COMPLETE. Sansa decides to be more proactive in trying to win a free North from Daenerys by forging a friendship between them. But what if false friendship leads to something more real and more complicated than Sansa ever intended? Season 8 AU, Daen...
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Author note: Cross-posting my story from AO3. I wrote and finished this story back in 2019 and decided to share it here. If you haven't read it and don't want to deal with ads, check AO3. And if you have read it already, yay! I won't be moving over all the author notes in this fic from that site as I prefer to write new ones, if any, but we'll see.
This story was inspired by a two chapter Sansa/Tyrion fic I once wrote about a night they share and in which Sansa ponders a plan to win the North's independence from Daenerys. In imagining what that plan would entail, I liked the idea of complicated feelings developing between them. So here I am exploring that scenario in a kind of continuation to the other story's events beginning with the morning after.
Season 8 AU canon divergence, some elements of the season kept. I don't really consider it a fix-it as my focus is on the romance but there will be no Mad Queen. Not necessarily true to character, world of the television show not books (though I'll use book details here and there), and be aware of the love triangle tag if that isn't your thing. It does play a role in the plot. Speaking of love triangles, I've also written our girls as bisexual and therefore treat their feelings and attraction towards past male partner(s) as real and valid.
If you like your slow burn romance slow, your tension thick, and your angst unrelenting, I hope you'll like this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. But the story is mine.
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Dawn had broken over Winterfell and among the eyes that watched the night's goings-on of the leaders of the castle was Missandei, who made note of a disheveled Tyrion Lannister leaving the area of Sansa Stark's private rooms. Unseen, she headed back to her queen's rooms.
"He was where?" asked Daenerys, having just finished getting dressed in her bedchamber.
"Her rooms. Her bedchamber, I'm sure."
"Has this been going on for a while?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. You recall what I told you of their conversation in the crypts?"
"Mmm, yes," she answered.
"It didn't seem like anything was happening then. In fact, it seemed as if Lady Stark was gently letting him down. But I did notice certain looks they had given each other these last several days. Perhaps love has bloomed between them after all."
"Give Lord Tyrion time to freshen up and then tell him I require his presence."
"Yes, your Grace," Missandei bowed slightly and left Daenerys alone in her room.
Daenerys stared at the fireplace and thought on Missandei's words. A marriage between her Hand and the Lady of Winterfell may prove useful. This wasn't the first time she'd toyed with the idea ever since she'd been made aware of their prior marriage. But then again, it would also mean Tyrion's loyalty to her, his Queen, would not be total. Perhaps Sansa Stark was using her Hand to gain advantage over her. And Tyrion, the fool, was too blinded by empathy and love to see it coming. She took a deep breath to calm her growing anger. It probably didn't help that she and Jon Stark were still nowhere closer to an accord between them. His damn Stark pride.
