"You know the Northmen better than I do. Which of them will take the most convincing to support this cause?" He won't ask which be the easiest. He suspects that none of it will be easy, especially with a new King in the North.
Sansa considers his question, going through the list of families that she knows and everything she has learned about them. She gives him a small list then, naming each one in order and giving a small reason why he might have trouble convincing them. It probably isn't something that she should share with him considering she is the sister of the King in the North but it isn't information that he can't find out on his own.
"Those would be the most difficult ones." She finishes, chewing lightly at her bottom lip.
He wouldn't ask her to swear off her loyalty to her brother, and he doesn't expect at this point that she would, but this turned out to be a pretty good test of that loyalty anyway.
"I'll start with those then." Once he's sure of his authority in the Vale.
Studying him, she wonders what he really thinks about the fact that she came with him on this trip but she doesn't ask.
She merely nods. "It will take time but I'm sure that you will figure out a way to bring them to your side. Especially since so many of them hate the South and the Lannisters."
The fact that Cersei Lannister now sits on the throne is something that he could use to his advantage when gathering allies. So too could a few well-placed comments about the harm that he himself had brought to the Lannisters, but since this information could also be used against him, it's something that he'll never mention again. It's far safer for him if everyone blames the wrong person (and motivation, for that matter) for Joffrey's death.
"I don't think I've met a single person yet who truly likes the Lannisters."
Truly, his secret was safe with her. She knows that he probably had a million reasons to kill Joffrey and throw everything into chaos but she likes to think that he did it for her. That he did it for her mother. Everything else really didn't matter so much but she knows to keep that secret to herself. Especially since he is one of her allies and one that she wants to keep close even though she hasn't decided what to do with him yet.
"The Lannisters don't care about being liked. Cersei certainly doesn't and Joffrey didn't." She tucks some hair back from her face before sighing. "I overheard some of the men talking about how Cersei has declared war on the Tyrells and on Dorne. She won't forget us, though."
"It won't be just the Vale who needs allies then." He's sure that as distasteful as Jon will certainly find it for them to continue working together, he'll realize that an alliance between the North and the Vale can be mutually beneficial to both of them.
"Cersei is clearly no longer thinking clearly. She can't really believe that she can beat everyone, can she?" She murmurs, shaking her head slowly as she thinks of the woman. It doesn't really matter if Cersei believes she can beat everyone, though. It's clear that she doesn't care and that makes her more dangerous than before.
"Let me say one thing." She suddenly states, looking at him. "Do not plan to marry me off again. I won't do it this time."
Yes, she knows that he said something about her being at his side but she also hadn't thought he would arrange a marriage for her to someone like Ramsay.
"I have no doubt that she believes that she can beat everyone." He hasn't spent as much time on the Small Council as he did not to have learned a few things about the royal family. The fact that Cersei is the only one of them left now doesn't make a difference. She'll still do whatever it takes to get what she wants.
"That's your brother's concern now, is it not?" He suspects that Jon would get a similar answer from her if he brought it up, but that's Jon's problem now.
"Jon would never ask me to get married." Sansa says with conviction, shaking her head again. "If I ever decide to get married again, I will be choosing my husband."
"That will make you just about the only woman in the kingdom ever to have done so." Not that he doubts that it will happen that way. Someone has to be the first at everything.
"That's if I ever choose to marry again." She tells him, lifting her chin slightly as she fixes him with a steady look again. "Most men might avoid the idea considering what keeps happening to my husbands."
"They have suffered some unfortunate luck." Not that anyone's likely to complain about what happened to Ramsay Bolton. "Was he very disappointed in your decision?"
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Date: 2016-12-08 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-09 01:03 am (UTC)"Those would be the most difficult ones." She finishes, chewing lightly at her bottom lip.
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Date: 2016-12-09 01:59 am (UTC)"I'll start with those then." Once he's sure of his authority in the Vale.
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Date: 2016-12-10 05:33 am (UTC)She merely nods. "It will take time but I'm sure that you will figure out a way to bring them to your side. Especially since so many of them hate the South and the Lannisters."
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Date: 2016-12-11 01:21 am (UTC)"I don't think I've met a single person yet who truly likes the Lannisters."
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Date: 2016-12-14 02:29 am (UTC)"The Lannisters don't care about being liked. Cersei certainly doesn't and Joffrey didn't." She tucks some hair back from her face before sighing. "I overheard some of the men talking about how Cersei has declared war on the Tyrells and on Dorne. She won't forget us, though."
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Date: 2016-12-14 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-15 10:40 pm (UTC)"Let me say one thing." She suddenly states, looking at him. "Do not plan to marry me off again. I won't do it this time."
Yes, she knows that he said something about her being at his side but she also hadn't thought he would arrange a marriage for her to someone like Ramsay.
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Date: 2016-12-16 03:35 am (UTC)"That's your brother's concern now, is it not?" He suspects that Jon would get a similar answer from her if he brought it up, but that's Jon's problem now.
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Date: 2016-12-16 04:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-17 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-28 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-03 02:09 am (UTC)