CHAPTER 54 | NO ONE

ALETIA was upset as she watched her lady pack for the journey to Dragonstone. What was she to do without her? Who would she serve? Maia insisted that she wouldn't have to serve anyone and she'd still allow someone to pay her, because she believed Aletia deserved it, but the handmaiden wouldn't accept. She'd get bored so easily.

Maia stuffed her last knitted shawl in her small sack of clothing. She turned to Aletia, who had her arms crossed in the corner of her chambers. "I don't understand why you won't accept the offer," she scoffed. "I'm going to have someone give you earnings for doing nothing. You deserve a break."

Aletia gave her a blank stare. "I will get bored without you, m'lady."

"You're really going to make this hard for me, aren't you?"

The handmaiden nodded slowly.

"Then ... serve Lady Sansa. I'm sure she'll need some extra help with being Lady of Winterfell while Jon is away." Maia lifted her hand triumphantly. "There, problem solved."

"I will miss you, Lady Maia."

Maia smiled sadly towards her handmaiden. She engulfed her in her arms. Aletia felt content in her lady's warm embrace; her scent soothing. After a moment, Maia pulled away, shaking her shoulders. "I'll be back before you know it. Pinky promise."

Aletia's brow furrowed. "Pardon me?"

"No one here knows what a pinky promise is," Maia muttered under her breath, sticking her pinky out. Aletia hesitated and did the same. "Lock your pinky with mine." Maia instructed, and Aletia followed. "I pinky promise I'll come back soon, okay? Don't worry about me."

Aletia nodded, but she couldn't help but worry, no matter how much her lady ordered not to. The two unlocked their fingers, and Maia threw her sack of clothing over her shoulder, but Aletia insisted not to. Maia sighed before giving her handmaiden the bag. She would never let Maia make things easy for her.

As Aletia opened the door to leave, the two found Sansa waiting at the entrance, lifting her fist as if she was just about to knock. Aletia acknowledged her presence before sprinting out to secure Maia's bag on her horse. Sansa cleared her throat, "I came to say my goodbyes."

"Good, now I don't have to track you down," Maia grinned, following Sansa out of the room and walking along Winterfell's battlements.

Sansa hesitantly laced her arm through her friend's, feeling nostalgic as she remembered their first time walking these halls together. Though Maia Sanders got on her nerves way too often, Sansa still cared for her friend, and she was worried of this journey to Dragonstone. Something wasn't right to her. Something would go wrong.

"So, just for reference," Sansa said, "in your world, did you find out how this visit would go? Do you know what's going to happen?"

Maia chuckled softly. "Not at all. Last time I was there, I'm pretty sure the author of the series you're all in postponed the release date for your newest book for, like, the tenth time."

Sansa gave a cheeky smile. They halted their movements and stood near the deck, watching the small folk hustle around in the courtyard. Servants and the like prepared horses for the travel to Eastwatch. Sansa looked to Maia, her vision drifting down to her friend's stomach. "You're going to keep it, aren't you?" She whispered.

"I'm going to try," Maia muttered back, snowflakes tickling her eyelashes. She saw Sansa about to speak, so she added, "Please, don't chastise my decision. I know the child will be a bastard, but ... I will never treat it like one."

"Are you ready to be a mother?"

Maia's breath exhaled into the air, turning it to frost. "No," she shook her head, "but what mother ever is?"

Sansa couldn't argue. She turned to her friend, face-to-face and opening her arms. Maia was brought into the taller girl's hold, and they clutched onto each other tightly. "I will miss you more than you know," Sansa whispered, choosing her words wisely before continuing. "Please, tell my brother sometime at Dragonstone. You must tell him, Maia. You can't put it off for much longer."

Maia nodded in her embrace. "Oh," Sansa added, "and don't get burned alive by a dragon. That's the last thing we need."

The blonde giggled before leaning away from her friend. "I'm with you, Sansa," Maia promised. "I'll be back before you know it."

Sansa nodded, a frown engulfing her features as she watched Maia walk off the battlements. The blonde strode in fast motions to the courtyard, allowing her feet to squish in the wet mud below. Maia ruffled Ghost's fur as he trotted past. She checked the secureness of her pack on the horse, turning her head in the direction of Jon exiting the crypts of Winterfell.

Maia judged his expression carefully. He was angry, practically blowing smoke out of his nostrils. She watched him stalk over to his horse, but she stopped him in his tracks. She pressed her hands lightly on his chest. "Hey, hey, hey," she whispered, slowly reaching to grab his face in her gloved hands. "What's wrong?"

"I don't wish to talk about it," Jon replied, trying to move away. Maia stopped him by clutching his arm.

"Jon, stop," she commanded, her voice cracking just a bit. "We can't have you in a foul mood during this journey. Whatever made you upset in the crypts, ignore. It means nothing compared to what is at hand."

Jon swallowed his pride, nodding at her words. The two hopped onto their steeds, seeing as Davos was already waiting on his own. Bannermen surrounded the three as the gates opened to the frozen land outside. Jon looked over his shoulder, waving to his sister, and Maia did the same.

And just as the snow fell and the white winds blew, the company rode out of Winterfell.

•••

The Hyrda, a large war ship housing the infamous captain, Penny Poison, and her crew, sailed across the open Narrow Sea like a dream. Penny, formerly known as Penelope Sparr, had just ransacked another ship heading towards King's Landing, robbing most of their belongings. John Humbles, her right-hand man, was at the wheel, stirring the ship in the direction of Slaver's Bay, where they were to meet with local sellers to reclaim silver for what they stole.

Penny narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of something West. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but she found wreckage and wood drifting across their ship. There were mountains of wood just floating in the water, and soon they came upon torn-down ships, tipped upside-down in the water. Penny's mouth opened in shock at the sight. Kaya Humbles, a close crew member to Penny, appeared beside her captain. She asked, "What the hell have we stumbled upon, boss?"

Penny swallowed hard, for she didn't know how to answer. She turned to John at the wheel, gesturing for him to continue through the wreckage. This was the only way she knew to leave, after all.

The smoke above the water cleared as the Hydra moved through it, and eventually, the ship entered in the same direction as another – one that was larger and threatening. The crew of the Hyrda lifted their heads at the Silence, in full view. This was the ship of Euron Greyjoy, said to be the most villainous captain on the seas. Penny held a hand up, "John, stop!"

John halted the wheel, but the ship glided by the other very slowly. The crew on the Silence just stared; they made no sounds. Euron was known to cut the tongues of his crew, which was why he named it the Silence. Penny wasn't scared of many things, but this man made her shiver.

The captain himself appeared from the deck. He lifted his hands up, nodding in her direction. Penny waved hesitantly, while Kaya stared daggers at the man. John anchored the ship in place as it sat by Euron's, who looked at Penny in keen interest. "Beautiful ship," he admired, smiling strangely. "The Hydra, one of my brother's prized possessions."

Penny gave him a quick smile, remembering when she was first given the Hydra. Her light locks flew in the wind. "Thank you, it was a gift from Balon Greyjoy –"

"– To his son's betrothed," Euron finished. He cocked his head to the side. "You're Penelope Sparr, correct?"

"That's not my name," she quipped sharply.

Euron snapped. "Ah, yes – Penny Poison. Sorry, my memory fails me at the worst moments."

Penny narrowed her eyes in his direction. She nodded her head slowly, carefully. The last thing she needed was to piss him off. "How is Balon?" She asked. "Haven't seen him since I left the Iron Islands."

"He's dead."

Penny's eyes went wide. She wanted to show her true shocked expression, but Euron's devilish smile was scaring her, and she didn't want to give her terror away. She looked below at the sea, watching another piece of smoking wood float by. "What happened here?"

Euron's vision met her own. "Family doesn't always obey," he answered.

She bit her bottom lip as she began to stare at each and every member on his ship. They watched her, pleading with their stares for help. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Her hands latched onto the edge of her ship.

"Who do you fight for?" He asked.

Penny looked at Euron Greyjoy straight forward; their cruel gazes locked. She shook her head at his question, and then replied, "No one."

•••

A/N: Penny 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 here 👏🏻

In case you were confused, Penny is the main OC in my Gendry fanfic, "Poison." I tried to give a brief summary of her and who she was, because the book only has one chapter out. Hope this wasn't too confusing!!!