Last chance for honour

Chapter 30

"We can't go back, not now! Sansa is in danger, you know that!" Brienne yelled. Jamie gave a short sigh before turning from his horse and looking at her "What do you suggest we do? Carry on riding North to Winterfell and politely ask Roose Bolton's bastard if he will give Sansa back?". Jamie held her stare. Brienne lowered her voice "We have to do something". 

"Yes we will, we'll go to Kingslanding and March right back North to Winterfell with an army" Jamie let out a sigh of frustration while he continued readying his horse. "Your father's army" Brienne added. Jamie turned once more, a look of irritation on his face "Yes my Father's army... a Lannister army, and I won't stop until I find Sansa again". Brienne softened her frown, she looked down at the floor avoiding Jamie's gaze. "I'm not coming with you".

"Brienne I need you, you're the only one I trust-" 

"and I trust you, I know you'll find Sansa, but Arya is still out there somewhere, I know it... I have to find her". He furrowed his brow, "she could be anywhere, she's probably dead-" Jamie argued. "I have to try". He gave up arguing with her, he knew it was useless, Brienne would never break a promise. "I hope you find Arya, wherever she is" Jamie doubted any chance she had of ever finding her, no one had seen her since her father's death. Brienne's lips formed a small smile "Goodbye Jamie". He paused for a moment "Goodbye Brienne" Jamie watched as she climbed onto her horse until she disappeared in the other direction.

It was the first time he head truly felt alone since Sansa had gone. He felt a sudden realisation of how she must feel, alone in Winterfell... surrounded by the Boltons.

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Sansa looked up at the red leaves hanging off the branches of the Weirwood tree, she watched how they blew in harmony with the wind she felt on her face and through her hair. She sat at the bottom of the trunk just as her father did. She thought of what the Godswood in Kinglanding  would look like, she imagined it to be so much grander than here, with huge fountains and gardens where she could wander for hours with her ladies once she was Queen. She thought of how happy she would be once her and Joffrey were married. 

She turned her head to see her half-brother approaching "What are you doing here?" she hadn't meant for her words to sound so harsh but they did. "Father was looking for you, he wanted to speak with you". Sansa began walking back. "Sansa" she turned back to Jon "Yes?" She waited for him to speak. "Why do you want to marry Joffrey?" her brows furrowed. "Because I love him, and I'm to be his Queen". Jon lowered his head "Haven't you heard what people say about him, Robb has told me awful things about-" "That's all lies, he's just jealous, Robb can't stand it that I'm going to be Queen when he'll just be a Lord when he's older, you'll all see once I'm the Queen and you all have to bow and address me as 'your Grace'... Anyway what would you know, you're just a Bastard, I don't care what you think" Sansa felt a rage run through her, what would he know of someone as gallant as the prince.

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Sansa thought back to that day, how cruel she had been to Jon. She wondered if she would ever see any of them again. Jon, Bran, Rickon or Arya. She wanted to think of Robb and her Mother and Father, but it hurt too much. To think of them lying in the cold ground somewhere in the darkness. It caused a sickness in her stomach to think she was living with the son on the monster that stabbed her brother in the chest. 

She turned her head away from the branches of the Weirwood tree to see Ramsey approaching. "There you are" Sansa didn't even have to look at him to know there was a huge smile fixed on his face. She composed a small smile on her lips for his benefit, "Yes my lord". He took a step closer to her "I have wonderful news, I've made arrangements for us to be married tonight, right here underneath the Weirwood tree" Sansa forces the weak smile to stay on her lips as she watched his gaze. He took her arm in his and started walking her back to the castle. "You're to my my bride Sansa, my companion, we are to love and care for one another." 

"Love?" Sansa spoke before she thought. Ramsey stopped walking, his smile disappeared for a few seconds before returning. "Yes... well it doesn't matter whether or not you love me, the rest of the North will see how Ramsey Bolton, the rightful Lord of Winterfell avenged the murder of their beloved Stark King by killing his own father, and how he saved his poor sister from the clutches of the Kingslayer and returned her to her rightful place at Winterfell". He gripped her wrist in his hand tightly, pressing his lips together before he spoke. "In the end Jamie's revenge on my father worked to my best intentions, at first being accused for my own father's murder was a slight disadvantage, but unfortunately I don't think it was my Father who you should have feared the most". She felt his grip tighten slowly as he spoke, "do you understand?". He brushed a hand over her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, she looked away from him. The only person she hated more than Ramsey was herself for cowering to his threats and commands. "Yes my Lord" she said quietly.