Chapter Text
The stairs were bad but the key was the worst. Reek had only two fingers and a thumb left, the dirty rag hid the flayed skin of his hand. When Sansa...LADY Sansa would not take his hand for the wedding, he told her, Master will hurt me. SHE doesn't care, why should she, why would anyone? Even when Master flayed his hand for it, he never got mad at Lady Sansa for it. Reek was always bad, even when he was good, it was right for him to be punished. He screamed, cried and begged, making Ramsay pleased. Lord Ramsay pleased was a GOOD thing, a SAFE thing. After all it was only a small bit of his hand. Could have been the WHOLE hand. Could have been his face. Reek was grateful for the mercy and the instruction. He made sure to tell his Master this, even as he writhed in agony.
Now try and use the key to unlock the door. His one good hand, the one with all the fingers, it was always stiff. One time when Reek did not pay enough attention crawling for Ramsay's amusement, Ramsay crushed it. He ground his boot down hard till he heard the crunch of bones. It healed but never truly was pain-free. It takes time to unlock the door and Reek is always petrified. What if today he cannot get the door open? What would Master do if he told him he couldn't do something as simple as feed Sansa? LADY SANSA!! Even in his own mind it was too much and Reek outwardly flinched. Ever since the wedding night, long enough for Reek's hand to have partially healed, Reek is Sansa's only other visitor. Master has kept his wife locked in their chamber, only visiting her at night.
With a hand on Reek's chin, forcing eye contact Ramsay had carefully explained to Reek he was to tend to Sansa. "Only you are loyal enough to trust near my loving wife, Reek. My obedient, good favorite pet. You are loyal and you do love me, don't you?" Those eyes were so deadly, so hurting and searching, Reek exploded. "Yes, Yes Master! Of course, I love you, good Reek, loyal Reek!" Ramsay gave a smile then and Reek could relax a tiny bit. This wasn't a bad smile, this was a pleased one. Reek knew he really did love his Master, who else would ever want him? So Reek silently would enter the room and ignore the quiet sobbing. If she called to him, Reek would bring her wet rags or ice. He brought her food and cleaned any mess in the room. Sometimes he would change the furs or sheets if they were bloody. They were always bloody. Every afternoon, late just before he served Master wine at dinner, Reek set Lady Sansa's bath. She washed her self, not wanting anyone near her. That was was fine with Reek, he did not want to closely have to see her wounds.
Then one day, it changed, the same day he can't get the damned key to work. Sweat poured and Reek's stench got worse. Just as tears came to his eyes, the key turned and he heaved a shaky sigh of relief. Pulling himself together, lifting the tray, Reek hobbles into the room. Putting the food on the table, fixing the shutters, it is normal, it is his chores being done, pleasing his Lord by carrying out all orders. Lady Sansa was sleeping, good, she needed rest, it was almost late afternoon. When Master comes up late at night, there is no sleep anymore. Reek tends his Master until he shuts that bedroom door at night. Sometimes Reek can hear Sansa wail and scream on his way back to the kennels. "Please, just be good for him! Learn how to please him and he won't hurt you so much!" He thinks miserably curling up in his cage.
He wishes he was in his nice, safe cage now, instead of here because Sansa is not sleeping anymore. Nor is she weakly calling for ice or a goblet of water to rinse out old blood. No, she is using the wrong name, the BAD NAME and Reek wants to escape, to leave. Sansa keeps touching him, grabbing him, which is funny since he got flayed for her NOT touching him. Concentrate on that, not on her words. "Why can't you just be good?" I want to scream at her, but I say nothing, except what my name is. I tried to warn her, I really did but she won't listen. A Stark never does, they are too proud, too stubborn. That can get her flayed, hunted, hung here. Doesn't she know that yet?
Reek took the damned, cursed candle and in his mind screamed, "Why did you tell me? Of anyone here, why me, Lady Sansa? I am Reek, weak, freak, sneak and I am Ramsay's bitch." He walked through the icy wind and snow, peeking up at the broken tower. There was a strange pull, as if a tiny piece of him wanted to go there, just to see. Not to light the candle of course, not ever would Reek dare such a thing. He was good. Loyal. Just a few steps to see is all....His feet took him where he should go and Reek whined softly. His hand throbbed, his missing fingers ached and he staggered from damaged feet.
By the time he reached the top, he was out of breathe. Reek had to lean against the freezing stones until he stopped panting. Master allows Reek to eat and drink every day now because he was good but not much. He doesn't want Reek to become strong, he isn't that kind of pet. Reek is not a predator or a man, just a pet. Not even a hunting dog, just a weak runt and that is how Ramsay likes him. Reek clutches the door knob and hesitates only for a second. "Why can't you just be good?" he thinks, then shoves the creaky door open slowly. There was his Master, at his desk in the tower, looking up at him. In a cold voice, a voice that does not appreciate the interruption, "Yes Reek?"
The fear almost overwhelmed him and for a second he just gaped stupidly. Clutching the candle and shaking. I am good, I am loyal and I am Reek. So why couldn't he move or speak? As Ramsay called Reek over, he consoled himself with a good thought. If he had allowed Sansa...Lady Sansa to do this, Ramsay might have flayed her or worse. If Sansa ran, it would be huge, big trouble and Reek just cannot stand having to see that. She cannot be good yet, then Reek will be good for the both of them. Resolved, his voice suddenly works, if haltingly and he speaks.