I do not own Game of Thrones.
Arya was helping Brienne don her armor when a messenger came running. "Lord Baelish has arrived to speak with the King." Arya frowned, wondering what he was doing here.
Brienne noticed her squire's disapproval. "Are you familiar with Lord Baelish?"
"I am." Brienne looked over at Jesse. She had expected Arie to speak up, but it seemed the younger sibling had more to say. "My mother was a whore in one of his smaller brothels. He would know my face well, and Arie's as well. He's not a nice person."
Brienne nodded, as she processed the information. "Both of you stay here. I'll be back after." With that she got up and left the tent.
Jesse noticed Arya deep in thought. "Are you going to kill him?"
"He wasn't on my list the first time, but I killed him to protect my family after he helped murder most of it. This time, he's on my list." Arya knew she had to find out where Petyr was staying, but she couldn't just walk around camp to find out. She sat down and leaned against a chair. "Nudge me if anyone comes." Jesse nodded as Arya's eyes rolled back into her head.
Arya pawed at the ground with her hoof. It was soft and moist. She could feel the saddle on her back, it had been there all day with no rider ever getting on. She was annoyed they had even put it on her.
She smelled the air, she had to find someone. She sneezed at a strong perfume, Little Finger's perfume. She looked around trying to find the thin man. There were many men around, but they were all in thick heavy skin with only the smell of sweat about them. Not the man she wanted to find.
Arya whinnied as she caught the scent of the perfume. It was on the wind. She turned into the wind, spotting the man standing outside a tent. She stood still and watched the man, seeing where he would go. He entered the tent after another man with a shiny thing on his head.
Arya retreated from the horse and back to herself. "What did you see?" Jesse asked as Arya returned from warging. He had seen her do it many times over the time they had traveled together.
"He just entered the King's tent." Arya was sure it would take some time for him to speak with the King about whatever deal he was trying to broker. She wasn't sure if it was for the Lannisters or himself, but it certainly did not mean anything good for her plans. He would need to be dealt with, tonight.
The air was calm as Arya stalked closer towards the human camp. They had not spotted her as she ventured up from the nearby forest. She paused and sniffed the air, trying to find the perfume. She sneezed as she caught scent of it. It was much stronger with this nose compared to the riding creature's.
She followed the scent along the outer line of the camp. The humans would panic if they saw her in the camp. It would be best if she stayed out of sight. Then her prey wouldn't run.
She stopped at a tent, smelling the scent strongly. She pawed at a corner, trying to get it, but the fabric was thick and strong. She sniffed around the bottom edge, trying to find an opening. There was none to be found. Arya gave a whine in complaint before sneaking around the tent. She stayed out of the firelight, keeping her presence hidden.
The scent was seeping out of the tent. No doubt this was his tent. But it was quiet inside the tent. He was not here. Arya turned away form the tent, on the hunt once more. Searching for the source of the scent.
It was almost at the other end of the tent that she found the scent once more. She could hear two humans speaking inside. One was her prey, melodic and male. The other was female and all too familiar to her. She missed this voice.
"Petyr, that's enough." The woman's voice spoke sternly. There as annoyance present in her voice. Her prey was causing problems.
"Cat please. For all the love I have for you, let me help you." Arya growled as her prey spoke. "Let me show you what I will do for you." There was a small scuffle inside the tent. Arya didn't know what was happening, but she needed to get inside the tent.
A small blade opened through the tent before renting a hole down the back. Arya could see Petyr Baelish's face looking out the hole. He locked eyes with her as she raced forward. She pounced on the man as her teeth sank into his neck. He cried out and she twisted her head and tore the soft flesh of his throat apart. His blood masked the scent of his perfume, relieving her of the foul smell.
"Nymeria?" Arya stopped attacking Petyr's corpse and looked back at the red haired female cowering by the tent wall. She met the woman's blue eyes.
"Lady Stark!" Arya quickly darted back out of the hole in the tent wall, running back toward the forest as fast as she could. She stopped once she was back at her den, her task completed.
The camp was in an uproar for the next few days. No search parties were sent out for the beast that murdered Lord Baelish. Lady Stark had claimed the wolf to be protecting her. She claimed it to be her daughter's direwolf, the sigil of House Stark.
Arya was helping Brienne onto her horse when Renly rode up to them. "Arie, how would you like to hold a banner?"
"I've never held a banner." Arya explained to the King.
Renly smiled at the boy. "It's easy. There's a pocket attached to the saddle where you place the end. The you just hold onto the pole." He chuckled at how simple it was. "Come on, let's get you saddled up." Renly dismounted form his horse and waved the squire over.
Brienne shooed her over to King Renly. Arya held onto the banner that was passed to her, a Baratheon banner. Renly led a horse over to her. "It's a bit difficult with the banner I suppose." He took the banner from her and let her mount the horse. Then passed her back the banner. "And the end goes right here." He set the bottom of the pole into the pocket to set it in place. "Now you're a banner man." He laughed at his own joke.
"We're all set Your Grace." Brienne spoke up as she held the reins of Renly's horse.
"Alright, and Lady Stark?" Renly mounted his horse as he looked around. He spotted the Stark matriarch waiting on a horse beside Ser Loras Tyrell. "Then we're off to speak with my brother." He spurred his horse, leading their party towards the designated meeting place.
They found Stanis already waiting with his group of supporters. Arya noted Ser Davos and the Red woman immediately beside the elder Baratheon sibling. Her father was beside Ser Davos.
"Good to see you again Lord Stark." Renly greeted the man with a smile. "You're looking well brother. Who's banner is that? If I may ask. I'm afraid I don't know the customs of your new religion."
"Our King has taken the flaming or The Lord of Light into his heart." The Red Priestess spoke. "You should kneel before your brother, he is the Lord's chosen. Born amidst salt and smoke."
Renly nodded. "Salt and smoke, is he a ham?" He chuckled at his joke.
"Now is no time for jokes." Ned spoke up. "Nor is it the time to be fighting amongst each other. The Lannisters are the only ones to gain from all this. We can settle who'r right it is to sit on the Iron Throne once it is out of the hands of the Lannisters."
"My husband is right." Catelyn added in. "No matter who wins this battle you will ave lost men in the end."
"She's right." Stanis looked to his brother. "You've never been to war, Renly. You can't win against me. Kneel and save your men. Help me take the Iron Throne."
Renly shook his head as his brother spoke. "I may have never been to war, but I've been at court more of my life than you. You have no friends, brother. No allies. The Lords of the Stormlands and the Reach chose me over you. No one wants you for their King."
Arya could see this was going nowhere. She spurred her horse forward and met the eyes of the red woman. "Valar Moghulis."
Melisandre looked at the child speaking to her, wondering how she knew the phrase. "Valar Dohaeris." She answered calmly. "You know what that means child?"
"All men must die." Arya responded. "In your fire, have you seen the Great War?"
Melisandre grew weary of this child. "Have you?"
"I don't believe in your fire god, only Death." Arya looked from the red woman over Stanis and Davos to her father, then back over to Stanis. "She says you must become King before you can become the Prince That Was Promised, but then you're not a Prince at all, are you? This war isn't doing anything except putting more bodies in the ground. With the war coming, less bodies in the ground is better."
"Arya?" Ned asked as the girl spoke more. He was sure this was his daughter. She had short hair and dressed like a squire, but he was sure it was her.
Arya looked to her father once more before looking back to Stanis. "The Iron Throne doesn't make you King." She looked back at Renly. "Wearing a crown and calling yourself 'King' doesn't make you a King. Any man can sit in a chair with a bowl on his head and call himself 'King', but that does not make him King."
"Then what does make a King?" Stanis asked the child. "Being loved by the people?" He chuckled while turning his eye to his brother. "No, it's knowing what needs to be done and doing it."
"And you don't think I can do what needs to be done?" Renly asked his brother.
"The Iron Throne isn't going anywhere." Arya spoke up. "It can't plot and it can't make decisions. The Lannisters can and they have Lord Tywin at the head of it's army. We need to work together to beat him and remove the Lannisters from power." She could see both Baratheons were in a foul mood. "I don't care if you hate each other, but we need each other, alive preferably."
"Stanis is the Lord's chosen." The red woman argued. "He will not give his Blessing with pretenders in his midst."
"And how do you know they are all believers?" Arya gave the red woman an unamused look. "Because they said your words? Because they stood by while you burned the statues of the Seven?"
Melisandre did not know what to think of this child anymore. She acted far older than her stature would lead one to believe. "They obey their Lord's commands. They have faith enough to believe he knows the way out of the darkness. And the way is with Stanis Baratheon at our head. He is the one true King."
"Brother, out of respect for the woman that bore us, I'll give you one last chance." Stanis began. "Strike your banners and come to me before dawn. I will spare you and your men. I'll even give you your old seat on the council. I'll even name you my heir, until a son is born to me."
Renly stared at his brother with a small smile. "Look over that field brother." Stanis did not turn his head. "They all chose me to lead them over you."
"You think some bolts of cloth will make you King?" Stanis asked with a frown on his face. His brother was choosing death over supporting him.
"The men holding those bolts of cloth will make me King." Renly answered his brother. He wasn't surprised Stanis' pride led them to this. He only wished it could have been different.
Stanis said nothing as he rode off towards the shore to return to his ships. Melisandre gave one last look at Arya before looking back to Renly. "Look to your sins, Lord Renly. For the night is dark and full of terrors." With that said she rode off. Ser Davos gave them a bow before following after his King. Lord Stark did not follow Stanis.
Renly spurred his horse forward, leaving the failed negotiations. The remaining riders followed after the younger Baratheon King. As they arrived back at camp, Renly dismissed everyone, needing a moment to himself.
Catelyn led her family towards her tent, needing to speak with them. They found Jesse waiting by the tent. "Is everything alright?" The boy asked Arya while looking at the Lord and Lady of House Stark.
"We need to talk." Ned spoke placing a hand on Arya's shoulder. "All of us." He looked back to Jesse, nodding his head towards the tent. Jesse walked over and held the flap open for everyone to enter. Catelyn entered first followed by her family and Jesse. "Now, how did you escape Casterly Rock?" He looked from his daughter to her companion. The boy could easily be a Lannister.
"Rather easily actually." Arya remarked. "Probably only worked because neither Tywin nor Tyrion were there. Plus Lord Kevan was a bit busy." She sat on a seat as she looked between her two parents. Both looked tired. "Why're you both here?"
"Robb asked us to get support from the Baratheons." Ned spoke. "One or both, but at least get them united to be able to attack the Lannisters with the largest possible force."
"It was risky at best." Catelyn interjected. "We should have done this at separate times-"
"There wasn't time." Ned interrupted. "Tywin attacking us at full force, the Moutnain pillaging the Riverlands, and the Lannisters strengthening their hold on the capital. We need allies Cat. Speaking with both Renly and Stanis was the best plan we had." He ran a hand over his face and through his growing beard. He had never allowed it to get this long since Robert's Rebellion.
"What of House Tyrell or the Vale?" Arya hoped her brother had thought of more allies than just the Baratheons.
"Lysa refused us." Catelyn answered bitterly. "Too frightened for the safety of Robin. The boy wouldn't be anywhere near a battle. The Eery has never fallen."
"She's a mother frightened for her child." Ned spoke up. "I'm sure you can understand that." Catelyn looked down at her lap. Ned had wished to keep his wife out of this conflict, but it seemed that was not to be. He looked to his daughter and her companion. "And you are?"
"Jesse Waters m'lord." Jesse spoke up, returning to his Flea Bottom heritage. "Arie 'ere lemme tag along." He smiled as Lady Catelyn looked at him with a bit of shock and confusion. "Sorry, old habits." His accent changed to match the northerner's accent.
"When did you pick that up?" Arya asked. He couldn't have been around many of the northern men for a long time.
Jesse shrugged. "Mostly from listening to you all the time."
"You trust him?" Ned asked his daughter. He wasn't sure who knew what about Arya and her journey. Arya gave him a nod. "So what's your plan? Nothing you said happened in your past has happened."
"Something is probably going to happen." Arya knew she had failed at least in one respect. "King Renly is going to die."
"What are you talking about?" Catelyn asked, not following the conversation. "Happened in the past? What past? And you don't know Lord Renly is going to lose the battle."
"There isn't going to be a battle." Arya had never taken the opportunity to explain things to her mother. She supposed her father could do most of the explaining as they returned to Robb's camp. "The Red Priestess with Stanis Baratheon is going to kill him using some sort of shadow magic. I don't know how to stop it. Nor do I think we can." She looked between her two parents. "You need to leave."
"Robb needs allies." Catelyn argued, choosing the ignore what she didn't understand for now. She would interrogate them about it later. "Perhaps we can still reason with Lord Stanis, or the Tyrells should they chose not to support Stanis."
Arya looked from her parents towards Jesse. "Whoever you ally with, make sure Robb keeps his word."
"Aye." Ned confirmed. Robb was eyeing a young medic that had joined their cause, but he had told his son just what the consequences might be if oaths were broken. "Where will you go?"
Catelyn was surprised by her husband. "She is obviously coming back with us. Her capture was the reason Robb rode south."
"I'm not going North." Arya confirmed. "The Lannisters need to removed from power. I'm going to King's Landing."
"I'm going with her." Jesse declared confidently. "I'll watch out for her my Lord."
Ned wasn't too surprised at how different Arya's companion was, she didn't conform to tradition either. "I'll hold you to that."
They were delayed from leaving, under King Renly's orders. He wanted to speak with them before they left. They could not leave before that.
They arrived at Renly's tent an hour after sunset. "Lord Stark. Lady Stark." Renly greeted the two first. He then turned his attention to the younger two. "Lady Arya." He paused as he regarded the fourth member in their group. "Now what should I call you? From what I can see you look like a Lannister? He your prisoner or are you his?"
Arya held the King's gaze. "Neither, and he's not a Lannister."
"I see." Renly eyed the blond boy, not trusting the Stark. He then looked to the older Starks. "After great length of discussion with my advisors and my Queen, I'm willing to pardon House Stark for this underhanded scheme. So long as the North swears fealty to me and my cause. I don't need another King in my camp vying for the Iron Throne."
"Neither my son nor myself have desire to rule all Seven Kingdoms." Ned assured the younger man. "But understand this, I bowed to Robert because he was my friend and it's what was needed to bring peace to the Realm. You have the backing of the Reach and the Stormlands. You beat the Lannisters, then the Westerlands will bow to you. The Vale and Dorne have kept their peace and I doubt they will change that. All you need to do to establish peace, is leave us be. We won't bow to a Southern King."
Arya had wished her father had bent a small bit, or lied, but supposed that was a bit too much to hope for. She watched as Renly smiled fondly down at his desk. "I'm glad to hear that i don't have to fight you for the Throne. Truly I would hate to fight against you Ned." His smile faded a bit. "But I'm not my brother. Your son can go on calling himself King in the North. Although i'm not sure what that would make you then. All I ask is that he is loyal to me."
"Loyalty and trust go both ways your Grace." Jesse answered, earning him everyone's gaze. "If you don't trust your allies, why should they trust you?"
Renly chuckled a bit. "Are you sure you're not a Lannister? You sound an awful lot like the Imp."
"If you grant the North it's independence, they'll be indebted to you." Arya spoke up. "If not, they'll just take it for themselves. Why make an enemy when we are offering to be allies?"
Renly looked between the two children before chuckling to himself a bit. "Perhaps you should have sent these two to negotiate." He got up form his seat. "I will grant the North it's independence, if the North helps me claim the Iron Throne."
"It will be done." Ned was grateful everything seemed to have worked out. "We'll ride back tonight. We'll reach our camp in a few days ride. from there it would be best if we meet in the Riverlands to consolidate our forces before attacking King's Landing. That way we also cut Tywin off from the Westerlands."
"Agreed." Renly began removing his armor with he help of Brienne. "When I beat my brother tomorrow, I'll add his ships to my army. then we can attack from the land and the sea. The Lannisters don't have enough men to defend from two sides. I imagine the Red Keep should fall within a day."
A cold wind blew into the tent, sending a shiver down Arya's spine. As she looked to the door she spotted a shadow moving across the ground through the lit space. She frowned as it slid passed their ankles and onward. Catelyn and Brienne gasped as the shadow stood behind Renly, the King staring at it in disbelief in the mirror. With a wet slice, the shadow stabbed it's arm through Renly's heart.
The shadow removed it's arm before gazing at Arya with a grin on it's face. Arya had a hand on her sword as the shadow advanced on her. Ned drew his sword and slashed through the shadow, doing no harm to it. Arya slid her hand over to the dagger and drew it, wondering if the Valyrian steel would make a difference. The shadow screeched as it lunged at her.
Arya pushed Jesse to one side while she dove in the opposite direction. The shadow stopped as two guards entered the tent, inquiring about the strange noises. They both screamed and ran out of the tent upon seeing the demon. Arya threw the dagger at the shadow, the blade sinking into it's head before the shadow vanished in the light.
The tent was quiet as everyone breathed. Arya walked over and picked up the dagger, cleaning the blade of blood before sheathing it. She walked over to the corpse of Renly Baratheon as Brienne wept for her King. "We need to go."
Catelyn nodded in agreement to Arya's words as she knelt down beside Brienne. "We have to go."
"I won't leave him." Brienne managed to say between sobs.
Catelyn looked to her husband, not sure what to do. Ned stepped forward and placed a hand on Brienne's shoulder. "You cared about him." The female warrior stayed silent as she continued to sob. "Then avenge him. Dark magic has no place in justice. Avenge Renly's murder for what it is, but you can't do that from the grave." Brienne nodded at the man's words, standing and looking down at her King one last.
"Check on the King!" They all looked to the door as someone shouted form outside.
"This way." Brienne said as she moved to one of the back panels of the tent. She held a tapestry aside, revealing a hidden exit. She held it open as the five of them slipped out of the tent and into the dark night. Brienne expertly led them to the horses. "I imagine your men will leave in the morning should you not return."
"Aye." Ned hoped that would be the case. He would hate to leave good men to die unknowing deaths.
They all took a horse and led them away from the camp and into the woods. They mounted once they were in dense enough cover. Arya gave a short whistle as they began to ride, giving Nymeria her signal.
It wasn't until they reached the road that they stopped. Arya turned her horse towards the Capital. "Come North when you're done." Arya looked back at her father as he spoke. "Come home, when you're ready."
Arya gave the man a smile. "When I'm ready." She looked between her parent sone last time. "Take care of each other and the others. I'd imagine things would go a lot worse without either of you. And when you see Ser Jaime, give him my regards. I do hope he is behaving himself."
"He's as well behaved as to be expected." Ned replied to his youngest daughter. He the looked to Jesse. "Look after my daughter."
"Will do m'lord." Jesse answered cheerily.
Arya turned her horse back towards the capital, hoping to make up some time. She didn't dare look over her shoulder, fearing she would run back to embrace her father and mother. She feared each time she sees them may be the last time she ever sees them alive. She supposed it was a possibility in this world. A more likely one than not.
That took way longer than I thought it would to write.
I had a bit of trouble with this chapter. Originally I was planning on having Stanis and Renly form a truce with the Starks that they would fight together and decide who sat on the Iron Throne later, but then I threw that out the window and decided to just kill Renly. It opens up a few possibilities.
I left his death similar to the show, since it was interesting enough on the show. Plus Melisandre would have already been pregnant with the shadow baby, planning to kill him that way. So why have all that effort go to waste?
And hey, Brienne is now with the Starks. Which means she can meet Jaime. But since the Lannisters don't have the girls, Cat is not releasing him anytime soon.