Surprise, surprise! Another update in less than one week! Let's hope I can keep this writing speed... o_o

Once again, thank you all for the awesome feedback! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! :)


Arya leaned back against the farthest tree in the godswood, let out shaky sigh and in the next minute she was sitting on the ground, holding her folded legs against her chest, finally releasing the tears she had been holding back since she heard from her father the words she always dreaded to hear.

He had come looking for Gendry shortly after her dancing lesson. When Gendry left, he took the opportunity to give Arya the terrible news.

"Arya, there's something I need to talk to you about," he said softly after leading her to the bench to sit beside him. "I've found a match for you, a good one."

"A match? What do you mean?" she asked slowly, already knowing the answer.

"I'm talking about your future husband. Don't worry, it won't happen until you're six-and-ten, so you will have enough time to get used to the idea. I know you don't want to marry, but you're still so young, I'm sure you'll change your mind in time."

"NO! I will NOT change my mind, father! Please don't do this to me!"

"Don't you even want to know who your betrothed is?"

"I don't care! I don't want to marry, I don't want to be anyone's lady! Father, please!"

"Arya, it's Prince Gendry. King Robert and I have talked about it and we decided he would be a good match for you. I know you're different, like your aunt Lyanna was, and I understand that now you think you'll never want to marry, but Gendry seems to like you, and you him. We think it will be good for you both."

"He's only my friend! I don't want to marry him, nor anyone else! I don't want to be a wife, father! Please!"

"Arya, you need to understand, you'll have to marry someone at some point, and I'm sure Gendry will be a good husband. Besides, he will be king someday. Arya, you will be his queen."

"I don't care! I'm not Sansa, she's the one who cares about these things, not me! Why didn't you choose her instead of me? She was to marry Joffrey anyway!"

"That would be a mistake. I love you both, and I will do everything in my power to make you both happy. Sansa despises Gendry, I can see it in the way she talks about him and in the way she looks at him. And Gendry chose you to become friends with, not her. You may not understand it now, but when you're older you will see I'm doing this for your own good. From what I've seen so far, Gendry accepts you the way you are, and I don't believe he will ever try to tame you nor forbid you to do the things you like, unlike most men would. And Robert and I always wanted to join our houses, and there's no better opportunity, Arya. I won't ask you to understand this right now, I know you won't. But I ask you to trust me. I'm doing what's best for you."

Arya hadn't said anything in response, only looked down at her own hands, trying not to cry in front of her father. He seemed to notice it, because he just sighed, kissed her forehead and left, promising to talk to her again later.

Later in the afternoon, after spending a good amount of time struggling not to cry in front of anyone, Arya had left the Tower of the Hand and had made her way to the godswood, where she could cry in peace – until she was interrupted.

Arya heard light footsteps approaching, and when she turned to see who it was, her anger flared.

Gendry.

He was the reason why she was crying now. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be trapped in this damn betrothal.

Arya couldn't help herself; she got on her feet and went to stand in front of him, her anger rising and rising.

"TRAITOR!"

"Wait, what?"

"YOU'RE A TRAITOR! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND, AND NOW YOU BETRAYED ME!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"YOU PRETENDED YOU WERE MY FRIEND, AND NOW I'LL HAVE TO MARRY YOU! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

"Do you think I am happy with all of this?! I never asked for it, this is not my doing! It's not my fault!"

"Oh really?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes, really! No one cared to ask my opinion! King Robert and your father decided everything. None of them bothered to ask me how I felt about it! Do you think you're the only one unhappy to see your personal life suddenly being decided by someone else? I'm not happy either!"

Arya was taken aback by his words and by the anger in his voice.

"Are you telling the truth? You don't have anything to do with this?" she asked, a bit unsure.

"I don't, I swear…" he said, softly this time.

"I'm sorry… I'm just so mad! I told my father a hundred times I didn't want to marry, and then he betrothed me to you in the first opportunity," she said, trying to dry her eyes, but the tears kept coming.

"I'm sorry if you think I'm that disgusting…" he said, and Arya couldn't tell whether he was joking or not.

"I'm not mad because I'm going to marry you, stupid! I don't want to marry at all! I wish I had been born a man…"

"As far as I'm concerned, being a man is not helping at all," he said bitterly. "I'm still not deciding my own life. They say I'm going to be king someday, but that's not what I want! I never asked for this! I was happier in Flea Bottom and I didn't even know it…"

Silence fell between them. Arya stared blankly at some point on the ground. She didn't know what to say anymore. She wanted to unleash her anger on someone, and Gendry seemed to be the perfect target, but he was just as miserable as her.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

"What if we ran away?"

"Do you want to run away?" he raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure that would be the first time two people run away together because they don't want to marry each other…"

Arya rolled her eyes.

"We wouldn't be running away only from the betrothal. You could escape from the throne as well! Let King Robert find another heir, I'm pretty sure he has a bunch of other bastards out there."

"And what would you do then?"

"I don't know… I can try to be a knight."

Gendry burst out laughing.

"What? Stop laughing!" Arya yelled, feeling affronted.

"You can't be a knight, Arya!"

"Why not? Only because I'm a woman?"

"Certainly not because you're a woman," he said, and again she wasn't certain whether he was being serious or not, "but look at your size!"

"I'm not done growing up, you know! I bet I still can grow taller than you!"

"I bet you can!" Gendry said, laughing wholeheartedly, and soon Arya found herself laughing too. As irritating as he might be, for some reason she couldn't bring herself to stay angry with him, not now.

When the laughter died, he looked at her with a serious expression.

"You know this idea is quite insane, don't you?"

"I do…"

"And I might be even more insane for saying this, but I will think about it."

Arya's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Only the Seven know how I wish I could go back to my old life… I don't belong here, and I don't think I'll ever belong. Just give me some time to think exactly what we're going to do."

"We have three years until the wedding. It's more than enough time, I guess. I'm going to do some thinking of my own too."

"Three years… We will find a way out. I promise."