Chapter Text
Tywin Lannister looked out of place in the walls of Winterfell. He was frowning all the time; his eyebrows were knitted while he was walking down the courtyard, and when he was talking to the head of the Stark family, and even when he was sitting at the table for a small feast in his honour.
He didn’t look like the golden lion from his sigil, not at all. Instead, he reminded Sansa of a tiny owlet she spotted some months in the forest. Poor birdling fell out of the hollow of a giant oak and looked and Sansa and her siblings with the most disapproving stare. The howlet knitted its eyebrow feathers the way Lord Lannister did when he was offered the traditional northern stew for dinner. Sansa wanted to laugh at her thoughts, but she knew Lord Lannister’s visit was significant for her father. Hence, she stared at her plate like a polite young lady who had no intentions of disrespecting an honourable guest because of her silly imagination.
Sansa knew it was important for her father to make a deal with Tywin Lannister. The North struggled, and her father became gloomier with each raven maester Luwin received from other northern lords. Sansa was three and ten; she was allowed to attend some meetings with Robb. Their parents decided it would be good for her to learn what it meant to be at the head of the House, even though her probable destiny was to become a wife to some lordling. Still, her father insisted in a conversation Sansa, and her siblings overheard, knowing the inside of how to be a good Lord (and Lady) could benefit their daughters. And their potential husbands as well. Their mother agreed, and Sansa’s playtime was cut so she could attend some of the meetings their father held with his most trusted people.
When Sansa learnt that the North was struggling, she went to the small sept of Winterfell and prayed. She also took her younger siblings she promised to look after, and went to the Godswood with them. She prayed there once more while Arya and Bran were running around and trying to climb the trees. Sansa had no idea if there was a point in her prayers, she rather wished to be way more careless and join her siblings in their little games, but she had to learn how to be a proper young Lady.
When Tywin Lannister disappeared behind her father’s solar with her mother, maester Luwin and some of the northern Lords who arrived to meet the warden of the West, Sansa took her stubborn siblings and all their wolves for a walk to the hot springs. She knew that this meeting could decide the fate of the whole North; there was no way something could go wrong. She even took Rickon in her arms, despite him becoming bigger and heavier with each day. Robb and Jon went to train with Theon and some bored Lannister soldiers, who accompanied Lord Tywin on his journey. Even Robb wasn’t allowed to join the meeting, and Sansa wanted to spare a second for herself and pray in Godswood. Still, Rickon started whining and asking her to tell him stories, and then Bran decided that Sansa become a judge in his and Arya’s tilt regarding the best tree-climber. Then Sansa agreed to initiate a hide-and-seek game because her siblings quickly became bored with their activities, and their mother wasn’t back. She could ask her septa or one of the maids to help, but Sansa knew it would be better for all of them to spend their time together. At least for now, all of them could act carefree and laugh at Arya’s silly comments.
But then Robb appeared and told her to go and see their parents. He still was panting after training and looked genuinely confused by the whole request. And he was a little bit jealous, too; Sansa saw it in his stare.
“You’re lucky they’re letting you participate in such an important meeting,” he said and sighed deeply like Rickon was sighing every time he was told to go to sleep way earlier than his other siblings.
Sansa wasn’t sure. It would make much more sense if Robb were the one to attend the meeting and listen to what their father and Lord Tywin agreed on. He was the future Lord of Winterfell, after all. But Sansa didn’t have time to question their parents’ request; she was a dutiful daughter and needed to show their guest her respect. She quickly tidied her hair and returned to the castle, walking tall and smiling politely at everyone she met on her way.
Perhaps, she had to spend her time in the Godswood praying and asking the Old Gods to help her father and the North instead of engaging herself in some silly games with her younger siblings.
But Sansa learnt it too late. In or around that moment when her pale-faced father announced she was now betrothed to one of Lord Lannister’s bannermen. Who was merely the second son of his house. What an irremissible mistake.