Chapter Text
Blinding lights fill the darkness at the bottom of the ocean, the machines being operated from the ship above searching the deep for another ship, a less modern ship, a ship at the bottom of the ocean between the mainland and the Iron Islands.
The two submersibles sink further down into the seas depth and into the darkness, falling away from the ship above and towards the ocean floor. The lights are on the ocean floor, following along the sand.
Stannis Baratheon sits with his trusted friend, Davos Seaworth. Stannis is covered with gold found from other shipwrecks that he has snooped around, his eyes focused heavily on the camera and watching the ocean floor, waiting for the sight of the sunken ship.
“13 metres. You should see it.”
Stannis voice was full of frustration. This is where the ship should be. It is where reports have always said it would be and yet, it wasn’t there. Until he saw the bow of the ghostly ship coming into sight, his eyes lighting up as his whole body sits forward in his chair, pointing it out on the camera.
“There!”
The ship was towering above the ocean floor where it had lain for the past 84 years. Titanic stood tall, the ship slowly coming apart after years and years of being underneath the ocean. The submersible that Stannis and Davos were in, slowly moves over the bow railing, making sure to be careful and not hit into anything.
Stannis was now looking through one of the small windows in the submersible. There was a bright smile on his lips where there hadn’t been one before, and perhaps he only ever did smile when he was closer to finding something else gold or valuable from so many years past.
“It still gets me every time… To see the sad ruins of this great ship from where she landed at 2:30 in the morning on April 15th, 1912 after a long fall from the world above.”
He spoke like he was in his own world, like he was speaking to himself, but he had the camera focused onto himself, moving it around to be able to film as they approached the ship, before back onto himself. The other men that were behind them, operating the machine they were in, just rolled their eyes at him.
“You’re so full of shit, boss.” Davos commented, chuckling at the muttering coming from one of the other men.
The two submersibles go in different directions around the ship to get different angles, passing by the large anchor that had held the ship down for a good hour before it ended up sinking anyway. The two submersibles that had been large in size before, just looked like white bugs beside the wreck of the ship, still standing tall above the ocean floor.
“Here we are again. Dive nine. Back on the deck of the ruined Titanic… two and a half miles down. The pressure enough to crush us like a freight train going over a small ant.”
The first submersible lands on the deck of the wrecked ship, just beside the just as wrecked captains quarters. The other submersible lands on the roof of the deck nearby.
“Alright. Let’s get to work boys.” Stannis nods towards Davos, watching as the white bearded man makes his way over to put on the 3D electronic goggles and grab the joysticks to control the ROV.
Slowly and surely moving it, Davos moves the ROV through the parts of the ship that they’d never be able to reach. Moving through the hallways of where the first class would have once walked down to get from room to room, drinking champagne and happily living their lives while they crossed the ocean towards the Iron Islands, Davos moves into the first class reception room after passing down the once grand staircase that the first class would take. He moves past a grand piano that once was against the wall and now was in the middle of the room; surprisingly still in good shape, and then underneath the glittering chandelier that was still hanging from the ceiling. He passes over a champagne bottle that was resting on the floor, and then over some of the broken china that lay smashed across the floor. There was a dolls head, that for a second looked like the skull of a child. Davos quickly moves towards the broken door and towards the room that was B-52, and into the sitting room of what had been one of the best suites on the entire ship.
“Heading for the bedroom, B-54.”
“Stay off the floor. Don’t stir it up like you did yesterday.” Stannis warned him, but never once takes his eyes away from the video.
“I’m trying boss.”
Davos moves the ROV across the room and squeezes it through the narrow doorway of the bedroom after turning the camera for a second to look at the elegant fireplace. Once entering the bedroom, the camera pans over the broken furniture that lays around, the writing desk that was out of place. The camera comes to a broken off wardrobe door.
“I want to see what’s underneath the wardrobe door.” Stannis tells him, his hand coming to rest on Davos’s shoulder to get a closer look to the screen. Davos takes out the arms of the ROV and brings them over to the wardrobe door, slowly gripping onto it with the claws and beginning to try and flip it off of whatever was hidden underneath.
“Careful, Davos. Slowly…”
The door moves and reveals what was underneath. The green safe was almost brand new, not a scratch on it even after being under the sea for 84 years. Stannis face lit up like a child on Christmas morning, turning to the other crew members.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” He grins like a cheshire cat. “It’s payday boys.”
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The safe is lowered down onto the deck of Stannis’ ship, a crowd had already gathered to watch the new reveal of what was inside. Stannis could already picture the beautiful gold jewellery that was inside, and hopefully something he had been searching for years for. The safe was dripping wet as it hit the deck, the crowd cheering out as the men who worked for Stannis waited for the big pay that was going to come from within it.
Davos came up from behind to Stannis, wrapping his arms around the taller man’s shoulders and bringing him in for a close embrace. “Who’s the best? Say it.”
“You are, Davos.” Stannis turns to the camera crew. “Are you rolling?”
“Rolling.” They confirmed, pointing their camera towards the safe as the power saw began to cut right through the hinges of the safe. During this moment, Davos had popped open a bottle of champagne in celebration, beginning to spray it across everyone as the cheers just get louder.
Another technician comes in and hooks onto the door of the safe, Stannis giving the nod.
“Alright, crack her open.” And the door was pulled off, things beginning to flood out of the safe in the orange mess. Stannis kneels himself down, the camera man also coming in closer to be able to see inside of the safe. Pulling out old, worn away pieces of paper, Stannis throws them all aside before digging further into the old safe. He took out a notebook, giving it a look before tossing that to the side as well, continuing to dig and only finding pieces of what used to be paper.
“No diamond?” One of the crew workers asked over his shoulder, everyone’s cheers died down as well as Stannis’ hope. Not even a single piece of gold was inside of the safe, not even the diamond they had been looking for.
Stannis stood up, still feeling the camera pointed onto him. The frustration and anger was clear in his face, in the scowl that had replaced the smile that was there moments before.
“Turn the camera off.”
_______________
The technicians were currently taking each of the papers that were found in the safe and putting them into the water trays to seperate them safely without ruining any of them further. The other things that had been found on the ship were being washed down nearby, but Stannis had no interest in any of them.
One of his crew members handed over the phone to him as he passed by, and Stannis instantly felt that twist in his stomach, knowing it had to be the partners. And once again, Stannis would have to bring them bad news.
“Hey Dave, Barry… Look it wasn’t in the safe. No no- Don’t worry about it, there is still plenty of other places that it could be. In the floor debris in the suite, in the mother’s room…” His eyes find the camera footage being shown on one of the screens, the technician watering away the dirt that was stuck against whatever was inside of the notebook. “Hang on a second…” Stannis was completely focused on it, the phone hanging away from his ear but still in his hand as his eyes watched the drawing of a woman coming onto the screen.
The woman was young, and certainly beautiful. She had to be in her late teens or early twenties, posing nude for the drawing. The picture was in good condition, only the edges had worn away a little. He could still make out the initials of TG that were signed into the bottom right corner. The woman was not completely nude, as on her chest, hanging around her neck, was a necklace, with a heavy stone that hung from the chain.
Stannis was quick to throw the phone towards one of the other crew members while running to move through the clutter of mess that was on the lab table, picking out a specific photograph. The same necklace was in the photograph, sitting on a velvet pillow. The diamond necklace was cut into a heart shape, just like the one on the woman’s chest in the drawing.
“Well I’ll be damned.”
_____________
Photographs lined against one of the dressers in the living room, the sound of the news playing on the small television that sat against the wall. There were small figurines, art hanging on the walls as Jenny Payne moved herself through the small living room, a dog trailing at her feet.
“Lady, I’ll feed you in a minute.” She comments with a chuckle, placing the lunch for her Grandmother down on the round table. The news was playing softly in the background of the room where Sansa Payne was sat, her hands covered in the red pottery mold as she was bent over the table, molding another vase to add to her collection or sell.
“Treasure hunter Stannis Baratheon is best known for finding so many amazing pieces of gold in the bottom of the ocean by Dorne, but has now changed his attention two and a half miles below to research another famous shipwreck, the Titanic. Stannis is with us live from his own research ship in the middle of the ocean between the Iron Islands and the mainland. Hello Stannis?”
“Yes, hello Melisandre. You know, the Titanic is not just a shipwreck. It is THE shipwreck. I’ve planned this for three years, and we are out here discovering some amazing things. Things that will have enormous historical and educational value. We’ve been using technology and robots to get further into the wreck than anyone ever has before.” Stannis spoke calmly, his face appearing on the screen but sort of glitching and buffering every now and then. The wind on the seas was blowing his dark short cut hair just slightly, his eyes screwed shut in focus.
“But it is no secret that education is not your purpose. You are a treasure hunter, so what is it that you’re exactly looking for down there?” The reporter asks him, that fake smile that all reporters have plastered onto her face.
“I’d rather show you than tell you.”
Sansa’s eyes turned themselves towards the small television that was resting up on one of the counters in the kitchen, reaching for her walking stick as she uses it to lift herself up and slowly shuffle towards the living room, staring at the man that was displayed on the screen. Jenny stopped preparing the lunch when she noticed her Grandmother, moving closer to her.
“What is it?”
“Turn that up, dear.”
Jenny moves to turn up the volume, moving to stand beside her Grandmother, confusion covering her face.
“Take a look at this drawing we found just today. A piece of paper that’s been underwater for 84 years. And my team were able to preserve it intact.” Stannis continued to talk while the screen had cut over to show off the drawing he was talking about, causing Sansa’s bright Tully blue eyes to widen.
“I’ll be Goddamned…” She muttered.
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Stannis was standing underneath, watching as the crane took up the submersible for another dive into the water when one of his partners, Renly came along to grab his attention.
“Stannis. There’s a satellite call for you.”
“Renly, can’t you see I’m busy? The submersible is about to go into the water again.” He brushed him off, about to turn his attention back around with his younger brother took him by the arm.
“Trust me, you’re going to want to take this call.”
“This better be good.”
The two men walked forward towards where one of their phones and radios were stationed, Stannis took down his ear covers and allowed them to rest on his neck, slowly taking the phone from Renly as it was held out to him.
“Now you’ve got to speak up, she’s kinda old.”
“Great.” Stannis rolled his eyes, taking the phone anyway and bringing it up to his ear, his finger plugging the other to block out the background noise so he could clearly hear the other end of the call.
“Hello this is Stannis Baratheon, how may I help you..” He turns to look at Renly, covering the bottom of the phone for the microphone.
“Payne. Sansa Payne.”
“Mrs Payne.” Stannis puts on a hint of a smile.
“I-I was just wondering if you had found the heart of the ocean yet, Mr Baratheon?” Sansa’s voice came through from the other side, Jenny sat at her side. The lunch and the tea had been long forgotten about.
Stannis’s eyes widened as he turned to give Renly a look of shock, ignoring the smug look that came from his younger brother. “Told you you’d want to take the call.”
“Alright you have my attention, Sansa. Can you tell me who the woman in the drawing is?”
“Oh yes. The woman in the drawing is me.”
____________
The helicopter was loud as it passed right over the sea, metres above where the ship was underneath the gentle waves on the calm morning breeze. Sansa was sat with Lady at her feet, her wrinkled but strong hand softly combing through the dogs fur. Her Granddaughter, Jenny, was sat at her side, both of them looking out of the window as the helicopter fast approached the research ship that Stannis Baratheon and his crew were on.
“She’s a goddamn liar! She’s clearly doing it for the money or the publicity. God only knows why.” Davos ranted along to Stannis who was busy preparing everything for Sansa Payne getting there. Stannis continued to ignore his best friend and partner, his attention instead turning to Renly.
“She’s here!” Renly called out, the three following to the edge of the research ship to look across the open water and see the helicopter that was coming closer and closer. Stannis turns, moving with almost glide across the deck of the ship.
“Sansa Stark died on the Titanic when she was 18, right?” Davos continued, following behind Stannis who was walking, while looking back at the helicopter that was coming into land at the same time.
“That’s right.”
“If she had lived, she’d be over a hundred by now.”
“A hundred and one next month.” Stannis says, the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Okay… so she’s a very old goddamn liar!” The three go up the stairs to the top deck of the ship, Davos still rambling on behind. “I already did a background check on this lady all the way back to the 20s, where she was working as an actress. An actress! There’s your first clue, Sherlock. Her name was Sansa Greyjoy back then. Then she married some guy called Payne, she gives up working and punches out a couple of kids. Now Payne is dead.”
“And everyone else that was on that damn boat and knew about the diamond is also dead, but she knows!” Stannis points out, shaking his head at Davos while continuing to walk. Davos couldn’t help but wonder if his friend was really concerned about this random woman, or more concerned about finding the necklace he had obsessed over for years.
The men came to stand on the helicopter landing pad while watching the helicopter came down into a gentle landing. The wind coming from the parpellars blew their hair around, their hands coming up to cover their eyes. Once the helicopter had landed, their crew began to unload the luggage that was coming off of it. Davos and Renly were standing together, eyeing up the amount of luggage coming off.
“Doesn’t exactly travel light, does she?” Davos comments.
Stannis was already up at the door of the helicopter where the crew were helping an old woman down by her wheelchair she was sitting on, the small dog sat on her lap. “Mrs Payne! I’m Stannis Baratheon, welcome to my ship and thank you for coming.” He shakes her hand politely before turning his attention to the younger woman following along behind. “Hi I’m Stannis, welcome to my ship.”
“Hi.” Jenny greets back, her shades pushed up the bridge of her nose. She was quick to move towards her Grandmother, pushing away the hands of the other crew as she began to push her in the wheelchair herself.
____________
Making herself right at home in the small cabin that was given to her, Stannis was placing each and every one of her photographs that she carried along with her on every trip, onto the small dressers, her fish bowl also placed on top of it. At the sound of a knock, Sansa raises her eyes to see Stannis and Davos standing at the open doorway.
“Are your cabins alright?” Stannis asks, slowly moving into the small room as much as he could. Sansa offers a smile back, nodding.
“Oh yes, very nice and cosy.” Her eyes look towards her Granddaughter who was kneeled down, placing things on the shelves. “Have you met my Granddaughter, Jenny? She takes care of me.” She states with a proud grin on her lips, the sparkle still prominent in her ghostly eyes.
“We met just a few minutes ago. Remember Nana? Up on deck?” Jenny offers a kind and polite smile towards the two men before turning her gaze back to Sansa, who lifted her hand and made a gesture towards her mind, pulling a face.
“I take my pictures when I travel.” Sansa announces to them, continuing to place the last frame up on the dresser while Jenny was busy placing her clothes into the shelves below.
“Can we get you anything?” Stannis questions.
“Yes. I would like to see my drawing.”
_____________
Bending over to see into the water tray, Sansa’s blue orbs widen at the sight of the almost brand new drawing that was laying underneath the water. Only the edges had faded a little, and as she allowed her eyes to close, she could almost imagine she was back where she was when the drawing was done, laying naked across the fine sofa with him sitting in front of her, gaze so focused as he drew with skill. She could still see the sea that was in his eyes…
“This fabulous stone is known as the blue diamond.” Her eyes snapped open again at the sound of Stannis’s voice breaking her from her dream and back into reality. It was lost and then believed to have been chopped in two, and shaped into a heart, that then became known as the heart of the ocean.”
“It was a dreadful heavy thing.” Sansa shakes her head, taking notice to the frown that came onto Stannis’s face at her comment. “I only wore it this once.”
“You actually think this is you, Nana?” Jenny asks, leaning forward to look at the drawing closer. Sansa turns her head, an offended look on her face as she scoffs.
“It is me, dear… wasn’t I something to look at?” Jenny laughs along with Stannis.
“I tracked this back with a claim, a claim sworn to secrecy. Can you tell me who’s claim it would be?” Stannis questions, kneeling down further to be level with Sansa. Sansa’s lips tugged into a smirk, an almost snort coming from her nose as she nods.
“I’d imagine it would be someone named… Lannister.”
Nodding along, Stannis continues. “Jaimie Lannister, that’s right. Big tiecoon in Kings Landing. They say that the claim was for the necklace for his son, Joffrey, to give to his fiancée ... You.” Sansa laughed again, but nodded. “That was a week before the ship left the docks of Kings Landing. It was filed right after the sinking… so the diamond, had to have gone down with the ship.” Stannis smiles, almost looking for conformation with her.
“See the date?”
“April 14th, 1912.” Jenny confirmed, looking at the right bottom corner of the drawing.
“Which means if your Grandmother is who she says she is, she was wearing the diamond the day the Titanic sank.” Davos confirmed to Jenny, who still looked as confused as she did when she stepped out of the helicopter.
“And that makes you, my new best friend.” Stannis says directly to Sansa, bright grin across his face.
The group then moved across to one of the tables where some of the things they had recovered from the room Sansa was in on the Titanic was found. Sansa’s eyes instantly went for the rounded mirror that was sitting at the front, bringing it into her hands. “This was mine.. How extraordinary!” She smiles towards Jenny who was sat at her side. “It looks the same as it did the last time I saw it…” Turning it over in her hands, Sansa noticed the crack that ran diagonally across the mirror, her old and wrinkled face staring back at her in the reflection. “Reflections changed a bit.” She comments while setting the mirror back down onto the table.
Her hands then find a clasp with a dragonfly on it, gasping at the sight. The dragonfly was broken in places, and the clasp was a little worn, but it still was as it was the last time she saw it, where she pulled it from her hair and let her red locks fall down her back in curls.
She hardly even noticed Stannis coming to her side and kneeling down just behind her shoulder, eyes focused on her. “Are you ready to go back to Titanic?”
____________
“Okay, here we go.” Davos pulls out one of his animation films for them to see, and Sansa’s eyes watched curiously as it showed the animation of the Titanic hitting the iceberg. “She hits the iceberg on the starboard side. She kind of bumps along, punching holes like morse code.” He makes noises, his hands making the demonstration of how it would be. “And the following compartments start to flood.”
Sansa watches as the animation changes into the side of the boat, watching the water rising further up the different parts while having a lump forming in her throat. She could feel the bile, she could feel her eyes watering already.
“Now as the water level rises, she spills over the watertight bulkheads, which unfortunately don’t go any higher than E deck. So now as the bow goes down, the stern rises up. Slower at first and then faster and faster until finally she’s got her whole ass sticking up in the air.” Davos waves his hands around, pointing out different parts of the animation. But Sansa was just trying to stop herself from being sick. “And that’s a big ass. We’re talking 20, 30 thousand tun. Okay? And the hull’s not designed to be able to handle that sort of pressure, so what does she do? She splits. Right down to the keel.” Sansa could feel the bile rising as she watched the animation of the ship do just that. “And the stern, falls back level. Then as the bow sinks, it pulls the stern vertical until finally detaching. Now as the stern section kind of just bobs in the water like a cork for a couple of minutes, it finally goes down at 2:20AM, which is 2 hours and 40 minutes after the collision. The bow section planes away, landing about half a mile away. It’s going at about 20, 30 knots when it hits the ocean floor.” Davos makes the crashing noises with his mouth again as the animation shows it, before finally turning his attention back to them. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Sansa was not impressed by his noises, nor his animation. She had a nasty taste in her mouth as the man known as Davos, named it as something “cool”. She looks towards him, giving a tight smile.
“Thank you for that… excellent forensic analysis, Mr Seaworth.” She purses her lips, almost a distant look in her eyes. “Of course, the experience of it was somewhat different.”
“Will you share it with us?” Stannis asks.
Sansa just stands slowly from her wheelchair, ignoring the protests of Jenny as she shuffles her way over towards the screens which showed the ship, of course underneath the water. She stares at it, a warm feeling coming into her heart at the sight of it. Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked from one screen that showed the hallway towards where her and her mother were staying, and then to another that showed the doors that took you into the main reception area for the first class. She could almost still see it. She could still see the men standing on either side of the doors to hold them open as she passed through, which caused her tears to fall from her eyes, a gasp while she covered her face with her hands.
“That’s it. I’m taking her to rest.” Jenny was quick to move to her Grandmother’s ade, hands resting on her arms as she tried to move her away from the screens.
“No.”
“Come on, Nana...”
“No.” Sansa spoke clearer this time. Jenny helped her, her hands slowly coming away from Sansa as Sansa moves herself to sit down in her chair again. Stannis was quick to get the recorder from Renly, starting it up and setting it down onto the side.
“Tell us, Sansa.”
Sansa took a moment, taking a deep breath. Her eyes were closed as she tried to imagine it all again. “It’s been 84 years.”
“It’s alright, just try to remember anything. Anything at all.” Stannis comments.
Her eyes open, tilting her head to the side. “Do you want to hear this or not, Mr Baratheon?”
The other men in the room, Davos and Renly, both tried to not laugh at the sight of their boss being sat back by an old woman, but all of them listened as she began again.
“It’s been 84 years. And I can still smell the fresh paint… The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in… Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams. And it was. It really was.”
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A little girl was held up in her father’s arms to be able to see across the tops of the crowd’s heads. Her eyes were wide with excitement and wonder as she stared at the large ship that was in the dock, people of all different classes and styles getting onto it. Other people were just stood in the crowd as she was, waving at the people - presumably loved ones that had gotten onto the ship and were waving back.
A man with a suit on, bow tie right up at his throat, and combed out moustache was shouting out orders to the moving crowd heading for the ship. “All third class passengers this way to have a health inspection before boarding the ship. Please line in an orderly fashion to be seen quicker.” He had a whistle around his neck, using it to gain attention as the people began to do as he said.
“Big boat, isn’t it?” Her father snapped her attention back to him, earning a snort and a smug look from his daughter.
“Daddy, it’s a ship.”
The man chuckles along, nodding. “You’re right.”
The girls attention was one again taken away when the sound of a car horn could be heard just a little away from them. Three cars came to a stop just before where the crowd had gathered, a man stepping out and opening the door. A white gloved hand appeared, holding itself out and the young girl could feel herself take a deep breath as she watched the woman who stepped out with the help of the gentleman.
_____________
Sansa’s head tilted up towards the large ship that was in the dock. Not a single sign of impressment was on her lips, her eyes still narrowed into tight slits. She stood off to the side, her gloved hands clasped together in front of her as her big purple hat blocked her from the sun beating down onto them.
Exiting behind her from the same car came Joffrey, big grin upon his face as he looked at the ship. Unlike his fiancee, he was impressed by it. He had been impressed before he had even seen it come into view.
“I don’t see what all the fuss it about. It can’t be any bigger than the Mauritania.” Sansa turns to look at him, her gloved hand holding her hat a certain way to cover her face. Of course, Joffrey was not impressed by her displeasure.
“You can be like that about some things, Sansa, but not about Titanic.”
Sansa turns away from him before he can even finish, her eyes up towards the ship as she walked with her cane. “It’s almost 100 feet longer than the Mauritania… And far more luxurious.” She could hear him, but chose to ignore.
Turning himself towards the car, holding his hand out, Joffrey took the hand of Sansa’s mother, Catelyn, while making a comment about Sansa of course. “Your daughter is far too difficult to impress, Catelyn. I struggle more and more as the days go on.” But that smile was still on his face. Still giving the impression that he was just being humorous, but Sansa knew better. He meant every word his tongue spoke of her.
Catelyn lets out a laugh as she exits the car with the help of Joffrey, but her attention was much like her daughter’s, and her eyes soon found the ship that was in front of them. “So this is the ship they say is unsinkable?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“It is unsinkable! The Old and the New God themselves could not sink this ship!”
One of the men in the suit and bowtie came towards Joffrey and grabbed his attention. “Sir, you have to check your baggage through the main terminal. It’s round that way, sir.” He was polite, wanting to make a good impression with the first class passengers. He would never speak to them how he’d speak to the third class ones.
“I put my faith in you, good sir.” Slipping some cash into his hand, Joffrey gave his charming smile towards the man, giving a nod in the direction of where Sandor was standing. “Now kindly see my man.”
The man seemed shocked, but grateful and ready to do anything he could to please. “Yes sir. My pleasure sir. If I can do anything at all sir-”
“Yes yes, alright.” Sandor was quick to grab the man by the arm and guide him away from Joffrey and towards the back of the three cars, where lots of luggage was kept. “All the trunks from that car there to the Parlor suite, rooms B-52, 54, 56.” And the man blew his whistle, gaining the attention of other men to help move the luggage.
Checking his pocket watch, Joffrey looked towards Sansa and Catelyn. “Ladies. We better hurry.”
Joffrey offered his arm out to the both of them, but Catelyn was the only one to take it as they walked through the crowd that waved up at the ship. Sansa was just behind them, walking on her own. Many eyes stared at her, stared at the redhead beauty that walked alone. Her maid was behind her, carrying her coat for her. “My coat?” Sansa turned to ask. “I have it.” Her maid, Shae, confirmed to her. A smile comes from Sansa before continuing her walk.
Her heart was beating out of her chest the entire way, but her smile never once faltered. She made her way up the walkway just behind her mother who was in front, Shae behind and Joffrey to her side. Every step made her feel more sick and made her heart hammering in her chest even faster. She was not excited to be going to the Iron Islands, not excited to be leaving the beautiful South they were in now. Outwardly, she was respectable and she kept her posture and her smile. She was brought up to be a respectable young lady.
On the inside though, she was screaming.
____________
In one of the bars, looking out towards the same dock where the ship was sitting, four men were playing a game of poker. They could hear the sound of the steam loudly coming from the ship, but were more interested in the game.
“Theon, you’re an idiot! You bet everything we have!” Oberyn protested to his friend, giving a shake of his head. He was holding cards in his hands, but none of them were useful.
Leaning forward to him, Theon’s lips pulled into a sly grin over the top of the cigarette that he was holding between them. “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.”
The man sat across from him, Jorah, was holding hands in his right hand while downing a shot of whiskey with the other. The tensions were high. “You are a fucking moron. I can’t believe you bet our tickets, Bronn.”
The other male just looked towards his friend with a hard gaze before Theon caught his attention. Bronn shook his head, muttering something before switching cards. Theon reaches down to the stack on the table, the pocket watch loudly ticking away in his ears as he pulls the card up and looks, taking a draw from the cigarette without using his hands, and blowing it out through his nose.
“Alright. Moment of truth. Somebody’s life’s about to change.” Turning towards his friend, he raised an eyebrow. “Oberyn?” Oberyn lays out his cards on the table without breaking eye contact with Theon. That same disappointed look was still there. “Nothing?” “Nothing.”
“Jorah?” Jorah lays out his cards as well, but more throws them down. “Nothing as well.” Theon makes a face before turning his eyes towards the last male. “Bronn?” He lays out his, and Theon takes a deep intake of breath. “Uh oh… Two pairs.” His eyes go towards Oberyn again, maintaining that sad puppy look. “I’m sorry Oberyn.”
“You’re sorry? You motherfucker! You bet all of the money!” Oberyn ranted on, stopping when Theon’s hand came to rest against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry. You’re not going to see your mama again for a long time… Cause we’re going to the Iron Islands, full house boys!” He smacks his other hand against the table, slamming his cards down to show the other two men. Both of them looked angry, disappointed. Theon was too happy for himself to care. Both of the boys jumped from their seats, Oberyn going around holding the tickets in his hands and waving them around to show everyone in the bar.
Theon leaned over the table to scoop up the change that was also betted, eyes widening when Jorah grabbed him by the shirt, his hand clenched into a fist. It wouldn’t have been the first time Theon had been punched, and he closed one eye expecting and ready for the blow. But he was surprised when Jorah turned and punched Bronn instead, and it caused Theon to let out a laugh.
Turning to Oberyn, they both grinned at each other.
“I’m going to the islands!” Oberyn cheered and laughed, Theon taking the tickets from his hands and kissing each of them.
“I’m going home!”
The two hugged, celebrating on their own while the other two men were too busy arguing and shouting at each other.
“No lads. Titanic goes to the Iron Islands. In 5 minutes.” The bartender points up towards the clock that hangs on the wall, and Theon’s eyes widen, the two of them quickly making work at getting all the change into one of their bags.
Theon and Oberyn ran fast through the crowds, dodging people as they shouted back and forth at one another, trying to make it to the end of the ship that the third class passengers went too.
“We’re riding high in style now!” Theon shouts back to him, ducking underneath one of the walkways while they still ran on. “We’re a couple of regular swells. We’re practically goddamn royalty, Oberyn!”
“I told you! I go to the Iron Islands and become a millionaire! It’s fate!” Oberyn shouts back as the two of them nearly run into two horses pulling a carriage, instantly dodging to run the other way around.
“You’re an idiot, Greyjoy!”
“Maybe but I’ve got the tickets!”
“Come on! ``I thought you were fast!”
The two ran up to the walkway just in time to see them pulling it away from the ship, ready to leave. Theon quickly moved up, holding his hand out that had the tickets in it. “Wait! Wait! We’re passengers! Passengers!”
Handing over the tickets once they were at the top of the walkway, the crew member looks at it quickly before back at them. “Have you been through the inspection queue?”
Theon was quick to nod, Oberyn giving a big grin from behind him. “Of course. Anyway, we don’t have any lice. We’re from the Iron Islands. The both of us.” The man takes one look at them before nodding.
“Right. Come aboard.”
Jumping over the gap between the boat and the walkway, the water underneath, Theon quickly grabs at Oberyn while they make their way down the corridors filled with third class passengers.
“We’re the luckiest sons of a bitches in the world, you know that?!”
____________
The ropes were pulled away from the harbour, allowing the ship to be able to sail away. The horn went off, everyone waving at the sides of the ship and back into the crowd below, saying goodbye to their friends and loved ones.
Finding a gap in between people, Theon climbed up onto the railing with Oberyn behind him, waving down at the people below even though no one even knew who they were, nor did they have any friends or loved ones apart from each other down below.
“Bye! I’m going to miss you all!”
“You know somebody down there?”
“Of course not! That’s not the point. Just join in!”
Oberyn shrugs before doing the same, waving as the ship pulls itself away from the dock.
“Goodbye!”
“I’ll never forget you!”