ENDLESS WINTER: A COMPANION TO THE COMING OF WINTER
No matter what happens, hope endures
PROLOGUE
Winterfell 317
"Are these the ones?" Their apparent jailer was not yet a man. He couldn't have been more than one and twenty. He was tall and skinny with the dark brown skin of a Summer Islander and intense almond shaped golden brown eyes. His hair was tight-curled, there was a triangle of beard on his chin and he wore a sheep-skin cloak. He wore a Maester's chain with five links and had the serious deep-set stare of a Maester as well. But he was still just a boy.
"You're from Knightsbridge, then." The question was sudden, and Rhaella Wooler realized that she hadn't known he could speak.
"Yes." She said matter-of-factually pushing her long raven hair out of her bluish-grey eyes. Her husband, Tommen Rowan, the only surviving member of House Rowan, looked at her in admiration. Tommen was a kind man, but he was not as brave as Rhaella. He had never been. He was standing here, beside his wife, holding the hand of his daughter, Maia. His wife's courage, was enough to convince Tommen to speak up. After all, what could it hurt? They'd already lost so much. He cleared his throat, smoothed back his light brown hair and looked the Maester in the eyes.
"We aren't going to kill you." Said the Maester, "You know that don't you? We don't kill survivors. Especially children."
Tommen and Rhaella exchanged a look. They hadn't known that. This Maester served a Queen who was daughter to a Mad King and who had lived most of her life a foreigner and a King who had disappeared into the North for a year and a half and come back crippled King. They had hatched Dragons and summoned Direwolves. They were people of secret arts and forbidden magic and until yesterday they had been on the opposite side of an ongoing war.
"My name is Nakael, Son of Tano and Mylanna." said Maester Nakael matter-of-factly.
"How old are you?" piped up little Maia. She was only eight, she couldn't help herself.
"Two-and-Twenty." Answered Maester Nakael, "How old are you?"
"I'm eight." The young girl answered, "My name is Maia Rowan."
At this, the boy Maester turned to Tommen, "I didn't know there were any Rowans left."
"There aren't." Tommen answered, "I'm not a Rowan anymore. I'm a builder."
"You are who you are." Maester Nakael answered, "Even if you aren't the same as your family. It doesn't change that are your blood. Even if they were never family to you."
"You seem to know a lot about it." Observed Rhaella, "But yes he is a Rowan by blood he's Tommen Rowan. His father was Ser Gerold Rowan."
The young Maester cocked his head, "And you are, good lady."
"My name is Rhaella Wooler." Rhaella answered, holding her baby son, Gerry close.
"Ah, the famous Mother Septa turned Healer." Nakael observed, "I've heard all about you. And what about you, milady?"
For the first time the other woman in the room, the tall, gangly one with the long nose and the eyes the stuck close together and the tall, handsome husband and the two young sons spoke, "I'm Gyneth, Milord. Gyneth Wigleigh and these are my husband, Pate and my two sons, Sam and Davey."
Maester Nakael smiled, a handsome charming smile, "It's nice to meet you all. My friend is supposed to help with all this, but he's late so we'll just start now."
"With all due respect, ser." Said Pate coming forward so he stood in front of his wife and sons, "what do you want from us."
Nakael smiled warmly, "I want to help tell your story."
A/N: This story is a companion to Once Upon A Time/Game of thrones Story: "The Coming of Winter". It's plot is based heavily on Ken Follet's Kingsbridge novels Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. It's best only to read if you've read one and/or the other/both. And if you're reading anything I write please review. Tell me how you feel about the plot what you do or don't like. Not just with this story or "Winter" but with anything by me.