Chapter Text
She didn’t know how long she had been asleep, but she woke up to the sound of hard knocking on her chamber door. She had fallen asleep on the floor, at the foot of her bed, where she was knelt in prayer. Lifting herself up and flattening her skirts, she made her way to the door to unbar it.
Sandor stood in the door way tentatively, unsure if he would be allowed to enter. It looked as though he was frightened of her even though she had already admitted her feelings to him. perhaps he didn’t believe me?
She motioned for him to enter. He walked just far enough inside to close the door behind him, but no further.
Hesitantly, he began “the King and Lord Tywin both agree that we are still betrothed to be married.”
Was he unhappy with this? Why does his face look so sullen?
He took a small step forward and held out his arm as if he were reaching for her, though she stood still too far to reach. “Little bird, I know you don’t deserve to have to marry an ugly old dog like me. I’m sorry, I tried to talk them out of it.”
She walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm, “Sandor, don’t…” but he interrupted her, intent on finishing relaying the rest of the news.
“With my betrothal, I have been removed from the Kingsguard. I am to be awarded a Lordship, seems they want to ensure we produce more loyal Cleganes. My brother has killed every wife he’s had before a babe could be born.” He took a breath, but wasn’t finished with his speech so Sansa stood in front of him listening intently.
“That’s not all. They want us to retake Winterfell from the Ironborn boy, and rule the North. Though, we would have to pledge fealty to the Iron Throne. …you would rule Winterfell against your brother.” Head bowed, Sandor couldn’t look at her when he relayed the last bit of information to her.
She turned away from him at that. All she had wanted since being in King’s Landing and finding out the true nature of the Lannisters was to go home to Winterfell. There was a bitter taste in her mouth now at the thought that she was being offered everything she wanted, but in doing so would be put against her entire family. She turned and fell onto her bed, not able to control the sobs.
Sandor sat on the bed near her, placing his hand on her shoulder, the only thing he knew to do to try to comfort her.
“I’m sorry little bird. You don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve to be stuck with me, have your name tarnished by me.”
Sansa shot up off the bed and slapped him in the face, on his good side, as hard as she could. She watched as his eyes went from soft gray to near black at the movement.
“How could you!” She sneered at him.
His anger abated, he still thought she was angry because she was betrothed to him. He lamented, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I should have never…”
“Sandor Clegane! You think I’m upset because I’m betrothed to you? Really? After everything today, after what I told you with the bobcat, after I arranged for us to spend the entire day together, you think I’m upset by that?!” Her eyes, bloodshot from crying, now held a contempt that Sandor had never seen before.
“But… Wait, what do you mean ‘arranged’ to spend the day together?”
“THERE WAS NO CAT!” Her anger getting the best of her, she spewed it in his face.
Silence grew between them for a time, the anger rising in each of them fueling the tension in the room.
“What. Do. You. Mean. ‘there was no cat’?”
“There was no cat! There was never a ‘Baby’. There, I said it! I never got a cat for Tommen’s nameday. I made up the whole thing to spend time with you, you giant fool!”
“You mean I spent all day on a wild goose chase for nothing?!”
“YES!”
He was so angry, he began rambling on, throwing his arms in the air throughout his speech to further show his rage, “Sansa Stark. YOU CRAZY BIRD! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You insane she-devil! Love of my life! Royal pain in my arse. I SWEAR YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME, WOMAN!”
There was only one sentence her brain heard in his tyrade and it stopped her heart instantly, the anger leaving her. Soft-spoken, she replied, “What did you say?” She began to smile, which only seemed to infuriate him worse.
“You’ll be the death of me, woman!”
“No, before that.” She motioned for him to go back with her finger, smirk still plastered on her face.
“Royal pain in my arse!”
“No, before that.”
“INSANE SHE-DEVIL!” as her smile increased, so did his anger. If she didn’t already know that he would never hurt her, she would be terrified of him right now.
“The other one.”
“CRAZY BIRD!”
“Other one.”
The anger left his face, replaced by something else. Something cautious and hesitant.
“loveofmylife” He muttered it so quietly under his breath that if Sansa wasn’t already expecting it, she wouldn’t have known what it was.
“What was that?” She still wanted him to say it out loud. Clearly. Her smile was so wide it reached her eyes as she waited for him to say those words again.
Exasperated, he shouted this time “LOVE OF MY LIFE. DAMN YOU, WOMAN!”
Sansa flew into his arms and claimed his lips immediately. His hands grasped her tightly and returned the affections. She smiled against his lips and victoriously began to repeat, “I knew it. I knew it. Oh, Sandor! I knew it!”
After several more minutes of exploring each other’s mouths feverishly, Sandor lifted his head away from hers. She gave a disapproving moan at the loss of contact and furrowed her brow at the confusion of why he did that. “What?”
For several long seconds, he just looked into her eyes adoringly before answering her.
“You smell like fish.” Was his reply as their faces parted from one another. Annoyed, Sansa swatted at him for ruining their beautiful moment.
He let out a throaty chuckle and she couldn’t help but to smile at the genuine happiness in his eyes.
“Well, you smell like an alehouse. How did you get so drunk so quickly before coming to court?” She asked, as she remembered her thoughts from earlier in the day.
He chuckled again, “I wasn’t drunk, I just poured ale from the kitchens on me to make it convincing.”
“You lied? But you hate liars?”
“Aye. I do. But I hate the thought of harm coming to you because of me more.”
She didn’t think her heart could swell any larger at that time, but it seemed to do so at his words.
“So you’re not upset that you’re being forced to marry me?” he asked. How can he still be so unsure of my affections?
“Upset? That was the best news I’ve received since I arrived in King’s Landing!”
They continued to kiss each other, as he sat her gently on the bed. His hands began to explore her hair, her cheeks, her neck, everywhere he could touch – as if wishing to memorize every feature in case this moment was unreal.
Sansa had the same thoughts and began to let her hands roam all over his body as well. When she laid her hand on the bad side of his face, he flinched instinctively, but she didn’t move her hand from the spot. Sandor moaned at this and deepened their kiss further.
While she was still upset that the Lannisters wished to pit her against her own family for Winterfell, she was sublimely happy knowing she would have Sandor by her side through it all. She also knew that once she arrived back in the North and away from the scheming of King’s Landing, that all would right itself.