Editing Sansa Stark (section)

===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[File:Mathia_Arkoniel_the_riot.jpg|thumb|350px|The [[Sandor Clegane|Hound]] rescues Sansa during the [[riots in King's Landing]], by Mathia Arkoniel ©]] 
Now effectively a hostage in the [[Red Keep]], Sansa armors herself in her lady's courtesies as she dutifully goes through the motions of denouncing her family as traitors and pleading to them for peace. King [[Joffrey I Baratheon]] frequently orders her to be beaten by his [[Kingsguard]]{{ref|ACOK|2}} as punishment for actions taken by her rebellious brother [[Robb Stark|Robb]].{{ref|ACOK|32}} At the [[tourney on King Joffrey's name day]], Sansa realizes she has lost her romantic notions about knightly and courtly love. Ser [[Dontos Hollard]] disgraces himself by showing up too drunk to compete. Joffrey decides he should be killed, causing a horrified Sansa to make up a convincing lie which [[Sandor Clegane]] backs up. Sansa pleads successfully with the king to spare Dontos, and a placated Joffrey instead strips him of his knighthood and makes him a court [[fool]], as Sansa suggested.{{Ref|ACOK|2}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister]] arrives in [[King's Landing]] and assumes the position of acting [[Hand of the King]], he sees an end to the more overt abuses directed at Sansa, including stopping Ser [[Meryn Trant]] from stripping the girl naked and beating her.{{ref|ACOK|32}} Sansa develops a unique relationship with Sandor, who despite his brusque words and hideous demeanor treats her gently, protects her, and refuses to beat her at Joffrey's command. He privately mocks her for her naive nature but also displays sympathy for her predicament.{{ref|ACOK|18}}

One night Sansa finds a note in her room, directing her to come to the [[godswood of the Red Keep]] if she wants to go home. It is from Dontos, who promises that a plan is in place to free her from the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] and bring her to [[Winterfell]]. Wary of a trap, she agrees to Dontos's promise, who in turn counsels patience and perseverance. Feigning a newfound piety to the [[old gods]], Sansa makes frequent trips to the godswood to meet with Dontos, at first seeing him as a gallant rescuer who seeks redemption for the shame he brought upon himself, though she eventually comes to doubt his competence. They refer to each other as [[Florian the Fool|Florian]] and [[Jonquil]].{{Ref|ACOK|18}}{{Ref|ACOK|52}} 

The first time Sansa returns from a meeting with Ser Dontos, she runs into a drunk Sandor. He admires her blooming womanhood, but sees her as still a "stupid little bird […] singing all the songs they taught you". He asks her to sing "some song about knights and fair maids", and mocks Sansa's admiration of [[true knight]]s, but she says she will sing for him gladly. Sansa is frightened by him during this encounter, but though he hurts her by grabbing her wrist to stop her from falling, he is also gentle when he protects her from Ser [[Boros Blount]], and Sandor also shares the [[House Clegane]] origins with her. When he takes her back unharmed to the Red Keep, he warns her she is surrounded by liars.{{Ref|ACOK|18}}

During the [[riots in King's Landing]] after the departure of Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon]] to [[Dorne]], Ser [[Mandon Moore]] abandons Sansa to protect Joffrey and the girl is separated from the royal party. Sandor rescues the wounded Sansa from the mob and returns her to the Red Keep.{{ref|ACOK|41}}

[[File:Luaprata91 sandor sansa eve of battle.JPG|thumb|350px|[[Sandor Clegane|Sandor]] encounter each other on the roof of [[Maegor's Holdfast]] prior to the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], by Luaprata91 ©]]

As [[Stannis Baratheon]]'s army approaches the city, Sansa leaves a meeting with Dontos in the godswood late one night, and feels too unwell to return to her room. She goes up to the roof of Maegor's Holdfast, where she encounters Sandor Clegane, and they converse about the upcoming battle. She tries to thank him for saving her from the mob, but the Hound is dismissive of his actions. He lays a sword against her throat, telling Sansa that as long as he has his weapon, he fears nothing. That night, Sansa dreams of the mob stabbing her in the belly, and wakes to discover that she has experienced her first [[flowering]], making her officially a woman. Sansa burns the bloody sheets in fear that Joffrey will find out and want to bed her, and tries to burn the mattress as well, but the smoke attracts the attention of the servants, who bring her to Cersei.{{Ref|ACOK|52}} 

During the [[Battle of the Blackwater]] Sansa takes refuge with many of the other ladies of the court in the [[royal sept]] of the Red Keep and the [[Queen's Ballroom]] in Maegor's Holdfast. She remains strong and attempts to calm many of the other frightened women, despite the bitter and cynical words of a drunk Cersei, who spends her time sniping at Sansa and the other attendant ladies before storming out.{{ref|ACOK|57}}{{ref|ACOK|60}}{{ref|ACOK|62}}

When Sansa returns to her chambers, she finds Sandor hidden in her room, broken from the threat of [[wildfire]]. He drunkenly offers to take Sansa with him as he flees the city. She refuses, and he makes her sing for him at knifepoint.{{Ref|ACOK|62}} After he leaves, Sansa puts on Sandor's bloody cloak, then keeps it in a chest with her summer dresses. Later on, Sansa remembers [[UnKiss|something more]] happening, she believes Sandor kissed her that night. Dontos later informs Sansa that Stannis was defeated by the arrival of Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] and [[House Tyrell]].{{ref|ACOK|62}}

After the Lannister victory, it is announced that Sansa's betrothal to Joffrey is at an end, for the Crown's alliance with the Tyrells includes a marriage pact between Joffrey and Lord [[Mace Tyrell]]'s daughter, [[Margaery Tyrell]]. Joffrey assures Sansa he will still get to have her sexually, stating as a king he can take whomever he wants to bed. Sansa remains in King's Landing, still a hostage to the Lannisters; Dontos assures her the plan to get her home is still in place after the wedding, giving her a [[silver hair net]] adorned with dark purple [[amethyst]]s.{{Ref|ACOK|65}}