CHAPTER 69 | THE GODS' CURSE

MAIA had been laying in her bed for more than a week. It felt so cold, so empty. Not only was Jon not there to comfort her, but neither was the child inside of her.

Jon was most likely at Eastwatch by now, seeing as it was a long row from Dragonstone to the Northern castle. Maia had laid in bed most nights, refusing to sleep, allowing her sadness and anxiety to eat her whole. She cried many times. She felt the pain from inside and out. Sometimes, if she thought hard enough, she could feel Jon's arms around her.

She had intense pain in her lower abdominal area for almost two days after the miscarriage. That, above all things, made sleeping so much harder. Her breasts hurt, leaving her with discomfort. Her period was heavy and lasted the whole week, but after a few days, she only had spotting. Even with that, the pain of her loss still remained. The one thing that had put her under stress and anxiety was gone, but that also made her weep.

Daenerys visited her as soon as he heard the news. In fact, the dragon queen often put aside a lengthy period of time each day just to sit with Maia beside her bed. Though it triggered emotional flashbacks, Daenerys vowed to stay with this woman as much as possible. She wanted Maia to know that she wasn't alone in this, because that was what Daenerys needed when she had her deformed labor.

Maia would stay up for hours on end while the moon stayed full. She spent too long remembering Edna, the psychic who gave her the reading that would change her life. She analyzed their conversation over and over again, but barely came up with anything. Maia did remember one key fact though.

"Different lines talks about your past through life." Edna had told her in the dimly lit shop, pointing to one on the right of her hand. "This speaks about children. The line is short, meaning you will one to no children."

Maia had to stifle a cry at the memory. She was given the gift of a child, but she didn't want it at first. This was her own fault. Her lines were too short, and so was the child's life.

After many sleepless nights, Maia found herself waking up from a dream. The entrance to her chambers was opening as her eyes were, and they landed on Daenerys, cautiously stepping into the room. "You slept," she muttered, stepping forward. Daenerys smiled softly in her direction as she set a cup on Maia's bedside table. "The dreamwine worked."

Maia swallowed hard, slowly reaching for the cup Daenerys brought in. Watching her movements carefully, Daenerys helped her by just placing the glass in her hands. Maia sniffed it, recognizing the familiar scent of the dreamwine mixed with honey. "Thank you," she said, her voice sounding hoarse.

Daenerys pulled a chair from the corner of the room closer to Maia's bed. She gracefully sat down on it and smoothed out her skirt, watching Maia sip at the dreamwine. "How have you been feeling?" She asked after a long silence.

Maia's lips hovered over the glass in her hands. "Depressed," she answered.

"I meant, how have you been physically?"

"The pain has dulled," she replied quickly, tapping her fingers against the cup. "The dreamwine and milk of the poppy helped with that. I'm no longer in that much discomfort. I don't have my blood anymore, but there has been spotting. Physically, the medication has helped."

Daenerys looked down at her hands. She had laced them together so tightly that they were turning white.

"Emotionally, on the other hand ..." Maia's voice trailed off as she took a large gulp of the dreamwine. Her eyes darted around the room. "I deserve this. The gods cursed me."

"That's not true," Daenerys argued, but Maia was not having it.

The other woman shook her head. "You do not understand. I did not want this child when I was first informed of the pregnancy. I considered moon tea many times. I didn't even tell the child's father until he left on some idiotic suicide mission, because I was too scared to say that I was having a bastard. I am not highborn; I'm just a woman from a different world. Our child wouldn't have been legitimate, and the baby ... it would be shamed by some of the North. Who knows if it would survive all these wars?" Maia bit her lip to stop the tears. "But regardless, I knew I was going to treat the child nothing less than a highborn. I would love it until our untimely ends. But I was cursed. The gods cursed me for not wanting the child for weeks. This is my punishment."

Daenerys' gaze lifted to Maia's, and the two connected in a stare. She watched the tears prick at Maia's eyes, feeling her pain from inside her own gut. Daenerys reached out and grabbed her hand. She refused to cry, but that was becoming hard.

"I – of all people – understand, Lady Maia." She confessed. "I'll tell you a story. A very long time ago, I was sold off by own brother for an army. We had to live in exile for many years, but he finally wanted to reclaim his throne, after our long-lost older sister gave her claim away. So he sold me to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki, whom I was to marry. My brother, Viserys, got an army of forty thousand men in exchange. This was for his invasion of Westeros, regardless if the Dothraki hadn't ever crossed the Narrow Sea.

"And months after this marriage, I did indeed grow fond of my husband. Our marriage was not what it should have been at first, but he and I were loyal. He cared for me too much. It was announced later that I was with child, and it would be a boy." Daenerys almost smiled at the memory. "According to the Dothraki, the boy would be the Stallion Who Mounts the World. Drogo thought he would be great; the khal of all khals, who would unite the Dothraki to take over the Seven Kingdoms.

"But that did not go as planned. While on our journey to the borders of Lhazar, my husband was wounded in a quick fight. The wound was infected, so I called upon a Lhazareen priestess to heal him. Her way was to perform a blood magic ritual that ended up leaving him in a vegetative state. One of my husband's bloodriders did not agree to the ritual, and knocked me down, which caused me to go into labor."

Daenerys sucked in a heavy sigh. She rubbed away the tears beginning to escape her lids. "When he came out, they said he ... he looked like a monster. The priestess said that he 'had scales like a lizard, was blind with bat-like wings, and had innards full of graveworms.' She told me that his death paid for Khal Drogo's life, but Drogo was barely even alive after the ritual."

She exhaled and felt a tear slip down her cheek. Maia could barely drink the dreamwine, as she was so entranced with Daenerys' story. "I lost everything that meant the world to me. I lost my husband, but I also lost the child I always wanted. I cannot have children, but my dragons were like a miracle sent to me. They are the only children I will ever have."

Maia sat up slightly to hang her legs over her bed. She reached out and hugged Daenerys tightly. The two didn't let go for several minutes. Daenerys settled her head in the crook of Maia's shoulder, who let the queen's tears stain her nightgown. Maia bit her lip, feeling her grip on Daenerys grow firmer.

"The pain does dull, Lady Maia," Daenerys whispered, "but the memory is imprinted forever. Never blame yourself. It'll make the memory harder to bare."

•••

Penny unfolded the scroll in her hands as the raven flew off quickly. She read the words in a fast manner, eager to get to the end. She found herself cupping a hand over her mouth at the signature at the bottom of the letter. It was Gendry. The blacksmith boy that could melt her entire being with just a glance. The boy she never persued. The boy she helped go home.

Dear Penny,

I hope you are well. I heard of your recent alliance with the Mother of Dragons, and happened to miss your visit. I wish I could have seen you. It has been a while, Poison. I didn't realize how much I missed you until I noticed you had left.

I'm going on an important mission with the King in the North, where we will travel beyond the Wall to capture an Other. I won't spend time explaining everything. Just know that if I don't come back alive, I'll forever be grateful for the journey we had together. You saved my life, and I promise to save yours when I come back from this mission.

Best of luck,
Gendry

Penny wanted to cry, though she knew it wasn't the time. She folded the letter between her hands and slid it into her breast pocket. The Hydra was sailing into King's Landing, where the crew spotted Euron Greyjoy's ship unattended. They had bought two brand new cannons and implanted bombs inside. She hoped that there was a savior in this world that he was inside the ship without her knowing. But if they couldn't find the captain easily, their best bet was to destroy the one thing he held dear.

Kaya Humbles was by her side then, quirking a brow upward. "What was the letter about?"

"An important person finally got back to me," Penny said softly. Kaya was confused by the answer, but didn't question.

"The bombs are ready, boss." Kaya informed. "Just need your order."

Penny nodded. "Dock the ship."

Kaya left to order the rest of the crew. After a few moments, the ship sat steadily in the blue waters, being held down by the anchor. The cannons were built in below the deck, where one could not see them at first glance of the ship.

Penny's grip on the railing went tight. She watched the Silence sit on the docks of King's Landing. Some common folk noticed the Hydra stay put in the water, and they stared in confusion. Slowly, Penny raised her hand in the air. The crew readied their weapons. Penny swallowed the bile rising from her throat, and then ordered, "BOMB!"

Before anyone could prepare themselves, several bombs flew from the bottom of the Hydra, and everything in the whole world seemed silent. Penny had never felt more alive.

•••

A/N: The end is near.

P.S. - the "long-lost older sister" Daenerys mentions is Daena Targaryen from my Tormund fanfic, "Madness."