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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cor Azer" data-source="post: 5638087" data-attributes="member: 870">Jacelynn takes a seat in a stool next to Palla, gently fixing the blanket covering her as Adham finishes laying her in the bed. She nods appreciatively to the guard."Come one, Adham," says Haken. "We should leave them to their counsel." Haken bows slightly to Ser Laton, and exits behind Adham, but pauses for a second. "We'll do our best to keep Ser Gough downstairs. No eavesdroppers needed."Jacelynn pays no attention to the conversation at the door, instead watching Maester Karlon as he fusses about Palla's forehead. Finally, the maester seems satisfied that Palla is comfortable, then smiles wistfully at the girl in the squire's clothes. "The Lady Palla will be fine. She needs rest, but I don't think there's any lasting injury." He tucks his hands into the folds of his robes as he passes Ser Laton. "Try not to stay in here too long. The lady does need her sleep." As the maester peers back at Jacelynn, he adds, "Her as well, I would suspect. Ser Gough won't like it, but I'll be available should you need me during the night."After the door closes, silence descends upon the room.How much do I tell him? Jacelynn turns her head slightly, trying to judge the trustworthiness of this knight."It's not a bastard," she says. A heavy sob is barely held back. "Not truly. Lady Palla wed my brother. There was a kindly septon in the village who did it for a few gold dragons. Kept it secret, because Palla's family wanted her to marry up, not some landed knight." Tears well in the corners of Jacelynn's eyes. "Ondrew... Ondrew died. Bandits. Clansmen. Something. Palla was riding out to meet him, but he wouldn't be there. I... I had to go. Ondrew told me everything, and I... I had to watch over his child. I had to watch out for Palla."Jacelynn pauses, looking down at the squire's livery she wears. She pays particular attention to the House Weatherley badge on her left breast. "I know a bit about horses, and I watched Ondrew practice his sword, although it was too heavy for me, so I just took one of the shorter ones. I figured... I hoped... that being dressed as a squire - a boy - would keep people from bothering us. Mind their own business. Safer than two women on the road.""I... I don't think Palla knows. About me. I don't think." Jacelynn looks at the sleeping woman beside her. "Sometimes I think she looks at me a bit funny, but she hasn't said anything. I told her I was Jace Weatherly - Ondrew's cousin. She knows about Ondrew's... about his death. She cried. I couldn't... not with her." Her cheeks glisten with moist tears. "I already cried. But with her, I wanted to cry again. But I couldn't. Boys don't cry. Do they, Ser?"She sobs softly, barely paying attention to Ser Laton."I'm sorry, Ser. I shouldn't be dumping this all on you. You rescued us in the hills, and now I'm telling all my secrets... and I... I don't know what to do.""It's too much," Jacelynn says, as she drops her head down to rest in the cradle of her arms on the bed. "It's too much Ser. Palla didn't know what to do. We just started riding. Couldn't go back home, she said. We met Raquinno on the road. He said he'd comfort Palla, but we knew what he meant. I think that Agorn one likes little boys - he was looking at me... wrong. The Dothraki never spoke. Merrillio, he... he was nice. Chivalrous, like in the stories of brave knights. Told the other ones to leave us alone. I don't know why he's with them.""And then the rain, and we got lost." She sobs softly. "And then I woke in the maester's cart, and he knows about me. And he serves that... that... fat knight. I don't want him to know about me. Mother help me - there's something cruel in that... man." Jacelynn tries to pause in her sobbing rambling, and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry Ser. I'm sorry to throw all my problems at you. It's not your concern; you've already done so much for us. Thank you. Thank you for saving us. I hate to think what may have happened if someone else had found us on that road."</blockquote>

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