Chapter 40: May I Ask why?

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Lady Maege seemed pleased by the sincerity and cordiality in the introduction. She smirked and stated wryly "I'd have thought you'd welcome me on someone else's behalf, as well, Lord Gregor."

"Mother!" Dacey whispered sternly. She sounded a little aghast, but in actuality, she was trying not to snicker.

Maege Mormont was a gruff, strapping woman. She did not share Dacey's voluptuous curves, but her arms and chest were well bound with muscle. She was quite tall, too. She stood just an inch or two shorter than her daughter.

She was past her fortieth name day. Her hair was already beginning to turn a shade of light grey, there were bags under her eyes, and there were a couple wrinkles along her cheeks.

Despite the obvious signs of age, her countenance suggested that in her youth, she had been quite comely.

Like her daughter and her soldiers, Maege Mormont carried plenty of steel. She wore a sword at her hip, three daggers on her waist, and an axe on her back.

After a bit of relative quietness, Gregor offered "Would you care to see the moat, my lady?"

"I'm of the North, my lord," Lady Maege stated slyly, "I've seen Moat Cailin before. However, I have not seen it in this condition. So, yes; show me what you've done to it."

Gregor nodded in acknowledgment.

Quarters had already been arranged for Lady Maege's party. Gregor had Sylas Vikary show her soldiers to their rooms. While they went to get settled, Gregor and Dacey gave her mother a tour of Moat Cailin.

She never made any comments about the various upgrades and renovations that had been made to the moat, but she definitely seemed impressed by them.

After the tour, Maege asked to make use of the training yard. She also asked Gregor if he would spar with her. Seeing no good reason to refuse her, he consented to her request.

Maege Mormont proved to be as adept a warrior as her daughter. She was twice Gregor's age and a foot shorter than him, but her slightly smaller stature made her much quicker and more agile.

Nevertheless, Gregor's skills with weapons were superior, and while size and strength were not everything, he proved once more that they could indeed make a difference.

Gregor and Maege went nine rounds with each other. He won the first eight, and the last round ultimately came out as a draw.

That was mostly because he was secretly getting bored. Other than Dacey, they had no audience to their dueling.

Given the circumstances, Dacey was uncertain who to cheer for; so she remained silent throughout the bouts.

When they put up their blades, Maege disclosed "I thank you for the exercise, my lord. It's been a while since I faced a worthy opponent in the ring."

She had paid him a compliment. That alone gave Gregor a modicum of hope.

Gregor spent most of the rest of the day with Dacey and Maege. He kept looking for the right moment to address the possibility of a betrothal between him and Dacey. He expected Maege to be the first one to bring it up.

Strangely, the topic never came up that day. Maege appeared far more interested in the activities of the Legion without Banners, as well as Gregor's future plans for expanding and enhancing the Legion.

She never said a word about marriage or anything similar to it. It was as though the concept was the absolute last thing on her mind.

By the end of the day, Gregor was beginning to wonder if Maege intended to speak on that issue at all.

The following morning, he discovered that she did.

Gregor broke his fast in the Top Hall with his council and his top officers like he always did. Maege Mormont and her soldiers had joined them at Gregor's behest.

Right after breakfast ended, Lady Maege came to Gregor and requested a private audience with him. He agreed, and she asked Dacey to accompany them.

The massive knight led the two Bear Islanders to his solar. There, Maege bade her daughter to wait outside whilst she spoke with the Mountain inside.

She claimed she needed to speak with Gregor separately beforehand. Dacey did not protest.

Gregor held the door open to allow Maege to enter the room first. Once she was through the threshold, he followed her in.

He looked back at Dacey as he entered. She lightly smiled and mouthed the words "take care of yourself" to him.

After closing the door to the solar, Gregor saw that Maege was already seated at one of the chairs in front of his desk.

As he approached his own chair behind the desk, he amiably proposed "Would you care for wine, my lady?"

"Normally, I'd never turn down an after-breakfast drink," Maege replied, "But it would be better if I'm sober for this."

"Very well," Gregor commented. In his experience, many Northmen were actually more agreeable and pleasant when they were drunk.

But they were also less subject to sense and rationale. This situation would require using logic over courtesy.

Once he was settled in his chair, Gregor looked to Lady Maege. After five seconds of absolute silence, she bluntly stated "So, Lord Gregor, you wish to marry my daughter?"

"Indeed, I do, my lady," the Mountain said in response.

Maege gave a nod and inquired "May I ask why?"

"Many reasons," Gregor professed, "Firstly, there's politics. I may be a vassal to the North now, but no one will ever forget I was originally from the Westerlands. Despite my relocation, I will never truly be recognized as a Northman until I take a Northern bride. Then there's the matter that I actually need a bride anyway. Every lord needs heirs, after all. Your daughter is strong, resilient, compassionate, intelligent, and she is as loyal to House Stark as you are. I believe she is my finest prospect."

Maege rubbed her chin as she thought about those observations. Then she remarked.

"From a political and social viewpoint, I would agree. The marriage would be advantageous to my house, as well. Your titles as the Lord of Moat Cailin, King Robert's Master of Order, and the commander of the Legion without Banners carry a lot of prestige. But you are not searching for a sword or a horse, my lord. You are searching for a bride. I don't like the idea of you thinking of my daughter as merely being a choice, even if she's your 'best choice.'"

"That is not how I view her, my lady," Gregor assured her, "I care very deeply for your daughter. Ever since she enlisted in the Legion, I have developed a close bond with her. She's invaluable as a warrior and as a leader. Before long, I came to regard her as one of my dearest friends. Recently, I started seeing her as more than even that."

"So Dacey told me true when she claimed you and she have feelings for each other?" Maege asked rhetorically.

"She did," Gregor affirmed.

"Have you acted upon those feelings yet?" Maege enquired, narrowing her eyes, "Tell me truthfully. I'll know if you are being insincere."

Gregor straightforwardly admitted "A fortnight ago, we shared a kiss. One single kiss. Nothing more."

"I've no qualms on that," Maege muttered, "There is such thing as a chaste kiss, after all."

"It was just that, I promise you," Gregor stated.

Maege nodded again. Then she leaned back in her chair and queried "What kind of bride would you wish to have? More to the point, what kind of bride do you expect Dacey to be?"

"The only thing I truly desire from her is devotion," Gregor disclosed, "I only expect her to be faithful to me. Just as I would be faithful to her in turn. Some lords may cast aside their marriage vows in a moment of weakness, but I am stronger than that. When I make a vow, I honor to the end."

"So fidelity is all you want?" Maege assumed.

"No, I want our marriage to be illustrious and successful, too," Gregor contended, "I do not expect Dacey to obey my every command without question. I know that she is by no means submissive, and I do not expect her to be. In fact, it's her free-spirited nature that drew me to her."

Maege scoffed and mumbled "Yes, Dacey always was a bit wild. Even I could not control her at times. But make no mistake; she loves and respects me just as much as I do her."

"I know she does," Gregor murmured softly.

After another interval of uninterrupted silence, Maege stated "Alright, my lord. You've convinced me that you have compelling reasons, excellent reasons, and legitimate reasons for wanting to marry my daughter. Now say I gave my consent for the marriage to happen. Let us speculate on what you would do to make the union last."

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