Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
*****
Sansa Stark was glad, and apprehensive, to be home. Not as much as the first time she returned to Winterfell. That, of course, had been a nightmare. Now the Stark banners were back where they should be, and she was warmly greeted by her people, as she went back into the capital of the North. Maybe best of all, there was her little sister Arya waiting for her, barely able to keep a smile from her face.
Forsaking decorum, Sansa quickly dismounted, walked over to one of the only family members she had left, and pulled her into a tight hug. Arya half-heartedly tried to stop this, before allowing herself to just melt into it, the two sisters sharing a tender moment, initially without speaking a word.
"I have missed you, sister." Sansa confessed.
"Me too." Arya said softly, before asking, "So, are we at war?"
"No." Sansa said, quickly and firmly, pulling back and then blushing slightly as she added, "I, I told you that I would deal with it."
"Uh-huh." Arya hummed in disbelief, studying her sister's face carefully, before grumbling, "You should just let me kill her. Less risk, that way. And hey, there's still time."
"You mustn't joke about that." Sansa said firmly, pointing out, "You don't know who could be listening."
"Please, everyone here is loyal." Arya scoffed.
"Perhaps." Sansa said softly, before insisting, "But I don't want you to talk about our Queen that way."
"Our Queen?" Arya frowned, "I thought you were going to free us."
"I..." Sansa began, before adding nervously, "I'll explain later."
"I'd rather you explained now." Arya grumbled.
"Arya, please...." Sansa whined, "It's been a long journey. Can't I rest first?"
"I suppose." Arya grumbled, before smirking, as she noticed her sister continue to look around, "If you're looking for your wife, I think she's in your bedroom."
"She's not my..." Sansa blushed, before trailing off, and just leaving.
That had become a running 'joke' between them, which only Arya found funny. Originally Sansa thought that just was another way to annoy her, like when they were children. Or at least, she had tried to convince herself that. Deep down, she'd always suspected there might be some truth to it, and ever since being seduced by Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa had begun re-evaluating pretty much her entire life at this point.
She found herself doing that again as she slowly ascended the stairs, and made her way to her bedroom. When she got there she needed a moment to gather her strength, then with a deep breath, she opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of a familiar face. Namely Margaery Tyrell, looking every bit as beautiful as the day they met.
"Sansa." Margaery beamed as she stood up and quickly close the distance between them, "I am so glad you're back. You have been in my prayers every day since you left. And I'm not just saying that. I, I, would have in the past to manipulate my host, but with you, I mean it. I swear. I... I always have, and I always will. I..."
"Why did you not greet me in the courtyard?" Sansa frowned, studying the face of her old friend carefully.
"I..." Margaery began, before gulping, and then forcing a smile, "There... there was an urgent matter I wanted to speak to you about. Alone. And, and I wasn't sure I could trust myself if we were in public."
"Why?" Sansa questioned, trying not to get her hopes up.
Taking a calming breath, Margaery tried to explain, "I, I haven't always been honest with you, Sansa. I always liked you, right from the beginning, but... I was using you. My grandmother wanted to know the truth about Joffrey. I wanted to know the truth. We pushed you into revealing it, even though it put you in danger. And then? We entrusted your life to Little-finger. It was necessary to get you out of Kings Landing, but then we should have sent men to take you anywhere you wanted. But we didn't. We Tyrells disregard people when they're no longer useful, not caring what happened to them. And I could tell you I didn't know anything about it, but that would be a lie. And at the very least, I should have sent people after you to help, but I didn't. I was too worried about myself."
"What you, and your grandmother, did was save me from a tyrant, intent on torturing me." Sansa said firmly, before closing the distance between them, taking Margaery's hands in hers and adding softly, "What happened after that, wasn't your fault. None of it was. You did what you could do, and I was very grateful for that. And I always will be."
"You shouldn't." Margaery said bitterly.
"I am." Sansa said firmly, before questioning, "But, why tell me this now?"
"I..." Margaery began, before cautiously confessing, "I, I don't deserve you. You, or your family. It was your brother's magic which saved me, and Loras, and guided us here, where you were kind enough to give us food and shelter. You and yours went out of your way for us, when we didn't do the same for you. Not on the same level. But we will. I will. I promise you, I will find a way to repay you.
"That's not necessary..." Sansa tried to insist, only to be cut off.
"It is!" Margaery insisted, "But I don't want you to get the wrong idea, and think what I say next is out of gratitude, or a desire to manipulate you. Which I realize sounds like manipulation, ironically. I just..."
There was a brief silence, and then Sansa gently pushed, "You just, what?"
Margaery bit her lip, then gently stroked the hands, which were still in hers, and then looked down while mumbling, "Do you remember how I told you that some pretty girls like pretty girls?"
"Yes?" Sansa said softly.
"Well I..." Margaery began, before quickly adding, "I have spent my entire life seducing those in power, to try and better my position, and the position of my family within society. But this isn't that, because I know I don't have to do that with you. And your kind and just, and would offer me your help regardless. So it's important for you to know, I don't want anything from you. At least, nothing that you're not already offering freely. I just... I'm just so tired of going after power. I've done that my whole life, and it nearly got me killed. And three times a widow. If, if I were ever to, be interested in someone else I wouldn't want it to be for power. I would want to choose for love. To choose someone I actually loved."
"I feel the same way." Sansa confessed softly, moving forwards to show her approval of where she hoped this was going.
"Which is why I've wanted to tell you this before, back during the first time we were reunited. Before then, even. But it was just so hard, you know? Finding the right time, and Gods help me, finding the right words." Margaery confessed softly, forcing herself to look into Sansa's eyes as she continued, "I wanted to tell you before you left. I tried, but... I couldn't. I got close, but I embarrassed myself, and this entire time you were gone, I feared that was it. My only chanced to tell you how I truly felt. That I would lose someone so precious to me, again, because I was cowardly. Because I chose the easy path. Again. I, I just did what was expected of me, when I should have just told you."
"Told me want?" Sansa pushed.