Chapter Text
The sound of door closing woke her up. The bed was empty, she noticed. Though still warm. She felt it as she grabbed Jon's pillow. Sansa looked through the window. It is still dark outside. Where has he gone? She wondered, concerned.
It was hard for Jon to fall asleep that night. A letter from the court ruined his good mood.
"What does it say?" She asked. And Jon was serious. His dark grey eyes hard and cold as her father's.
"The king is going to marry." Jon said coldly without taking his eyes from the letter.
Sansa studied him for a moment. She took the letter gently from his hand. Although she was curious to know who is to be the new queen, she didn't read it. Sansa hid the letter under her pillow.
She knew better than to start conversations about Rhaegar Targaryen in this castle. Both Jon and her aunt Lyanna didn't hide their resentment towards the king.
Sansa realised soon that a part of Jon feels neglected and betrayed by his father. There's anger too. For his mother's sake. For the wife his father had dishonored. The children he had abandoned.
Sansa hugged him from behind and placed a soft kiss on his neck.
"Have you been summoned?" Was all she asked.
Jon took a deep breath and guided Sansa's hand to his chest. His heart was pounding.
"My aunt woke dragons out of stones." He whispered.
Sansa bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "That's impossible, Jon." She said playfully.
"It's what's said in the letter."
She picked the letter and read it.
Princess Rhaenys, Jon's half-sister sent him the letter. No tender words like 'dear brother'.
Princess Rhaenys sounded as shocked as Jon was.
Confusing words of princess Daenerys and dragon dreams. She will be the king's new bride. Isn't she of Jon's age? And father is even madder than you remember... He's sure Dany is the prince who was promised.
Another mad king? Gods, please no.
When she was little, she used to believe king Rhaegar and Robert Baratheon went to war for her aunt Lyanna.
Lyanna Stark made sure everyone from her family knew the truth. She felt guilty for the deaths of her father and brother.
More than once, Sansa heard her father say "Lya, you were a girl, a hostage with a baby. You need to let go."
It was not enough to kill my father and older brother. We will always be traitors in their eyes. And my son, a threat. He didn't love me. Rhaegar, she said his name using a bitter tone Sansa never thought her aunt possessed, just like his mad father, he believes some prophetic baby of his, will save Westeros when winter is here. When did we ever need Targaryens to protect the north from the cold?
After the mad king, it was not hard to believe the remaining Targaryens had a bit of madness in them. Sansa only ever met princess Rhaenys. There were rumours that she was Willas' true love. Sansa never believed in those rumours. Not until Willas' death. No one cried more than she did.
The princess didn't sound mad to Sansa. But she, like Jon, doesn't look Targaryen. The only Targaryen thing in her were her clothes. And a silver lock of hair.
Princess Rhaenys looks just like her mother.
That doesn't make her any less Targaryen. Sansa is a Stark, but she has the Tully look.
Besides, Rhaenys seems to be scared of her father and the new dragon dreamer.
The mention of a wedding captured her attention too. Even if the rest sounded like a story old Nan would tell. The king was to marry his sister Daenerys.
He is old enough to be her father. Thought Sansa. Willas was older than her, but not that old.
She figured that princess Daenerys would marry her brother Viserys one day. Not the king. Besides, he already has a queen. Elia Martell. Who lives in Dorne since the war, yes, but still the king's wife.
"Can he do it? He's already married?"
"He's the king. A king with dragons now. He can do whatever he wants." Jon said bitterly.
Sansa wondered if Jon wanted to be with them. Though she never had the courage to ask.
No...he was raised to be a Stark. He told me when we are married, our children will be Starks.
And she believes him. All these months she spent with Jon made her wish she had never left Winterfell, for her real prince was so closed to her all along.
Sansa thought she knew love... but she didn't. She never loved anyone else the way she loves Jon.
She decided to get up, find him and tell him exactly that.
Where would he be? He likes to go swimming when he's overwhelmed. But it's cold. Perhaps he went out to catch some air. Perhaps it's better to let him be for a time.
But Jon seemed so upset. What if he's drunk somewhere in the cold? She had to know if he's safe.
The castle was quiet. Sansa loves this castle, the lake, the fields. She grew to love riding with her aunt. Sansa found out why Arya wants to be exactly like her. She makes people lose their fear of being themselves. If Jon is the way he is, it's thanks to her. Sansa reminded herself to thank her aunt for it later.
It must have been hard though.
Sometimes Sansa caught her aunt alone in her solar, her eyes sad and distant. She carried on her guilt and sorrow as Sansa already knew. And since she came to be with them, lady Lyanna told her more than once that for a long time, Jon was the only thing keeping her alive. Sansa could understand that. Something she could't before. All the things her aunt went through, and the grief that always shows its face. Sansa know as well how it is to be bonded to someone who doesn't truly love you. Who you don't love. The realisation made her feel luckiest woman in the whole kingdom. Sansa never wanted Willas' children. She wants Jon's. Perhaps hearing her silent wishes, her body understood that. Willas wanted heirs, but Sansa never gave him one. Jon never asked that of her, and the gods now bless them with a child.
She told him that morning. Jon was happy, though a little scared. "Your father is going to chop my head off...or Robb." Yet, he smiled, touched her still swallow belly, kissed her. Then sent a raven to his father.
Aunt Lyanna were even happier. "I didn't even know this was happening in my castle." she punched Jon's shoulder. "Ned will kill you." she said, laughing. Her aunt became serious suddenly. "Oh, your mother is going to hate me. I already changed the course of her life once."
Sansa tried to cheer her up, "Oh, I am sure my mother is happy with how things turned out." her aunt looked hesitant. "Besides, it's my choice now. I did what they asked of me." Sansa grabbed Jon"s hand, stroking her thumb on his burned hand. "I knew ways to avoid it...the tea..." she said timidly "but I chose not to." she finished, feeling bold enough to look Jon in the eyes.
"What if he says no?" Sansa asked later. Perhaps the king had other plans for his son. Jon scoffed. "I doubt he will care."
"I am not asking for permission. I'm told him I married you in Winterfell's Godswood." Jon didn't mention the baby though. He said they would both go to Winterfell to tell her father. About the marriage and the baby, but Sansa and Lyanna decided together not to tell yet. Jon was not happy with the lie, but he agreed. He didn't want his child to be a bastard.
She found Jon outside. Gazing at a red comet. Sansa didn't ask what he thought it meant. She knows it mean dragons.
Sansa touched his shoulder. Placed a soft kiss on it not to startle him.
"You are a Stark to me."
He turned to look at her and gave her a sad smile. "I'm a Snow."
"Fine. I'd rather have you as you are. I wouldn't change a thing."
He nodded, not taking his eyes from the red comet.
"What disturbs you, my love?" She asked softly.
"The prophecy. The deads beyond the wall. The prince that was promised. Rhaegar thought it was about him, then Aegon, but now it's clear he believes it is about Daenerys."
Jon shook his head, then looked at Sansa, studying her. "Forget it. That has nothing to do with us." He placed his hand on her belly.
Jon hugged her closer than he had ever done before. Sansa buried her face on his chest, inhaling him.
"I hope our baby has your hair." She heard herself say.
Jon laughed. A joyful laugh. "Why? Yours are much prettier." Sansa found herself laughing too.
Their precious moment disturbed by the sound of puppies crying.
"Are the dogs here?" Sansa asked confused. Jon shook his head.
"Come. I will show you."
Jon dragged Sansa to the stables by the hand. The sound of crying becoming louder and louder.
"Wolves?" She blurted out.
"Direwolves." he corrected her. "I found their dead mother. Then I brought them home." He knelt to pet the crying wolf with black fur. There were six of them.
Jon handed one puppy to Sansa. "This one is yours."
"Oh, so you're giving puppies now?" She asked, playfully. But the moment her she looked at the puppy her smile fainted. A sense of fulfillment hit her. As if that puppy was bonded to her somehow.
Sent by the gods.
She heard Jon mention which puppy belongs to whom. To his cousins. Her siblings.
Another female was Arya's. The crying puppy is Rickon's. Somehow Sansa could understand how Jon knew which of them were destined to bond with their new owners.
He got up, holding a white puppy with red eyes. Silent, the only one with open eyes.
"This one is mine. White as Snow." he smile. "Red eyes like a weirwood leave...like your hair." Sansa felt her eyes fill with tears. "He was distant from the other puppies." He spoke with such passion, Sansa knew he felt bonded to the wolf in the same way she feels.
Jon looked at her in the eyes and said, "his name is Ghost."
"Mine is Lady." Sansa said without hesitation. She gave him a kiss on his cheek to show how grateful she was for her present.
"Lady?" He considered for a moment, studying the puppy. "It fits her."
They couldn't wait to show the direwolves to Robb, Arya, Bran and Rickon.