Oathkeeper

Chapter 30: New Arrival

Brienne finished shoving the last piece of bread in her mouth before running down to the shops. After hearing that the Queen had taken an interest in sword wielding she immediately had something made for the girl. Brienne didn't feel the need to wear her armor out today, something about it made her feel safe and secure. But the idea of Winterfell being her home was oddly starting to feel safe enough, maybe even safer than her armor. Her feet danced through the crowd of people out enjoying the wonderful weather and music. She felt extremely light today, maybe it was because she was doing something she loves with the woman she loved. Brienne arrived at the table looking for the older man she met with about a week ago.

"You're right on time" He poked his head out from around the back of his stall.

"Of course I am. A Queen shouldn't have to wait" Brienne laughed dryly.

His thin grey hair was brushed down in front of his forehead covering the wrinkles revealing his true age. Light dripples of sweat dripped down his forehead and off the end of his thin pointy nose. As he reached his hands out to pull back the cover placed over the sword Brienne noticed how worn his hands were. The black grease that sat in between the grooves of his finger print and under his nails told Brienne that he had truly put a great effort into the girl's sword. She figured she would pay the man extra for his time.

 He pulled back the white sheet revealing the bright shiny polished sword. The blade wasn't as thick or as long as Brienne's but that was because Sansa was just learning how to fight. She knew the girl was going to have to get used to the weight of the sword, and a fully fledged one would be too much right now. Regardless, she was the Queen and everything the girl owned was meant to be marvelous. The red crowned wolf that sat as the pommel was more detailed than the others, and a little bit bigger. The crown was just as thin and finely printed as the one that sat on Sansa's head.

"This is amazing. Your craftsmanship is stellar. The Queen truly appreciates your time" Brienne exchanged the money for the sword.

"Please let her know how grateful I am to be chosen by her Grace. Seven blessings to you, Lord Commander. He bowed.

"Seven blessings to ya" Brienne took the sword.

She made her way back through the crowd, up the flowery field, and back behind the castle walls. While Brienne walked to the back end of the castle she spotted her little sister and one of her best friends frolicking through the halls. They tensed up at the sight of Brienne, clearly still at odds about their decision to be together. Brienne had been pushing out the last conversation they had. She felt guilty about the way she spoke to Ilizabeth, she knew that Podrick was a good man and would be nothing but kind to her. But she couldn't help but feel the need to protect her. Ilizabeths presence in Winterfell alone worried Brienne everyday. Although there are new Queens and Kings of Westeros, the attitude doesn't change overnight and being an unmarried highborn woman living away from her father had its own set of dangers. Regardless, Brienne didn't want to think about that, she diverted her minds attention back to meeting with Sansa.

Sansa sat in the black and grey outfit she made for herself. She felt weird wearing pants underneath her dress, but at least it was something she felt pretty in. Her hair was braided backwards along the sides mixed in with the loose hair all pulled into a ponytail. She fiddled with her fingertips waiting for her lover to arrive when her stomach started to turn. This was the second time Sansa had felt this strange nauseous feeling in her stomach. She decided she was done eating anything before bed because this feeling was really unsettling. The girl moved to her feet clenching her stomach trying her best not to puke out in public.

"Sansa, you alright?" Brienne asked, appearing from thin air.

"Yes, yes. I'm rather excited about this" Sansa turned, putting on a smile.