The men walked into the castle and were greeted by Lady Smallwood.
"I hope your travels were not too taxing, men. None of you seem injured, for which I am thankful," she said with a smile.
"We are all in good spirits, I thank you," Harwin replied.
As they walked through the small castle, Gendry could not help but look for Arry. He was still mad at her, but he had missed her more than he could ever have imagined. They washed and went to the dining hall. Gendry was about to ask after Arry, when Tom beat him to it.
"How is our little one, Milady? Is she well?"
"Oh, she is good, Tom, but I fear you cannot call her 'little one' anymore," she teased.
"And why is that?"
"She is three and ten now, and has received her moon blood these last few months! She is a woman, gentlemen, and grown too.2 The Lady beamed. She had grown very fond of Arya.
Gendry could have sworn that all the men looked at him for a second when she told them of Arry's moon blood. He went his usual shade of purple and kept his head down while they discussed it. When the door opened, he raised his eyes in the hope that it was Arry, and he was not disappointed. She walked in wearing the low cut purple gown, stitched in at the waist, with soft curls draping down her back and over her shoulders. Gendry jaw dropped. He had never seen a more beautiful image. He traced the line of her breasts and hips with his eyes and began to stiffen. He had to jerk in his seat to snap himself out of the thoughts that were running through his mind. He was thinking of the forge and the night by the castle wall and all the imagined places they were together at night when he was on the road and could not find sleep. He could not think of this now though, he had to control himself. All the men began to comment on how beautiful she looked, and how much she had grown. Arya was only interested in Gendrys reaction, but he was not looking at her anymore, which made her angry. She would not show it though.
"It is good to see all of you," she said with proper curtsey.
She sat down across the table from Gendry, who was still avoiding looking at her in case his mind wandered again.
"And Ser Gendry," she said, "how did you find your first trip with the Brotherhood?"
"Good, I thank you, Milady," he replied, only glancing at her. He was peeved that she mocked his knighthood.
"I am happy to hear it Ser." Gendry still did not look directly at her, but Arya could see that she was making him angry.
"I hear you are a woman now." Tom exclaimed happily.
"She is breaking hearts all over the castle, Tom." Lady Smallwood said.
"I suppose I am a woman now Tom, though I can't say it has made any great difference to my life as of yet."
"Oh it will darling, soon enough. We will have to find you a husband soon!" Lady Smallwood teased.
Gendry was finding it hard to control his anger. 'breaking hearts' and talk of husbands. What had Arry been up to since he was away?
"I'm sure there is a Lord just waiting to marry you Milady," Gendry said. "I am sure you will give him lots of healthy little Lords to look upon."
Harwin eyed him with annoyance but Gendry ignored him and grabbed the wine skin and began to drink heavily.
"And what of you Ser Gendry? Did you happen to pass by the Peach on your travels? I am sure Bella was very happy to see you."
Tom snickered. Arya was the picture of curtsey up until now. She grabbed a wine skin herself and began to drink.
Tom started a song, clearly meant for them both because it mocked their pretend hatred for each other. The others began other conversations and ignored the angered looks Arya him. Gendry still refused to make eye contact with her. After a time the subject changed to Sansa Starks wedding to Tyrion Lannister. Arya listened before adding,
"And did you hear that her sister, Arya, has married a Bolton Bastard and has reclaimed Winterfell?" she was quite drunk by now and Gendry's refusal to look at her, after all her effort, was making her blood boil.
"We did hear that news, little one." Tom said tentatively, unsure of where she was bringing the conversation.
"Well I suppose it is good that she is home now, the Queen can no longer hurt her. She is not open ransom or any such thing..." Arya looked into her wine goblet as she spoke.
"That is true." Lem said carefully. Arya raised her eyes and smiled at the table.
"It is very good news, I wish her well." She said as she got up from the table.
She was a bit shaky, but she laughed as she walked out the door of the dining hall. Gendry was as drunk as Arya at this stage. All the men looked to each other after Aryas words. Gendry got up and followed her. No one tried to stop him or warn him to behave himself. Someone needed to find out what she thinking and he was probably the only one she would tell. Arya returned to her chambers. A few moments later Gendry burst through the door.
"What in the hell's do you think you are doing... you can't be in here you stupid..." she said, slurring some words.
"Don't shout at me Arry, I'm not in any mind to listen to it tonight. What are you planning? Tell me now!" Gendry was fuming.
Arya had never seen him so angry.
"What do you mean?" Gendry walked over, grabbed her shoulders and pushed her up against the wall.
"Hey, let me go you stupid bull."
"What are you planning!" he yelled. Arya was too drunk to care about his reaction, so she told him the truth.
"I am going to kill them all soon. I have already told you. My plans have not changed." And with that a laugh escaped from her.
"You think it funny... getting killed is funny to you?"
"Oh, let me go Gendry. Did you think I would stay here forever?" she struggled out of his grip and placed her hands on his chest.
She looked into his eyes and smiled. Rage was still etched on his face, but it began to soften. She leaned her body into him, just a little, and he could not help but look at her breasts before catching himself. When his eyes returned to her face, she had a satisfied expression.
"I have grown, haven't I?"
"Yes... you have," he was trying not to stiffen, trying to fight his body which was giving him away, but he was drunk, and she looked so... inviting.
The way she was gazed at him, willing him to touch her. She knew what she was doing. She moved her hands down his chest and back up again.
"Will you make the armour for me Gendry?," she moved her hands down his chest again and looked into his eyes, "you are the best smithy I know... please."
"You will not trick me, Arry," he said, but his voice had no force in it. His protest was weak and his eyes were betraying him again.
"Help me avenge my family. We can be together now Gendry."
She had started to move her hands under his tunic, feeling his hard abs. Her excitement was almost unbearable as she trailed her fingers along his abdomen, causing him to shudder. He smacked his hands against the wall and left them there. He dared not touch her again. He wanted to rip her bodice and bite her neck, her nipples, her hips... gods the thought of her hips was driving him wild.
"I will not give in Arry. I will not help you kill yourself."
His voice was littered with hard breaths. His eyes had closed his knuckles were white from straining to hold on to the wall so his hands would not trail down to her body.
"Just kiss me you stupid bull... gods you are so stubborn Gendry," she said exasperated.
She had never wanted him so badly. "I can see that you want to, just do it!"
Her cupped her face with both hands and kissed her hard and furiously. They both moaned loudly in their intoxication. Gendry pulled back after a minute. He grabbed her hips and pulled her to him.
"Are you trying to torture me with this gown?" his eyes examined her body as he spoke.
"Yes... I think so," she giggled "I wanted you to want me still. I hoped you had not met someone else when you were gone..."
Arya had no problem with honesty. She was drunk and wanted Gendry to tell her he had missed her and still loved her. He was all she had and she needed him.
"Are you blind? Someone else... are you mad Milady. I have missed you more than you could ever know. I love you, my crazy wolf. I cannot even entertain another woman. They all seem so silly in comparison to you... but I still will not make you armour."
She punched his arm weakly and with a smile.
"Do not call me that... Arya Stark is married Gendry. I am just a lady, and you a knight. We can be together. Make me my armour and train with me. I want you to be with me when I kill them."
Gendry dropped to his knees and began to kiss her belly and hips through her gown.
"You will always be a Stark of Winterfell," he said in-between kisses.
His hand went underneath her skirts and moved slowly up her calf, moving in circles so that he did not miss one inch of her skin.
"You will kill them all and then reclaim Winterfell and your name, Arry. Please don't deny it... you will not be content until you do."
Arya knew he was right, but she was not able to answer coherently. Gendrys hands had reached her thighs, and goose bumps were sending shivers up her spine.
"Gendry... I missed you." She moaned in a hoarse voice.
"I love you... please, I want..." but she did not know what she wanted. All she knew was that she did not want him to stop.
As his hands found her ass, over her smallclothes, she took a sharp intake of breath. She was so frozen in excitement that she forgot to let the breath out. Gendry moved his kisses from her stomach up her middle till he found her breasts. Even though his kisses were through her gown, Arya was having trouble staying upright. Her legs felt like jelly beneath her. Uninhibited by wine, Gendry moved one hand to the front of her small clothes and rubbed in-between her legs. Arya arched her back and moaned loudly. Gendry could feel her wetness through the fabric. The hardness in-between his legs was throbbing. He moved his kisses to her neck and bit her just above the collarbone causing her to gasp and flex her body into his hardness again. He moved to her ear and sucked and bit her franticly. With this Arya could take no more. All fear she had about intimacy was gone in her drunken state. She pushed Gendry back until he fell onto the bed. She straddled him and began to grind herself on to his hardness. He moaned louder than ever before so she did it again, and again. Arya had pulled his tunic up and could see his hard chest. She began kissing and licking it like she always had in her dreams. One of Gendry's hands was grabbing her ass, helping her to grind on him. He started to pull at the strings on her gown with the other hand. Arya moved her hand down and rubbed his hardness through his breeches sending his head back with a loud gasp escaping his mouth. He rolled her over and positioned himself on top of her and grinded furiously into her wet heat as she moaned loudly.
"God's... stop that!" Lady Smallwood screamed.
She had entered Arya chambers to check if she was in need of water after drinking so much wine at dinner.
"Ser Gendry! You should not be in here!" she said feebly.
They both jumped and began to fix their clothes. Gendry started to ramble apologies. Arya just laughed.
"This is not funny Arry," Lady Smallwood protested.
She was embarrassed and horrified. She could barely look at them, which only amused Arya.
"This is not a way for a lady to behave," she said gazing at the floor.
"I am not a Lady, I am Arry Snow, a no-one and I will act as I please. I thank you for your concern Milady, but you have no need to worry for me."
"I am sorry if we shocked you Lady Smallwood... we have drank too much wine tonight. It will not happen again." Gendry said, trying to appease her after Arya indifference.
"I know it won't. You will not go near the Lady again, Ser Gendry!"
"He will... you cannot stop it. I will leave your castle if you wish, Milady, but I will not be told how to behave. I will be with Gendry whenever I please." Arya said flatly.
Lem appeared at the door. "What's all the fuss?"
"Nothing." Gendry said.
He was standing by the bed, waiting for the beating Lem had always promised him.
"It doesn't look like nothing, boy. How many times did I tell ya?"
"You have no place to tell him anything concerning me, Lem. I am a no one now. My business is my own affair, not yours." Arya said angrily.
"You're still a highborn and he a bastard."
"Am I? How do you know? I am a Snow now, I am a bastard too." She had a defiant look on her face.
"If you lay a hand on him I will add you to my list... it has gotten very long, one more won't hurt." She said with a smirk.
"You're a sharp one, alright, Arry Snow, but you are a lady and besides, you are not wed. Listen to Lady Smallwood, she knows what's best young girls like yourself. As for you," Lem said looking at Gendry, "you want to get a highborn with child? I thought you cleverer than that, boy."
"Enough! Lem and Gendry, you had both better leave now." Lady Smallwood said.
Gendry looked at Arya and smiled before following Lem from the room.