Excerpt of "The Chronicles of the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch", by Maester Clydas. 294 AL. Castle Black

EPILOGUE III

All of you may have heard the legendary song, The Wolf Lady, popular throughout the Seven Kingdoms. I first heard it from the lips of a bard that the Wolf Lady herself sent to the Wall for our entertainment. To this day I remember our enjoyment of his music, and how we didn't allow the poor man to leave the Main Hall until his fingers ached from playing the strings of his lute. Ah, it was a truly great day!

Sansa Stark is now part of history, legends and songs, but I was lucky to befriend her and I can certainly affirm that the stories you have heard don't do her justice. She was an exceptional woman: beautiful, smart and brave; with a gift for diplomacy and an innate kindness toward people. She gathered around her a broken North and included the Free People as her most powerful allies. She faced threats from the Iron Throne and made treaty with the Targaryen Queen when she invaded from Essos with her dragons and her army. Lady Stark ruled over a prosperous and reborn Winterfell, all the while never ceasing to help the smallfolk that lived on her lands.

As she promised, she didn't forget about the men of the Night's Watch either. Lady Stark kept a fluent correspondence with the Lord Commander for many years, and among the many ravens they crossed, she sent word for us as well. I used to read Lady Stark's letters to my brothers after dinner, and the men often left me flustered as they excitedly spoke at the same time about what to include in my reply. I don't believe the black brothers had received that level of concern or respect from any other important person in Westeros before.

She never forgot the Night's Watch indeed. She was the first one to ride to the Wall with her army of northerners and Free People when the white walkers came and Lord Snow called the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms for help - Sandor Clegane and Tormund the Giantsbane by her side. What happened after is history, and you can read of it in many other chronicles of the time.

What you may not be able to read elsewhere is the story of how she came to be married to Sandor Clegane. Her decision had a huge impact on the North, and is still a subject of conversation to this day. Why would such a powerful woman marry her master at arms? Well, if they had been present at the ceremony, as I was, they definitely would have known. A year after the battle of Winterfell, Lady Stark invited us to visit the Castle. It was a huge honor to accompany the Lord Commander to his former home, and an event none of us would ever forget. Grenn, Satin, Pyp, Hobb and I were dazzled by her hospitality and the days we spent there will remain forever in our hearts.

The simple ceremony took place in the Godswood at Winterfell. Clegane put his cloak over Lady Sansa's shoulders, they kissed, we cheered them and celebrated with a nice meal. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen; glowing in the sunset light of the evening. The groom looked as ferocious and scary as always, even in his new clothes. However there was something in the way he looked at his new wife that silently told us every single reason why she chose him above any other man in the Seven Kingdoms. There weren't many guests at the ceremony, and I assure you that we couldn't be any more diverse; lords, Free People, highborn and lowborn alike, black brothers; all of us from very different backgrounds. But on that day we all shared their joy equally and I guess we all were happy, at least for a day.

Now I'm old, and I have forgotten many things. However, I can still remember many others clearly. I remember Lady Stark and Sandor Clegane when they were at Castle Black, her songs and her letters, how he trained with Grenn and the men in the yard, and the sword Clegane later sent to Grenn that he never let go. I remember the Lord Commander smiling when he walked with her, and her shipments of food and fruits and the little gifts for us that she slipped among the goods. I remember each one of the mornings she spent with me at the rockery, waiting for news of the men who had left to fight for her at the Battle of Winterfell. And, above all, I still remember the way they looked at each other in the Godswood, and I know.

People may not believe it, but there are some people that, when together, touch something deep within the other that leave them forever changed. When Sansa Stark and Sandor Clegane met again years after the Battle of Blackwater, an overwhelming spark ignited between them, against which both were unable to fight. That unacknowledged spark led her from the Vale to the Wall and, in the end, helped her to achieve all those victories carefully recorded now in history books. However, I that considered myself her friend, I would say without any doubt that her biggest victory was to spend the rest of her life with a person who truly loved her, and whom she truly loved.

Tell me now, how many people in the Realm could say the same?

THE END

Author's notes:

So this is the end of this long journey from the Quiet Isle to Winterfell. It's been a pleasure and also a huge challenge to write this story, and now that I've finished it, I can say that it has only given me good things. This fic is my babe, a story I'd like to read. I've cried, laughed and even struggled with it, I've poured on it all my headcanons about SanSan and their endgame and I've fought to finish it. And this is finally the result of all my work.

Thank you, my lovely readers, for following me during this time, for taking your time to read, comment, leave kudos and even messages on my tumblr; for cheering me up with your comments on my bad days and for always been so respectful and kind.

Special thanks to my wonderful betas, Kelly and LadyCyprus, for helping me so much and for making something readable of this text, for your support, friendship and talent. Beta editing a fic is a work of love for the story and the writer and I could never thank you enough for it.

And thanks to my tumblr Sansan friends for their friendship during this process and for their warm welcoming into this fandom. I've done several good friends because of this story and that is priceless.

See you on another fic!

- Chaouen

If you've read till here and you liked my story, nothing would make me happier than reading a comment from you! :D