So in Love

Chapter 1

Theon clenched his jaw and fists. Normally he loved being around Sansa and listening to her ramblings about songs and heroes and knights, but he was afraid he'd hurt someone if he'd have to hear the name of that spoiled prince one more time.

Prince Joffrey this. Prince Joffrey that.

He'd be glad if that royal family visit was finally over and things would go back to normal.

And maybe then Sansa would finally stop gushing about a boy she hadn't even met yet.

Maybe the prince would turn out to be a jerk. Maybe he was ugly in real life.

Theon hoped the prince would be a jerk and he hoped the prince would be ugly. He hoped that the prince would really be one big disappointment.

"Theon!" Robb planted his elbow in Theon's flank and Theon furrowed his eyebrows while he let out a scream. "You sound like a girl!" Robb chuckled. "We have to get our hair done. The royal family will be here in a few hours. Mother wants us to look perfect."

Theon bit his bottom lip. "I always look perfect. You on the other hand..." He smirked, but he did follow Robb anyway.

How funny would it be if they would all look so much more handsome than the young prince Sansa had set her heart on? How funny would it be if they would all look amazing and perfectly groomed and the prince would look like a total disaster?

Theon could already imagine Sansa's face. He could imagine the smile on her face disappearing when the prince would get off of his horse. He could imagine her disappointment. And he could most of all imagine how he would wrap an arm around her shoulders to assure her that there were other men who would love her hand in marriage, more handsome men, more charming men, better men than that spoiled prince.

And then she would look up at him and their eyes would meet and she would notice how handsome he was, how charming he was and how good he was. The smile would return to her angelic looking face and there would be a glimmer in her beautiful blue eyes.

He would tuck a strand of her lovely red hair behind her ear and then he would press a soft kiss on her forehead. And he would most of all promise her that he would ask her father if one day, when she was a few years older, he could have her hand in marriage to make her lady of the Iron Isles.

And the smile on her face would brighten. She would nod and she would tell him that he was the only man who could ever make her happy.

"What's he dreaming about?" Jon brushed Theon's shoulders and snapped him out of his thoughts. "Princess Myrcella falling in love with a scoundrel like him?" Jon laughed and much to Theon's displeasure Robb laughed along with his half brother. They were both already half naked and Robb sat down in the wooden chair.

Theon crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "Better a scoundrel than a bastard." He mumbled and watched Jon looking a little uncomfortable while he waited for his turn.

One day Robb would be lord of Winterfell and Theon would rule the Iron Islands. The entire world would know that they were still close friends. Whoever picked a fight with one of them, would also have to fight the other. They'd be this unstoppable force and everyone in their regions would love them.

And no matter how handsome Jon Snow was, he would inherit nothing. He wouldn't rule anything. He would still be a bastard.

Quickly Theon pulled his shirt over his head too and he stared at his own muscles, tensed under his pale skin. The many hours of training with Robb clearly showed and he wished Sansa could see him like this.

She would certainly forget about that stupid prince right away. She would stop mentioning him in each and every sentence she spoke. She wouldn't even want that Joffrey guy anymore.

"Your turn!"

He felt a strong hand in his back pushing him forward and he almost stumbled over his own feet towards the wooden chair that was now empty. Luckily he could grab the back of the chair before he really fell down on his face. "Seriously, do you guys want me to break an arm or something?" He placed his hands on his knees and leaned back.

The skilled man barely allowed the sharp knife to touch Theon's skin, but Theon was still determined to sit perfectly still. He didn't want to end up with a cut and a bloodied bandage making him look ridiculous for the next few hours.

Firstly because Jon and Robb would not stop making fun of it for the rest of his life.

Secondly because then Sansa would be looking at him, but not for the right reasons. He didn't want her to remember him as the boy who got cut on the day the royal family arrived at Winterfell.

"And you're done, dreamer."

Theon stood up from the seat again and searched for his shirt while the chuckles from Robb and Jon followed him. Theon wasn't sure if they really believed he was in love with Myrcella, but if they did he was not gonna make them any wiser.

If Sansa would hear right now that Theon was in love with her, she would probably laugh along with her older brothers and would never take him seriously anymore.

No, he would just wait. He would wait for the right moment and then he would show Sansa that her best choice, that the man who truly deserved her hand and the lord who would worship her as his lady, had been there all this time.

Without another word he left and walked to his room to get changed into his best clothes.

Jon and Robb might be laughing about him right now, but one day Sansa was gonna marry him. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to.