837Sansa shot up on the bed screaming her lungs out. Her form was completely drenched in sweat. Her hands flew to her throat and she clutched it in panic. She panted and continued screaming in terror even though she had awoken, eyes frantically darting around the room.
She was not in her chambers in Kings Landing. Sansa looked around the oddly familiar room but could not place it and continued to scream in fear of not knowing where she was. The bed next to her was cold and empty, missing the warm and small form her husband. Where was she? Had she been kidnapped? The last thing she remembered was... Her eyes widened. Was she dead? Was this heaven? Or perhaps, she thought warily, hell...
Suddenly, the door burst open to armed guards who looked around the room in alarm. She drew in a sharp breath. Who were these strange men? Her panic rose even more but she stopped screaming and was now gripping the furs surrounding her.
"Lady Sansa, what is wrong?" She heard one of them say faintly but ignored it and continued looking around the room for an escape or for something that would explain this queer situation.
Sansa heard a small yelping barking noise and turned, only to be startled as a direwolf pup jumped onto her lap. It began licking her face happily as she held it gently, immediately a sense of recognition washed over it. She laughed in joy. It was Lady!
"Sansa, what is it? What has happened?" She heard a strong northern voice say, interrupting her from her reunion with her wolf. She recognised that voice...
"Father?!" Sansa gasped and head turned sharply to look up in awe at Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Protector of the North and her dear, dear father standing beside her bedside, brows furrowed in worry and eyes roaming around the room, Ice drawn and ready to protect her at a moments notice.
"Sansa, what is going on?" He asked her again, in a deep and mildly concerned voice.
Sansa could do nothing but stare at her father in wonder as tears streamed down her face. It was him! She was in heaven!
"Father" Sansa breathed and shot up from her bed and straight into Lord Stark's arms.
Sansa wept in relief and happiness at being in father's arms again after so long. How she wished she could see him again so many times and finally she could. She was most definitely in heaven.
"Sansa, Sansa, are you alright, what happened" She was pulled back and saw the worried face and concerned grey eyes of her father staring at her. Sansa grinned hugely at him.
"I am fine, just fine father. Everything is fine" She looked up at him with joy and couldn't keep the dazzling smile off of her face. Was the rest of her family here? In heaven also?
"Why were you screaming Sansa?" He asked looking at her oddly with furrowed brows.
"Oh" She frowned, memories rushing back to her rapidly, "Littlefinger, he..he slit my throat" She said absently with a distant look on her face and rubbed her throat in reassurance.
Sansa looked back to her father to see him giving her a strange look.
"Lord Stark..." One of the men said from behind him and she looked back, "Everything is fine here Jory, Sansa has just had a bad dream, that is all"
Sansa frowned at her father. A dream? It was certainly not a dream! She sat back down on her bed and absently pat Lady's fur as she moved onto her lap.
Her father turned back to look at her tiredly, "Get back to sleep Sansa and try to get some rest" He said kindly and moved away from her. She watched him curiously. The guards left the room and Lord Stark moved to do the same.
"Wait, Father, where am I exactly? Is everyone here?" She asked hopeful and saw more confusion enter her fathers eyes.
He wandered back to her, "You are in your bed at Winterfell, are you sure your alright Sansa? Perhaps we should have Maester Luwin look at you" He said slowly. She gasped as realisation hit her, this was her old room at Winterfell! Of course she was! Now she remembers.
Sansa was becoming more and more confused. This was heaven? It made sense, she had longed for her home many times and was finally back.
As Sansa was musing she noticed Maester Luwin enter her chambers followed by...
"Mother!" Sansa gasped and gave her the same treatment she did her father. She wept tears of joy as she clung to her mother's middle and felt her mother hold her back. She took deep breathes and smelled the usual scent of lavenders and salt she had missed. It was truly her.
"Sansa, what is wrong?" She heard her mother ask as she began stroking her hair softly. Her mother pulled her back and searched her face with a frown. Sansa smiled back indulgently and allowed her mother to lead her back to her bed.
Lady Catelyn sat down beside her and Sansa saw the odd looks she was receiving from everyone in the room. Why were they so confused and acting peculiar, was she the only one happy to be reunited? It had been years.
"Lady Sansa, is everything alright? How are you feeling?" Maester Luwin asked. She looked at him as he pressed his palm flat against her forehead, checking for a fever.
"I am fine, why is everyone acting so strangely?" She asked, a little uncertain at the behaviour of the people in the room.
"What happened Lord Stark?" The maester asked. She was ignored.
"She awoke screaming from a bad dream and has been behaving strangely since" Her father said looking her over again.
"I see. Can you describe your dream to me Lady Sansa?" Luwin asked of her.
Sansa sighed but complied, "I was ambushed in my chambers at Kings Landing by Littlefinger. Jon, Dany and my husband came to my aid but it was too late, he already had the dagger at my throat. He killed me and that is when I woke up here" She relayed to them patiently.
"Sansa, do not call him that. It is Lord Baelish, not Littlefinger. Ladies do not use such language" She scolded automatically but looked troubled.
They all looked at each other for several moments until Luwin broke the silence.
"It appears there is nothing wrong with her, My lord. Lady Sansa, please keep me informed if you have any more of these dreams"
Lord Stark nod his head absently and sighed heavily.
"Well, we should all be getting back to bed. Good night Sansa" He then leant forward to give her a little kiss on her forehead. She smiled at him lovingly, feeling cherished and protected.
Her mother did the same before bidding her a goodnight.
Sansa was rather confused by the entire situation but went along with it and went to bed cuddled next to Lady and fell promptly asleep; she was after all quite tired.
Sansa woke the next morning to the curtains of her room opening, spilling the entire chamber in wretched light. She groaned and rolled over to the blissful darkness.
"Get up Lady Sansa" She heard a voice say. She did not recognise the voice and looked up to see who it was. It was not her usual maid and seeing the empty bed beside her she recalled the last night. Was this heaven? Her dead family was there but it all seemed a little... strange to her.
She rose from the bed and the maids became their usual tending. Lady jumped down and ran from the room, most likely looking for food.
Sansa was placed in a tub and as she looked down upon her body she gasped in horror. She did not see her usual breasts and patch of curls but... she... she had a child's body! She froze and critically examined her body in detail for the changes. She most definetly had the body of a child. What was going on? Suspicious but not wanting to let on to the other women in the room she said not a thing. She allowed herself to be washed and dressed in children's clothing. Her face was grim as she looked herself in the mirror, she was... not even ten and two years old. The same age as when she was last in Winterfell...
"My lady, come, it is time to break your fast" A maid called out to her and she followed dutifully, keeping quiet and keenly observing everything around her.
She made her way along the familiar halls of Winterfell and felt fondness and sense of nostalgia well inside of her. She was led to the hall where everyone in Winterfell was breaking their fast. Her mother and father of course at the head of the room.
She eyed the room curiously. There was the old stable boys, maids and various staff seated at the tables. She saw her sister Arya seated beside Jon, Robb and Theon Greyjoy. She scowled at the last. Turncloack. This could not be heaven for if it was why would Robb be sitting beside that traitor.
She observed Jon from where she was and was startled by his appearance... he... he was just a boy. He looked so very young with a youthful face unmarked by the harshness of war and winter. He looked innocent. Jon looked up from his plate to see her stare and she smiled warmly at him. His eyed widened before he waved awkwardly back. She smiled in amusement. She continued looking around the room and saw Bran and Rickon seated beside her parents. Her heart throbbed at seeing her younger brothers as children. How she missed them.
The direwolf pups sat dutifully beside their owners and Lady nudged Sansa's leg, reminding her to move. She saw her old childhood friend Jeyne Poole and decided that sitting beside her was the safest option.
She walked across the room and sat beside Jeyne.
The girl instantly turned to her with a smile, "Oh my gosh, only a day left! Can you believe it! Only a day until the royal entourage arrives! I can't wait. I wonder what Prince Joffery will look like" She gushed as soon as Sansa took her seat.
She gave her old friend a curious look, "Excuse me?" She asked.
Jeyne simply rolled her eyes and said, "Gosh Sansa you haven't forgotten have you? It's all we have been talking about for the past week! The royal family are coming. Here! To visit Winterfell! We will get to meet the prince!" She said in such excitement. Sansa frowned, her mind racing.
She ate her food and did not say much as she was preoccupied with her thoughts. Not that her friend noticed, she was too excited by the upcoming visit by the royal family. Sansa tried hard not to groan. Joffery was coming. Oh if Jeyne knew what a little monster he was then she wouldn't be so eager for his to visit.
Sansa continued on the day warily and with caution. Things were going just how they did back when she lived at Winterfell. Did she somehow travel back in time? No. That was ridiculous.
Sansa sat and did her needlework under the watchful eye of Septa Mordane surrounded by the other ladies. Arya ran into the room panting and sweating.
"Sorry I'm late" She panted and plopped down onto the only available seat.
The septa frowned, "Ladies do not run and cannot be late" She scolded. Arya ducked her head in embarrassment as they rest of the girls tittered at her humiliation. Sansa frowned at this.
"Septa, actually, Ladies are never late. Everyone else is simply early" She smiled at Arya in comfort. Septa Mordane gave her a quizzical look. As they continued their lesson she heard one of the girls – she couldn't recall her name – cough and say 'horseface' under her breath.
Sansa was getting pretty angry at the blatant disrespect and pain nastiness shown towards her little sister. She also remembered with shame that she too used to join in on the mocking. How cruel was she? Well, she had a lot to atone for.
Sansa looked directly at the culprit and narrowed her eyes, "Excuse me? What did you say?" She said expectantly.
The girl looked wide eyed at her, "Uh n-nothing Sansa" She said looking panic stricken. Sansa rose an eyebrow expectantly,
"It is Lady Sansa to you and I am certain you said something? What was that? Did you just insult my little sister?" Sansa said in a voice filled with Stark Steel.
The girl looked about to piss herself Sansa thought with amusement and tried to keep her stern face.
"N-no Lady Sansa, I would never" She replied piteously.
Sansa nodded, "Good, for it would be rather hypocritical for you to insult my sister on her looks with your bucked teeth and large ears, you bare the resemblance of the backside of a donkey" She said in a completely serious voice. The girl flushed in embarrassment and tears filled her eyes. Sansa felt a pang of sympathy until she heard her sister burst into laughter.
"Lady Sansa!" Septa Mordane breathed in a scandalised tone.
"Oh shit" She muttered and then heard Septa gasp in horror and hold her head dramatically. Arya laughed even harder.
'Oh shit', She thought wearily.
She sat in her father's solar with her mother seated beside him looking at her in worry. She sat across from them beside the Septa who was telling them of the 'incident' that occurred earlier that day.
"Thank you Septa, if you would please allow me to speak to my daughter in private" Lord Stark said sounding displeased.
The Septa curtsied before leaving the room.
Immediately Sansa's mother spoke, "Where on earth did you hear such language?" She asked in exasperation.
Sansa sighed and steeled herself for what she was to do. She had thought about it a lot and knew it was the only way.
"Mother, Father I have something to tell you and I need you to hear me out and try to understand" She said in a solemn tone. Lord Stark sat up straighter and looked at her in worry.
"I'm a warg" She said in a grave voice, lying through her teeth. This was the only way. She had accepted the reality of her situation. Stranger things have happened, like the dead rising again only to be destroyed by her brother riding a dragon. Yes, stranger things.
"I am also a greenseer, I have been having these dreams... dreams of the future that are... well horrific" Sansa frowns as she remembers how the future will turn out.
At the look her parents were giving her she goes on to explain hastily.
"Wait, I know that I sound mad but please listen to me. This visit is going to change things for the worse. I know that King Robert is coming to offer you, father, the position of Hand of the king and you are intending to refuse. There will be a letter you will receive from Lady Lysa, that will sway your mind" Sansa explains.
Her parents are still looking at her in confusion and skepticism.
"You do not have to believe me now but please listen. This letter will say that Jon Aryan was poisoned" She said and her father looked at her more intently and she relaxed a little at the gesture to show he was listening.
"The letter will also say that she was poisoned by the Lannisters. This is not true" Sansas mouth forms a grim line as she remembers the extent Littlefinger went to destroy her family.
"This is ridiculous Sansa" Her mother scolds. Sansa looks to see the look her father is giving her and see's his assessing and measuring gaze.
"No mother, it is not" She replies sadly. Sansa stands and looks at her parents seriously.
"Mother, Father, please. We can discuss this further when you receive the letter and I will tell you then who murdered Jon Aryan" She said and then swiftly left the room. There was nothing more she could do. Hopefully, her parents will come to have more faith in her in time.
As Sansa made her way back to her chambers her heart pounded in her chest and she felt weak. She worried that she was making the right decision. She wanted to tell her parents the truth, she truly did but what then? If she told them the truth that Joffery was not Roberts son then war would surely start against the Lannisters and she would never be able to marry Tyrion. Additionally, she knew that although her father had good intentions that war right now would be disastrous. There would be plenty war in the future with the Whitewalkers where all of Westeros would need to work together and preferably the whole North would not be turned to ruin.
Her father was too honourable. He was too good. Sansa knew this. She admired him, looked up to him and he was her hero but he was not cut out to play the game. Well, she would play it for him. She would not let him soil himself by playing. Her hands were already dirty and stained with blood, it was no matter to her. She would do this for them. For everyone. After all, she was a master player under Littlefingers tutelage. Not to mention she knew how the future would play out. That was certainly in her advantage.
And this time, her family would come out at top, Sansa thought as she entered her chambers.