authorsnote: edited 18/07 - grammar changes/sentence structure, no plot changes promise

I wanted to write a story of these two for ageeees, they are one of my fav ASOIAF rare pairs! it will be a multi-fic likely long, likely with twists, deaths and turns. I'm not quite as brutal as GRRM but I can be mean with our poor characters. I am super excited about this couple but wanna clear up some quick bits before starting:

ages: sansa is 16, jaime 31 (I know it is still a big age gap but reasonable in medieval times and we'll have sansa almost 17) - also I know this ain't canon but eh this is where it is in this story.

geography: my god I spent waaay too long mapping out asoiaf geography and how long it takes to get from place to place so sometimes it might be a bit off, don't judge.

angst: gunna be around, as well as fluff, but don't read if you want a fluffball fest, theres gunna be angst.

canon?: up to like midway through a storm of swords (you'll see when), and for the show like start of season 3 ish, again you'll see. also this is like 70% books, 30% show.

okai cool thats all, pls follow/fav for updates, review to lemme know your thoughts and most importantly enjoy!

songrecs: breathin - ariana grande

Her legs ached, the cuts on her hands and forehead stung, and she felt completely exhausted, but she didn't stop. She dug her feet into the sides and snapped the reigns of her horse harder, urging it forward. Her backside hurt from the hours riding, her legs ached, and she felt hunger deep in her stomach that was starting to hurt. Still she didn't stop, the dawn was rising, and she knew that every minute counted, every second counted now.

It had been hours since she had fled, and she knew that soon the Lannister's would be waking for the day. Her handmaids would find her bed empty; they would search the Godswood and the keep and find no trace of her and then there would be a full-scale search. She still had a little bit of time before that happened, and she had to put as much distance between herself and Kings Landing in the meantime.

So, she ignored the pain, ignored the exhaustion and the hunger, and continued to ride, and ride hard. She was adjacent to the Kings Road, hidden in the forest just off the path, but close enough she could see the road. She was wary of riding in plain sight, not just because of the Lannister's but because of anyone else. She was a noble woman, and she knew that despite her attempts to look poor, she still looked highborn. She couldn't risk anyone wanting to cause her trouble, and so she hid herself between the trees. For once, she felt thankful that her Father had forced her to learn riding; Arya had enjoyed it a lot more than she had, but now? Now it was saving her life, and she was thankful she knew how.

She couldn't quite believe that she had done it, she had escaped! Regardless of her aches and pains, she felt exhilarated. She was free! All she had to do was make it to the Riverland's and she would find her brother, she would be back with her family and under their protection. The thought filled her with a deep motivation to keep going, and a deep happiness that she would soon be home. What was a bit of hardship now of it got her back to her brother? Her mother? She would join their side and fight against the Lannister's. They would retake Winterfell and be back together, the Stark pack reunited.

Her decision to flee had not be a carefully planned out one, but one driven by need, by necessity. She had been told by a smirking Cersei Lannister that very morning that she was to be wed. As a ward of the crown Sansa's hand was Joffrey's to give, and so he had, to Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer.

They had planned to marry her to Jaime Lannister! The very thought made her feel a mixture of sick and scared. He was the man who had fought her father, he was a Lannister! And she knew the rumours were true. He was Joffrey's father; he was responsible for his evil spawn that sat on the throne. She couldn't marry him, she wouldn't, she'd rather die first.

The thought of marrying him, of having to bed him … it made her feel ill. And so as soon as Cersei had told her she had locked herself in her room and planned her escape. Any anxieties or hesitations that had stopped her escaping before were gone now. She had no choice but to leave, it was that or marry the Kingslayer.

Who cares if they caught her and cut off her head? Who cares if they caught her and forced her into this marriage? She had to at least try, she was a Stark, she was strong, she wouldn't march willingly into the Sept. The only way she would walk down those stairs would be if forced, and she would do everything to never make it to the Sept in the first place. Their threats didn't scare her anymore, not when faced with a complete and utter truth; if she married Jaime Lannister, she would never be free. She would be his wife, stuck with him forever, and she would not allow that to happen.

And so, she had planned. Sent away her handmaids, barricaded her door and planned. She had been on the 2nd floor of the Keep, and underneath her window sat a large patch of grass. The wall was made of stone, and honeysuckle creeped up the side, she had torn apart her bedsheets making a ladder down, it was inventive and something she had picked up from Bran; when he was 8 he had been sent to his room without dessert for climbing, and so he had created a ladder and sneaked down to the kitchens; their Father had been both exasperated and amused. She had smiled for Bran as she had tossed the sheet rope out the window, securing the other end to the bed.

After that she had packed. She wasn't stupid, she knew the Riverland's were a good distance away, and though she would have to restock along the way, she hoped to do it as little as possible, and so she had taken a medium sized burlap sack and filled it with as much as she could fit. But first she had dressed herself; a simple grey gown (the diamonds on the hem were unavoidable, everything else was even more opulent), a large dark cloak with a roomy hood, and strong riding boots. She had tied back her hair and wore no jewellery. She then went to fill her bag.

She packed money, a small pouch of gold dragons and a larger one of silver stags. Next in went some food, everything her handmaids had left; some oranges, three apples, a large hunk of bread and two slightly brown bananas, she managed to fill a smaller pouch with nuts and some berries that she tied and packed as well. Next in went the hairbrush her mother had gifted her and finally two changes of small clothes. She had been ready to go before she packed a butter knife on top of everything, she knew it would be a meagre defence if anything happened, but it was better than nothing. She had looked around the room, checking for anything else, and had then grabbed a large grey blanket from the end of her bed (one she had knitted for herself). It could sit on the back of her horse and would be good to sleep with.

For a moment she had hesitated, scared she would break her neck on the fall or be stopped at the gate, or die on the road, but she had taken a deep breath and moved forward. It didn't matter what happened to her, she had to try.

The climb down had been surprisingly uneventful, her hands had been cut up a fair bit, and a hairy moment against the wall had caused her to scrape against it, leaving a few cuts on her forehead, and what she was sure would be a black eye the next day but that was all. She had winded herself a little when she had fallen to the bottom, but she had only needed a minute to recover before she was on her feet unharmed, alone and ready to go. Then she had needed a horse.

The stables had been thankfully empty, and she had saddled up a horse, a fine black mare with a silver saddle. She had placed her blanket on the back and secured her sack to the side. Luck seemed to be with her as she found a few more apples and a large water skin, clearly left behind by the stable boys. After securing them in her pack she had walked the horse around the gardens. It would have been easier to go through the castle but also more dangerous. And so, she took the long route, dipping down by the coast and then back around to end up in flea bottom.

Only then had she jumped on her horse, passed through the dragon gate (the guards had been half drunk and waved her through without looking), before fully setting off. She had galloped at a fierce pace, her horse a fine creature and capable of riding for at least half a day without tiring. She had been riding ever since, not looking back, not stopping for anything. She had to put as much distance between herself and the Capitol as she could, if she had any hope of surviving. She had debated taking a different route North, perhaps through the Reach? But no, she knew the Kings Road, she knew the route and wouldn't risk a different way.

And so, she continued on, her legs still aching but her determination fierce. She was free! She felt truly excited as she rode, the wind whipping her face and the cold biting at her skin. Soon she would be back with her family, and she would never feel the torture of the Lannister's again. She was going home, that was all that mattered, and once she was back in Winterfell she would never go South again.

It was odd. Sansa had never tried to flee, too fearful of being caught and the consequences of attempted escape, but after hearing about her marriage? The decision had been easy. She hadn't even stopped to ask for help. She was sure if she had found Ser Dontos, he would have helped her, or if she had really stopped and asked Tyrion, he might have done something. Still, she hadn't had time to debate her escape, acting so impulsively was as important as riding hard away from the Capitol, it ensured that no one would be out looking for her until the last possible moment. Besides, she did not want to rely on anyone else, not anymore. From now on she would only trust her family, no one else.

The first trickles of light had started breaking through the clouds and Sansa decided it was time for a stop. She was on the road now, fields surrounding her, luckily the ground was flat, and she could easily see for miles in each direction and it seemed she was alone. She stopped for a moment next to a large rock, and sat down on it, her horse immediately grazing. She pulled out her water skin and took a long drink, before pouring some into a crevice in the boulder. Her horse snorted as she made a bee line for it, drinking the stuff up immediately. Sansa reached into her burlap sack and tore off a large hunk of bread. She almost laughed at how unladylike she must look but shrugged that aside, looking like a lady was not her concern right now, in face it was better to look as unladylike as possible.

Her father had told her stories off the Kings Road, about how it was dangerous with bands of men preying on the people who walked it. The animals around the area weren't meant to be much better. Sansa knew it was foolish sticking so closely too it, but also knew it was her surest way home, and so she would risk it, she felt it was less risk than venturing on a different path and getting lost. She was scarily aware of how easy it would be to go in the complete wrong direction and end up in the Westerland's or worse back in the Crownlands. Still, she had been lucky so far, and so as she climbed back on her horse and set off again, she sent a prayer up the Old Gods. Hopefully, they were watching.

He had fought the wench and won, leaving her winded on the floor before setting off. It had been easy to steal a horse from a nearby farm and make his way South, his sword at his side and his smile arrogant. He knew Brienne had a mission, to return him to Kings Landing in exchange for the Stark girls, and yet he did not want her help. He was a prisoner no longer, and he planned to make his way alone. He was also protecting Brienne a little, she was sworn to the Starks and would hardly be welcomed by his family.

And so, he had made his escape. She had fought well, but he was better, he had always been better. So, he made his way to the Capitol, to honour his vow. Him leaving Brienne did not mean he would abandon his oath. He would return the Stark girls to their Mother be he returned to Kings landing. It was his vow, his oath, and he would not break it. Everyone considered him to be an oathbreaker, a man without honour, he would prove them wrong.

It was with an easy smile he made his way South. A wash in a nearby river and eating the food of the forest had made him feel better. He was still a little thin and underfed but he would get back to fighting form in no time. He had hacked at his beard and hair with a dagger, and his golden locks were growing back out. He was starting to look like himself again after so long in captivity.

He was happy, no matter how tired and hungry. He would be home soon, home, back with his family, back with Cersei. He frowned a touch at that, but he still thought of her. He would be home with her soon, no longer a prisoner.

He knew he was close too; he was adjacent to Maidenpool now, not far at all. He wasn't wary of the Kings Road, not with his sword at his side. He could take down any who dared face him, or merely declare his name and be left alone. He was not worried but tired, he had been sleeping in the forest for days now and he was hungry, thankfully he saw an inn ahead. He could go for a proper meal and a comfortable bed.

He was out of Riverlands territory now and so knew it would be safe to stay the night. He would miss another night of riding but Kings Landing was close now, he could rest a little before continuing on.

And so, he continued to ride, he felt in high spirits now he was no longer a captive. He would return home soon, to his bed, his posting as Lord Commander, his family, and Cersei … even though he frowned as he thought of her he missed her and longed for her smile…

It was late in the day, the sun having risen high in the sky, and dipping back down again for sunset to soon lead to the night. The weather was mild, warm but not stifling. The route was actually quite pretty, with rolling hills and forest. And yet, Sansa felt the opposite, she was sure she had never felt so tired.

Everything seemed to hurt; her backside from riding, her legs from gripping her horse, the cuts on her hands were stinging, and the cuts on her face hurt even more. She felt exhausted, and hungry, having only stopped twice more for some water and food. She had stopped for a good half an hour at a small stream in the forest, her horse needing the drink, and she rest, but no more. She was on the run for goodness sake, she couldn't take it easy. No matter how awful she felt she knew it was all worth it, worth it to get back to her family. And so, as awful as she felt she pressed on.

She had encountered only one other person on her journey so far. The young female septa had been kind and sweet, giving her some of her own food, and giving her a blessing for the journey ahead. The woman had told her off an inn less than a day's ride from her, and Sansa had felt abject relief. She would make her first proper stop there, have a nice hot meal, a good night's sleep, and a bath. She knew it was risky, but also important, if she continued to exhaust herself, she would become sloppy, and stupid and up her risk of getting caught.

But as the day continued on Sansa knew she had to stop. The inn may have only been half a day's ride, but she couldn't stay awake until then. It had been well over a day since she had slept, and she felt it. Her head ached along with her body, and she felt a trembly kind of cold that only came with tiredness. So, she led her horse into the woods, and tethered it to a tree, using the creature to hide herself. She sat down at the root of the tree, and fell asleep almost instantly, relying on the fact that she was a very light sleeper and should wake easily soon to any nearby sound or disturbance. She had picked a place of good cover, and felt as safe as she could before dropping off.

Only two hours passed, and she had been roughly woken by the sound of a bird call. It hadn't even been very loud, but it had been enough to wake her from her slumber. It was darker out now, not quite pitch black, but it would be soon, she needed to make a move.

She felt better, far from at her best but more well rested. She took a few minutes to eat an apple and the rest of the bread, along with a banana and half her water skin. She forced herself to drink the rest before refilling from a fresh river that looked clean, the horse was happily drinking from it too. She then pulled herself onto the horse and made her way back to the view of the road.

Her resolve was hardened now she was feeling better, and she ignored the aches and pains as she rode forward. She ignored the hunger and the tiredness that clung to her and she continued forward, even as night fell. She had to go slow in the darkness, but she made good progress forward, and as the sun began to peek through the clouds, she could see the shadow of the inn in the distance.

She could do this, she could.

She would get home.

soo thoughts? pls let me know! I eat reviews for dinner and they fill me up ;-;

obvs this is more of an intro chapter, things are gunna kick off soon!

speak soon