They Catch Up a bit and discuss rewards

Eventually, Sansa calmed down and relaxed in Jon's arms. He realized that it felt really good to bring his sister comfort after so long. Then, they broke away and soon found themselves sitting down on the nearest stump, outside the reach of the Weirwood roots, trying to change the heavy topic that had been looming over them with more pleasant conversations.

Before long, Sansa started grinning again.

"So, you have traveled to the Summer Islands too? I have heard those lands are so exotic and lovely!"

"I have," Jon replied with a nod and a growing smile, knowing that what he was about to say next would be of great interest to her. "In fact, while at first I started on the business of spices and gemstones where that region is concerned, this past year I ended up expanding my trade network with a new product that has proven quite profitable. And you would really like it."

"Is that so?" She asked with an amused tone. "Then regale me with your tales, brother."

The wealthy bastard chuckled. "As a test, I started using the fast and unparallel services of my flying wyvern for the delivery of exotic fruits to distant lands that don't grow them. The advantage of that for the rich and powerful that want to taste those products is the fact that my wyvern can cover such a vast distance quickly enough to get them the rare fruits before they rot on the way. You would be surprised at how much gold can be made that way, especially when wealthy people want to show off that they can eat exotic food their rivals don't have access to," He remarked. "And one of the most sought-after fruits I was able to sell after landing from the skies was actually an absolutely exquisite variety of lemon that doesn't grow in Dorne; just on the Summer Islands," Jon added with a knowing grin.

He couldn't help but laugh when he detected the hunger on Sansa's expression. It was gratifying to know that some things never change.

"Oooh, please tell me you brought some of those rare lemons with you!" She begged with a look that would make a pup proud.

"One step ahead of you, sister," The Bastard of Winterfell replied, satisfied with her reaction. "I had my men deliver them to the kitchens as a gift with instructions for them to use them to make lemon cakes for you. With any luck, they will be ready for dessert once we go have supper."

"Ah, brother, you do know me," Sansa said, a drawn-out sigh escaping her lips. "Thank you."

They remained silent for a while longer as they basked in the peace and quiet of the Godswood, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they had to deal with a lot of yelling. Before long, his beautiful sister glanced at him, locking her gaze with his.

"Maybe it's not my business but I can't help but wonder...is there any woman in your life that has made you happy since you had to leave our home?" She asked, her tone barely above a whisper.

Jon paused for a moment before answering but continued to hold her gaze the entire time, finding her blue eyes lovely yet again. In the end, he decided to tell her the truth, or at least part of it.

"Yes," He admitted. "Lyra may not want to get married and settle down, at least not yet, but we have shared a lot since leaving our first homes, including our beds."

Sansa looked away but he could have sworn he saw the beginnings of a tear around her eye right before she did. Jon sighed. "I know, I really shouldn't risk bringing bastards into the world and the tainted name to goes with it. But Lyra is of a similar mind so we have been careful. And well...she has stuck with me no matter what since that fateful night on Bear Island. It's was really difficult not to develop feelings for her eventually," He acknowledged before seeing what was clearly regret in her face.

This gave him pause, trying not to read too much into it but unable to stop himself from contemplating possibilities. "Does that upset you?" He asked softly but quickly before he could change his mind about it.

His sister remained silent for a moment longer before turning back to him and then it was that he truly notice a handful of fresh tears on her face. "A little, but mostly, I feel ashamed that there was nothing I could do for you after you saved us," She chocked out, her lips quivering. "Lyra, on the other hand, understood that she had a debt to repay and didn't hesitate to follow you. And I can't blame her for falling in love with you, not after everything. I just...wish there was more I could have done for my hero."

Jon sighed and gently placed his hands on top of hers. He opted to remain quiet for a time, giving her a moment to compose herself while showing her that he was still there. Eventually, she took a deep breath held his gaze again.

"Jon, please, tell me what I can do to repay you at last," She begged. "I swear, if it's something I can give you, then I will even...even if it is my maidenhead," Sansa confessed, her voice shaking as her cheeks reddened.

Jon's jaw hung open at that, his eyes wide. The Bastard of Winterfell had his reasons to suspect that Sansa had been having second thoughts about marrying Prince Joffrey but he was NOT expecting to hear those words come out of his sister's mouth. At least, not without him using his powers to claim her.

He swallowed hard, unable to deny to himself that he had desired just that for a long time now. His dreams made sure he couldn't forget.

Still...

"Are...are you serious?" He asked, stunned, scarcely able to believe he was actually hearing her say that.

Her blushing face meet his eyes once again, nervousness abundantly clear in her expression but there was an unmistakable spark of fire in her gaze too.

"I am," Sansa confirmed. "And it's not just because I owe you so much. It's because I want to show you just how serious I am about how much you now mean to me. After you saved me and then got punished for my mistake...I was a mess for a long time, feeling responsible for your banishment. But eventually, I came to realize that there is a lot of truth in that saying that Old Nan used to tell us: absence makes the heart grow fonder."

She swallowed audibly. "I have missed you so much that my heart started to ache for you, and before I knew it, I came to the silent realization that I had fallen in love with my hero and felt beyond guilty for his departure. Please, I don't care that you are my half-brother," She declared. "Let me make amends and show you how much I have grown to care about you."

Jon really wanted to take her up on her offer. He had been hoping against hope to eventually hear those words so much and now that he had heard them, he couldn't unhear them.

Still...if he accepted, he would be playing with fire. Lady Catelyn will return soon and she would probably try to **** him on the spot if she saw her worst fears realized before her eyes. It would be a much safer bet to claim Sansa first so that he could have a magical excuse to make love to her. But now, Sansa's confession was making him hesitate. It was more than he had truly expected to hear from her and it warmed his heart so much. The idea of claiming her before they could revel in their first time together felt unpleasant, now that she had offered him her virginity of her own free will.

Jon took several long breaths and wondered what to do.

A/N: To claim, or not to claim...that is the question! XD

And on that significant note, it's announcement time: I have actually planned for two different paths to go to the main part of my plotline from here. I don't actually want to deal with both alternate branches though, so, I will allow my readers to vote on their personal preference for this upcoming choice.

You can either vote for Jon claiming Sansa for safety reasons before they get together or you can vote on the path that would take them to have their first time together without that safety net, come what may. I accept votes and arguments for either choice in both the comment section and through direct messaging. Depending on the option chosen, the certain relevant aspects about the upcoming sequence of chapters will be different than the other. If I do not get a single comment or vote on the matter then I will just pick whichever one I end up deciding I like better, pace-wise, although I hope it doesn't come to that.

So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and happy voting :D