Sansa's Epilogue Ch. 01

Sansa continued to watch as Linnea sat on the stone ledge of the balcony and took her husband's hard member into her mouth, wetting it with her tongue while she caressed his testicles with her fingers. Tyrion's hand was on his wife's head as she pushed herself on and off her husband with her mouth and Sansa thought she heard small grunts of pleasure from him.

After a few minutes Linnea stood and wrapped her arms around Tyrion as they kissed again. They spoke in low tones that Sansa couldn't make out. But next Tyrion was stepping down from the stool where he had been perched and Linnea led him by the hand inside the guest house.

Sansa moved herself a few paces to the left and could see them through the open double doors. Linnea had laid down in the middle of the great bed that was made up in furs and Tyrion knelt between her legs with his mouth on her most private area. Sansa felt her mouth drop open at the sight of the Princess Linnea writhing on the fur while the Hand of the King lapped hungrily between her legs.

Being farther away and now inside, Sansa could barely hear them but every now and again one of Linnea's pleasured shrieks would reach Sansa's ears. After one extra long and extra loud scream from Linnea, Tyrion sat up and moved himself closer between his wife's legs and Sansa again caught a glimpse of his hard cock as he pressed into his wife with one hard thrust.

Suddenly the reality of what Sansa was doing hit her and she stood straight up and ran down the library tower outer stairs and across the courtyard without looking back. She yanked open the gate in the wall between the courtyard and the main keep and hurried into the Great Tower and up to her own chambers. The sentries standing guard made no movement as the queen ran past them to her rooms. She pushed the door of her bedchamber open and slammed it closed again behind her, leaning back against the door, panting to catch her breath.

The images of Tyrion and Linnea on the balcony and then their bedroom flashed in Sansa's mind over and over and she felt overwhelmingly hot. She pulled off her cape and peeled off her gloves leaving them all on the floor in front of the door. She unhooked the wool skirt at her waist and stepped out of it when it fell at her feet. She ripped the linen blouse up over her head and stood in just her cotton shift but the heat was still there. It was inside her, emanating from her centre.

She went to the water basin. The water had been there all day and was no longer warm. She splashed some up on to her face then ran cold, wet hands along her neck and chest until she felt the fire inside her dying down. She walked to her bed and pulled herself under the covers.

Her dreams were full of sexual memories both recent and long ago. The men who had loved her and the ones who had abused her were all mixing together and the sounds of pleasure and of pain beat together in an evil cadence in her mind.

She woke at sunrise, still exhausted but knew she couldn't go back to those nightmares for another minute.

She rang for a bath to be drawn and she submerged herself in the heated water. It did help to relax her muscles and calm her mind. She thought of her mother and father and again she begged for their wisdom as the time of the conference drew closer.

When the water cooled enough to make her shiver, Sansa pulled herself from the tub. She dried herself and dressed herself as she always did. She brushed her long red hair and braided it down her back. She took up the steel crown that had been placed on her head as queen ten years ago and felt its weight heavily on her brow.

There was a knock at her door followed by the voice of Endras, "Your majesty, it's time."

"Just a moment," she called back. She took one more long look in the mirror. Often she searched her face for the similarities to her mother Catelyn but today she searched for signs of Eddard, anything that would confirm to her that she was still worthy to lead the North.

Finally, without satisfaction, she stood and left her room.

Sansa and Endras approached the council room and before he pulled the door open for her he said, "Your majesty, whatever the Southerns say, the North is with you. A Stark should always rule in the North."

"Thank you, Endras," she smiled briefly and nodded for him to open the door. She stepped in and the men already in the room stood. She got to her seat and gave a nod for them all to sit as she did.

Tyrion Lannister sat opposite her at the large square table. As they all sat he began to speak.

"Your majesty, this conference is perhaps long overdue. You have been ruler of The North for a decade while your brother has ruled the South. King Bran has been struggling with the realities of his position for years now and while I encouraged him to speak to you before making decisions,he decided it best to come to his own conclusions."

Sansa felt her face betray her confusion.

"Lord Tyrion, I had rather assumed that you were coming to ask me to bend the knee to Southern rule again and I was prepared to reject that."

Tyrion gave a small smile, "Queen Sansa, that has never been a goal. The reason for this meeting is not to ask anything of you, but rather to tell you what's about to happen to Southern Westeros before it happens."

"Something is about to happen in the South?" Sansa leaned forward, as did the rest of the Northern delegation.

"Sansa, your brother has decided to renounce his title."

"What!" Came the voice of Maester Grundwald. Sansa stayed silent, but was just as shocked.

"You know as well as anyone that Bran Stark is no ordinary ruler, or even an ordinary man. He is the Three-eyed Raven and he has felt the calling to return to the place where he was trained and commune with the First People again."

There were murmurs and side-glances between all the Northerners, but Sansa silenced them with a wave of her hand.

"Tyrion, you say this with such finality that I am sure you, Bran, and your council have already made a plan for succession?"

"We have your majesty," Tyrion nodded. "King Bran has no children, and while the possibility of his procreating is unknown, he has decided that even if he were to father children, the throne is not his to pass on."

Sansa's confusion only grew deeper. Of course Bran couldn't father children, and she wasn't surprised that the work of King of Westeros did not fulfill him, but who could possibly be taking his place?

"Then the throne goes to the original line of succession?" Sansa queried. "You couldn't possibly mean you want Jon to rule!" She referred to Jon Snow who she'd grown up thinking was her half brother but was truly her cousin and son of Reagar Targaryen. Jon had been sent back to the Knight's Watch after assassinating Queen Daenerys Targaryen, his lover and aunt after she sacked King's Landing in her rage to rule.

"No, no," Tyrion continued. "Ten years ago, Bran was chosen unanimously to lead the six kingdoms and when he decided that he was stepping down, the Lords Paramount of the six kingdoms came together to elect a new ruler but it very quickly became clear that there would be no consensus. The six kingdoms have their own cultures and beliefs which are no longer held together by fear of the Targaryens nor shared respect for the conqueror Robert Baratheon. Therefore we have decided peacefully to disband the monarchy and have eight independent countries, each led by their Lord Paramount and able to decide on their own government. Trade and commerce will continue throughout the southern part of the continent with one currency and one language."

Sansa sat silently taking in what she had just been told. Tyrion looked at her expectantly, waiting for a response.

"So Southern Westeros will have six kings of six countries?"

"In a sense," Tyrion explained. "Each Lord Paramount is allowed to decide on their own title and form of government."

"What about you? Will you be King Tyrion, First of his Name?"

"Eh, no," he laughed awkwardly. "I've chosen the title of Governor of the Westerlands. My wife, Linnea retains her title as Princess of the Sunrise Isles and governance of our country will pass to my eldest, JoAnna upon my death."

"JoAnna?" questioned Endras.

"Yes, she is thirty minutes older than Jaime."

Sansa still didn't have words for her reaction. While the fracturing of the Southern Kingdoms didn't directly change things in the North, it did change the entire idea of a monarchy.

"What do you think the response of the North should look like to news like this?" was finally Sansa's response.

"That, Your Majesty, is entirely up to you," Tyrion said. "The North has been happy looking to the Starks of Winterfell for centuries. With very few exceptions, Northmen love you as queen. I don't see you needing to change anything except to know that now the North is the largest country on the continent, almost as big as the rest of the countries combined. Strong leadership is necessary...and an official stance on succession may be expected by your lords and wardens."

Sansa looked down at her hands, they were shaking just slightly. She clenched them into fists to stop them.

"My Lord Tyrion, this news is quite a surprise. I propose we take a recess for the rest of the morning so I can talk to my council. We can reconvene this afternoon?" Sansa stood, prompting everyone else to match her.

She strode to the door which was pulled open for her and she retreated to her chambers to think. Sansa sat alone for an hour or so before there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," she called.

It was the rest of her small council come to talk about what they had been told by Tyrion Lannister.

"Your highness," Maester Grundwald began. "The North will stand by you. This news will not affect their loyalty to House Stark."

"But how long can we rely on that?" Sansa asked. "I'm the last Stark left! Bran is leaving for good, Arya is off exploring gods know where and certainly won't come back to settle down, and everyone else is long dead!"

The men looked at each other awkwardly, but Endras spoke up, "Your majesty, the most obvious option is to marry and have an heir."

"Yes, because that is such an easy plan," she said bitterly.

"Queen Sansa," spoke Maester Grundwald. "Do you remember ten years ago when you first were crowned Queen in the North, do you remember how many letters arrived asking for marriage arrangements? It was every day for those first few years! You didn't respond to a single one and yes, the letters have slowed down, but they have never stopped. An arranged marriage for the good of the North is the best option."

"Maester, I know your fraternity forbids marriage so you have no knowledge of this, but I have been traded in marriage to men for more power twice already. I will not do it again." Sansa stood and strode to the window of the room, looking down on the courtyard below.

The small council sat silently watching their queen.

Sansa sighed and took a long breath.

"Forgive me, my Lords. This news has caused me great displeasure," she finally said. "We will continue on as we have been for ten years...but I will look over your most recent marriage offers in time if you will bring them to me Maester Grundwald."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Grundwald nodded.

When the delegations came back together, there were many other matters to be discussed and debated and the question of Northern succession was not raised. And it didn't come up through the next few days of talks.

Two days before the Southerners were set to leave Winterfell, Jaime Lannister, with the help of his sister Joanna, had convinced their parents that they were old enough to travel outside the walls of Winterfell to see the wolves. Linnea had finally agreed when Queen Sansa promised that her security chief, Ser Endras, would take them out himself and Tyrion would go along.

Sansa took the opportunity of a free morning to invite Princess Linnea to her private rooms for brunch. Linnea arrived with baby Annafried in tow and explained that Tobias had already become great friends with the pastry chef in the Winterfell kitchens and was helping to bake the cake for the final banquet.

"I'm not sure how much help he will provide your kitchen staff," Linnea laughed. "But I am sure he will come back to me sticky with sugar."

Sansa offered a chair to Linnea and they made pleasant enough talk while they started their meal.

After a half an hour or so, Annafried woke from her morning nap and began to cry.

"Oh she is hungry again," Linnea explained. She picked up the little girl from the bassinet that had been rocking at her feet. "Do you mind if I feed her while we talk?"

Sansa felt her cheeks get warm but hastily said, "No, of course, please do whatever you need to do."

As she had at the first night banquet, Linnea unbuttoned the panel at the front of her bodice and lifted her child to her heavy breast. Sansa looked everywhere, but at Linnea. There were a few long moments of silence before finally Linnea spoke.

"Sansa, may I ask you a candid question?"

"Linnea, we have been friends long enough that you can ask me anything," Sansa answered, still not looking at her friend.

Linnea paused, trying to find the right words, "Why does my breastfeeding make you uncomfortable?"

Sansa stole a glance at Linnea, whose face didn't show judgement or concern, but genuine curiosity.

"I'm not uncomfortable," Sansa said but knew how ridiculous her denial sounded. "...I have become an extremely modest person, Linnea. Seeing so much skin...and your bare chest...is unsettling."

Linnea nodded compassionately and Sansa did not elaborate.

"You know Sansa, my sister Viveka, was born with a rare genital malformation. There was some concern that she would be unable to bear children because of it, but we know now that she is quite able; she and her husband, Lars, have three children and she reigns as Empress of the Sunrise Isles now since the death of my father."

Sansa looked up, confused.

"I bring up Viveka because nine years ago when she was formally betrothed to Lars, she was overwhelmed with fear that their sexual union would be difficult or painful. She was able to have help to alleviate those fears with the help of a Sinnesläkare."

"A what?"

"There not a word for it in the Common Tongue but I suppose you could say "healer of the mind." Here in Westeros you have Maesters who train for years in Oldtown to understand the body. On the Sunrise Isles, a small number of our physicians specialize in illnesses of the mind. Of that group, an even smaller group are trained in sexual disfunctions and how to treat them."

"Why are you telling me this? Do you think I have some disfunction of the mind?" Sansa looked mildly offended.

Linnea looked anxious and backpedaled, "No, no! Disfunction is not the word. I am not saying there is anything wrong with you, but perhaps there are things from your past that prevent you from moving forward. I don't know all the details of what you went through before you were crowned queen, but from what Tyrion has shared with me I know you were not always treated as you should have been and those experiences have long lasting effects."

Sansa looked up stubbornly. "I suppose that's possible," she conceded. "Do the Sunrise Isles send these specialists overseas to help foreign leaders?"

Linnea smiled, pushing past the tone of sarcasm in Sansa's voice, "It just so happens that one of my lady's maids that came to Westeros with me eight years ago is a very skilled sinnesläkare."

"What?" Sansa looked shocked.

"Her name is Sofia and she is just a little older than you and I. She had just graduated from the sinnesläkare training program when my father decided to send me to Westeros. She was sent along as one of my ladies to help me with the transition."

Linnea looked down at Annafried who was now gurgling with a full tummy.

"She was able to guide me through the emotional changes of becoming a wife and a mother and she has had multiple clients in King's Landing over the past five years."

"She's helped you with things?" Sansa asked cautiously.

Linnea rebuttoned her blouse quickly while she explained, "Sansa, I thank The Seven that I have only known the love of one man who meets all my needs in the bedchamber, but there are many situations where the outside wisdom from Sofia has helped me to understand my own actions and reactions. I really do believe that she could help you."

Sansa shook her head, "But why would she agree to help me?"

"Sofia has dedicated her life to helping people more easily interact with the world around them. I have not talked to her about this, but I do think she would agree. She's with us on this trip and I'm sure she would stay here to work with you."

Sansa didn't respond. Annafried gave a contented coo while Linnea rocked her child in her arms.

"Sansa," Linnea gave one more plea. "I know that as a girl you must have dreamt of marriage and children of your own. I know this life isn't what you had envisioned, but there is still a chance for you to find your own happy ending."

"Fine. You may ask your lady's maid if she will stay here and help me."