CHAPTER 61 | A GOOD HEART

DAENERYS had made her decision known to everyone before she left. She took her Dothraki army and her largest dragon before speeding off the island. She was going to find Jaime Lannister's army leaving Highgarden.

The sunlight shined down on Maia, causing her skin to glow. She hadn't been in weather this warm for far too long, and she missed it. Maia could only take snow for so long. The weather at Dragonstone was fresh and new, but it wasn't home. Jon and Sansa had made Winterfell feel like home to her, although Maia couldn't ignore the times when she thought back to her world. She missed so many things about it, but Maia had to make Westeros her home until she died – or until a red priestess relieved her of this damn prophecy. Maybe she'd take Jon back to her world someday.

Jon and Davos walked ahead of her on the stairs leading to the beach. Maia walked behind them, watching the ocean spread apart the rocks on the sand. The sight reminded her so much of the beach house her and Derek would rent out during their college years. Just the thought of his name made her shiver. She silently wished things had ended better with them, but to be fair, she was out of her fucking mind when she woke up in that hospital.

"So," Davos said, "what do you think of her?"

Maia's head suddenly perked up at his words, and she began to walk closer to the two.

"Who?" Jon asked.

Davos sent him a side-eyed glare. "I think you know of whom I speak."

Maia's brow furrowed. Did Davos even realize that she was behind them?

"I think she has a good heart."

"A good heart?" Davos repeated. "I've noticed your staring. I fear many others have had the same look."

Maia stopped in tracks, and after a few moments, so did Jon when he took in Davos' words. Maia blinked her eyes rapidly and asked, "Excuse me?"

Davos began to open his mouth and shake his hands, but Jon interrupted him: "What are you trying to say?"

Davos still put his hands out, as if to tell them to forget about it. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in that way. It was –" He sighed, looking to Maia with worry. "I didn't think before I spoke. Please, forgive me, Lady Maia."

The blonde looked to her feet, nodding her head slowly. She approached the two men and allowed Jon to intertwine his arm with her own. Maia licked her lips, thinking of a response, as Jon moved a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

"Jon stares the same way as usual: broodingly. You are forgiven, Ser Davos." She replied, sending him a false smile. "We all don't think before we speak. We all make mistakes."

Davos was still wary of the woman walking beside them. He didn't mean for the statement to come out, but once it was in the air, he couldn't stop it. Although, he was speaking the truth. He noticed the way Jon was suddenly staring at this dragon queen. He didn't want to think about it, but he did. Davos wondered if Maia had ever noticed, but maybe it was the truth she never wanted to hear. Regardless, Davos knew the love Jon and Maia shared was thick, and he'd be damned if anything threatened to break it.

"I saw the Night King, Davos. I looked into his eyes." Jon continued on. "How many men do we have in the North to fight him?"

Maia wrinkled her nose. "Probably about ten thousand, counting in the banner men who fought beside you in the battle for Winterfell."

"Fewer, actually," Davos corrected.

The group continued to walk down the stairs, noticing that the dragon queen's most trusted advisor was watching the tide roll in. "Speaking of good hearts," Davos said loudly, "Missandei of Naath."

Missandei turned with a smile. "Ser Davos," she bowed her head, "Lord Snow; Lady Maia."

"King Snow, isn't it?" Davos assessed. "No, that doesn't sound right. King Jon?"

"I like King Jon," Maia quipped. "Oh, what about King North?"

Jon rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter."

Missandei cleared her throat. "Forgive me, but may I asked a question?"

"Of course," Jon replied.

"Your name is Jon Snow, but your father's name was Ned Stark. "

Jon's mouth formed in a thin line. "I'm a bastard."

Missandei furrowed her brow.

"My mother and father weren't married," Jon clarified.

Maia found herself swallowing hard. Her grip grew tighter on Jon's arm, as he other hand subtly smoothed out the end of her dress, over her stomach. She bit her lip to not make the words come out in public. It would happen soon; she promised herself that. The guilt was killing her, but she was so nervous. They weren't married; they couldn't marry. She would be having a bastard.

"Is the custom different in Naath?" Davos asked.

Missandei nodded. "We don't have marriage in Naath, so ... the concept of a bastard doesn't exist."

"Maybe we should move to Naath," Maia muttered under her breath while scratching her nose.

"That sounds ... liberating," Davos said.

Jon met both Davos and Maia's gaze, causing the blonde to shrug. He then quickly turned back to Missandei. "Why is it that you leave your homeland?"

Missandei hesitated before answering, "I was stolen away by slavers."

"I'm sorry," Maia mumbled, but Missandei only gave her a nod. "You are a courageous woman, despite the things you've been through."

"If I may," Davos continued, "how did a slave girl come to advise Daenerys Targaryen?"

Missandei allowed a hint of a smile to appear. "She bought me from my master and set me free."

"That was good of her. Of course, you're serving her now, aren't you?"

Maia smacked Davos in the chest, who looked down at her with a confused expression.

"I serve my queen, because I want to serve my queen." Missandei answered coolly. "Because I believe in her."

Jon lofted a brow. "And if you wanted to sail home to Naath tomorrow ..."

"Then she would give me a ship and wish me good fortune."

"You believe that?"

Missandei's eyes formed into slits. "I know it. All of us who came with her from Essos, we believe in her. She's not our queen because she's the daughter of some king we never knew. She's the queen we chose."

Davos slowly turned his head to Jon. "Will you forgive me if I switch sides?"

A crashing sound came from amongst the seas. The group looked in the direction before them, watching a familiar looking ship ride into the banks of Dragonstone. Maia already felt herself lost in her own thoughts of bastards and children, thus causing her arm to slip from Jon's hold. She was already feeling sick just from the smell of the salt off the water, which was a scent that she welcomed so many times before. "Forgive me," Maia muttered, "but I'm not feeling so well. I will speak to you all later."

Jon went to press a soft kiss on her cheek, but noticed Maia was already walking back up the stairs. He watched her with confused eyes, wondering what exactly had been going on with her lately. Jon Snow wasn't one for secrets, and he knew he'd find out what she was hiding sooner or later.