GOT : All Left Behind

"Your partner is your counterpart. Do what she cannot, and she will do what you cannot."​

"… and remember, the Crone's light of wisdom is a lamp, not a fire," I told the assembled group of small and less small children. And adults, too, for that matter. These religious study sessions had grown alongside their participants, and I felt a peculiar twinge of sadness at the sight of Saera, once so small that she could ride on my shoulders, barely able to contain herself with nervous excitement. The girl was all but bouncing in her seat with excitement. "It is controlled, directed, and can easily be obscured."

"But unlike a simple fire, a lamp is far harder to extinguish," Maegelle reminded the children from beside me. Her conduct was as warm and matronly as ever, a welcome change from the nauseating conduct of the Ironborn I had endured for far longer than I had thought possible. Even now, months later, I still tried to savor her presence as much as I could. "It is guarded, protected. The light of wisdom can only be obscured and ignored, but it is far harder to destroy."

"That was all we planned for today," I said to the assembled group. "Braxton, Saera, you two are due for your final fittings. Viserra, make sure Aelys, Aerion, and Aerea make it to their lessons. Danelle, wait outside for a moment, would you?"

I did not bother addressing Daella and Corlys. They were adults, and could manage their own lives just fine, after all. They had their own agenda to follow, recently wed that they were. Well, it might have been most of a year, but their behavior could have fooled me.

"Be seeing you later, then?" Corlys asked, taking Daella's hand to escort her… wherever she wanted to go, really. She was a princess, and he was merely a lord.

"Tonight," I said definitively. "For dinner, as per usual."

Without a further word, they filed out.

Once we were alone in the quiet room, I could finally tell Maegelle what had been eating at me for hours.

"There are Dornish in the city," I revealed without preamble, sagging back into my seat. "I already arranged for more guards, but I don't know if it will be enough to maintain safety at the wedding."

Maegelle only sat in silence, a hand resting on her bulging midsection. A reminder of what was at risk if we failed here, if I failed here. A reminder that she carried around daily. Or mayhaps it was just the babe kicking.

I thought my interpretation was more poignant.

"Can we change septs?" she asked after a moment. "I know the people will not like it, but if it is for everyone's safety, we must consider it."

"We planned for the Sept of Visenya's Hill and sent out invitations with that in mind," I said with a sigh. "Guests are beginning to arrive, and we cannot fit them all into the castle sept."

"And Saera would hate it."

"And Saera would hate it," I agreed. "The people, too. They are expecting to see us at least on the way back from the sept."

"Then that is when the Dornish will strike," Maegelle surmised. "Since we cannot deny the Dornish the opportunity, we have to mitigate the damage they can cause. Hence more guards."

"Exactly," I said. My voice must have borne just a touch of gloom, because a soft and gentle hand reach out to give mine a reassuring squeeze. "But I didn't like how many guards we had before this bit of news."

"Then we find more guards," Maegelle said. "The City Watch?"

"I was trying to get more guards when I got the news," I said, shaking my head. "They already gave all they can spare. Any further guards diverted means the city is left vulnerable."

"And with the Dornish about, that is begging for trouble," Maegelle said. "What of the guests? Surely they each came with a retinue of guards?"

"That… would work," I said after a moment of thought. Giving the lords and ladies of the realm the chance to accompany the royal family on a trip through the city was not something any of them would refuse. Simply the amount of prestige available and potential to upstage their rivals meant they could not afford to refuse. "I also convinced Aemon to bring in some of his men from Dragonstone."

"Aemon?" Maegelle feigned a goon-natured look of surprise at that. "Look at you getting along with your brother. We should pay a visit to the sept. Clearly, there has been a miracle."

"You act as though it were impossible," I said, rolling my eyes but unable to keep a smile from my face. "But I will be asking for Corlys' help at dinner tonight."

It was a risk, to be sure. He was one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom, and what men he could spare and bring to the city on short notice would still be highly impressive. Far more impressive than the small retinues most lords would have with them. Mayhaps even more impressive than the guards of my family's household.

But for my family, that was a risk I was willing to take.

"Then I shall pray that it will be enough," She announced before her gaze hardened ever so slightly. My wife did not appreciate being treated like a junior partner. "Now. The matter of Danelle?"

Ah yes.

That.

"Father wants her on the dais," I revealed, massaging my brow at the colossal headache he had been so intent to cause me. "But not as a Dayne. With the Dornish in the city, he wants to keep her close lest he lose a future bargaining chip."

"On the dais? At the high table?" Maegelle asked. "With our family?"

"Aye," I sighed. "The mysterious ward I brought back from Dorne will join the high table for the wedding feast. Which also means she will need to be kept close during the wedding celebrations, lest her sudden appearance upstage the actual wedding. All so Father can keep her away from the Dornish."

"It is hardly the worst change," she observed. "Though it would invite unfortunate rumors."

"And Danelle is unlikely to appreciate it," I added. Having killed her family and then abducted her, saying the girl would be 'unlikely to appreciate it' felt like a bit of an understatement. "Which is why we need to talk to her."

"Together, then," Maegelle said.

"As always," I agreed, rising to my feet and striding over to the door, pulling it open. The white knight guarding the door gave the barest nod of acknowledgment before returning his focus to the almost entirely deserted hallway, but I paid him little mind. The little Dayne girl was more important here.

"Danelle." I tried to speak gently. Tried to keep my voice free of any guilt I felt at robbing this poor child of what should have been a happy and idyllic upbringing. Unfortunately, while my ability to praise and encourage was second to none, reassuring children whom I had personally traumatized was not something I had much experience with. "Come in."

The girl slowly shuffled into the room, eyes fixated on the floor. She did not even walk fully into the room, did not make it to the center of the ring of chairs where Maegelle and I spoke of the Seven. No, she stopped a few paces in, refusing to lift her gaze.

"Have a seat, little one." Maegelle, thankfully, did not share my weakness.

"… is something wrong?" the girl whispered, not moving from her place.

"Nothing is wrong, Danelle," I said, moving away from the door to take a seat next to Maegelle. Besides the ring of chairs, the room was quite sparsely decorated. Not even a table on which to rest a book, or colorful tapestries to decorate the walls. All to better focus thought on the discussion, on learning. "Sit. We have things to tell you."

She seemed to shrink in on herself at those words, like she was afraid we would sentence her to some grisly fate. But she obeyed. Slowly, hesitantly, clearly terrified, she obeyed.

"Nobody here will harm you, little one," Maegelle said with her usual calm, moving just a bit closer to the child. "But there will be some changes."

Look upon your works, Vaegon. See what you have accomplished.

I… I could not do this. This was not my area of expertise. I would only make this worse.

I cleared my throat softly, and Maegelle turned her attention to me.

She must have seen something on my face, read my expression, because she gave a simple nod—a dismissal, but nowhere near as rude.

By the Seven I loved that woman.

The talk would no doubt take some time, so off to the training yard I went. It always helped my mood, and I did so enjoy training myself and others. Besides, a good fight was always welcome. Mayhaps that Ser Walter of Oldbridge would finally accept my challenge.

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