Jon followed Sansa out of the room and tried to catch up with her . It had taken everyone a few seconds to realize she had heard everything . She was too quick , she entered her solar and bolted the door .
Jon : Sansa open the door , I won't leave until we have talked .
Sansa : Please leave I don't want to talk to anyone .
Jon : I won't be able to sleep until I speak to you , just make it easy on both of us and open up .
Sansa opened the door .
Jon : I don't know what you heard but I can explain everything .
Sansa : Well I don't know what I missed , but I heard enough to tell you I am not a charity case . Nobody needs to pity me , I can raise this baby by myself. I don't need to be pushed off on anyone .
Jon : I have no doubt you can raise this baby and that you will be a fantastic mother . Sansa we don't live in an environment where you can just remain an unmarried woman . You will have this baby and people will talk , you will be an unwed mother with a child . I know this is harsh , but that will reflect badly on you and ultimately it will reflect badly on King Robb and this family . You know that . You have spent time in Kings Landing . You know how royal politics work and the Northern Lords are more conservative than in the South . Robb does have to get you married. He really has no choice in that .
Sansa : Are you speaking as his Hand or his family ?
Jon : Both and you know I'm right . And think of your babe , does it not deserve a father ?I have grown up as a Bastard , it not an easy thing ! And I was the Stark bastard , think of what will happen to your child growing up with that stigma, especially when you have an alternative.
Sansa : So you want to be the alternative ?
Jon : Yes .
Sansa : Why ? Why would you do that ?
Jon : Why not ? I have to marry eventually . Why not you ?
Sansa : For obvious reasons . I have been defiled and am expecting a child .
Jon : Something terrible happened to you through no fault of your own. And the babe is innocent .
Sansa : I can't do that to you , you should marry someone like Alys Karstark . Arya is right you can find love with someone like her and you should not be involved with someone like me . I can't be that selfish , I won't drag you down with me .
Jon : I love Arya that is true , but she doesn't get to decide what I will or won't do . And what do you mean " someone like you "?
She just stares at her feet .
Jon : Look Sansa you are not defiled , someone brutalized you but you were still not the victim . It took incredible strength to decide to keep this baby and to face down Bolton this morning . As for someone like you.... I have gotten to know you these past months . { he cups her face and moves her chin up to look her in the eyes } You are brave , gentle and strong . What more can a man ask for in his life partner ?
Sansa can feel the tears start to slip from her eyes. Jon gently wipes them from her eyes with the pads of his thumbs.
Jon : Think about what I said and sleep well . I will be back in the morning .
With that Jon leaves her chambers .
Sansa keeps thinking of what Jon said the whole night . She replayed the day over and over in her mind , she resolved to not think of Bolton again and to try again to only think of her health and that of the babe . For her Jon was the ideal choice , she trusted him and she would not have to leave Winterfell . In her heart she knew Jon was right , an unmarried sister with child was a liability to the King in the North and House Stark . The thing that bothered her was that she felt that she was a burden to Jon , he was doing it out of a sense of duty . Duty to her parents for raising him , maybe to Robb , maybe even to alleviate some of Arya's guilt . Who knows ? She didn't want that duty to fester and become resentment later towards her or her child. But what other choice did she have ? Tears started to fall on her pillow , what a stupid girl she had been . Life is not a song or a dream , life is a nightmare in her experience . She had wanted to marry for love and she wanted her betrothed to be in love with her as well . That was not meant to be , the Gods had other ideas for her . The last few months there were some moments of incredible darkness , she wasn't sure is she would ever see the daylight again . It felt as is she was drowning in that sea of darkness . When she thinks back though she does recall the only shard of light she remembers is Jon guiding her back to the surface .
