The Proposal

Surprise

Jon and Sansa's eyes meet . " Sansa ... how could you ?" he whispers .There is anguish in his eyes . He is trying to fully comprehend what just happened .

Sansa is still too shocked to say anything . Jon's eyes flit between the young man and Sansa . He doesn't even notice anyone else there . There is pin drop silence .

Finally Sam says , " Jon sit down."

Jon turning to the young man , " What is your name?"

" Robb , Robb Stark ." Comes the answer . His voice is a rich deep baritone .

" As it should be ." Jon replies calmly . " it's very good to meet you Robb Stark ."

Sansa finally snaps out of it .
" Jon , lets go the castle and talk ."

" That's a very good idea" says Sam . " You should talk."

Jon just nods, dumbstruck and follows Sansa out of the cottage . The guards escort them back to Winterfell . On the way back they don't look at each other . Jon can feel the blood rushing to his ears .

They reach the castle and Sansa leads him to her chambers to talk . Robb's parentage is still a secret and she does not want to discuss this any public place. She has been dreading this conversation but was fully aware that it could come up one day .

They sit in the outer chambers and Jon finally looks at her . She looks tired and worn and he can't help but feel terrible that she does not look well . She is still beautiful maybe even more so than he remembered . He wonders if maybe life had been crueler to her than he imagined . The thought cuts through his heart .

" Why are you here ?"

" Why am I here ? "

"Yes ."

Jon looks incredulous . " I found out that you were not well and I had to come and see for myself that you were alright."

" I'm fine Jon , I had been ill but now I'm recovering ."

" You don't look well ."

" Thank you ." Sansa says sarcastically .

" Sansa , am I Robb's father ?"

Sansa just sits and says nothing for the longest time.

"Tell me , I deserve to know damn it !"

" Yes ." She replies .

It's just one word , one syllable but it has permanently jumbled his whole life and what he thought his purpose in life had been . He had fathered a bastard and abandoned his child , the two things he swore he would never never do .

" Why , why would you not tell me ? Why?" Jon whispers . " How could you do that to me Sansa ? Deprive me of my own child ? Deprive him of a father ? How could you do that to us ?"

" Robb was never deprived . He had a lot of love and affection growing up . You can't miss what you've never known ."

" That's not true a Sansa , I never had a mother but I longed for one everyday as a child ."

" I'm sorry you went through that Jon , but Robb was cherished here and he did not have to go through what you did . And Bran legitimized him many years ago he did not have to deal with being called names ."

" You didn't answer my question . Why didn't you tell me ?"

" I didn't know what your reaction would be . I didn't know how Queen Daenerys would react , I was scared I was trying to protect my child from everything . That was my only concern his safety and well being ."

" You were scared of me ? What my reaction would be ?"

" Yes ."

Jon looks angry now . " When did you find out you were pregnant ?"

Sansa scoffs .
"Of all days it was your wedding day to Daenerys. By the time I found out you were already a married man ."

" I still would never have abandoned you or Robb."

" Still you were married to the Targaryen Queen , Robb was technically a Targaryen , plus male . I
didn't know if she would view Robb as a threat to her rule or to your daughter or to your marriage , or if she'd simply take him and discard me . I could not take a risk so I chose to protect him and I would do it again."

Jon lets Sansa's words sink in and his mind is spinning .
" I would never let anyone hurt him, you know that ."

" Not intentionally no , but things happen in life and people get hurt that's how it is . I couldn't expose him to that I didn't want to constantly be worried about his safety ."

" Does he know about me ?"

" Yes he knows , he knows what circumstances we were in and why I chose not to tell you . He doesn't blame you for not being in his life . I've never said anything negative about you . He asked me questions about his father when he realized other children had one and he didn't and I told him the truth . During the course of his life whenever he asked about you I tried to answer him truthfully and completely . He seemed to accept my reasoning and he's very well adjusted but you can never be completely certain about these things , can you ?"

" My only concern is his safety . If you think there is any chance that Queen Daenerys will view him as a threat to her or your daughter please keep him a secret ."

" Dany is a lot of things but she would never hurt my child ."

"Even if that child is my child ? I know that she has mercilessly cut down dissent against her rule and if you look at things politically , she may view Robb as a threat to your daughter's future rule . But I can assure you Robb has no intention of traveling South . He knows the Starks belong in the North and in Winterfell ."

Jon winces at that last remark .

" Bran has legitimized him and is going to make him his heir when and if the time arises ."

Jon says nothing . He's trying to let it all sink in .
" I'd like to meet him . Can you please bring him here ?"

" Certainly ."

Awhile later Robb walks in and shuts the door behind him . Jon is still speechless .

"Robb , this is your father Jon." Sansa states .

Robb sticks his hand out for Jon to shake it , but Jon pulls him into a hug . It's very awkward because Robb's arms are stick straight , but after a few minutes when Robb realizes he's not letting go he hugs Jon back .

Sansa stands to the side with tears in her eyes .

Jon steps back and just looks at him .
" He's built like Robb" , Jon remarks.
" Yes" Sansa agrees , " he eats like him too ." They both laugh a little at that .

" I know this is a surprise that I just showed up out of the blue but I hope it's a good surprise " Jon states .
Jon then asks Robb if it's ok that he stays awhile to get to know him and Robb just looks over at Sansa .Sansa just nods her head . Robb nods too .

It's late and they decide to turn in for the night , even though it will be impossible for anyone to sleep . They leave the outer chambers to go into their bedrooms .Jon notes the way Robb's arms go around his mother to support her , and the way Sansa leans into him as they leave .A wave of melancholy washes over him , this is what he had missed out on all those years away . But he would not dwell on that , he had been given a surprise in life maybe the best surprise of his life .