Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ALETIA was upset as she watched her lady pack for the journey to Dragonstone. What was she to do without her? Who would she serve? Maia insisted that she wouldn't have to serve anyone and she'd still allow someone to pay her, because she believed Aletia deserved it, but the handmaiden wouldn't accept. She'd get bored so easily.
Maia stuffed her last knitted shawl in her small sack of clothing. She turned to Aletia, who had her arms crossed in the corner of her chambers. "I don't understand why you won't accept the offer," she scoffed. "I'm going to have someone give you earnings for doing nothing. You deserve a break."
Aletia gave her a blank stare. "I will get bored without you, m'lady."
"You're really going to make this hard for me, aren't you?"
The handmaiden nodded slowly.
"Then ... serve Lady Sansa. I'm sure she'll need some extra help with being Lady of Winterfell while Jon is away." Maia lifted her hand triumphantly. "There, problem solved."
"I will miss you, Lady Maia."
Maia smiled sadly towards her handmaiden. She engulfed her in her arms. Aletia felt content in her lady's warm embrace; her scent soothing. After a moment, Maia pulled away, shaking her shoulders. "I'll be back before you know it. Pinky promise."
Aletia's brow furrowed. "Pardon me?"
"No one here knows what a pinky promise is," Maia muttered under her breath, sticking her pinky out. Aletia hesitated and did the same. "Lock your pinky with mine." Maia instructed, and Aletia followed. "I pinky promise I'll come back soon, okay? Don't worry about me."
Aletia nodded, but she couldn't help but worry, no matter how much her lady ordered not to. The two unlocked their fingers, and Maia threw her sack of clothing over her shoulder, but Aletia insisted not to. Maia sighed before giving her handmaiden the bag. She would never let Maia make things easy for her.
As Aletia opened the door to leave, the two found Sansa waiting at the entrance, lifting her fist as if she was just about to knock. Aletia acknowledged her presence before sprinting out to secure Maia's bag on her horse. Sansa cleared her throat, "I came to say my goodbyes."
"Good, now I don't have to track you down," Maia grinned, following Sansa out of the room and walking along Winterfell's battlements.
Sansa hesitantly laced her arm through her friend's, feeling nostalgic as she remembered their first time walking these halls together. Though Maia Sanders got on her nerves way too often, Sansa still cared for her friend, and she was worried of this journey to Dragonstone. Something wasn't right to her. Something would go wrong.
"So, just for reference," Sansa said, "in your world, did you find out how this visit would go? Do you know what's going to happen?"
Maia chuckled softly. "Not at all. Last time I was there, I'm pretty sure the author of the series you're all in postponed the release date for your newest book for, like, the tenth time."
