A/N: Hello, readers! It's been a loooong time since I wrote some fan fiction, but I needed to get this story on paper, so to speak. This is based on show canon since I haven't finished reading the books. It will very likely become A/U once Season 8 drops, so bear with me. Be prepared for a lighter tone than GRRM. I'm a fan, but I need a happy ending for Sansa no matter what happens in the show. I'm planning a slow build to SanSan, getting influence from one of my other favorite authors, the great Jane Austen. Don't worry, I'm planning smut down the line, but a quick romance wouldn't be good storytelling. Not sure how often I will update as my free time is limited. There likely won't be any sort of regularity, but I will try my best to see this through and not abandon it. Enjoy, and leave a review!

Update: I've made some minor changes to this chapter to fix some typos and align it a little closer to canon. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Tyrion

He lay awake in his bunk, unable to sleep with the rocking of the ship. So Daenerys was following through with her plans of bringing the North back into the fold. Though bedding Jon Snow certainly wouldn't be as permanent as marriage. There was no denying that they were forming a chemistry ever since the White Wolf had arrived on Dragonstone and asked for dragon glass.

Of course she never would have considered him. He was a Lannister. While he'd earned her trust in the months since he'd arrived in Meereen, his brother had murdered her father, and his sister sat on her throne. She didn't need Lannister gold, or what was left of it after Robert and Joffrey had spent it on whores and wars. Cersei couldn't be doing much better after blowing up her alliance with the Tyrells. Then there was Tyrion's condition. Daenerys liked dark, large men (or at least normal sized in the case of Snow). Though she was petite, he was smaller than she. She respected him as her Hand and no more.

But they were sailing for White Harbor and then on to Winterfell. He thought of who would be there waiting to greet them. Sansa Stark was no longer a girl. She was a woman grown, and from what he'd heard from her brother, she was much changed since she'd disappeared from King's Landing. Somehow he held no resentment for her disappearance after Joffrey's murder. If she'd remained, Cersei would have executed her without question. He felt terrible about the things she'd experienced in the intervening years.

Yes, that was the way. Jon Snow might be King in the North, but he was still a bastard. With Bran Stark unable to be Lord of Winterfell, that had left Sansa as the Lady, being Ned and Catelyn Stark's oldest trueborn daughter. Securing the North would require the marriage of a trueborn Stark to one of Daenerys' allies. Technically, a septon might say they were still married. As far as he understood, her marriage to Ramsey Bolton had been a Northern ceremony. Surely Sansa would agree that Tyrion was better than any alternative her brother would negotiate. He would speak to Jon before they arrived at Winterfell.

Sandor

His bunk was too small, the rocking of the ship was unnatural, and Jorah Mormont snored above him.

Lying awake, the Hound plotted different scenarios where he could kill his brother, or what was left of him. Though he had only seen Gregor's eyes inside his helm, Sandor could tell that he was a shell of his former self. What had Cersei done to him? Not that he cared. Gregor had tormented him since they were boys. Sandor had never forgiven him for causing their sister's "accident" and their mother's grief that took her.

Nevertheless, he'd come to realize that Clegane men were too much for women. Too strong. Too angry. Too violent. Whores shrunk away from him whenever he ventured into the brothels of King's Landing. The list of women who had carried their own around him was short. Of course there was Brienne of fucking Tarth, but did she really count as a woman? Cersei was a queen, so that was entirely different. She appreciated his brutishness in protecting her son. Then there was the little she-wolf. That was different. She'd seen so much hatred and violence in her short life that the Hound didn't scare her. Her sister, on the other hand…

The Little Bird had been frightened of him as soon as she laid eyes on him. He knew right away that Lady Sansa was too good for King's Landing and the likes of Joffrey. She was so naïve and gentle. Her sister's pranks and behavior in Winterfell and on the King's Road had visibly upset her. He'd used her fear of him to break her. If she was to be Queen, she had to leave behind her good breeding and honor bestowed by her parents. She had to become like Cersei and the rest of them if she was to survive.

But Lady Sansa had surprised him. Slowly she hadn't let her fear of him show so much. And of course after a certain point she'd had to accept that Joffrey was not like a prince from the tales. He was a cruel bastard who'd humiliated her, beat her, and left her to be raped by his subjects that he was supposed to care for. And knights? It had been Ser Meryn Trant who had beaten her on Joffrey's orders.

No. Lady Sansa learned how to survive in King's Landing. There was a part of Sandor that regretted that he hadn't insisted that she come with him, but at the same time he understood. Even though he'd shown her small kindnesses, she's clearly still been afraid of him when he'd broken into her room during the Battle of Blackwater Bay.

What did she think of him now? Did she know he was still alive, or had the little she-wolf told her sister what had happened? Then there was Brienne of fucking Tarth who'd believed that she'd bested him until she saw him in King's Landing with Jon Snow's party. What she told him of Arya made him proud in a fatherly sort of way. His little she-wolf had made it home after all. But what of her sister? Brienne hadn't said much about Sansa, and he hadn't dared to ask. Jon had accepted him, but Sandor wasn't sure how much his sisters had told him about their experiences with the Hound.

He shook himself. What was he thinking? He'd done his part in making sure the Stark girls got home. He didn't deserve anything more. Would the Lady of Winterfell even let him in the gates? He didn't remember much from the Blackwater, but he vaguely remembered being in her chambers. Had he…? He wasn't sure. Either he hadn't, or Sansa hadn't said anything to Jon. From what he'd heard, she'd suffered far worse at the hands of the Bolton bastard. He'd even smiled to himself when Jon had said she'd set his dogs on him. But Sandor wouldn't entertain the idea that she'd ever consider him for more than his sword.

Sansa

The Lady of Winterfell bustled about ensuring that everything was ready for the return of the King in the North. Jon had sent several ravens over the last few months with what he'd been doing. Daenerys Targaryn had agreed to allow them to mine the dragon glass. Then he'd gone beyond the Wall and secured a wight to take to King's Landing and secure a truce with Cersei. According to the last raven, Jon, Daenerys, and their companions were sailing for White Harbor. Cersei had believed the wight was real but resisted a truce. Her armies would wait out the Long Night and come for them after.

Jon made no mention of who was traveling with him other than Queen Daenerys, Lord Tyrion, Ser Davos, and others. Lady Brienne and Podrick were returning by the King's Road. Obviously Jon hadn't gone beyond the Wall alone, but he hadn't said who he'd gone with. Tormund remained at Eastwatch. But if Bran's visions were correct, Eastwatch was gone and the Wall breached.

Still, Jon hadn't gone to King's Landing with only Davos and Daenerys and her retinue. Sansa would have to wait for their arrival to find out. But she played the role of Lady of the keep and prepared all of the rooms and the barracks for guests. She had already settled herself in her mother's little used chambers. Arya had protested that Sansa should sleep in her own as she and Bran did, but Sansa had broken down and revealed that Ramsey had locked her in her old chambers. Arya relented after that. Jon refused their father's chambers and had reclaimed his own. Robb's chambers had been cleansed of Ramsey's affects and remained closed along with Rickon's.

The guest chambers and quarters were simpler. Guest chambers were prepared for Queen Daenerys and Lord Tyrion. Samwell Tarly, Gilly and Little Sam, Ser Davos, Lady Brienne, and Podrick had quarters already, and other rooms were prepared for the rest of the party. Winterfell was ready for the arrival of the Dragon Queen, but would they be ready for whatever lied ahead?