The Iron Thorn | Theon Greyjoy

8.

Massey

I stayed up most of the night to finish my book by candlelight, and when morning came, I was awoken by a tender knock. It was so light, I hardly understood how it had woken me up. I pulled my robe on, and opened the door.

   "Sansa, good morning. What brings you here?"

   "Oh, uh, morning," she started, sounding somewhat unsure. "A raven brought this for you." She held out a scroll wrapped tightly in twine. I took it and felt the urge to move across the room and shove Theon's note under my book. I hurriedly did so. Still standing at my table, I unraveled the scroll some.

Dear sister,

   I hope that Winterfell is treating you well. Our journey on the kingsroad has been an easy one. We've been blessed with good weather, and we've nearly reached the capitol. Father has been treating me more like a man already, and he wishes me to tell you that he's thinking of you on our name day, as am I. This letter will find you late, I'm certain. By that time, we'll likely have arrived. Just know that we are both thinking of you. And, please, there's no need to feel any guilt about not getting a letter back to me. I know your thoughts are with me on this day and every other. I've enclosed some flowers that will surely be much drier by the time they find you. I'll write again when I'm able.

All of my love,

   Broden

   I unrolled the scroll even further, and three dried flowers fell from it and to my feet. Two white, and one dark blue. The sight of them was a good indication of just how far south they had made it. I attempted to smell them, but the only scent my nose found was parchment.

   "What was that?" Sansa said with her eyes on the note.

   "Flowers from my bother, for our name day." I bent down to retrieve them and placed them on my table. I laid them out one by one, the two white flowers on top and the blue on the bottom.

   "Beautiful," Sansa remarked as she studied them thoughtfully. "I didn't know today was your name day."

   "Yesterday, actually."

   "Oh," she said. I could sense her disappointment that the day had come and passed without her knowing. I tried my best to reconcile without acknowledging it.

   I looked around my room, my eyes landing on my favorite blue dress that my mother had made for me. It had rested in the same spot since I had cleaned it after the night I had first arrived in Winterfell. I thought of all of the memories it held, and how its future was only going to be sitting in a chest in my room. That realization pained me. Sansa could give it new life. She could even wear it herself, so long as she doesn't get much taller.

   "I want you to have this," I said, picking up the gown. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of my offer.

   "But, your mother made you this."

   "Yes, but it doesn't fit me anymore. It pains me to see it laying in my chambers so lifeless. I know that you loved it when you saw me in it. I think you would look just beautiful in it."

   Her eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"

   "Absolutely. Or, use the fabric for another project. Now, I must ready myself for Arya's lessons, but shall we pray together again before dinner?"

   Sansa nodded meekly and showed herself out of my room, clutching her new dress to her stomach.

   It wasn't until this point that I had noticed how late in the morning it actually was. I had missed breakfast and my stomach was certainly paying for it by now. After a bath, I hurried to put on a much lighter gown than I had worn in the woods yesterday. I was happy to be back in a dress that I could have worn at home. The heavy garments worn in the north didn't quite suit me. Besides, the green of this fabric complimented my complexion, or at least that's what I had been told. After brushing through my hair, I was off to meet Arya for our first lesson. She was happy throughout, though I'm quite sure she was just happy to be away from the septa. At the end of her lesson, she had actually seemed to have accomplished quite a bit. Afterwards, I met Sansa at the entrance to the Godswood. We prayed for my family yet again and lingered a bit before turning toward the dining hall.