Disclaimer: I do not own Games of Thrones. I only own my OC.

A/N: This chapter is short but it focuses on Maeve and Alerie. I thought it was important to include. I wanted readers to know how good of a mother Alerie is to the youngest of her children. She does love all of her children but it's obvious that Maeve has a special place in her heart.

Also the quote, "Stardust in the eyes, rosy cheeks, and a happy girl in the morning," is actually from the movie Casper. I love that movie so much and I wanted to include the quote. You may also want to listen to One Last Wish from the Casper original soundtrack when reading this chapter. It'll make the chapter more emotional.

The painting mentioned in this chapter will be important for later in the story. If you follow me on Tumblr then you'd know why.

Warnings: There is mention of childbirth and (without going into details) what happened to Aerea Targaryen. I still wanted to put it in the warning because if you read Fire and Blood then you know what happened to her. It is rather unpleasant and it's straight out of a Stephen King novel…like The Mist. George R.R. Martin could definitely be a horror novelist.

"Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks." - Plutarch

Chapter 5: The Night Sky

In Maeve's chambers hung a painting of the night sky that, to her knowledge, had been there way before she was born. The painting stayed where it was, never moved by her or her grandmother who once inhabited those same chambers. The painting was even older than her grandmother.

Maeve couldn't bring herself to move the painting to bring it to Winterfell with her. She didn't think it was right. The painting should remain where it had always been. At Highgarden.

Although Maeve wasn't an artist she did know how to appreciate art. Willas told her every art piece has some kind of meaning behind it. So there had to have been a meaning behind the night sky painting. Sadly she did not know what the meaning was. The beauty of the night sky painting did almost make up for the mystery.

There hadn't been a painting Maeve liked as much, nor felt a connection to like the one in her chambers. Maeve thought it was because she enjoyed gazing at the stars.

The youngest rose of Highgarden would go stargazing with her siblings. They didn't do it as much as when they were younger but during the times they would gaze at the stars, talk of astronomy occurred. It was more Willas and her who spoke of astronomy while the rest of their siblings listened attentively.

Maeve's siblings weren't with her now as she stared at the starry night. The hour was growing late and she assumed they were already in their chambers. Not her though.

A month already had gone by since the official announcement of her betrothal to Robb Stark. One more month was left until she would leave for Winterfell to meet and marry Lord Stark's eldest son.

Despite presenting herself as composed, the nervous feeling never fully went away. Spending time with her precious Starlight helped, as did archery and continuing her High Valyrian lessons. Stargazing alone had become a more common thing for her. She found the endless stars to be beautiful. It amazed Maeve, and for a bit she would forget about the responsibilities of life.

Her nervousness would eventually return but Maeve cherished the small moments of complete tranquility.

The stars on this particular night were dazzling, appearing as if they were actually twinkling before her eyes. The night sky was an exact match to the painting that was in her chambers.

"Are you looking for the biggest star to make a wish?"

Maeve looked away from the night sky to look at her mother.

There was a gentle smile on Alerie Tyrell as she walked toward her youngest daughter. The coldness Maeve felt from being outside at night was replaced by the warmth that naturally came from being near her mother.

If you make a wish on the brightest star it'll come true.

As a child Maeve believed those bright words coming from her mother. Now that she was older she understood wishing on a star wouldn't get her what she wanted. Sometimes she would try finding the biggest star she could, just for the fun of it, not expecting her wish to be granted. It took her back to a time when all she needed to worry about was what boring lesson her septa planned for her the following day.

"No, not tonight." Maeve took a few steps of her own, now standing beside her mother. "I'm letting my mind take over."

"And what's on your mind, daughter of mine?" Alerie kindly asked, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her daughter's ear. Afterwards the older woman adjusted the shawl she wore over her shoulders. The silken shawl went perfectly with her periwinkle dress.

Her mother, despite having Tyrell as her surname, was expected to still represent her Hightower background by wearing green. An easy thing to do since green was also a House color for the Tyrells. Except green wasn't the only color to represent the Tyrells, unlike with the Hightowers.

Her mother rarely ever wore green. Maeve could count on a single hand with how many times she'd seen her mother wear green. No, Alerie's preferred color was periwinkle.

Maeve thought her mother looked beautiful in any color. Her brown hair and green eyes did stand out more whenever she wore periwinkle. It was a stunning color on her. She recalled Margaery wearing a lot of periwinkle when they were children because she too thought their mother looked beautiful in the color.

Even now, as her mother stood under the moonlight she looked lovely. Maeve saw the same elegance she would see in Margaery. Her older sister was lucky to inherit that from their mother.

Her mother repeated her question, sounding concerned this time. Maeve got a hold of herself. In truth she'd been thinking about a lot of things. Her mother's presence suddenly made her focus, and she brought up something she'd been wanting to talk to her about.

Maeve tugged at sleeves of her dress. Her voice thankfully came out steady. "You didn't love my father when you first met him all those years ago."

Her daughter wasn't asking a question, and Alerie didn't answer with one in return. Instead she answered honestly. "No, I didn't." The older brunette sighed. "I thought he was…" She paused, unable to find the right word to describe how she felt about Mace Tyrell when first meeting him.

Maeve guessed with raised eyebrows. "An oaf?" She only said that because of the amount of times her grandmother had called her father, her own son, by that name. Maeve wasn't so casual with that sort of name calling when it came to her father. It's why she sounded sheepish and apologetic for saying it now.

Alerie shook her head. "Not exactly. He certainly wasn't what I was expecting. But he made me laugh."

In her mind she pictured a much younger Mace, back when they were introduced. He'd been a stuttering and blushing mess. Their first conversation had been mostly carried out by her….until Mace accidentally bumped into someone. That person then spilled their wine on someone else and started a commotion.

Mace profusely apologized to everyone, and made his way to leave all flustered. He only stopped because of her reassurance he heard from between her laughs. They stayed by each other's side for the rest of night until departing respectfully. Amusingly he found it easier to talk to her after that.

Alerie thought it was quite the first impression.

"And I told myself, it is better to have a betrothed that makes me laugh instead of cry." The older woman said to her daughter with a soft smile. "Your father is the same jolly man who's been able to lighten up my day since the moment we met. So no, love didn't come until later." She released a heartfelt sigh. "Now I can not picture a life with him not in it."

Hearing that almost stopped the swirling of anxiety in Maeve's stomach. She was still curious though. So she asked her question with gentleness. "When exactly was later?"

Alerie didn't even need to think about it. She knew the moment her feelings for Mace turned from platonic to romantic. "After Willas was born." She joyously revealed. "That's when I realized how important your father was to me."

Of course, it made perfect sense to Maeve. A child does change things between a husband and wife. She didn't personally know but she was to marry and having a child would follow, sooner or later. She gulped. The anxiety in her started to become unavoidable. She hurriedly looked back up at the night sky as a way to stop her eyes from watering. "Do you think I'll be that lucky?" She asked through her nerves.

Alerie placed her soft hands on her daughter's cheeks, gaining her attention. She could see the perturbation in her green eyes. "I pray to the Gods each day that you will be." She answered earnestly, kissing her forehead.

She wanted the best for her daughter. Her husband and his mother agreed with her when it came to the happiness of Maeve. Olenna had been more finical than Mace when it came to her daughter's potential suitors. As was Alerie. It's why she sided with Olenna when rejecting betrothal offers from House Bolton and House Frey.

As if Alerie would ever let her darling daughter marry into either of those houses. Her daughter, who as a child used to think she could sense horses' emotions. Who even now would wake up early to read to them at the stables because she thought it made them happy, especially to her own horse. She was a kindhearted person who would go into the kitchen, eager to help the staff with preparing food and then hand delivering to the common people.

At sixteen her daughter was compassionate as ever but still as dainty as a rose that just bloomed. Neither of those dingy houses were right for her. House Bolton had a flayed man as their sigil. A sickening sight enough to eliminate any potential. And as for House Frey, well House Frey frankly was not worthy of her daughter.

Mace, because of foolish courtesy, wanted to read their letters but Alerie was content in watching Olenna throw them into the hearth. Maeve was a sensitive soul and she deserved someone who would treat her with the utmost respect. Alerie knew this special someone was not from House Bolton or House Frey.

According to Olenna, the perfect match for Maeve was from House Stark. Ned Stark's eldest son, Robb Stark. House Stark, like House Bolton, was located in the North. House Stark, however, was the greatest house in the North, known by many for honoring their oaths. Their sigil consisted of a grey direwolf. Which Alerie didn't have any difficulty in looking at. Unlike the brutal sigil of House Bolton.

Yes, having House Stark on their side through marriage would be an advantage, politically but personally? Alerie, along with the rest of her family, had yet to meet this Robb Stark. When she arrived at Winterfell she was going to make sure he was truly worthy of her daughter. She already suspected Olenna to do the same even though the choice of the betrothal had been made by her. As would the rest of her children because they were Tyrells.

Tyrells looked after their own.

Even Mace, who was dewy-eyed and merry, would have his own way of being attentive, as she had seen so before.

And if this Robb Stark turned out to be a clumsy fool, like Mace when they met, Alerie would be completely fine with it. Having two left feet wasn't an issue as long as he had a good heart and put her daughter's well-being above his own, just as Mace had done so with her. She could then live peacefully away from her daughter knowing she was in caring hands.

Alerie caressed her daughter's cheeks before stepping back slightly. An image of a young daughter clutching at her dress before being lifted came to mind. "Do you remember what I used to say to you when you were a child before going to sleep?"

Maeve blinked, glad no tears escaped her. She smiled. Her mother's sweet words were often followed by another kiss to the forehead before she covered her up with warm blankets. "Stardust in the eyes, rosy cheeks, and a happy girl in the morning."

"My own mother would say that to me." Alerie's words were comforting but they quickly became mindful. "And who knows…maybe someday you'll be saying it to your own children."

Alerie didn't want to startle her daughter but the topic of children was to be brought up at some point. Rather than being curt she decided to approach it in a softer manner. Much like her own mother had done with her.

Maeve's smile still wavered. The thought of children was as distressing as the thought of marrying. Actually, it was childbirth that frightened her. It frightened her as much as the story of what happened to Aerea Targaryen.

The pain the Targaryen Princess must have endured because of the things that moved inside her. It was of course a different kind of pain from childbirth (worse even) but Maeve heard about the horror her own mother faced bringing her into the world.

The blood. There must have been so much blood. She wasn't an easy birth unlike her siblings. Her mother fought so hard to birth her that she needed rest for close to a month once she was born. She was even advised on not having any more children after Maeve.

Maeve hated that her mother suffered so much because of her. Such strength her mother had. The youngest Tyrell didn't think she'd be able to handle it as well as she did.

Not wanting to further overwhelm her, Alerie decided to end the talk of children for now. "Shall we head inside?" She suggested in a tender tone. "We can have tea and lemon cakes. Perhaps I can even read from one of your favorite books."

"Yes, that sounds wonderful, mother." Maeve happily agreed. It did indeed sounded wonderful. Drinking warm tea, eating lemon cakes, and relaxing as her mother read to her as if she were six again. There was no way she was passing up on that.

Maeve wanted to feel like a child once again. Her marriage day was approaching, as was her final transition into womanhood. She wanted to enjoy whatever was left of her childhood while she could.

The sixteen year old smiled as her mother wrapped her shawl around her. They made their way inside in comfortable silence.