Not All Men Dance With Dragons

All We Have Is Now

The years were kind to them.

Perhaps the only good choice they ever made was allowing their children to be raised away from a place so steeped in evil. Giving them the chance to train at their own pace, both of them. As they grew, Trevas slowly started to get better with the sword but Maelena had a bow put in her hand and they should have known she would be a natural under Jorran's training. Even beyond that, they started to make some friends. Real friends with a few of the children of the staff that worked the grounds of their summer home.

That wouldn't have been possible in King's Landing. Everything the twins had ever said would have somehow made it back to Otto Hightower's ear and Maerys would have to fight the desire to strangle the man with his own guts yet again.

Nyla was happy to see her family more often, Jorran was happy to be away from his, and Borin had spent so much time there that the 'guest room' had basically turned into his personal quarters. Suneater, Casiran, and Wisp were rather cramped when they were all squished together but despite some light snapping, they dealt with it.

Things were good. Maybe that was why the summons by raven confused Maerys so much. It detailed that there was a personal matter that should be discussed in person, signed off by the queen herself. Vague, mildly terrifying, but the most subtle of invitations Maerys had ever seen. When they discussed it, Nyla expressed that it would be rude to ignore a direct summons from the queen no matter how out of place it was.

They were back in the place they had hoped to escape in less than a day. As they walked, alone, through those cold halls, Maerys tried not to think about how different everything looked. How empty and scarce of warmth and life it was with the giant seven-pointed star overlooking the main staircase. That new Red Keep made his skin crawl.

However, Maerys was pulled to a stop right before taking a step up the stone stairs. He looked back to find Nyla already partially out of breath, leaning a majority of her weight onto her cane instead of her husband's arm.

"I-... I forgot about these bloody stairs. Give me a moment." She tried to breathe deeply for a few long seconds but the pain she was no doubt feeling in her hips and lower spine obviously didn't dissipate. The pained wrinkles on her face showed as he pushed away the curls hanging over her eyes that didn't make it into her long braid.

Maerys turned his attention up the steps again. Though they were as barren as the rest of the place moments ago, they now held Maelena, Trevas, and Jorran. All offered looks of sympathy to Nyla's condition as they knew the pain had flared up worse that day. "Go on ahead. We'll be there in a moment."

The children started up again hesitantly and Jorran followed slowly behind, casting glances back every now and then until they were out of sight.

"...I could carry you." Maerys offered quietly. She shot a look up at him that made it seem like she was asking him to be serious. "I mean it. It'll take the pressure off your hips, won't it?"

"We aren't young anymore, Maerys. You don't have to carry me over the threshold." Nyla tried to joke but when she took the first step up, her face cringed.

He could feel her body jolt and reached out to hold her still. "It's not the threshold. It's these stupid stairs."

It was obvious that she wanted to argue some more but being that out of breath after one step had melted her resolve. There wasn't any kind of embarrassment as Nyla handed off her cane to him. She curled one arm around the back of his neck so that it was easier when Maerys scooped her up with a strong arm beneath her knees and another easing the pressure on her back. 'Not young anymore' maybe but Nyla remembered that she married a warrior and he carried her up those stupid steps with ease in half the time and pain it would have taken her to do otherwise.