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"NEWS of this battle will spread quickly through the Seven Kingdoms. I've declared for House Stark for all to hear."
Sansa stood a few feet away from Petyr Baelish, not believing his words. She left him at the weirwood tree just outside of Winterfell, a place she always used to visit to think, and yet he had interrupted her sanctuary. She knew what he wanted – she always knew what he wanted. He could never have her mother, so he wanted her. Every little move he made, it was to capture her.
"You've declared for other houses before, Lord Baelish." She responded, her back turned away. "It's never stopped you from serving yourself."
Petyr shook his head. "The past is gone for good. You can sit here, mourning its departure, or prepare for the future. You, my love, are the future of House Stark." He took a step closer, grinning suddenly. "Who should the North rally behind? A true born daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark, born here at Winterfell, or a motherless bastard, born in the South? Will you let an older woman – who seemingly dropped here from a wiped out house – take your spot as Lady of Winterfell when your bastard brother rules?"
Sansa looked down at her hands. She knew what he was doing, but somehow, the young red-head was finding herself believing his words. It wasn't as if they were lies: she could feel the North growing closer to Jon because he was their leader in battle, whilst she sat behind the scenes. She heard Jon speak the word of marriage to Maia, and once she says yes, the older blonde would surely become Lady of Winterfell. Sansa would be left in the dust, after she had done everything.
She took in Littlefinger's words, but tried to brush them off as she walked back to Winterfell. Her feet padded through the thick snow, and though she kept trying to not here Petyr's reply in her head, she knew they would leave an imprint forever.
•••
Throughout most days, Maia could be found in the Winterfell library. She was surprised to find out it was larger than the one at Castle Black, and she sat in the room curiously all day, reading up on anything she could find.
Frequently, Maia tried to find any specific information on her supposed house. It was only mentioned here and there, in very short sentences, but when she found a extensive volume all on Robert's Rebellion, she had finally got lucky. The book explained in depth about why House Sanders sided with the Targaryens in the battle, and it was because one of the Lord's daughters, Lauryn Sanders, was promised to Rhaegar Targaryen as a second wife, in return for their large army. Their house was small, and on the verge of extinction, but their army was more than Rhaegar needed. The Lord of House Sanders had several other family members, she read, but they had all died before or after the war. When it came time for battle, the tiny house was completely slaughtered by Robert Baratheon's army.
