Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Sansa’s Decision
Jacob waved his hand, releasing the Vale knights from his telekinetic grip. "Don’t do anything stupid. I’m not your enemy. But I will kill you if you attack me. As for Sansa—you don’t need to worry about her. I mean her no harm."
The knights looked to their commander, who sighed heavily and said, "Stand down. For now."
Jacob turned to Sansa with a charming smile. "I’m Jacob of House Alexander, King of Serendell, Protector of Women. I am the knight in shining armor—yes, the very one the songs tell about, though I must say the bards failed to capture my handsome appearance properly." He struck a pose. "I mean, look at me. I’m so handsome that when I look into a mirror, my own reflection gets jealous."
Arya snorted.
Sansa’s eye twitched. "And what does a king of... Serendell... want with me, my lord?"
Jacob said, "I told you. I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife. And I promise you—I will keep you safe. I will make you strong enough to protect yourself. And I will help you get your revenge."
Sansa’s voice was guarded. "What do you really want from me? Is it my name? To conquer the North?"
Jacob shook his head. "No, no. I can conquer the North without you. What I really want is you. I don’t care about your name."
Sansa pressed. "Then how about you conquer the North first? Then I will marry you."
Jacob smiled. "No. Marriage first. As for conquering the North... wait until your other sisters get here."
Sansa frowned. "I only have one sister. And I don’t even know if she’s still alive." Her voice softened. "I hope she is. I really hope she’s found a safe place to live. Peacefully."
Arya looked at Sansa but didn’t speak.
Jacob chuckled. "Oh, no. I’m not talking about your sister. I’m talking about my other wives."
Sansa’s eyes widened. "You have other wives?"
Jacob nodded. "Yes. And I won’t lie to you—I will have more in the future. But don’t worry. I treat all my wives equally. I treat them like queens. And they won’t bully you or scheme against you. They will welcome you into the family with open arms." He smirked. "Actually, I’m more worried about myself."
Sansa’s voice was flat. "Having multiple wives is forbidden in Westeros."
Jacob shrugged. "Who cares about that? The strong make the rules. And I will change the rules of Westeros."
Sansa looked at him for a long moment. "And if I refuse to marry you?"
Jacob waved his hand. Sansa flew toward him with a startled scream. He caught her waist, held her close, and looked into her eyes. "Then maybe I will have to kidnap you, beautiful. But don’t worry—I will not force myself on you or abuse you. That’s not who I am. I will show you how good I am, how good life with me could be, and win your love."
Sansa didn’t resist. Her face was unreadable. "I don’t have a choice, do I?"
Jacob sighed. "Alright, fine. I will not force you. I can let you go free—but you’ll have to go back into hiding. Live in fear. Maybe someone else will sell you to the Boltons. Or the Lannisters." His voice softened. "With me, you don’t need to hide. You don’t need to live in fear. You don’t need to conceal your emotions. You can be yourself. You don’t need to scheme to survive or get what you want. You can just live happily and leave the rest to me. And if someone feels unpleasant to you, you just tell me, and I will kill them—but only people who truly deserve to die. I will not kill innocent people. And I can also make you strong. With powers like mine."
Sansa’s eyes narrowed. "You mean make me a sorcerer like you?"
Jacob shook his head. "No. I’m not a sorcerer. Where I’m from, there are wizards and witches—but I’m not one. These powers are mine. And there are many people who have powers like mine. Some can change into animals. Some can fly. Some can use fire and ice to attack. Some can control plants." He released her waist. "Tell me, Sansa—do you know about wargs?"
Sansa nodded slowly. "Yes. I’ve heard stories. People who can enter the minds of animals."
Jacob said, "Those are not stories. That’s a real ability. And all the Starks have it. You just haven’t awakened yours yet." He stepped back. "Anyway, my powers are like that—they’re mine. Sorcerers are just normal humans who usually borrow their powers from another creature. And in exchange, they have to sacrifice humans—or their own bodies—to that creature."
He spread his arms. "Now tell me your choice. Marry me, and I promise—as long as I’m alive—I will keep you safe and happy. Or turn around and leave with the Vale knights. I will not stop you."
Sansa hesitated, her eyes searching his face.
Arya, still wearing her mask, spoke. "You don’t have to worry that he will betray you. Unlike others, he really is just here for you. Not your name. Not the powerful houses that would ally with him if you married him. He doesn’t need that. He can defeat an army by himself."
Sansa turned to her. "And who are you? One of his wives?"
Arya shook her head. "No. I’m his Kingsguard." She looked at Jacob. "Can I take off my mask now?"
Jacob nodded. "Sure."
Arya removed her mask and smiled at Sansa. "Hello, sis."
Sansa’s hands flew to her mouth. "Ar... Arya?" Tears spilled down her cheeks. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her sister, sobbing, her body shaking.
Arya stiffened in surprise—then hugged Sansa back. Despite herself, tears began falling from her own eyes.
Jacob watched in silence. The Vale knights stared in shock, realizing that Arya Stark was still alive.
After a long moment, Sansa and Arya broke the hug. Sansa wiped her tears and smiled.
"I never thought I would see you alive," she said. "But then again—if anyone could survive, it would be you." She took Arya’s hand. "How have you been? Since the last time I saw you?"
Arya’s voice was quiet. "Not good. But it can’t be as bad as you."
Sansa smiled wistfully and said nothing.
Arya asked, "I heard you killed Joffrey. Did you?"
Sansa sighed. "I wish I had."
Arya’s expression darkened. "Me too. I was so angry when I heard someone else had done it. However long my list got, he was always first."
Sansa tilted her head. "Your list?"
Arya’s voice was cold. "Of people I’m going to kill."
Sansa laughed, thinking it was a joke.
Arya shrugged and laughed too.
When the laughter faded, Arya hugged Sansa again—this time, she was the one who initiated it.
Sansa hugged her back fiercely. "I missed you so much."
Arya’s voice was muffled against Sansa’s shoulder. "Me too."
They broke apart, and Sansa looked at Jacob. "Who is he? Is he really a king?"
Arya nodded. "He says he’s a king. And I believe him." She paused. "But to be honest, we’ve only known each other for five days. Still, I do trust him. He’s an idiot most of the time. He’s kind to me. He treats me like a sister—like Jon used to treat me, maybe even better." Her voice dropped. "But I’ve seen how cruel he can be to his enemies. We killed two hundred Bolton soldiers yesterday."
Sansa’s eyes went wide. "Two hundred men? Just the two of you?"
Arya said, "Yes. Well, we had three lizard-lions with us too. But make no mistake—Jacob could have killed those two hundred men alone in a single attack. That’s how strong he is."
Sansa stared at Jacob, wide-eyed. Jacob winked at her.
Arya continued. "You can trust him, Sansa. If he wanted to harm you or force you to marry him, he would have done it already. Even if the entire Vale army—with their heavy cavalry—had been with you, they couldn’t have stopped him."
Sansa was silent for a long moment. Then she said to Jacob. "What’s your goal? What are you planning to do with the North?"
Jacob said, "My only goal right now is to make you my wife. As for the North—I’m planning to take it over and turn it into my own kingdom. Later, I’ll probably take over all of Westeros. But I haven’t really decided yet."
Sansa looked back at her sister.
Arya nodded. "We’re Starks. We look after one another. Trust me, Sansa. Agree to marry him. It will be the best thing that’s ever happened to you."
Sansa turned back to Jacob. "You said that you will protect me. That you will give me a happy life. That you are the knight in shining armor." She began, her voice steady. "The songs always forget that knights in shining armor are still men. And men..." She swallowed. "Men lie."
Jacob did not interrupt.
Sansa continued. "Joffrey wore golden armor. He smiled at me, and he gave me roses. And then he had my father’s head cut off and made me look at it." Her voice did not break. "Littlefinger cloaks himself in kindness. He tells me he loves my mother. He tells me he wants to protect me. But he was going to give me to the Boltons." She moved closer—not timidly, but carefully, like a wolf testing a trap. "Everyone who has wanted to marry me has wanted to use me. For my name. For my claim to Winterfell."
She stopped a foot from him, her eyes holding his. "So when you say you want to marry me for no reason but me... I want to believe you. Part of me—the stupid little bird who used to live in my chest—she wants to sing again."
She drew a breath. "Arya trusts you. And I want to trust you too. So here is what I will say yes to. I will say yes if you swear that you will never raise a hand to me. Swear that you will never let your family—or anyone else—abuse me or humiliate me. Swear that you see me not as a princess, not as a pawn or a key to a castle, but just Sansa. Swear that if you ever grow tired of me, you will never give me to another man to be used. You will let me go free. Or at least have the dignity to end my life with your own hands."
She paused. "If you swear all of that... then yes, Jacob of House Alexander. Yes, I will marry you. And I will try my best to be a good wife to you. That’s the least I can do for saving me from a tragic life with the Boltons."
Jacob met her eyes. "I already promised you. But I’ll do it again." His voice was low, earnest. "I swear that I will never raise a hand to you. I swear that I will never let anyone abuse you or humiliate you. I swear that I only want you, Sansa. I don’t care about your last name or what it means. If I want the North, I will take it with my own strength."
He smirked and pulled her close, hugging her against him. "And I swear that I will never, ever grow tired of you. As for giving you to another man—that’s impossible. I will kill any man who even looks at you the wrong way, let alone give you away." His voice dropped. "When you know me better, you’ll understand that I’m a very possessive and jealous man. And you’ll laugh when you remember that you thought I might give you to another man."
Sansa did not resist his embrace. Her hands were shaking, but her voice was not. "Then I choose to trust you. And you will be the last man I ever trust." She held his gaze. "Please, do not make me regret it. Because I don’t think I can live anymore if I am betrayed again."
Jacob listened to her heart. He knew she was telling the truth. "Don’t worry. I will not make you regret being with me. From now on, I will make sure you live a good, happy life."
He kissed her forehead and hugged her tighter. "You’ve been through so much, haven’t you? I’d like to hear your story, if you don’t mind. I want to know the names of everyone who wronged you. I will make them beg you not for their lives, but for a merciful death." His voice softened. "And I want to learn about anyone who has been kind to you—so we can repay their kindness."
Sansa finally relaxed. She decided to trust him completely. She hugged him back and exhaled—a breath she felt she had been holding since King’s Landing.
Arya smiled. ’Good for her,’ she thought. ’I should listen to her story too. I resented her all these years. For her love of Joffrey. I hated her for standing with the Lannisters when they killed Father. I thought she had betrayed our family for her beloved prince.’ Her expression softened. ’But it seems I was wrong.’
Jacob broke the hug with Sansa and smiled. "Now, let’s play with Littlefinger. He’s coming back."
Sansa looked toward Moat Cailin and saw Littlefinger riding his horse fast toward them.
Arya walked to stand beside Jacob and smirked. "Looks like he met your three puppies."
Jacob laughed and focused on the system notification that had just appeared after Sansa agreed to marry him.
[Quest: Saving Sansa Stark from her tragic marriage to Ramsay Bolton – Successful.]
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To be continued... 😊
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35 Chapters ahead of webnovel
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