"The Honored Guest" Chapter 54 Reunions
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Previously:
Arya walked in the direction that Duck had roughly indicated, and as she approached the trees, she saw two people walking her way. Her heart leaped when she recognized Prince Aegon, but she felt a chill in the pit of her stomach when she realized that there was a woman holding his arm and smiling prettily at his face, and he was smiling back at her.
Totally confused by the scene confronting her, Arya thought, What in the seven hells is going on here?!
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As soon as Aegon recognized the girl approaching him, his eyes sparkled and a smile formed on his lips, but the welcoming expression disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and his face acquired a stony gaze. Without looking, he brushed Margaery's hand from his arm, but he made no move to embrace or kiss Arya. Instead he said stiffly, "Welcome back to Golden Company, Lady Arya, I am pleased that your journey has been successful."
Arya stared as she stood in front of him, but also did not attempt to make physical contact. "We have been apart for more than a year, Aegon, and yet you do not really seem happy to see me."
It was Margaery that responded, not Aegon, sneering, "Why should he be happy to see you, considering how you have shamed him and yourself with your wanton behavior, Lady Stark?" pronouncing the word 'Lady' with contempt.
Arya turned a cold eye to Lady Tyrell, putting her hand on the pommel of her sword, "Who in the seven hells are you to speak to me thusly?! If you had steel at your belt, I would demand an accounting for your insult!" She realized that the speaker was not a woman, but an older teenager, with a full figure and a face as pretty as Sansa's. She was still not sure of the girl's identity.
Margaery replied in a haughty voice, "I am Lady Margaery Tyrell of the Reach, and Prince Aegon now favors me as his consort, since it has been revealed that you have the morals of a camp follower!" She wrapped her hand around Aegon's arm again, and the prince looked uncomfortable with the ugly conversation erupting around him, but still did not speak.
Arya ignored the girl and looked Aegon in the eyes, and with almost a pleading voice, said, "Aegon, I need to speak to you, alone."
Margaery almost spat out her words, "The prince dares not to be alone with you, you hussy, it would only soil his reputation even more!"
Arya was furious and turned back to Margaery, shouting, "I have had about all I can stand from you, you stupid wench, without stabbing you on the spot! If you do not withdraw this moment, I will skewer you!" and she swiftly pulled Needle from her belt, held the sword upright, and glared menacingly at the girl.
Lady Tyrell was not stupid and took a few steps backwards. Turning to Aegon, she said, "I will wait over there, your grace, within sight but not earshot, while you converse with this tramp who would further damage your honor." Then she looked back at Arya and laughed, "You look more like a child than a woman! You must have become promiscuous at a tender age, but since you consort with those Dornish harlots, I should not be surprised."
Arya stared back and considered, If I poke Needle into her gut, I suppose it would be considered an overreaction! Stifling her anger, Arya repeated, "Leave now or I won't be responsible for the wounds I will inflict upon you!" Margaery smiled smugly and walked away.
Urgently, Arya rushed to Aegon's side and grabbed his arm, and implored, "Aegon, this is all a misunderstanding! I don't know what they have told you, but I have not dishonored myself or you! You must not believe this gossip!"
Aegon looked at her sadly, "I have heard some terrible things, Arya, and I do not know what to believe. Even in your own letters, you hinted that you were becoming a libertine."
Arya blushed and confessed, "Aegon dear, I admit that I have kissed a few boys, and mayhaps been a little more intimate than you would like, which is actually encouraged in Dorne, but I have not given up my maidenhead! I am intact and have no need to be ashamed!"
Aegon replied, "I wish I could believe you, Arya, but everyone is in my ear insisting that I denounce you and take up with Lady Tyrell."
Arya gave him a dark look, spitting, "By everyone, you mean that predatory bitch, Margaery. She couldn't be Joffrey's queen, so she wants to be yours at any cost!"
Margaery lied, she was listening, and she came over to defend herself. "My prince, you know that I only have your best interests in my heart. You know that I would be a better consort than this immodest child! Although she appears as though she has only recently flowered, I wager that she may already be carrying Ned Dayne's babe!"
Aegon looked pained at this remark and this was too much for Arya. Although Margaery was almost a head taller and thirty pounds heavier, Arya had intended to slap the girl, but upon hearing her last words, closed her hand into a fist and punched her hard right in the face, knocking her to the ground, while shouting, "You rotten bitch, get up and defend yourself!"
Alarmed, Aegon held her back, saying, "Arya, that is enough! You are making a spectacle of yourself!"
Margaery stood up, with her hand on her chin, and tears welled from her eyes, "You should not be surprised, your grace, she is obviously violent and unhinged. Can you imagine her in a position of power? Nae, she should probably be locked away for her own protection. I fear that she has broken my jaw!"
Aegon appeared unhappy with the whole unpleasant encounter, and responded, "Let me see. Nae, I do not think your jaw is broken. I don't think locking her away is necessary. Your remarks were very insulting, Lady Margaery; let me escort you to your family. Lady Arya, you obviously do not need any protection. I suggest you return to your pavilion and try to get your temper under control."
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Arya walked despondently back to her tent and poured her heart out to Lady Nym. They discussed matters for a long time, and much later that night, when she was sure that everyone was asleep, she crept out in a dark robe, and quietly slinked into Aegon's tent, tiptoeing past Ser Rolly, who was nodding on his feet.
She approached his bed and put her hand over his mouth to prevent him from crying out. Aegon awoke and sat up, looking at her with wide eyes and whispering loudly, "Arya! You should not be here!"
The wolf girl, not bold at all now, looked at him imploringly, and said, "Aegon, I had to talk to you alone. That scheming Tyrell wench would not let me say anything to defend myself. You must realize that she wants a crown for her own selfish reasons, and does not really appreciate you. Margaery is vain and only cares about jewelry, gowns, and fancy balls. Can you imagine her having compassion for the smallfolk, as we have discussed?"
Aegon looked at her gravely, "Aye, Lord Jon has also told me that I should be suspicious of her motives, and I have tried to be wary. But I have heard shocking stories about you, Arya, and don't know what I should do."
Remembering her mentor's words, Arya said, "The men who are trying to influence you are hypocrites, and disapprove of Dornish culture because it empowers women. They are afraid of the ideas I would bring. You must not listen to them!"
The prince looked uncomfortable, "I am disturbed about what I have heard about you and Lord Dayne."
Arya could not help but blush, "I will not pretend to be innocent. Ned Dayne is my friend and I like him a lot, but I only became intimate with him because he reminds me so much of you, and I missed you so much! And even if I kissed him often on our journey here, I did not lose my maidenhead, and did not dishonor you!" The stalwart warrior woman's lower lip was trembling, and she was trying not to cry, but one small tear trickled down her cheek.
Aegon felt guilty, as he remembered having the same feelings when he kissed Margaery for the first time. He pulled Arya into a gentle, chaste embrace, and murmured, "And I only showed Lady Margaery affection because I desperately missed you, too. Being apart from each other for so long has not been a good thing for either of us. I still love you, and if you still love me, I vow that we will never part company again."
Arya mumbled into his chest, squeezing him softly, and responded with more vulnerability than she ever would have previously admitted, "I do not want to be separated from you."
Prince Aegon's posture stiffened, "Now we have to find a way out of this mess."
They sat quietly in each other's arms for a while, until suddenly, Ser Rolly, having heard voices, rushed in and exclaimed urgently, "Lady Arya, You must go! Dawn is approaching and some in the camp are beginning to stir!" As she slipped out quietly, he added, "I, for one, have never doubted you, wolf girl."
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Lord Jon surprised the women by coming to Lady Nym's pavilion that morning. After giving a smile and a curt nod to the Sand Snake, he informed Arya that she would likely be confronted in the dining tent at the midday meal. Connington explained the leaders in the camp were of two minds, and since Arya's return, loud arguments had broken out between the two factions. It seemed that some of the officers of Golden Company, led mainly by Black Balaq, who had never approved of Arya, and several of the more traditional lords and knights of the Crownlands, had always bristled at the influence the Dornish warrior women had brought to the army, and had been happy when they left.
Black Balaq was a confirmed misogynist, and he and his cronies hated empowered females, believing that women were simply vessels to bear their babes, and should always be simpering and subservient. The fact that the Dornish army had a woman general made them crazy. Prince Aegon had made it clear that he considered Arya his betrothed, and they feared that her return would mean more independent Dornish influence, now exemplified in the form of a true lady of a Westerosi Great House. Her enemies decided to use the rumors of her forward behavior to discredit her and replace her with Margaery, knowing that Lady Tyrell and her scheming grandmother had similar goals as theirs.
But there were also members of the Targaryen army that accepted their Dornish allies without reservation and supported Arya, naming her the 'wolf princess'. Lord Jon said that she could count on these men to argue in her favor. Although not as loud or angry as Balaq's faction, this group had the advantage in numbers.
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Arya entered the dining pavilion, flanked by a stern-faced Lady Nym on one side, and a solemn Lady Ashara on the other. Ashara had implored Nym and Arya not to carry any obvious weapons into the tent, so as not to incite any violence. The warrior women agreed not to wear swords, but had knives hidden on their bodies. Ser Barristan Selmy, the most respected knight in the land, and Lady Ashara's husband, accompanied them.
The women took their seats at the high table, on the opposite end from the Tyrells. Lady Margaery had an aggrieved expression on her face and a poultice on one side of her mouth. She was working her audience for sympathy, shooting hateful glances at Arya, who ignored her.
Black Balaq stood up and snarled, "Dornish hussies are not welcome here! The she-wolf has dishonored Prince Aegon and is not fit to be his consort. She should be ashamed to show her face in public!" Then he turned to his prince and announced, "Your grace, I respectfully request that you sever your attachment to this wanton wench and choose Lady Margaery Tyrell as your bride. She is of trustworthy noble blood and a better match for you!" Shouts of agreement with Balaq's words were heard among those assembled.
Arya stared coldly and defiantly at Balaq and retorted, "You hypocrite, considering the reputation you have for abusing camp followers, you have some nerve claiming that I lack morals!" She turned her gaze around the tent, "I have done nothing outside the realm of normal behavior of any man in this room, and I will not be treated differently simply because I am female!" Murmurs of approval followed Arya's comments.
Black Balaq was still on the offensive, sneering, "It makes no difference if you compare yourself to a man, wolf girl or Sand Snake, whatever you are now, you must realize that you cannot wed the prince unless you are a maiden, which I doubt."
"I have conformed to your outdated idiosyncrasies, but since you insist on pursuing this, I contend that I am intact, and suitable to wed according to Westerosi mores," Arya answered, beginning to get angry.
An evil smile appeared on Balaq's face, "Would you be willing to prove that you are a maiden?"
"Aye, if that will put an end to this ridiculous argument. Half-maester Haldon will inspect me, in the presence of my companions, and will report the results to you."
"Oh, no," Balaq's comrade, the sellsword Ser Tristan Rivers, interjected, "We don't trust Haldon. He is your friend, and I wouldn't put it past him to lie for you."
Now Arya could no longer contain her anger. "I suppose you would propose to look into my cunt yourself, Balaq! But how can we trust that you will tell the truth, since you hate me so much! I insist that I am intact!" Gasps were heard due to Arya's foul language, but she was past caring about offending with words.
Muttering and arguments continued around the pavilion, as Arya's supporters felt that Balaq and his minions had an agenda, and only sought to embarrass Arya for their own selfish purposes.
Finally Lady Ashara stood up, and with blazing eyes, loudly stated, "Lady Arya is the daughter of Lord Ned Stark of Winterfell! To doubt her word is to insult one of the noblest Houses in Westeros!" She put her arm around the small girl and looked at her fondly, saying, "My wolf girl has been a challenge to raise, but she is as honest as the day is long, and if she says that she has not dishonored her prince, I believe her and so should you!" Ser Selmy, standing behind his wife, bore a stern expression, and his hand was gripping the pommel of his greatsword, as though to defend her from anyone who would affront her.
Now Lady Nym stood up and said, "I am the girl's chief mentor, and I know that some of you disapprove of a Dornish education, especially if it is directed at a female, but I will tell you that honesty and moral behavior is just as important in my county as it is in yours, if not more so. I also assert that Lady Arya's words should be trusted."
The heated argument went on and on. Finally Golden Company's paymaster, Gorys Edoryen, who supported Arya, asked, "Griff, you are our leader, what say you?"
Lord Jon stood up slowly, and as all eyes were on him, said thoughtfully, "I have known Lady Arya for several years, long enough to see her grow from an impulsive child to a bold young woman, one who is well aware of her responsibilities. During the duration of our friendship, I have never known her to lie to me or for her to cause me to doubt her reliability. Lady Arya can handle 'hard truths' and face hardship rather that ignore unpleasantness. If the 'wolf princess' insists that she has not surrendered her maidenhead and still desires to be Prince Aegon's consort, I take her word as the truth without any reservations, and say, 'let us move on!' The divisiveness that I have witnessed here this day would only please our enemies, for it weakens us as a united force!" As Jon mentioned divisiveness, some eyes flickered to Olenna Tyrell, who was beginning to appear uncomfortable.
Ser Rolly stood up, and shouted, "I too, have always trusted the wolf girl, and say, enough of this nonsense!" There was much agreement at his words.
Prince Aegon then stood up and the assemblage became quiet, "At first I doubted Lady Arya, but I admit now that I was wrong to do so. I profess that I love her and still desire her to be my consort. My lords and captains, all of us here today represent an alliance of good people intent on removing the evil Lannisters from power, and I am pleased that my she-wolf has returned, for she makes me whole again." Aegon approached Arya and embraced her, murmuring, "I am sorry I caused you pain. I want no other woman and will never allow anyone or anything to come between us again."
Arya smiled brightly and leaned up to kiss his cheek, as shouts went up among her supporters, "Hail the Dragon Prince and the Wolf Princess! Death to the Lannisters!" The Tyrells slunk quietly out of the tent, mostly unobserved, however Lord Jon motioned for guards to escort them to their pavilion and prevent them from causing any more trouble.
Lord Jon put up his hands for silence and stared pointedly at Black Balaq, Ser Tristan Rivers, and their disgruntled companions, "So we are agreed that we are one army, that we welcome the Dornish warrior women as our allies, and that we will focus on the real problem, expelling the Lannisters from the Red Keep?" Balaq nodded sullenly and the others followed suit, realizing that they represented a minority opinion, and should not press their issue. "Good!" Jon continued, "Let us finish our meal and get back to work."
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After the confrontation in the mess tent, Lord Jon took the opportunity to reconnect with Lady Nymeria, walking her back to her pavilion. She gave him an impish grin and said, "I believe that we have some unfinished business." Jon recalled the passionate kiss they had shared before the Dornish party climbed aboard their ship so long ago. Not wanting to appear as eager as a green boy greedy for a kiss, he softly brushed his hand against her head instead, saying, "I see that you have let your hair grow out."
Nym's tresses were past her shoulder now, and were not braided, but bound with gold and copper wire, which contrasted nicely with her glossy black locks. She had listened carefully as Arya had described for her on shipboard how Nestor had delighted to open her braids and brush out her hair, and she decided on the spot to let her hair grow out again for romantic purposes. The Sand Snake's instincts were right, as Lord Jon stroked the single plait, and murmured, "I like it this way."
Nym was looking at him as though she was expecting a kiss as he observed what a beautiful young woman she was, and he felt grateful that she actually desired him. Jon leaned in and kissed her lips chastely, without the hunger he had revealed on the dock, but quickly broke off the kiss and said, "Nymeria, I have been alone for a long, long time, and find you very tempting, but I will not join your long list of lovers and wait impatiently for your attention. I will not share you with other men."
The Sand Snake looked closely at him and leaned against his chest, stroking it gently, and replied softly with lowered eyelashes, "Lord Jon, although you have more than twice my years, I find that I am very attracted to you. From almost the moment I met you, I have wanted to put a smile on your serious face, and I want to see lust, also. If you take me into your bed, I will forgo taking any other men as lovers while we remain together, and we will see where the relationship leads us."
Lord Jon nuzzled her throat, "I would like that." This time when he kissed her, they tangled tongues for a while, caressing and learning about each other's body. He heard Nym sigh and relax in his arms, but before he allowed himself to become aroused, he broke off the kiss and said, "My lady, I must reluctantly suggest that we avoid any intimacy until we have achieved our purpose, as the distraction of lovemaking will interfere with our soldierly obligations."
Lady Nym pouted, "And I was just about to throw off my robes! But I suppose you are right. We have much work to do." Then her eyes gleamed and her countenance took on that wicked grin again, "I hope that this delay inflames your desire as it will mine, and increase the pleasure we will eventually share."
The older man's face briefly expressed lust, and he replied, "I will not need much inducement, Nymeria, as I have dreamt of bedding you since you invited my attention at Lady Ashara and Ser Barristan's wedding. I am just being practical."
"Well, hold on tight to your dreams, my lord, mayhaps we can make them real soon enough."
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Aegon and Arya left the dining pavilion hand in hand, excited to be reunited again, and relieved to learn that they had not lost any of the affection they felt for each other. Nymeria joined them and she rubbed against Aegon's leg and whined, and the prince scratched her behind her ear and cooed that he had missed her. The direwolf was very fond of him, but had been confused by the emotions she sensed at the first meeting and the argument that included Margaery. Nymeria had returned to the pavilion with Arya and stayed there sulking all morning. Now she was delighted to see her two favorite humans together again. Arya turned to Aegon and said, "I have a surprise for you. Meet me in the training yard in ten minutes," and she hurried to her tent.
Arya entered the training yard in her warrior woman garb. "How do you like my new clothes?" she asks, twirling around for him with a pleased expression on her pretty face.
Aegon was familiar with seeing her in silk robes or a tunic and breeches, but this new outfit was completely different. He realized how much she had matured since last he saw her. Arya wore a bustier containing her small bosom, a small armored skirt, and her breeches had been trimmed to expose her lovely thighs and cute round bottom. Aegon remembered how fixated Bokko had been on Arya's arse, and it looked even more enticing now. "I suppose you sparred all the time in Dorne dressed like that?" he asked with disapproval in his voice.
"Aye, all the time," she replied with a grin.
"And no one complained about the distraction?" Aegon countered, obviously fuming.
Arya smiled, "Nae, no one complained. They seemed to enjoy it."
"I wager that they did."
"If my garb offends you, your grace, should I remove it?" Arya intoned suggestively as she started to open the laces of the bustier, even though they were standing in a public area.
In a panic, Aegon stayed her hands, "Nae, nae, do not remove your armor here!" he told her with panic in his voice.
"All right, I'll wait until we are alone," she purred mischievously while fixing her bustier which had been unlaced just enough to reveal her small but enticing cleavage, and Aegon realized that he had become aroused. "Come," Arya added while taking his hand, "let us go to my pavilion."
By the gods! He thought, Arya's time with Lady Nym has been profitable, but I am not sure if I approve of all that she has learned! And it certainly has not kept her out of trouble!
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End note: If you think that Arya got off too easily, know that before the actual wedding she will have to be 'inspected' by the High Septon himself to prove her purity. It will be an interesting scene.
