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MAIA felt like she had to drag herself to Maester Wolkan's office the next day. She had been worried lately – for lack of a better word – about not just her pregnancy, or her secrets, but also for her symptoms.
Maia finally convinced herself to visit the maester after nearly doubling over in pain that morning. She had been teaching the smallfolk boys on how to ready an arrow on their bows with Tormund, but she suddenly felt an increase amount of pain in her lower abdomen. Her hand, which laid on a boy's shoulder as she instructed him, quickly slipped off, and she kneeled on the ground, crossing her arms over her stomach.
Tormund ran over to her to aid. He helped her stand, asking, "You alright, Sanders?"
Maia then gripped Tormund's shoulder tightly. She shook her head as she winced. "I ... I think I must see Maester Wolkan."
"Well, get on over there." The wildling laughed, hoping to lighten her spirits. "I'll be fine teaching these boys without you."
She nodded quickly, and that was how she now ended up sitting in Maester Wolkan's office, laying her head near the windowsill. The maester sat his quill down on his desk before turning to her in his stool. He cleared his throat, "Have you made a decision yet, Lady Maia?"
"No," she answered truthfully, "that's not what I'm here for."
"So you've told His Grace?"
"No, please, let me finish," Maia quipped, clearly agitated. She instantly felt bad for interrupting the maester. "I don't know what's going on with me, Maester Wolkan. I've never been with child before, but my symptoms are confusing me."
Maester Wolkan stood to pick up a book from his shelf. Maia didn't look to check for a title, but she watched him flip to a certain page he wanted. "Continue, my lady."
"I realize that morning sickness is normal; I just think there's an insufferable amount of it. I also haven't drank, because I've been told it hurts a pregnancy. This doesn't mean I've made my decision yet," she quickly added. "But ... my breasts aren't ... tender, I guess. I think they're supposed to be. I've also been having some pain lately in my abdomen. Are these normal?"
"Well," the maester sighed, using his finger to skim down the page, "from my research, there isn't any of that listed here. So, that doesn't mean those symptoms aren't normal; they've just been unheard of."
Maia's brow creased. "Is my unborn child the Devil or something?"
He shook his head, not understanding her joke. Maia bit her lip and latched her fingers together. The maester turned to her again, noticing her look of worry. "You must make a decision on the moon tea soon, Lady Maia. We're running out of time."
"I know," Maia replied, shaking her legs absentmindedly.
"Weren't you invited to Dragonstone with His Grace to treat with the Targaryen woman?"
