The Ice Rose

CHAPTER 2

Sansa awoke with a start, finding herself in her bed chambers, having been carefully laid on her bed. She inhaled a sharp breath as memories of her encounter with the Lannisters flooded her mind.
Shae who she had not noticed, quickly stood up from her place at the foot of the bed and leaned over Sansa as she carefully examined her, concern written all over her face.
"Shae," Sansa breathed, her eyes suddenly watering at the thought of being married to a Lannister.Shae locked her into a tight embrace, rocking back and forth as she shushed Sansa, trying her best to comfort her.
Sansa wailed,tears streaming down her cheeks but after a while, her wails turned into quiet sobs with an occasional sniffle.She wiped her tear streaked face on the sleeve of her now rumpled gown and her head shot up towards Shae who's arms were no longer encirclimg her.
She could have sworn that for a moment she had seen something close to envy, flash in her companion's eyes but eventually she just brushed it a side, chalking it up to her own imagination. After all,what could she have that another woman would be envious of?
"The Lannisters," Shae whispered as she moved closer to Sansa on the bed."They have set the wedding to be a fortnight from today. They want you to wed as soon as possible," Shae said, each of her words a blow right to Sansa's heart.
"Get out!" Sansa shouted as she grabbed the bed linens and pulled them closer to herself.Shae who was momentarily stunned by the viciousness with which Sansa had spoken shrunk back.
"Get out! Get out! Get out!" Sansa screamed hysterically as she pointed at the door.slowly and worldessly, Shae slipped out of the chambers, leaving Sansa alone,in her greatest time of need ,to pick up the pieces of her world, which had just been torn apart by the Lannisters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night, Shae had come in with a tray of food for Sansa's dinner. Wordlessly, she had set the tray on the bed and briefly glanced at Sansa who's back was turned to her. She had then walked out quickly ,her skirts flying behind her.
Sansa, who had lay awake all that while got up, regretting how poorly she had treated her only friend. With the memory of how Shae's face had fallen as she shouted at her, Sansa left the warm comforting embrace of her bed, her heart set on apologizing,she left the room in search of Shae.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sansa wandered throughout the palace's halls, careful to avoid the areas she knew the Lannisters frequented.
She took a turn,heading to the left wing of the palace where Shae's chambers were, all the while thinking of ways of expressing how deeply she regretted her actions. She simply could not stand the thought of her friend being upset with her.Her gown swished as she came to an abrupt halt outside Shae's bed chambers.
A brief whisper from inside the chambers caught her attention. She leaned, her body flush against the door as she listened closely to the whispers trying to make out what words were being said although she knew it was none of her business to listen in.
She was shocked when a loud moan emanated from the room followed by a manly grunt.
"My lion!" She heard a voice that was unmistakably Shae's, shout.
Sansa's hand , seemingly acting of its own accord, turned the lock, pushing the door open a crack,which was enough for her to see the form of Tyrion Lannister, as naked as the day he was born, hovering over a panting Shae who's skin glistened with sweat.
Sansa felt her brain go numb.Instead of confronting the pair who were supposed to be her close friend and her betrothed, Sansa found herself quietly shutting the door. She gathered her gown in her hands and fled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Panting and with her hands on her knees, Sansa found herself in the gardens, illuminated only by the full moon's gentle light.
The ocean's cool breeze caressed her skin as small beads of perspiration formed on her knotted brows. She stood at the very edge of the garden and watched the waves of the ocean as they collided with the rocks below .
Shae's betrayal should have stung but oddly, Sansa felt nothing. It was as if a the suffering she had undergone because of the Lannisters made her numb to Shae's betrayal.
Sansa tried to think whether there had been any signs of what shae has beendoing behind her back that she had missed but came up empty. There was no way she could possibly have forseen what happened.
A cool hand wrapping itself firmly yet ever so gently around her arm drew her from her thoughts.
She nearly jumped a foot in the air as she turned around briefly, her fiery red hair smacking her cheeks.
Before her stood Lord Petyr Baelish who was also commonly referred to as Littlefinger, famed for his many brothels. Sansa knew little about him for she had only shared brief yet polite conversations with him a handful of times for what did she, a young virgin of seventeen seasons, have to discuss with a Lord,let alone a Lord who was also a brothel keeper.
"Lady Sansa," he greeted as he placed a feather light kiss on her hand. Sansa's breath hitched at the way her name rolled off his tongue and the brief contact of his lips on her hand ignited a flame within her and much to her embarassment, she felt herself turn a deep shade of crimson. She could only hope that the cover of darkness would hide her reaction to him.
Lord Baelish, she said as she curtsied, her hand still in his.Baelish stepped closer and cocked his head to one side as he looked at her, such that only half of his face was visible under the moonlight.
His eyes widened as he took in her rumpled gown and hastily,knowing what he would assume, Sansa found herself confiding all what had happened,in the charming brothel keeper.