Gossip Spyder

by MagicMyth83

High School AU/ Teen-Drama. The Stark Sisters are rich, beautiful, and have just enrolled at King's Landing Prep after relocating South. Soon they will be the headliners of a mysterious blog, and their interactions with handsome heirs and hot older boys will be the talk of the town…whether they like it or not! Sansa/ Sandor, Sansa/ Joffrey, Arya/ Gendry, Arya/ Jaqen, Arya/ Sandor.

38. Episode 38 The Tourney

Episode 38

"The Tourney"

Gossip Spyder

Good morning everyone!

Spring is here and nothing brings more people out into the warm King's Landing sunshine than a good outdoor music festival. Lucky for us, the Tourney Fields Festival is this weekend! The full list of big-name artists and DJ's are on the website, though I must give a shout out to our very own Brotherhood Without Banners who will also be performing on Saturday. Their set is scheduled for late afternoon, so be sure to cheer our boys on!

I'm sure many of you are all looking forward to it, but for those who are unaware, the biggest school dance in KL Prep's calendar will be happening later this month. The annual Spring Fling will be held in the final week before Spring Break, and with Margaery Tyrell heading the planning committee we can only imagine how extra this year's dance will be! Ateliers and couturiers all over the city are going to be busy with the coming Prom season, not to mention all the soirees and garden parties that bring all of King's Landing society out of winter hibernation!

First round college offers are also due for release from some of the biggest colleges in the nation around this time, and I know many of our seniors will be anxiously waiting for the arrival of those thick envelopes that could only mean an acceptance offer. I heard that King's Landing College, White Harbor College and Vale University have already issued their first-round placements. All you seniors out there, good luck!

Tata for now!

Gossip Spyder

---

Sandor

Coach Selmy was wearing a rare smile. The old man's weather-beaten features became even more lined and crinkled around his eyes and the corners of his mouth as he gazed at Sandor from across his office desk. There was only one other teacher in the Physical Education Department staff room at that moment, Coach Unella, the coach of the girls' volleyball team, and she too had turned to regard Sandor with a quiet awe when he had broken the news to Coach Selmy.

"You did it," Coach Selmy said, and he reached over the table to shake Sandor's hand. "Congratulations, Clegane."

Sandor shook his hand. "I couldn't have done it without your support."

"I barely did anything. You did the hard work, and it has paid off. The University of Valyria football team will be all the stronger with you in their ranks."

"I just want to keep doing what I'm good at, Coach."

"I have no doubts you'll do just fine, my boy." Coach Selmy continued to smile at him, his eyes twinkling with what could be taken for pride. "Only one or two of King's Landing Prep graduates get accepted to The University of Valyria each year, almost always for academic merit, and rarely are they offered full scholarships. You, however, have achieved a first for our school, and the first in my career as a football coach. The University of Valyria has offered you a full-ride Football Scholarship, and the opportunity to play at the highest level of college football. You ought to be proud of yourself, because I certainly am."

"Thanks, Coach." Sandor was unused to hearing praise and he didn't quite know how to act, but he had wanted to tell Coach Selmy the news in person, and to thank him for his guidance. "I wanted to thank you for helping me with my application, and for your recommendation. I'm sure it helped."

"You're more than welcome, Clegane. You're one hell of an athlete, and I have no doubts you'll go far in your football career."

Coach Selmy dismissed him from his office not long after and Sandor then made his way toward the cafeteria where Sansa and her friends were waiting for him. In his backpack, tucked in between the pages of his chemistry textbook so that it wouldn't get crumpled, was the fat envelope with the fancy crest of The University of Valyria emblazoned in the corner that had arrived in his mailbox the day before. He knew what it signified the moment he had laid eyes on it, as only a 'fat' envelope could mean that he'd been accepted. Everyone knew that rejection letters arrived in skinny envelopes.

He had not been willing to believe it at first, and the envelope had lain unopened on his desk for at least a couple of hours as he'd sat on his bed, just staring at it. When he had finally, and carefully, torn open the top of the envelope and unfolded the official letter offering him a full-ride Football Scholarship, he'd had to read it three times before it had finally sunk in. He was going to attend his first-choice college, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything except playing football and keeping his grades at the standard required to maintain his scholarship. A full-ride scholarship at Valyria meant that his tuition, student fees, accommodation, books and supplies would be fully covered for his four years of study. In addition, he would also receive a generous annual stipend for living expenses. Sandor knew that without this scholarship, The University of Valyria would have been completely out of reach for him.

After the third time he'd read the letter his first instinct had been to grab his phone to call Sansa to tell her the news, but he'd stopped short of pressing the call button because he'd had a sudden flashback of Sansa's face the last time they had spoken about him going away for college. He'd hesitated, because he knew that while Sansa would be genuinely happy for him, he also knew that the news would bring up the issues he'd forced them to ignore over the last couple of months. He was going away, that was inevitable, and neither of them knew how they were going to handle the separation.

I can't ignore it now. We can't ignore it any longer. Sandor had then decided that Sansa deserved to hear the news face to face, so he'd mentioned nothing about it when Sansa had called him later that evening for their nightly chat. However, when morning had arrived and he'd picked her up for school, he'd found himself unable to bring it up. He had still been unwilling to remind her about their impending forced separation and ruin her good mood.

Instead he'd chosen to tell Coach Selmy first, without whose help Sandor's application to Valyria may not have happened. He rarely ever felt genuine gratefulness towards anybody, simply because he did his best never to be reliant on anyone, but Coach Selmy had gone out of his way for him on numerous occasions, beyond the responsibilities of what a normal teacher would do – beyond what any other teach would have done for him – and Sandor couldn't help but be grateful towards one of the few adults he had come to respect.

It had been Coach Selmy who'd pulled him aside in the past to ask him if he was okay, noticing whenever Sandor succumbed to the black moods that often plagued him. It was Coach Selmy who'd come to his house to check on him during his self-imposed exile following the malfunctioning torch incident at the championship game, and Coach Selmy who'd personally written him that letter of commendation. Sandor usually loathed being referred to as an athlete, because it would often be accompanied by a comparison to his much-loathed older brother, but such was his regard for the man that Sandor did not mind when Coach Selmy had called him an athlete.

He had yet to inform his own father, but Sandor suspected that Theodor Clegane's reaction would be much the same as when Gregor had landed the scholarship to King's Landing College.

"I don't need to pay for a thing, that's what you're telling me?" had been Theodor's only words to Gregor.

Sandor would email him about going to college in another state, if only to let him know when he'd be leaving the house in Gregor's care once more. As hard as it was to believe that the buffoon could use his brain to that extent, Gregor was actually graduating from college in a few months, and he had every intention of moving back home after graduation. Sandor abhorred the idea of having to live with him again, and for this reason only was he glad to be moving away.

Pushing aside thoughts of his family, he approached the cafeteria and quickly spotted Sansa and her friends at the table they had claimed by the large window that looked out onto the quad. He grabbed a tray and piled a healthy amount of food onto it, before paying and walking over to join Sansa, the girl called Jeyne, and the other seniors. He nodded at Lothor Brune and grunted a hello to the girls.

"Hi, Sandor!" Sansa greeted him with a wide grin on her face. "Guess what? Randa got the tickets for the Tourney this morning. I'm so excited for the weekend!"

"Great," Sandor returned, offering her a smile of his own. "What time to do want me to pick you up on Saturday?"

"Eleven?" Sansa suggested. "Everyone's planning to meet at the Tourney grounds by midday so we can have lunch together, so we'll have an hour to get there."

"Fine by me," Sandor agreed.

Sandor then listened as Sansa and her friends chatted excitedly about what they would be wearing and which artists they were most looking forward to seeing. Lothor had tuned out of the conversation long before Sandor had got there and was engrossed with something on his phone, so Sandor was able to eat his lunch without having to engage in small talk.

"Prepare for a full day out, okay Sansa?" Randa was saying.

"Bring a picnic blanket if you have one," Mya said to her.

"And, don't forget to bring a jacket," Jeyne advised, "it might be warm in the day now, but the Tourney grounds can get cold at night, being so out in the open and all."

"Okay, got it." Sansa nodded excitedly. "Can Saturday get here already!"

Watching her and seeing her buzzing with so much excitement and anticipation, Sandor decided that telling her about his acceptance letter could wait. I'll tell her after the Tourney, he thought. There was no point in killing her mood.

---

Gendry

The sound of a wailing guitar, a rhythmic bass line, harmonic keyboards and rolling percussion filled the basement rehearsal space of the Brotherhood Without Banners below The Hollow. The sound of the instruments was frequently punctuated with the angsty vocals of their lead singer. They were rehearsing for their upcoming show at the Tourney, and as usual, Beric was being his pedantic self.

"Hold up, hold up." Beric held his hand up and they all stopped playing. "Gendry, repeat those last sixteen bars again, please. This time, could you really emphasize that riff?"

"Sure," Gendry acknowledged, and rolled his shoulders in preparation.

"Let's take it from the second verse…and a one, two…one, two, three, four!"

Beric and Edric had gaped in shock when Gendry had walked into the waiting room before the Bachelor Auction, dressed in his fancy suit and his hair slicked back. He had been the last bachelor to arrive having utilized an alternate entrance into the room to avoid being seen.

"Way to keep a secret, you damned Bull!" Edric had punched his shoulder at the time. "Why didn't you tell us you were going to be in the auction too?"

"I didn't know I was going to be in it until a few days ago," Gendry had told them. "My… er…sponsors, kept it a secret even from me."

"Sponsors, hmm?" Beric had given him a very telling look.

His friends had put two and two together eventually, realizing that Gendry's absences from band rehearsal were due to his grooming and preparations for his debut into society. Beric and Edric had understood why he'd chosen to keep his silence, but now that Gendry's deportment classes and the auction were over, Beric had been working him hard during rehearsals. Gendry had been told weeks before that they had a gig at the end of February, but Beric had failed to mention that it was the Tourney Fields Festival, only the biggest outdoor music festival hosted in their corner of the planet.

Growing up in King's Landing, it was impossible not to have heard about the annual festival. He'd always wanted to attend the Tourney with his friends in previous years, but he'd never had the means to before, having to be satisfied with secondhand tales about other people's experiences about the crowds, the food and the music. Now, he was going to be attending as a performer, and he would get the chance to witness the festival from an angle few people got to see…from up on stage, looking out over everyone who'd come to see the Brotherhood.

Between school in the day and rehearsals in the early evening, Gendry's time was well occupied. Even when he got home, homework and the chores that Ellen made all her children perform around the house took up what idle time he might have had. Mentally, he'd allowed himself very little opportunity to dwell on much else, but in the dead of night, in those moments before sleep claimed him, Arya would always steal into his thoughts.

He hadn't seen much of her since he'd found out about her breakup with Jaqen, not that he'd been keeping himself away from her or anything like that. In fact, he had made it a point to acknowledge her and say hello if he passed her in the halls at school. He had meant it when he'd told her that he wanted things to go back to how they were, or as close to it as possible, and he hoped to do that by normalizing their daily interactions. Hot Pie had told him that Arya seemed to be doing okay, and did not appear to be too hung up about Jaqen.

"Arya's not really the moping type though, is she?" Hot Pie had pointed out. "She's probably keeping herself busy to keep her mind off it, you know?"

Gendry was using the same tactic, so he didn't worry too much about Arya's sudden reclusiveness. However, he couldn't help but feel even more antipathy towards Jaqen H'ghar. He'd never liked the guy, but he liked Jaqen even less now that he knew that he had broken up with Arya because he was moving to New York to become a famous rock star. Jaqen had struck him as the kind of guy who'd tough it out during a long-distance relationship, the kind of guy who'd 'make it work' no matter what. There was a reason I never liked him, and it turns out it's because he's a douche after all.

Gendry finished playing the last chord of the song, holding the note until Beric signaled 'cut'. All of them waited to see how their leader would react, and only when Beric nodded in approval did they all breathe and relax their poses. After the fifth run-through, they'd finally found the best version of Beric's newest composition that he was happy with.

"All right!" Beric whooped. "Let's go with that. Nice work, guys!"

"Tourney Fields, here we come!" Thoros shouted.

"I can't believe we're going to be playing at the Tourney!" Tom exclaimed.

Gendry grinned as he took a sip from his water bottle. Excitement was high amongst them, and all of their friends were going to watch them. Lommy had also called him to let him know that the Flea Bottom crew would be attending too. Gendry smiled, remembering Lommy's reaction when he'd learned about who Gendry's father turned out to be.

"Holy fuckballs, dude!" Lommy had shouted over the phone some days after the official news had broken. "The guys and I had seen all that stuff about you in the Herald, but we didn't want to believe it until you said something. We always suspected you'd be the son of someone important, and now we find out you really are the son of Robert fucking Baratheon and that is insane!"

"No kidding," Gendry had said with a tired laugh, "but it's not all it's cracked up to be. I don't have anything to do with him. In fact, I've barely spoken to him at all."

"Who the fuck cares about that?" Lommy had laughed loudly, sounding much like a braying donkey at that moment. "You're rich, and that's what matters!"

"Always straight to the point," Gendry had said, glad that Lommy was unfazed by his true identity.

"I've known you too long," his friend had stated, "I just need you to promise me that you'll never forget where you came from."

"Of course, I won't," Gendry had told him.

"And, that you'll never forget about your childhood friends,"

"I seriously doubt you'd let me forget you even if I wanted to,"

"It's good that you feel that way," Lommy had chuckled, "because I'm about to hit you up for VIP passes to your band's show at the Tourney!"

"You're a jackass, Lommy." Gendry had laughed. "I'm sure I can get passes for you and the guys, but only because you asked so nicely."

"You're the best, Gendry!"

"See you at the Tourney."

Gendry had made a mental note to call the boys to plan a night out after the Tourney. Lommy and his friends had made attempts to keep in touch, even coming to see him perform on numerous occasions, while he'd only gone to see them that one time at the 'Lucky 8'. Lommy was right, and it was very important that he never forget where he came from.

"Let's call it a night," Beric now said, "I think we know what we're doing now."

"Excellent!" Edric was already out from behind his drum kit and putting his sticks away even before Beric had finished speaking. "I'm starving!"

Gendry unplugged his guitar and began packing up just as his own stomach began to growl loudly. "I could do with food, too."

"The kitchen is still open upstairs," Beric said after a quick glance at the clock on the wall, "but, you'd better hurry."

"Hey, Beric," Thoros called for his attention, "any word on whether you want us to perform at the Spring Fling?"

"Not yet." Beric shrugged. "I was going to think about it after the Tourney."

"Would you mind telling that to Margery Tyrell," Gendry suggested, "she seems to think I can influence your decision somehow."

"Oh, I don't think that's why Margaery's suddenly hanging around you." Edric glanced at Gendry with a cheeky smile on his face. "And, I don't think you really mind, do you?"

Gendry sighed. "I can't believe you think Margaery likes me."

Edric wiggled his eyebrows. "You can be real slow on the uptake sometimes, Gendry."

Gendry hated to admit it, but even he had noticed the extra attention Margaery had been paying him over the last week. One day she had approached their group as they were sitting on the steps at the Performing Arts building with a request for the Brotherhood to perform at the Spring Fling. Beric had not seemed crazy about the idea, but after exchanging glances with Gendry and Edric, he'd given Margaery a non-committal 'I'll think about it'.

"She's not going to give up that easily you know," Allyria had told Beric, "I've heard she can be very persuasive."

"I've heard that too," Beric had said, "but, we're going to be busy with the Tourney, then after that there's the Epic Day Out in Essos City to prepare for, and I was hoping just to chill out at the Spring Fling. It is our last one as seniors after all."

"Then, just tell her no," Edric had suggested.

Beric had not been ready to rule out the possibility completely, and he'd promised to think about it for the meantime. Margaery had begun to appear at the steps of the Performing Arts building almost daily during lunch breaks, which they had all expected, but it soon became clear that her real target was Gendry. The polite nods in the halls that Margaery used to give him turned into thousand-megawatt smiles followed by casual touches on his shoulder or forearm while she engaged him in small talk, usually beginning with a question about Beric's decision about performing at Spring Fling, before she would ask him about topics that were more specific to him. Gendry had continued to believe that it was all still an effort to convince Beric, until Edric had said otherwise.

"It's you that she's after, Gendry," Edric had stated.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gendry had frowned. "She's trying to get me to talk Beric into saying yes."

"Wake up, dude." Edric had given him an exasperated look. "You seriously haven't noticed how much attention she's been giving to you lately? Not to mention the fact Margaery bid for you at the Bachelor Auction."

"Ah, but she quit bidding for me half-way through," Gendry had pointed out.

"True," Edric had agreed, "but out of all the guys in that lineup – my handsome self included – Margaery only raised her hand for you and Robb Stark. Joffrey Baratheon didn't even get a look at."

"You're not seriously suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?" Gendry had shaken his head.

Edric had grinned. "Olenna Tyrell seems to like you too. The Queen of Thorns does not go around embracing just anyone, and the old lady hugged you in front of everyone, so it's safe to say she already approves of you as a potential future grandson-in-law."

"You're reading too much into things," Gendry had dismissed Edric's claim at first, but from that point on he did find himself second-guessing Margaery's actions each time she even looked his way.

Regardless, whatever Margaery's intentions towards him were did not matter. She had even less chances with him than Jazmine Choi, not that he seriously believed that Margaery could be interested in him that way. Margaery and the rest of the Tyrells were cordial towards him because he was Robert Baratheon's son, and if not for that, Margaery would have remained as oblivious of his existence as she had been before the King's Landing Herald had publicized his birth certificate.

Margaery aside, Jazmine was still an occasional presence at his side, sometimes joining his group at lunch with her friend Jessika. Although she had mostly backed off in her pursuit of him, he knew that she was only waiting for some signal from him, so he was always mindful about doing or saying anything around her that could be potentially misleading.

A year ago, he would never have imagined that there would be girls like Jazmine Choi, let alone Margaery Tyrell, who would be interested in him. Gendry Waters from a year ago would not have hesitated at dating either of them…but, he also did not know Arya Stark a year ago, and no matter how much he tried to tell himself that moving on was the best thing for him, he just had no interest in looking at other girls. Not yet, at least.

"How long are you going to keep denying that Margaery likes you?" Edric now asked him.

Gendry shrugged and picked up his guitar case, ready to head upstairs for some food. "I'll keep denying it until Margaery tells it to my face, and even then, she'll have to spell it out before I believe her."

"Dude, why are you playing so hard to get? First you turn down Jazmine and now Margaery?"

Gendry laughed as he followed Edric up to the restaurant, and while they ate their meal he humored his friend and joked with him about what Margaery would have to do to win his affections. If Edric was correct about Margaery, then he was truly flattered, but for the moment, he decided that the best thing for him was to be by himself, forget about dating girls and just focus on his music, reconnect with old friends and perhaps make new friends too.

---

Arya

She understood what Jazmine had been trying to tell her that night at the auction. She'd wondered what the story of The Dog and His Shadow had to do with her, and now she knew. Those who covet all may end up losing it all. Jazmine had been trying to warn her about being too greedy, warning her against chasing after Gendry or risk losing him as well as Jaqen in the process. Perhaps what she had been chasing was a shadow after all, because whatever attraction Gendry might have felt for her was no longer there, and what she had jumped into that river for had been nothing but a reflection of her own wishful thinking.

She'd lost Gendry and Jaqen, just as Jazmine had warned her. Of course, Arya was aware that Jazmine's warning was meant to be taken literally and she could see how Jazmine had been inclined to think she was being unfaithful to Jaqen. But, Arya had never set out to 'covet' both Gendry and Jaqen, regardless of how circumstances may have appeared. Technicalities and intentions aside, Arya had to admit that emotionally she had been unfaithful to Jaqen, and he had known it. She'd committed so many transgressions against Gendry and Jaqen in her blindness, and been so impulsive, unable to foresee the consequences of her actions or take a moment to really see and understand the situation in front of her. It had all been to her loss.

In the days since her breakup with Jaqen, she had been doing her best to heal and recover emotionally, but shortly after Gendry's rejection the story of The Dog and His Shadow had lodged into her head one day when she'd spotted Jazmine talking to Gendry outside his classroom. It had irritated her to remember how Jazmine had whispered that warning in her ear, and doubly irritated her when she'd realized how the older girl had somehow correctly predicted the outcome of her sad love triangle. Her irritation was made worse when she realized that she was still jealous of Jazmine and how easily she was able to approach Gendry, smile at him and talk to him. Arya wanted so badly to be able to do the same, but knew that this was impossible with how things stood. Even if Gendry had been acknowledging her when they passed in the halls, his rejection still stung and it was all she could do to nod at him before averting her gaze in case he saw how much she was hurting.

Gendry appeared unaffected by their last conversation, proving to her that he had meant every word of what he'd said and that he really was over her. His popularity had never been greater, and with Margaery Tyrell now openly flirting with him whenever they were in the same vicinity, his eligibility had skyrocketed. Arya knew that she should have been glad for him. Things were finally going his way, and he looked happy, but realizing that part of the reason for his happiness was because he had chosen to move on from her made the wounds he'd inflicted in her heart sting all the more.

Robb had returned to the north a week earlier, and within hours of his return to the apartment he shared with Jon and Theon, Arya had received a call from Jon.

"Little sister, how are you?" Jon had asked casually.

"Robb told you about my break up with Jaqen, didn't he?" Arya had asked the obvious.

"Yeah, he did," Jon had said. "I'm sorry to hear that, Arya."

"Robb said he wasn't going to say anything," Arya had said irritably, ignoring Jon's words.

"He didn't give me any details," Jon had added, as though it would lessen Robb's guilt. "I asked him how you were and made him tell me the truth when he took too long to answer."

Arya had sighed. "Oh, Jon…I've messed up big time."

"I'm here to listen if you want to tell me about it," Jon had said quietly.

So, Arya had told Jon everything, beginning at the Bachelor Auction and ending with the last conversation she'd had with Gendry in the courtyard outside the science building.

"Wait…wait," Jon had interrupted, the line crackling as Arya pictured him shifting the phone against his ear. "You have feelings for Gendry? As in, romantic feelings?"

"That's what I just told you," Arya had grunted.

"Finally!" Jon's exclamation had startled her. "You've finally realized it!"

"What do you mean?" Arya had demanded. "You knew?"

"Well, yeah. It was obvious to me when we had that talk back in December. I'm really glad you're finally being honest with yourself, Arya."

"Hmm... much good it's done for me."

"Ah, you mustn't think like that." Jon's tone had taken on a soothing quality. "It's always much better to be honest about these things."

"I know, I know." Arya had sighed. "I just feel so helpless right now. I don't know what to do and I hate feeling like this."

"What do you want to happen, Arya?"

"I want to stop hurting," she'd replied automatically, "and, I want to stop feeling guilty about Jaqen. I want things to be okay between me and Gendry. I…I want to be with Gendry. That's what I want."

"I don't think those things are impossible to achieve,"

"Um, you did hear me say that Gendry rejected me, right? You heard how he's told me that he just wants to be friends after all."

"Yeah, he may have said that," Jon had said in agreement, "but, I'm not convinced he's telling the truth."

"He sounded pretty convincing to me,"

"There's something called self-preservation, Arya." Jon had declared. "I'll admit that I don't know him all that well, but from everything you've told me – including how he kissed you that night – it sounds to me that Gendry's backing off because he's convinced that he really has no chance with you, and he's trying to let you go so he can get over you."

"But–"

"Gendry never struck me as the type of guy who'd just kiss a girl for no reason," Jon had stated, "and, I doubt that kiss was as meaningless to him as you think it was. There's still a chance, Arya."

Arya had sighed into the phone. "I want to believe that, Jon. So, so much."

"It won't be easy though," Jon had warned her, "you'll probably find it difficult to convince him about your feelings. After all, you've rejected him before in favor of another guy."

"What do I have to do to convince him?"

"That, I can't help you with, unfortunately. You know Gendry better than I do, so you'll have to really put a lot of thought into what it will take to convince him."

"What if you're wrong, Jon?"

"What if I'm right?"

Arya had acknowledged that her brother had a point. "Even if you are right, I think I should give it some time before I do anything…if I do anything. It's too soon…for everyone."

She was super conscious of how hurtful it would be to Jaqen if she should move on so soon after their breakup, and at the very least she needed to give both of them time to cool off. Her guilt, she realized was turning out to be an unexpected roadblock. I'm capable of inflicting so much pain, especially towards someone I'm supposed to care about…towards a boyfriend…I could easily do it again, so why should I deserve to have Gendry as my boyfriend?

"There's no rush," Jon had replied, "you should give yourself all the time you need. And, if you do decide to go after Gendry, it's best if you have a clear conscience and a clearer heart."

Conversation with Jon almost always left her feeling thoughtful afterwards, and her brother's words would play over in her mind in the days following his call. Hot Pie was conscious of her ongoing dejectedness, though she made sure to keep him in the dark about her true feelings for Gendry, so he often tried to engage her in conversations that were light in content. She was aware that he was doing his best to cheer her up, and she appreciated the effort he was making for her.

"Hey, I have a suggestion that may cheer you up," Hot Pie said to her while they were eating lunch in the school cafeteria on Friday.

"What might that be?" Arya asked as she nibbled on her sandwich.

"We should go to the Tourney this weekend," Hot Pie replied with a smile, "it'll be fun!"

"That's tomorrow, and I heard that tickets were sold out."

Hot Pie's smiled widened as he then pulled out an envelope from his backpack. "Good thing I bought some before they sold out."

"Oh, my god!" Arya gaped at the two tickets Hot Pie produced from the envelope. "You really do have tickets."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay, sure." Arya shrugged. "I'm free anyway. I just can't be out too late because I have to be up early on Sunday morning."

"Why?"

"I promised Bran I'd go with him to this symposium thing."

"Don't worry, I'll have you back home before your curfew."

"Have you told Gendry that we're going to be there?"

"I told him we might be. I wasn't sure you'd be interested you see, but Gendry said he'd get us VIP passes just in case. Isn't that awesome?"

"Awesome," Arya agreed.

At a quarter to eleven the following morning Arya found herself waiting in the foyer of Chateau Maegor for Hot Pie to arrive, half-listening to Sansa's excited chatter as she waited for Sandor with her.

"Sandor will be here soon," Sansa said, "you should have told me you were going to the Tourney, we could have given you a ride."

"It was a last-minute thing," Arya told her, "Hot Pie only told me yesterday."

"That really is short notice." Sansa glanced at her, skimming over the sweater, jeans and boots she was wearing. "You didn't even get a chance to plan your festival outfit."

Arya really took notice of Sansa's outfit then, noting that her sister had teamed her denim cutoff shorts with flat ankle boots, an embroidered peasant blouse with the most voluminous sleeves she'd ever seen, all topped off with a crown of blue roses and ribbons set upon her glorious auburn tresses. Sansa's eyes were also lined with shimmery glitter, while her neck and arms were adorned with beaded necklaces and bangles.

"Wow, you look straight out of some 70's movie."

"That was the idea," Sansa said with a smile, "it's a pity you didn't have time to put an outfit together."

Arya shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"Oh!" Sansa suddenly exclaimed. "Come with me!"

Her sister then grabbed her by the wrist and all but dragged her back upstairs towards Sansa's bedroom.

"Sansa, what are you doing?" Arya felt compelled to ask even as she was being stripped of her sweater.

"Did you really need to ask?" Sansa returned. "Take your jeans off, and quickly. Move it!"

Arya undressed down to her underwear and literally stood there as Sansa re-dressed her. Two minutes later she was looking at a totally altered reflection of herself in the mirror.

"Whoa," Arya said as she turned from one side to the other, pleased with what she saw. "I didn't know you had clothes like this."

Sansa grinned at her. "I thought you knew me better than that, of course I had multiple outfits ready just in case."

Arya was now dressed in a long black skirt which bore slits up to her knees on both sides. She had a black, midriff bearing off-shoulder blouse on top which showed off her slim shoulders, and a fringed suede vest layered over the ensemble. Sansa then looped a gold chain about her neck, along with strings of glass beads and a leather choker. The last thing Sansa did was roll Arya's jacket into a neat ball before stowing it into Arya's backpack.

"You're going to need that jacket later, so when it gets cold swap the vest over."

"Thanks, Sansa." Arya gave her sister a smile as she once again turned in front of the mirror, impressed with the boho-chic look that she had put together.

"You're welcome." Sansa grinned back at her.

They both heard the crunch of gravel outside, along with the deep rumbling noise they knew belonged to Sandor's Mustang.

"That's my ride," Sansa said as she hurried out of her room and back down the stairs.

Arya followed behind her, reaching the still opened doorway in time to see Sansa getting into Sandor's car. Sansa waved and stuck her head out of the passenger side window.

"If you need a ride home later, call me," her sister said before she and Sandor drove away.

Hot Pie arrived at the gate while she could still hear Sandor's Mustang in the distance.

"Sorry I'm a little late," Hot Pie apologized as Arya strapped her seat belt on. "I had to stop by The Hollow to pick up the VIP passes that Gendry left for us."

"Are the guys heading to the Tourney now?"

Hot Pie nodded. "I got to The Hollow just as they were leaving. Gendry said we can visit them in their dressing room backstage. The VIP passes will get us into a private lounge area and into a viewing section close to the stage."

"That's pretty cool."

"This is exciting, isn't it?" Hot Pie grinned at her before he concentrated on the hour-long drive ahead of them.

The Tourney grounds were situated on the very outskirts of King's Landing's city limits amid open, rolling fiends. Hot Pie talked about which acts he was most looking forward to, and the food stalls he was intending on hitting up.

"I've never been to the Tourney before," Hot Pie told her, "though I've been to smaller fringe festivals, the Tourney is the biggest one."

"I've never been to any outdoor festivals ever," Arya admitted, "I was too young, and I couldn't see the appeal. But, I think I see it now."

"We're going to have fun today!" Hot Pie declared.

---

Sansa

The sun was shining brightly that day and the spring weather had arrived, bringing with it milder temperatures. Sansa could safely say that she did not miss the northern springs and the muddy puddles created by thawing ice and melting snow. The drive to the Tourney grounds with Sandor beside her turned out to be more fun than she was expecting, with Sandor often reaching over the gears to squeeze her bare thigh and flash her rare smiles and looks that flitted between desire, playfulness and other expressions she couldn't readily name. Sandor had been showing her unfamiliar faces lately, though she had yet to recognize them all, she knew that these new expressions meant good things.

The scenery changed as they reached the city's outer limits and suburbia gave way to larger acreages, woodlands and farmlands. They reached the tourney fields just before noon and Sansa was amazed by the scale and the sheer amount of organization that would have been required to host the Tourney Fields Festival. The signs and banners they had passed along the way had given no indication of the carnival atmosphere they now found themselves entering. Sandor drove his car onto the grass as the attendant at the gate had indicated and it took him some minutes to navigate the seemingly endless rows of vehicles already parked in the designated parking area before they reached an empty space. From there they walked over a grass covered hill, following other festival goers until they reached the blockades and barriers that led to a large white tent where tickets and ID and security checks were being carried out. Once they had been issued with color coded wristbands and past the gate, they immediately came upon a space that had been designed to look like a medieval market place with rows and rows of stalls selling festival souvenirs like t-shirts and headbands, official merchandise with band logos and names of performers, flower crown stalls, and not to mention dozens of food vendors offering every imaginable sweet or savory concoction.

"This is heart attack city," Sandor remarked, before sniffing the air appreciatively. "I smell fried chicken."

Sansa laughed while she dialed Randa's number on her phone. "Hey…yeah, we're here…okay, we'll meet you guys there."

"Where are they?" Sandor asked when she'd hung up.

"They're at a stall selling Japanese food. Apparently, there's a giant inflatable sumo wrestler on top of the roof…like that one!"

Sansa pointed to a stall in the distance, with the aforementioned inflatable sumo wrestler just visible above the tops of the stalls directly in front of them. Sandor took her hand and led the way through the crowded aisles. Randa began to squeal when she caught sight of Sansa's outfit.

"Oh my god! You look so cute!" Randa greeted her with a hug.

"So do you," Sansa said as she gave all her friends a once over, "you all do!"

Randa, Mya and even the normally conservative Jeyne had all chosen to go for a boho-luxe theme with their outfits, with Randa the most extravagant of them in a maxi dress with a slit at the front right to her thighs, matched with a faux-fur gilet and over-the-knee boots. She had also woven silk ribbons into her hair, and topped off her entire look with layers of jewelry and dramatic eye makeup. Mya went for an asymmetrical mini-dress and thigh-high boots, while Jeyne wore tight black jeans artfully ripped and torn in strategic spots, with a gauzy multihued blouse and a matching flower crown on top of her brunette locks.

"Jeyne, you look amazing!" Sansa grasped her friend's hand and made her spin on the spot in front of her.

"Thanks to you," Jeyne said as she twirled around obligingly. "I couldn't have put this outfit together on my own."

The boys, Sandor and Lothor, could not be persuaded to wear anything remotely boho or luxe, choosing to wear their everyday attire of jeans and t-shirts, insisting on comfort above all else.

"Besides, we're going to end up carrying your bags and stuff," Lothor had pointed out.

Lothor had been correct, and now he and Sandor bore backpacks with picnic blankets and jackets belonging to the girls within them. With a shared look over the heads of the giggling bunch of females, they dutifully followed the girls through the crowd as they went from stall to stall buying food and drinks for their lunch. They then found a spot on an expanse of grass that had become an impromptu picnic area for hungry festival goers. Once all the savory items had been consumed, Mya and Lothor braved the stalls again, returning with an armload of sugar and cinnamon coated, chocolate drizzled morsels for all of them to share.

They began to explore the festival grounds after lunch, wandering between the four main stages that had been spread out over the fields and watching the artists that Randa had tagged on the performance schedule she'd brought with her. Sansa recognized some of the bands as competitors from the Battle of The Bands, others were YouTube and social media famous with loyal followers who had travelled great distances just to watch them perform live. The more well-known acts were scheduled for timeslots later in the afternoon when the larger crowds were expected, while the really big name draw cards had been scheduled to perform after sunset when the crowd was expected to reach peak numbers.

"What time is the Brotherhood playing?" Sansa asked Randa.

"Um, let's see…" Randa flipped the program over and searched until she found the Brotherhood's name. "5PM, at the center stage near the VIP area."

"Wow, they're more popular than I thought," Mya commented, "the center stage is where the big stars are performing later tonight."

"We still have a couple of hours until then." Sansa checked the program again. "There's that rock band Sandor wanted to see, who were they again?"

"Sons of The Harpy," Sandor replied, "are they performing soon?"

"In fifteen minutes. Come on, let's go."

They spotted a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, including people from school and those Sansa recognized from the various social events she had attended with her family. She was having fun, and from the way Sandor was tapping his heel on the ground in time with the music it was safe to say that he too was enjoying himself. Given the number of people she knew and recognized attending the festival, it should not have come as a surprise to her when their group came face to face with Renly Baratheon, accompanied by Margaery Tyrell, all of her brothers, and her brother Garlan's girlfriend Leonette Fossoway.

"Sansa! Fancy meeting you here!" Renly greeted her with an exuberant hug, ignoring Sandor's watchful stare in the process.

"You too, Renly."

Sansa stepped out of his arms and went around the group to greet the rest of his companions, who were all exchanging greetings with the people in her group. Margaery was complimenting Randa on her outfit, while she herself looked like a fashion model, effortlessly chic in a forest green midi-length sheath dress with a crown of golden roses upon her head.

"Nice to see you again, Sansa."

Sansa greeted Willas Tyrell with a pleasant smile, as she had with Loras, Garlan and Leonette, hoping to keep her distance from him as much as possible given Sandor's presence and the dislike he had for the oldest Tyrell son. Willas it seemed, had no qualms approaching her in front of her boyfriend.

"Yeah…you too, Willas." Sansa hoped her voice was friendly enough, despite her less than friendly thoughts towards him at that moment.

"Which acts did you come to see?" Willas smiled at her, clearly ignoring Sandor right behind her.

He's got some guts to ignore Sandor like that, she thought, or he's really not as clever as everyone says he is.

"We came to see Commander Lazer, The Chainpuffers and Empire of the Moon mainly, but we're also going to watch the Brotherhood Without Banners later."

"Ah, my darling new nephew's band is remarkably popular," Renly commented upon hearing Sansa's answer, "we're going to the VIP area to watch them, too."

"Will you ladies and gentlemen be going to the VIP section too?" Margaery enquired.

"We were too late to order VIP tickets unfortunately," Randa shook her head.

Margaery grinned. "I know someone who can get you all in, if you're interested?"

Sansa was sure that if Willas had not been present she would have been more than thrilled at the invitation, but her priority at that moment was to keep him and Sandor apart. She looked up at Sandor, whose expression had considerably darkened at the appearance of the Tyrells.

"That's awesome, Margaery!" Randa exclaimed. "How about it guys?"

Jeyne, Mya and Lothor looked excited by the prospect of watching from the comfort of the VIP section, but Sansa waited for Sandor's answer. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes after sensing her stare. He looked far from excited, and she was about to decline the invitation when he suddenly spoke.

"Count us in," he grunted, "can't miss this chance, can we?"

"Great, I'll call my friend about those passes now." Margaery dialed a number on her phone, and after some minutes she ended her call with a wide smile, triumphant in securing additional VIP passes as promised.

Their group swelled to accommodate their guests, who stayed to with them to watch the other bands that came after the Sons of The Harpy. When the afternoon began to cool and shadows on the ground lengthened, they all headed towards the VIP area as one impressive and jaw-dropping group to those who looked on. Sansa Stark and Margaery Tyrell by themselves drew many admiring gazes, but together, they were formidable. However, Randa, Mya, Jeyne and Leonette held their own against the two stunning beauties. Combined with the dashing looks of Renly and the Tyrell brothers, as well as the intimidating presences of the heavily muscled Sandor and Lothor, no one questioned them when Margaery led them all to the front of the queue, bypassing everyone else in line.

They were whisked through the security checkpoint and ushered to a large covered area decked out in lounges and low-line tables, with organic food and beverage trucks set up at the far end, and a clear view of center stage. Sansa also saw signs for luxury portable bathrooms, and even ATMs. A number of lounges and tables were cleared for their group, and soon Sansa was seated comfortably in the corner of a lounge with Sandor beside her, a cold drink in her hand and the table in front of them laden with yet more food. It was an altogether different festival experience from what she and her friends had gone through earlier, but she wasn't about to complain, especially if it meant not having to suffer the horror of waiting in endless queues to use the bathroom.

If only Willas Tyrell wasn't sitting across from me, this would be the most perfect festival experience ever. Willas had not said or done anything to her to arouse suspicion or provoke Sandor's temper, and yet his mere presence was sending Sandor's blood pressure sky-high, and Sansa could feel this in the tension radiating from him where his arm brushed hers. Sansa was hyper-sensitive to Sandor's mood at that moment, and because he wasn't having fun, she found it impossible to relax. She hadn't yet told him about Willas being employed by her father, and she was on edge in case Willas said something before she could tell Sandor first. She was trying to find the right timing, but right then and there was definitely not the right time.

"Would you like another drink, Sandor?" she asked him when she saw his empty glass, aiming to break his silent brooding.

"Yeah, I could use another one." Sandor got up from his seat. "I'll go buy one."

"I'll come with you," Sansa said as she quickly finished her own drink. "I'd like another drink too, and see what else is available in the food trucks. Does anyone else want anything while we're buying?"

Her companions listed what they wanted before Sansa took hold of Sandor's hand as they walked towards the food trucks, glad that her distraction method worked. She felt some of his tension leave his body as they walked further away from Willas and company.

"I didn't know that Margaery and her brothers would be here today," she began, "I know you don't exactly like Willas, so if you want we can go and do our own thing after we bring all the food back?"

Sandor shook his head. "It's okay. Don't worry. Seeing Tyrell's face just pissed me off for a moment, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"As long as he doesn't make a pass at you right in front of me he won't get his face punched in," Sandor replied in a tone that suggested it was more of a threat than a joke.

Sansa was not entirely comforted by his words, but she knew Willas enough to know that he was too much of a gentleman to make any underhanded moves, which did placate her nerves a little. In the meantime she took advantage of being away from their companions by tugging on Sandor's arm, making him bend his head down so that she could place a kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" he grunted.

She shrugged. "I just wanted to do it."

"Everyone can see us," Sandor whispered, looking around them.

"Let them look," Sansa said with a shrug.

Sandor looked mildly uncomfortable, never being big on PDA's, but he sighed and bent down again. "One more, and just this once, okay?"

Sansa giggled, feeling a tickle in her heart at the sight of her tough, bad-boy boyfriend asking for affection in public, and promptly pressed her lips to his. Afterwards they took their time buying the drinks and food that her friends had requested, and when they returned to rejoin their companions both she and Sandor were in much better moods. Randa was laughing at something Margaery and Willas were debating, while Jeyne and Mya were being entertained by Renly and Loras. Sandor was involved in a rare conversation with Lothor, Garlan and Leonette, and for a few minutes Sansa believed she finally had the perfect festival experience that had eluded her earlier.

"Sansa," Margaery now called for her attention.

"Yes?"

"If I could, may I ask a favor from you?"

"Sure," Sansa said with a nod. "I'll be happy to help, if it's something I can do. I owe you for getting us these VIP passes, after all."

"Great." Margaery grinned. "It's nothing difficult, don't worry. You know that Willas will start working with your father next week, right? Anyway, he's told our parents that he'll have to visit Chateau Maegor quite frequently to work on a project for Stark Industries and mother is worried he's going to be doing lots of overtime. So, if it's not too much trouble, could you please make sure he eats dinner at least, and remind him to go home before it gets too late in the evening, okay?"

Sansa froze where she sat, and she noted that beside her, Sandor had stiffened too.

Oh, shoot! Sansa thought in a moment of panic, and it was while she was contemplating how to explain things to Sandor that she heard the tail end of Lothor's sentence, and she realized why Sandor had suddenly stilled.

"Congratulations again, Hound." Lothor patted Sandor's shoulder. "You deserve it."

"What did we miss?" Willas asked, his interest piqued.

"You don't have to repeat it, Brune." Sandor's brows had furrowed.

"Don't be shy about it, man," Lothor told him, oblivious to Sandor's true mood. "I heard Coach Selmy boasting about it to the other teachers when I was in the staff room the other day…the Hound has scored himself a full-ride scholarship to Valyria U."

"You did?" Renly joined in on the conversation, clearly impressed by the news. "Awesome work, Clegane!"

While the members of their present company took turns congratulating him, Sansa met Sandor's eyes, and judging by the turbulence she saw in their grey depths it was evident that he had heard Margaery mention her brother's role at Stark Industries as clearly as she'd heard his news about his acceptance to the The University of Valyria. It was also perfectly clear that each of them had been hiding something from the other.

---

Arya

The VIP passes that Gendry had got for them were not the ordinary VIP passes that were available for public purchase, as she and Hot Pie found out. The wristbands they were wearing were the ultra-rare VVIP passes, issued only to performing artists and their entourage, selected members of the press and, if you were well connected enough, friends of the performing artists. She and Hot Pie qualified as friends of the Brotherhood Without Banners, which was how they found themselves in the rear of a golf buggy being driven to another section of the tourney grounds beyond the access of the everyday festival attendee.

They were taken to a location where the noises of ongoing concerts and the general crowd could no longer be heard, and where a multitude of white trailers, buses, vans and trucks had gathered around a group of tents and demountable structures. The staff member who'd driven the buggy now led them into the air-conditioned tent, which housed a private bar, giant screens showing live broadcasts of the concerts currently occurring on each of the four stages, plush lounges and armchairs arranged in intimate clusters, as well as buffet tables offering everything from organic fresh fruit and gluten-free cupcakes, sushi platters and panko-herb crusted fried chicken.

"The Brotherhood Without Banners will be in dressing room three, in that building over there," the staff member now told them, "also, there are menus available from selected stalls in the main market, if you would like to place an order please inform a member of our bar staff who'll call it through for you. I hope you enjoy your Tourney Fields Festival experience today."

"We definitely will. Thank you." Hot Pie smiled at the staffer, who nodded and promptly departed.

"Did Gendry tell you he was getting VVIP passes?" Arya asked him.

"No, he didn't." Hot Pie looked around him, eyeing the buffet table hungrily. "But, I don't think he realized there were two types."

"Should we go say hi to them now?"

"Let's go," Hot Pie said and began to walk towards the building that the staffer had pointed to. "The sooner we say hi, the sooner I can hit that buffet table."

Arya estimated it took them twice as long as it should have to walk the few feet the dressing rooms, because no sooner had they taken a couple of steps when a group of scantily clad girls walked by, giggling as they headed towards the bar.

"Oh, my god! Those girls…they're Seventh Harmony!" Hot Pie gasped, eyes wide.

"Who?"

"They're a really popular pop-group who've been topping the charts recently…I can't believe I was standing just two feet away from them!"

From there, it really hit Hot Pie hard that they were in the VVIP section, while Arya watched on in amusement as her friend's eyes grew as round as saucers when he recognized yet more famous faces around them. Of course, she too experienced a curious fascination at seeing so many popular artists so close by, but she was far from being star-struck as Hot Pie was. When they finally reached dressing room three Hot Pie's jaw was nearly dragging on the floor.

"Arya! Hot Pie! Glad you could make it, guys!" Allyria greeted them when she opened the door. "Come on in."

Arya had no sooner stepped into the room when she was suddenly set upon by a lanky blonde, who swooped down to hug her.

"Hey, Weasel! Long time no see!" the blonde cried excitedly. "Hey guys, look who's here!"

"Lommy? Nice to see you too." Arya greeted him after she'd recovered from his enthusiastic greeting. "Hey everyone."

Aside from the members of the Brotherhood, she saw that there were four other guys in the room who she recognized to be Gendry's friends from Flea Bottom. Gendry had stood up from his chair while everyone else had been greeting the newcomers, and now he approached them too with a wide smile on his face.

"Hey, Hot Pie!" Gendry greeted his friend with a hearty thump on his shoulder before he turned to Arya. "Hi, Arya. You made it after all."

Arya was struck by how gorgeous he looked at that moment, dressed in ripped jeans and a fitted shirt that pulled tautly across his chest and shoulders in a way that made her suddenly grow overly conscious of him.

"Hi, Gendry." Arya returned his greeting with what she hoped was a normal smile on her face. "Thanks for getting these passes for us."

"No problem. I'm really happy you could make it today…" Gendry's eyes travelled down the length of her body briefly, before raising them to meet hers. "…Both of you. I'm really glad you're both here. And, you look great, Arya."

"Oh, um…thanks…you too." Surprised by the compliment, Arya now became conscious of her bare midriff and she discreetly tugged at the vest she wore in an attempt to cover some of her skin, which had grown unexpectedly warm under his gaze.

"We wouldn't have missed this, dude!" Hot Pie thumped Gendry on the shoulder too, returning his earlier affectionate gesture.

The dressing room was housed in one of the demountable buildings in the compound, and while the structure was basic, the couches were new and the dressing area was more than generous. There was also a screen mounted on the wall which was tuned into the live-broadcast of the four performance stages. In a corner of the room near the dressing table was a rack with the outfits and makeup that the guys would be using for their show. Allyria told her that all the local artists and smaller acts that did not have their own trailers or tour buses had been assigned similar rooms, while the big-name artists with their larger entourage and specialized equipment had come with their own trucks and custom mobile dressing rooms.

Everyone had greeted Arya warmly and no one questioned her presence, but seeing as it had been a while since Arya had visited them backstage at a show, their curious faces told her that Gendry had not spilled about her breakup with Jaqen.

"This is a huge deal for the Brotherhood," Beric had declared, "so you should all be thankful to be sharing in this momentous occasion with us."

His comment had been met with laughter and plenty of joking around from the other members of the band.

"One day, it's gonna be us that girls will get tongue-tied and star-struck over," Thoros said.

"You mean, like how you stuttered and embarrassed yourself in front of those Seventh Harmony girls?" Edric grinned at him teasingly.

"Says the monkey who literally tripped over while trying to get a photo with that pop princess…what was her name again? Red Priestess?" Thoros shot back.

"Hey! She's hot, she can sing, has a bangin' bod and she's junior in high school like me," Edric pointed out, "and who knows, maybe she'll find my clumsy yet boyish charms appealing?"

"Dream on. Someone that hot and talented can do way better than some green puppy like you." Thoros pat his head, as though petting an actual puppy.

Edric's indignant expression when he realized it sent them all laughing, which prompted Thoros into trying to placate him by offering to get him a drink.

"A drink, as an apology?" Edric raised his brow.

"Yeah, but it'll have to be milk or juice for you, 'cos you're still a puppy and all." Thoros smirked at him.

"Make it a strawberry milk then, you old fart." Edric punched his arm.

"Old fart? I only just turned twenty!"

"I think we should all go to the tent to chill out and mingle with the famous and the beautiful while we can," Beric suggested, interrupting the two. "It's getting too cozy in this dressing room for all of us anyhow."

Their entire group found themselves pulling a couple of lounges and armchairs together in a more private section of the tent, and it was while Hot Pie was off raiding the buffet table and a few of the guys were hitting the bar that Gendry quietly came to occupy the empty seat beside her.

"Can I get you anything, Arya? A drink, maybe?" he asked her.

Arya looked at him and shook her head. "No thanks, I'm fine. Hot Pie and I actually ate at the food stalls outside before we came here, but you'd never know that by the way he's hittin' that buffet."

Gendry laughed as they both observed their friend balancing a plate piled high with food. There was an awkward pause filled with the sound of their friends bantering near them, and Arya got the feeling that Gendry wanted to say something. She had a good idea about what it could be, so she saved him the effort.

"I know what you want to ask," she said calmly and quietly, "and the answer is, I'm fine. I'm putting the breakup behind me."

Gendry's expression cleared and a look of relief flashed across his face. "That's reassuring to hear. I was worried about you."

"You were?"

"Well, yeah." Gendry looked at her with an earnest look about his eyes. "It happened really suddenly, and what friend wouldn't be worried?"

Friend.

"You don't need to worry about me. But, thanks. You…you're a good friend." Arya almost choked on the last word.

"Look, Arya." Gendry leaned towards her and dropped his head, speaking softly so that she was forced to move closer to hear him over the noise. "I know you're not the type to talk about those kinds of things, but I am here for you if you do want to talk about anything, okay? You've done a lot for me, like when you came with me to Storm's End to meet Stannis, for example. I just want to be able to help you out too, if I can. After everything…despite everything that's happened, you never stopped being my friend."

Friend.

Hearing the word upon Gendry's lips hurt, as though someone had placed a large jagged rock where her lungs should be, but she forced herself to smile at him, because it looked like he was expecting it.

"Thanks, Gendry," she managed to say, "I appreciate that."

Gendry smiled back and Arya thought he might have been about to say something else, but Hot Pie returned at that moment, placing his plate on the coffee table in front of them with a solid thud.

"Arya, you've gotta try this chicken. I got enough if you want some too Gendry, it's delicious!"

"Thanks, but I just ate, Hot Pie. I'm not hungry." Arya shook her head.

"That's not the point." Hot Pie gave her an incredulous look. "It's an all you can eat, gourmet buffet. You don't have to be hungry. Just eat!"

"He's right, you know." Gendry helped himself to a mini-drumstick coated with a dark sticky sauce from Hot Pie's plate. "The chicken is awesome. You'll regret it if you don't try it, I'm tellin' you."

Arya shrugged, picked up a sticky drumstick between two fingers and promptly bit into it, receiving approving nods from her two friends as she did so. Lommy and Gendry's other friends returned from the bar carrying drinks shortly after, and as the conversations in the group grew more boisterous and the laughter more raucous, they unwittingly drew the attention of other guests and performers, including some of the girls from Seventh Harmony, much to Thoros and Hot Pie's shocked delight. Arya watched in amusement as Hot Pie stuttered a greeting when he was introduced to the girls, though she was less amused when Gendry appeared far too comfortable in their presence, and when two of the glamorous pop-stars looked far too interested in him.

After a time she was able to place herself at the periphery of the group, taking part in conversation if and when she was directly addressed. She behaved as though she was enjoying herself and having fun, but whatever excitement she might have had earlier in the day had mostly dissipated in the wake of her disappointment, having been reminded of Gendry's stance on their friendship.

This is how it feels, she thought. This is how I made him feel all of that time. It was, she realized, one of the most distinctly uncomfortable feelings she'd ever experienced, and she didn't know how to deal with it.

With the Brotherhood's performance still a few hours away, Gendry insisted that Arya and Hot Pie accompany Lommy and his friends to check out the other concerts currently underway on the other stages. They had their own golf buggy and driver to take them around, as part of VVIP perks, and the added bonus of being able to watch from the side of the stage.

"You better make the most of those VVIP passes," Gendry had told them, "I can't guarantee we'll be performing here again next year. Besides, I didn't expect you guys to wait around with us the whole time. Go and enjoy the festival!"

Arya had gone, mostly because Hot Pie and Lommy had all but dragged her to the buggy. In the end, she was glad that they had, because watching the other performers had provided the perfect distraction from her thoughts, and the last thing she wanted was for Gendry to pick up on her mood before their show.

They returned to the VVIP area shortly before the Brotherhood's show, and Arya walked into the dressing room to find all of the guys already dressed and made up, ready to go on-stage. Tom's girlfriend Jenny, a fashion-design student, had styled them all in coordinating black and metallic-grey ensembles she had put together from off-the-rack pieces, thrift store finds and handmade creations. All of the guys were also wearing stage makeup including eyeliner, which pulled their edgy look together.

They were then taken by buggy to the center stage, entering backstage where the band waited for their cue to go on. Spirits were high amongst the group, not just for those in the band, but also those who'd come to support them.

"We'll be watching from the side," Arya said to Gendry after they'd been called to the stage, "so get out there, and break a leg."

Gendry grinned at her. "Thanks, Arya. Seeya after the show."

It turned out that they weren't the only ones who came to watch the Brotherhood Without Banners from the side stage, and Arya had found herself biting her tongue to keep from verbally swearing when she saw four of the seven girls from Seventh Harmony already there. She almost drew blood when she saw one of them give Gendry a hug moments before he walked onto the stage. However, her annoyance was quickly forgotten when she heard the screaming that welcomed the Brotherhood onto the stage.

"Hello, Tourney Fields!" Beric shouted into his mic, drawing yet more screams from the crowd. "Are we all havin' a good time today?"

Arya peered out from where she stood, her eyes suddenly widening when she saw just how huge the crowd had gotten in front of center stage. This crowd was by far the biggest the Brotherhood would be performing for, surpassing even the thousands that had been at The Battle of The Bands, and all of a sudden she felt nervous too.

"For those of you who don't know us, we're the Brotherhood Without Banners..." Beric paused while an impressive number of people began to cheer, proving just how popular they were. "…I won't waste time by doing much talking, 'cos we haven't been given that much time on this stage, you see. Instead, we're just gonna play a few songs for you, and hopefully you'll all know us better by the time we're through…we hope you like our music!"

Beric stepped back into position and signaled Edric, who counted them in with taps of his sticks. Gendry strummed on his guitar, the sound of it filling the arena with a satisfying wail. Thoros thumped out a heavy bass line, and Tom's fingers flew across his keyboard as he began to play the recurring melody of the song. Beric opened his mouth, and soon the sound of his soulful vocals could be heard loud and clear over the screaming crowd. Arya grinned when she recognized the song, which happened to be the song that had got them into the final round at The Battle of The Bands. She needn't have felt nervous for them at all, because the guys had come out with guns blazing!

The transitions between songs were smooth, having been arranged by Beric to perfection, specifically to showcase each of their individual talents in turn. Arya always knew that each of the guys were remarkably talented musicians, and she felt a bout of pride to see those talents being acknowledged by the cheering crowd. The Brotherhood chose to finish their half-hour set with the duet between Gendry and Beric, the same song they had debuted at their Heart of Fire gig, and once again Arya was left in awe at the raw power of Gendry's voice. The crowd certainly appreciated it, and so did the pop-stars standing in the wings with them. Arya was sure that the Brotherhood would have at least four new fans before the end of their show.

With a final wave at the crowd, the Brotherhood left the stage amid the sound of roaring cheers. Arya did not get a chance to congratulate Gendry at all, because he was immediately surrounded on all sides by pop-stars, one of whom had placed a possessive hand on his tattooed arm. She'd balled her fists without even realizing it, but Lommy's timely interruption saved her from doing anything stupid.

"What are you spacing out for, Weasel? Come on, the buggy's waiting for us." Lommy tapped her shoulder, urging her to follow the rest of their group.

"Let's go, Arya." Hot Pie had turned around, noticing that she hadn't been following him. "This is our last chance to chill out. The big-name acts will be performing soon, so we gotta clear this area."

The band, along with the pop-stars, had gone ahead on a different buggy back to the dressing rooms. Arya figured that was just as well, given the way her blood pressure had risen at seeing some other girl touching Gendry. The mood in dressing room three was energetic, to say the least, with everyone pumped from the clear success of the Brotherhood's first appearance at the festival. The girls from Seventh Harmony departed not long after, much to Arya's great delight, to prepare for their own show later that evening.

"Dude, did she ask for your number?" Edric demanded of Gendry. "Please tell me you gave her your number?"

Arya did not want to stick around to hear Gendry's answer, so she excused herself and headed for the ladies bathroom, where she took her time washing her hands and finger-combing her hair to work out the knots that had developed during the day. She'd been having a hell of a day, with far too many ups and downs than she would have liked. She suspected that being around Gendry from now on, if she didn't do anything to change their situation, would be one continuous, emotional rollercoaster ride with no end that she could see.

She was returning to the dressing room, passing through the tent zone when Arya caught sight of two faces she had not expected to see, and by the time she could react it was already too late to change her course, for they had seen her too.

"Hello, Arya," Brea Brusco greeted her, her tone cool.

"Hello, Brea…Talea." Arya returned their greeting, before she quickly scanned the area behind them.

If Brea and Talea were around, then there was a high chance Brea's boyfriend…and the boyfriend's best friend were there too.

"Jaqen is here," Talea said when she noticed Arya's shifting gaze, "if that's what you want to know."

There was an edge in Talea's voice that Arya had not heard before, and she understood that they were more than aware of her and Jaqen's breakup. Brea and Talea had been more than friendly with her in the past, welcoming and accepting even, but the coolness in their eyes and the invisible wall they'd raised up around them let her know exactly how they felt about her now. Jaqen's childhood friends very clearly blamed her for the breakup, and Arya could not refute them.

"I'll stay out of his way," Arya said quietly.

Talea watched her for a moment before she took a step closer to her. "Don't you want to know how he's doing?"

Talea had spoken in a hushed tone so as to avoid being overheard, so Arya did the same.

"Of course, I do," Arya told her truthfully, "I never stopped caring for him."

Talea's eyes narrowed, but after a tense few heartbeats, she released an audible sigh. "You'll get to see for yourself soon enough."

"Let's go, Talea." Brea tugged on her sister's sleeve. "See you around, Arya."

The Brusco sisters walked away in the direction of another demountable structure where more dressing rooms were located. Arya had not failed to see that both sisters had been wearing VVIP wristbands, despite her surprise at encountering them.

Even if they're here, it doesn't mean they're performing. The Faceless Men had not been listed in the lineup or mentioned in any promo material for the Tourney, but Jaqen knew lots of people in the music industry so it wasn't hard to imagine he'd used his contacts to arrange VVIP passes for himself and his friends. Still, she felt her stomach tighten at the knowledge that Jaqen was somewhere nearby. She wasn't prepared to run into him so soon, not because she was afraid to see him, but because she was afraid of how he would react to seeing her.

All of the guys in the Brotherhood had changed back into their street clothes by the time she returned to the dressing room. Gendry, once again wearing his ripped jeans and a fresh shirt, appeared to have been waiting for her. Arya made herself smile.

"I was wondering where you'd gone," Gendry said.

"Just had to freshen up," Arya told him, "you guys were awesome up on that stage tonight. I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier."

"Thanks." Gendry's smile brightened at her compliment. "It's great having you back to cheer for us from backstage."

"I've missed hanging out with you guys," she admitted, "this has been fun."

"The night's not over yet. There's one more local band scheduled to play before the first big act of the night, so we'll be heading back to the stage in a minute to make sure we get a good viewing spot. I've heard that even the reserved VIP viewing area still gets quite packed."

Gendry had not heard wrong. The reserved viewing area was already full when their group got there, but their VVIP status ensured they still secured prime viewing positions towards the front-left of the stage.

"Who's performing next?" Lommy asked one of his friends, a guy called Teddy.

"Uh…the White Walkers are supposed to be next, but I heard people backstage saying something about a last-minute change."

"You didn't hear who the replacement would be?"

"Nah, they walked away before I could hear anything else."

Arya heard a ringing in her ears and she subconsciously braced herself for what was about the happen. She was one small girl in a crowd of thousands, and in all likelihood Jaqen would not even see her. She'd told Talea that she would stay out of Jaqen's way, but she had not bargained for this!

There was a crackling above the noise of the crowd as the announcer switched on a mic, and Arya looked up towards the still darkened, empty stage.

"Ladies and gents, there's been a last-minute change to tonight's lineup," the announcer informed them, "the White Walkers have had to cancel their performance due to three of their members all coming down with serious chills earlier today." The announcer paused while the news was met with disappointed murmurs in the crowd. "However, we have a very special group of guys here to entertain you in their place…Everybody, please welcome the Faceless Men!"

The lights flickered on blindingly, illuminating four spots on the stage floor and the Faceless Men, led by Jaqen, walked onto the stage to take their places behind their microphones and instruments amid the deafening screams and cheers of a surprised audience and Faceless Men fans. Jaqen raised his hand to adjust the mic to his preferred height, and Arya noticed the wine-red leather arm band, the one she had gifted to him at Christmas, still bound around his wrist. It pained her a little to see that he still wore it, because she'd expected him to have taken it off.

She sensed Gendry shifting beside her, while Hot Pie, Allyria, Beric and the rest of their group turned to glance at her. Other than Gendry and Hot Pie, no one else knew about their breakup. As if sensing their thoughts, she knew her friends were wondering why she was not backstage supporting Jaqen. Arya ignored them. She didn't know what else she could do.

"Good afternoon," Jaqen uttered into the mic in his accented, molten caramel voice, "is everyone having fun?" Jaqen laughed at the chorus of answers he received. "On behalf of the White Walkers we would like to say a very big thank you to all of their fans who came out to see them today. They sincerely regret having to cancel their show, but we were told that they are planning to hold a free concert at some point to make it up to all of you." This news was met with wild cheers. "We will certainly do our best for you tonight, and hope that you will not be disappointed."

Jaqen paused as the girls in the crowd began to scream anew, and while he continued to smile a girl very near to where Arya was standing chose that moment to bellow out in a very loud voice.

"I love you, Jaqen!"

He clearly heard it, because his smile broadened and he turned his head in the direction where the voice had originated…and promptly came eye to eye with Arya. The smile on his lips did not waiver, but Arya did not miss the slight widening of his eyes. She felt a little like a deer caught in headlights, frozen to the spot and unable to do anything to escape his sudden scrutiny. All the while, she was acutely aware that Gendry stood beside her, barely a foot away.

"Thank you. Your love is truly appreciated."

Jaqen had been addressing the unknown girl, but with his eyes still on Arya, she couldn't help but note how superficial his words seemed. With a painful pang, she wondered if her words had sounded just as without promise to him when she had told him she'd loved him, as though she'd said it simply to appease him. She realized, with another painful pang, that it was probably so. Her love meant little when she had still chosen to break up with him. Jaqen's eyes briefly flicked to Gendry at her side, and Arya was surprised to see that his gaze did not turn cold. They continued to stare at each other for several moments longer, and anyone watching them would say they were speaking volumes with their looks, but Arya sensed a finality in the way Jaqen was looking at her, and when he finally broke their gaze she became aware of one certainty; Jaqen was not going to dwell on the past.

"Before we begin," Jaqen now said to the audience, "I would like to say that tonight will be our last show in King's Landing for some time. We have been offered an opportunity to record our first album under a major label, and very shortly we will be moving to New York. To celebrate, we would like to play for you a new song we wrote especially for tonight…aptly, it is called 'Goodbye"

Jaqen turned to Jorge on the drums, who opened with a rapid staccato on the snares, before Jaqen strummed his guitar to life. When he opened his mouth to sing, his usually buttery vocals held a hint of steel beneath his caramel tones. He was singing about leaving behind the people and places that he had known for so long, everything that was familiar to him, and everything he called home. Jaqen's new voice, a voice Arya had never heard before, made the words he sang more poignant, affecting the listener on a level that hit close to the heart.

"I won't be taking much, an old suitcase and my favorite shirts…but I'll be carrying memories of you close to my chest, 'cos it's easier to find them there when the nights away from you get much too tough, and I need the comfort of your smile…so, I'll say goodbye…for now."

The music the Faceless Men now played showed an undeniable graduation of the sound they had been honing since they were boys in junior high, resulting in the much more refined sound they heard now. It was a glimpse, Arya thought, of the greatness that awaited Jaqen and his band. Jaqen was performing better than he ever had, too much of a professional to let anything disrupt his cool, not even the presence of his ex-girlfriend in the audience. Arya was relieved to see that, and she came to realize that there were so many faces of Jaqen she never got to see. Looking up at his poised figure up on stage, she knew without a doubt that Jaqen would be fine without her. Jaqen turned his gaze towards her once again, and she was convinced. He was far stronger than she had ever understood.

"Don't worry about me," Jaqen continued to sing as his eyes met hers. "I'll be just fine…I've got my friends by my side, and my guitar in my hand…the stars up above look so much closer than before, we're making our dreams come true…so, we'll say goodbye…for now."

The song ended with a lingering chord, after which there were several seconds of awed silence, before the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Jaqen finally broke his gaze so that he could respond to the crowd, turning away at last. Arya's throat felt dry as she drew in a deep breath that made her shoulders shake. I had to see this, she thought, I'm glad I was here to see this.

She felt a warm hand on her elbow at that moment, and she looked up to see Gendry peering down at her with a concerned expression.

"Are you okay, Arya?" he asked her, his fingers tightening slightly on her arm. "You're shivering."

Perhaps it was serendipitous that it was Gendry by her side at the precise moment she decided to stop feeling guilty about her breakup with Jaqen. Serendipity, or irony? Arya sighed as she contemplated the matter. Either way, she had decided to move forward, just as Gendry and Jaqen had chosen to do.

"I'm fine," Arya replied, "I will be fine."

I won't be left behind.