Chapter Text
Eddard Stark
Sansa had been preparing a beautiful gown of blue with myrish lace and inlaid mother-of-pearls for almost 4 moons now. She had painstakingly sewed designs of weirwood trees and wolves running around the hem of her skirt even though the needle pricked her fingers a thousand times and she's proud, very proud in fact, since it's a huge achievement for a 8 year old.
It's the Harvest Festival in two days and everyone from Septa Mordane to her Mother have congratulated her on a work well done. Well, everyone except Arya. All she said was that it looked stupid. Which is wrong! It looks amazing and Sansa knows. She doesn't need her wretched sister's acknowledgement!
So everything is perfect right?
In the end, it's not.
Arya splattered mud right smack in the middle of the skirt and Sansa cannot contain her screams. She tries washing it off with lemon and salt but it still leaves a light brown stain. She cries to her mother and of course, Mother scolds Arya until her ears her ringing and even Father, who is more indulgent towards Arya, gives her a stern, disappointed face. Eventually Arya does ask for forgiveness but Sansa bites back calling her Horse-face.
She is already stressed. Now she has no choice but to wear one of her old, more unused gowns. Sansa pulls out a grey one with red weirwood leaves on the arms and she is not appeased, she's still angry.
The Harvest Festival starts off with a bang, everyone is having a jolly good time but Sansa is stands in a corner, sulking. Wylla Manderly is wearing a new sea-foam green gown, Alys Karstark is wearing a beautiful gown with suns peaking from the sides of her gown and Sansa is frothing with jealousy.
She can see Arya and Robb stuffing their faces with the various food brought from different parts of the North: Boar, goose-in-berries, salmon, lobster and so much more so Sansa's anger wanes, it is a very joyful time and she realizes that she should just forget the whole thing happened. Forgive and Forget, that's the policy she keeps repeating to herself as she approaches them.
And what does she hear?
Robb and Arya snickering about how red her face turned when she saw Eddara Tallhart's gown, almost similar to her's except Eddara's had green sentinel trees instead of red weirwood leaves. Her anger bursts out and she's almost nearing them, she wants to smack Stupid Arya and scold her favorite brother silly.
She hears a voice clearing behind her, but she continues walking and yet again, the same sound. Sansa spins around, ready to admonish that person, and who is it?
It's Benfred Tallhart, Eddara's brother. He is clearly tipsy, she can see that. His eyes are sparkling and he's swaying while he is blabbering something-
"__ so my Lady, would you do me the favor of dancing with me? " and Sansa, dutiful and polite Sansa just says, "Not right now, my good ser. My apologies".
Benfred gapes.
That audacious boy, stares at her like she is the Night King come to kill him and yet, he continues, "Come on my Lady, one dance!"
Sansa Stark, a wolf of Winterfell, snarls.
"I've already said no, Benfred. Just leave me alone!"
For a split second, Sansa feels powerful. Then it all comes crashing down.
Robb turns around and grabs her hands pulling her away from that atrocious scene, apologizing to Benfred and- Arya, that little beast is laughing uproariously. Her Lord Father, is in the High Table but still, he heard the whole showdown and Sansa- Sansa feels like a fool. Of course, everything is resolved as quickly as possible, Sansa apologizing to Benfred, her Father apologizing to Helman Tallhart and offering to foster Benfred for a year or so.
She gets severely scolded. Her Mother is shocked, her Father is disappointed but his mind seems far away.
And when Eddard retires to bed, he remembers his brother, Brandon's eyes:
(steel grey, the color of Ice, House Stark's ancestral Valyrian Steel )
flashing in anger when something doesn't go his way.
Sansa's eyes, lovely sunset blue, just like Cat's
(any man could drown in them)
flashing in steel grey.
Eddard smiles.