Dance Away My Broken Heart / Podrick Payne (2.3)

24. Now & Always

"I'm having the lord's chamber prepared for you." Jon remarked

"Mother and Father's room?" Sansa questioned.

"You should take it. Rieka didnt want it and I'm not a Stark." Jon agreed.

"You are to me." Sansa corrected.

"You're the Lady of Winterfell. You deserve it. We're standing here because of you. The battle was lost until the Knights of the Vale rode in. They came because of you." Jon remarked. "You told me Lord Baelish sold you to the Boltons."

"He did."

"And you trust him?" Jon questioned and Sansa chuckled.

"Only a fool would trust Littlefinger." sansa corrected "I should have told you about him, about the Knights of the Vale. I'm sorry."

"We need to trust each other." Jon said moving to her. "We can't fight a war amongst ourselves. We have so many enemies now" jon reminded her before kissing her forehead.

"Jon. A raven came from the Citadel. A white raven." Rieka informed them as she approached. They shared a look. "Winter is here."

"Well, Father always promised, didn't he?"

+

"Forgive me, my lady... if you're at prayer." Petyr remarked taking a step back.

"I'm done with all that." sansa corrected "I came here every day when I was a girl. I prayed to be somewhere else. Back then I only thought about what I wanted, never about what I had. I was a stupid girl."

"You were." Rieka agreed as she passed. 

"You were a child." Petyr offered. 

"What do you want?" Sansa hissed. Rieka stopped and stared. 

"She asked you a question, or maybe it was for me?" Rieka pondered. 

"Baelish." Sansa clarified. 

"I thought you knew what I wanted." Petyr mused. 

"I was wrong." Sansa offered.

"No, you weren't. Every time I'm faced with a decision, I close my eyes and see the same picture. Whenever I consider an action, I ask myself will this action help to make this picture a reality?" Petyr remarked Sansa stared back at him. "Pull it out of my mind and into the world? And I only act if the answer is yes. A picture of me on the Iron Throne... and you by my side."

"Wow!" Rieka laughed out. "Bravo! Really, that was- chefs kiss! Gods, men." RIeka headed off. "You got this right? Because I can't listen to another moment of whatever the fuck that was." 

"It's a pretty picture." Sansa offered.

"Dont be so stupid!" Rieka called back. "Not after everything." 

"What's going on?" Podrick questioned. 

"Sansa might be being an idiot, but I'm not her keeper soooo," She drawled out, wrapping her arms around Podrick she leaned into him. "Hi." 

"Hi." Podrick echoed. 

"You can't expect Knights of the Vale to side with wildling invaders."

"We didn't invade. We were invited." Tormund corrected.

"Not by me."

"By me." Rieka agreed. "What? I like the teddy bear with knives." Rieka agreed. "What are we talking about? I was hungry but clearly we have drama and my stomach can wait." 

"Observant." Tormund agreed. 

"Great, Now sit your ass down." Rieka pulled Podrick to a seat beside her. Jon watched them as Podrick ran a hand over her thigh, how she leaned into him.