Here's my first crossover story, based on a prompt I received by a reader. You know who you are. Please note that medieval storyline is not something I've done before so feel free to correct me on anything.
There was nothing Lady Maura Doyle loved more than climbing. Her hands, dexterous and agile, knew where every crevice was and where each foot stand to get higher and higher every time. She'd bring her wolf with her often and Lady would watch and bark excitedly from the ground. Maura Doyle loved to climb, until the day she fell.
It was a beautiful morning, cold but sunny. Such was Winterfell, majestic in its frozen beauty. She was climbing one of her favourite towers, careful to be unseen. Seventeen years of age and still a maiden she was already studying to become a healer and things such as climbing did not befit a fair lady, and a lady of Winterfell no less. She knew it was probably going to be one of her last chances to climb, not because of some foresight of her fall. Her father, Patrick Doyle and Lord of Winterfell had promised her to the son of the king himself, the Garret Fairfield.
Garret was a handsome young man of twenty years , with looks that would befit a king, and it was so, since he was heir to his father and next in line for the crown. Maura had instantly fallen in love with him, with his blond hair and gorgeous cheekbones. She blushed whenever she saw him and last night when he poured her a cup of wine he had kissed her cheek and called her ''beloved''.
Garret Fairfield was all a girl could dream of and yet marrying him required leaving Winterfell and living with him in King's Landing. In a palace of course, but still it would be away from her home, the home she was born and grew up in.
Lady whined from the ground, her paws not suited to climb alongside her master. Maura looked at her sadly and wondered if she would be allowed to take her dire wolf into the city.
''Hush Lady.'' She muttered, more to herself, then she looked up into the window from which she was holding herself up. Mouth agape she saw the Queen herself, Emily Stern and the Queen's brother, Sir Jaime. The problem was that they were naked.
And they saw her too. Sir Jaime looked right at her and sighed. Walking up to her he put his hands on his hips and said:
''The things I do for love.''
Then he pushed her.
She was falling, for years and years she was falling, wondering if she could fly but pink and soft human skin was not suited for wings and he couldn't catch a favourable wind and she was falling and falling and falling...
She woke with a start and thought this was one of her dreams. She had a lot of dreams like this, trying to fly and fly and never quite managed. But this time it had felt so real.
Lady Hope Doyle was sitting by her bedside, watching her carefully. Then suddenly her eyes were full of tears and a cry tore out her mother's throat.
''Oh Maura...!''
''Mother...'' the girl muttered, and she would have gone to her only her legs did not follow her when she tried to leave the bed.
''Mother!'' She said again. ''My legs!''
''Oh sweet child, my sweet sweet daughter...'' Lady Hope cried. ''How may times did I scold your mindless climbing but you would never listen... oh my sweet child...''
''What do you mean mother? What happened?!''
''You fell Maura... you fell... and I was afraid to die, so many nights I sat here by your bedside, praying to the old Gods and the new, praying for the Mother's mercy and for the Warrior to give you strength...''
''Mother...'' Tearing her heavy blanket away she looked down at her pale legs revealed by her nightgown, pinching one knee only to get no response. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, soaking into the neck of her gown and she covered her face weeping.
The girl who sought to climb her way to the Gods would never run again. The girl that tried to fly not could not even walk.
''You've been asleep for almost a fortnight and I was afraid, so afraid...''
Her mother embraced her tightly and Maura took in her baggy eyes and disheveled clothes and the tired woman her beautiful mother seemed to have turned into the timespan of a few days.
''Oh mother...'' In her mother's arms Maura sobbed for her lost life. How could the son of a king marry a cripple? How would anyone for that matter? Her life was now over before it had begun.
At seventeen years of age Maura's future had been stolen from her so unfairly.
How could this have happened? She could not remember climbing that towel, she couldn't not remember.
Maura had never fallen before and everyone knew so.
The king looked at her. A big man with a bulging belly that could compete with that of a woman pregnant with quintuplets and win. A stern bearded face.
''I see...'' He said, casting another look at Maura who was settled on a chair in front of Korsak.
Korsak was a huge man, with height that was close to seven feet, covered in thick muscle. His hair was graying but nobody seemed to know exactly how old he was. He didn't speak, just made noises now and then. Maura knew him since she was a babe and had he been an ounce more intelligent he could have been a fierce warrior yet Korsak was the gentlest and most naive man she had ever met. She liked him though, he made her feel safe and he smiled whenever he saw her. Now he would carry her around on a seat strapped to his massive chest, and despite the embarrassment the proximity made her feel safe. He was always close as of late, helping her with this thing or the other, carrying her in his arms around the castle of Winterfell like a warhorse. When he wasn't with her he would work the stables and often one could hear him mutter in sounds that sounded like a chant but never was and always were close to his name ''Korsak''. That probably wasn't his real name but someone must have heard him repeat it over and over and the name stuck.
''I see your daughter has been damaged.'' The King said and Lord Patrick nodded solemnly.
''Yes your Grace.''
''The situation may have changed and a promise is a promise. I gave you a vow to wed my son and heir to your eldest daughter and I break none of my vows. A man is a good as his word and a king must be the best king of man.''
''Your Grace...'' Lord Patrick stared at the floor. ''I would never ask you to make this-''
''I will wed our children Patrick, I am sure Maura might not be able to stand next to her King when the time comes but she surely will bear him strong and beautiful children and brace sons that will in turn be kings themselves.''
The Queen cleared her throat. ''You surely don't mean... wedding promises have been broken for less.''
''Silence, I will not have you speak for me, I am capable of doing it myself.'' The king waved her off.
''Your Grace, I am forever thankful.'' Patrick bowed. The Queen snorted distastefully but there was no disagreeing with the King.
''You can thank me by accepting what I am about to offer you Patrick.'' The King said and Maura's heart soared, because she could see Garret's smile was meant for her. Little did she know what a clever way it was to mask his distaste.
''I want you to be my Hand and come back with me to King's Landing. You'll have a seat in my Council. I value no man's advice over yours.''
''Your Grace!'' Lord Doyle gasped. ''Surely there are other men more fit to sin on your council!''
''Nonsense Paddy. I give you two days to accept or deny my offer but think of the kindness I have done your daughter. You are dismissed for now, I will see you in the feast before I leace. I will have your answer by then.''
''Yes your Grace.''
In her chamber Maura weeped. She seemed to do so a lot these days. She was a beautiful maid, everyone said so, so beautiful that every handmaid wanted to bathe and brushed her hair and every boy wold look at her in the yard. Men would put down their axes and hammers and practice swords and they would smile and wave and pay her compliments and yet the King sayd he was doing her a kindness by wedding her to his son.
And he was right, she thought. He was right because now she was Maura the broken girl and not Maura the fair maiden anymore. The only eyes on her where those full of pity and the Gods seemed to have abandoned her. And so she prayed and when she felt weak and the seven Gods did not answer she decided to visit the old Gods of her father, the nameless tree Gods of the north, with their grim faces carved on trees that seemed almost alive when the wind ruffled their branches.
She rung a bell and Korsak was at her door almost immediately.
''Korsak...'' She whispered. He replied something grumbled.''Take me to the Godswood.''
In the Godswood she prayed for her brother Collin and her sisters Suzie and Caitlin and much to her shame most of all she prayed for herself and her broken body. Old gods of the North, she pleaded. I know nothing is beyond your abilities, so grant me this miracle, make me whole again, make my legs work and I will forever owe you my life.
The tree Gods listened with cold expressionless faces and stood silent witnesses to her pain, listening to her cries impassively. It was a long time before Maura resigned and looked for Korsak.
Yet when she called for him the man did not come, not even when she waited for quite a while.
Then she heard a noise and she tried to get to her feet, only she had forgotten, she had not feet, none that worked anyhow. She looked around at the ominous weirwood, the Gods of her father carved in wood, with eyes red that almost glimmered in the semi darkness and she wondered if these Gods could haunt the forest and walk in it. She wondered if they meant her harm or if were merely answering her prayers.
Instead of a God a man walked out of the trees, a wide grin on his face and was soon followed by a woman holding a bare dagger. Last of all appeared a grey haired fat man with a chain that led to one of the tallest women Maura knew. Her hands were chained in front of her and the man holding the other side of the chain kept tugging it forward and making her stumble. Her feet were also cuffed together, making her gait awkward, even without the man pulling her along.
She had long black hair that fell in curls about her shoulders, tangled and haggard yet it framed her face and enormous brown eyes wonderfully. Maura saw that she was dressed in clothes that would befit a man and it was a first impression that the group was carrying with them a slight man with long hair and yet there was no mistaking the curve of breasts, however small under the thin shirt she wore.
The captives eyes locked on Maura and drew her in and it took the young Doyle girl some time to register what the first man was saying.
''Such a pretty thing, all alone.''
She couldn't stand so she had preferred to sit, a blanket under her, in front of the weirwood, her horse, a gorgeous chestnut mare stood patiently next to her. The man towered over her as she was half lain and she could smell the rotting teeth in his mouth and the sour old wine he had had before.
''Why does the little girl have no company?'' This was the fat man, who was now setting the chain down and securing it around the weirwood. The red eyed of the carved face seemed to stare at him but he did not seem to care.
''Please leave.'' She said.''I want no trouble.'' But even she could hear how weak her voice sounded. ''This is is a holy place.''
''Haw.'' The man with the bad teeth sneered. ''This is no holy place little girl, these Gods are as true as the children of the forest and giants.''
Maura knew about the children. She recalled the stories about fairy like creatures that many years ago run through the forest, back then when magic was true and dragons flew in the sky. She looked at him, too afraid to speak. Where was Korsak?! The big man was nowhere to be found.
''Theres only one true God and here it is.'' He patted his sword that hang about his hip. Without warning the woman swung her chain into the tree, once, twice, thrice, causing a ruckus in the silent Godswood, before the fat man backhanded her savagely and she dropped on the ground.
''Keep it down stupid wench.''
She made a face, her teeth bared in a snarl but no sound came out.
''Never mind her.'' The man with the foul breath said. ''She's a village dimwit.''
The woman swung the chain once more and the fat man awarded her with a kick to the side.
''Haven't seen a pretty girl worth my time for a while now, but looks like here she is.'' He smiled at his company. ''And looks like theres enough of her to go around.''
Everyone laughed, even the woman with the dagger, except from their captive who mutely snarled again.
Leave me a comment on what you think of this. Wanna read more?
