Chapter Text
“Is everything ready Jeyne?” Sansa asked her old friend, now the steward of their new home.
“It is. The cooks have been working since sunrise. Everything will be ready in time. I told Harrold and Wyllem to help erect the big pavilion,” Jeyne said and Sansa nodded satisfied.
Sansa wanted this harvest feast to be perfect. It would be the first time that her parents and Robb would visit her new home since they moved to more than a year ago.
Three years had passed since Arya’s wedding and the realm had been in peace ever since.
The Ironborn hadn’t risen back to any kind of power. The houses of the Iron Islands were too busy fighting amongst themselves rather than attacking anyone else, even with the rumors of Asha Greyjoy and her Uncle Euron aligning themselves with an alleged Targaryen Queen. In a letter Arya had sent her, her sister mentioned the crown was investigating rumors about this Targaryen Queen having real dragons in her possession.
Arya’s son Robert must turn two this year, Sansa thought, while she brushed Serena’s hair, after Jeyne had left the room.
“Will Rickard come too?” Serena asked.
“I am sure he will, just like Menissa,” Sansa told her daughter.
Menissa was Robb's and Roslyn’s daughter, who had been born a bit more than a year after Rickard.
Sansa and Sandor had often overseen the construction of their keep in person while it had being built. Sandor had even helped with his own hands, carrying several wood trunks after one of the men hurt his ankle and couldn’t carry them anymore.
This little gesture had left a lasting impression on the small folk and several new people had come to the small village that was located between the keep and the small creek.
On the day Sandor and Sansa had finally been able to move into the keep and take their seat as Lord and Lady, the smallfolk had organized a welcoming feast for them.
Sansa’s father had given them twenty men from his guard to start their own garrison. Ever since, Sandor had helped train the men every day and shape them into a standing garrison necessary to help keep the peace.
The smallfolks were happy with Sansa and Sandor’s just rule. When a problem appeared, they both listened to their complaints and decided together what would be the best judgement.
The servants were also loyal to them. They were always treated with respect and always received their payment.
Sansa had just finished braiding Serena’s hair, when there was a knock on the door and their maester entered. He had just finished training at the Citadel when he was assigned to their keep, after Sansa’s father wrote that one was needed.
Maester Walton was still a young, yet competent man. He had been born at White Harbor and he had forged the same chains Maester Luwin had and both Maesters wrote each other on regular basis.
“My Lady. A letter from Maester Samwell from Castle Black,” Maester Walton said holding out the letter to Sansa.
Sansa nodded after taking it and the maester closed the door behind him.
Sansa broke the seal and read the letter.
Maester Samwell wrote that Lord Commander Snow wouldn’t be able to make it for the harvest feast.
He was leading a scouting north of the Wall against the remains of the wildling army that had gathered around Mance Raider.
The wildlings had attacked the Wall two years ago with the largest army the freefolk had ever gathered, but they had expected the Night's Watch to be a shadow of its former glory.
Instead they had met a well prepared and equipped Night's Watch with the whole army of the North behind them.
Mance Raider, the King beyond the Wall, had unfortunately been able to escape north and ever since the Night's Watch has been searching for him
Sandor had told her after he had returned from the war that Jon and several other men had told him the stories of the White Walker they had seen beyond the Wall.
Sansa didn’t know if the rumors were true, but Jon wouldn’t lie to Sandor or her father. So far there hadn’t been any call to arms, but winter was certainly coming.
Sansa and Sandor had made sure that their keep had large supply storages and granaries to get the people of the keep and the village through a five-year long winter without trouble.
The coming winter made this feast even more important. It would probably be the last time they would be able to hold a feast for the near future.
Sandor entered their chamber and kissed Sansa before he kissed his daughter.
“Your parents are in sight,” Sandor said.
“Alright,” Sansa said and looked at herself in the mirror to check if all her braids were still in place. “Let’s go down,” Sansa told him after another kiss on the cheek and she left with Serena’s tiny hand in hers.
All servants and all the villagers were present as Sansa’s family rode into the courtyard.
Most people present would have never expected to ever see and meet the warden and the future warden of the North with their wives and children.
Much to Sansa’s surprise Shireen Baratheon was also with them. She hadn’t known that Bran’s betrothed was visiting the North.
The feast went exactly like Sansa had imagined it all these years ago during the harvest feast in Winterfell.
The people feasted and drank with joy the whole evening. People danced and laughed to the music some musicians from the village played.
It was just like Sansa had imagined it to be. If she would still be the naïve girl she had been she would even compare it to the tales and stories she loved to read to her daughter before sleeping.
After the feast was over in the late hours of the night, when the younger children had already been put to bed Sansa and Sandor, her parents, Robb, Roslyn, Bran and his betrothed sat in the solar drinking one last cup of wine before leaving for their chambers.
“That was a nice feast Sansa,” her mother said and everyone agreed. Sansa smiled at the compliment.
“We needed this before the winter reached us,” Sansa explained. There had already been smaller snowfalls in the months before and it was only a matter of time until the winter would hit with all its strength.
“It was a good decision,” her father said.
There was a content moment of silence between them while the sound of the cracking fire in the fireplace was heard in the background.
“It will probably be a while until we see each other like this again, so I want to tell you something,” Sansa said and all eyes turned to her.
“I am with child again,” Sansa said resting her right hand over her belly. She knew for two moons now, but she had waited to tell Sandor, since she wanted her family around to announce it.
“Little bird,” Sandor said and kissed her.
“That’s great news Sansa,” her mother hugged her excited, while her father and brothers congratulated Sandor on the news.
“With winter coming your child will be a true child of winter when it's born,” he mother said jokingly.
“I know just like me and Robb,” Sansa said and embraced Sandor as he came back over to her.
“And who knows what else winter has in its sleeve for me and my knight in a dented armor.”
The End.
