Burning Water // Oberyn Martell

Chapter 8

Maya knew that one day her family would step foot in Kings Landing and she would have to make the choice to either remain hidden as a serving girl in a brothel or to emerge. Ever since she had arrived in Kings Landing, Maya had imagined this day over and over in her head. As she got older and her powers became stronger and more easily controlled, the more times she thought about leaving the brothel as the long lost Mayaka Tyrell. All her secrets would remain locked and guarded in the heart of Zarina. Now, as she stood staring down at the single handbag she had packed with her special keepsakes, she realized just how real her dreaming had become.

FLASHBACK. 4 HOURS PRIOR

"Maya," Zarina chirped as she entered the washroom with dirty linens, "There is a lady requestioning you."

Maya raised her eyebrows, "Since when has a woman ever wanted to see me?"

Zarina shrugged, "Never. Except this isn't a woman but a lass. She couldn't be older than you. And I don't think she is looking for a lay."

Maya nodded and tossed the handful of linens into the wash basin. "I'll take care of it."

Maya wondered as she walked to the front parlor, who it could be. It couldn't be Zarina's cousin Zinnia who would visit often. Had someone discovered her identity? Or worse, was it Lillia? Out of all the friends Maya had made, Lillia was the last one who should even be near a brothel, much less inside one. When Maya rounded the corner, she was relieved to not come into view with curly blond hair, but her relief soon washed away into stunned shock. Short brown locks cut just above the shoulders, contrasting like caramel and cocoa with the deep sun kissed smooth skin that was delicately garbed in deep orange clothes. Anyone would think the girl was unarmed but Maya could recognize several daggers hidden beneath the clothes. One on the side of her sandal, one over a thigh and the other up the lacy sleeves. The girl turned and brown met blue as the two girls glanced at each other.

"Nan?" Maya breathed.

The other girl grinned widely and rushed over before grasping Maya in the tightest hug the girl had ever had.

"I wasn't imagining things," Nanteza sighed as she took in the view of Maya, "When I came by earlier to find my uncle, I knew I had seen you, but I thought it was too good to be true."

"What on earth are you doing here in Kings Landing?" Maya insisted.

Nanteza frowned, "You didn't know? Maya.... Margaery is set to wed King Joffrey at the end of the week!"

END OF FLASHBACK

Maya sighed. Of all things to make her choose to leave the brothel, it had to be her little sister marrying a tyrant. Nanteza was presently waiting outside, having sent a message to Lillia to prepare a room for Maya without Cersei Lannister knowing. Maya reached beneath the mattress and pulled out two slender dual swords that she had kept hidden there. Both had zig zag razor like edges that made them fit together, so they looked like one sword when they were actually 2.

"what do you do when it rains?" a girl's voice asked from behind Maya.

She hadn't heard anyone approaching, which was a first, so she spun around and raised her hands defensively but froze. Sitting in a crouched position on the wall of the roof like a gargoyle on a Castle wall was a dark figure. Garbed completely in black and dark Gray with a hood that concealed everything and a mask that only revealed the eyes. the person's hands were gloved in black while one rested on their leg the other held a massive bow of iron. Maya had heard tales of the Warlock which had spread like wildfire over Westeros since the first viewing when the Warlock rescued Jaime Lannister and Brianne of Tarth from the Boltons. Maya's hands instinctively tightened around the hilt of her sword when she noticed the person's eyes. framed by long black lashes with the Faintest of red tips like flame were two Golden orbs. There had been only one person Maya had ever met who had eyes like liquid gold.