Trust (GOT fanfic)

Bargaining

Sansa found her chamber filled with the new dresses he had brought back for her. They were all beautiful winter gowns. One of them caught her eye as she searched through her new wardrobe. It was emerald green, however it wasnt what one would call a winter dress. The green cloth was velvet and lined with fur, but there were cutouts all along the gown. Crafty little places to expose the satin like skin beneath. Sansa claimed it as her favorite right away.

The gown reminded her of some of her only real friends. The beautiful red and gold embroidery around the neckline of the bodice brought fond memories back of her husband, Tyrion Lannister. The little man was a monument of the only kindness a Lannister had shown her. At times Sansa's thoughts wondered to what might've become of their union had she not been separated from him so quickly. It grieved her even more that he was locked in a cell in King's Landing for a crime she and her new "protector" had committed.

The gowns emerald green velvet and silks reminded Sansa of her new partner in crime. The Lord Protector of the Vale's colors were green and black, they matched his green eyes and black heart. Sansa didnt think he had a black heart though, or at least she denied it. He had saved her after all, whether there were unsavory intentions behind her rescue or not he had done it. Could it not be argued that a man's actions, despite their hidden meanings, could be the judge of him? Alayne would be proud to wear her father's colors. Sansa would be proud to wear the gift as a symbol of her continued gratitude toward the man she intended to play with.

It was the revealing cut that reminded her of her last friend. Margaery Tyrell was known for wearing scandalous pieces such as this. When the new queen would wear her less than modest gowns she was all confidence and poise. Yet, Sansa couldnt remember a time when her dear friend was ever lacking in those traits. Perhaps donning the garment would allow her the same traits, as if a lack of modesty were the key to bravery.

Sansa's white hands traced over the gown, letting the material shy away from her finger tips. This would be what she would wear tonight to Littlefinger's dinner. She would stomp into that room as a player instead of his pawn. The Stark could imagine now, the faces as she passed. The questions they would ask, all astonished that Lord Baelish had such a pretty daughter. She imagined her graceful path through the dinning room to her seat next to Petyr. How his eyes would roam over her in that familiar way. Sansa Stark couldnt wait to show the Vale what a prize the Lord Protector had.

Her mind was turned to her studies soon after she finished her inventory of the new winter gowns. They'd all be moved down soon, packed away in trunks to be hustled down the mountain to solid ground soon. But for now she could enjoy her chilly chamber, filled with beautiful things and heavy books.

The day went by quickly as she skimmed the stories of the families of the Vale. It could be exceptionally boring, reading who married who and what children they managed to whelp before their demise. But Sansa allowed her child like mind to entertain her, weaving intricate back stories of dread and joy behind every name and union. Surely the histories wouldnt remember how she was tortured by her own infatuation and the one she was infatuated with in King's Landing. The books wouldnt tell of Baelish had whisked her away in the middle of the knight after aiding in King Joffrey's murder. They would simply tell of her marriage and maybe, if she were lucky, her reclaiming of the North.

Her mind was ripped from the thoughts with a quit knock on the door. It was probably her hand maiden come to dress and bathe her for the party tonight. She closed the book and stood by her bed waiting for her hand maiden.

"Come in" Alayne called through the door.

Her back was to the visitor as they entered. She had begun to shimmy out of her heavy woolen gown. It piled on the floor and she turned to the tub they'd just filled while she was reading. Her eyes focused on the steaming water and she waited for the hand maiden to untie the ties on her shift.