Winter's Promise

5th Month of 299 A.C. Riverrun

Lady Sansa Stark

Happiness flows through her, for so long Sansa had wondered whether there was actually anything between her and Aegon-that is his name now and she will respect that- or whether it was all within her head. To hear him profess his love to her and accept hers in return, is something that she feels so deliriously happy about it should be criminal. That he wants to get married now is another bonus, Sansa knows that perhaps they are being slightly reckless by getting married now, but she cannot wait, the fear of losing him is too pressing, and so she takes his hand and stands with him. She walks hand in hand with her King as they walk toward the Godswood where they both know Robb will be, Robb is her brother, but he is also the Head of House Stark, and it would not be right to marry without his blessing. When they get to the Godswood, she feels her heart stop slightly, seeing both Robb and Bran kneeling before the heart tree, in a gesture so reminiscent of father that it causes something within her to ache at the loss, still so fresh after all this time.

Aegon clears his throat, and both her brothers turn to look at them. Greywind and Summer pad over to them and begin nudging Ghost and Lady, the dragons are flying off somewhere, but that is not the important thing. "Robb, Bran," Aegon begins. "Myself and Sansa have something to ask of you."

Robb looks at her then, and then at her hand in Aegon's and she knows that he knows what Aegon is going to say. "And what is it you have to ask?"

She can tell how nervous Aegon is by how he moves his mouth this way and that before speaking once more. "We wanted your blessing for our marriage."

Bran stands up then and embraces them. "That's wonderful, I always knew you two would get married to one another."

Sansa smiles at her younger brother and says. "Thank you Bran."

Bran moves back then and looks at Robb, they all look at Robb, her older brother is still kneeling before the heart tree, but there is a thoughtful expression on his face, eventually he speaks. "I believe that this marriage would be beneficial to our cause, and I also think that it is something that should have happened long ago."

"So is that yes?" Aegon asks cheekily.

Her brother stands and nods. "Yes, yes it is. You have my blessing. So when do you wish to have this marriage and where?"

Sansa looks at Aegon and then at her brother, she takes a moment to think through it and then she responds. "We would like to have the marriage take place today, in the sept at Riverrun."

Robb's eyes widen then. "Today? Is that not too soon?"

Aegon shakes his head. "No, we ride off to war soon, and I would not keep this from happening. If that is alright with you Bran? I know that there will be some changes that need to be made to the activities for the day."

Bran has a serene smile on his face. "It is perfectly fine by me Your Grace, I had suspected something like this might happen and therefore I decided to have the cooks prepare something especially. So will you want to get the ceremony done now?"

Sansa looks at Aegon and he looks at her, and then she nods. "Yes, if it is not too much trouble."

"Of course not, we shall get it done. Your Grace, if you would come with me, we can get the lords into the Sept, Robb, I'll leave you here with Sansa for a time." Bran replies quickly, taking Aegon by the arm and walking out of the godswood with him.

Once her younger brother and soon to be husband have gone, she is left alone with Robb, and as she looks at him, she sees something akin to sadness and happiness mingling together on his face. "Are you alright Robb?" she asks.

"I am Sansa truly. I am just thinking how strange life is, I am a father, you are to be married today, and well soon enough we shall need to find a wife for Bran. We are all growing up so very quickly, sometimes I wonder what happened to our childhood." Robb responds.

Sansa steps forward then and hugs her brother like she used to do when she was a little girl, that he hugs her back fills her with comfort and happiness. "I think it is good that we are growing up. We had a good childhood and now winter is coming. But it is not as if I am marrying a stranger, I have known Aegon my whole life, and I love him. And he loves me."

She looks up at Robb and sees him looking at her as well. "I know, and I am happy for you both, truly I am." Her brother pauses for a moment and then asks. "Do you need to get changed into something else?"

She ends the hug and looks down at herself, she's wearing a simple dress, well simple compared to what the ladies in King's Landing wore, but she does not mind and she does not think that Aegon would either. "No, I am happy with how I am dressed." She stops then and waits for him to say something, but instead a comfortable silence falls between them.

Eventually, Robb extends his arm to her and says. "Well then Sansa, let us take you to the sept." she takes his arm and walks with him in silence toward the sept. She knows that the sept was where mother and father were married all those years ago, that is partly the reason she wishes to get married in the sept now, she wants to feel some connection to her mother and father beyond blood, and this is one way of getting that. Ser Arthur, Ser Jaime and Ser Henry Rivers are standing at the entrance to the sept, their armour gleaming due to the light, their cloaks billowing behind them. Robb escorts her to through the Sept, and as they walk through, she sees the eyes of every lord present looking at her, she holds her head high and walks calmly. Robb lets her go when they get to the altar, and turns and walks back.

There is a brief silence as everyone within the sept gets settled and then the Septon begins speaking. "My lords and ladies, we are here today to witness one of the most sacred things that can be within our world. A union of a man and woman, a King with his Queen. We are here for the marriage of His Highness King Aegon Targaryen, and Lady Sansa Stark. If anyone has any reasons for why these two people should not be married, then let them speak now." Silence is the response, and so the Septon continues. "Very well, let us begin." The man takes a breath and then continues. "You may repeat after me." Sansa looks at Aegon and then at their hands which are holding one another, and prepares to speak. "Before the Father, I swear to always be faithful."

"Before the Father, I swear to always be faithful." They say in unison.

"Before the Mother, I swear to always be loving." The Septon says.

"Before the Mother, I swear to always be loving." They repeat.

"Before the Maiden, I promise not to look at any other." the Septon says.

"Before the Maiden, I promise not to look at any other." they say.

"Before the Crone, I promise to be true to you." The Septon says and they repeat.

"Before the Warrior, I promise to fight alongside you in your daily battles." The Septon says and they repeat it, though Sansa thinks that there is fighting and then there is fighting.

"Before the Smith, I promise to make my home with you and no other."

"Until the Stranger comes, I will love you and only you."

They finish the words, and then the Septon says. "You may now kiss."

Aegon leans down then and Sansa presses her lips to his, and as they kiss she feels her stomach flip, the kiss deepens and then they break apart, to the cheering of the lords gathered within the sept. She smiles at Aegon, her husband, knowing that her cheeks are likely pink, but she does not mind, how could she mind on a day like today. Aegon takes her hand then and together they walk down the sept, accepting congratulations from various lords and others alike, as they leave the sept it hits her that she is now the Queen, and that is something that will take some time to get used, just as having the Kingsguard trailing behind her will as well. As they leave the sept, her husband speaks. "Well, it is done, we are a married couple now. So tell me wife, what is the first thing you'd want to do?"

Sansa looks at her husband, and sees the outline of his muscular chest through his doublet, and the muscles in his arms, and she knows what she would like to do, but she knows that doing such a thing in the open would be highly inappropriate, instead she smiles and leans up and kisses her husband. Before she can get too lost within the kiss, she pulls back, feeling her heart soar at the little moan of protest that escapes her husband's lips. "Well, I'd like to do more of that, but I do believe we have a feast to attend husband."

Her husband smirks. "Ah yes, that we do. Shall we then?"

"Yes let's." Sansa replies, and so they walk onward toward the castle, the three Kingsguard walking behind them, as they walk, she begins wondering where the fourth member of the Kingsguard is, and she also begins wondering why her husband has not yet chosen the other three members of his guard. And as such she asks. "Where is Ser Brandon my love? I would've thought you would want to keep him as close by as possible?"

Her husband is silent a moment, it seems he is considering his response, for his face takes on a look of concentration, eventually he replies. "I sent him out to look for something, something that I think might be of great help when the time comes."

"And what is this thing?" Sansa asks, her interest piqued.

Her husband shifts slightly, and Sansa wonders at that, but he responds to her question all the same. "I am not quite sure just what it is, but I know that it is within the southern Riverlands, and I know that is supposed to be quite powerful. Something that might help us when it comes to defeating those fools within Winterfell."

"Do you not think that they can be defeated by normal means? Father did that before." Sansa points out.

"Lord Eddard only managed to banish them, he could not defeat them properly and ensure they never came back because he did not have this thing that Ser Brandon is looking for. Once it is found it will be used and we can defeat them, for good." her husband replies.

"How do you know the thing will work?" Sansa asks.

"Because it is said to work, there was something that Lord Eddard showed to myself and Robb the last time these people came to troubling us, and he said that if it was found then it would defeat them for good." her husband replies.

Sansa does not really understand that, but she lets it slide, instead she asks. "Do you really have to lead the march this time around? Could you not send Robb or even Ser Arthur out?"

Her husband laughs slightly then and stops to put a stray hair back behind her ear. "I am the King, Sansa, I cannot send others to do work that I would not do. I know it is a lot and there will be worry, but trust me when I say I shall be fine."

Sansa presses herself closer to her husband then and whispers. "Just make sure you come back to me."