Author's Note: Hello everybody! Thank you so much for your reviews/favorites/follows. I apologize for the long wait on this chapter but I had writer's block, yet again. Hopefully things will be easier after this chapter – there will be more original content and I'm excited to show you guys what I have planned.
Special thanks to Dannylionthe1st and Hpuni101 for reading through this chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 19: The Letter
"Good evening, Ser Wendel," Maliya greeted the knight standing guard outside her tent. He smiled at her as she stepped past him and she couldn't help but return it. He was a loud, boisterous man who was generally cheery despite the circumstances and seeing him every morning usually lifted her spirits.
"Evening, Your Grace." He held the tent flap aside for her to enter and let it fall when she stepped inside. Maliya took two steps forward and froze in place, shocked to find a strange man standing at the opposite end of her tent.
The man stared at her for half a second with a curious sort of surprise on his face, before his eyes flickered to her bed two feet away from him and back again. "What do you think you're – " she began to demanded in a heated voice, but before she had even finished speaking, the man spun around with a swirl of his cloak and disappeared out the back of the tent. Maliya stood there stupidly for a heartbeat or two before she was able to overcome her shock. "Wait!" She cried springing forward after him. "Stop!" She looked around wildly once she was outside again, swearing under her breath when she realized that her small hesitation had made her lose him. Her eyes flickered through the dimly lit night, bouncing from soldier to soldier but not seeing the man she was looking for. He just melted into the shadows and disappeared.
"Your Grace?" Ser Wendel questioned, stepping out the back of the tent and turning to look at in in confusion. "I heard you shout… what happened to your tent? It looks like – "
"There was a man in my tent, Ser Wendel," Maliya snapped impatiently, spinning a slow circle as she continued to search. "Did you see anyone sneaking around the past couple days?"
The older man paled slightly, finally recognizing the gravity of the situation as he straightened his shoulders and looked down at her. "What did he look like?" Ser Wendel questioned, his face serious. "What was he wearing?"
"I – I don't really know, it all happened so fast," she shook her head, frowning as she tried to think. "He was a normal looking man, but his face was obscured by the hood of his cloak, which was black, I think –"
"Get back inside the tent," Ser Wendel ordered brusquely. Maliya nodded and shoved down her irritation at being spoken to in that manner, reminding herself that he was just doing his job. "I'll post two of our men on either side of your tent until we can get a new one for you. Check your belongings and make sure nothing is missing, Your Grace."
Ser Wendel went to hurry off but Maliya quickly grabbed his arm and muttered under her breath, "Search quickly but quietly, Ser Wendel, we don't want to raise any unnecessary alarms and draw attention to ourselves."
She re-entered her tent once he had left and paused, her eyes sweeping the elaborate furnishings. Everything seemed to be in its place, but Maliya headed straight for her hidden bag anyway, her heart pounding in her chest as fear and anxiety wrapped around her. A deep sigh of relief escaped her when her hands dug past the dresses and touched the smooth scales of her dragon egg. She sat there for a moment, feeling at peace as she rested her hands against it. She desperately wished she had time to figure out how to hatch the egg so she wouldn't have to carry it around with her everywhere, but going to war had sort of taken away any time to do so.
Taking another deep breath, Maliya closed the bag and put it back in its hiding spot. Although this was the only item of value in her possession at the moment, Maliya did a thorough sweep of the rest of the tent anyway. She checked under the bed, on all the tables, under the rug but it wasn't until she shook out the blankets and pillows on her bed that she noticed a small roll of parchment fall to the floor. She dropped the blankets to the floor, bending down to pick up the parchment and frowning when she realized there was no recognizable seal.
She glanced at the tear the intruder had made in the back of the tent and then back down to the parchment. Could he have snuck into her tent to secretly deliver this? Her mind immediately drifted back several months to the mysterious letter that had appeared in her basket while her and Rickon were shopping in Winter Town. It was that letter which first led her to discover the Pact of Ice and Fire, the letter that first informed her of her aunt and uncle across the sea and started her on the hunt for the missing batch of dragon eggs.
What if… what if this letter held the key to getting the dragon egg to hatch? Excitement flooded her system as she sat down on the now bare bed and quickly unraveled the letter. She only had to read the first two words to realize that this letter was from someone completely different. Not only was it not written in High Valyrian like the last letter, but the meaning behind the words held a special significance. Good-daughter. She stared at the words blankly for a moment before she was bombarded by a myriad of emotions.
Confusion. There were only two people in this world who would call her their good-daughter. Disbelief. Since Lady Stark was her with her and would have no reason to secretly deliver a letter to her, that only left Lord Stark. A recently murdered Lord Stark who was held for months as prisoner before he was executed. Lastly there was fear, fear of what was written in this letter and why it would have been addressed to her and not his wife or any of his other children.
Swallowing harshly, her hands shaking slightly, she forced herself to read on.
Good-daughter
How are things back home? Of course, that is where I would prefer to be, but it appears that won't be possible for me. Whether people understand it or not, I was doing what I thought was best for the realm.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about family and I'm glad that you have become a part of mine. All of my children have come to truly care for you, as have I. Now I know that this may seem like a big task, but I pray that you will help look after them as I fear that I cannot. Destiny seems determined to keep us apart.
Regret fills me at the thought, but I have the utmost faith in them. Even though we will be separated, I will always love them. Especially now that they are growing older and finding their way in the world. Do me a favor, good-daughter, and only show this message to the others when the time is right – you'll know when that is.
Your good-father
"What in the seven hells…" Maliya muttered in absolute bewilderment before reading the letter through another half a dozen times. Abruptly she was pissed. Lord Stark had one opportunity to write a final letter and he had chosen to write to her… and about what? What was so important that she needed to read this? The fact that he was doing what he thought was right? That he asked her to look after a family which she would do even if he hadn't asked? And what exactly was she supposed to tell Lady Stark and Robb? Your father/husband wrote a pointless letter with his final words in it? And what did he mean 'show this message when the time is right?' How would she know when that time is?
An image of Lady Stark's distraught, exhausted expression came to her mind and she stood, slipping the letter into the pocket of her cloak. What kind of person would she be if she withheld Lady Stark's husband's final words from her? It would obviously bring her more questions, but if it could also bring her comfort than wouldn't that be enough?
Nodding resolutely to herself, Maliya swept out of the tent. "Your Grace!" The guard at her tent called in surprise, jolting forward to hurry at her side. "Ser Wendel instructed you to stay in your tent – "
"I need to see Lady Stark, I'm afraid it's urgent," Maliya said breezily as she walked. She glanced up at the man's worried face and sighed. "You're more than welcome to accompany me, if you'd like, though I don't think my safety is in jeopardy. If the intruder had wanted to hurt or kill me, he would have had the perfect opportunity right when I walked into the tent."
"The King trusted us with yours and Lady Stark's well-being," the guard told her, a slightly apologetic tone in his voice. "I hope you'll forgive me if I leave nothing to chance."
"Of course," Maliya conceded, feeling slightly guilty that she had devalued the importance of his job. It wasn't his fault that he was unaware that the intruder had only broken into her tent to deliver a letter. She glanced up at the man again when they reached Lady Stark's tent. "Thank you for assisting me. Will you be staying here – " She broke off with a noise of surprise as a man suddenly burst out of the tent and slammed into her, making her stumble back several steps. She caught a glimpse of his distracted and angry face as he mumbled something under his breath.
The guard that had escorted Maliya snagged the man's arm in an iron grip before he could walk away. "Apologize to the Queen," the guard growled, shaking him slightly.
The man blinked as if noticing his surroundings for the first time and a contrite expression immediately crossed his face. "You must be Queen Maliya, I presume? Petyr Baelish, at your service." He gave her a short bow, all traces of his previous anger gone. "I apologize for my inexcusable behavior, allow me to make it up to you."
"Perhaps another time, Lord Baelish," Maliya acknowledged with a polite smile, gesturing for the guard to release him. "I have other matters I must attend to."
"Of course, Your Grace," Lord Baelish smiled, inclining his head towards her. "Some other time, then."
Maliya waited until Lord Baelish slipped into the darkness before turning to the guard again. "I'll be out shortly." Taking a deep breath, her hand slipping around the folded piece of parchment in her cloak pocket, she strode inside the tent.
Her steps faltered, her eyes widening as they fell upon the hunched form of Lady Stark. She was kneeling on the ground, her hands resting on a large trunk, but what alarmed Maliya the most was the expression of her face. It was paler than usual and devastation and grief was rolling off her in waves. "Lady Stark?" Maliya called gently, taking a hesitant step forward. She looked up at the sound of Maliya's voice, staring at her blankly as tears silently streamed down her face. "What's happened, my lady?" She asked in a hushed voice, walking over to crouch next to Lady Stark. Maliya's eyes dropped to the trunk that Lady Stark was hunched over. "What is this?" Lady Stark didn't answer at first, her gaze dropping to the trunk in question and Maliya didn't know what to do. She actually looked over her shoulder to the entrance of the tent at one point, as if hoping someone would walk in to help her. "Catelyn?" She prompted, the birth name sounding odd coming out of her mouth. She reached out an uncertain hand and laid it on the other woman's arm.
Lady Stark sat up slightly and Maliya had never seen her look so broken and defeated. "It's a gift from Tyrion Lannister," she told Maliya in a hoarse voice. "A token of his goodwill."
Maliya shifted closer as Lady Stark took a deep breath and slowly lifted the lid. "Seven hells," Maliya muttered, her breath catching in her throat when she looked down at the pile of bones neatly arranged in the trunk. "Is that…"
"Ned," Lady Stark confirmed, her blue eyes swimming with tears once more. "Not too long ago I was holding him in my arms, and now this is all that remains of my sweet husband."
Fear spread through Maliya as she momentarily tried to place herself in Lady Stark's place, looking down at Robb's bones. The pain in her chest made her automatically shy away from the thought and she pushed the matter from her mind, trying to focus on something else. "Why would Lord Tyrion send this to you?" Maliya asked, frowning. "What does he want from us in return?"
Lady Stark slowly shook her head, closing the lid. "I'm so tired. Tired of the pain and the fear and tired of trying to play this game."
"It's not a game for us though, is it?" Maliya questioned with a frown, thinking out loud. She didn't even notice that Lady Stark had neatly side-stepped her questions. "It may be a game for Cersei and Tyrion Lannister who are hiding safely away from the fighting in King's Landing. We're in the thick of it, on the battlefield with our lives at risk. It's a game of survival for us and you are the backbone of this family, my lady. Without you, I fear we would fall apart."
"I'm not really sure how to do this on my own," Lady Stark admitted, her lips twitching up into an empty, lost smile.
"Well, then it's a good thing you're not alone," Maliya announced firmly, reaching out to grasp Lady Stark's hand once more. "Robb and I are here for whatever you need."
"I appreciate that, but what I need are my daughters returned to me, safe and unharmed." Maliya was slightly reassured to hear some of the determination creep back into Lady Stark's voice.
"Was it Lord Baelish who delivered this to you? I met him briefly after he left your tent, he looked upset - "
Anger rippled across Lady Stark's face. "The nerve of that man!" She spat. "He comes in here, playing on my worry for the girls, saying that they're safe for now – "
"So the Lannister's have Arya then?" Maliya interrupted, the hope evident in her voice. Since there had been no mention of her in any of Sansa's letters, most of them had assumed that she was either lost or dead, though they would never had admitted it out loud. To admit it was to accept it and that was something that none of them could do.
"That's what he says, though I find it hard to believe a man who betrayed my husband and played a huge role in his death."
Maliya sat there, stunned, Lady Starks dark words washing over her. "What?" She gasped. "He – He betrayed – why are we just sitting here, why haven't we arrested him - "
"We cannot do anything rash or foolish," Lady Stark admonished, pulling Maliya down because she had actually stood up as if she were going to arrest him right at that moment. "We have no proof of Littlefinger's treachery, and even if we did, his actions have been to the advantage of the Lannisters and they would never admit to his guilt."
"That's not right," Maliya argued, shaking her head. "We're just supposed to let him walk free?"
"For now, we have no other choice."
Feeling the injustice of it all and not wanting to upset Lady Stark further, Maliya let the matter go. "So what do we do now?"
"Now," Lady Stark began in a solemn voice, turning her gaze to the trunk again. "Now we take a rare moment to forget everything else and just grieve."
Maliya didn't know how long she sat on the ground next to her good mother, silently lending her support. Even though she felt awkward and uncomfortable, Maliya didn't feel unwelcome or as if she were intruding on a private moment. After Lady Stark's kind words of encouragement the other night, Maliya felt it was the least she could do.
So, she sat there, uncomplaining as she lost feelings in her legs, not even realizing until later that night that she had completely forgotten all about the letter that was sitting in her pocket.
Death was everywhere he looked. Bodies bearing both the sigils of the direwolf and the lion were strewn all across the field. Blood, insides and other various body parts were mixed with the mud as Robb walked through in an effort to determine the casualties they had taken in the battle. Victory thrummed through his veins, bringing with it that addictive high after a triumphant win, but with the smell of death invading his nose, it was impossible to forget all the lives that had been lost today.
"Five Lannister's dead for every one of ours," Lord Bolton was saying in his cold, smooth voice. "We've nowhere to keep the prisoners and barely enough food to feed our own men."
"Find room, Lord Bolton," Robb ordered in a grave tone. "I won't give the Lannisters any other excuses to harm my sisters." He waited until the older man nodded before turning once more to survey the field. Some of his men were gathering fallen swords, shields and other weapons and he caught sight of Lady Talisa and several other Silent Sisters tending to a Lannister soldiers leg.
"Your Grace!" Robb turned to see a young soldier running towards him, his eyes wide with excitement. "Your Grace, I – I just – "
"It's alright, just take a deep breath," Robb coached, putting a hand on the man's shoulder as he bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
"I apologize, Your Grace," the soldier said, straightening and looking slightly embarrassed. "I've just come from patrol to the west of camp and – well it's incredible really, though admittedly they're several hours too late – "
"Say what you mean to say and say it quickly," Roose drawled. "His Grace doesn't have time to stand here listening to you all day." If he had been a normal man, Robb could picture him rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"It's Prince Oberyn Martell!" The soldier blurted quickly after a slightly scared look at Bolton. "He's here, with several thousand of his men. He requested to see you and his niece, the Queen."
Prince Oberyn? With several thousand men? Maliya said she never received an answer from her father after her letter pleading for help… could this be the help that they had been waiting for? "Escort Prince Oberyn to the command tent, but have his men set up a temporary camp where they are," Robb ordered. "The Martell's are family, but we're in the middle of a war and can never be too careful. Tell the Prince I'll be with him shortly." The young soldier nodded and took off. "I trust you can finish overseeing things here, Lord Bolton?"
"Of course, Your Grace," Lord Bolton answered, inclining his head but Robb was already moving in the direction of his already saddled horse. He called for several guards to join him on the journey back to their camp. Robb spotted Grey Wind off to his right and whistled, breaking his horse into a trot as the wolf easily loped back to his side.
The ride back to camp was mercifully short; Oberyn Martell wasn't a patient man and Robb didn't want to keep him waiting. He found the Greatjon waiting for him when he got to camp. "I take it you've heard the bloody Viper is here," the Greatjon grumbled as Robb swung down off his horse and handed the reins to a nearby guard. "Convenient how he shows up just hours after the battle is already won."
"A fact that I'm sure the Prince will be very upset to hear," Robb answered over his shoulder as he began to stride towards the command tent. "Maliya says he loves to fight almost as much as he loves to fuck."
"Which I've heard is a lot," the Greatjon chortled. "Shall I go with you – "
"I'd like to meet with him alone," Robb answered, pausing to turn and face him. "I'm not sure how he's going to react to the fact that Maliya isn't here. Don't worry, I'll have Greywind with me as a precaution, even if I do feel it's unnecessary. Martell is a smart man; he wouldn't harm me when he's surrounded by so many of my men." The Greatjon nodded and Robb clapped him gratefully on the arm before entering the tent.
Greywind looked up at him in confusion when he stopped short with a frown. A beautiful young woman with fair skin and golden hair was sitting at the table. Her blue eyes turned toward him when he stepped inside and she graced him with a sweet smile.
"Well, if it isn't the King in the North," a familiar, accented voice drawled. Robb looked up and noticed Prince Oberyn for the first time, who had been lurking near the back of the tent. He stalked forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "This is my daughter, Tyene. Tyene this is Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell and King in the North."
Tyene gracefully stood, her long sleeved blue dress perfectly matching her eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace," she smiled, giving him a curtsy.
Robb politely inclined his head back towards her. "Pleased to meet you."
Prince Oberyn's shrewd gaze trailed over the armor that Robb hadn't had time to change out of. There was dried blood splattered across it, a fact that the prince surely wasn't going to miss. The tension in the air changed slightly, though the expression on Prince Oberyn's face was still light and pleasant. "I hope you don't take offense, Your Grace, but your face isn't the one that I hoped to see after several long weeks at sea. Where is my niece?"
Careful now, Robb cautioned himself. Explain where Maliya is calmly and with a great amount of patience. Robb moved further into the tent, Grey Wind padding along at his side. He pretended not to notice Tyene's eyes widen at the size of the wolf as he passed her. "Maliya and my lady mother have journeyed south to treat with Renly Baratheon."
Prince Oberyn's eyes narrowed as Tyene returned to her seat. "You sent her into the heart of enemy territory alone?" He questioned in a smooth, dangerous voice. "I can hardly believe that this idea was Maliya's, she would never turn her back from the battles that you would be facing."
"The idea wasn't hers," Robb admitted, bracing his hands against the table. "I felt this was a good learning experience for Maliya, especially with my mother as a mentor. I sent twenty of my best men with them so they are not unprotected. I can assure you that I would not have sent her if I felt that she was in any danger."
"Permission to speak freely?" Tyene asked, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Of course," Robb gestured for her to go on.
"If you truly knew Maliya, you would know how much she would hate being sent away from the battle that you so obviously just faced," Tyene began, her eyes trailing over the blood on Robb's armor just as her father did, before turning her shrewd gaze on him once more. "Let's be honest, Maliya's presence while negotiating with Renly Baratheon is unnecessary since your lady mother was already attending. So, did you send her because you didn't want her here? I know how you Northerners feel about women and their roles during a war and about women fighting in general."
"Of course not," Robb reassured them immediately, actually feeling slightly offended that they would think that of him. "I love my wife, and while it's true that I might not have wanted her here at first because I feared for her safety, her presence here has become invaluable to me."
"We are glad to hear it," Prince Oberyn said, moving to lounge in the chair across from Robb, completely at ease. "And of course, we look forward to speaking with Maliya herself when she returns from her journey."
Robb nodded, understanding what the prince was so casually implying. He would take Robb's word for now since there was no other option, but as soon as Maliya returned, they would get her account of their relationship first hand to see if Robb was telling the truth. Then they would form their opinion and take any action from there. Even though Robb was a king now, he would never forget the conversation that he and Prince Oberyn had at his and Maliya's wedding.
"Now, let us get down to business," Robb said, casually changing the subject. He sat across from the other two, his arms resting on the table and his fingers clasped in front of him. "While I have some hope as to why you are here, I wish to hear it from you."
"We received Maliya's letter and are here to provide whatever help we can," Prince Oberyn told him, spreading his arms in front of him. "Unfortunately, Dorne's position in this war is precarious. We are too far south and King's Landing and the Lannister's stand between us and you, our allies. As of right now, Dorne is still considered neutral in this war. Even though Maliya is married to you, we cannot say that we support you outright because we are alone if the Lannister's decide to attack us. My brother and I would never leave Maliya without aid, so we have decided that we could spare five thousand men under my command. All of my men are wearing nondescript clothing – there are no banners, no Martell sigil, nothing that would give the enemy any cause to believe Dorne is aiding you. The goal is to keep up this façade for as long as possible and would appreciate your understanding and assistance in doing so."
There was a solemn expression on Robb's face as he absorbed what Prince Oberyn was saying. "I appreciate and understand Dorne's position," Robb acknowledged, looking between them. "Thank you, Prince Oberyn, for answering Maliya's call for aid, and please give my thanks to Prince Doran as well." Prince Oberyn inclined his head, graciously accepting Robb's thanks. "I will explain to my bannermen the importance of keeping your presence here confidential. We will gift to you any spare armor and helmets for your men to wear to blend in with my own."
"I appreciate that, Your Grace."
Robb turned towards Tyene. "I hope you'll forgive me for being blunt, but why did you accompany your father to join us?"
"For Maliya," Tyene responded simply. "We've all missed her, of course, but Maliya is a Princess of Dorne and Queen in the North. Now she's insisting on putting herself in the middle of a war. I am here to offer her whatever she needs, whether it's to fight beside her or to just be her companion. She would hate to hear me say this, but I'm here to help protect her."
"Have your other sisters joined you?" Robb asked her curiously.
"Unfortunately not, though under any other circumstances they would jump at the chance to be here. Obara and Nymeria have chosen to remain behind to protect Dorne if necessary, Sarella is off having her own adventure and the other four are too young and inexperienced."
"I understand." Robb paused, wondering how best to approach the worry at the back of his mind without offending her. "While I'm sure Maliya will love to have you here, women aren't typically allowed in a war camp. Not because I think you are unskilled!" He hurried to assure her. "Maliya has told me much about her childhood and I know how competent you and your sisters are. My men know better than to attempt anything with Maliya, and I, of course, am against such behavior, but the men have long been away from their wives and passions can run high during a war."
Tyene let out a tinkling laugh when she realized what he was trying to say and even Prince Oberyn couldn't hide his grin. "I can assure you, Your Grace, that I can handle any advances your men may make." Her blue eyes twinkled at some joke that Robb didn't understand.
Prince Oberyn's grin turned into a proud smirk. "If anything, I fear for any of your men who make an unwanted advance towards my daughter."
"Right," Robb nodded, trying to hide his confusion as his mind tried to think of ways in which Tyene would protect herself. "Well, I'm sure that you and your men are weary from your long journey. I can have two tents set up for you both near mine and Maliya's and show you where your men can set up their own. Come. I'll introduce you to my bannermen along the way."
"Selfish, stubborn men," Lady Stark spat in a low, annoyed voice. "Together the Lannister's wouldn't stand a chance against them, but their own pride and egos are getting in the way. They're acting like children and now Baratheon will fight Baratheon."
Maliya sat astride Shadow, as she and Lady Stark made their way back to their camp. They had traveled with King Renly after Stannis Baratheon, now calling himself King had besieged Storm's End. They had met, each of them hoping to convince the other to drop their claim and swear fealty to them, but in the end, both had failed.
The letter from Lord Stark was no added to the bag of her most prized, secretive possessions. In all the days since she had received it, they had not found the intruder from the tent and Maliya had told no one of the letter, not even Lady Stark. He had said that she would know when the reveal the letter, as if there would be some sign that now was the time. Maliya hadn't recognized any such sign so for now, she kept yet another secret to herself, constantly wondering what the point of the letter was.
Maliya casually glanced over her shoulder, to make sure they weren't overheard. A fortnight ago, her and Lady Stark had sent half of their men to bring Lord Stark's remains safely back to Winterfell. What remained of their guard had come with them to Storm's End as protection. "What do you suggest we do now, my lady?" Maliya asked her in a quiet voice.
"There is no doubt in my mind that there will be a battle come the dawn," Lady Stark responded gravely. "We will have one more opportunity to make an alliance with Renly. If he should defeat Stannis, we will want him on our side against the Lannister's."
"And if he should lose?" Maliya questioned. "You heard what Stannis said. 'Your son is no less a traitor than my brother. His day will come as well.' Stannis will never ally with anyone who doesn't see him as the rightful King of Westeros."
"We need to be prepared to leave in case the battle doesn't end in our favor. If Stannis should win, we shouldn't be anywhere he can find us in case his intentions are harmful to us." Lady Stark fell silent for a moment, thinking, before glancing over at her. "What do you think about what the red woman said to you?"
A shiver ran down Maliya's spine. Maliya had been in attendance at this meeting, but Stannis and Renly controlled most of the conversation and she had allowed Lady Stark to take over pleading their case. So, she was shocked when the red priestess by Stannis' side had turned to her before leaving, delivering what was either an omen or warning in her throaty, accented voice. "Beware, Your Grace. For when I've seen you in my fires. I see you standing in the middle of a raging fire, mouth open in a silent scream. Only a lion pelt is wrapped around you, it's claws digging into your flesh as rivulets of blood stream down your body. The flames intensify and consume you at this point, and the heat of it is such that I have to end the vision. Your future intrigues me, Your Grace, and I will continue to watch you from afar. Until we meet again."
"I'm not quite sure what to think of it," Maliya admitted honestly. "I don't know about the fire, but the lion pelt could only remind me of the Lannister's. It's unnecessary to warn me to beware of them, however. We are in the middle of a war against them, obviously they would be my enemies. To me it all seems like a load of nonsense. My destiny and my future are my own."
Lady Stark frowned, continuing to look troubled. "It would be unwise to forget what she said, I think. If there is anything that could help you avoid a certain fate, it isn't something that you should disregard."
"Of course," Maliya agreed absentmindedly. Her words had reminded her of something else that Stannis had said, something that had scared her more than anything else during that conversation. Lord Stark had risked his life sending that letter about Cersei and Jaime Lannister to Stannis and in the end, his honor and integrity had cost him his head. Robb was so much like his father that she was terrified he would follow in his footsteps. That he would do something because honor dictated that he do so and the consequences of his actions would get him killed. Before she had left she had mentioned going back to Winterfell if she wouldn't be allowed to fight.
Now it seemed a rash and naïve thing to say. Of course, she would love to be able to fight beside him, but most importantly she had to be by his side for all important and political decisions. She vowed that she would be the voice of reason if his honor endangered his life or got in the way of their goal. The most important thing was destroying the Lannister's and she was going to do whatever was necessary to accomplish that goal.
Author's Note: I basically spent a month and a half trying to think of another way to have an interaction with Maliya/Melisandre/Stannis/Renly and my brain was just not working. So instead of re-writing the scene, this was what I came up with. Does anybody have any thoughts about Ned Stark's letter to Maliya? I'm relatively happy with the chapter, but I'm thrilled to move on because exciting things are going to happening very soon!
Please don't forget to leave a review, I love to hear your thoughts, opinions and advice! :)
Boramir: Thanks for your review! You always write or suggest details that don't even cross my mind! It's perfect, because political/military tactics aren't my strengths, keep the advice coming! I will definitely keep this in mind when writing future chapters, thank you!
sooo: There's angst, sure, I'll give you that. It's a part of all my stories and in my opinion it's a part of Game of Thrones as well. But hatred? That's a little extreme, don't you think?
mattywilkss: I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll admit that in the beginning Maliya did appear to always be correct, which other readers have pointed out and I have attempted to fix. You're only on chapter five, however, so I hope you'll continue reading and your opinion will change. As far as something happy happening? It's Game of Thrones, but I do my best.
Guest 1: Haha thanks for your review, I loved your reaction! Maliya has been very adamant, stubborn and selfish when it comes to having kids. She had revenge first and foremost in her mind and kids weren't an option if she was going to continue that goal. Now that she's been married to Robb for a year and she's fallen in love with him, for the first time she's hesitating because she's beginning to see how it's affecting him. In a way, Maliya is a very selfish character. She's kept so many secrets from Robb because she's afraid about how his reaction will affect her. Hopefully this will change soon!
Anne: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you didn't think the chapter was as bad as I was worried it was going to be. I'm really excited about Maliya and Cat using this opportunity to bond. It's been a year but they haven't grown close because of everything that's happened and that's not beginning to change. I have a few different plans in mind for the whole Robb, Talisa and Maliya situation. I'm still working out the pros and cons for each, but you'll see soon enough! I hope you liked this chapters as well.
Guest 2: Oh boy, here we go. I swear, for some reason GoT readers are some of the most opinionated reviewers I've ever met. Your review started out okay, where you were telling me your opinion on why Maliya shouldn't be drinking moon tea. And I agree with you, she shouldn't be. But I disagree with the fact that no highborn women take moon tea. Not everybody acts how they're SUPPOSED to act. We know for a fact that Asha takes moon tea, she says it herself. Also Cersei took it or some other means when she became pregnant with Robert's child. Plus, it's only a been a year since Robb and Maliya have been married and even less since they've been sleeping together. Not every women gets pregnant within a couple months. That being said, it's not like Maliya's decisions won't have consequences, they will eventually come into play. As for your comments regarding Maliya's character - I completely and totally disagree, but you are entitled to your opinion. No character is perfect and Maliya certainly isn't, she's still changing and learning, which is the point of character development.
Guest 3: Thanks for your review! I haven't totally decided about Robb/Talisa but thank you for your opinion, I'm glad you like the story!
Guest 4: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and that you appreciated seeing that other side of Maliya. Hope you liked this chapter!
Guest 5: Thanks for your review, glad you're liking the story so far!
Guest 6: Thank you! Stay tuned, it's only going to get better from here!