Jon Snow & Sansa Stark - Game of Thrones Fanfiction

The Queen and the Stable Boy

A million candles lighted the ballroom of Winterfell castle. People in colorful and expensive clothes gathered around the buffet table or waited for the orchestra to start playing so they could dance the night away.

Although all of them were wearing masks, as was required tonight, most of them hadn't tried to hide their identities well. They had their family shields embroidered on their jackets or they proudly wore golden necklaces with their house hold sigils.

Like always Jon felt out of place. Even though Winterfell was his home, he had never been one of them. He didn't have chests filled with gold to buy clothes he would only wear once. He didn't own a villa or an extra house somewhere in the south to hide away during the cold winters.

If she wouldn't have begged him to be here tonight, he wouldn't have come. He would have happily spend his night with the horses or in a tavern nearby with his friends, a few beers and jokes no lady would ever want to hear.

"You came." Her red hair was braided and her golden crown rested on her head. The beautiful white dress she was wearing accentuated all of her beautiful curves. And even if she had not been the Queen, he would have recognized her beautiful blue eyes everywhere. Especially now the glimmering white mask made them sparkle.

Jon bowed, as a man of his standing was supposed to do. "Did you really doubt I would?"

Sansa raised her eyebrows. "Honestly?" She smiled. "Yes, I did doubt it. I know that those royal balls and official gatherings are not your favorite pastime." There was a hint of sadness in her voice. "I hope that it helps that everyone is masked and that no one will know who you are tonight." She shamelessly stared him up and down.

He wore a simple black costume that had once belonged to his father. The costume had been torn and shredded a bit, but one of the kitchen maids had happily fixed it up for him. He hoped that she was safely hidden in the kitchen and wouldn't recognize him dancing with the Queen.

"You look even more handsome than usually tonight." Sansa eventually locked her glance with his again. "And we match even better than I had in mind when I gave you that black mask to wear."

He couldn't help but smiling back at her. "May I have this dance of you, Your Majesty?" He held out his hand and without a moment of hesitation Sansa placed her hand in his and allowed him to guide her to the dance floor.

"And now you are dancing too." The smile on her face grew brighter when he rested one hand on her back and used his other hand to held hers.

He wasn't very talented when it came to dancing. He knew the steps and he had just enough training to not step on anyone's toes, but that was about it.

But Sansa kept on smiling while they twirled around and around following the rhythm of the violin.

No matter where they moved everyone made room for them. And while Sansa seemed lost in her world of day dreams Jon heard the whispers and saw the frowns on the many faces following them eagerly.

"I need some fresh air." He cleared his throat and as smoothly as he was capable of he moved them towards the door leading to the garden.

Even though spring had arrived a couple of weeks ago the evening air was still quite cold and yet pearls of sweat covered his forehead.

"Jon..." Sansa stepped back. "I know that tonight is a night to celebrate, but I think we need to talk." She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her.

In silence they walked away from the palace bursting with life. When they were far enough away to know for sure that no one would be watching or hearing them Sansa sat down on a stone bench next to the pond.

He knew what she was going to say. He knew what she was going to ask. She had asked him that same question more often. And he wasn't sure if he could keep on avoiding answering her.

"You have to make a choice, Jon." Sansa folded her hands in her lap while he sat down next to her. Whenever she was in public she was fierce and strong and slightly distant. But when she was with him she was just a little girl longing for someone to understand her and hold her and protect her. "I can't keep on dancing with mysterious strangers for much longer. The council already thinks I'm stalling and..." She swallows. "If I don't marry within a month, they threaten to pick someone for me."

Jon's heart stopped beating. Even though he didn't see himself as a King, he couldn't stand the thought of Sansa marrying someone else. When he tried to envision another Prince touching her delicate and beautiful body a unwelcome rage came over him.

"You're afraid and I understand that, but I know you will be the best King Westeros has ever known." She bit her bottom lip. "And I want you as my husband. I want to share my throne with you. I want to see your pretty face in my bed every morning when I wake up. I want to share my breakfasts and lunches and dinners with you and..." She paused. "I want you to be the father of my children and the future ruler of this kingdom."

"If only you weren't a Queen..." Jon murmured. "I would have married you years ago already. We would have lived in a small cottage. You would play with our kids and I would earn just enough money to get whatever we needed."

Sansa smiled and she let her head rest on his shoulder. She was taller than him and yet she always gave him the feeling he was the one protecting and holding her. "I don't want to marry anyone else, Jon."

"I don't want you to marry anyone else either." Jon sighed. "But I'm only a simple stable boy. Your council will never accept me as your King."

"Of course they will! You are everything a King should be! They can scout and search the entire world and they will never find anyone as perfect for this job as you. I am sure they will see quite soon what an amazing person you are."

Jon sighed. "I will be the first commoner ever to get on the throne."

"I think it is good for Winterfell to have someone on the throne who knows what real life looks like. Who's not blinded by gold and riches. You can give all those people who have never felt heard a voice."

"As if the council will let me." Jon bent his head.

"Jon..." Sansa stood up and then she pulled up her dress so she could kneel down in front of him. "I know it will be far from easy and I know that people will try to undermine you and therefore me. But I know that my world is better with you in it. My days are brighter and my nights are warmer with you by my side." She shook her head. "Every time I try to envision a future without you, I start crying." She reached for his hands and held them firmly between her own. "Please, Jon, please marry me and be my King. Please, make me the first Queen who marries the man she loves."

A tear rolled down Jon's cheek. If he would say no it would all be over. Every moment they had shared, every night they had spent together, every day they had succeeded to sneak away without any of the soldiers following them. It would be nothing but a memory, fading over time.

"How can I ever say no to you, Sansa?" Jon freed his hands and pressed his palms to her cheeks. Her skin felt so soft compared to his roughness and yet she grabbed his wrist to ensure he wouldn't pull away. "Good, I will be your King."

"Not just my King..." Sansa whispered. "My husband. My love. My everything."

He nodded and then he leaned forward so their lips could touch. Even though they had kissed countless of times before this kiss felt different. The way Sansa's tongue touched his was different. The way she pressed her forehead to his felt different. The way she held onto him, almost afraid that he would walk away, was different.

"Give me one more night." Jon pulled back. "One more night of just being a mysterious stranger." He helped Sansa to stand up again. "Tomorrow morning you can tell your council that I will be your King, but not tonight. Not yet." He stood up from the bench too.

"In a way I will miss it." Sansa smiled while they slowly made their way back to the palace and back to the ball. "There was something exciting about sneaking around and trying to hide." She firmly grabbed his arm. "But I can't wait to let the world know that I found the most amazing man and that he loves me as much as I love him."

And even though he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow he felt a warmth spreading through his entire body.