Oathkeeper

Chapter 71: Allies Everywhere

Queen Sansa stood tall and uneasy in front of the stoned version of her father. The crypts were quiet, leaving for the small chatter of the scurrying mice, and the subtle crackle of the flame torches to fill the space. She looked up at the man's powerful stance, his blank expression, and the stoned version of 'Ice' with somewhat absent eyes. When Ned was killed, the whereabouts of his sword was the last thing on her mind. But knowing that her wife carried a reforged version of her family history brought an unexpected level of peace that cleansed some of her grief.

She admired how the newer version of Neds tomb held a greater resemblance than the last. Her and Arya complained about it every time they went down to visit him. He had a face she wanted to remember, one she wanted her children to remember and even her children's children.

A decent portion of the crypt was ruined when the Night King resurrected their ancestors. Skeletons with the surname Stark came bursting from the stone like a geyser, ruining almost one of the carefully crafted creations of her ancestors. When it came time to restore it, they struggled to decipher whose remains belonged where. She was sure many people were misplaced, but they did their best. There wasn't much anyone could do beyond that.

When it came time for the sculptor to recreate Ned's tomb, Sansa practically stood over the man's shoulder during the entire process. When he made her fathers his nose too long, she corrected it. And when his eyebrows drew too close together, she informed him of that too. It had to be perfect. Because Ned Stark deserved nothing less.

She didn't particularly enjoy coming back to the crypts. It made her feel incredibly off-balanced. Like a scale with bricks on one end and feathers on the other. She carried the absolute horror of fleeing from the crypts with her everyday. Most days it was subconscious, but sometimes she dreamt of it. The chattering bones, the immense amount of heat she'd felt coursing through her body, the terrified wailing of innocent children, the way she looked to Tyrion regretting that he'd be the last thing she saw. She recalled every single moment of it in full detail.

Once the chaos settled, and they all gathered the next morning to burn their fallen brothers and sisters, she recalled thinking about the fortune of never receiving her mother and brothers bodies after they were murdered at the Red Wedding. The idea of them rising again, only to slay their own people made her stomach like a pretty bow. Frilly and perfectly knotted in the center. But the thought of them being dumped in rivers or mass graves hurt just as much.

Sansa had been plagued with the thought of death recently. She thought about the death of her parents and her brothers of course, but she also remembered the death of everyone else involved. Those who died when her father was attacked in King's Landing, those who fought with Robb and remained at his side when he died too. She thought of those who died in honor of House Stark when it was taken, and those who died trying to get it back. She remembered those who died protecting Westeros from whatever rested beyond the wall, and now she thought of those who would give their life to see her bloodline remain on the throne.

Sansa announced that her reign would be one of peace and prosperity sixteen years ago. She stressed an understanding of its importance, seeing as to how they'd faced several gruesome years of fighting prior to. And yet the temper of turmoil and motherhood left her here, standing in the crypts alone, struggling to contain the Greyjoys as she avoided another meeting for battle-plans with her small council.

Grand Maester Horden sent a raven informing the Greyjoys about the Manderly's holding Yara at the Harbor the moment the Queens left Rickons side. A raven practically arrived the very next day, stating that the Greyjoys were preparing men and their ships to sail upon White Harbor to get their Lady back. With or without Sansa's permission.

She never would've predicted her alliance with Pyke would've come with such difficulties. Then again, she never thought to plan ahead for something like this at all. They were under the jurisdiction of her brother, King Brandon, and although they were allies, Sansa did not have the power to convince them to remain on the isle until they could devise a less violent way of extracting Yara. Which of course, advanced things quicker than she hoped for.