A/N: What up invaders! MatthewStaffordLionsFan17 here, and its been a long time since we continued the fanfic. Well I'm proud to announce that no, it is not a dead fic, I just spent the last week finish up school, and now that I no longer have to attend high school, I can FULLY dedicate myself to this fic, until it's time for classes again in the fall. This time I enter big boy territory and go through a college. Updates will definitely come much quicker than this, so be aware. I also am proud to announce that after this fic is complete, which is probably not for a while, a free choicescript game will be posted on my personal website that allows YOU to step into the shoes of someone in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe in an interactive fiction novel. This path includes an interactive version of Stafford's campaign, where if you thought Stafford was a girly name, you can play as any name you please, and re live Stafford's journey and pick any romance, any decision, and any allegiance you please. So that means if you really wanted to, you can pursue a romance with Arya instead of Sansa, or even Margaery, or even Arianne if you really wanted that. The choicescript game is a fun project I decided to do. Anyway hope you enjoy the rest of the story that I made, and I'll see you guys two days from now when the next part comes up.

Enjoy!

Sansa

Sansa had spent a month and a half at Storm's End, and although it didn't feel as good as Winterfell did, it was much better than her stay in King's Landing. Every passing day soldiers went marched into the courtyards from all over the Stormlands. When Stafford had made a call to arms across all the stormlands, the bannerman from all over the Stormlands arrived. From the Dornish Marches to the lone isle of the Estermonts, the people responded to the call to arms. All considered, over three fourths of the expected men had already arrived from the Stormlands. It had exceeded the yield that they had hoped for. Stafford and his advisors had expected about forty thousand troops from the Stormlands alone. However, as if by the grace of the Gods, the people had already provided the forty thousand troops in about half the time they expected the mobilization took place. There were still more coming to Stafford's aid. This army was a threat to be reckoned with. The men of the Stormlands were definitely a powerful force on the battlefield, their ferocity in battle matched only by the brilliance of their commanders.

Sansa was fourteen now, and it had been a year since her departure from Winterfell to King's Landing. She would have celebrated her name day in Winterfell about two months ago, but they were at sea en route to Storm's End during that time. And after all the conflict she had heard from various different places, from the war in the Riverlands where her brother fought with Tywin Lannister, among other people who sought to oppose House Stark. Stafford had kept his men at bay, but Sansa understood more than anyone that he was most likely not going to stay in Storm's End for much longer. Stafford was bold, and she knew that even if all his men hadn't arrived yet, he would spring into action. It was what his father would have done, and his advisors probably understood this perfectly. He had forty thousand men, which was huge, partially, because the Stormlands was a relatively small region compared to the Reach or the North, which allowed for mobilization to be quick. What she worried about is what would happen to Stafford if he were to go out to war.

Stafford was a natural born fighter, and as a necessity of the circumstances, an outspoken leader. However, war changes things entirely. It wasn't some tournament melee, this was where actual lives were at stake. Her father had told her this is why he didn't like tournaments much. Father…

Her mind had still not completely forgotten about her father. He had died trying to protect her, her family and everything they held dear. She would never forgive Joffrey for what he did to him. She tried her best to keep her grief hidden from Stafford, who had a war to focus on. But deep inside, Sansa knew that it was hard to hide. Especially since Stafford had lost his father to the Lannisters too. It must hurt him more too that his own kin had killed his father. Stafford, although he didn't look like it, had Lannister blood in him. And yet she still loved him, so it made it even more confusing. To say she hated all the Lannisters would mean that she would have to hate Stafford too, and she knew she couldn't do that.

She tried to keep those types of her thoughts out of her mind. She was safe now, safe in Storm's End. Stafford will return to her when this is all over, and it will all be okay. The problem was this was the mindset that got her father killed. There was once a time where she could believe that no matter what happened everything would be alright, and that nothing bad would happen to her and all she cared about. That time was over.

"Lady Sansa, you are required in the council chambers," someone told her. She turned to whatever she saw. Until she heard the voice, she was at the desk of her quarters wondering what was going to happen in the days ahead of her.

"Ser Barristan, who's requesting me?" she asked him in reply.

"His grace wants to speak to you urgently," Ser Barristan told her. Sansa simply nodded, she wondered what Stafford was wanting to speak about. She followed Ser Barristan out of the room and to the surrogate small council chambers.

They arrived in the small council chambers. Besides the entire current Kingsguard, which composed of the only two members of the Kingsguard, Ser Cortnay Penrose, and Ser Herbert Bolling, there was Ser Barristan the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, and another person whom she did not recognize. He had a long pointed beard, and bushy eyebrows. He stood about three inches above Stafford, an inch taller than Stannis.

"Sansa…" Stafford began, "You're probably wondering why I called you here." Stafford had a serious look about him, and from all that she knew about him, he never really wore that look for much.

"Why did you call me here?" She asked worried about what he might say next.

"I've decided to mobilize our current forces and march for the Riverlands. We will break the standstill and assist your brother with the forces we currently have," she felt the full weight of his words. Now that he was leaving for war, she felt genuinely worried. A lot can happen in the battlefield. She never knew how to fight, but she knew what battle can do to a man. It can change people. And she didn't want Stafford to change. She loved him the way that he was.

"So...you really are leaving," Sansa managed to say with a quiet voice. She could hardly speak. She would likely worry every waking moment of what will happen to him. She couldn't help, but do that.

"As much as I don't want to, there is one truth. The loyalty of Storm's End and Dragonstone does not make me a king. I must unite the realm under my law. Your brother has declared the North to be an independent kingdom. I aim to reunite the realm into one banner, and I will earn his trust once more by helping him defeat the Lannisters," Stafford declared. He was in full dress uniform, many layers of boiled leather and half plate. Stafford went to her and took her hands into his, "This was not the only manner I wanted to discuss." Sansa didn't really know what would happen if anything bad happened to him, but it looked like he was going to say something important to him.

"Once you and I are old enough, I'd like your hand in marriage. I know… I haven't exactly been good at keeping these kinds of promises," He said as thoughts of Arya suddenly filled Sansa's mind. She was the one he was supposed to marry if all this chaos had never happened in the first place. If what had happened at the tournament never happened, she would still be stuck with Joffrey, blind to his real image, "But this time, I don't plan on breaking anymore promises. I know this might sound repetitive, but I want to be with you forever."

Hearing him say that made her heart soar. At least there were still things in life that could make her happy. This came at a bittersweet time, because he was going to be going off to war soon.

"Of course, but a lot can happen in a war…" She said, her voice shaking. Stafford wrapped her in a firm, but gentle embrace.

"Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I won't let them. I'll come back, reunite the realm, and you will be my side as queen. That's the truth." His words were reassuring to say the least, but it still could not calm the thoughts about what might happen during a war. But she knew he had to go, and she was overjoyed to know that they would be together once all this ended. She only wanted her family to be together once more as they were all scattered now. Arya hadn't been seen ever since the her father had been executed at the Great Sept of Baelor, Robb was off fighting Tywin Lannister in the Riverlands with their mother at his site, Bran and Rickon were stuck at Winterfell, and her half-brother Jon was at the Wall, and of course she was in the Stormlands, of all the places she could have been in.

"Not to interrupt your little moment with your lady, nephew. But there are many things to do before your departure on the morrow," Renly managed to say to everyone. Stafford broke off, and stared him in the eyes. Sansa knew he was leaving, but she didn't know he would be leaving tomorrow.

"So you're leaving that soon…" Sansa said softly. Stafford looked at her, he had a pained expression on his eyes. Stannis got up from his seated position at the council table.

"There isn't any other way, to maximize his effectiveness in the conflict, he must mobilize tomorrow. With the amount of soldiers still pouring in, while not as big as the ones we could have, we'll have those soldiers in reserve. We want the Lannisters to think were are going to wait for reinforcements and bulk up in the Stormlands, however that couldn't be further from the truth. We have word that Tywin Lannister is besieging the Riverlands. So we decided the time to act is now," Stannis explained to her.

"We managed to talk Mace Tyrell into letting us pass through the Reach, but that wasn't easy. We had to pay him coin, half our treasury to be exact," Renly told them, "He only gave us twenty days to cross his territory, lest we be attacked on sight,"

"While under forced march circumstances, that can be accomplished in under fourteen days, we had to be on the safe side. We know that marching will result in attrition, but the chance to catch the Lannisters off guard at Riverrun is vital," Ser Barristan added, "I will be accompanying his grace, so you need not worry about his safety milady."

The meeting continued as they talked of strategy. Sansa excused herself from the council chambers and walked back to her quarters for the time being. Along the way, she saw Edric Storm. He was King Robert's bastard, the only one recognized by him in fact. He knew Stafford well enough, and walking by him was a fortuitous event.

"Good evening," he stated, as he tried to walk past her.

"Edric, right?" she asked as he stopped and nodded, "There is something I want to ask of you."

"Certainly, what is it?" Edric responded blankly, his electric blue eyes looking at his feet and back to her. He looked bored, as if there was somewhere else he wanted to be. Just like Stafford, Edric took after his father, Robert. Sometimes if he had his back turned you could think it was Stafford. Edric was just shorter than Stafford, but if they were far enough and you can't see the height difference, you might mistake them for one another.

"Are you going off with the soldiers tomorrow?" Sansa asked him. If Edric was leaving with Stafford, it would be a perfect opportunity for her to have a connection with someone with him during battles. She didn't want to ask any of the older nobles, like Renly, or any other person related to him. It would be even better if it were someone, who would not be busy playing a pivotal role in battles. She had heard rumors around the castle that Edric would squire for Stafford, even though Stafford wasn't technically a knight. Technically, the council named him the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, most likely to draw comparisons to his father's rebellion. At least that's what some of the servants have been saying, as Lord Renly still did most of the managing around Storm's End.

"I am, why do you ask?" the bastard said with clear confusion in his expression and voice.

"Can you do me a favor, perhaps?"

"Depends, what is it?"

"I want you to write to me, about all that's going on while Stafford's away. Like what he's doing or how things are," This request seemed to perplex the young man. He simply shrugged.

"I guess, but don't you think he'll write to you anyway? Why do you need me to write about what's going on,"

"I want another perspective of the events," if she relied purely on Stafford's testimony, it might not be reliable, as Stafford might try to downplay some of the events as not to worry her. She wouldn't know if he would do that, but she wanted to ensure she got the most accurate responses for her, "It's just reassurance that he really is doing fine."

"I'll try my hardest, but don't expect to hear from me often. It's not like I'm the one smitten with you," he stated as he walked away. She walked back to her quarters and sat down on her bed side thinking about all what happens.

Time passed, and she didn't know how long she sat in the room alone. Sometimes a servant came into her room asking her if she needed anything, but she just waved them away. She didn't really know what to think right now. Stafford had asked her to marry him, and of course she accepted it. But what if he doesn't return to fulfill his promise? What if he falls in battle or gets captured by the Lannisters?

These question filled her head as she continued to ponder on these thoughts. Such was war, she thought. It was unpredictable. Nothing was certain. She realized now that people lost things in war. So many people involved themselves in these conflicts. Because once words aren't enough, and swords are finally drawn, there are so many things that could happen. War was a warning to the people of the realm. The good, the evil, the soldier, the villager, everyone who was involved in the wars that went on. It was the moment of truth, and the moment to lie. It was the moment to live and to die. And no matter, who you were it was the moment to fight. Fight for what you believe in, or fight to protect those you cared about. No matter what side you were on, you were fighting to end the lives of those who were not on your side. Such was reality. It isn't like the tales of heroism I had always heard as a child. It wasn't like her tales of knights, kings and princes, who came back to their beloved lady after a war against an evil menace. No, in this story, the hero could die and leave his beloved alone… with broken promises. The hero was just like everyone else.

"Do you have a moment?" she heard someone ask. She saw Stafford at the threshold of her door. He was no longer in the same dress mail he had when he was at the planning table with the his uncles and advisors. "I told Ser Barristan not to bother us. This is the last time we might be able to see each other for while until I leave tomorrow."

She just looked up at him, not able to do anything. Stafford approached her, and sat right next to her. He had a look of concern on his face.

"You'll write to me when you leave, right?" She asked him.

"Of course," he brushed some hair off her cheek, "Anything to make you feel better." Sansa smiled. At least he was trying to make me feel better.

"Just don't be gone for too long," She said drawing closer to him. They didn't have any space between them now.

"I'll end this quickly, I'll promise. And we can be done with all of this business." Stafford strokes her neck. He pulled her in for a kiss, and she complied. She didn't know how long it lasted, but they seemingly stayed there for a while lost in each other's embrace.

Suddenly, Sansa pulled away, "Will you stay with me here. Tonight?"

"Anything for you," Stafford stated. Although the bed was small, they shared it for the night. It wasn't anything intimate, Sansa wasn't ready for that yet, but him being there before he rode off to battle tomorrow was enough for Sansa.

The morning came too quickly for Sansa's liking. When she woke up, she realized Stafford wasn't there. Afraid that he had left before saying goodbye, she ran as quickly as she could hoping that she could catch up to him. The courtyard was busier than ever today. It was crowded with soldiers armed with spears, and all manner of weaponry. The wore armor, of the same colors, black on yellow. But each of their shields made them recognizable from where they were. There were also what she recognized as sellswords from the Narrow Sea. Despite the sea of people, she could not find Stafford anywhere. A little disheartened, she made her way through the courtyard, until she saw him. He was standing next to Renly, Stannis, and his entire Kingsguard, along with the Dornishman Odyn Sand.

"Stafford! I thought you had already left," she stated. Stafford smiled.

"You know I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye,"

"Make this quick, Stafford. You had a whole month to dally around with her. It's time to do business," Stannis stated sternly. Stannis began to walk away with some of his sellswords. They were about leave by the looks of it. Everyone in the courtyard was frantically trying their hardest to make haste, as the timetable she had heard about started today. They had to get out of the narrow Stormland and cross the Reach in under twenty days. That in itself was an accomplishment. It took almost a month on the road for a non forced march to occur from King's Landing to just the beginning of the North, let alone cross the Reach into the Riverlands. However, it was accomplishable, but the men will likely have to march in the night sometimes. It would probably be hard and taxing for the new army, but they were large, numerous and experienced. Stafford will be fine, and he will return. Sansa kept on repeating this to herself to erase the thought in her mind that there was a possibility that he was not coming back to her.

"You take as much time as you need, Stafford. We'll be waiting for you. Damn Lord Mace and his timetable, at least we'll be at the threshold of the Riverlands quick. I'm eager to face the bastard Lannisters in battle," she heard his Uncle Renly remark as he patted Stafford on the soldier and went on his way. Ser Barristan and his two kingsguard decided to stay behind to watch their king, or Lord technically, but he was going to be the king everyone's minds anyway, so it didn't really matter.

"I don't know if I can fight like this. Thinking about you all the time," Stafford muttered almost gloomily. Sansa looked at him to try reassure him.

"Just fight hard, and you'll come back to me in no time at all," Stafford nodded. More people started to pour out of the courtyard as they began to try to begin their march. This was it. Stafford was leaving, earlier than three months she thought he would stay for, but he was riding off to war. Edric approached the two of them with Stafford's mount Orys. The destrier was clad in armor and draped with the yellow and black colors of House Baratheon. Sansa could also notice Stafford was now in half plate armor with a surcoat of House Baratheon. He held his long, two-handed poleaxe on his shoulder. Stafford didn't look like the boy, who had decided to compete at the Hand's tourney anymore, he was a man. He had grown an inch, and he looked like he was ready to fight in the battles he had trained for for his life.

"Your grace, Stannis has instructed me to meet at the rally point just outside the castle gates to prepare for the march," Edric stated.

"Already, that was quick," Stafford stated, before he took the reigns of the horse, he turned to Sansa.

"I guess this is goodbye for now," Sansa walked up to him and pulled him in close, even if he was in half plate armor. She couldn't fully wrap her arms around him. Stafford returned the embrace. Stafford looked her in eyes, and gave her a passionate kiss. Sansa didn't want to break off, but she did. Edric rolled his eyes, and then Stafford mounted Orys, and rode off to meet his uncle. Edric mounted a courser and went to Stafford. Sansa watched as the black haired Baratheon walked off on his horse. Her heart was crossed, and she wondered when she would see him again.