During the dictation of the latter letter, Gregor noticed a light smirk spread across Maester Kennick's face when the Mountain first declared that he intended to marry Dacey. Gregor could easily imagine why. Ever since he first arrived at Moat Cailin, the members of his council had been urging him to seek out possible candidates for a bride. As one might expect, the maester had been the most emphatic and persistent. Now that his lord was in the process of arranging a marriage contract, it appeared as though his constant berating had finally pulled through.
After reading the letters over to ensure that they had been formatted exactly as he envisioned them, Gregor had them sent out to King's Landing and Bear Island. Then he eagerly (and somewhat impatiently) awaited a response to both.
The capital was the first to send a raven back. In his follow-up letter, the king expressed his disappointment over Littlefinger's untimely death. Luckily, Robert did not appear very cross or dissatisfied with the Legion's performance in the Vale. That implied that Gregor and his private army had not lost face with the crown. Since the supposed perpetrators of Baelish's murder (the Milk Snakes), had already been dealt with, Robert was not going to penalize any of the involved parties.
Ser Bertom Lynderly had already verified that the Milk Snakes were responsible for his master's death. His testimony as a non-member of the Legionnaire proved extremely useful in authenticating the story Gregor told to Robert.
Petyr Baelish was the last of his line, so his castle on the Fingers was left without a lord. Robert mentioned that his Hand was in the process remedying that issue. Lord Jon Arryn had already listed a number of ideal prospects for the new Lord of the Fingers. So far, the most promising contenders were Lord Yohn Royce's second son, Robar and Lady Anya Waynwood's second son, Donnel. Even Ser Lyn Corbray was being considered for the position.
There was no mention of Lord Jon's wife, but Gregor could imagine that she was devastated by the loss of her childhood "friend." Gregor was not heartless, but he was not feeling particularly sympathetic to Lysa Arryn's woes.
Gregor was hopeful that Lady Lysa would eventually get over Baelish's death. After all, he had only been manipulating her for a couple years, as compared to the couple decades in the original universe. There was a strong chance that she was not as damaged as she would have ultimately been. Perhaps she was even capable of being reasoned with.
If she did not recover from the shock of Petyr's murder, Gregor would not make it his trouble. Lysa's grief was strictly her problem. The mental and emotional well-being of Lord Hoster Tully's fanatical younger daughter was far from the top of Gregor's list of worries. As long as she did not poison her husband this time – and it was unlikely she would, given that there was no one around to persuade her now – Gregor would simply keep her out of his mind.
The letter from Robert arrived about ten days after Gregor dispatched a raven to King's Landing.
It took only four days for the raven sent to Bear Island to receive a response. This one was very brief; it only contained two sentences:
I ride for the moat. Expect me within half a moon's turn.
It was written in the hand of the maester at Bear Island, but it was not challenge for Gregor and Dacey to guess who had dictated that letter.
Gregor did not know precisely what to make of the message. All he knew for certain was that the mother of the woman he wished to marry was coming to Moat Cailin. Since there were no additional details (such as the nature of her visit), that could have been either good news or bad news. He found himself oddly perplexed.
As for Dacey, she was amused. It was just like her mother to be so forward, concise, and ambiguous in something as important as this. Since she did not seem worried, Gregor decided not to fret over Maege Mormont's impending arrival.
Gregor knew that by this point in time, Lord Jeor Mormont had already joined the Night's Watch. So Jorah was currently serving as the Lord of Bear Island. Normally, the duty of arranging marriage contracts for the other members of his family would have fallen primarily on Jorah's shoulders. But House Mormont had always been something of an oddball in the North; it was similar to Dorne in that men and women were equal in everything. Lady Maege had taken it upon herself to organize betrothals for all of her daughters. Which, naturally, included her firstborn. She had not involved her nephew in any of the negotiations.
Eight days later, a small group of riders was spotted approaching from the north. The on-duty watchman was able to identify them by their banners. They were House Mormont retainers. At the front of the short column was Lady Maege herself.
As soon as he was notified of their approach, Gregor gave the order for the northern gate to be opened. The doors were fully parted and the portcullis fully raised by the time the company from Bear Island reached the moat. They all swiftly galloped into the holdfast. Once they were all in, they were guided over to the stables. After dismounting, they gave the stableboys charge of their horses.
By the time the party from Bear Island finished unloading their possessions, Gregor Clegane, Dacey Mormont, and a few top-ranking Legionnaires had entered the vicinity. They proceeded to approach the stables together.
As they got closer to the new arrivals, Gregor urged himself to remain calm, cool, and collected. First impressions meant everything in Westeros, especially in the North. And especially when dealing with a woman who would most likely become his goodmother soon.
This would not be the first time Gregor ever met one of the parents of a woman he was courting. Be that as it may, it would be the first time in this life.
Gregory Welch had had five girlfriends, three of which were among the six women he had slept with (the other three were just flings). The two he had not slept with were the ones he had been involved with during high school. He had only met the parents of two of his ex-girlfriends. Fortunately, both pairs had taken a liking to him almost straightaway.
That was one of Gregor's best qualities; he had an innate ability to get on the good side of just about everyone he met. He had never had much trouble getting people to like him in his first life; Gregory Welch had been a very charismatic person.
Gregor Clegane was certainly charismatic by Westerosi standards. Through his deeds, he had gained the love and respect of many people from all nine of the major regions of the country. He was still far from being universally adored, but he was well on his way to that objective. Even so, his popularity meant little and less if he could not win over Jeor Mormont's younger sister.
When Gregor and his companions reached the Bear Island retinue, the Mountain stepped in front of Maege Mormont. She gave him her full attention, but she did not say a word. He folded his hands behind his back, lightly bowed his head, and declared "On behalf of the Legion without Banners, I officially welcome you to Moat Cailin, my lady."
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.
"Speculate how, Lady Maege?" Gregor enquired.
"Suppose that the costs of the wedding are quite high," Maege hypothesized, "Or suppose other circumstances prevented it from taking place. Perhaps you would have to sacrifice a great deal of money or power in the process. Just how much would you be willing to give up so that the wedding could take place?"
"I cannot imagine how a single wedding could cause such extreme difficulties," Gregor remarked, "But I will go along with your theory. If we were faced with such hardships… we would simply delay the wedding until we either found a way to recover those losses or compensate for them. But I plan to limit how much I invest into the wedding. After all, if I sacrificed too much of my wealth or power for my own wedding, I would risk losing my credibility, as well. My integrity means much more to me than money or influence. By utilizing so much of all three in a wedding, I would risk damaging my reputation, too. That would not bode well for me or any house I married into."
Maege seemed pleased by that argument. She proclaimed "Very good answer, my lord. In the North, weddings are casual affairs. Since you are not of the North, we could excuse a little extravagance for yours. But you would still do well to keep it simple."
"I plan to," Gregor told her.
"Good," Maege murmured, "Now, let us say the marriage comes with minimum expense, but afterwards, Dacey becomes deeply involved in managing your house's finances. She is generally responsible with money, but she may propose some questionable or seemingly selfish ventures. How much coin would you be willing to spend to make her happy?"
"You and I both know that marriages are not about keeping one's spouse content," Gregor cautiously responded, "Of course, I would want Dacey to be happy, but she does not strike me as the type of woman who relies greatly on material goods for pleasure. Besides, if I gave up too much for her, it would imply that Dacey is the true head of the house, and not everyone believes in gender equality as I do."
"Another prudent response, my lord," Maege stated approvingly, "After you are wed, will Dacey continue serving alongside you in the Legion? Or do you intend to have her stay in Moat Cailin for the rest of her life?"
"She will still be free to go where she likes," Gregor pronounced firmly, "Anytime she wishes to go riding, her horse will be available. I will never deny her the right to wield a sword, either. Except, perhaps, when she is heavily pregnant. I would be quite averse to her fighting if ever she is seven months with child or more. But even then, I would not demand of her to sheath her sword. I would simply suggest that she put it away until after the child's birth. Hopefully, she will not protest. Once she has regained her strength, I'll give her back her sword myself."
Maege was very satisfied with that response. It was just what she was hoping to hear, and Gregor meant every word of it. After a moment, she gazed off to the side and muttered "It appears you have accounted for everything, Lord Gregor. Obviously you know what you are doing. Your feelings for my daughter are true, as are your reasons for wanting to wed her. This union would indeed be beneficial to both my house and yours. The two of you have the capacity to make the marriage a joyful and successful one. With all that in mind, I have every reason to give you my blessing."
At that, Gregor leaned forward expectantly.
A few seconds later, Maege continued with "However… before I do, there is one last factor that must be acknowledged."
"What is that?" Gregor inquired.
"I need to know just how far you would go for my daughter," Maege declared, "All this talk about sacrifices has not been mere conjecture. It is directly related to the issue at hand."
"How so?" Gregor asked.
"In a married couple, both partners often have to give some things up," Maege contended, "That's the way it is with every union. Even if their marriage is happy and without difficulties, they have to compromise at times. Whenever they compromise, they have to make sacrifices of their own."
"I… cannot dispute that," Gregor uttered, shrugging a bit, "But how is this relevant? Is there a sacrifice you would have me make?"
Maege sternly nodded her head. She then drew one of her daggers, gripped it by the blade, and held it out to Gregor. As he slowly took the weapon by the hilt, Maege instructed him "Take that dagger… and cut off one of your fingers."
Gregor felt himself overcome with shock and alarm. He gazed at her as though he was certain he had misheard her. He said uneasily "Come again?"
"The oldest bonds were formed with blood sacrifices," Maege enlightened him, "Typically, one would open up one's hand or face with a blade, and offer the spilt blood as a sign of one's compliance. But these days, you can hardly go three miles without someone else taking a slash at you. Cutting open yourself does not mean as much as it used to. As such, a more permanent sacrifice is often given instead."
Gregor was speechless. Up until now, he had spoken to and treated Lady Maege with nothing less than the utmost courtesy. Now, he felt much less amenable. He looked to the Bear Island woman and grumbled irately "What would this even prove?"
"It would prove how serious you are about this match," Maege uttered bluntly, "You wish to show me how much you wish to wed my daughter? Then do so. Give up a little piece of yourself so that you can have all of her."
"Dacey never mentioned anything like this," Gregor hastily pointed out.
"Probably because she was hoping to avoid it," Maege theorized, "Alas, I will not. This is a basic matter of principle, my lord. Now make your choice. Will you choose your hand or Dacey's?"
Gregor was already startled by the very concept of amputating his own finger. Now he was not even being allotted any time to think on this proposal. Maege was forcing him to make a choice right then.
The Mountain anxiously gazed at the dagger. It was very sharp, and it held a very fine edge. With one swift slash, it could slice clean through bone, skin, and muscle alike. Furthermore, Gregor was very handy with a knife. He could make a very clean and precise cut.
Still, that did not make the idea of losing an appendage any easier to bear.
He desperately thought of ways around this predicament. Maybe he would not have to sever an entire finger. Maybe Maege would be content with just one segment of his smallest digit. But he could not ask her that; it would be a sign of weakness.
He then recalled that there were such things as prosthetics in this world. Perhaps he could replace whichever finger he lost with a small rod of metal. Then again, even if the prosthetic was shaped like an actual finger and moved like one, it would just be a substitute for the real thing.
He even considered asking Maege to use the dagger for him. But he swiftly banished that thought from his mind. If he begged someone else to do a gruesome task that he himself was unwilling to do, it would be a huge blow to his honor and his decency.
From the look of things, there was no easy way around this dilemma. He only had two real options: sever one of his digits, or plead with Maege not to make him go through with the operation.
After a minute of tense silence, Gregor finally made his decision.
He slowly raised the dagger… and plunged its tip onto the surface of his desk. It landed nowhere near his other hand.
Gregor then looked up at Lady Maege Mormont and proclaimed unsteadily "I'm sorry, I…I can't do it. I can't… mutilate myself."
Maege seemed indifferent to that statement. She folded her arms and assumed "So you're refusing to make the sacrifice?"
"Yes, I'm refusing!" Gregor snapped heatedly, "But I'm not giving up on Dacey. I will do anything else – I mean, anything else – to appease you. I beg you to let me demonstrate the truth of that claim through some other means. Please do not doubt me when I say I love your daughter."
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 Mountai