Game of Thrones - One Shots/Imagines: Part Three

Sandor Clegane X Stark!Reader - Surface Pressure

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song 'Surface Pressure' from Encanto, which I am currently a little bit obsessed with. This is set during the first book/season when the Starks first go to King's Landing, and Reader is the eldest Stark sibling. I hope you all enjoy it.

"Arya, stop threatening Sansa," you started, catching her by the top of her arm as she balled her hand up into a fist, ready to strike. "She is our sister," you added, holding eye contact with her as if you were challenging her to argue with you. "And Sansa, stop winding up Arya. I'm getting tired of all of your bickering, girls." 

"She started it-" Sansa started, falling silent when you raised an eyebrow at her.

Your tongue darted out to wet your lips. "I don't care which of you started. It stops now. Father has enough to worry about without you two constantly at each other's throats."

You could feel a headache already building and you hadn't even had a chance to have your breakfast yet. Of course, you had known that when you left Winterfell with your mother's orders to keep your two younger sisters out of trouble echoing in your head that you would be under a lot of pressure, but this was something else. As soon as the carriage had left the gates, the girls had been fighting, and you had been attempting to keep the peace ever since. 

You plastered a smile onto your lips as your father opened the door, coming to join the three of you for breakfast. "Girls," he started with a wide smile, his eyes darting between Arya and Sansa, both sitting silently at the table, before falling on you. "You're all looking well this morning," he pressed on as he sat down.

"I think the heat agrees with them," you told him, your cheeks aching as you continued to force your smile. 

"I prefer the cold," Arya muttered, and you quickly kicked her under the table, watching as she shot you a glare. 

You raised an eyebrow at her. "You just haven't had time to adjust yet," you bit out. "You'll get used to it soon enough and then you'll never want to leave." The table stayed silent for a moment, as you swallowed around the lump forming in your throat. 

"You're such a good girl, Y/N," your father started. "Always finding the positive in everything; like our very own ray of sunshine. What would we ever do without you, huh?" 

A small chuckle fell from your lips. "Seven Hells," you smiled, shaking your head in disbelief. "I hope we never have to find out."

*Time Skip*

It seemed that with each passing day, the anxiety inside of you was building, just growing and growing until you were almost ready to burst entirely. As if you weren't already shouldering enough weight, the world had seen fit to throw even more in your direction. The old King had died. Your father had been imprisoned. Septa Mordane, along with much of the household staff you'd dragged along with you to the capital, had been murdered. And you hadn't been able to locate Arya since everything had started going completely mad. 

You wanted nothing more than to hand the responsibilities off to someone else. To curl up into a ball and let someone else take complete control over your life and everything going on around you. At least that way you might be able to get some sleep for once. But your mother had trusted you to care for your sisters and you couldn't let her down by giving up. No matter what it could cost you. 

"Y/N?" Sansa had said exactly three sentences since everything had changed. Is father going to be okay? Am I still going to marry the Prince? and Does this mean we have to go home? It had become clear quite quickly that she had no understanding of the situation you were in now. The danger hovering just around the corner waiting for you to put one toe out of line.