From the Ashes (ASOIAF) (Sandor Clegane x OC)

Chapter 40: Tess

     The roar went up from the crowd as Gendry got a great shot in on a large muscular man from the Riverlands. Gilly who was standing beside her put a hand over little Sam's eyes.

"I'm not exactly sure we should have stayed for the melee." She said to Tess.

     Tess had talked them into coming down for the tourney, and little Sam had been absolutely enthralled by the joust. Sandor had come out as champion once again easily besting all in his field. Tess had wondered if the thrill of watching him ride would have been lessened now, but if anything it had been even more exciting. To watch the skill and ferocity with which he rode, and know that he was hers completely was exhilarating. And now...she wrapped her arms around her mid section. It had only been a day and she was already so attached to the little one growing inside her. There were moments when she couldn't even believe she this was her life. She'd spent so many years thinking the idea of being a wife, and a mother was the worst kind of purgatory. She never could have dreamed of having a husband and a child that she would love so much that they were her whole world. There was another loud cheer from the crowd and a sickening crunch.

"Maybe you should take him down to look at the horses." Tess suggested to Gilly, "I'll meet you down there as soon as it's over." Gilly nodded and took little Sam out of the stands.

      The melee only lasted another few minutes. Tess had momentarily thought that Gendry was going to lose, but at the last second he brought his war hammer swinging around with deadly accuracy taking his opponent out at the knees and sending him sprawling across the ground to the cheers of the audience. The master of ceremonies came out and named Gendry champion. Next he called all the champions of the various events back onto the field. The crown of winter roses was brought out.

"Lord Clegane...as winner of the joust it is your honor to bestow this crown of winter roses upon a lady of your choosing, naming her the queen of love and beauty for this tournament." Said the master of ceremonies.

     Tess was slightly surprised when Sandor reached out and took the crown. During the last tournament he'd deferred to Gendry, letting him crown the queen of love and beauty. This time though, Sandor turned away from the kings dias where all the ladies of the court were sitting, causing a murmur to arise through the crowd, and he rode directly to her in the stands with the other common folk. He placed the crown of roses in her lap.

"For you my lady." He said.

"Remove your helm good sir, that I might thank you properly." She said back. He took off his snarling dogs head helm and she stood on her seat, leaning over the rail so she could kiss him, as a cheer went up through the crowd.

     She walked down through the crowd a few minutes later proudly wearing her flower crown and found Gilly and little Sam down by the horse pens with Elle. Elle had used her magic to somehow procure a small bag of grain which little Sam was feeding to Sojourner by the handful.

"Auntie Tess look! He likes me!" He said happily.

"He does...." She agreed, "This old boy isn't too hard to win over though. You keep feeding him and he'll keep being your best friend."

"Mama said he's Uncle Sand's horse." Little Sam said.

"She's right. This is Sojourner, he's the one Uncle Sand rode on today, do you remember?" Little Sam nodded, and giggled as the horse took the rest of the grain off his hand.

"Come on now little Sam. We best be getting back." Said Gilly.

     They all walked across the tourney ground together, it was packed with people and Gilly had to keep a tight grip on little Sam's hand. As they were drawing close to the city gate Tess noticed a group of men that was staring at them with open hostility. As they walked past she heard a few snippets of their conversation and it didn't put her mind to rest. She caught phrases like. The maesters little bastard, and the Hound's bitch. She pushed Gilly and little Sam more quickly towards the gate. Once they were inside she immediately cut down one of the side streets and then another coming out in the middle of one of the more crowded thoroughfares. It was no good, they were much too far from the inn to make a run for it, even if they didn't have little Sam, and there were no Gold Cloaks in sight. If she tried to make a stand here it could become a riot, which was probably what the men were counting on.