The Traitor's Wedding

Chapter Thirteen

Sansa was forced to put her trust in Tryrion Lannister and she waited. He told her they would have a plan by Lady Margery's wedding day. She had hesitated, but in the end, she knew he was her only ally in this situation. She had to trust him. She thought over what he said, watched as she noticed more and more signs of pregnancy, and dreaded to think of what Joffrey might do if he heard the news she was pregnant. When she stared in the mirror, she could see the small differences and noticed the swell of her belly had grown just a bit each time she really looked at it.

It was all terrifying.

She knew she would have to tell Sandor about the baby, but it worried her. Would someone be able to hear what she said even in this room alone? Is it possible the word would get all the way to the King? Or to Cersei herself?

Still, she knew there was more to her hesitance that just that. She feared that Sandor would not want her. Would he reject her because of the baby? Would he leave King's Landing, like he had planned during the night of the Battle? Joffrey never seemed to worry too much about the Hound wandering... Sansa knew she would have to tell him eventually, it just depended on how she did it and when. So, she practiced her words when she was alone. She would whisper them so quietly no one could hear, staring at the mirror, watching her reactions. She didn't dare imagine his reaction, didn't wonder if, just maybe, he would take this as a gift and love her. She doubted it.

She began to think that maybe he'd just contented himself with a girl he knew he would be stuck with. Perhaps he'd never love her at all...

At night, she laid in bed with him, wide awake. Her heart would be beating fast and at times she couldn't stop touching her belly. As she lay there, she wondered if he could ever tell a difference. Could he feel the tiny swell when he spread out his hands across her waist? Was there any chance he could feel the baby, moving or shifting? Then again, she couldn't feel anything either, so that was probably illogical. All logic had flown from her head. She laid there, scared to shift or move too much.

The signs were just getting worse. After her first few days of nausea in the morning, it seemed to have increased and gotten worse until she was feeling it several times almost every day. She tried to fight off the waves of nausea as much as she could, but occasionally she just let herself lay in bed until it passed. Between Cersei's spies and Sandor, Sansa didn't want anyone to suspect anything. Shae tried to help her as best as she could, but the foreign girl almost made her feel guiltier, between the scowls and the suggestions to tell Sandor about the baby.

It was unfortunate Sansa had to admit Jaynie was right. She couldn't fight the signs any longer about the baby. Getting out was the most important thing Sansa could think of. Telling Sandor about the baby was just a small detail that could be worked out later.

About three weeks after finding out the news, Sansa was called upon by Margaery once again. This time, the girl bid her out for a walk in the Gardens. They went by themselves this time, leaving behind both of their handmaidens. Margaery looped her arm through Sansa's and began talking with her about Highgarden. Sansa threw out some random topics that she'd heard about that followed along with Highgarden.

Eventually, they'd wandered far enough where they could see the water in the distance. Margaery giggled and said, "Let's go into the water!" She tugged the redhead towards the water without even waiting for Sansa's consent.

"Is that ok?" she asked as they neared the edge of the water.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Margaery asked with a bright smile.

Sansa hesitated and looked towards the water. She'd never even tried going near it since she'd been held hostage here. "I-"

"You aren't an old married woman yet! Enjoy yourself and have some fun!" Reluctantly, Sansa nodded and followed the girl to the edge. She watched Margaery slip off her slippers and followed suit, making sure hers were as close to the future Queen's as possible. She watched Margaery as she started out into the water without stopping, but Sansa was hesitant.