"What are you doing here in the middle of the night novice?" asked the Prince while he regarded Arya with his coal-black eyes.
In response, Arya could only gape at him. Her mind racing for a possible explanation to give him and found none.
"I - errr- ugh -" She stammered.
"Let me guess. You are here to read the scrolls and books that the Maester expressly forbid you?" the Prince asked, stepping towards her.
"What?! No! Of course not!" Arya denied while her mind floundered to provide a valid explanation. "I am sent here by - by Maester Walgrave! To - to get the book that he requires!"
"Really? In the middle of the night?" Prince Oberyn asked in disbelief.
"Yes!" She replied. "Maester Walgrave requires a book for his nightly reading you see."
"I don't believe you," the Prince stated while he drew closer to her.
"Well, I'm speaking the truth!" Arya snapped back.
"Well, all I hear is you spouting lies," the Prince retorted. "Now, let me see what you've got there."
Arya glanced down at the books in her arms and said to the Prince, "I don't think so."
Then, without hesitation, she launched herself towards the exit with the intent of escaping from there. However, the Prince of Dorne was just as swift as her that Arya found herself directly slamming against the Prince's hard body.
"You're not going anywhere, novice." the Prince said while he grabbed her around the waist.
"Let me go, you piece of shit!" Arya snarled as she struggled against him. "Maester Walgrave will be piss if I'm late in giving him these books!"
"Stop lying!" the Prince barked as he pushed Arya against a bookshelf. Books and scrolls instantly fell at the Prince's action. "And I will only let you go, if you tell me the truth!"
"I. Am. Telling. The. Truth!" She gritted out as she tried to headbutt the infuriating man.
Prince Oberyn managed to avoid her head just in time as he held her struggling figure down.
"I already know that you are a girl, so what more are you hiding?!" The Prince asked as he gazed down at her.
At the Prince's admission, Arya instantly froze.
"You know that I'm a girl?" She asked in surprise.
"Yes!" the Prince said sharply.
"But how?" was Arya's shock query.
"That's a funny story, you see…" the Prince began, smiling at her sardonically as he told her the story. "The other day, I had a strange dream of a black raven telling me to go bathe in the bathhouse. The dream woke me up. Since I was curious to know about what the dream meant, so that very morning, I did what the raven told me, I went to the bathhouse, and lo and behold, I saw you bathing there as well, and discovered that you didn't have a cock,"
So the three-eyed-raven was to be blame for all this. Arya was going to have a word with the old man later on tonight.
"If you realize that I am a girl, why haven't you told the Maesters yet?" Arya wondered out loud.
"Because I want to find out myself the reason you have disguise yourself as a boy in the first place." Prince Oberyn responded. "I want to know the reason you are here in the Citadel."
"So I guess that you've been following me all along, huh?" She said, scowling at the man.
"Yes, I was…" was the Prince's answer. "Now, what are you doing in the forbidden section?"
Arya regarded the Prince before finally giving him an honest answer. There must be a reason the three-eyed-raven had contacted the Prince of Dorne.
"I was searching for books," She told him.
"About what?"
"The Long Night and the Faceless Men," she said, not holding back the truth. She already knew that the Prince would only look at books in her arms and find out if she was telling the truth or not.
And as predicted, the Prince ordered to her afterward, "Let me see the books you took."
He clearly didn't trust her, as could be expected from someone who is obviously suspicious of Arya's motives.
She handed the books to the Prince, who immediately took them from her grasp. Arya watched him in silence while he read the titles of the books.
"Why are you interested in both of these books?" the Prince queried as he looked at her.
"Because I want to learn more about the subject," was Arya's simple answer.
"That's not a good enough answer," came the Prince's sharp remark. "I want to know the reason you choose these books, instead of other far more titillating titles."
Arya allowed herself to sigh as she leaned back against the bookshelves behind her.
"You want an honest answer?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Yes," was the Prince's curt response.
"Fine, then." She said, preparing herself for the lie that she was about to tell him. "I will tell you the truth. I came here to the Citadel to learn more about the Long Night and the Faceless Men because of a strange dream."
"A dream?" The Prince asked.
"Like you, I had a dream of the black raven you speak of." She began, meeting the Prince's stare. "The raven showed me about what happens in the future, about a terrifying future where the White Walkers and their wights have broken through the Wall and ushered the Long Night. I have dreams about watching my family trying to fight the horde of dead men, but to no avail. I have dreams about the terrible, dark future of the Seven Kingdoms being overrun by the dead army and creating an eternal winter...I have dream about these things and more. The reason I wanted to read these books is because I want to find a way to stop the Long Night before it happens."
The Prince of Dorne could only stare at her in disbelief after hearing her explanation.
"First of all, the things you said is really hard for me believe," came the Prince's response as he met her gaze. "Second, that doesn't explain the reason you have taken the book about the Faceless Men. If you intend to stop the Long Night, what is the Faceless Men got to do with it?"
"I took the book because I want to know more about the Faceless Men. I need to learn their secrets and initiation rights because I plan to kill someone important, someone in such a high position, who can easily be replaced by a better person that can make changes once he assumes position."
"So you mean you plan to kill the Mad King?" Prince Oberyn asked bluntly.
"Who says it was the Mad King that I intend to assassinate?" She said evasively.
"Because he's the only person who holds the position and power to begin the preparations for the coming Long Night you speak of, and he can be easily replace by his son, who will be a far better ruler than he is."
In response, Arya shrugged her shoulders, "I won't deny anything, or protest against your suspicion."
"As I would not act against you despite your treasonous plans," Prince Oberyn said, "Moreover, you're only but a child, I don't believe you're capable of successfully accomplishing such a task."
"I may look like a child, but I'm more than capable of killing anyone, even a Prince." She told him.
At her threatening words, Prince Oberyn simply shook his head at her.
"If you say so, novice." He commented doubtfully.
A moment lapsed as the two regarded each other in silence.
"Now that I explained to you the reason I'm here. Will you let me go already?" Arya asked the Prince, who was still blocking her escape path.
"Of course," came his immediate answer while he stepped back from her.
"Thank you," She said to him, sounding relieved.
"And you don't need to worry about me revealing your secret." the Prince suddenly said to her and Arya could only gazed at him in consternation. "I won't be telling the Maesters about you being female or the books that you've taken from the forbidden section."
"Why? What's your reason for keeping my secret?" She asked him suspiciously.
"You don't need to look suspicious. The reason I'm not going to tell the Maesters anything, is because I believe you about your strange dreams, about the black raven who showed you about the Long Night."
"Really?" She said, appearing perplexed at his words.
"Yes, really," Prince Oberyn said. "Afterall, you're not the only one who is having strange dreams."
"Well, if that's the case. I will say my thanks then," She told him. "Thank you for intending to keep my secret."
"You are very welcome," said the Prince, giving Arya cocksure smile.
There's a pause as the two tried to find something to say to each other next.
"We should better leave here before someone discovers us," Arya suggested to him.
"You are quite right. Let's better leave." Prince Oberyn replied while he place the books back in Arya's grasp. "Here's your books."
"Thank you," She told him as she placed the thick tomes securely in her arms.
"You never told me your name was," came the Prince statement while they walked towards the door.
"My name is Arry," She said, glancing at the Prince, who was walking beside her.
"Well, it's an honor to meet you Arry...and I apologize for pushing you hard against the bookshelves earlier." was the Prince's reply as they exited the forbidden section, with Arya locking the door behind her.
"It's alright," She said, "I wasn't hurt in the least."
"Good," the Prince said as he stood before her. "Well, I will see you around then."
"I will see you around," Arya responded, nodding her head.
With a nod of his own, Prince Oberyn Martell left her there while Arya simply watched him leave. She silently wondered if she made the right choice in letting the Prince live, especially when he now knew the truth about her.
"Perhaps I will ask the three-eyed-raven about him," She decided as she began to walk towards the room she shared with the other three novices.
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Arya Stark had only been in Oldtown for four days when she went and discovered the Inn called Quill and Tankard.
It would be the first time that she's been there, but already she found herself at a conundrum.
She hadn't even started eating her food, when a familiar man suddenly sat down in front of her.
He had white hair on one side and red hair on the other. His handsome and fine features are recognizable even in such a young face.
Arya Stark could only stare at the man she had known in her previous life.
"This man is very hungry," the man said to her with a wide, knowing grin. "Might the girl want to give her meal?"
"This girl is hungry too," Arya replied sarcastically. "So you better buy your own food."
The man looked amused at her response.
"This man has a coin. Perhaps it would suffice for the girl's meal." The man replied, flipping a coin towards her.
Arya caught it at once and her heart nearly stopped at the sight of the familiar iron coin in her hand.
She looked up and meet the eyes of one Jaqen H'ghar.
"What does the girl say to Death?" He asked.
To which Arya Stark immediately responded, "Not today."
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