Oathkeeper

Chapter 35: The Queen's Speech

Just a few weeks back, the wondrous woods of Winterfell radiated a vibrant green. Now the leaves of twenty foot trees have changed to something with a bigger variation of color. The foliage of the trees painted the forest with streaks of sunkist orange, blood red, and lemon cake yellow. A time that almost everyone in Winterfell loved, almost as much as they loved the look of the cold dead forest in the winter. They found themselves fascinated with the color, never once questioning how something on the drink of death could be so beautiful.

The Queen and her army confirmed that the sixteen skinned bodies Podrick found in the forest a few weeks ago were in fact the women missing from the Dreadfort. She sent her army out looking for any trace of the man, they searched for almost two weeks and found nothing, not a single blade of grass out of place. The way the man toyed with her and her realm was infuriating. It forced Sansa into a corner, now having to inform the castle of threat upon them. In fear of losing any more northerners, she invited all of Winterfell inside the inner castle walls for a meeting. Half of her still stood on the other side of the fence, pondering if informing the people would serve a purpose beyond panic.

Safety protocols and Hawks weren't the only thing on Sansa's agenda. She'd finally confided in Maester Horden about her secret. To her surprise, the man didn't react negatively, nor did he ask any questions. He did make sure he expressed his displeasure with the Queen for hiding her condition. Based on the timeline of the events Sansa had relayed to him, he predicted that Sansa would be heading into labor shortly after her wedding. No highborn in the history of Westeros had a public wedding while being visibly pregnant. As the day slowly crept forward she tried to focus less on the different sorts of stories and slander people would whisper behind her back.

The people of Winterfell flooded just outside the castle piling up on one another as they waited to hear from the Queen. Excited at the opportunity to finally see the Queen up and personal, a few members in the crowd began to shout for her. Even the young children of Winterfell adored Sansa and so did most of their parents. The knights of Winterfell lined up along the ground floor making sure no one attempted to climb up the stairs and overstep their relationship with the Queen. She decided she would remain on the balcony, that way she could see everyone and address with them the respect she felt they deserved.

Lady Sansa stood in front of the door that led to the balcony of the castle where she would soon give her speech. Her hands wrapped hands around her belly through the loads of extra fabric put into the dress in attempts to hide her bump. Her chest rose as her lungs filled with air. Counting backwards, she sits for five seconds before exhaling slowly. The words she spent writing down all night ran through her mind once more. Lena grabbed a small stool, using it in compensation for her inferior height as she placed the crown on Sansa's head. The handmaiden made sure it was perfectly centered against her fiery red hair before stepping back to give the Queen space.

The Queen grasped onto the cold doorknob twisting and pulling it towards her. A gust of cool fall air slipped through the doorway blowing Sansa's hair and dress back in a way that enhanced her elegance. She stepped forward now resting a hand on the railing. A growing roar filled the air as the people jumped up and down. Some clapped, some whistled, others thrusted their arms into the air. They ambushed her with compliments on her appearance and wardrobe. She smiled widely, waving out to her beloved children. She waited for their shouts to settle before finally speaking to the people.

"Good Evening, Winterfell. I feel a great pleasure in speaking to you all here today. I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely ever changing colors of the forest. Please be sure to prepare yourself and your homes for Winter, as it is just around the corner" Sansa paused.

Sansa's palms began to sweat leaving a clammy damp residue on the surface. Although the weather was chilly , Sansa couldn't help but feel hot. Her face was heating up like it did when she leaned over the firepit in her chambers. The girl just knew her pale complexion was now flushed. She practiced her breathing like she had been doing for months before continuing to speak.