Soon You'll Get Better // Sandor Clegane

10. Crowns

Sandor loved Estella. He loved her. Simple as that. He loved her and wanted to make his wife and sure he was a kid but it was common for women to get engaged when they were 11, 12, 13. 

Estella was 7 years elder than sandor and still unwed at 20. She didnt have anyone petitioning for unions and since she grew up with the maesters, they all focused on their work and estella had been the same. 

But unlike the maesters estella didnt spend all her time locked away learning, she wanted what every girl wanted. She wanted love and friendship and she liked being with Sandor. 

"Come on, come on, it will be fun, the royal family is competing." Estella declared. 

"Don't tell me you got a crush on the prince." Sandor scoffed. 

"Nonsense I have never seen him before." Estella corrected. "besides I'm no beauty queen. Who would look twice at me?" she said it lightly no bitterness to her voice, it was just how she saw herself. Less than. She had bland hair, ordinary facial features and thighs she hated. Her clothes were not fancy she was just Estella.

"I think you are beautiful." Sandor corrected softly. 

"Will you come with me?"

How could he say no to Estella? He couldnt. 

"I would love to."

+

Of course Estella was cleaning up a young man that had gotten injured. Sandor leaned up against the table as she cleaned the wound. 

"I'm Howland Reed." He remarked smiling back at Estella. "Thank you for... helping. I'm sorry you probably want to get to the tournament."

"Clumsy fool you are Reed." Lyanna declared, Estella gave her a small smile. 

"It's no problem." Estella assured. 

"But I'm sure a beautiful lady like yourself has a man waiting for her, hates me stealing you away." Howland offered curiously. 

"No, no. Just my friend Sandor and he is used to me getting side tracked by wounded birds." Estella remarked. 

"Birds? Am I a bird?" Howland pondered. "I might as well be, having two gorgeous woman saving my sorry ass." he declared. "And I'm grateful for it." Lyanna chuckled looking sandor over though, he kept his face away from them. "I never did get your name pretty lady." Howland remarked. Estella thought he was talking to Lyanna because she was certainly beautiful. 

"He's talking to you Ms. Maester." Lyanna remarked and Estella looked between them. Shocked. 

"Oh... I'm estella." 

"Estella what?" LYanna questioned. 

"Just Estella." she corrected as she rose up. "All set. Good as new, but you might want to keep Lady Lyanna with you just in case." Lyanna laughed out. 

"I like you, come sit with my brothers and I." Lyanna declared hooking her arm with estella. 

"I'm here with my friend, Sandor Clegane." Estella gestured to him. 

"Bring him with." Lyanna offered. "Come on Reed, you are hopeless without me." 

"Yes Ma'am." Howland agreed. 

"Sandor? You want to sit with the starks?" Estella pondered. Sandor was going to say no, he wanted to hide in the back row but he saw estella's smile and he nodded saying that would be nice. Estella grabbed Sandor's hand as Lyanna led them to the front row. Brandon was competing so he was bouncing around like a jumping bean getting warmed up and Ned was sweet offering estella the spot beside him. 

As the competition went on Estella would occasionally reach over her fingers trilling over Sandors thigh before her hand slid back over to her own. 

"The prince is looking at you Lyanna." Estella remarked. 

"Surely he... is." Lyanna realized. 

"He is married." Both Ned and Sandor reminded the girls. 

"He is definitely looking right at you." Estella declared. 

"How do you know he isnt looking at you?" Lyanna countered. 

"because no man has ever looked at me like that." Estella informed her honestly, not bitterness in her voice just light honesty. There was an awe in her voice as Rhaegar winked at Lyanna. 

Brandon was bested and joined them on the sidelines, smirking back at estella as Lyanna introduced them. 

"Hey." Brandon had a way of talking that made every word seem very sexual. 

"Hi," Estella squeaked out. Estella had a way of talking that made her sound like she choking on air. Brandon was certainly handsome and he was looking at Estella like she was his next conquest, she swallowed the lump in her throat as she moved just a smidge closer to Sandor. Sandor brought a hand to her thigh keeping it there, showing this Brandon Stark that estella would be his and to back the fuck off. 

"The prince is totally eye fucking your sister right now, Ned." estella remarked as Rhaegar came up for his final round in the competition. 

"Estella!" Lyanna giggled out. 

Eventually Rhaegar made it to the final round, where he faced off against his friend and personal bodyguard, Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard. Rhaegar won the round and was awarded with the crown of Winter roses. He was then supposed to give it to the most beautiful maiden in the crowd. What Rhaegar did with it shocked everyone. He silenced the entire audience when he won...

Rhaegar won. Lyanna and Estella clapped happily as Rhaegar was given a flower crown to give to the most beautiful woman at the tourney. Elia stood up ready to accept it from her husband but Rhaegar didn't look twice at Elia he moved to Lyanna.

"OH my Gods, Oh my Gods, oh my Gods, this is not a drill people." estella murmured. "Oh my Gods," estella gripped Lyanna's hand as Lyanna swallowed the lump of nervous excitement. 

"My lady." Rhaegar remarked bowing down and holding out the flower crown. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen gave the flower crown to Lyanna Stark. His wife and everyone with eyes was furious. Expect Estella. It looked like love to her, but what did she know? She only knew love from the pages of her books.