Dragons and Thrones: Final War – The Dragon Queen Rises

Chapter 24 of my crossover story, enjoy.

Reviews

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; LOL :)
raw666: Yeah, well, we can only wait and see, but that isn't the real issue here, something else is.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
Veridissima: Thanks :)
Ahrimal: Wow, where to even start, thanks, glad you enjoyed it, I think I'll cover all this stuff you've spoke about in a PM, for space reasons :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin, Dragon Age belongs to Bioware.

Arya

Arya growled in frustration at her identity being exposed.

'Fuck it, they would've found out anyway.' She thought to herself. 'Let's just continue.'

Recovering fully she readied Needle and began to advance. But then paused as Dickon lowered her sword, stepping back, shaking his head.

"What is this?" She demanded. "Fight!"

She attacked and he deflected her attack, but made no attempt to follow up, rendering her dodge unnecessary.

"What is wrong with you, fight me!?" She demanded again.

She could hear the murmuring from both sides; but Dickon shook his head.

"What do you think you're doing?" He queried suddenly. "You shouldn't be here."

Arya shook her head at that. "I have every right to be here and you wanted to duel a Stark, well here one stands before you, I am Arya Stark, now..."

"You're a girl..."

That made her flare up, she couldn't believe it, that pathetic excuse again.

"So what?!" She snapped. "Just because I'm a girl I can't fight, what were we just doing?!"

Dickon replied, exasperated. "You shouldn't be on the battlefield, this is no place for a woman, especially a noblewoman such as you, you..."

"My place is right here and you will fight me, or I'll just have to beat you into the ground without a fight!" Arya cried.

She was furious, she couldn't help it; she was incensed that he looked down on her for something so stupid.

She attacked, again and again, Dickon deflected and kept trying to talk, but she tuned him out. She could hear shouting that sounded like it was coming from the Tarly side, but ignored that too.

'About time.' She thought when she finally had to dodge an attack.

He clearly realized she wasn't backing down and that he had no choice in the matter. She deflected another attack of his, struck out with one of her own, injuring his side, then leapt back, just out of reach of his follow up attack. Then she saw her opening.

She didn't know how it happened, but, during the duel, her senses seemed to heighten and now she saw things a lot more clearly, her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt a strange tingling through her body, yet strangely, she didn't feel tired in the slightest.

She adjusted her weight and, when Dickon charged, she waited until her chance came and she then struck. Dickon cried out, stumbling back, hitting the ground, his sword knocked out of his hand. Before he could recover, Arya moved in, she now had Needle at his throat, one false move and he was dead.

He didn't struggle, just stared at her in disbelief.

Looking up at the surrounding armies she called out. "The duel is over!"

She could hear the cheers from her allies, but then another voice called out, and that was when things went to shit.

The person that called out was Randyll Tarly.

"No, it's not!" He bellowed. "This is an insult you dare think you can get away with this!"

Arya shook her head. "I duelled your son, I won, the duel is over!"

Randyll's reply was irate. "You insult us with your presence girl, you do not belong on the battlefield, this is a place for men, go back to your castle and do what you're supposed to do, and send a true champion to fight!"

"I am a warrior in this army, I have every right and you just cannot stand the fact you've lost!" Arya snapped; once more getting angry. "Accept it, a girl defeated your son!"

Randyll's response was an angered shout as he charged, sword at the ready. Arya tensed, he was on horseback, closing the distance faster than she could move. Then she heard the second set of hoof beats and, due to her still heightened senses, she saw it clearly.

Before Randyll could strike her with his sword, Gendry rode up and with his war-hammer struck. Randyll grunted as he was knocked from his horse. Staggering to his feet, the man glowered. Arya readied her weapon, glancing at Gendry, she was surprised to see him looking more angry than she thought he'd be.

But then, before anything else could happen, a low but clear, growl that shook their very bones sounded.

Turning her head Arya gasped. Dickon staggered to his feet, backing off. Randyll and Gendry stopped too, all of them lowering their weapons. For there, getting between them to prevent further conflict, was Daenerys' dragon Drogon.

However apart from acting as a blockade, it seemed he had no other intentions. It was then Arya realized Daenerys was also present, standing by Drogon's head.

"That will do, Lord Tarly, Lady Arya is correct, she won the duel and her gender is irrelevant in this matter." She stated. "Buying time for the Tyrell's will only see you all destroyed, besides, I think you'll find your Lord will have very different intentions when he arrives. But if you truly wish to see that, you'll have to surrender."

There was a stony silence, but then Dickon spoke up. "Father, think about it, this is...we've been defeated, there is no sense in wasting lives."

"Defeated, Dickon you..." He began.

But Dickon cut him off. "Father, I was defeated by a Stark, we never specified a particular Stark, I lost...the skill displayed by Lady Arya, it is obvious, even you can see it...Stop stalling."

Randyll growled while Arya was surprised by Dickon's sudden change in attitude. However his words clearly had the desired effect as before long, the Tarly's were surrendering. But Arya couldn't help but be concerned, as Gendry still looked angry.

In fact, he was glaring at her.

She soon got her answer as the army recovered; only it did nothing to help her temper either.

"Arya, what were you thinking?" He cried out.

She started, not used to seeing him like this. "Gendry what are you…?"

"Going out to fight that duel, how could you be so reckless?" He explained.

"Reckless, what…?" She gasped, suddenly shocked, this wasn't like Gendry at all.

He continued. "You just went rushing out, fighting in that duel, you didn't...hit was reckless and you..."

She narrowed her eyes, suddenly starting to fell angry herself. "I what...What is this Gendry?"

"I was just..." He began.

"Trying to stop me!?" She snapped; her temper getting the better of her. "Is that it, I can't believe this, you of all people, thinking I'm weak!"

With a frustrated growl, Gendry shot back. "No Arry, I'm trying to say..."

"Save it, I know what you're trying to say!" She replied furiously.

She could see his frustration and took that as an indication she was right. Her anger spiked, even if, in the back of her mind, she felt she was being a little irrational.

"You think, just because we're married you can say who I should fight, what I should do!?" She accused. "After everything we've been through, the Temple of Mythal, the other times we've fought together, you suddenly think I'm weak!"

Gendry tried to reach out to her, but she stepped out of his reach.

"Arry, just, listen please. I'm..." He began.

But she'd heard enough.

Shaking her head she turned.

"Fuck you Gendry!"

With that she stalked off, heading for her tent; she just hoped Gendry would have enough sense to leave her alone for a good long while, before returning to the tent himself. She ignored the shocked expressions of her father and brother and hurried to the tent, her anger still simmering inside of her.

End of chapter, read and review please.

Well, as we've just seen, Arya and Gendry are having their first marital spat so to speak. Just in case it isn't completely clear, during the fight, Arya's heightened state was due to what can only be described as Combat High, something which hadn't fully faded by the time she had her argument with Gendry, as it affects emotions too, well, that was why she kinda overreacted. Unfortunately, even without that, now that this is done, there is another obstacle to Arya and Gendry trying to fix this...Their shared stubbornness.