How To Kill a Flower

Chapter 25

We had been riding for a couple hours after we left the Inn. I couldn't shake the feeling that we should have left with Brienne. 

We rode up a hill before i really took in my surroundings. This looked...familiar. Then it hit me, like an arrow through the heart. We were in the North, we were so close to Winterfell. 

We dismounted before Baelish led us up a hill. We overlooked a small island not far off the coastline. Moat Cailin. It was dark and dreary. Not very inviting if you ask me. 

"That's Moat Cailin." Sansa states.

"Yes. A bit shabby, isn't it? You've been here before." He looks as us.

I nod, "On our way down to King's Landing, with my father and Arya and-"

Sansa cut me off, "-Where are you taking us?"

Baelish looks at us saying strongly, "Home."

My hands clenched, was he joking, "The Boltons have Winterfell." He nods at my statement before my eyes widened, "The marriage proposal, it wasn't for you?"

Littlefinger shakes his head, "No."

I draw my dagger, walking up to him as he backed away from my seething figure, "Roose Bolton murdered our brother. He betrayed our family!"

Sansa grabbed my arm, holding me back.

"He did." Littlefinger didn't deny it.

Sansa spoke up, "He serves the Lannisters." Tears were starting to fill in her eyes.

"For now." Baelish said gravely.

"We won't go." I growled out.

"Winterfell is your home." He tried to convince us.

Sansa shook her head, tears starting down her cheeks, "Not anymore."

"Always. You two are Starks. Dyeing your hair doesn't change that. You're Cirilla and Sansa Stark. The eldest surviving daughters of Ned and Catelyn Stark. Your place is in the North."

Sansa crying out, "I can't marry him. You can't make me. He's a traitor. A murderer."

Baelish looked at her confused, "You're not marrying anyone Sansa," His eyes caught mine, I was the proposal as the oldest Stark, "You're not marrying Roose Bolton. No, you'll be marrying his son and heir, Ramsay. One day he'll be Warden of the North and you will -"

Sansa clutches my arm, "No!" She yells out.

"Sansa -"

Sansa cut him off, "No, you can't make her. I will die before I have to go there." 

Baelish grabbed our shoulders, one hand on each of is, "I won't force either of you to do anything. Don't you know by now how much I care for you both? Say the word and we turn the horses round, but listen to me. Listen." He lowered his voice,  "You've both been running all your life. Terrible things happened to your family and you weep. You sit alone in a darkened room, mourning their fates. You've been a bystander to tragedy from the day they executed your father. And by how quiet Cirilla is, she has already decided. Stop being bystanders, do you hear me? There's no justice in the world. Not unless we make it. You both loved your family. Avenge them." He kissed our foreheads before walking back to the horses.

"Ciri-" Sansa starts.

"-This could be our only chance Sansa. To get our home back," I turn to her, "Don't you understand, we are no longer little girls. This is my moment to kill Roose Bolton, kill the man who killed my twin, our brother!" I bite my lip, "I can do something for once other than stand around as our family dies. Besides, this time i get to be married." I chuckle humorously. "You don't need to stay with me Sansa, but i will always protect you. This will be dangerous."

She stares at me for a moment before nodding, "For Robb."

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Three times, just like always. We were going home.