A tall man with raven hair gazed down at the silver locket in his hand which held a drawing of a woman, his long fingers sketching over the features of her face. A small smile lifted his lips as he rode through the gates of King's Landing.

The raven-haired man stopped his horse when he saw her. No, he thought, she should've been in Winterfell…why is she here? Why is everything so different?

It had been almost five years since they've seen each other. The man dismounted his horse quickly, his servants calling out to him as he ran from them, and towards her. She stopped to smell the flowers in the garden.

"Maya," he spoke aloud, his voice firm.

She slowly turned around and seem to freeze at the sight of him. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I was asking myself the same thing about you," he replied.

Maya then shook her head, saying, "I have to go. I can't do this with you right now."

"Can't do what?" He asked quickly, following her.

"Talk to you…look at you. There's a long list of things that I don't want to do with you."

"Why not?"

Maya whirled around, snapping at him, "You broke my heart. You were the first man that I ever loved, I…you opened a five and ten girl's eyes to the cruelty of the world, you caused her to harden her heart, and to believe that there is no such thing as love. You gave me disappointed hopes, Ser."

She turned around, continuing, "But I found someone who's nothing like you and gave me the hope of love. True love."

"Who is this love that you speak of?"

"Ser Jaime Lannister," she answered confidently.

"The Kingslayer?! Your father wouldn't allow this. We hate the Lannisters-everyone hates the Lannisters."

"He's changed, he's not like that anymore. At first when we were forced to marry each other, of course I didn't love him...but along the way I fell in love with him as he did with me. We're not perfect, maybe that's why we go so well together."

"Anyone who marries into that family is always forced against their will, Maya. He...people like them don't change," he reminded her.

"And what kind of people are they?"

"Wealthy and greedy people that's who. They will step on anyone they have in order to get what they want."

"Are we not like them as well? Have we not killed to get the outcome of our desires?!"

He was beyond shocked as he questioned in outrage, " I can't believe that you're defending those people."

"I'm not believe me! Though whom I am defending are Ser Jaime and Tyrion Lannister. The rest of them can go to the deepest of the Seven hells for all I care," she explained. "You're just like them anyhow so why should you judge?!"

"Because I still love even after five years. I can't stop thinking about you...I never could."

"If that were even true then why did you leave," she inquired curiously, her eyes slightly hopeful.

Maya remembered the way he made her feel whenever he was near. He always made her weak in the knees for him and would strive for his attention, seeking for it...for him. He was her world and she thought of their future together daily. Fall madly in love, marriage, babies, and then die old together. She was dependent on him and hung onto every word that he had ever said to her.

She gave him everything and she didn't care about anything else, foolishly falling in love like five and ten girl that she still was.

I can't trust him especially after what happened with The Mountain yesterday…

"I can't tell you."

Her eyes were filled with disappointment once again. She let herself be caught in the storm that he always brought with him. She was about to turn around, but then stopped and told him, "I think you have no heart, and I had a mind once to give you mine. Goodbye, Ser Lucian Blackwell."

Maya turned and went to her chambers where

Jaime was pacing back and forth in worry.

"Where have you been," he asked worriedly as he cupped her face in his large hands. "I was worried-"

"There is something that I need to tell you…"

"What is it?" Jaime asked softly. "You can tell me anything you know?"

"Yes, but this is something that I've never told anyone...this is what made the way I am today or well this person made who I am and let's just say that the hold he had on me was great, Jaime."

"How great exactly?"

"Greater than the one that Cersei had on you," Maya informed him with a grave tone of voice.

. . .

Her breath came out in a puff of smoke in front for her.

Winter is coming, she thought grimly.

Arya Stark's fingers gently touched the stones in the wall as she walked through the lonely alleyway. She followed the shadows along the walls as voices came all around her.

"I did what you told me...now tell me about my sisters...about my family. What happened?" Arya asked aloud to the darkness that surrounded her. "Are they still alive?"

"Physically," a voice answered cryptically. "They are slowly blowing away from the people that you once new. Changing into true wolves. Kings and Queens of Winter."

Arya nodded, with a brooding look on her face as the voice continued, "I have told you all that you need to know, Arya Stark. Now you must forget all that you know of the life you led before you came here. You must change your face now. If you do not change, then you will fade away like your family."

The decision is yours and yours alone, the voice echoed inside of her head.

I make my own choices nowadays...

TBC…

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! This knight was mentioned before in earlier chapters so I have many things planned. I hoped you liked this chapter.

REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time...