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Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Reunions
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Maria POV

A fortnight later

I stood in front of the doors of my manse early in the morning. Below me, Lionheart servants were standing in two columns on the stair steps, ten on each side, all standing straight and professional.

In total there were twenty, half of whom were male, and the other female. They were the helpers I had called for the special welcoming of my lord, Richard and my dear daughter, Alicent.

My tired eyes remained upon the gates in silence. I was feeling a little jittery with anticipation, eager for their arrival.

Most of my thoughts were on meeting my daughter. How I wished to have my daughter in my arms once more and give her the support any mother would give. The last time I had seen her in person was during her nameday at Castamere, more than six moons ago.

I wished I could have stayed longer there with her, but as a consigliere I was needed in Lannisport, where the main operations and profits were held.

Though she was visiting now, I knew she would not remain in Lannisport for long, which was why I wished to make her stay as grand as possible.

As I thought of the many ways I could dote upon my daughter, I was interrupted by a voice.

"Madam Maria, here is the coat you asked for." It was my assistant, Ellyn, a twenty-year-old lass who held a thick fur coat stretched out in her hands.

"Thank you, darling," I said warmly as I took the coat and draped it over myself. With that, the biting morning breeze did not affect me nearly as much.

Ellyn then made her way down the steps, standing only a few stairs below me.

Moments later I heard the clapping of hooves.

My eyes immediately turned toward the gates as the guards began opening them. Soon four armored knights entered while leading a wheelhouse. Behind the wheel house rode three more knights.

They must be the seven lord's knights my daughter spoke so highly of during her letters with me.

I quickly made my way down the stair steps and began my orders. "Quickly go fetch the horses and unload the wheel house" I commanded.

At once the two neat columns dispersed, servants hurrying toward the horses and wheelhouse to accommodate the arriving guests.

As they did so, I made my way toward the wheelhouse doors, with Ellyn following shortly behind me.

The arriving lord's knights noticed me. Among them I recognized a familiar face, Lady Parren's son, Ser Alfred.

He stood upon the ground while one of my servants led his horse away.

"Greetings, Lady Maria," he said respectfully with a nod.

I gave a polite smile and offered my greetings. "Greetings, Ser Alfred. I hope the journey here was not difficult."

"Not at all, my lady. It was safe and smooth," he responded cheerfully.

"And my daughter?" I asked with slight worry as my eyes drifted toward the still unopened wheelhouse doors. My daughter should have been in a celebratory mood and greeted me with an intense embrace by now.

"Oh, she is doing well. She fell asleep not so long ago before we entered the city. The lord does not wish to wake her." Alfred explained.

At that, I quietly breathed a sigh of relief. It was still quite early in the morning. If I should guess, the hour of nightingale was upon us. After a week-long journey within a wheelhouse, my sweet daughter must have been exhausted.