Quick Note from the Author: Hey readers! It has been quite a while since I updated this story, and this chapter is short, but I hope you enjoy it. Please drop a line and let me know what you think. Who's ready for next month so we can see our favorite show again?! I AM! :)

A Tale of Magic and Monsters and Lords

Chapter 4. Few Good Men

Mari

She's not here…

My sister, Ashlin…she's gone.

Or maybe she was never here at all. If she wasn't, how can I explain the hope in my heart, the feeling of absolute sureness in my gut that she is here in Westeros? Somewhere…

One thing I am sure of, though, and that is Ashlin is not in King's Landing.

"Mari."

I jerk around, startled by the voice which was not preceded by any other noise, and quickly wipe the tears from my cheeks. It does no good; they are still slick with salty tears. Regardless, I straighten up and bow my head respectfully. After all, I am in the presense of the Hand to the King.

"Yes, my Lord?"

I suck in a breath and hope he does not question me of my appearance. This is the second time he has seen me reduced to tears in the same day. I already feel horrible having lied to Lord Stark of my true identity and his being so kind to me isn't making matters any easier. His grey eyes sweep over me but it is impossible to guess what he is thinking.

"Come with me," He orders, and I nod compliantly. He turns sharply and begins walking at a quick stride through the dark, windy corridors of the castle. I follow him on shaky legs, my heart thumping erratically in my chest. I fear the worst. Grandmother Olenna must have found me, and she's either come to bring me back to the Reach so she can marry me off, or she's sent an army to kill me for disobeying her. She is quite scary that way. I mean, I don't see what reason she has to kill me, but I suppose being a nuisance my entire life is good enough reason as any. If it isn't Grandmother, then it must mean that Lord Stark somehow discovered I lied about my sister being a scullery maid, and he is surely sending me away.

Lord Stark doesn't say a word until we've reached our apparent destination, which happens to be the sleeping quarters of his oldest daughter Sansa, who is nearly fourteen. The girl isn't present at the moment, but Jory Cassel, Captain of Eddard Stark's guard, and another member of his guard are. My eyes linger on the second man as I feel a sense of familiarity wash over me. There isn't anything particularly startling or appealing about his features, although he is definitely lighter-toned in hair, skin and eye color than most Northmen are. He has blue eyes and rich, dark copper hair. He looks to be around the age I imagine my father is now; late-thirties.

"Do you know this man?" Lord Stark questions, and my eyes dart to his cool grey ones.

I examine the man in question for a few more moments before admitting, "I'm not sure. I think that I may have seen him before, but I don't know when or where."

"This man came to Winterfell close to thirteen years ago from his home in the Reach," Stark explains to me, and I feel my heart begin to race again, "His name is Max Tattersall."

Images of a younger Max Tattersall dance across my eyes and I am overcome with emotion. "Max," I choke out as I embrace the old captain of my father's guards. I haven't seen him since I was four, but I saw him every day before that. He didn't simply serve my father, they were the best of friends, and I loved Max like an uncle.

"Mariene," Max holds me tightly before stepping back to look at me better, "I knew it was you. Why did you say you were Mari Longley? How did you come to be in King's Landing?"

"I'm sorry," I sigh, feeling defeated before attempting to explain myself. How do I go about explaining that I think the sister my mother made disappear weeks before her death has returned after all this time by an unexplainable magic? It is preposterous. All the same, I decide to tell the truth as best I can and hope that I am not called a liar. "I had already told the guard that my sister's name was Pippa Longley, so I had to say that my name is Mari Longley. And my name is Mari; Mari Flowers. Grandmother Olenna and Uncle Mace decided it would be better for the Tyrell name if I were known as a bastard instead of a symbol of tragedy. I didn't mean to tell a lie to you, Lord Stark. Please, forgive me." I bow my head briefly before proceeding to say, "I really am looking for my sister, so that part is true. It's just that her name is Ashlin Rose, not Pippa, and she isn't actually here at the castle like I thought she was. I don't know where she is, that's why I'm looking for her."

Jory Cassel and Lord Stark exchange a look with Max that does not go unnoticed by myself. I know what they are thinking; that I'm crazy and they don't believe me. Either that, or they think I'm lying and have to now decide what to do to me. I don't think I like either of those conclusions, so I decide I have to persuade them to believe me. I have to tell them the story that haunts my dreams nearly every night.

"Thirteen years ago..." I speak up, and three sets of eyes flash over to me, "when I was still Lady Mariene Iris, I lived at castle Bitterbridge with my father, Shaene Tyrell, and my mother, Lady Adelina. It was Ashlin Rose's third name day, one moon following my fourth, and our parents hosted a great feast to celebrate. I loved the music, the dancing, and the ladies in their beautiful gowns. I twirled in my dress until I was so dizzy I couldn't see straight. I couldn't wait to grow up and be one of those ladies myself. I remember daydreaming about the day when my sixteenth name day would come and I would have a ball held in my honor. Of course, that never happened, and I'm seventeen now, but...that was before." I pause to take a breath, only just realizing that I've never told this story out loud before. My point of view has never been heard. I can't go back now, though. It is time for the truth to be revealed, "Now, Ashlin, she was my shadow. She followed me as I followed the ladies, and she moved her feet to copy mine as I practiced the steps of the dances. She never left my side, not for one moment. Towards the end of the night, Ashlin became tired, and Mother said it was time for bed. I wasn't ready for sleep yet, so I tried to hide under one of the tables in the great hall, but Mother found me; I think Ashlin gave me away. I was made to go to bed, too. Mother carried us both, I remember it clearly, up the long staircase to our shared bedroom in the north tower. She sang us a song about the ocean and a woman with a voice so beautiful men would throw themselves into the water from their ships just to see her. Only they never did get to see her, because they all drowned. At the top of the stairs, there was a strange red light shining through the cracks of our closed bedroom door. Mother stopped when she saw it. Then, I heard the whispering..."

I don't realize I have gotten lost in my memory of that night until Lord Stark prompts, "Whispering?"

I blink a few times before continuing, "Yes. Whispers. I don't know what they said. Something that frightened Mother so bad that she turned and ran back down the stairs, holding on to us so tightly that we both began to cry. Mother brought us to her and Father's room, where she shut the door and locked it tight behind us. She...she turned to us and her eyes were wild. They were usually a honey gold color, like Ashlin's, but for some reason they almost seemed to glow red like the strange light from upstairs. She began to whisper, chanting something in a language that I did not understand. She turned her eyes to Ashlin, and Ashlin began to shake and cry, her screams grew louder, and I thought Mother was hurting her. I tried to help, but when I went to wrap my arms around my little sister, there was nothing there. Nothing...was...she was gone. That was when Ashlin Rose disappeared."

I swallow the lump of emotion in my throat and wait for one of the three men to speak. I still remember the night so clearly; every detail, every moment. I think I can still feel the raw ache in my throat from screaming so loudly for my sister back. I remember feeling hopelessly lost and scared, and somehow knowing that nothing would ever be the same again.

Max places a large, heavy hand on my shoulder as he confirms, "I know, Mariene. I remember, too."

I shake my head, insisting, "But you didn't see. You didn't watch her disappear before your very eyes. You didn't hear my mother. She...she said she did it to protect her. She said it was the only way to keep Ashlin safe." I repeat the words that have been racing through my head for weeks, "'When a dragon is born during the Long Winter, and magic returns to the realm, she will come back to us.' Nearly a fortnight ago, a red comet crossed the sky. Mother always said that meant a dragon was born. The night before that I had a dream, that Ashlin returned to us, and that she was here, in King's Landing. I know that isn't true now, but I do believe that magic has returned to realm and that Ashlin is here somewhere. I have to find her. I fear something bad will happen if I don't."

-*-*-*-A-Tale-Of-Magic-And-Monsters-And-Lords-*-*-*-

This day has turned out much differently than I expected it to. This morning, when I finally passed through the gates of the city of King's Landing, I had hoped that by this time in the evening I would have found my sister and we'd be catching up on all the years we lost. I had very high hopes that Ashlin would be in the exact location she was in my dream, so that I wouldn't have to search high and low for her. It wasn't that simple, and I was naive to think it would be. I won't give up, though. I will find her, and now I have help to do so.

After listening to the sad story of my childhood, Lord Stark offered me a place to stay in exchange for acting as his daughter Sansa's new hand-maiden. He wants someone to keep an eye on her, to keep her true to herself and not turn against her Northern traditions while staying here in King's Landing. He worries for her, and I yearn for my own father, who used to worry about me much the same way. I am discovering that Eddard Stark does not live up to the rumors of being cold and cruel, like the weather of the north. He is kind-hearted and honorable, and we need more men like him in this world. Of course, I accepted his proposal and have since settled in the small room that connects to Sansa's through a servant's door. I still have not met the Stark daughter, or her younger sister, Arya. I am anxious to make their acquaintance.

It was also a shock to find Max Tattersall a member of Winterfell's guard. A pleasant shock, but still a surprise all the same. I had thought he went north with my father, to the Wall, where he pledged his life to the Black. He didn't, though. According to Max, he travelled to Winterfell alongside my father, but then he was told to stay. My father ordered him to stay in Winterfell and make a new life for himself; to never return to the Reach and to never follow him to the Wall. It saddens me that my father pushed away not only myself and his family, but his very best friend, too. He made sure that he would be alone and miserable.

Max promised me he would help me find Ashlin Rose. He made a pledge, in front of Lord Stark, to stay by my side until my mission is complete. He will protect and guide me for as long as I need, and after we find Ashlin, he promised to bring us north to our father, so our family can be reunited once more.

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-MissCarolineForbes