So what if a plague broke out early on in kingslanding, shortly after Ned’s death, then spiraled outward, it wipes out a good portion of the population everywhere, Joffrey, Tommen, and Mircella, die, and Cersei lives just long enough to see it. She dies with her head supported my Sansa, who hand tenderly seen to both Tommen and Mircella herself, had even attended to Joffrey after Maester Pycelle died. Her last words in the world, as this child she had loved, pitied, despised, and hated by turns, are “Thank you little dove” before the black god took her.
All is confusion and at first there is no real order. All the houses are in chaos, Renly’s rapid retreat to Storms End, and Loras’s journey to High Garden had carried the plague to there houses, the raven Ned had sent to Stannis doomed him, and not even the lord of light could save him when his plague maddened wife drug him over the parapets in a hysterical fit, she’s been screaming that they were all on fire, the gods burning them as they had burned the gods...
Melisandre may have tried to flee, but Ser Davos’s dagger ended that goal, and the old Onion Knight saw to safety of his little Lady Shireen...
The crossings in the riverlands where hard hit, far to many people in such an enclosed, and squalid space saw the end of the entire household, a distant cousin was all the was left and he had no intentions of trying to force the terrifying northern king to do anything...plus, Robb was promised a daughter of lord fray, and no daughters of that house lived. The norths distance and coldness spared it somewhat though it two lost lives...
nearly two years the plague held sway in westeros and when at last it seemed to burn itself out, what was left was a land of chaos, Petyr Baelish’s flight to the Aerie had brought sickness there, lost to it were Lysa, Robin, and Petyr himself, even he could weasel no secrets from an illness. Lord Royce, in a bid to stabilize the land, sent a Raven to Robb, swearing the vale’s fealty to The King in the North.
In the riverlands, Lady Catelyn Stark died, the Blackfish survived, and would live to try to govern his silly nephew and be a wise figure to his greatnephew.
Lord Tywin died swearing, but no amount of will or impeccable bloodline could spare him his fate, Jamie stayed captive in Robb’s camp, spared the palgue as though the butt of the gods joke.
Lancel Lannister was the oldest and highest ranked Lannister by the end, and when the new queen of westeros was appointed, he kept his head bowed and tried not to draw attention to himself.
Bran and Rickon did well, and kept the North mostly together. The Dreadfort was put to the torch when the plague receded, the only things still living inside were mad dogs and rats.
In kings landing, things were tense, the lannisters had lost their hold on the throne, there were no more baratheons save for what bastards Robert had left, however, Varys, master of whispers had been hard at work. He had not been idle, and had been watching the little stark girl, he’d honestly thought she die of plague, instead she’d remained fairly untouched save for a week of fever, her handmaiden, in mourning for Tyrion Lannister, had kept to her mistresses side, for no reason it would seem other than loyalty to the girl, and once young Sansa had risen from her sick bed, and new determination had come over her, a lover of songs and true knights she was, or had been, but Eddard and Catelyn Starks daughter she was and she new how to run a castle, and set about to organizing for the victims of the plague and without the queen to gainsay her, or anyone who actually outranked the king’s betrothed, she took charge and soon had septa’s setting up various rooms in the red keep, and throughout the city, The Hound and Tyrion’s old sellsword Bronn enforcing her words with the silent threat of steel, her hadnmaiden Shae, and Ros, who Varys had put beside the stark girl, also ever at her heels.
My the time the plague had run it’s course, kings landing was near empty compared to what it had once been. And when Varys whispers, supported by Sansa’s own efforts to help everyone, it was easy enough plant the idea that as Joffrey’s betrothed, Sansa had the most right to the Iron Throne. Everyone was used to her being in charge anyway and the people longed for peace and stability and a chance to recover from the horror of the last two years
And so at fourteen, Sansa, first of her name became Queen of Westeros, attended by Lady Shae Gold of the new House Gold and Lady Ros Bell, of the new House Bell, the numerous deaths having offered Sansa quit a bit of real-estate to hand around. Sir Bronn and The Hound along with Sir Barristan made up the beginnings of Sansa’s Queensgaurd, and more, it was certain, would be appointed as the time came.
When King Robb rode through the streets of kings landing he was greeted as a visiting King, and felt pride and pain well up within him to see the Stark Banner flying atop the ramparts of the red keep. Sansa and Robb greeted each other with grieved hugs. Robb, in private offered to bend the knee, but Sansa shook her head, the seven kingdoms would become four and Sansa and Robb drew up the dividing of things. With the north now including the riverlands and the vale, while the rest remained with the west, under Sansa’s rule. Sansa vowed before the High Sparrow to never marry, instead naming her youngest brother Rickon her heir, whom Robb sent to her from the North and betrothing him to Lady Shireen Baratheon. who was now Lady of Storms End under the care and guidance of Sir Davos.
in the far, deep north the dead marched, and Jon, lord commander of the nights watch sent some men to his siblings to warn them.
In the east, a young dragon queen seethed at hearing about her kingdom torn asunder, and the thought of some insipid young girl sitting upon her throne...