I was wondering, do you have any headcanons for Sansa and Ned's relationship?
I could talk about Ned and Sansaās relationship for hoursand I have so many headcanons. Their relationship is one of the most lookedover in the whole series, which is odd for me, since the Starks have alwaysbeen close, but many of Sansaās relationships are brushed off. Many think Nedloved Arya more than Sansa, and thatās so untrue. He loved them both equally,and he loved them both so much, he was just able to understand and connect withArya more, but that doesnāt mean he thinks any less of Sansa. Anyway, here aresome of my Ned and Sansa headcanons:
Sansa was precious to Ned from the moment shewas born. This tiny, beautiful baby who looked like her mother, and he feltlike he was breaking her by just holding her. Sansa was the first baby that Nedsaw that young, he didnāt meet Robb until he was a few months old, and Jon wasnātjust born when he reached Lyanna (at least he didnāt look it in S6), so Nednever held a baby that small until he first held Sansa and from the moment heheld her, his heart melted. She is his first daughter, the first child whosebirth he was there for (because I also headcanon that Ned was present for allthe Starks born in Winterfell) and she was so perfect.
Because Ned missed so much of Robbās early life,he stayed with Cat and Sansa everywhere when he didnāt have work to do becausehe didnāt want to miss anything important in her early life like he had herbrother.
Sansa didnāt cry much as a baby, but when shedid, it was in Nedās arms she settled quickest. She settled quickly for Catelyntoo since she wasnāt a fussy baby, but no arms felt safer than her fatherās soshe stopped fussing quickly when he picked her up.
Sansaās first word was āPapaā. Ā If Ned were a man more prone to outwardemotion, it would make him tear up because he has his doubts as a lord, husbandand a father, but hearing his little girl calling him āpapaā for her first wordbegins to get rid of them fears and itās a moment he thinks of when he turns toget one last look at her before he is beheaded.
When she was young, she was a daddyās girl. Beforeshe became too interested in being a lady, Sansa wouldāve craved Nedāsattention. Asking him to play with her, drawing him things, picking him flowers,asking him to help her build things in the snow while the boys played withsnowballs. But most of all she loved that he would take her to the Godswood. Sansaliked the pretty colours of the weirwood leaves and loved the fact it she wasable to skip along the paths and pick flowers. She loved how quiet it was andshe loved the silent praying as she sat next to Ned. Her visits to the Godswoodwith Ned were among her favourite things as a child.
Ned was Sansaās first and biggest hero. We knowSansa loved the stories of knights, of Aemon the Dragonknight and others. But noneof them compare to her father. He always has and always will be her number oneprotector and number one hero. Ned doesnāt talk about the rebellions he foughtin, but others would have. And for Sansa, her father fighting valiantly to findhis sister and avenge his father and brother, or fighting to save the mainlandfrom the terrible Iron Born, means that he is a true knight, and a hero.
Because of the point above, many of Sansaāsexpectations come from Ned. Ned isnāt perfect, but he is a very good man. A loving,caring man, almost found nowhere in Westeros. She thinks that all men arenoble, good, loving and strong like her father, and so thatās one of thereasons she believes in the stories of knights. And because she sees her fatherhave such a strong, loving relationship with her mother, she assumes that hermarriage will be like that. That her husband will be like her father.
Because Sansa is so precious to Ned, he wants tokeep her sheltered. Of course, Arya is precious to him too, but Arya is wilder,knows the truth and harshness of the world more. Sansa is into her fairytalesand stories and doesnāt know how bad the world truly is, and I feel that Nedwanted to protect her from the evil in the world, which is why she grows upquite naĆÆve and believes the best in people, as her father does. She sharesmany characteristics with him because he has sheltered her from the real world,and so she grows up with a similar perspective to life as he does. Because Sansabelieves in the stories of knights and honour, and Ned believes in honour.
On the morning of her nameday, Ned would alwaysbe the first person Sansa sees. Every year he would wake her up with a tray oflemon cakes just for her to eat. Heād give her a kiss on the forehead, and thensit with her as she ate the lemon cakes before escorting her to the great hallwhere everything was set up for her special day. And in my head, this happenedevery year.
In the dungeon, after Varys all but threatenedSansa, she was all that was on Nedās mind for hours. His mind was made up straightaway. Robert was his best friend and he didnāt want to betray him, but Sansawas his baby girl. The first newborn he held. He knew there was only one choice.And when Joffrey calls for his head, he forces himself to get one last look athis baby girl.
Sansa blames herself for Nedās death. Although shedoesnāt know the whole story, she knows that her father is not and never wouldbe a traitor. As she gets older and smarter, Sansa realises exactly why Nedconfessed to a crime he didnāt commit. She knows that Cersei was controllingher and keeping her close and she manages to realise that the only reason Nedconfessed, and was therefore killed, was because they were threatening her. So sheblames herself for his death.
After Sansa finds the doll Ned gave her duringthe Battle of Blackwater, she always keeps it on her bedside table so she cansee it when she sleeps so it gives her comfort. Ned would always comfort herwhen she had nightmares, so the doll is her comfort when she dreams about hisbeheading, or Joffrey beating her. When Sansa misses her family, or is upsetabout something, she takes the doll from the night stand and sleeps with itcuddled against her chest as extra comfort, because itās the one thing she hasin Kingās Landing that reminds her of home, and it reminds her of the first manshe ever loved.
I like the idea of Alayne stumbling across achamber in the Eyrie, and entering it to discover it once belonged to EddardStark. She enters and goes through the draws, untouched since her father leftthe room many years ago. She finds letters from Brandon, Lyanna, Benjen andRickard, and a wooden sculpted wolf on the side, as well as other smallpossessions of his. She comes back to the room time and time again because whenshe is in the room, Alayne Stone becomes Sansa Stark again.