CHAPTER 67 | GOOD FRIENDS

THERE was a knock on Maia's door. The Traveler had been sitting on her windowsill, resting her hands on her stomach. She tried her best to feel for a kick. She felt nothing. Maia bit her lip, thinking of how her stomach wasn't growing as large as most women. Maybe this just wasn't a normal pregnancy. Maybe, in her case, it was going to be different.

She moved away from the window and to her door, pulling it open. Missandei stood on the other side and sent her a warm smile. "The Queen invites you to treat with her for dinner," she spoke eloquently.

Maia raised a brow. Truthfully, she was planning on going to bed early, though she knew she'd get no sleep. She would be up all night probably, thinking and worrying about Jon all the way beyond the Wall. Maybe this would be better for her. Maia rested a hand on the door to her left, asking, "Really?"

"Yes," Missandei nodded and gestured for her to walk. "Come with me, my lady."

Missandei led her down to the dining hall, past all the rooms on the second floor of the castle. Maia brushed her finger across the carved walls, marveling at the details on them. The whole castle was a work of art and she wondered how long it took to detail it. Missandei stopped short in front of the dining hall, signaling for Maia to step on through.

Maia gave her a smile and nod before walking into the dining quarters. There was a long table in the middle of the room, which could house around thirty guests. Daenerys sat at the head, and she rested her chin on her fist in a bored way. Tyrion was leaving when Maia entered, carrying an empty plate to the kitchens.

She stepped forward in front of a chair besides Daenerys and asked, "You requested to see me, Your Grace?"

Daenerys immediately perked up at the sight of Maia. She tapped her side of the table quickly. "Yes, yes. Please, sit."

Maia awkwardly sat in her seat, looking around the room at the décor. She would always be flabbergasted at the intricate work put into the castle.

"Do you like the carvings?"

Maia's head snapped back to the dragon queen, who she nodded to. "Yes," she agreed, "the Painted Table is my favorite piece in this whole castle."

"Mine as well," Daenerys said, allowing her wine cup to just graze her lips before she continued. "It was actually in that room that my ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, planned his invasion of the Seven Kingdoms. Funny, isn't it?"

Maia agreed with a nod of her head.

Daenerys could feel the tension in the room. She sighed through her nostrils and lifted her glass. "I think you're wondering why I requested your presence," she thought out loud. "I feel as if we have always gotten off on the wrong foot. If I am going to work with you all, we must all be close and trusting. I want us to be good friends, Maia Sanders."

"Thank you, Your Grace," she replied. "I hope we can work together to find a common ground."

Daenerys smiled. "Does this mean you think your King in the North will bend the knee?"

Maia blinked. Her expression went blank.

"Sorry, overstepped my own boundaries," Daenerys apologized. "Forgive me."

Missandei sauntered over and poured a clear liquid in Daenerys' cup, filling it to the brim. "Thank you, Missandei," the dragon queen said as Missandei went over to fill Maia's glass.

Maia, thinking it to be wine, rested her hand on top of her glass. "Sorry, I can't –"

"It's not alcohol," Daenerys added. "It's water. I requested no alcohol for you."

Maia's brow furrowed as she slowly slid her hand off the cup. Missandei filled it before exiting the room. While Daenerys wasn't looking, Maia lifted the glass to her nose, smelling the drink. It really was water. She trusted Daenerys, yes, but this conversation was growing odd. Maia took a large gulp of the water.

"I know you cannot have wine or ale, Maia." Daenerys murmured, watching the other blonde with ease. She rested her cheek on her fist. "Motherhood becomes you."

Maia immediately spit out the water.

Daenerys was then giggling, fanning herself to stop the laughter. Her handmaidens squabbled to clean the mess up, but Daenerys told them not to worry. Maia was blinking at the dragon queen rapidly. How could she have known? Did Maia really make it that obvious? She thought her large dresses covered everything.

"My dragons are my children," Daenerys explained. "Do you not think I know a mother when I see one?"

"Have you known this whole time?"

Daenerys shrugged. "You didn't make it hard to guess."

Maia looked away as her cheeks became red with embarrassment. Daenerys tried her best to glanced over and look past the Traveler's shoulders. She reached over and placed her hand on top of Maia's. "Is Jon Snow the father?" She asked, to which Maia nodded. "I am happy for you. Truly, I am."

"I made my decision to have the child, but I wish it hadn't happened." Maia said, sipping her water. She watched a candle on the table burn out. "I met Jon Snow more than a year ago. He has been good to me and honorable. He is a man I would like to marry, but not a man I can marry anymore. When he was at Castle Black, he could have no wife or children. Now that he's King in the North, he must have a highborn wife. I am not that." Maia's hands then went to her small bump. She frowned. "I am carrying a bastard. I'm having a bastard's bastard."

Daenerys sent her a sad smile. "It is normal to have doubts before the birth of a child, but this baby will be the light of your life. Do not think about titles, Lady Maia. All that matters is that you and Jon Snow love the child."

"I just hope, at the end of the day, that we will all survive this war." Maia replied, meeting Daenerys' eyes. The other woman nodded in agreement. "Since we are on the subject of trust, I have a question to ask you."

Maia's memories reverted back to her dream months ago. The first time she saw those familiar brown eyes belonging to a Jaehaerys. She thought about all the times he was called King Jon, and the name, Jaehaerys, almost threatened to fall from her mouth. Maia thought of when they touched Drogon together, their combined hands lingering against the black scales of the dragon. Jaehaerys had always been on her mind, but never something she felt in her heart. She just needed to know of it's significance.

Daenerys lofted a brow. "I am all ears."

"What do you know about the name, Jaehaerys?"

The dragon queen sighed longingly. She wondered why the other woman would ask such a question, but many were curious of the Targaryen family. She couldn't blame Maia. "Not much," she answered honestly. "Many men in my family carried the name. The one I know most about is Jaehaerys the Wise, who was the fourth and longest reigning Targaryen king. He was always wise beyond his years, I heard. He sought for peaceful ends, which is an exact contrast to Aegon."

Maia finished her glass of water, thinking the words over. As much as she didn't want to think about it, she did feel like Jon was the same way. He was a wise man, taught to give honest and honorable ends by his father. She would never let this information slip though. She thought of it as a mere coincidence.

"What causes you to ask?" Daenerys questioned. She wrinkled her nose.

Maia bit her lip. "No reason."

Daenerys was suspicious, but didn't ask any further, in fear she'd worry her guest. Her face then spread out into a grin. "I ... I actually have something to show you." Daenerys looked over to her advisor and asked, "Missandei, may I please have the gifts?"

Missandei left the room and returned a moment later with a large bundle wrapped in cloth. She set it on the table, leaving Maia extremely curious. Daenerys untied the tight knot binding the bundle and folded it out. She plucked a dagger first out of it, which Maia then realized was made of dragonglass.

"I began having my men forge weapons for your cause." She explained with a smile. "I know your king said he could do it by himself, but I ... I wanted to help out, as an ally."

Maia pricked the top of the dagger, noticing it was very sharp. She stared at Daenerys in awe. "This is amazing, Your Grace. I know Jon will greatly appreciate this."

"There are more forged in the caves. I also have something here for you." Daenerys rolled out the fabric more to reveal another weapon. It was a set of arrows, all with plucked raven feathers at the end. Daenerys stood to pick up the set and place it in Maia's arms. "You said you were good with a bow and arrows. I would not only like to see, but would love for you to teach me when you have the time."

Maia pulled one of the arrows out carefully, realizing the ends were made of a special material. "These are dragonglass," she whispered, viewing up at the dragon queen.

"I had them made just for you," Daenerys beamed.

Maia put the arrow back in the bag, feeling her throat close up. She shook her head, as she could not believe that she was being gifted these. "I do not understand," Maia muttered. "Why are you giving me this? There is no way I can accept –"

Daenerys stopped her words by resting her hand on her shoulder. "I want us to be friends, remember?"

Maia felt awkward about doing it, but she slowly stood and gave the dragon queen a hug. Daenerys didn't know what to do at first, seeming very indifferent towards affection, but she soon wrapped her arms around the taller female. The two stayed there for several minutes, enjoying their embrace while the war raged on in both the North and South. They hugged, forgetting the reality around them.

Daenerys was the one to break apart the hug, only to grin at Maia with her wide-toothed smile. "I have something else to show you."