Snowcastles

Spring Snows

The door with a window in the center was locked when Sansa shook the handle. Panic set in. Fluorescent lights on the other side flickered on and off, on and off. Sansa wanted to pound on the window. Scream for them to let her out. Then she saw the not-so-large lion striding down the hallway.  She jumped away from the door in terror.

Exposed beams, hanging wires, surrounded her. She walked on an unfinished floor searching the cold stone walls for another door, another way out. She was trapped in the dark room. Looking out the small window again, she could see a nurse with a long needle going from door to door making her way down the hallway. 'No, no, no, no' Sansa tried to scream, bear her teeth. No one heard her, the room only grew smaller and smaller. 

"Sansa, Sansa," a voice whispered. She woke with terror in her eyes. Jon looking down at her, his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok. You were dreaming," he said. Her gaze darted around the room, her room in the Lord's Chambers of Winterfell. She breathed in and out. Jon laid back down on the pillow, pulling her into his arms.  

"Is that the first time? " he asked her, rubbing her arms. 
Sansa shook her head no...they only started after she heard the tape, the voice. She kept that to herself. 
"This...it's too much," he said. Sansa laid in his arms, quiet for several minutes. 

"We've no choice. The council is soon,"  she said trying to hide her weariness. 

"If I asked you to stay here. Not go to the council..."

"No," she said curling into him more. Jon squeezed her tighter.  This was the first night they had slept together since the revelation of the pictures of Jon with Daenerys.  She had missed his strong arms around her. Several days earlier Sansa had decided to pretend the pictures never happened. 'It was easier that way.' But the dreams had come and Sansa kept him out of her bed because of them. He stroked her hair, kissing her forehead. 

Last night he would not be refused. Sansa did not try very hard to keep him out. After he had taken in her in the Godswood, he stared at her during the dinner still hungry. Had the guests at Arya's wedding celebration not been so drunk, they might have noticed that their king didn't speak to them. When she retired to her rooms, he followed. 

"I care about this, too," she said after they had been quiet for awhile. "I care about our people. The only way the North will be safe is if we rule in the south too. No matter the cost." Sansa felt another kiss from Jon on her forehead. 

The room was dark, one of them had opened the window before they climbed into bed. Letting the cool air into the room. Outside the castle grounds were quiet. The small party had ended hours before. Sansa thought the sun would come up soon. 

She fell asleep again in Jon's arms, and when she woke Sansa was alone in the bed. The sun was up, Jon was on his morning run. Walking into the front room of her castle apartment, Sansa found the round table set with breakfast for two. She looked at it not hungry. Crawling back into bed, she felt listless. The urge to hide away fighting with the need to help her home, her people, and her family.  

*****

Jon

Jon watched the Lords and Ladies file into Winterfell's great hall for the second night of celebrations. The night before had been a small party with just close family and friends in honor of Arya's wedding. Tonight was the larger party for all their supporters, extended family, and more friends. Sansa whispered in his ear pointing out this person and that adding what issues held their particular interest when they received the never-ending line of Lords and Ladies. The Umbers about sheep vaccines, Wylla Mandely arts education, Lord Blackwood about a centuries no millennia old feud over a fence with his neighbor. Jon hoped Satin or Sam was paying better attention than he was to their concerns.  All their bannerman had come to Winterfell to demonstrate their support and it seemed all had problems needed solving in exchange for supporting the Starks.