WILOW-Ch.394: A Clumsy Attempt and A Bizarre Request
Domeric's Rescue Unit Camp
POV of Domeric Bolton
Domeric remembered the time all those months ago when he met her in Winterfell.
That was the first time he'd seen Sansa take off her mask, and he realized she wasn't as naive as he'd thought.
Clearly, his aunt had done an excellent job of educating Sansa.
The Sansa of that time had stopped being a girl who saw life through rose-tinted glasses and believed in fairy tales.
Instead, she had come to understand that things in life aren't always what they seem, and she had even created a mask for herself to adapt to this understanding.
But the girl was still very innocent back then.
Because even though Aunt Barbrey had given Sansa some guidance, some things in life could only be learned through experience.
And even though she hadn't personally experienced it, watching the mannequin's memories made her feel as if she had personally lived through what happened in King's Landing.
She might not have suffered a physical wound from this experience, but it was an undeniable fact that she had suffered a mental wound.
So, she was different now. More wary of the people around her with a more realistic view of the world.
And Domeric could now see the hunger for power in her eyes.
A hunger for power that would prevent her from falling into weakness again.
Still, the fact that she loved him hasn't changed.
And at Winterfell, by accepting her request and saving her from going to King's Landing, he had most likely strengthened Sansa's feelings for him.
Even if not initially, watching the mannequin's memories and seeing what would happen to her over time would certainly have caused this.
And he didn't think Sansa would easily give up on these feelings she felt so deeply and forget about him so quickly.
Merlin, she had not started her seduction attempt, and he was already feeling tired.
Sansa bit her lip as she looked everywhere in the tent except at him.
Finally, she visibly gathered her resolve, walked up to him, and sat beside him.
She gently put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with half-lidded eyes, which did not look as sexy as she thought they did, but the view of her cleavage still had the unintended result of making his dick twitch inside his breeches.
"I… wanted to check up on you." She said softly.
She was terrible at this whole seduction thing, but gods, she was trying very hard. And a degenerate part of him wanted to reward her for this.
But he would never betray Ygritte. Never!
Her hands reached across his shoulders, and she started massaging him. "You have done so much in this war. You must be tired."
It was clearly an excuse. But the worst part was that her massage loosened him up a little.
Riding a horse day and night could be tiring both on his back and shoulders.
He sighed, took her arms, and stopped her from trying anything more.
"Sansa…" he said in the resulting silence, "…I love another girl. And I'm not going to betray her."
Sansa bit her lip, and some of her frustration shone through her eyes even as she tried to bury it. "That obvious, huh?"
"You came to me at night, wearing only a cloak over your body… It is a bit obvious." He said.
"You destroyed two Lannister armies. Took Casterly Rock. And rescued me." She said, "Are you still saying that you feel nothing for me?"
He pursed his lips. "I did those things so that I could end this war as early as possible." He said, "The Long Night is coming, and the North needs as much time as possible to prepare. That is all there is to it. Moreover, you forget that you're safe in Dreadfort the entire time."
"I know... I know that, but..." she said. Then… She sighed deeply. "I expected it to end like this, but you can't blame a girl for hoping."
Sansa's facial expression had changed entirely, and Domeric recognized that face and that tone of voice very well. This was Sansa without her mask.
And even though Domeric had seen and experienced this before, his hair stood on end again. Sansa had a terrifying ability to switch from one emotion to another.
"So, you came here knowing it wouldn't work?" he couldn't help but ask.
"I can't say I knew for sure. I had a little hope. What girl in love wouldn't have that? But from what I know of you, I suspected you wouldn't reciprocate." She said.
"Oh... I'm sorry about that. But if that's the answer you were expecting, you couldn't have come here just for that." He said. "Maybe if it were the old, naive Sansa, I might have considered it, but I don't think the Sansa I'm dealing with would take such a risk that would put himself in such a vulnerable position."
"Yes... If you reciprocated my feelings, that would be the best-case scenario, but... My other reason is that there's something I want to talk to you about." She said.
Domeric got out of bed, walked to the chair next to his desk, turned it towards Sansa, sat down, and said, "Go on. I'm listening."
"Before you brought me here from Dreadfort, you told me that you are not kicking me out of Dreadfort and that I could return with my true identity." Looking into his eyes, she said.
"Yes, I said that."
"I want to know if this is true. Will you really accept me into Dreadfort?" Sansa asked, but Domeric could sense the fearful anticipation beneath her determined expression.
"If you interpret being accepted as meaning becoming my wife or lover, then no. But for every other reason, like education, vacation, visiting, the doors of Dreadfort are wide open to you. You can come and stay as long as you like." He said.
"I see…" that's what she said, but Domeric sensed a mixture of disappointment and relief in her tone.
Then she added. "But I don't think my family will easily allow that."
"Then that will be the first obstacle you'll have to overcome in achieving your wish. If you want me to use my influence over your father as Emperor, I'm sorry, but that's not possible. Such a demand would give rise to much gossip."
Domeric anticipated what she was going to ask for even before she said it, and immediately refused.
One of the things Sansa needed to learn now was how to pursue her own goals independently.
There was nothing wrong with seeking help, but expecting others to solve all her problems would only make her dependent on them.
As Sansa was lost in thought, Domeric added to what he had just said. "Also, I don't think this obstacle will be much of a problem for you. The Sansa I know is someone who can easily overcome such an obstacle."
This brought a smile to Sansa's face. And then she said, "Then I will have another request."
"What is your request?" he asked.
It seemed Sansa had prepared and planned for more than one answer before coming here.
"The wounds and scars Mannequin had when she left the King's Landing, can you apply them to my body?" she asked.
"What?" Domeric asked in surprise.
Many possibilities had crossed his mind regarding what Sansa's request would be, but he certainly hadn't imagined she would ask for her own body to be abused.
"If possible, I'd like you to magically create those wounds on my body in a way that's as painless and scarless as possible. But if that's not possible, I'm willing to carve those wounds back onto my body physically. Besides, that would make our situation more realistic, wouldn't it?" she said.
"I don't think you requested this to make our situation more realistic. What's the real reason?" he asked solemnly.
When Domeric returned Sansa to her family, he was considering saying he had healed her wounds himself. After healing Hoster Tully, many people now believed he had healing powers anyway.
But to inflict those wounds on Sansa... no matter how he looked at it, it was unnecessary for him.
After a moment of silence, with her head bowed, Sansa spoke softly, "Father broke off our betrothal without even asking my opinion and betrothed me to that sadistic, crazy prince. And Mother left me behind when she fled King's Landing. I don't care what their reasons are. I want them to regret what they did truly."
After a moment of silence, Domeric broke the silence and said, "So, revenge and a guild trip, huh? You're trying to make them feel guilty about what happened to you, hoping they'll be more lenient towards you. That way, it will be easier for you to get to Dreadfort."
"Sansa lifted her head, but instead of a sad expression, there was a mischievous smile on her face. And she said, "Two birds with one stone. Lady Barbrey said you particularly like that. Besides, I think the punishment I'm giving them for their actions is quite merciful."
"I see... Yes, I really like that." He said.
Then he added. "Sansa, I can help you with this. I can create those wounds on your body magically. And while doing so, I can ensure they don't cause you permanent harm and heal without leaving scars. But I must warn you, even though I'll numb these wounds as much as possible, you'll still feel some pain constantly because of them."
"Agreed. Can you do it right away?" she asked eagerly.
He let out a deep breath and conjured a tooth guard with his hand. "Put this in your mouth to protect your teeth. The first stage will be the most painful and will take some time."
Sansa resolutely took the tooth guard and placed it over her teeth.
Then Domeric began, one by one, to create the many wounds on Sansa's body, similar to those on the mannequin, using superficial human transfiguration.
Whip marks, bruises from beatings, scarred cuts—all began to appear on Sansa's body.
And even though Sansa writhed in pain and clutched the bedsheets, Domeric could see the determination in her face.
And this was the first time he had witnessed such resolve and determination in Sansa, and frankly, it changed his impression of her a lot.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.395: A Risky Gamble
Ch.396: Destroying Lannister Cavalry
Ch.397: Visiting and Resupplying