The Traitor's Wedding

Chapter Three

Every girl used to have imagined wedding days. Sansa was no different. She'd thought of gallant Knights with flowers on their cloaks. Some of good men, noblemen who were gentle and kind. She remembered a time with Arya where she'd wanted a man that would let her do as she pleased ("I won't ever let a man tell me what I can and can't do!" she'd yelled at Sansa when they'd bickered about it). Mostly, she'd thought of what she'd say at her wedding, and how sweet and gentle they'd be later that night. It had been perfect through the entire ceremony, feasts, and even the occasional thought of the wedding night.

Never had she thought she'd be forced into the hands of the Sandor Clegane, the Hound.

She didn't think this was such a terrible idea, but it wasn't anywhere near what she'd envisioned. Still, she'd come to know him as a much better man than others in King's Landing. He had kept her safe, took care of her when others had done her harm, and even saved her from herself. She knew better than to think fantasies would come true. But she'd never thought her marriage would be this terrible. She wasn't supposed to be surrounded by snakes and liars and thieves and unjustly men. She was supposed to have her father to walk her to her betrothed. Her mother was supposed to be there. Arya would be her maid of honor (even though they never got along). Bran and Robb would be there to help with the Northern ceremony. Rickon probably would have just made everyone laugh. Even her husband-to-be should have had family there. Everyone would have been beaming and drinking and laughing and everyone would go to be so very happily.

Reality was much crueler. Most of the Court that was present now didn't look happy in the least. Half of the court looked on in disgust, a quarter of crowd was even giving her looks of pity, and the rest just didn't seem to care. Everything was so very wrong. No one was here for her especially, except maybe Shae. But she felt like such a lone wolf. She wanted to hunch her shoulders, hide in herself, but a glance at Sandor told her he was just as uncomfortable with these arrangements.

She'd seen the struggle he'd put up at first, but he wasn't to his full strength, being unfed and unable to really move much in the Black Cells. It didn't take long for the others to subdue him and drag him to the Sept. They'd had Sansa wait in the back surrounded by onlookers and her maids that had come to get her primed up just a bit more while they got Sandor situated. Three of her handmaidens had exclaimed how pretty she was and how Joffrey had made sure that "they had the best chamber in the Keep after the marriage". Shae was unusually quiet, studying Sansa with uneasy eyes. Clearly, everyone beside her and Shae had known. The only others that might not know would be Cersei and Tywin Lannister had no clue either.

She wondered how they would take the announcement of the marriage.

As she waited, Sansa was reminded yet again this wasn't a normal marriage at all. Aside from the breakfast before the ceremony clearly hadn't happened, she doubted that Joffrey would want them to delay at all or really celebrate. The actual ceremony took long enough without "wasting" food on traitors. She guessed that everything would be introduced at dinner with those of the Royal Family. She hoped Sandor would be okay with all of this. At least temporarily. She just wanted a normal enough dinner without too much of a hassle.

Maybe she would even be able to go home eventually. She wouldn't be much of a bargaining chip, being married and bedded. Aside from the fact, it was possible Sandor would want to annul the marriage once they'd escaped King's Landing, so she'd be able to marry herself off to someone else... She was a little surprised by the fact she felt so angry at that thought. But she was tired of being someone else's pawn. And Sandor was good. She knew what he was like. He'd never hurt her.

By the time everything was situated, Sansa was shaking with nerves. She wasn't even sure she could begin to remember what she had to say, what she'd have to promise and declare to the Seven. More than that, she hated that she couldn't have a Northern Wedding like she'd usually envisioned. Then again, Sandor Clegane had even less experience with weddings. He probably didn't have a clue what to say.