Last chance for honour

Chapter 28

Sansa sat opposite Lord Baelish waiting for him to speak, she had learned by now when he was planning to tell her something, his eyes would narrow slightly, and his mouth would be curled up tightly on one side, exposing a smirk that nerved her. "My lady, I trust you are happy... to be home, in Winterfell" she remained silent she wasn't interested in playing any of his games, she placed her cup down, glancing at the plate of food in front of her with no sense of appetite. 

"I'm afraid I have to go away for a little while" he continued "-What?" Sansa spoke without thinking. "I should only be gone a month, I will continue to write to you-" "-What will I do? How can I protect myself from... him?". Baelish tightly grasped his hand around hers. Sansa felt herself freeze at his touch, her eyes flickered up to meet his stare. "Ramsey Bolton is now Lord of Winterfell by right, his father is dead, and now he has been naturalised he is now the rightful heir to Winterfell" "He's a Bolton, the house that betrayed my family, who murdered my brother and-" Sansa began to raise her voice "Yes... Yes he is a Bolton, a boy who looks at you the way all men look at rich, noble girls, he is in debt to me, I saved his life, as well as yours-" "I should have never have come with you, I should have never trusted you over Jamie". Sansa ripped her hand away, standing up from the table, she walked towards the window. She could see the red leaves of the Weirwood in the distance, shuffling in the wind.

"No... you shouldn't have, but you did trust me, and you should still trust me" Sansa could hear the voice behind her getting closer "did you really trust Jamie Lannister completely, the man who hated your Father, your Brother, your entire family? He demonstrated his hate for your family long ago, when he crippled your brother". Sansa refused to turn around and meet his gaze "there was no proof... Bran fell" "Yes Bran fell from the broken tower, your mother told me that, after seeing Jamie Lannister with his sister, do you really believe his apparent love for you is stronger than his love for Cersei?"

"You were merely a plaything pushed aside by Joffrey, and given to him, that is all" Sansa forced her tears back, she couldn't let Baelish see her cry, she wouldn't. "And now you are giving me to Ramsey" her words were sharp, full of anger. "No..." She felt his hand on her arm, the other on her waist pulling her closer to him "I'm giving him to you" He spoke in a hushed tone, he turned Sansa round to meet his face "He is yours, he will be Lord of Winterfell... but you will be Lady of Winterfell" Sansa felt her heart pound with her realisation "No...No I will never marry him, you Can't-" Baelish rested his hand on her cheek, pressing his thumb against her lips, she shuddered with his touch, she hated the way his hands felt on her. "He is a Northern boy, just as you are a Northern girl, the rest of the North will see how the Lannister are simply a Southern house who forced you to marry in the faith of the Seven, not the Old Gods that the strong Northern houses believe in, which makes you free to marry Ramsey".

"You lied... didn't you? There all dead aren't they?" She needed to hear it, from his mouth. Baelish lowered his gaze, failing to meet her eye. "I needed you to believe they were still alive... I needed to get you somewhere safe" "Safe? You didn't think I was safe with my husband, so you decided to trick me and kidnap me for your own scheming?" She could feel a burning in her throat, her jaw was clenched in fury, she had remembered how much she had wanted Joffrey to die, but the hate she felt for Littlefinger preceded it, she knew that if she could she would kill Baelish herself, with her own hands if she could.

"I requested you as the only payment in return for Joffrey's death" "Joffrey's dead?" Sansa stepped away from him once more "The Tyrell's needed me, just as I needed them... you could not imagine how much you are worth to me Sansa". He took a step closer to her, backing her against the wall, his eyes focused on her lips, she shifted away from him slightly, his arms firmly holding her in place. She hated him being close to her, it filled her with a sick feeling 

Sansa didn't say a word, there was nothing she could say to change what Baelish would make her do. She had finally realised how he had been planning this all along. She had done exactly what he had wanted her to, and now she had to pay the price.