Chapter Text
Sansa, although never really liking her aunt, attended her funeral with the attire of a mourning niece should have. Her aunt Lysa was a dreadful woman, and her husband sitting in the front row, keeping his composure well, was someone who obviously did not love her as he said he did. The politeness of the ceremony bored Sansa, preoccupied with the thoughts of her university term starting soon, thoughts busy with room arrangements and equipment she needed to do the best she could and not disappoint her father. She walked to her uncle after the depressing ceremony and offered her condolences, as any polite person would, and to her cousin, who was equally as dreadful as his mother, no matter how much it pained her to be nice.
“I am sorry that my aunt, who must have meant so much to you, is gone. It was truly awful to see her pass.” She lied to her uncle, well enough to disguise her sarcasm.
“Robin, my family offers you to stay whenever you need. It would be our pleasure to help you in any way we can.” Another lie. She would hate Robin coming anywhere near her house.
“Yeah thanks,” he started, “Dad’s shipping me off though. He’s arranged a boarding school. Smell ya later Sansa.”
He slid off the stool he sat on and ran away, presumably towards the food.
“I’m sorry about Robin,” Petyr’s husky voice was melodic, something Sansa hadn’t noticed before, “The death of his mother leaves him with me as his guardian and I’m not sure he’s too happy about that. Boarding school is best for him right now.”
Sansa nods and awkwardly smiles, with confusion set in her eyes, disguised as sorrow and pity.
Words are said by her husband at the wake, then by Sansa’s mother, Lysa’s sister, and a few friends and co-workers. The food was small and unappetising, Sansa thought, a reflection of Lysa’s life, with a small giggle in her mind.
~
Bags sprawled across her room as Sansa was cramming the last of her stuff in to take to her shared house with her best friend Margaery. She was excited, texting her every few minutes on updates. They had planned to leave at 9am that day, but it was almost 11 by the time Sansa’s bags had been zipped closed, with a sweat on her brow. Each bag looking as if it could pop open at any moment. Margaery beeped the horn of her fancy new Honda Accord as Sansa pulled her bags downstairs, and put them in the boot of the car, along with Margaery’s stuff.
“I’m glad we’re taking my car and not yours,” Margaery noted Sansa’s vintage Beetle would have never fit both of their bags in it.
“Hey, don’t diss the Beetle, she’s a classic.”
Sansa’s dad hugged her, and her mum cried a little. Her brother, Robb and cousin Jon, wished her luck as they too left to go back to Canberra for their university terms starting. Bran, Arya and Rickon waved her off, going back inside and getting ready for the school year.
Margaery called out, “We’ll see you soon Mr and Mrs Stark!”
“Bye mum, dad, I’ll call when I’m settled in.” Sansa turned and walked to the car, where Margaery drove off, both very excited to start a new part of their lives.
The small two bedroom apartment was just perfect for Sansa and Margaery, both enjoying the closeness, while still having their own rooms and space to themselves. They quickly set about choosing who had which room and making it a little bit more like home. After the girls had become comfortable in their new house, they sat down, turned on the TV and noticed they forgot about internet the second they tried to go on Netflix.
“So, we’re going to have to go shopping for that…” Margaery bit her nail. Sansa looked at her for a moment, “I’ll quickly call my parents, tell them I’m settled, then we can go to Telstra or something, then we’ll make a night of it, go out for a drink since we still haven’t properly celebrated by 18th. Does that sound good?” Sansa smirked, excited and hoping her friend would accept.
“Yeah, I heard about this really nice club in the centre of town, supposed to be really exclusive, I’m sure some pretty girls like us could get in.”
It was settled, Sansa called her parents while Margaery set out some clothes for them to change into quickly once they had bought all the necessary stuff for internet, deciding to set it up later in the week.
The sky was still light, despite it being almost 7pm. The girls lightly dusted their faces with makeup, both with a complimentary matte lipstick and perfected winged eyeliner. Margaery entered in the name of the nightclub ‘The Mockingbird’ into her maps app and tapped the establishment to find that it was only a 15 minute walk from their building. Sansa gathered up her phone, purse and a small bag that could be slung over her shoulder and zipped up. They walked fast paced, heels clicking on the pavement, aromatic smells from each passing restaurant. The lineup for the club wasn’t long, probably as it was so early. The girls stood, chatting in the line waiting for their turn for the security to let them it. Somehow the security knew Margaery’s grandmother, and Sansa’s uncanny red hair and blue eyes singled her out as part of the elite Tully group her mothers parents owned. They slipped into the club where the music was loud and full of bass, the lights flickered continuously, and you could smell the vodka from the door.
Being a particularly fancy club, the girls sat in a booth and ordered light food and drinks for themselves, to mingle over and relax from their busy week preparing for uni. The lights danced over them as they ate chunky fries and sipping their cocktails. Many a male stepped towards their table, asking them to dance with them, each one returned with a look, a laugh, and a dismissal by the girls. They danced together, laughing and having fun, Margaery screaming “Happy 18th Sansa!” to the entire club, not that anyone cared or took notice. Everything Sansa had wanted, to be free and wild, without the disapproval of her parents, until she saw a familiar face.
Sansa glanced back a few times, dropping her hands, Margaery confused, yelling “What are you looking at?” into her ear, trying to make her voice heard over the music.
“I think I know him.” She walked off the dance floor, leaving her friend, who shrugged and then found an attractive blonde boy to dance with.
Sansa slowly walked towards the man she thought to be her uncle, surrounded by girls, sitting in a booth with cocktail and scotch glasses spread across the table.
“Uncle Petyr?” she said quizzically, squinting her eyes as if it would help her see.
“Sansa?” Petyr said with shock.