A cottage near Grassy Vale

[Deleted]

"Where, to your grave?" Brellen smiled. "Now come with me, dear, the septon is waiting, as are the gods." He took her by the arm and dragged her to the altar. His men had filled the sept, with others standing guard outside. The sorrel mare snorted and shifted restlessly.

"The bride needs a maiden's cloak," the old septon quavered, and a ratty grey cloak was found and thrown unceremoniously over Megara's shoulders.

"In the name of the Father Above..." the old septon began invoking each of the Seven.

[Viea Greyjoy]

Megara stood as still as she could with her eyes closed tightly. A single tear caught on her eyelashes.

She shook slightly as the septon continued speaking.

"Please dont do this." She whispered to Brellen.

[Deleted]

"There is no use pleading," Brellen said out of the corner of his mouth. "When your brother is dead, my marriage to you makes my claim stronger."

"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the septon asked.

"I do." Brellen said.

"And do you," the septon asked Megara. "Take this man to be your lawful lord and husband?"

Brellen was looking at her. At the back, the men held the sorrel palfrey securely, daggers out.

[Viea Greyjoy]

Megs head shook slightly. She dared not look at Brellen.

[Deleted]

The old septon blinked blearily.

"Say I do," Brellen hissed. "Say it, or you'll bloody well wish you had."

[Viea Greyjoy]

"Never" Meg hissed back, her eyes on the wall ahead. "I'll never marry you."

[Deleted]

"Turn around then." Brellen spun her around, gripping her roughly by the shoulders, and his men gently led the horse between the altars of the Stranger and the Crone, tying her securely in place with long steel straps. Then the daggers drove into the palfrey's soft belly. The mare shrieked in shock and intense pain, and tried to break away, but the steel held her in place.

"Say it," Brellen said softly. "Or she will endure this for hours."

[Viea Greyjoy]

Meg tried to turn away, but found she couldnt.

"I do" She said eventually, her voice quiet and she fought back tears. She looked away from the palfrey, unable to watch.

[Deleted]

Brellen smiled. "Good girl," he said. "I knew you'd see reason."

"Then I now pronounce man and wife. May the Seven bless your union forever."

Brellen sealed his love with a dry, quick kiss, and then he removed her ratty grey "maiden's cloak" and swept his rough travelling cloak over her shoulders, the symbol of his husbandly protection. It was done.

The sorrel palfrey was still screaming in agony. "Put the animal out of its misery," Brellen said curtly. Though Megara did not turn around, she heard the swords go in, and the mare's hideous screams were silenced. The sept smelled of blood, and urine where the mare's bowels had loosened at the moment of death.

[Viea Greyjoy]

She flinched as she heard the palfrey being killed behind her.

"Bealor will kill you Brellen." She hissed at him.

[Deleted]

"Really?" Brellen raised an eyebrow. "I don't hear any brave brother or his knights coming to rescue you, sweetling."

"M-m-might I remind you," the old septon stammered. "No wedding is official without the bedding."

Brellen frowned.

His men began laughing and shouting out suggestions.

[Viea Greyjoy]

Meg suddenly went very pale.

"He will, he has too."

She bit down on her bottom lip.

[Deleted]

"You put much faith in this brother of yours," Brellen said, ignoring the lewd suggestions some of his men were making. "Poor Megara. So trusting, while the truth her, her brother is a coward."

[Viea Greyjoy]

"He's more of a man then you." She said quietly, "You'll see."

[Deleted]

Brellen grinned. "More of a man than me, eh? How do you know? You haven't bedded me yet." A roar of laughter went up.