She blinked in surprise when his throw went wide of the board. He was drunker than she thought. She hoped he didn’t hit some innocent bystander with one of his wayward darts – it’d be a great way to start a bar fight. And then the watch would be summoned. And Lord Tywin would no doubt hear about in the morning.
Meryll took a dart in hand and was about to throw when she realized this competition was going to be very poorly matched, and not a challenge at all, judging from Bronn’s first throw. She had been hoping for a close match. Certainly, the sellsword was skilled with all sorts of weapons, and no doubt he was able to throw a dart. Gods, how much had he had to drink before she showed up?
But there were other ways to have fun playing darts, she supposed.
She smiled coyly over her shoulder at the sellsword. “You know, I don’t actually know how to throw a dart. Perhaps you could act the gallant knight that I know you are and show me?”
“Can’t exactly leave a woman in need go unheard now can I?” He asked, in his drunken stupor he didn’t even question that he was sure, in the back of his mind that she had thrown a dart before while he watched but he shrugged it off and walked over to her and placed his hand on her arm getting it at the right angle and bend. “Now, keep your arm like this and than throw it” He told her, placing a hand on her waist to help keep her steady and also for his own selfish needs.
“Make sure to use more of your wrist to flick.” He added as his breath hit her neck as he had come in close to her, trying to make sure her arm and hand were both in a good place to throw, and watched as the dart flew into the board, a better landing job than he had done earlier. Maybe he shouldn’t be helping her win. It would be bad for his coin purse after all. But where was the fun if there wasn’t a lose or win situation? On one hand he could let her win and he could pay but than she would know that he had thrown the game or he could win and have her pay and he’d have a free drink but than she might be a sore loser and want a rematch. Neither option when he got down to the details sounded good.
Stepping away from Meryll, his fingers trailing off her waist ever so slowly and rolling his shoulders, Bronn took a deep breath before he threw his own dart, landing it square in the middle even to his own surprise and he masked such things well, rubbing his index and thumb together. “You best be ready to pay up for those ales missy” Though he attributed his last throw to pure luck rather than his own skills due to being heavily intoxicated.
“If she were a man she might, might give Robert Baratheon a run for his money on sleeping around.” Bronn wasn’t going to say one way or another if he really supported or not the girls decision to sleep around, honestly he could care less but the facts were that Amerei had a reputation and that he knew would not be good for House Frey’s already poor reputation and harder to find a Lord who would marry her.
“No marriage? Really? Are you going to outlive old Waldar Frey and not be married off and having babes of your own?” He asked, not suprised at all by her answer. The time he’d known Meryll he hadn’t pegged her for being a marrying kind of woman and his eyes focused on her finger as it trailed down his chest and they briefly glanced at her face before back on the hand.
“Lollys. Not after Cersei promised her Ser Bracken or whatever his name is, broke the agreement she did. So, Jaime promised me a better wife and castle and here I am.” his arms outstretched, gesturing to the tavern “Here in this shithole” as he put his hands down, one hand came down to gently rest on Meryll’s thigh “Besides, i’m not pure as a fresh babe in any aspect of my life, lady Frey”
Meryll started a bit when Bronn’s hand fell to her leg. She should not have been surprised – this wasn’t like the times that she sassed the stable boy back at the Twins. While the boy had been happy to exchange some suggestive and flirty banter, he would have never dreamed to lay a hand on his liege lord’s granddaughter. Bronn had no such qualms. And he was no boy.
It was a dangerous game she played, toying with a man such as Bronn – former sellsword, newly knighted, ambitious as heck and he made no effort to conceal it. And it was possible, just possible, that Meryll talked a bigger game than she played. But the thrill of sneaking past the redcloaks and city watch had left her feeling brave and reckless, and the ale was pushing brave over the line to stupid.
“I think there are enough Freys in the realm that my House should somehow survive without me adding any babes of my own,” she said with a wry smile.
There had been a time she had wanted such things – to be the Lady of a great keep and to bear sons for her Lord husband. But somehow the events of the past few months had put a damper on those dreams. She and her sisters and cousins had served as spoils of war between House Frey, House Bolton and House Lannister. Meryll should have been pleased to be marrying into a house such as House Lannister, even if it was one of the lesser branches, but part of her wondered if Lord Grandfather had just chosen names out of a hat when he decided which girl should married off to which little lordling.
Her trailing finger had ended up somewhere just above the sellsword’s belt. Meryll had learned a few things from Amerei, afterall. She knew what things to say or do if she wanted to end up in a man’s bed. She knew, but she had never actually done them before.
Meryll stood up so fast she nearly knocked the stool over. “How about a game of darts? Loser buys the next round.”
Bronn gave a smile as he felt Meryll’s finger stop at his belt and he was having a hard time keeping his mind focused on what Meryll was saying and he felt himself leaning closer into her, his body reacting to the anticipation of what could happen between them. He did after all find her attractive. She was not only one of the few beautiful Frey girls but in general a fine beauty and woman all around, she could drink and fight just as well as a man and yet she knew when to behave and act like a lady.
Maybe he had too much to drink, maybe it was the air of excitement around him but Bronn realized that in this moment he wanted Meryll and he was going to do his best to have her as soon as he could, screw her betrothed or what the Lannisters and her Grandfather wanted for her. Fuck the consequences. He’d have her all to himself if he was able to. But than suddenly, she was gone from his view and he nearly collided with the bar stool and he grumbled as he watched her walk towards the dart board.
“No fair” He called, stumbling over there himself “You’re at an advantage.” Bronn swayed just a bit as he picked up a set of darts and readied himself to throw one, the dart flew in the dartboard but not where it should have landed. Instead of the circles it had manged to get into the actual wood itself and he glared at Meryll.
Meryll knew Bronn wasn’t even a real Lord, just a Ser, as Lord Tywin had deemed to knight him after the Battle of Blackwater, but it was fun to see him get riled up nonetheless.
She waited, amused, as he took a drink from her mug before she could reach it. She was not as amused by his comment about her sister. Amerei liked to have fun, who could fault her for that? And Meryll could even be persuaded to admit there was a part of her that was envious of Amerei, the way that she did what she wanted and didn’t give a damn about what anyone else thought.
“Now, if Amerei was a man, you’d be drinking to her conquests rather than shaking your head in shame. And why should I keep myself pure for some lesser lion when he is no doubt fucking a different camp follower each night he holds Riverrun besieged? Not that I have any intention of marrying.”
Meryll took a long drink of ale and then set her mug down with a soft thud on the bar top.
“And what about you, Lord Bronn,” she said, trailing a finger down his chest. “Are you not promised to Lollys Stokeworth? Will you go to her bed all pure and maidenly?”
“If she were a man she might, might give Robert Baratheon a run for his money on sleeping around.” Bronn wasn’t going to say one way or another if he really supported or not the girls decision to sleep around, honestly he could care less but the facts were that Amerei had a reputation and that he knew would not be good for House Frey’s already poor reputation and harder to find a Lord who would marry her.
“No marriage? Really? Are you going to outlive old Waldar Frey and not be married off and having babes of your own?” He asked, not suprised at all by her answer. The time he’d known Meryll he hadn’t pegged her for being a marrying kind of woman and his eyes focused on her finger as it trailed down his chest and they briefly glanced at her face before back on the hand.
“Lollys. Not after Cersei promised her Ser Bracken or whatever his name is, broke the agreement she did. So, Jaime promised me a better wife and castle and here I am.” his arms outstretched, gesturing to the tavern “Here in this shithole” as he put his hands down, one hand came down to gently rest on Meryll’s thigh “Besides, i’m not pure as a fresh babe in any aspect of my life, lady Frey”
She eyed him speculatively. She didn’t have the coin to pay him off, but she didn’t think the Lannisters cared enough about her to offer the sellsword any gold. The Lannisters had bigger fish to fry than disciplining a prospective bride for Ser Devan Lannister.
The secret of her little escape was likely safe with Bronn. But that was probably the only thing of hers that was safe with the roguishly handsome sellsword.
“No, I didn’t come looking for you. I came looking to get away from all the ‘my lords’ and ‘my ladies’ in the keep”, she said, holding her nose in the air and curtsying as formally as possible. “Oh, I suppose I should be referring you to Lord Bronn of the Blackwater now. I hope I haven’t offended my lord.”
Meryll reached past him to grab his ale and quickly downed what was left at the bottom of the mug. She handed him the empty mug.
“So, my lord, are you going to buy me a drink, or what? It seems I have some catching up to do if you’re serious about this Bear and the Maiden thing.”
He huffed at Meryll as she curtsied and rolled his eyes soon as she called him Lord. “Cut the bullshit Meryll. Oh sorry…Lady Meryll Frey. Or was it Lannister?” He asked as he pushed coin towards the bar keep to get a drink for the young brunette and slid it to her once it came out and refilled his own, glowering at the empty mug that the ‘lady’ had drank out of. “So it seems you do. But don’t you want to be pure for your soon to be husband?”
He asked, tilting his head back to look at her fully. “Or will you escape every night to be rid of the ‘my lord and my ladies’? Marry him and that’s all you’ll get little Frey.” Bronn took a large gulp from Meryll’s own mug before she could reach for it, wiping the foam from his beard and gave a hefty sigh. “You’ll wear yourself out running away all the time. Best you not become like Gatehouse Ami. That’d be a shame.”
She had slipped her guards at the Red Keep again and this time made it all the way outside the city walls. And who does she run into? Fucking Bronn. She wasn’t sure how far his loyalty to the Lannisters extended, but if he were to mention to Lord Tywin that she was not in her bed this evening, the old lion would probably hand her over to the King’s Justice.
Bronn nearly fell out of his chair, he was so drunk. Perhaps he wouldn’t even remember seeing her. But it would be better if they both had a reason to keep this tavern visit a secret from Lord Tywin.
Meryll took the seat next to Bronn. “Not who you were expecting, hmm? Now tell me, do I get to be the bear, or the maiden?”
Bronn gave a hearty chuckle at her questions and he cracked a smile, his nose wrinkled a bit as he looked at her. “Well generally you’d be the maiden but ah, I wouldn’t mind you being the bear if it was you” Bronn spoke, realizing the drink had made him a bit more truthful than he would have normally liked. “You weren’t who I was expecting but rather have familiar company than not. What are you doing out here, can’t imagine you came here lookin’ for me”
Bronn replied back trying not to pry to much to the Frey girl. She was supposed to be at the keep and yet here she was outside the keep, not that he cared what she did and what Tywin would think. He was paid by his sons not him. “You’re safe with me love, unless they pay me enough to squeal I’m not gonna”
Meryll had been advised not to go to the Inn at the Crossroads – it wasn’t safe for a woman alone, they had said. But she had been walking for days since leaving the Twins in the aftermath of the wedding, and she could think of nothing better than a cold ale.
She handled the banter and crass comments well enough, but when a hand reached out to grab her ass, a line had been crossed. Her fingers closed around the neck of the closest bottle and she smiled at the satisfying crack it made when it smashed into Grabby’s head.
Another man was pressing in close and she turned to give him the same treatment, but when she met his surprised eyes she realized he had only meant to help.
Meryll set the bottle down on the table, and stepped out of the way so Grabby’s friends could drag his prone form out of the Inn. She gave her so-called rescuer an assessing look. He was lean and rugged with dark, unkempt hair and stubble around his jaw, and dressed in black leathers. Meryll recalled the last knight to visit the Twins. Ser Barristan had been dressed in white scaled armour with shiny silver fastenings. Everything about the man had been knightly, from his snowy white beard to his mournful blue eyes.
“You don’t look like any knight I’ve ever seen,” she couldn’t help noticing.
His eyes twinkled as the woman set her weapon of choice down and he chuckled. This woman could take care of herself and he admired that about the small brunette. His eyes took her in and he noticed a hint of muscle around her arms and he smirked. “Not formally no. More of a sellsword if i’m honest. Ser Bronn, of the blackwater.” Bronn introduced himself to the woman as he ordered a round of drinks for them both.
“You don’t look like any lady i’ve ever seen” He quipped as he got the mug of ale from the barmaid and kept his blue eyes on the dark haired beauty before they left to look at the man who was still on the floor and the few that had been near the fight were huddled away in a corner, whispering amongst themselves. “You got a name or should I just call you Nymeria?
“No. I can’t say I have heard of any not taking the position”
“But now…some days I wished i had refused. King Robert isn’t quite what he used to be. Plus, I miss a womans touch.” He gave a smile as he shook his head remembering he was in the presence of a lady. “Forgive me Lady Frey that was ill-mannered of me.”
Bronn had been observant. There had been more people in this tavern than normal and he wondered why. Until he saw the brunette and his grey eyes stared at the woman, the men around her like flys to a rotten meal, buzzing about. Bronn shot back the rest of his drink and sauntered over to the men, a few left but one hadn’t noticed Bronn and kept trying to talk to the woman.
“Scuse me, mind if I cut in?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he made sure he was between the woman and the man, ready to start a brawl with him if need be. Bronn caught the man as he tried to get around him and he grabbed the man’s arm only to nearly miss a bottle hitting the guy and his eyes found the womans. “Guess you don’t need a knight.” It wasn’t hard to tell but Bronn was fairly sure he was in love with this woman right now.
Goldnwulf 