VANITY ─ Jaime Lannister

ONE

"You took a long time," whispered Theon before grabbing her in his arms, as she pressed her nose to his neck.

"I missed you." She gave him a bright smile, a perfect smile, lined as it should be, which Theon returned just as brilliantly.

"I know!" replied Theon wryly and took the opportunity to run his hands through her hair, ruffling it, putting the girl on alert. Anything she couldn't control or plan for stressed her out, which only increased her tension. "Hey, you're good?"

Sanna hid her face in her hands, ashamed that she had to be so vulnerable in front of him. She swallowed, and closed her eyes, listening to her breathing resume a normal rhythm and ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, yes..."

•••

"So the trip wasn't too long?" Had inquired one of the maids as the tall blond leaned in and stared at her as if she had just made the mistake of her life.

Yes this damn trip had been long (way too long), he had surely had to put his buttocks in all the lost corners of Westeros all that to attend the needs of his majesty Robert Baratheon. Jaime had even gone so far as to wonder if his sister had not given ideas to her husband for having spoiled his life for a month, day and night. His ego had also taken a blow, this stupid king had taken him for what he was not! Jaime Lannister was not the king's maid, or even a maid at all.

When he arrived at Winterfell, he found himself cloistered at the back of a banquet hall, curtains and shutters closed, while thousands of eyes scrutinized him as if nothing had happened. Robert had insisted that the entire northern court present themselves to their guests and given the number of people, the northerners obviously knew not to do things by halves, much to Jaime's dismay.

"Relax," intervened Cersei by placing herself in front of him, "you are too tensed."

"I can't stand your dear and sweet, it is the life," he growled while circumventing it whereas the Nordians continued to parade one by one in front of the king.

" So here is Lady Sansa, the second daughter of Lord Stark," presented the Maester Luwin while the redheaded girl innocently walked into the room with her eyes shining, her hair neatly combed and curled at the ends, half of her locks having been braided and then hung between them.

She wandered in the room, the burning glance of Joffrey on her like a lion watching the least fact and gesture of its prey, as if she was only a fair animal. This vision gave Jaime the irrepressible desire to vomit, he hadn't just escaped a whole month of hunting to set foot in there again. However his face remained neutral, he who never let his thoughts show.

"Hmm I believe that there was a mistake," fustigated Cersei while rising quickly from her seat, the closed mine.

"No, no, my queen, Lady Sansa is..."

"It was Ned Stark's first daughter who was promised," Robert intervened. "Not the second or the third!"

Sansa had the impression that all the weight of the world had fallen on her shoulders, she swallowed hard throwing a furious glance at the surroundings, her sister was not even present.

In the middle of the room Ned was waiting, hands crossed behind his back, throwing nervous glances towards his wife Catelyn, impatient to get this situation over with.

"Your grace, let... let us find a solution," Catelyn scratched the back of her head, "Sanna, there you are at last!" she said as she turned to the young girl, a dusty old book in her hand, having just made her entrance, Theon following her.

With her brown hair tied back in a tight bun and the folds of her dress all crumpled up, she felt like a stain among all those nobles. Sanna walked to the middle of the room, exposing herself completely to the rest of the assembly. Whispers against her came from all directions, making her feel uncomfortable as she felt the prince's oppressive gaze on her, sizing her up and down.

"She has nothing to do there," Cersei pestered when she saw the young girl.

"She's kind of cute," commented Tommen.

In the back of the room, Jaime, not finding it so amusing anymore to listen to Cersei's complaints, let himself be distracted for a second by what was going on behind him. He then spotted the young brunette.
She strolled, almost staggering at each of her steps, throwing nervous glances in all directions, an anxious air on her face, she then began an awkward curtsy, making Jaime smile, who then blocked all his attention on Sanna. She looked different from the other girls he had seen strutting the halls of the castle with a confident expression since her entrance to Winterfell, her angelic face, her innocent looks and milky complexion contrasted with the ebony black of her hair giving her a tender yet dark side.

"Sanna! How you have grown! What a beautiful young woman you are," exclaimed the king.

Jaime watched her struggle with herself not to flinch under the fiery eyes of the king, until she met his gaze. The hubbub around them seemed to die down as they both froze. Sanna was surprised, a shiver running through her as Jaime tried to put on a semblance of a smile, accentuating her confusion.

A/N:
hi! Thank you so much for reading this first chapter, this story will go all the way to season 8 and I hope you enjoy it all the way! I don't think have many readers but as long as you enjoy what I write that's the only thing I care about! <3

enjoy!

credits to @stxrmcloud.