The cobble of the stone clicked underneath the weight of her sandaled feet. Septa was being paraded around like a trophy through the streets of the kingdom. Sandwiched between two guards as they made their way to the temple. Men grimaced at her and women admired her. The beautifully constructed temple lay just before them and was her only focus. It's cold stone stacked magnificently against the hazy sky, its bold structure contesting all. Septa stopped to gander at the infrastructure as the sun peeked behind it. It too was just waking up from its nights slumber.
"Move whore!" A guard pushed at her back, causing Septa to stumble forward. Her eyes held daggers for the portly man. The guard stood a little taller than herself and was adorned with the kingdom's seal on the center of his armor. He smirked and pointed for her to proceed to the temple. She huffed and continued her motion to freedom. When she was made to be queen, he would be the first to feel her wrath. Before long they were at the doors to the temple. The wooden slabs creaked open with the slightest of pushes. They unveiled the wide room with bodies hoarding towards the back. Septa drifted into the space with the guards at her back. By the king's request, Septa's white hair was slicked into a low bun, a few strands receding out by her temples. Her body was shielded by a light blue gown that gathered by the waist. A matching choker around her neck with matching earrings. A proper royal woman, different then the priestess they had met.
She was foreign to her women now. It would make sense to why they were so hesitant to come to her. "It is I," she started "your priestess of the Great Serpent." She reached out her arms openly, waiting for warm embraces and cheers. A single woman separating off from the group.
"The serpent may eat its own tail." The woman spoke elegantly, her frame covered in the same modest robe that Septa wore when she was delivered to the king's compound. The young woman's dark hair spread wildly against her shoulders, curling at the ends near her breast. She waited for a reply. The guards were puzzled by the rambling of the woman.
"...and give infinite life through destruction." Septa responded through a toothy smile. The young woman mirrored her grin and ran to her with open arms. The soldiers juddered forward but ceased once they realized it was a simple embrace. Of course the women were too clever, disguising their hug as a way to exchange a contraceptive. Septa reached down, her hands gliding against the curvy backside of the woman. She retrieved the item from the woman's waistband and guided it back up her spine to the warmth of her mouth. The bundle of herbs held together by paste liquified in her mouth. The evidence swallowed fast before they were broken up by the guards.
"That's enough sappy moments." The mouthy soldier tore the two women apart at the shoulder. Septa noticed the other woman going for the dagger attached to her waist as she looked at the soldier.
"Yes!" Septa shouted to alert the attention of the woman. "Lana let us pray that the Great Serpent has guided us back to one another." Lana nodded softly before retreating back into the depths of the temple. Septa looked to the guards before following, the two mammoths tracking closely behind. Septa breathed in the thick sweet air of her home. She had shared this space with many women. Old, young, foreign and native to the land. She, herself, was once a visitor on that fateful day when she was dragged into the temple by an elderly woman. Consumed by her thoughts she bumped into Lana who was mesmerized by a tapestry of their deity.
The sight of the white figure of their god washed over her and sent a warmth to her skin. She sank to her knees, as did multiple women around her and held their foreheads to the cold floor of the room. The guards snickered at such obedience for a picture when these were the same women who left their husbands behind. The guards engaged in conversation which gave Septa her desired opportunity.
"How has it been?" Septa's voice barely rung over a whisper.
"We were concerned about your whereabouts. We thought you were killed." Lana spoke, her face still to the floor.
"No, just a captive turned queen." Septa smiled over to her friend. Lana's gaze drifted over to her. "But I need to get my memories back, he knows me and I remember him. Barely... but it's there." Septa's face showed concern over the current situation.
"I cannot give you something that is out of my hands," Lana's eyes drifted to the oversized picture "Hamshire gave you life and it came with a price." Lana smiled faintly to reassure her friend as best as she could, her hand reaching out to grab Septa's. Septa interlocked their fingers, her thumb caressing the milky skin of her friend's. A bell rang to signal that tribute had been made to the deity of the temple. The women rose to a sitting position, some still fixated on the image, others continuing with daily chatter. Septa's grip on Lana's hand was short lived. One soldier began to tug her away from the flock of women. "Unhand me!" Septa screamed.
"Visiting time is over." He chuckled as he tussled with her. She fought valiantly before the soldier landed his thick gloved hand to the back of her head. Everything went black. The only thing Septa heard last was a husky voice saying: "her too".
Septa awoke several hours later in a covered satin bed. The black sheets looked like the waves of her hometown during night. Her vision had still been a little foggy. She gazed around the room. The daylight barely peeping through the thick red curtains on either side of her. Septa rubbed her eyes constantly to get a better picture of her surroundings. "This is what happens when you don't comply Septa." His voice echoed through the chamber like it would a deep cave. Septa's vision focused on the large figure by the door frame. Caspian had been standing there for minutes taking in the sleeping beauty. How she fidgeted when the curtains fluttered. How often she moaned unrecognizable phrases. He loved making mental notes about her.
He watched her come from her deep sleep. "C-Caspian what the hell?" She questioned rubbing the sore nape of her neck. She winced, touching the sore patch of flesh. He chuckled softly leaning against the door frame. Surely she had been struck harder than that during their training when they were younger. His black hair cascaded over his freshly shaven face, falling in ringlets to his shoulders.
"Frodd, the guard, said you were inconsolable during the leave of the temple," he readjusted the waistband of his loose pants "he had to sedate you." Septa remembered the brief encounter with the man, recalling him rudely yanking her away.
"He hates me. He's lucky I-."
