A/N: So this a "what if" to chapter 5 of my other story A Little Rose with Steel Thorns (the Olenna POV). I am not sure whether I'll make any forthcoming one shots/chapters connect with this or not.

Theon was terribly annoyed with Lady Olenna. He was tasked with getting Lady Sansa out of King's Landing, yet he was sitting around having a picnic. A picnic he was not allowed to drink at as Lady Olenna condescendingly said he needed to keep what little wits he had focused. He hadn't even stopped by one of the brothels.

"Oh stop your grumbling, Greyjoy. How exactly were you going to get Lady Sansa out? Scale the walls and climb through her window? Then what?" Theon scowled. I don't know. But I know this is not the Old Way. "We'll let him do the dirty work for us then you will do your part."

"And who is this man doing the dirty work of getting Sansa out of the Red Keep."

"Lord Petyr Baelish." Her tone suggested she found Baelish both repulsive and beneath her. "Keep her far far away from him. He's a little too fond of her. She looks like her lady mother doesn't she?"

"Aye, she takes after Lady Stark. If you believe she isn't safe near him, then why are you allowing Baelish to get her out? Robb promised her to me and I promised I would bring her home."

"I had no intention of allowing him to take Lady Sansa anywhere. That's where you come in with your ship. You'll get your heroic moment and your maiden bride to be. Now hush boy, rich food and wine call for a nap at my age. Oh and don't dawdle the distraction won't last long." That left him with her dim-witted red haired guards she had introduced as Left and Right.

"So are we crashing the name day celebrations?" The twins gave each other a look.

"No, we are staying right here to guard her ladyship," retorted one who could be Left but Theon wasn't sure if she meant her left or his.

"You are going to kill the fat drunk and get the Lady Sansa to your ship," said the other. Theon's smile froze and he laughed awkwardly.

"How am I to know where they'll be?" The twins suddenly decided to be mute. Theon glanced annoyed at the carriage where Olenna was supposedly snoozing before picking up the cloak he was given as a part of his disguise. What have I gotten myself into?

Theon rowed himself to King's Landing debating whether to just row back to his ship and forget this whole scheme. But instead he hid the boat and oars in some brush once he hit land. He climbed up rocky ridge and over a grey stonewall. He tried to blend into the crowds of people in King's Landing.

"Where can I get a girl or two and some ale?" he spoke gruffly to a random man who looked at him curiously. The man pointed him in the direction of a place called Chataya's, which was too damn far from the harbor or the Red Keep. The man also suggested some establishments closer to the Red Keep. Theon walked swiftly in the direction of the Red Keep. His nerve failed him when he recognized one of the guards that accompanied the King and the royal family to Winterfell at the gates of the keep. So he circled around the keep, hiding in the shadows of the narrow uneven streets. He felt like hours had past, which made him twitch with unease.

Hopefully there's somewhere I could easily climb.

Normally, he would shrug off any responsibility if he was unsuccessful. But it was harder to shrug off potentially handing his closest friend's (practically a brother to him) sister's fate to some obsessed man or letting her remain in amongst the Lannisters. Robb would be disappointed if he came back without Sansa. Lady Stark had died and Robb was well grieving...

Robb is lucky to be alive.

We are all lucky to be alive.

His mind drifted to the dead men he had fought along side and the terrible music. Theon shook his head. Focus and find Sansa. The poor girl didn't need to be lured by some creep. Theon was not the honorable type like the Starks but he believed he had some basic decency. He nicked an apple on his way from man carrying a basket of assorted fruits. He took out a dagger to cut out the bad parts and ate as he walked around. He made it to a grey shadowy unpopulated road praying that Sansa would be easy to find. Not getting caught was also high on his priorities list. Theon could hear beckoning girls entering an establishment from a street over. Maybe I have time for…

But two shadows fluttered by with such urgency not noticing him. Theon dropped the apple and followed them walking extremely fast.

"Hurry, sweet lady. Before they realize you have gone." Kill him quickly. The less noise the better. Theon followed them as they ran zigzagged through the cobbled alleys and lanes.

"Sansa!" hissed Theon loud enough she would hear him. The girl with a dark hood stopped and looked back. Her Tully blue eyes widened and lighted with recognition. The man stared at Theon and tried to tug her along. "Please, don't scream."

"Theon! Is Robb here? Ser Dontos, it's alright he's my friend." Theon stabbed the man before he unsheathed his sword. Theon then slit the man's throat before he could utter a sound. Sansa made a yelp of surprise and horror.

"Theon, he was my-" Theon pressed two fingers on her lips, glanced in either direction then dragged her away. They stopped when Sansa almost dropped the giant greatsword.

Must I smuggle the most conspicuous girl and item? Couldn't have Mallister done this and I went to Pyke to treat with my father?

"Trust me, Sansa. His kindness was bought. I gather you weren't going to Winterfell or Riverrun with him. Hand me that. I'll carry it." I was ordered to get you with the incentive of your hand in marriage. But you don't need to know that until we are safe on a ship. Sansa nodded and breathed heavily with an edge of panic.

"We have to hurry, Theon. Joffrey has been poisoned. When they notice me gone, they'll think I had something to do with it." That was the distraction. Theon smiled and took her pale hand in his. He would have chortled that the golden git was dead but that could wait. It complicates things and at the same time helps.

"Keep your hood up." Theon and Sansa raced down the hill. The harbor was no longer safe that would be where the guards would look first. So he sought to retrace his steps and find his rowboat or steal one of the small rowboats the poor fishermen used. There was tightness in his chest, as he had no other plans to get them to his awaiting ship. He saw the random man from earlier in the same spot drinking.

"Got her from one o' the master of coin's brothels?" If you stretch the truth far enough. Sure.

"Nah, she's my darlin' wife." Sansa hugged Theon from the side and facing his chest to hide her face. Thankfully, the man merely just nodded and belched. As they turned the corner and they broke out into a run to the grey stonewall. Theon lifted Sansa over the wall and handed her the sword before leaping over it himself.

"Almost there," cheered Theon as they raced down and almost stumbled. He dragged the rowboat into the water. Sansa grabbed the oars. "Let's hope this doesn't sink because your lord father's sword."

"Where's your ship?" asked Sansa as he rowed them away. He nudged his head to his left. "I don't see it."

"I couldn't anchor it somewhere easily visible." Sansa nodded and secured her hood. "Robb sent me to get you. Margaery's grandmother, Lady Olenna gave me a ship to take you home. It's a nice ship."

"They told me he and my lady mother had died at the Twins. They called it the Red Wedding."

"Robb's alive and so is his wife, your uncle, and most of the northern men. Lady Stark, I'm sorry to say—" Sansa let out a sob. He watched her cry as he rowed, which was a long time. Sansa wiped away her tears and gave him a smile,

"Thank you for saving me." He smiled back in return. "It's so lovely to see a familiar face."

Sansa averted her eyes shyly as Theon removed his shirt. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him in various states of undress in their shared cabin arrangement before. We have kissed in a manner that was wholly inappropriate for an unmarried highborn lady. But she told herself and Theon that it did not matter as they were to be married anyway. She was still a virgin, which was what mattered. Sharing a bed out of necessity and for her safety had helped Sansa rethink her previous opinion about Theon and made her more receptive to marrying him.

She had not wanted to speak of King's Landing to him at first, when he first asked about it. Theon instead had told her a story from his nine years of life at his home in the Iron Islands before he became a ward of her lord father's.

"Did you feel trapped like a prisoner like—" How the Lannisters kept me. Do you still feel like a hostage? She heard him sigh in the darkness.

"Yes and no. Sometimes, however rarely, I didn't feel like an outsider amongst your family. But I never did get the approval I wanted. It's better now with Robb as King, no offence." He had said no more about the subject. Sansa reached out and held his hand.

"You have Robb's and mine," she whispered softly. She sense he had turned his head to face her but remained silent."Goodnight, Theon."

"Sweet dreams, Sansa."

Theon laughed at her shyness, which made her flush even more. She was embarrassed by how young and naïve she still was. She looked more matured than most girls her age so she didn't look like a child next to Theon, thankfully.

"You are fairly decent at manning the steering wheel," complimented Theon. "The crew is worried, I won't need them anymore. That'll be just you and I sailing this ship." She looked at him in the eyes and smiled at the compliment.

"Then they should be on their best form." Theon laughed and uncorked a bottle of amber liquid and took a swig.

"Now, now Stark. Let's not go all blood thirsty pirate captain." I'd only threaten the cook's daughter with the plank.

Sansa had ventured to the galley to find the crew supping and talking loudly. Theon was sitting at the front of the long table with the older girl on his lap. Sansa had felt angry and a strange feeling in her stomach. Which she did not understand, as she did not like him as anything more than just a friend.

A friend who wraps an arm around you to help you sleep every night.

A friend who no longer sees you as a silly weak little girl anymore and doesn't make japes about your (deluded) fancy of a boy who turned out to be a cruel monster.

A friend who confided in you and you told him all the horrible guilt you harbored and Joffrey's treatment of you. Sansa felt her eyes sting. He was probably laughing about her to that girl like he did when he teased Jon and Arya in the past. Theon noticed her in the doorway before she turned away. The cook's daughter was unkindly shoved off. He walked towards her carrying a bottle.

"You were sleeping, when I came in to check on you. Are you alright? Nobody went into our cabin did they—" His face went dark and dangerous as he took note of her traitorous watery eyes. Sansa shook her head no and touched his chest reassuringly.

"I'm fine. I came down because I'm a bit hungry." I woke up from a nightmare and you weren't there. Theon nodded slowly and snaked an arm around her waist.

"Here or a tray in the cabin, love." She remembered haughtily telling Theon off to not call her love as she wasn't his love nor was he hers. But he had smirked and hadn't stopped much to her chagrin. Now she fought to not blush beet red when he said it. She wanted to say that she would eat amongst the crew to show they did not frighten her. However, she came down here only wanting Theon's company.

"Cabin like usual," she answered. Theon barked for a tray of supper and drink to be sent to their cabin. He laughed as he told the crew he was off to bed. The crew made their usual whistles and catcalls.

"You are going to get cabin fever one of these days."

"I go out on deck with you during the day," argued Sansa as they walked up to the deck.