You will Never be a Lion // Sandor Clegane

lovely

'you look lovely.' Tyrion said coming into sansa room on the morning of their wedding. He looked at shae and kitty and daisy helping sansa get ready. 'could I have a moment alone? With my bride to be?' Tyrion asked avoiding everyone gaze. Kitty nudged shae towards the door but Tyrion grabbed her hand stopping her. 'kitty, could you stay?' kitty turned back to shae.

'Watch daisy for a moment please?' shae nodded grabbing the little girls hand and pulling her into the hall.

'sansa, I know this is not what you want, I don't want it either but I will protect you. You will be under my protection...' sansa didn't look at him she kept her eyes on kitty. Kitty however watched her brother reach out an olive branch to sansa. He was trying to do right by her, make the best of a bad situation.

'doesn't sansa look lovely? She is going to make a wonderful bride...' kitty said after a long pause.

'yes. Lovely.' Tyrion repeated. 'well I will see you both there then...' he gestured to the door and kitty followed him out. 'any last minute plans to get me out of this?' Tyrion questioned.

'I'm sorry brother.' Kitty said kneeling down to be face to face with him. 'I love you and I believe one day maybe you two could love each other. Or perhaps just a friendship... I don't know Tyrion.... I'm so sorry.' They heard the door creek open and sansa came out. 'sansa darling,' kitty stood up. 'perhaps I could walk you down the aisle?' sansa nodded.

'that would be very nice.' Sansa told her grabbing her hand.

'see you soon Tyrion.' Kitty said nudging him ahead of them.

'Take a seat aunt kitty.' Joffery said taking sansa's arm.

'I was going to talk her down the aisle. Because she doesn't have-'

'yes and I am king aunt kitty. I am everyones father. I will be walking her down.'

'oh joff I think-'

'that a seat aunt kitty..' he looked at her annoyed. She left to take her spot. She passed sandor his eyes watching her as daisy pulled her to sit next to Margaery and loras. Over the past week daisy and kitty had gotten close with the tyrell siblings. Loras picked up daisy and she laughed in his arms as he tickled her.

'you look so beautiful little lion!' loras said to daisy and offered kitty a smile. She liked loras, he was handsome and kind, he would have been a good match for sansa. Not her brother.

'thank you for being here...' kitty whispered to them grabbing margaerys hand and giving it a squeeze.

'any thing for my sister.' Margaery whispered back. And kitty sucked in a deep breath as sansa kneeled before her brother and allowed him to cloak her in his protection. It was poetic. A wolf bowing before a lion. Even if Tyrion was a little lion.

'you know I have never understood the bedding ceremony.' Margaery told kitty over the feast.

'it's a awful ceremony.' Kitty told her.

'you had one? I thought most husbands didn't approve at least that's what grandmother always said.'

'oh no, there was no love between my husband and I... and my sister loved the bedding ceremony. She loved watching me in pain, crying out, at their mercy.' Kitty bit out as she stabbed at her food, the memory bringing her back to an awful time. 'I hate weddings. They remind me of mine.'

'you think Tyrion will?'

'Oh gods no. Tyrion wont even touch her tonight. I'm certain. He is going to drink himself to sleep and sansa is going to remain a virgin for at least a year of their marriage.' Kitty said confidently as she tried to calm her breathing. She needed sandor he could calm her down. He would know what to say... 'excuse me.' daisy was sitting on sandors lap as he ate with the rest of the guards, kitty slide in next to them.

'mama the wedding was so pretty and the food is so yummy, did you try the carrot cake! They made carrot cake at uncle tyrions request just for you!' daisy said offering her a piece.

'thank you baby. I would love some.'

'you alright?' sandor asked leaning closer to her. his breath on her neck.

'no. I'm really not but I will be. I needed to see my favorite people.'

'weddings bring back all the shit memory's?' he asked already knowing the answer. She nodded and picked at her carrot cake. It was perfection.

'good?' daisy asked licking at the frosting.

'mmmm' she moaned taking a big bit and letting the crumbs fall into her lap.

'woman,' sandor grumbled. She looked up at him taking another bite. 'you cant be moaning in public, it does things to me.' she smiled licking her lips.

'unfortunately for both of us that will have to wait until tonight.' kitty whispered in his ear,

Kitty couldn't think though. The rest of the night she was consumed the thoughts of her own wedding night. She knew Tyrion would never force himself upon the girl but still her heart pounded. Margaery noticed her distress and asked her to dance.

'yes. Dancing that would be good... sansa?' sansa looked up as did Tyrion he was knee deep in wine. 'come dance with us.' Kitty summoned and sansa gladly took this opportunity to move away from her husband. Her already drunk husband. The next hour was spent dancing and it kept kittys mind from the past and kept her in the present. That was until joffery declared a bedding ceremony and kitty felt all that anger and rage build up again. She gave sansa hand a squeeze and marched over to joffery, she slammed him against the nearest table and he cried out in pain. She kept her grip on his as cersei started to scream for someone to stop her but no one moved, no one dared even breathe.'

'There will be NO bedding ceremony.' She told him and he nodded terrified. She let him go but he lay back against the table trying to catch his breath. She fixed her dress and turned to sansa. 'Goodnight dear... Tyrion.' He nodded to he, raising a glass in gratitude. 'come find me in the morning, we will have breakfast together... alright?' sansa nodded not wanting kitty to leave. 'Daisy!' kitty called. 'it is much to late for little lions to be up, don't you think?'

'I want to stay and party mama!' she said as Margaery picked her up. 'can I dance one more dance with Margie first?' she begged and kitty nodded.

'of course!' the three danced to two more songs before kitty noticed daisy trying to hide a yawn. Once tucked in kitty wasn't very much in the mood for sex and sandor understood. He held her that night, like he did all those nights ago when he debated killing Holland. She held his hand in hers and kissed his fingers reminding herself that sandor was not Holland and Tyrion was not Holland, sansa would be fine. Kitty drifted off to sleep. But the nightmares woke her in a fever soaked sweat.

Sandor shook her awake. She was pale and hot and sweaty. Her eyes darting around the room when he got her up she was out of breath and gripped onto sandor for dear life. He brought her face to his and made her look at him.

'I'm right here, flower. Me. its just me.' he whispered and pulled her closer until her heart slowed and she caught her breath. 'what was that love?'

'memories, memories haunting me.' she turned on her side, her back to him. 'I hate fucking weddings.' She muttered as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her shoulder. 'but I love you.' She said softly looking over her shoulder to see him.

'I love you flower.' She kissed him once before turning back around. 'try and get some rest flower. I wont let anything happen to you. I promise.' He whispered. She slept peacefully and until noon. When she woke sandor was gone was a daisy was on her night table. She smiled at it, holding the stem in between her fingers.