Northern at Heart [ GoT ]

E L E V E N

lady marla ashwood

THE SIEGE BELLS BEGAN RINGING, SENDING CHILLS DOWN MARLA'S SPINE. It was the awful, imminent warning of Stannis's ships approaching Blackwater Bay. She couldn't help but feel as if this was the day she could very well die—I mean, she wasn't naive. She knew there was a chance the Lannister forces wouldn't be able to defeat the enemy, leaving King's Landing vulnerable and up for the taking.

The beloved, brave King Joffrey has called Marla and Sansa to the Great Hall to see him off before he joined his men in the battlements. It came as a shock to everyone that the cruel boy king decided to join his men instead of cowering inside like the weakling he is.

As Sansa, Shae, and Marla joined a few other ladies in the Great Hall, she noticed Lord Tyrion out of the corner of her eye, walking alongside his squire—Podrick Payne. The dwarf had been fitted into a new, pristine set of armor as well as holding an axe in his hands. Gods, no, Tyrion. Tyrion was a good talker, but most definitely not a fighter.

"Lady Sansa, Lady Marla. And uh...Sheila?" Lord Tyrion said softly, eyeing Sansa's handmaiden—Shae. He was doing an awful job at pretending he hasn't slept with her.

"Shae," the foreign girl corrected irritatedly.

"Shae, yes. Surely my sister has asked you to join the other highborn ladies in Maegor's holdfast?"

"She has, Lord Tyrion. King Joffrey has asked Sansa and I here to see him off before the battle," Marla explained.

"Oh, my dear nephew. Of course."

"Please don't tell me you're fighting tonight, Lord Tyrion." Marla pleaded, bending down to Tyrion's level. He smiled sadly.

"I'm afraid I am, Lady Marla. It's my duty as a Lannister and as a man."

"Not to worry—I will take good care of him, Lady Marla," Tyrion's young, handsome squire assured her. She nodded towards Podrick gratefully.

"If you die out there, I'll kill you," she mocked, kissing Tyrion's cheek.

"Marla! Sansa!" Joffrey's ear-piercing voice whined from across the hall. "Come here!" 

"I will pray for you safe return, Lord Tyrion," Sansa said gently.

"Will you?" Tyrion perked a brow.

Sansa glanced back, "Just as I pray for the king's."

Sansa and Marla made their way towards Joffrey, who stood impatiently waiting for the two to reach him. Shae followed behind the ladies loyally. "Your king rides forth to battle," Joffrey simpered while pulling his sword from its sheath.

"You should see him off with a kiss. My new blade. Hearteater, I've named it," he smirked, admiring the look of fear framing Sansa's face. Marla fought back the urge to spit out a treasonous remark at the boy.