Chapter 42: That was just.... A test!

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Maege did not respond to that proclamation straightaway. Over two minutes of unpleasant, intense silence elapsed before she finally opened her mouth. But when she did, speaking was not the first thing she did with it. Instead, she broke into a wide smile.

Then she declared "I know you do, Lord Gregor. I knew that ten minutes after I first met you. I also know that she loves you, as well. The way you two look at each other… there is genuine love there. And I would be a fool to come between you and her."

Gregor cocked his head and uttered "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"For that, I cannot fault you," Maege commented. She extracted her dagger from the desk and sheathed it.

Then she revealed "This was all a trial. I was testing you to see if you could be driven to cut off your finger without any objections."

"It appears as though I failed," Gregor mumbled grimly.

"Oh, no," Maege asserted, still smiling, "You passed."

Now Gregor was very confused. "I did?"

Maege provided an explanation: "If you actually had cut off your finger, you would have singled yourself out as an obsessive who would do anything to get what he wants, even at the needless expense of his own well-being. Little good comes out of a person with such a mindset. For instance, some would argue Robert Baratheon's true motive for starting the Rebellion was a result of that type of fixation. That was how much he yearned for my liege lord's sister. Had the King not found happiness with Cersei Lannister, I would fear for the realm. Then again, having a Lannister Queen is not very ideal, either."

"That is a fair assessment," Gregor conceded, "In every aspect."

Maege nodded again, and she went on with "I believe you would do everything you could – within reason – to protect my daughter. If the situation called for it, I am certain you would lay your life down for her. But if you would voluntarily inflict damage onto yourself to win her over, you would have crossed the line between love and infatuation. It would only have been a finger now, but it could have been a hand or worse later on. Your physical well-being may not be all that was at stake. Your mental well-being would ultimately suffer, as well. Once that happened, you would soon be just as much a danger to Dacey as yourself. I would never allow her to be bound to such an individual."

'Lady Maege would have made a great interrogator at the Agency.'

Indeed, Gregor was impressed by how much thought and effort Maege Mormont had put in this test. She had applied a lesson in advanced psychology – or what would have been known as advanced psychology in his first life – to determine the nature of Gregor's relationship with Dacey. She meant a great deal to him, but he was not unhealthily besotted with her.

Evidently, Maege only wanted what was best for her daughter, and she would go to great length to ensure that Dacey had nothing less.

Gregor did feel a little annoyed at being misled, but he had to face facts; he could not stay ahead of everyone in Westeros. In any case, at least his encounter with Lady Maege produced a favorable outcome.

"I hope you hold no ill will towards me for deceiving you, my lord," Maege uttered, a little worriedly.

"Not at all," Gregor reassured her, "I wish I could say I saw right through this charade. Alas, I cannot. For the first time in ever, I've been caught totally off my guard. As such, I salute you, my lady."

Maege smirked again and pronounced "I know it must have been grueling; forcing you to choose between Dacey's hand and part of yours. Had you flat-out refused and claimed that no woman was worth losing a digit for, Dacey and I would have left within the hour. What matters is that you hesitated before you decided. Had you actually swung that dagger, I would have stopped your hand before the blade made contact with your skin. You would still have kept your hand, but you would have lost Dacey's. But now that rationale and instinct have triumphed over desire, you shall have both, instead."

That last remark piqued Gregor's interest. He leaned forward and said anxiously "So, does that mean you…?"

Before he could finish, Maege nodded once more and professed "There is no need for you to prove yourself anymore. I now know that Dacey could do no better than the man before me. For that, I give you my congratulations… as well as my blessing."

Gregor smiled brightly, rose to his feet, walked around his desk, and held his hand out to the Bear Island woman. She took it, and he shook her hand vigorously. He said elatedly yet in a somewhat professional tone, "I thank you, Lady Maege. I swear to you, you will never come to regret this."

"I'll hold you to your word," the Bear Island woman remarked. She rose to her own feet, grinned back at the Mountain, and informed him "I look forward to calling you my son."

He chuckled at that, thought the concept of being Maege Mormont's son-by-law did sound appearling. Gregor then pointed out the door and commented "On that note…?"

"Go right ahead," Maege bade him, "If there's to be a wedding, the bride should definitely know of it."

Gregor promptly sauntered to the door and opened it. As he anticipated, Dacey had lingered in the hallway.

If she had overheard any of the conversation between her mother and Gregor, she gave no indication of such.

Gregor was fairly certain she had avoided the temptation to eavesdrop.

When the massive knight stepped out into the hallway, the Bear Island girl turned her attention to him. She seemed equal parts excited and apprehensive.

"Well?" she inquired in interest.

"Come on in," he urged her.

Gregor reentered the solar with Dacey right behind him. She went to Maege, held her right hand in both of hers, and asked eagerly "What have you decided, Mother?"

Lady Maege Mormont smiled gently at her daughter, caressed her cheek with her free hand, and told her "I deeply approve of Lord Gregor, my darling. You have my blessing to marry him."

Dacey was delighted. She turned back to Gregor, rushed over to him, and embraced him affectionately.

As Gregor held her, he looked to his intended's mother and gestured for her to approach them. Maege grinned, walked over to the couple, and joined in the hug.

When they finally pulled apart, Maege questioned curiously "When do you intend to wed?"

"As soon as possible," Dacey answered.

Gregor had much the same in mind, but there were certain factors he had to account for first. He thought aloud, "I'd like to have at least some of my family present for the ceremony. It'll take about a fortnight for them to travel from Clegane's Keep to Moat Cailin. We'll need even more time to plan the ceremony itself. I know Northmen prefer their nuptials modest, but, as you are no doubt aware, Moat Cailin is inhabited by more than just Northmen. The tastes and penchants of the other Westerosi should be acknowledged, as well."

"I agree," Dacey claimed, "Even if we wanted to keep everything simple, our fellow Legionnaires will probably make a far bigger issue of this affair than we shall."

"That can't be helped," Maege proclaimed. She rubbed her temple and suggested "With all that considered… do you suppose the wedding could occur within a moon's turn at the most?"

Gregor thought a moment, and then he nodded and professed "That is definitely doable."

"A moon's turn is fine by me," Dacey concurred.

Maege clapped her hands together and announced "So be it. The ceremony will be held thirty days from today. I'll remain here to help you prepare for it. Expect to see very much of me over the coming weeks."

'I don't know whether to be grateful or petrified by that.'

Either way, Gregor was overjoyed. Now that he had Lady Maege's blessing, there was nothing else keeping him and Dacey apart. In a single moon's turn, the Bear would climb the Mountain.

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