Northern at Heart [ GoT ]

N I N E

lady marla ashwood

BRONN AND MARLA HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ATTEMPT OF FREEING RYDER.
Lord Tyrion was Hand, and Bronn was his personal sellsword, allowing easy access to the Red Keep dungeons without drawing unnecessary suspicion.

Bronn and Marla told the guards on duty that they were there to interrogate one of the prisoners about a stolen necklace. When the guards refused to abandon their posts, Bronn reminded them he served Lord Tyrion—the Hand of the King—and if they refused again, he'd have them hanged for treason against the Crown. After his last statement, they happily left Marla and Bronn to themselves.

Tyrion knew of secret passageways that led out of the dungeon and drew a map for Marla to follow.

After they freed Ryder from his cell, they followed the map through the passageways and out of the Keep. The tunnels led out at a small cove where a fishing boat was tied to a small dock. Ryder would have to row hisself out of Blackwater Bay and down to Oldtown. It would make for a difficult task, but it was better than staying in a musty cell for the rest of his days.

"Thank you, Marla. We'll meet again someday." He had said, pulling the dainty girl into a hug. He kissed her forehead and gave her his signature smile one last time before climbing into the fishing boat.

"Farewell, Ryder Rockbury."

—

As Marla and Bronn made their way back to the Keep, she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. She hadn't known Ryder for a very long time, but proved himself a worthy man. If it wasn't for him, she'd likely be dead.

"That boy loves you," Bronn commented nonchalantly, glancing over at Marla.

"What? No he doesn't."

"He does. I can tell when a man is in love—and that boy is in love with you," he said, chuckling to himself. "Do you think you'll ever see him again?"

"I hope so. He was a true friend and a good person. If the gods be good, we'll meet again." She said, pulling up the skirt of her dress as she trotted up the steps leading to the castle.

"The gods aren't good, little lady. Haven't you learned that by now?"

"I suppose I have."

"He was a handsome enough lad, wouldn't you say? What stopped you from hopping on that boat with him and never looking back?" Bronn questioned, perking a curious eyebrow.

"I have others to worry about, not just myself. Sansa needs me. I can't just leave her here with these monsters," Marla sighed. She wishes she could've joined Ryder, but it wasn't realistic. She couldn't be selfish in times like these.

"Is that the only reason?" Bronn suspected she was keeping something else from him.

She bit her tongue, unsure of whether or not she wanted to share such personal information with a sellsword. She let out an exasperated huff. "I love Robb Stark. I couldn't betray him like that. Not after what we've been through together."

"Ah, so you love the Stark boy, but have feelings for that commoner."

She didn't reply. Mostly because his words had some truth to them that she didn't want to admit she believed. Robb Stark was the man she loved. He was. He would do anything for her. He'd kill every man in King's Landing to get her back.

And she'd kill every last Lannister in this damned city to get back back to him.

Marla stood outside Sansa's chambers, knocking impatiently on her door. After a good long while, the door cracked open slightly, revealing a dark-haired woman wearing a pink satin silk dress.

"Lady Sansa is busy right now," she said frantically with an unrecognizable foreign accent.

"Tell her it's me, Marla."

"I said—Lady Sansa is busy," the woman repeated with a scowl on her face, beginning to close the door.

"Let her in, Shae," Sansa called out, her voice crackling.

Marla pushed the door back further to let herself in, stopping in her tracks when she noticed Sansa's hands were covered in blood.

"What in Seven Hells..." she muttered, stepping closer to Sansa. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Tears were streaming down the auburn-haired girl's cheeks. Marla glanced down at the bed, where a dark red stain had formed. Sansa's red flower was now blooming.

"Cersei can't know. If she finds out I've had my first blood, it means I'm fit to bear Joffrey's children," she croaked out, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Marla couldn't imagine the atrocities that awful boy would put her through once they were man and wife.

"Quickly, we need to flip the mattress over," the foreign woman urged, scurrying towards the bed.

The three began to lift mattress but stopped as soon as Marla turned her head and noticed another handmaiden standing outside the door. She saw the blood, then she saw Lady Sansa. She turned her head and began to walk away.

Marla and Shae ran after her hurriedly. Gods know she was on her way to tell the queen. And once the queen found out, there was nothing delaying the marriage between Sansa Stark and Joffrey Baratheon.

"Where are you going?" Marla called after the girl, her tone of voice demanding.

"To tell the queen," the girl replied. That just won't do.

Marla shoved the handmaiden against the wall and pulled the dagger from her boot. She held the weapon against the girl's throat and stared at her with ruthless eyes. "You will say nothing to no one. Do you understand?"

She nodded, her eyes filled with panic. Marla released her grip on the girl and removed the dagger from her throat, sheathing it back inside its hiding place. The handmaiden ran off down the hall. Marla truly surprised herself in the actions she took to keep those she loved safe from harm.

Marla and the the foreign handmaiden rushed back up to Sansa's chambers. The sight before them made their stomachs drop. The Hound had ahold of Sansa, staring down at her blood-soaked bed sheets. The young Stark girl sniffled.

"Unhand her," Marla ordered, grabbing onto Sansa's arm and yanking it from Ser Sandor's grasp.

"My duty is to tell the queen of this," he stated dryly, making his way towards the door.

"Fuck duty. You know King Joffrey is evil—you know of the things he'll do to Sansa once he finds out about this. Keep it to yourself," Marla said through gritted teeth.

"You're a brave girl...some day it'll get you killed," he said grimly, his armor clanking as he disappeared out of Sansa's chambers and down the hall.

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Chapter nine ✔️
It feels so weird I've already written nine chapters like what? I never thought I'd get this far lol. As usual pm/comment with questions and concerns!
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