Well, well here's the next chapter. Originally, I intended this story just to be a superficial carrier for a porn heavy plot, but the more I write for this story, the more I enjoy turning this into a sappy, corny, fluffy romance.

Late in the evening Sansa sat in her study contemplating about the past weeks, five weeks ago Lord Gwayne Massey had entered Winterfell after rescuing Mira Forrester. She had questioned Mira Forrester, a Septa with Lady Cerwyn as witness had questioned Mira, a quick conclusion had been reached, Rickard Morgyn had forced Mira into a marriage through treachery, trickery, and conspiracy with the Lannisters as well as the Boltons. But she had decided not to judge him, due to the intimate nature of Morgyn's crimes she had decided to send him to Ironrath as a prisoner giving Lord Forrester her explicit consent to punish him as he saw fit. Mira had also been sent to Ironrath, Sansa hoped that with the help of her family, inside her ancestral home, she would someday find peace and happiness again, growing past the horrors of her first marriage.

As she thought about the rescue of Mira Forrester she let her thoughts wander to Lord Massey. She couldn't help but smile when thinking of him, he had been quite the addition to her court making her work as queen a lot more lively. In her opinion he was quite the ambitious man, but in a good way, if everything would work like he wished she was sure he would transform Winterfell into a second Oldtown. She found it quite charming when he passionately talked about how he wanted to improve the small folk's circumstance of living, the trade, the streets and the general infrastructure. His speeches and ideas almost always went beyond of what was required from him as a stand-in for the Master of Ships; but she gladly let him talk, even more so when he was opposing Lord Glover. On more than one occasion Lord Massey had showed that he had a much better understanding of finances and developing the land, as well as the problems of the farmers and workers, than Lord Glover. Everybody that had witnessed a discussion between Lord Glover and Lord Massey knew, that Lord Glover was only at court, because the power he was holding kept the more rebellious minor Lords, that still opposed to be ruled by Queen, at bay.

So far Lord Massey had stayed true to his word and had been absolutely loyal towards her and House Stark, he had even defended her, verbally, at court with a fierce speech when a cousin of Lord Glover had very harshly demanded her hand in marriage "for the greater good of the North". She still blushed a bit when she thought about how his beautiful emerald eyes, shining brightly, had looked at her while he was praising and defending her against the tasteless marriage proposal. The whole scene had caused quite the ruckus at court, Lord Thenn had been laughing hard almost falling from his chair, Lady Cerwyn had looked at her encouragingly while Lord Glover looked at her like he had seen a ghost. She had dismissed the proposal as the nonsense and still in a bit of awe from Lord Massey's speech had berated him much less than she should have.

Another thing that made her think fondly of him was his valuable help to prepare the tournament that she was hosting. Realizing that Lord Glover was more like a millstone around the neck when planing the event; she had asked Lord Massey to join her in her study under the pretence of wanting to know more about ships and overseas trading, she had instead talked with him about the organization of the tourney. He had been very helpful and able minded when thinking about how much food, for men and horses, they would need; how much room they needed in Winterfell for their noble guests and how much room they needed for the commoners in Winter town. Sansa had noticed that Lord Massey had quite the knack for numbers, more so than she had.

As she left her study towards her private chambers to retire for the night, she still thought about Lord Massey, but now it was more about his looks, his gentle smile and his absolutely beautiful eyes. When she had reached her chambers, her thoughts had caused for a comfortable to warmth to spread through her body and her stomach was fluttering pleasingly.

She looked at Meera who was dutifully strolling behind her. "Meera, dear, tomorrow I'll take a walk through the gardens and the godswood please fetch Lord Massey, after his morning meal for me, I want him to accompany me, and please be subtle about it, I don't need more rumours at court."

Meera gave her a warm smile, almost grinning, "Of course, Your Grace, I'll make sure of it."

Sansa furrowed her brows for a moment, surprised by the unexpected cheer in Meera's voice. She wished Meera a good night and went to bed.

The next morning Sansa was already on the battlements overlooking the relatively empty courtyard when Lord Massey approached her, he bowed deeply, "Your Grace, I'm here as you wished."

Sansa looked over to Meera and thanked her with a nod, "Lord Massey, thank you for coming. I have to say your speeches at court and during council have been quite interesting, I've decided to give you more chances to prove yourself, you may accompany me on my tour through Winterfell and share some of your knowledge."

His cheeks blushed nicely as he bowed again, "Your Grace, it's a pleasure, I'm honoured by your offer."

As Sansa and Lord Gwayne walked over the battlements in silence, overseeing their reconstruction, Sansa couldn't help but notice the way Lord Gwayne's eyes kept darting towards her. She decided to take the initiative and strike up a conversation.

"You know, Lord Gwayne, I never really got to thanked you publicly for rescuing Mira Forrester. It was a brave thing you did, and it meant a lot to me and the North. Therefore, tomorrow a small feast will be held and you shall take a place of honour at my right during that feast." she said while giving his arm a quick and gentle squeeze.

Lord Gwayne's cheeks turned slightly pink again, and he gave a small smile. "It was my honour, Your Grace. I would do anything to protect you, House Stark and the North."

Sansa couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach at his words. She took a deep breath and, as they reached the parts of the castle that were less populated by small folk, she decided to push the conversation further. "So, Lord Gwayne, tell me more about yourself. What do you like to do when you're not busy being a loyal vassal?"

"Your Grace," he replied eagerly. "I'm particularly fond of history books. I find it fascinating to learn about the past and how it shapes our present."

Sansa smiled. "I couldn't agree more. I think there's a lot to be learned from history, both good and bad."

Lord Gwayne nodded. "Exactly, Your Grace. And I believe it's important to understand the mistakes of the past so that we can avoid repeating them."

Sansa couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with Lord Gwayne. They spent a good amount of time on discussing their favourite historical figures and events. Sansa found herself surprised at how knowledgeable Lord Gwayne was, and she found his insights to be both intelligent and thought-provoking.

As they slowly reached the godswood, she turned to Lord Gwayne and said, "Thank you for sharing this with me, Lord Massey. I have a wonderful time discussing history with you."

Gwayne smiled warmly at her. "The pleasure is mine, Your Grace. I must say, I've never met anyone who shares my passion for history like you do."

Sansa felt a warm flush spreading across her cheeks. "I suppose we have a lot in common, then," she said with a small smile.

Lord Gwayne nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. And I hope that we can continue to explore our shared interests in the future."

After reaching the godswood, Sansa and Lord Gwayne stood in silence for a few moments, taking in the beauty of the ancient weirwood heart tree. Then, Lord Gwayne spoke up. "Is it really ok for you that I'm here with you? I don't know much about the old gods, but I guess this is a very special place for you."

She didn't answer him, instead pictures spun through her head; father, Robb, her wedding ceremony with Ramsay, the fight against the dead and Theon. She focused on herself again, she would not cry right now.

Gwayne sensed that her mood was shifting and tried to change the topic a bit, "You know, Your Grace, this place always reminds me of my family. Back in Silverhill we also have a little garden behind our keep, not nearly as big or old as this of course, when I was a boy I loved sitting in the shade of the trees reading books or telling stories to my siblings."

Sansa turned to him, regaining her composure, intrigued. "Tell me more about your family, Lord Massey. I would like to know the people who have shaped you into the man you are today."

Lord Gwayne's face softened, and he began to speak fondly of his parents; a mother who died too early, a father that never fully recovered from the loss and threw himself into the fight against the dead way too eagerly. And her told her about his younger siblings, a brother and a sister, Gareth and Aine. After their mother's death the grief and his frequent travels to Essos had made them grow apart and only now that he was the Lord he had tried to rekindle that relationship. He also spoke more about his close friendship to Ser Bedwyr, the only close friend he had; the others had fallen in the Wars of the Five Kings and the rebellion against the Boltons. As he spoke, Sansa couldn't help but feel a pang of longing for her own lost family.

"I understand how you feel, Lord Massey," she said softly. "I, too, have lost so many people I loved in the struggles of the past years. It's one of the reasons why I'm so grateful for the loyalty and support of people like you."

Lord Gwayne nodded solemnly. "I cannot imagine the pain you must have gone through, Your Grace. But I promise you this - I will always stand by you, no matter what."

Sansa looked up at him, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Gwayne. Your words mean more to me than you can know. And, you may call me Lady Stark when we are alone."

As they continued to talk, Sansa and Lord Gwayne found that they had more in common than they had ever imagined. They spoke of their shared love for their people, their respect for tradition, and their deep desire for justice and peace in the realm.

By the time they left the godswood heading towards the remnants of the glass gardens, that she desperately wanted to reconstruct, Sansa couldn't help but feel a growing sense of affection and admiration for Lord Gwayne.

As they walked through the gardens, Sansa and Lord Gwayne couldn't help but notice the progress being made on the reconstruction efforts. Amidst the rubble and debris, there were signs of new life - small shoots of grass pushing their way through the dirt, and delicate flowers beginning to bloom.

Suddenly, their attention was drawn to a particularly striking sight - a vibrant Cotton Thistle, its deep purple petals contrasting against the greenery surrounding it. Sansa let out a small gasp of awe, and Lord Gwayne couldn't help but smile at her reaction.

"Isn't it beautiful, You..r Lady Stark?" he asked, gesturing towards the flower.

Sansa nodded, still entranced. "I've never seen anything like it. It's so striking."

Lord Gwayne moved closer to her, his voice low and earnest. "You know, Lady Stark, I can't help but think that you and this Cotton Thistle have a lot in common."

Sansa raised an eyebrow in surprise. "How do you mean?"

"Well, both of you have faced great adversity," Lord Gwayne said, his gaze never leaving hers. "You've been through so much - the loss of your family, the trials of war, the machinations of those who sought to harm you. But despite it all, you've persevered. You've remained strong, and you've bloomed into something truly remarkable."

Sansa felt her cheeks grow warm under his intense gaze. "You have a way with words, Lord Gwayne."

He chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring. "Only when I'm speaking from the heart, Lady Stark. And right now, my heart is telling me that there is no one more deserving of admiration and respect than you."

Sansa felt a flutter in her chest at his words, and she couldn't help but wonder if there might be something more between them than just friendship. But for now, she simply smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with newfound appreciation.

"Thank you, Lord Massey," she said softly. "Your words mean more to me than you can know."

Falling back into a more comfortable silence, the made their way back towards the courtyard. For Sansa there was only one question left to ask, the one question she dreaded so much, How could she prevent her people from starving.

"Lord Massey, I fear we may have a famine on our hands if we do not take action soon," she said, her voice laced with worry.

Lord Massey walking a bit closer to her, his expression serious. "What do you suggest we do, Your Grace?"

"I believe we must send out more scouts to search for any supplies we may have missed, and we must also consider rationing our remaining food stores. We must also consider the possibility of trading with our southern neighbours for additional supplies." Sansa replied, her tone urgent.

"I agree, Your Grace," Lord Massey nodded. "However, we must also look for ways to increase our food production. Perhaps we could provide incentives for farmers to plant more crops.

Sansa nodded thoughtfully. "That is a good idea, but how?"

Lord Massey hesitated before speaking again. "Your Grace, I have a proposal that may help our situation. Maybe you should consider reducing their taxes if they follow a three-field system or produce more food than they need. Also, as the Queen, you could buy cattle from the south and resell it to farmers in the north for a lesser price. It would smaller the Norths finances at first but with increased food production we might be able to attract migration from the south, leading to a higher population which would increase a production and therefore more taxes. I think I have heard about such measures before in Essos. If you wish, I could research the topic to give you more information."

Sansa's eyes sparkled with hope. "Thank you, Lord Massey. This could be the solution we require. Please gather as much information as you can, I want as many options as possible available to me."

As they continued to discuss their plans for preventing the famine, Sansa couldn't help but notice how much Lord Massey's confidence and kindness made her feel at ease. Perhaps there was more to him than she had originally thought.

As they approached the end of their walk, Lord Gwayne turned to Sansa and said, "Your Grace, I must say that spending time with you like this has been the highlight of my week. I hope we can do it again sometime."

Sansa smiled warmly at him and giving his hand a squeeze as they parted. "I would like that very much, Lord Gwayne. Thank you for your company."

As they parted ways, both Sansa and Gwayne couldn't help but feel a sense of longing and desire for each other. Sansa found herself constantly thinking about Gwayne's kind eyes, his gentle touch, and his unwavering loyalty to her. She had never felt so safe and understood by a man before.

Gwayne, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about Sansa's grace and strength. Her regal presence and inner beauty had captured his heart from the moment he laid eyes on her. He felt a deep longing to protect her and to be by her side always.

In quiet moments, Sansa would find herself daydreaming about Gwayne's touch, his scent, and the way his voice made her heart flutter. And Gwayne, too, couldn't shake the image of Sansa from his mind - the way she moved, the sound of her laughter, and the depth of her wisdom.

I don't know what is wrong with me; I talk about how I'm not very fond of writing long parts of dialogue, jet I wrote another chapter with a heavy focus on dialogue.

Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you like; and I'll see you for the next chapter.