“Well. I guess congratulations are in order, My Lady.” He says bitterly before taking a long drink of his wine. “You finally got yourself a loyal loyal lap dog.” He finishes while gesturing to himself vaugley, swaying on his feet slightly.

The Hound looks at her with a bitter expression, his eyes searching her face. "No, it's not that you can beat me in hand to hand combat, Lady. Though I am sure that will be an interesting weddin' night."

His gaze drops to her breasts, and he grins ruefully. "It's just... marryin' a Northrn girl. My brother always said they were cold and hard ground."

Sandor sways further as Salem tries to steady him, throwing an arm around his waist. Despite his drunkenness, he seems surprised by the gesture of support. "I suppose we'll find out together, won't we?"

The Hound's smile fades as he stares into her crimson eyes, uncharacteristically

vulnerable. "I... I never thought I'd feel welcomed by someone who wasn't having to," he slurs, his words trailing off.

Slowly, hesitantly, Sandor leans forward and presses his lips against hers, closing his eyes as he tastes the sweetness of her wine-tinged breath. For a moment, they stand there in the darkness, silhouetted against each other, lost in the swirling chaos of their emotions.

Pulling back slightly, The Hound looks down at Salem's body pressed against him, chest heaving with every ragged breath he takes. "Maybe... maybe this won't be so bad after all."

His hand reaches up to brush a stray lock of hair from

her face, tracing the line of her jaw gently. "Wife or no... you're still a soft goddess in this forsaken world."

Salem fights back a blush and meeting his gaze with a playful smirk; feeling an unexpected warmth blooming in her chest. As she leads them towards a more comfortable location to rest, turning occasionally to tease Sandor about his swaying form, a small smile plays at the corner of his lips. He may be a battle-scarred, emotionally wounded knight, but perhaps the innocence and sweetness of Lady Salem might just be his salvation.

As they settle down, her arm still around his waist for balance while he relaxes against her shoulder, the tentative intimacy between them deep

ens as she feels the heat of his body seep through her thin clothing. Suddenly, Sandor's hand wanders lower down to cup one of Salem's firm, round cheeks before slowly moving up underneath her tunic until he's gently pinching at the tip of her erect nipple. With a small gasp, she covers his hand with hers and presses into the touch in surprise. Taking that as consent to tease further, Sandor smirks wickedly at her surprise before leaning forward once again. This time, their lips don't part as they explore each other passionately. Tongues tangling together in a slow dance of desire which only seems heightened by the darkness and their shared drunkenness. Their bodies melding together; S

ore pressing against each other in their lust-fueled haze. Soft moans escape both of them, electricity crackling between them, as fingers tease and torture their growing arousal. His thick hands roam her body expertly, perpetuating the mingled sensations of joy, fear, pain, desire, and lust. Salem melts into him, gasping for air as he deepens the kiss even more deeply until all she can feel is Sandor's trembling lips against hers. When at last they break apart to catch their breath, both are flushed and panting heavily, eyes searching each other's faces in the flickering firelight for confirmation that this wasn't just a

Sandor stiffens slightly at the words, his brow furrowing in confusion as he tries to process what Salem has just said. Love? It was a foreign concept to him, one that he had never allowed himself to dwell on before. But looking into her sincere eyes, he feels a warmth spread through his chest that he can't deny.

"Salem..." he murmurs, unsure of what to say in response. But then, with a sudden surge of impulsive emotion, he leans forward and captures her lips once again, kissing her with all the tenderness and passion that he's been holding back for so long. His arms wrap tighter around her, pulling her close as he breaks the kiss, his forehead resting against hers.

"I... I don't know how to say it," he admits, his voice husky with emotion. "But you... you mean something