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Puffs of white vapour leaveshis chapped lips as he exhales evenly, This, along with the sound of snow crunching beneath his boots as he trudges up to the house is what fills the quiet of the dusky winters evening, the first night of December. There is warm buttery yellow light emanating from the ground floor windows and little candle arches lit up in the second floor windows, making their home a very welcoming sight.
He pushes through the heavy black front door past the silver snarling dog head knocker which now holds a Sevenmas wreath of holly, pine, cinnamon sticks and slices of dried orange and lemon between its bared teeth. An enormous Sevenmas pine tree is within his grasp. The sweet sugary smell of baking fills his nose and causes his stomach to rumble appreciatively.
He Calls out with a deep bark:
"Where do you want this? Little bird?"
A moment passes whilst the mingling aroma of lemon cakes and pine needles fills his nose as he takes deep breaths in the wide-open hallway. The lemon tree within the hall is laden heavily with fruit, silver tinsel wrapped around the slender trunk and brightly coloured paper birds peep from within the leaves and garlands of pine, holly and dried fruit wrap around the banisters on the staircase, reaching up to the second floor.
His Little bird appears in a flurry of coppery red curls and icing sugar dusting her nose, she is gripping two thin stemmed crystal champagne flutes filled with her favourite fizz and has a rosy redness to her cheeks from being busy baking in the kitchen all afternoon. Her Tully blue eyes smile at him and they sparkle with delight. Much like the ring adorning her finger. He smiles, thinking back to the day he asked her to be his.
If he says so himself he did a pretty damn good job...
Roused from his memories of a month past, his Sansa points to the front reception room where a night sky blue wrought iron tree stand is sat to the left of the fire place. He quietly rumbles a command for the dogs to keep their distance as he wields the tree into position. All three hounds have tinsel round their collars and reindeer antlers on their heads. They look ridiculous but at least they aren't wearing Sevenmas jumpers... He put his foot down at that.
What feels like an age of cursing:
It needs to be straight Sandor
Then I'm not sure actually... How about by the window... No the other side of the fireplace... No definitely the other side.
“Fuck little bird!” He huffs and grumbles as he pulls the tree this way and that getting spiked and scratched by the pine needles.
Once it is back in its original place she nods with satisfaction as he rolls his eyes. Always the same with her... Traipsing all over town to go to the first shop she stepped into.
He goes upstairs to gather the box of Sevenmas decorations from the spare room. Passing a few pictures and photographs, which came with Sansa from Kings Landing. There are still many boxes left to unpack but slowly and surly she's finding homes for her favourite pieces.
His heart swells and feels light at her putting her stamp on this place. Their home now, even with his/ their enormous wardrobes bursting at the seems with her never ending garments. He likes the silky wisps of material tucked away in the chest of drawers on her side of the bed, piled high with books and a little green bud vase containing a winter rose from the garden.
He especially likes the lingerie when he gets to remove them from her maiden made flesh body, ideally with his teeth. His eyes darken at the thought and wonders if there is time before their guests arrive later this evening.
He never really celebrated Sevenmas before so the decorations are all Sansa's. Tasteful baubles in whites and greys, hand blown glass icicles and white paper stars. Metres upon metres of silver glass beads and antique looking star lamps.
Carrying down the box, his little bird his scrolling through her smart phone and syncing it up to the speakers, Sevenmas music fills the room as they set to decorating the tree. Finally he lifts her by the hips with a squeal and she places the seven-pointed star on the very top. He twists her within his grasp and arranges her so she is cradled in his arms and lowers his lips to hers, swiping the sugary sweetness of lemon cakes off of her lips with his tongue which causes her to moan. He sets her down and her back is nestled to his chest as they take in their first Sevenmas tree.
"Isn't it perfect, Sandor?" She sighs contentedly.
"Aye, it is." He rumbles back.
Then the doorbell rings.
*
Sansa loves this time of year, especially the winter markets. All crisp and fresh with the elements of winter time whilst she is all snug and warm. She is all wrapped up in a thick cream woolen coat with a grey faux fur scarf and hat. Her hands snugly contained within her supple dove grey leather gloves. The sights and smells of the market fill her senses. The market stalls are made to look like little log cabins, complete with fake snow on the windows since it is much milder by the coast than where they live. The sugared air from the candied nut stall fills her nose whilst the hissing from the mulled wine urns fills her ears.
The riot of colours from the toy stall draws her eyes and she watches the wide awe filled eyes of children take in the lovely creations. She watches Sandor gaze over the toys, smirking at the plush direwolf cuddly toys before his slate grey eyes widen and his hand reaches out to pick up a wooden knight figure dressed in a black tunic and breeches with yellows accents and a black furred cloak with yellow lining. The knight has wooden great sword in his right hand and a painted black and yellow shield in his left. The arms and legs are jointed and Sandor delicately maneuvers the arms and legs into different positions until the knight his in a defensive pose. She slides an attempted secret glance at him, curious at his interest in the toy and is surprised to see a half smile and a rare look of whimsy on his face. He catches her watching and elaborates.
"I had a toy knight much like this one when I was younger. He had a black horse also and I took them everywhere with me, imagination running wild and making up quests of fighting dragons and saving fair maidens."
He blushes some at his remembered childhood but Sansa takes it all in smiling.
"They got lost after my grandparents passed." He adds with a tone of regret, setting the knight back down reluctantly.
The stallholder moves into her line of sight and she nods minutely. He nods back and when Sandor rumbles about getting some mulled wine and walks away from the stall she turns to the stall clerk and states:
"Keep him safe for me. I will collect him later."
She nods in her fiancés direction and the clerk smiles with a wink. As an afterthought she adds.
"If there is a fair maiden to go with him or a black horse, that would be great."
The clerk smiles and says “I will see what I can do, come back on the morrow."
She nods before weaving through the crowded street, across to the tall broad back of Sandor cloaked in a dark grey woolen coat turns and hands her a cute ceramic mug decorated with seven pointed stars filled with steaming mulled wine, the aroma of cloves and cinnamon fill her nose and the vapours catch the back of her throat as she takes a sip, the warming liquid sliding into her stomach and filling her with a warm glow.
*
Later on they are watching a glass stall worker blowing and working molten glass into intricate baubles. So mesmerized is she, that she doesn't realise that Sandor had left her side until he slides his hand in hers with a gentle squeeze. She looks him with a smile that falters as she takes in the look of disappointment on his face he is valiantly trying to hide.
"What is it? My love." She asks her voice full of concern.
"I returned to the toy stall for the wooden knight, but he has been sold and was one of a kind."
He rumbles low with a deep sigh that makes her heart twinge at the forlorn look on her beloveds face and she almost spills her deception to him. Instead she squeezes his hand and gives him a small sad smile. He sighs and holds her close.
*
Something has got his little bird in a flutter. He can tell. She's restless and flitting from room to room, barely having taken a sip from the champagne flute he poured for her earlier that evening. He's found her rearranging the paper birds hiding in the lemon tree. The seven knows why, they looked fine to him. Making sure Strangers antlers are on straight, much to his and Stranger's distaste and here she is now underneath the Sevenmas tree, staring at wrapped gift.
"I hope your not trying to guess what I've bought you, little bird?" He rumbles in her ear, making her jump and turn. He captures her in his embrace with a kiss. When he breaks the kiss, she's blushing and looking sheepish."
"Naughty little bird!" He teases. His eyes darkening with lust as he sees her beauty radiating from her. "I know what can keep you from unwrapping your presents" he comments before taking her in a fireman's lift with a squeal and a barking laugh from himself as he strides up the stairs to their bedroom, where she intends to keep her occupied... All night.
*
Sansa's lips are swollen from their fevered love making last night. She touches her lips and blushes from the memories. He worshipped every inch of her skin and she feels all warm, her muscles a fuzzy disjointed feeling. It is Sevenmas morning and they are sat beneath the tree, having unwrapped the presents for Lady, Jess and Stranger whom are merrily tearing around the living room with their new toys before settling together on the rug with their bone shaped chews. The first smells of Sevenmas dinner wafting through the house.
Sandor insisted she opened her gifts from him first, a beautiful pair of sapphire earrings which match the shade of her eyes, a pair of doeskin leather boots in black she was eyeing up on their trip to Casterley Rock but decided were too expensive… Sneaky man... Well two can play at that game. And some beautiful emerald green lingerie along with her favourite perfume. He has well and truly spoilt her.
Sansa hands him his gifts one by one and he's almost hesitant as she unwraps each gift. Her heart pangs once more for the life her beloved had lived before they met and she rubs the gathering tears away. He unwraps a leather bound book and ink pen for his architectural designs, soft black leather gloves, several pairs of festive socks and some boxer briefs with the slogan ‘jingle my bells’ on the waistband. She hands him her final gifts contained within a neatly wrapped large box.
His eyes widen as he lifts the lid to see the toy knight gazing back at him.
"But the toy seller said he'd gone to small child and there were no others." He rumbles low causing her stomach to fizz.
His brow furrows in confusion looking at her until he realises her deception. In one hand he lifts out the toy knight and in the other he lifts out a black wooden stallion figure, complete with saddle, saddle blanket and the rest of the tack accented in silver, black and yellow. Looking down again, he sets the knights steed to one side before he gently lifts a wooden princess from the gift box, wearing a gold embroidered emerald green dress. Her long red hair is braided and hangs over her left shoulder and she wears a little golden tiara. She smiles at the toy seller’s ability to replicate a doll so much like her.
"A fair maiden for my knight." He grins, "although, little bird I think I'm a little old for toys.” He chuckles.
She stands and goes to sit on his lap and he delicately places the toys back in the box, his fingers brushing against another box within. Tilting his head up to hers she lands a delicates kiss on his lips and forehead before moving her lips to his ear and whispers.
"Perhaps a little prince or princess will be arriving to play with these toys sooner than you think. In eight months to be exact."
She feels his body tense and his hands firmly grasp her hips before letting go so suddenly as if the contact burnt him and then oh so delicately replacing them before slowly drawing her back to bore into her eyes searchingly.
"Little bird. What are you telling me?"
Happy tears leak from her eyes as she whispers. "We're having a baby, Sandor!"
"Oh! Sansa, my sweet little bird! How long have you known?" He asks all hoarse rumbles from the overwhelming emotion.
“Only a day, I realised I was late after we arrived back from the Winter markets, I took the test yesterday and we must have conceived the night we…” She blushes at the memory of that night. “We took the lemon meringue, grapes and whipped cream to bed after our date…”
He rumbles low with laughter at the recollections of that night.
“Aye little bird, that was quite a night.”
“Are you happy Sandor? I know it is sudden and we aren’t even wed ye-“
“Hush little bird, I promised to you a long time ago that I would be loyal and true. Vows in front of a Septon or beneath a Weirwood tree doesn’t make it any truer.” He states solemnly. “If that means a babe in eight months, then so be it. I never thought a wife and family was meant for me and I’m a greedy bastard and will happily take what you gift me with, Sansa.”
He gently enfolds her in his arms and her heart soars at the future they will share together.