CHAPTER 49 | SECRETS

MAIA supposed Aletia was getting into a routine every morning. She had to wake up Maia, who had been sleeping later than usual and staying up late each night. Jon would already be awake and outside. She'd then pick out her clothes, only to have to then escort her lady to the privy so Maia could throw up in a bucket. Aletia would hold her hair above her head, and then the two would go on with their day, without talking about Maia's condition.

But that ended today. After Maia told Aletia that she didn't need to dress her, she finally gave up the fight when she began to struggle with putting on her cloak. Aletia strode over, tying the two lanyards around each other in a bow. "Thank you," Maia muttered under her breath.

Maia then headed outside her room, and Aletia followed. The blonde supposed she would visit the smallfolk children in the courtyard today, and maybe even tell them a fairytale from her world. Aletia would always watch from the sidelines, but today the handmaiden walked side by side with Maia.

Aletia looked to her with worry. "Have you seen a maester yet, my lady? I fear you are getting worse day by day."

"In fact, I did have an appointment with Maester Wolkan yesterday, Aletia." Maia turned to her handmaiden, and grinned as lies spewed from her mouth. "He said it was a strong case of a stomach bug, and he gave me medicines to cure it."

Aletia smiled. "That's very well, my lady. Maester Wolkan has been here since the Boltons, and he does exceptional work."

Sometimes Maia wondered about Aletia's former alliance with the Boltons. To Jon's knowledge, she had been at Winterfell since Rickon was born, and Maia was surprised she was still living after the Boltons took the castle over. She seemed to like the flaying house just a bit too much for Maia's liking, but she dared not to bring it up.

As the two walked along the battlements of Winterfell, Maia spied Sansa watching the courtyard from up high. Maia stopped in her steps, swallowing down her pride. She felt the urge to speak with Sansa again, because only she knew of Maia's pregnancy, and the blonde felt they ended things yesterday on a bad note.

Maia spun around to face Aletia, who was staring at her with her big, blue eyes. Maia smiled and said, "Go on without me. I'll meet with you in a few minutes for breakfast."

Aletia nodded before walking away quickly. Maia cracked her knuckles, of which were enclosed in a hefty pair of leather gloves – Jon's gloves. She sauntered towards Sansa, who had her back towards her, looking down at the courtyard. Maia then stood beside her, their shoulders almost touching. Sansa had already sensed her presence moments before.

"So," Maia sighed, looking at the small snowflakes falling to the ground, "winter has finally come. What are you Starks supposed to say now?"

Sansa didn't smile, nor did she even look towards Maia. The red-head stood as still as a statue, still reeling from the events of court and news she hadn't expected. Maia cleared her throat, looking at her hands. The fur around her cloak suddenly wasn't keeping her warm anymore, and she truly felt the chill in the air.

"Are you angry with me?" Maia blurted, refusing to stop her words.

Sansa only glanced at the blonde with a blank look. Her expression said: What do you think?

Maia blinked at her friend. "What did I do, Sansa? What has happened to us? I feel like we're not close anymore, and I always respect your opinions and thoughts as my friend." She lifted a hand in exasperation. "For fucks sake, I told two secrets of mine that I trusted with only you."

"But that's the thing, Maia: secrets." The red-head huffed, finally turning to her friend. One of her hands rested on the railing beside her. "Have you told Jon yet?"

"I said I will," Maia trailed off, "soon."

"When is soon?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because no one likes secrets, Maia!" Sansa exclaimed, gritting her teeth. "Especially Jon. He will find out, somehow, even without you telling him. This is why you cannot wait." She then groaned annoyingly. "What were you planning? Telling him when you go into labor?"

Maia shook her head, though she knew Sansa was right. The younger female did tend to be smarter than her at times, she could admit. Maia looked off at the courtyard, trying to keep her eyes on anything but Sansa. She watched Ghost try to lick the snowflakes falling from the sky.

"I don't like secrets either," Sansa continued. "I don't know where my trust lies with you anymore. You kept a huge secret from me for so long, when I thought we were close friends."

Maia added, "We are –"

"Then why didn't you tell me you had some gods-worthy gift?!" Sansa paused, and the silence seemed deafening. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't from another ... world?"

"Would you have believed me?" Maia asked. She hated that this was turning into an argument, but she wouldn't let Sansa make her into a villain here.

It was then that Sansa became quiet. Maia knew she'd get her there. Sansa's vision went to the floor, and swallowed down a lump in her throat. The red-head wanted so badly to finally release what she had been feeling yesterday to Maia, but now that she had, she couldn't help but feel bad.

Maia then grabbed her friend's hands, causing their eyes to meet again. "Sansa, you – of all people – know what it's like to have a death warrant on you. That title Melisandre gave me puts the same on my back. I can't just tell anyone about this ... this gift. I'm not supposed to be here, but Melisandre – as insane as she was – trusted me in her prophecy. I don't know why I have this gift, and the last thing I want is to be part of some damn prophecy, but I can't run away from my future, and neither can you."

Sansa nodded her head slowly, keeping her vision centered on the ground below. She heaved out a sigh. "My mother taught me the Faith of the Seven when I was younger. In the Seven, there's the Father, the Mother, the Maiden, the Crone, the Warrior, the Smith, and the Stranger. The Stranger, of all things, represents death and the unknown. I fear you are turning into a stranger." Sansa's eyes shifted then to meet the blonde's. She felt tears prick her eyes; tears she didn't need to shed. "Are you becoming the Stranger, Maia?"

Maia took her words at face-value, and knew exactly what they meant. She had changed. Maia had always been a stranger to this world, but with her newfound title came consequences. The Traveler was one of the gifted, but could this title shift the world around her? Was she going to be the cause of death? Or was she, alone, death?

Maia wrapped her arms around Sansa then. The red-head took a moment to respond, but eventually secured her arms around her friend's waste. Sansa laid her head on the fur of Maia's cloak, feeling the warmth radiating off of her. They both finally released what they had been keeping for so long, and things almost felt right now.

"The loyalty of females is something I strive for. It's beautiful, really."

The two ladies turned to see Petyr Baelish walking towards them. His hair had aged, and he slicked it back. He held a grin that no one could love; a grin that caused suspicion. His long sleeves blew in the wind, causing Maia to adjust her own cloak.

Sansa cleared her throat, a frown appearing on her face. "What do you want, Lord Baelish?"

Petyr looked to Maia then, but Sansa didn't. It was clear to Maia that she was being asked to leave. She nodded her head quickly, announcing, "I must go. Breakfast is calling." Before she could leave, Maia instinctively grabbed Sansa's arm, sending her a small smile. "You know where to find me."

Maia spun on her heel to go. She looked over her shoulder, watching Lord Baelish whisper in Sansa's ear, while the younger girl showed no expression. Maia silently feared for her friend's sake, and even more as she heard Petyr say over the wind, "I want you to be safe."

•••

A/N: AAAAAAAAND there's the big Easter egg to the title of the story! I based the title on the god of Death from the Faith of the Seven, because there is a specific meaning and theme behind the god, and the word, "stranger," also relates to someone who is not familiar to someone else or the environment around them. There's my dumb fun fact 🤷🏼‍♀️