*Ā Ā Ā Ā /Ā Ā Ā Ā @andagonyĀ Ā Ā Ā cont.Ā
āāāāāāāĀ Ā ITĀ HADĀ BEENĀ ANOTHERĀ BURDENĀ TOĀ BEAR.Ā Ā deciding to make the attempt to be proactive for once,Ā to give the people of the north a chance at moving forward & to continue rebuilding that which had been ruined.Ā Ā her brothers not capable,Ā brandon with his bad legs & rickon still feral from his time on skagos,Ā it had all fallen onto sansaās worn shoulders.Ā Ā handled with as much grace could be mustered,Ā intent on staying as honorable as her father while implicating the years of lessons at the hands of people more cruel than she could stomach.Ā Ā things had been going swimmingly enough,Ā ravens sent in & out constantly by the maester until finally,Ā it was settled.Ā Ā a knight from a foreign land rarely spoken of,Ā captain of some thing or another she couldnāt quite remember.Ā Ā winterfellās first guest in months that hadnāt come begging for food, fabric, warmth,Ā or all three together.Ā
it had been an undertaking to decide which spare room to have cleaned and readied,Ā another to quell the nerves of bran whoād taken to seeing and saying things even she seldom understood,Ā and more trouble than was worth it to beg rickon to keep his feelings in checkĀ (and a steady handĀ āpon shaggydogās lead).Ā Ā finery sheād long since thought lost brought out from hidden compartments,Ā a stark grey gown stitched together by her own hand,Ā and servants given their direct ordersĀ --Ā sansaād not spared any thought,Ā intent on making the castle a welcome glimpse to northern life without much sugarcoating.Ā Ā itād have served no purpose to dress it up southron,Ā a disservice to the northās people if ever there was one.Ā Ā stood atop at the lordās seat,Ā various men and household servants at her sides,Ā her gaze is directed calmly at the door when the sound of footfalls on stone echoes through.Ā Ā there are no preconceived notions,Ā no thoughts that knights must be valiant as they are handsome,Ā sheād long since discovered the cruelties of armored men.Ā Ā
for all that sheād not been expecting,Ā sheās gracious that heās mannered,Ā even if the kiss placed upon her hand is uncomfortable at best.Ā Ā a custom not often used here,Ā too gentle for the roughness of the people.Ā Ā at least the blush that settlesĀ ālong her cheeks is light,Ā not much for being noticed among the dark,Ā dimmed walls.Ā Ā sheād shame herself for not losing that foolish habit years ago later.Ā Ā ā Ā a pleasure, Ā ser cullen. Ā welcome to winterfell. Ā āĀ Ā as kind a greeting as she dare offer to a man she doesnāt know,Ā tone kept gentle yet stern;Ā a voice sheās practiced day in and day out,Ā hoping to achieve the same effect her mothers had once had.Ā
āĀ your arrival has been much expected,Ā ser.Ā Ā though i fear i am not as well informed about what it is you seek.Ā āĀ Ā what information had been given was curt,Ā more vague than she preferred,Ā but sheād settled her nerves on the insistence sheād be able to get the rest out of him eventually.Ā Ā sansa was nothing if not confident in the skills sheād learned under the hand of littlefinger.Ā Ā hands smoothing over her skirts,Ā a wide smile is placed onto measured features before she gestures to the high table.Ā Ā Ā āĀ but such talks can wait,Ā let us sit and break bread so you may know that while you are under my roof,Ā no harm shall come of you.Ā āĀ Ā a silly custom to most,Ā but one she takes to heartĀ --Ā guest right was still sacred here,Ā in spite of lord frey.Ā Ā
but sansa doesnāt wish to dwell on the past,Ā turning to the kitchen maid,Ā her tone is light and playful.Ā Ā āĀ be certain to bring ser cullen something warm to drink,Ā i fear our knight looks as though heās not taken kindly to the winter chill.Ā āĀ