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JON sat in the usual high position at his table in Castle Black's common room, watching the rest of the members eat and talk amongst themselves. He looked to his right, spotting Maester Aemon in his familiar spot and gesturing for him to further a discussion with his fellow men.
"Brothers," Jon called out, immediately silencing the men around him, "we have an important matter to discuss."
"It isn't another latrine pit, is it?" A random man in the back joked.
Ed stood from his spot. "Be quiet for once, would you!"
Jon nodded in his friend's direction. "As you all know, we were greeted by a stranger lying outside of our gates this morning."
A mix of several groans echoed throughout the premises at Jon's words.
When they finally died down, the Lord Commander continued, "She is indeed a woman and we have collected her name to be Maia Sanders. I am very much aware of the Watch's certain vow, but Lady Sanders has come running to us seeking refuge. I fear she has some kind of memory disorder, for she doesn't know where she is."
"Sounds like a spy to me," Alliser Thorne piped up. "Probably recruited by someone who wants Stannis Baratheon dead."
"I have to disagree, Ser Alliser. She barely has any recollection how she got outside our entrance and the land she's on. I think it's my duty to help her."
Alliser rolled his eyes when Jon wasn't looking. "That's good enough for you, Lord Commander. But something about her sudden presence doesn't seem right to me." He shook his head as his fellow Watch members agreed. "She's not one of us, and she certainly doesn't look like she's from this time. You know the rule of the Night's Watch."
"Time?" Ed scoffed, turning around to meet Thorne's eyes. "What're you suggesting?"
Alliser shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me."
"Enough, brothers," Jon exclaimed, causing them to quiet at the slap of his fist on the table. "Miss Sanders cannot join the Night's Watch, no, but we can surely find a place for her here. She seeks refuge behind the Wall for who knows what reason, so we will give her a job to work for."
The Lord Commander looked around at the men before him. "You will all treat her with respect. This is an order."
•••
Maia continuously stared at her hands, burrowing herself into the sheets she was given. She was utterly silent, but kept her eyes on anything except the burly male manning her room. It was nerve-racking being watched all the time. They – the Night's Watch, she remembered – all thought she was some kind of menace.
Sam stood in front of her door, glancing at Maia's shivering figure from time to time. He wanted to say something to her to make her feel more comfortable, but to be fair, she didn't seem to be comfortable around anybody. She barely knew anything.
"S – So," he stuttered out, "you're not a spy, right?"
Maia shook her head. "If I was a spy, wouldn't I have done something already?"
"You could be planning to kill Stannis Baratheon."
She looked back down, muttering, "I don't know who that is."
Stannis Baratheon believes he's King by birthright, Derek mentioned in the past. He's the older brother of Renly Baratheon, whom he killed, and younger of Robert Baratheon. As soon as Robert died, Stannis was dead-set on claiming the throne. Melisandre, the Red Woman, believed he was the legendary Prince Who Was Promised, also known as the Azor Ahai.
Maia cleared her throat at the memory of her fiancé. "Listen," she continued, "I don't know who most of you are –"
"My name is Samwell –"
"– But I'm just trying to get back to Washington."
Sam furrowed his brow. "Where exactly is that?"
"Never mind," she sighed as her head fell into her hands.
Sam was silent for a moment. "I think you have a good chance of staying here." He explained, not hearing Maia curse at his statement. "Jon seems to be on your side and wants to help. You may be working with my – um – partner, Gilly."
Maia slowly met his eyes. "Partner?"
He immediately back-tracked his words, shaking his head. "Forget what I said. D – Don't say anything."
Maia stood from the mattress, walking over to the bright window as she hugged a blanket tightly around herself. "Wait," she paused, "why is this Gilly allowed to stay here without a cause, but I'm considered a spy?"
She remembered her fiancé's words: Gilly is Sam Tarly's practical girlfriend. She's a Wildling, meaning she's lived on the lands beyond the Wall, and she has a baby named after Sam, though he is not the father.
Sam shifted his feet. "Well, Jon worked really hard to force others to agree for her to stay. I rescued her and her baby from the terrible father. It was the right thing to do, or her baby would've died."
Maia remembered her term again. "Isn't she a Wildling?"
He lofted a brow. "How would you known that?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words formed. She hastily came up with an excuse: "Lucky guess."
"Fair enough," he nodded. "But yes, because of her identity, others did consider her a spy as well. The Night's Watch also has a specific chastity vow, and many believe that allowing women into Castle Black will tempt men to break that."
Maia scoffed, watching the men below practice their fighting stances. These people would recoil in the mention of modern-day feminism. "The presence of a woman should not be the blame if a man wants to whip out his cock. He does it because he wants to. Just like the presence of a man should not be blamed if a woman wants to show off her breasts."
Sam quivered at her words, immediately looking away. He didn't know exactly what to say, but realized he didn't have to when a knock sounded outside the door. Sam opened it slowly, allowing Jon to emerge into the room.
The Lord Commander cleared his throat, "Lady Sanders."
Maia stared out the window, breathing slowly out of her nose. She closed her eyes as she listened to Jon's "good news." He had found a position for her at Castle Black, though he knew that was clearly not what she wanted. She needed to find a way to get back to Derek.
But now, she had to prepare for her future at Castle Black. She didn't want to predict what we would happen if she didn't.
