Chapter nine
She did not care. Neither for the fact that she was naked nor that a fully dressed Astapori soldier was holding her. She cried and cried until she eventually exhausted herself and heavy eyelids rolled over tired eyes.
She woke as a wet cloth was run over her face.
''My lady.'' The deep rumble greeted her. ''Forgive me but I must depart before your husband returns.''
She was suddenly self conscious about her lack of clothes but she found herself comfortably covered by soft and heavy linen. She was also clean; the bruises on the back of her arms stood out, yellowing already, but any remnants of blood had been cleaned away.
''Please... don't leave.'' She reached for Jane's forearm and held on. ''Don't leave me...''
She felt her shift her body under hers and pull her closer, until she lay on the Astapori's chest.
''As you wish.''
She opened her eyes, willing the tears away as she looked into Jane's darkened face. She reached up to trace the savage wound upon her brow, a remembrance of the nameless man that had flung a rock at her from the crowd at her punishment site.
''I am so sorry they did this to you.'' She whispered as Jane stood unflinching.
''Please do not apologise my lady.'' She said in an equal whisper, accent strongly flavouring her words.
''You did not deserve to be punished.'' Maura withdrew her hand and pulled her knees up to her chest, resting against the other woman's body.
''My lady, where I come from a slave will be whipped for spilling their master's cup. It is not such oddity.''
''There are no slaves in the seven kingdoms. Nobody should be treated so.''
''Of course there are.'' Jane answered gently and caught herself softly stroking lady Doyle's hair, slowly unbraiding it. ''There are slaves everywhere as long as there are men both rich and poor. Who cooked for your wedding last night? Who braided your hair?''
''This is different, these are servants, they are not slaves...'' Maura found that she was growing sleepy under Jane's touch.
''Call me Jane, or call me rat, or unsullied, I am the same woman, despite the word you use for me.'' She helped her settle the covers tighter around them. ''Unsullied will always be slaves.''
She would have protested to that but she felt Jane move away. ''My queen.'' She heard her say and suddenly realised it was true.
With King Robert dead next in line for the throne was Garrett and that immediately made her...
''Jane...!'' She sat up abruptly.
'' I have to speak with your father. Suzanne will shortly come to bath and clothe you. She can be trusted.'' She gave a low bow, just as the sun started to rise from the window behind her. ''Your grace, you need to be prepared. Things are changing fast.''
She departed as swiftly as she had appeared and Maura assumed she had scaled down the window. As promised Suzanne walked into the chamber soon after. She washed and dressed her and Maura made her way slowly to break her fast, her rolling chair moving along the corridor.
She dreaded that her Lord husband would be there but she only saw Queen Emily. It surprised her to find neither him nor her father at the table.
''How fare you this morning, Lady Maura?'' the Queen asked sweetly.
Maura knew that the long sleeved gown Suzanne had helped her in covered the scratches and bruises she had sustained the night before and yet she still felt them under the rolls of fabric every time she moved.
''Quite well, your Grace.'' She lied.
''I trust that now the marriage has been consummated you will bear your King a strong heir.''
It was at that minute Maura realised how wrong this was. The King had died in the night and yet here stood his wife, breaking her fast as if nothing had happened.
''Your Grace!'' She said startled. ''Kind Robert! I am so sorry! What happened?''
''Oh sweet child.'' She laughed. ''My husband bit more than he could chew I'm afraid. A boar got him in the woods. It was bound to happen.'' She casually served herself a healthy portion of eggs and rich arbor gold. She drunk deepend let out a contented sigh.
''You will be pleased to find that my beloved son has not disrupted the wedding feast, it shall continue as it would.''
Maura was shocked. ''But King Robert-'' She opened her mouth to protest.
''King Garrett has commanded so.'' Queen Emily cut in. ''You should not speak ill of your husbands decisions.'' She took another long sip from her cup. ''He will be expecting you to join him this morning for the end of the melee tourney. He wants his queen by his side.''
''Of course.'' Maura lowered her head carefully. ''Pray, your Grace, have you seen my Lord Father?''
''Lord Doyle is somewhat preoccupied for the time being. I am sure he will speak with you soon as he can.''
Without more words exchanged other than pleasantries Maura finished her meal -the mere heel of bread she had managed to keep down- and she departed to find her Royal husband. A pair of guards accompanied her to the raised platform, from which the royal couple would watch the tourney that had already began. By that time her legs were already stiff and aching, even though she had not walked far, only across the yard.
Garrett was expecting her with a huge smile upon his face.
''I am so sorry to hear about your father, Garrett.'' She said with a tiny bow before she took her seat.
He leaned in and the gentle man that kissed her now was nothing like the savage he had been the night before.
''My sweet wife, seeing you by my side gives me strength in these times of hardship.'' He took her hand and kissed it as well. ''In a year you shall bear me a strong son to take my place on the iron throne when I grow old but for now I plan to rule better than my father ever could.''
There it was again, the expectation that soon she would be with child. Without thinking she laid a hand over her stomach, wondering if something could already be growing inside her. She was glad Garrett had his attention elsewhere and did not see her expression as she did so.
It was the mystery knight again, fighting with a short sword and shield against a man not much bigger than he. When the other man yielded Garrett clapped loudly, shouting his delight to the mystery knight's victory, who in turn bowed deeply.
It was no surprise by now that around mid day the mystery night was one of the two men that would fight for the title. Lord Barold had arrived and, however looking tired, he eagerly shared a platter of cheeses with his nephew. Maura however could get little down. He stomach churned and ached, almost twisted in a knot.
The mystery knight's opponent was the biggest man Maura had ever seen. In King's Landing they called him ''the Mountain'', for obvious reasons. He must have been close to seven feet tall, an impressive giant of muscle, with legs like trees and palms bigger that shovels. He would fight fully clad in his armour, adding to his already impressive weight and momentum.
''This should be quite the fight!'' Noted Lord Barold and Maura could detect a hint of unease in his voice. The Lord must not be a man of such violence, she thought, and she immediately liked him more for it.
''We shall make it much more so, uncle!'' Garrett said excitedly. ''It would honour my father truly, I feel.'' He slowly rose from his seat. ''This single combat shall be fought with real weapons and not blunted tourney blades.'' He said loudly, addressing the two men that waited for his signal to begin.
''Garrett...!'' Barrold laughed. ''You cannot be serious!''
''And why would I jape with such a thing uncle?'' Asked Garrett in a serious tone.
He turned to the two opponents.. ''You may have any weapons of choice with you. Fight to the death and the man who still draws breath shall ask of me what they will.''
A stack of weapons was brought out for the men. The Mountain chose the biggest longsword they had. The mystery knight seemed to consider his choice an then selected a dagger and a short spear, about three forearms length.
Maura had never seen anyone fight with a spear before and despite all she leaned forward with interest. Then she realised by the end of the day one of the men would die and the cruelty struck her. They had offered no protest to Garrett's order, because they were both certain they would win, but there was only room for a single victor.
Her husband seemed to have turned cruel over night, or perhaps he had always been.
The fight begun slowly. The big man hacked the air with his sword and laughed, aiming to intimidate the knight. The swords that any man would need both hands to grasp stood comfortably in one huge palm. The knight kept a good distance from the Mountain, in a way one would convey as fear, but Maura realised that he was waiting to gain the advantage of surprise against the bigger man.
The Mountain reached with one massive step forward and hacked a savage blow at the mystery knight. He brought his shield up just in time. The blow snapped the shield in pieces, spraying them both with splinters, but through the rain of shards the knight's spear sprung out, an extension of his arm.
The Mountain stepped away to avoid the weapon, but not before the spear drew a long bloody line starting above his left breast and over his shoulder, where the breastplate parted.
The big man mumbled some expletive or another and charged. Throwing his broken shield aside the mystery knight braced and jumped away from the range of the next blow. What he did not see was his opponent's shield. It came up to smash into his chest and head, making him stumble backwards a few paces. The crowd gasped as the mystery knight caught his breath and faltered.
The Mountain roared, slapping a hand over his chest, parading around the still dazed knight and cheering on the crowd. Then the mystery man was steady on his feet again and charging at him, dagger in his free hand since his shield was gone. The mountain swung his sword into a long arc that would swat down a charging opponent like a fly but the night was light, free of armour and heavy clothing and he rolled under the blow.
Suddenly the smaller man was behind him in one knee, slashing at the tendons behind his knee, the gap where two bits of armour joined. Blood sprayed his help as he quickly rose and stepped away from another massive blow.
The Mountain dropped on one knee, with a deep guttural groan. He cussed loudly and rose painfully. Blood dripped down his leg into the mud.
''Finish him!'' Yelled Garrett from his seat, startling Maura. ''Kill him now he cannot stand!''
And yet the knight waited, keeping his distance from the giant, who charged at him in blind fury. Horrified for the mystery man, Maura gasped and looked away as they clashed, armour on bare skin. The smaller knight scrambled to his feet quickly enough to avoid the swing of his opponent's longsword and then... he begun to run.
''Stop him!'' Garrett ordered and half a dozen knights of the city watch closed in on the running man. ''He must fight!''
But the night did not attempt to break through their line and escape. He leapt, planting a foot on a guard's chest and used his momentum to pivot and to propel himself higher and turn his body towards his opponent who had lowered his sword and watched with bemusement. The mystery knight's torso twisted violently in the air and to Maura he seemed to be ten feet high.
The short spear left his hand and traveled the short distance to lodge itself deep inside the mountain's chest, piercing through breastplate and sternum, and coming out between the Mountain's shoulders.
He collapsed to his knees, sword leaving his hand and blood pouring out of his mouth and nose. The mystery man landed on his feet, like a lion ready to pounce and waited. Finally the mountain fell forward, face first in the mud.
The crowd held it's breath for an instance and nobody moved. Then, without warning, they erupted into cheers, Garrett loudest of them all, bolting upright and clapping red-faced.
The knight approached the platform and Garrett bid him climb up. He dropped on one knee before the King and Queen, silent.
''You fought better than any man among my guards, sir.'' Garrett exclaimed, glancing at Maura for confirmation. ''Ask of me whatever your heart desires and if it is within my power it will be yours.''
The knight rose. ''I wish to be your Queen's guard.'' He said, loud for all the court to hear.
Garrett paused once more, glancing at Maura. ''My lady wife, would you allow this man to guard you and the heir that you will soon be carrying?'' He asked, like her opinion was of value to him, when they both knew it wasn't. He read in his eyes that he had already decided for her and it did not matter that she wouldn't want a stranger, let alone a man to be about her at all times, a man that she did not know or trust and could at any time do with her as he will, since she was helpless to defend herself. Maybe, she thought, maybe that was what Garret wanted, maybe he got off on the idea.
She said what he wanted to hear, a confirmation of her obedience for all to see.
''I will do as my King wishes.'' She bowed her head.
''It seems that no man would be more fit to protect my beautiful wife and son from the enemies of the realm. You may guard her with your life from now until the end of your days.'' Garrett said. ''That is my promise to you, before this entire court. Now rise and reveal yourself to the court, sir.''
The knight reached and removed his help. Maura was shocked to see that what fell out was a shock of long, dark curls.
''You!'' Garrett exclaimed angrily.
Maura laid a hand over her chest and whispered in disbelief what was plain before here.
''...Jane...!''