Author's Notes: Hey everyone, glad that you liked the last one, hope that you like this one as well, as always I own nothing.
Sansa left White Harbor for Winterfell that same day, she would have preferred to rest and recover from her voyage but the King was insistent and so she went. In addition to Maester Wolkan she was also accompanied by Sir Massey and Sir Gerald Gower, another of the King's knights who was said to have fought with great valor at the Battle of Blackwater. Despite the fact that they were both sworn to the King there seemed to be some antagonism between the two knights, but as they were able civility between them. They were also escorted by ten of her soldiers. Fortunately, the journey was without incident. They were able to make the majority of the journey by barge on the White Knife, a fact which Sansa was grateful for as the snow had begun to fall again and made the final part of the way on horseback.
When they arrived Sansa was informed that her things had been moved to the lord's bedchamber. She still felt uncomfortably like an intruder there, but it was expected of her. She gave instructions to Maester Wolkan to move into the chambers which had been occupied by Maester Luwin when he had been alive. She had learned that he had died when Winterfell had been sacked. That saddened her, but she had no time to grieve, there was too much to be done.
She soon became grateful for Maester Wolkan, he was much better with keeping details and numbers all in order and often all she had to do was either sign or affix her signet to it. Additionally, along with his other duties, Maester Wolkan was working with the gathered blacksmiths to produce as many caltrops as could be made. If Daenerys Targaryen did come north they had to be able to counter not only the Dothraki, but also the heavy horse of the Reach and Dorne. Sansa tried to follow along with the various knights and nobles who were her war council, but in truth she found it hard to understand when they poured over maps and discussed tactics and supply lines and other military matters. She did; however grasp enough to make her uneasy. They all agreed that the Neck was the key, if the enemy was able to make their way through the Neck the likelihood that their advance could be halted diminished considerably. While House Reed and the other crannogmen had vowed to hold the Neck against any intruders many on the council, including many of the Northern lords, were skeptical of their ability to do so.
Hother Umber, raised the possibility that Daenerys might attempt to send forces past the Neck by sea. Fortunately, for now at least, that matter seemed to be as well in hand as it could be. On the east side of Westeros the Manderlys were continuing to construct a war fleet while on the western side they would have to contend with both the Lannister fleet and the ships of the Ironborn. Regardless, there was actually very little that they could do either way, their objective was the defense of the Neck till the Golden Company arrived. While these were difficult for Sansa, she welcomed the councils as they helped distracted her from other problems.
When they had arrived back at Winterfell Sansa had noted that Jeyne Poole was not there to greet them. Sansa had found her in her chambers and was shocked to find the reason for her absence. In the time that Sansa had been gone her friend's belly had swollen with pregnancy. Sansa had sent Maester Wolkan, who after examining her assured Sansa that all appeared to be going well and it was likely that the baby would be a boy. After dismissing him Jeyne had fallen into Sansa's arms, crying her eyes out.
"I can't stand it! I don't want anything that monster had a hand in making! He'll be just like his father and every time I look at him all be reminded of that monster!" Sansa had stroked her friend's hair and spoken soothing words.
"It will be alright. He will be nothing like his father, you'll see. He will be strong and noble, just like in the stories Old Nan used to tell us." Her words had had the desired effect and Jeyne had calmed down after that, a feeling which Sansa wished that she could feel. She had indeed wanted to comfort her friend, but she had other reasons for the words that she had spoken.
While she had been at the Wall Jon had spoken of the hardships of leadership. He told her about how his own maester had told him that to be an effective leader, the kind of leader that the Watch needed, the child that he had been had to die. Sansa was applying that lesson to herself, along with skills she had observed Queen Cersei employ. For even as she comforted her friend a thought, unbidden and unwanted had come to her.
Though she had done so under a false name Jeyne had been the wife of Ramsey Bolton, Roose Bolton's only son. That meant that Jeyne's child was heir to the Dreadfort. If it were taken it would mean the end of Roose of course, but in Jeyne's pregnancy gave Sansa several advantages. In the first place the small folk of the Dreadfort would more easily be pacified if they knew a Bolton would be their lord, a lord who would be taught from birth by his mother to be loyal to House Stark. Another advantage was that by giving the lands of the Bloltons to the child it avoided conflicts in the future. Several of the lords had claimed that all or some of the Bolton lands should be given to them. They stressed old claims, ancient marriages and more. Sansa had not really understood many of the claims, but she could see that it might well come to blows among the contenders, an outcome she did not desire and which the child would allow her to avoid. Finally, having a Bolton heir would mean that the King could not give the land to one of his own knights or lords, something which would be resented by many of the Northern lords.
Sansa's thoughts were interrupted by a pounding on her door. Opening it she found one of the soldiers, panting and pale of face, which instantly made her wary. Taking several deep breaths, he gasped out his message.
"My…Lady…Sir Gower. He is…dead. Murdered."
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope that you liked it. What did you think of the whole Jeyne thing and the murder? What I like about the series so much, well one thing anyway, is the intrege, scheming and plotting. I think that has been missing in the show and in my own work of late, this is my attempt to get some that back. Till next time please pray for those wounded in the Turkish bombing and their families and the families of the dead and that there be no more attacks. My sisters have a friend whose aunt is hurt and is likely to pass soon, please pray for her and all who need it. Bye and may Jesus bless you.