Why did Sansa stay in Kings Landing rather than leave with the Hound?

[OldGimletEye]

In one thread you say you envy his pick-lines, in another thread they're just not good enough for you. But to compare him to Jorah Mormont? Srsly, that's fucked up!

/snark

Ok, that might have been a really low blow on my part. Definitely hitting below the belt. I apologize.

[Jane99]

I get what everyone is saying, and maybe I just wished she had (I don't get the SanSan hype, simply they had an interesting connection to read about). I thought the same as you did at first, but this is the scene where Sansa realises that Sandor would not hurt her, and actually does care about her. She does think of him more positively in the future, as seen by her thinking they'd kissed even though they hadn't. I guess what confused me was that she seemed to see past the whole knife thing, past his being drunk, past his rough personality. She sees the real Sandor Clegane who wants to help her, but still didn't go with him. Am I just being completely crazy in thinking that is a bit odd?

I'm not sure you're giving enough weight to the world outside that room. Let's say that Sansa's 100% sure he won't hurt her, even given his appalling behaviour. That doesn't mean that one of the most recognisable men in Westeros can, drunk and traumatised, get her out of a city that's descended into chaos, and across a continent in the midst of civil war. Sansa's priority is to stay alive - and it's absolutely reasonable for her to think her chances are better where she is.

[Mad Madam Mim]

Just one of those ideas that sound really good, when you're really drunk! LOL! But somehow, it just doesn't work out right.

It is the Westerosi equivalent of drunk dialing. He probably thought he was being such a smooth operator. Nice try Sandor.

Thank the Sevens Sansa did not leave with the Hound as it would have been a disaster. Physically, Sansa could probably adapt and cope with the harsh condition of a life on the road (but it would be very trying), but I think it would be Sandor's emotional state at this point in the books that would be the main obstacle to its success. The BBW is the point in the book where Sandor is beginning to completely unravel and question the values which he so vehemently held all his life. Sandor is drunk and at a very fragile point mentally; it is a toxic mix of anger, desire, destruction, fear and regret and to thrust Sansa into this dangerous cocktail would be too mentally destructive for Sandor. Sansa is Sandor's catalyst for change and with her in toe, he would have to start confronting these demons a lot faster than he had to compared to when he met up with Ayra. In addition, Sansa has not yet developed the emotional maturity she gains from Littlefinger to be able to deal effectively with this.

It would have been one hell of a hangover Sandor would regret and it would have caused his character much more harm at this point.

[Oafkeeper]

The Red Keep is more convenient for the shops.

[LordStoneheart]

As many have said already, a knife to the throat might be considered a red flag.

[Le Cygne]

I get what everyone is saying, and maybe I just wished she had (I don't get the SanSan hype, simply they had an interesting connection to read about). I thought the same as you did at first, but this is the scene where Sansa realises that Sandor would not hurt her, and actually does care about her. She does think of him more positively in the future, as seen by her thinking they'd kissed even though they hadn't. I guess what confused me was that she seemed to see past the whole knife thing, past his being drunk, past his rough personality. She sees the real Sandor Clegane who wants to help her, but still didn't go with him. Am I just being completely crazy in thinking that is a bit odd?

You make a good point. Sansa did see past those things.

She reached out to touch his face, that's the "Sansa understood" part of the story. "It was only the fire he feared." The anger was about his brother, and she knew that, she said so. And she prayed to the Mother to save him, and he came to her from a ship called "Prayer" and she sang her prayer for the Mother to save him. He was used to her not looking at him, that wasn't it. And he was already getting in touch with Sandor, the Hound had been slowly dying since book 1. There was a lot to the scene that was good, and she instinctively knew that.

So I don't think we are meant to think Sansa should have stayed, she was in grave danger there, they were going to kill her after forcing her to bear heirs. If we listen to the two characters, Sansa and Sandor both regret that he left her there. She "lay awake at night" and he beats himself up over it. She regrets that "he left me" and he regrets "leaving her" with his dying breath. This is something they both wish had not happened. And she knows he wanted to take her with him, she tells us that, too. He said he was going and he could keep her safe. But then he left.

That so many wish she had gone with him is intentional on the author's part. It's how he wrote the story, to set up the tension in the narrative. The wildfire was the perfect storm. He wouldn't have left her otherwise. And she would have gone with him if this one very unusual thing hadn't happened. Will they reunite? That's what readers keep asking him. And that's what's drawing so much interest to the story...

[SummerDance]

The Red Keep is more convenient for the shops.

Does she have money to shop? Or she wore her old gowns?

[Kasakka]

Three outcomes for Sansa.

1. King's Landing holds and the Lannisters win, what actually happened. She has learnt how to survive in KL and nothing would (and didn't) really change after the battle.

2. Escape with Sandor. Like everyone has already said, he was threatening her and was drunk. The escape would be risky and eventually put her in great danger. Sandor can be wildly unpredictable at times. The Lannisters could catch them and so on.

3. Stannis wins the battle. As we know Stannis would have held her as a political prisoner or returned to their mother. If the most disciplined part of his army would reach Sansa first, she would be in no danger whatsoever. Stannis would treat her better than Joffrey or Cersei. But then again did Sansa know Stannis? Nope, so she didn't have a clue what Stannis would do to her, but she probably thought that anything is better than the Lannisters.

[Oafkeeper]

Does she have money to shop? Or she wore her old gowns?

She had money for sarcasm I'm sure : /

[UtherSnow]

The best hiding place is in plain sight. The Hound was about to become a marked man, does at his side sound like a safe place to be?

[LordStoneheart]

And he was eventually captured by the Cunts Without Banners who were at that time also ransoming her sister. It would have made for a beautiful reunion between the two sisters, but she'd just be in another hostage situation and Sandor would have two girls to look after in the war torn riverlands, not to mention the Twins and RW aftermath.

[LongRider]

And he was eventually captured by the Cunts Without Banners who were at that time also ransoming her sister. It would have made for a beautiful reunion between the two sisters, but she'd just be in another hostage situation and Sandor would have two girls to look after in the war torn riverlands, not to mention the Twins and RW aftermath.

The idea of Sandor travelling around with the two sisters fighting and arguing the entire way does put a funny picture in my head tho.

Sandor = :bang: Sansa and Arya = :box: LongRider = :lol:

[ShadowCat Rivers]

The idea of Sandor travelling around with the two sisters fighting and arguing the entire way does put a funny picture in my head tho.

Sandor = :bang: Sansa and Arya = :box: LongRider = :lol:

- What is this?

- A Hound. Didn't you know? The Straks use them for Septas.

[Make Shadowbabies Not War]

I'm not sure you're giving enough weight to the world outside that room. Let's say that Sansa's 100% sure he won't hurt her, even given his appalling behaviour. That doesn't mean that one of the most recognisable men in Westeros can, drunk and traumatised, get her out of a city that's descended into chaos, and across a continent in the midst of civil war. Sansa's priority is to stay alive - and it's absolutely reasonable for her to think her chances are better where she is.

This is a good point, I guess I may have focused solely on what was happening in the room, rather than the wider parameters. I like this explanation because it coincides with the idea that Sansa does (as I believe) feel Sandor is being 100% genuine.

You make a good point. Sansa did see past those things.

She reached out to touch his face, that's the "Sansa understood" part of the story. "It was only the fire he feared." The anger was about his brother, and she knew that, she said so. And she prayed to the Mother to save him, and he came to her from a ship called "Prayer" and she sang her prayer for the Mother to save him. He was used to her not looking at him, that wasn't it. And he was already getting in touch with Sandor, the Hound had been slowly dying since book 1. There was a lot to the scene that was good, and she instinctively knew that.

So I don't think we are meant to think Sansa should have stayed, she was in grave danger there, they were going to kill her after forcing her to bear heirs. If we listen to the two characters, Sansa and Sandor both regret that he left her there. She "lay awake at night" and he beats himself up over it. She regrets that "he left me" and he regrets "leaving her" with his dying breath. This is something they both wish had not happened. And she knows he wanted to take her with him, she tells us that, too. He said he was going and he could keep her safe. But then he left.

That so many wish she had gone with him is intentional on the author's part. It's how he wrote the story, to set up the tension in the narrative. The wildfire was the perfect storm. He wouldn't have left her otherwise. And she would have gone with him if this one very unusual thing hadn't happened. Will they reunite? That's what readers keep asking him. And that's what's drawing so much interest to the story...

While I do understand where everyone else's point of view comes from, it is a relief to find somebody sees where I'm coming from! I agree completely about the author side of things, and I'm glad you pointed out that Sansa was also in danger in Kings Landing, which many people seem to have neglected in saying that it would be dangerous to leave with Sandor. Both were risky, but she seemed to lose her only ally at the time in the Hound whilst gaining no perceivable way out.

[Harry the Hair]

I agree with pretty much everything others have said here. She doubted that the Hound could actually escape KL hence the questions about how he's planning to leave, and let's not forget that she believed Ser Dontos to be her best ticket out.

[LongRider]

This is a good point, I guess I may have focused solely on what was happening in the room, rather than the wider parameters. I like this explanation because it coincides with the idea that Sansa does (as I believe) feel Sandor is being 100% genuine.

While I do understand where everyone else's point of view comes from, it is a relief to find somebody sees where I'm coming from! I agree completely about the author side of things, and I'm glad you pointed out that Sansa was also in danger in Kings Landing, which many people seem to have neglected in saying that it would be dangerous to leave with Sandor. Both were risky, but she seemed to lose her only ally at the time in the Hound whilst gaining no perceivable way out.

I see what you and Le Cygne are saying and don't disagree. Also rarely noted is if she had left with him how much more danger the Hound would have been in if it had come to be known he had 'taken' her, for who in KL would believe she would leave with him on her own free will? There would have been more danger for him than just the BWB I would imagine.

[myhousigilisthehousecat]

Even if he'd been all sober and noble, she already had a vague escape plan in motion- she was meeting with Dontos at that point and he seemed to be part of something organized and less dangerous.

[Make Shadowbabies Not War]

I see what you and Le Cygne are saying and don't disagree. Also rarely noted is if she had left with him how much more danger the Hound would have been in if it had come to be known he had 'taken' her, for who in KL would believe she would leave with him on her own free will? There would have been more danger for him than just the BWB I would imagine.

This is true enough, if it was thought that Sandor took Sansa there would be a mass movement to bring her back. However, I would argue that as Sansa states that nobody else knew Sandor came to her room before vanishing (unless I'm remembering incorrectly), they could probably have made it out alright, with nobody guessing that it was Sandor specifically who took her. After all, many people would have disappeared that night, and she clearly wanted out.

I agree with pretty much everything others have said here. She doubted that the Hound could actually escape KL hence the questions about how he's planning to leave, and let's not forget that she believed Ser Dontos to be her best ticket out.

I can actually get behind Ser Dontos as a reason. My bigest problem with her not leaving during the BBW was that she gained nothing, but lost what seemed to be her best chance. That said, she did put a lot of trust into Dontos, something that could arguably have made her stay.

[DireWolfSpirit]

The Red Keep is more convenient for the shops.

She was resisting leaving with Ned as well.

Who knows how much abuse Sansa would've stuck around for if

Joffrey hadn't died in the Purple Wedding?

GRRM really came up with a fantastic diversion in the storyline when he

offed Joff and swooped Sansa away in one traumatic orchestration.

Great creativity on the authors part imo.

I never took the Hounds offer as overly serious btw.

I viewed it as more of a venting,

a frustrated goodbye maybe, I don't think he expected her to come

and deep down he realized it would have been crazy impractical.

[Harry the Hair]

I never took the Hounds offer as overly serious btw.

I viewed it as more of a venting,

a frustrated goodbye maybe, I don't think he expected her to come

and deep down he realized it would have been crazy impractical.

I actually thought the offer was genuine. I think he wanted to spare her any more of Joff's beatings seeing as one of his biggest regrets while "dying" was standing by her abuse. I think you're right that he wasn't expecting Sansa to run away with him. He knows she's afraid of him and he doesn't fit in with her notion of a true-knight/rescuer so the odds of her leaving with him were virtually non existent though he still had some hope that she may look past his Hound persona like she did the night when he told her the story of his burns and accept his offer.

As for the crazy impractical part... I'm not so sure about that. He is the Lannister dog, where would he go, what would he do once his desertion is made public? The most logical choice would be to enter the service of a Lannister enemy, a certain Young Wolf, but for that he would need to provide Robb with something that would prove him to be a useful asset to his company; a bargaining chip of sorts. Robb already has capable fighters and the desertion rumors kinda tone down the Hound's reputation so no on impressing the King of the North with just his swordsmanship. I'm sure he could provide him with some useful counsel about the Lannisters but lets face it, as badass as the Hound is, he's no great military strategist, so X on that one. The only thing that remains is for him to deliver Sansa back to her family's arms and reap the rewards. So I suppose the real question is; why didn't the Hound abduct Sansa? ;)