Each man had practically frozen in place at the sound of her voice, most of them stunned at the sudden appearance of the Lady. She slowly moved into the middle of the deck, her eyes moving from Ser Meryn to Sandor. "Who is in charge of this group of bandits?" She then placed her hands on her hips and looked around.
A tall man approached her, his hair dark like Sandor's, but longer. His eyes were dark as well, his face covered by a dark beard. He grinned as he approached her, "I am in charge, and we are not bandits, My Lady." He bowed slightly at her. "We were ordered to take these men into custody, and bring you into the Red Keep."
Sansa's eyes widened, her gaze turning to Sandor before returning to the mans. "Ordered, by who? King Tommen? Because I do not see you carrying a letter from him, and the King would not want any harm to come to me or my companions. So unless you are here on the King's business and have a letter to give me, then you are bandits."
The man let out a laugh, "my my, being on the road has toughened you my lady. But my orders come from elsewhere, I do not answer to King Tommen. He is too young to understand how to rule, I cannot say who my orders are from but I can assure you, no harm will come to you."
"Lies!" Sandor spit out, quickly moving to Sansa's side, placing an arm around her to pull her away from the man. "Name your master, or the Lady goes nowhere!"
Sansa placed a hand on his arm as she looked to the man. "I do not fear for my safety, it appears I am valuable to many people. I do however care for those who have protected me. I will not watch as another person dies for me for a reason I do not know!"
The man looked at Sandor, anger in his eyes. "Look around you Hound, do you not recognize any of the men here?"
Sandor looked to the men they were fighting, some faces somewhat familiar to him. "Men of the city watch, but why would they want the Lady?"
"We were hired, we still serve the city, and we will serve the Lady. But we will do what it takes to bring her to our Lord." The man then gripped his sword tightly, causing Sandor to wield his sword as well.
"Little bird, return to your room, you are not going with these men!" He then lunged at the man before Sansa could say anything more.
Suddenly each man began to fight again, Sansa directly in the middle of the fight. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked around, there was nothing she could do to stop it. She then looked up to the Red Keep, she needed to find the King, and she needed his help. Without a second thought she ran for the ramp, even after hearing the yells of Sandor and Meryn. She ran down the wooden ramp faster than she had ran in a long time, hardly taking a moment to look back at the men fighting behind her.
Once on the ground she finally stopped to look around, hoping to see an unmanned horse she could take. She heard shouts coming from the ship, turning her attention she looked up to see men running down the ramp after her. With a gasp she turned to run but crashed into another man's chest, his arms instantly wrapping around her.
"Lady Stark, I hadn't expected you to run right to me." Lord Tywin grinned as he looked down at Sansa, her eyes wide in fear as he held a firm grip on her arms.
….
Sansa paced the room she stood in, Lord Tywin had her escorted there shortly after she had ran into him. She looked around the room, she did not recognize it. She had thought he would have her taken to the tower of the Hand, since he was still Hand of the King. But this area of the Castle she was not as familiar with. She moved over to one of the large windows and looked down, she was high off the ground and knew she could not crawl out to escape. The view was not of the Blackwater like she had in her chambers, but of the opposite side of Kings Landing. The massive green lands that spread beyond the city walls.
She turned from the window, looking to the food and wine that had been prepared for her. This only frustrated her more. Tywin had been planning this for weeks it seemed, apparently he was angry with her for leaving Kings Landing and was going to make her reunite with Tyrion. She would refuse though, she knew Tyrion did not love her, he loved Shae. She slowly started to pace the room again, cursing slightly as she waited.
"Now that is no way for a Lady to act." Lord Tywin stepped through the door with a smirk on his face. "Though I can understand the frustration." He then moved to sit at the nearby table, signaling for her to join him.
Sansa crossed her arms, refusing to move as he requested. "What have you done with my friends? And why have you brought me?"
He chuckled a bit as he poured two glasses of wine, he then slowly stood, holding both glasses as he walked to her. "They are being well taken care of, they are in tower cells, not the black cells. They will be treated as guests as long as I command it." He then offered her one of the glasses with a smile.
Sansa eyed the glass then slowly took it but did not drink, "what do you want from me? You are the King's grandfather, you know that he sent for me. So why all of this?"
Tywin took a sip of his wine as he looked her over a moment, "you and I have some business we need to discuss before you visit with the King. After your quick departure from Kings Landing, I fear you left my son Tyrion broken hearted."
Sansa tilted her head slightly at his words, "Tyrion did not love me, which is no secret. I was tired of being a prisoner, can you blame me for finally seeking my freedom?"
"Of course not my dear, you are a Stark of Winterfell. The walls of the Red Keep could not contain you forever." He then returned to the table, sitting down as he watched her close. "But Winterfell is in ruin as you know, and a Lady cannot rebuild a kingdom without help."
She looked at him and slowly walked over, sitting at the table opposite of him. "I assume you are going to insist I reunite with Tyrion and we finally consummate our marriage?" She placed her glass on the table, still refusing to drink from it.
Tywin let out a laugh and shook his head, "I am afraid that ship has sailed my Lady. My son's whereabouts are unknown at this time. Though after discussions with the King, we have agreed that you are far too valuable to simply let go of."
Sansa's eyes widened, remembering what Shae had told her back on the ship. She quickly stood from the table backing away from him. "I know what you want Lord Tywin, and I can tell you know that I will refuse with every bone in my body. I am not the same scared little girl that Joffrey pushed around, and I know Tommen would never force me if I pleaded to him."
Tywin raised an eyebrow and stood when she did, following her moves to keep close to the girl. "That is why you were brought here before you were brought to the King. My grandson is young and foolish, he still believes that everyone is destined for love." He had advanced on Sansa so quickly she had found her back against the wall. He had placed a hand to each side of her head, pinning her to the spot. "I propose a deal my Lady."
Sansa's eyes widened as she looked up at him, she could not give into him, and she wouldn't. "No deal, no matter what it is!"
"Do your friends mean so little to you already?" He grinned, "And your sister, Arya?" He watched as the color faded from her face. "She did not make it to Lorath, though I did give you one kindness. The body of that whore was taken there for you. But your sister is here in the Keep as well, sitting in a prison cell alongside your companions."
He then slowly removed his hands from the wall, straightening himself as he looked at her. "I will give you the night to decide. If you agree to marry me, you will become the wealthiest woman in Westeros, our children will be heirs to Casterly Rock and Winterfell. Should you refuse, then you will sign your friends, and your sister's death warrants."
He then turned and walked from the room, leaving Sansa alone. Her legs trembling so hard she fell to the floor, tears finally falling from her eyes.
…
(((Ooh, that was a long chapter. What will Sansa do now?)))
~Huggles~