Gendry cupped the cup of wine in both hands as thoughts flew through his mind too quickly. He tried to grasp one of them but it was becoming too muddled. Maybe he shouldn't have drunk so much wine that evening. But he had a feeling he would feel as conflicted if he hadn't have touched a drop.

"I realise this will come as a shock to you and that you will need time to reflect on what this means for you. I will answer any questions I can." The Hand of the newly crowned King slipped out of his chair and reached up to lay a reassuring hand on his nephews shoulder, before changing his mind and shuffling instead to pour more wine into his own cup.

"Since the day I first saw you, swinging that hammer I knew you were one of Robert's bastards. But that night, it was Jamie's reaction to you that set a niggling worm to work in my mind.

Were you just another of Robert's bastards, littering the lands, having escaped my sister's hunt. Jamie himself soon after your claim to the Baratheon lands were legitimised and I knew then that it was not his cups that had made him go white in the face. That something had set his nerve on edge. I suppose he could always tell when Cersei has been involved. Father always called him the stupidest Lannister. It wasn't his fault." He added kindly, the fondness for his brother evident even to Gendry, "He just thought differently that's all. He could fight better than anyone and I was the clever one." He pauses and remembered the last time he had seen the only person he had trusted in his life. Sadness and regret engulfed him.

"I followed him out and as he pissed up the side of the wall and I knew he knew I would follow. I have mostly been able to predict my siblings actions. Encouraged some of them at times, but that's for a different night. He told me then that he had had Varys secure an apprenticeship for you, paid for you to be looked after at all costs. I suspect that my spider friend had it all worked and even paid Yoren to take you to the wall when he heard what was about to befall you. Yoren wasn't funny fellow, we travelled together for a time, back from the wall. He knew dirtier jokes than me and that's saying something! I was saddened to hear of his passing."

He stopped and turned to face Gendry who was staring into the flames.

"I am not one to believe in prophecy, Rhillor and all that went with him. I know that you don't want it. But you have the blood of two dying families inside of you. When the time is right, you will be named my heir. My father wanted the Lannister's to be tied to the Baratheon's and you are the only tie there is left. You have the blood of a king and queen, both great and greedy in their own ways. I will be the first to denounce my sister but one thing was for sure, she loved her children.

Your father was a lover of women and a brute when in his cups but he was strong and loyal and open to counsel when he was uncertain."

"Why." He demanded a response with his tone, making certain that it was not a question that Tyrion could refuse to answer.

"Because you have my blood running in your veins. You will be my heir. Sorry about that!"

"No. Why now. Why tell me tonight?"

"Is tonight not as good a night as any?"

"If I've learnt anything, it's that highborns only decide to do something when it suits them, we have sat in counsel meetings for weeks. So why tonight?"

Tyrion studied the bulking figure of the Lord or Storm's End before choosing his words carefully.

"I sought counsel before deciding whether or not to change your life even further. A wise friend believed you needed to know. They thought you deserved to know, that you still have family who would seek to have a relationship with you. Not out of duty or honour or from feeling indebted to you."

When Gendry continued to stare into the fire, Tyrion ventured further "The Queen of the North wishes to thank you for looking after the most important person in her life. Though she cannot understand what joins you together, she nevertheless wants to honour the promise she made to her sister to, and I quote, protect her pack."

Gendry placed his wine back on the table and rubbed at his eyes.

" I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to become an armourer. Marry if I could. Then I had to leave everything I knew and look after a small girl who was pretending to be a boy. Everything I chose to then do was to protect her."

"It must be hard to pretend she is nothing to you but someone from your past."

"That is all I am. I only see the Princess at council meetings and in the Great Hall." He replied stubbornly

"And the red haired girl who is only ever seen in the castle when she goes in and out of your room?"

"I am my fathers son, a kitchen maid glad of a warm bed and food on her belly."

"No. She needs to be a young widow, a kitchen maid can sleep by the fire and eat from the kitchens. Always make a lie believeable."

"She's helping me to read, never been taught." Gendry added hopefully, Tyrion just smiled.

"Who taught her? What's her name? What's her husbands name?"

"-her mother."

"That sounds like you are questioning me, that you aren't sure. Her name please."

"Weasel, no, Nan."

"Which is it? Weasel? Or Nan?"

"Nan. Her brothers used to call her Weasel."

"What happened to her brothers?"

"Killed, by the Mountain's men."

"Better. All of them?"

When Gendry frowned on confusion, Tyrion leant back in his chair.

"Were all her brothers killed by the mountains men? You said brothers. You need to think of this. If 'Nan' is visiting you, you should be heard boasting of it, smirking at the least. Make her someone that lives out of the castle. So she can't be easily found. Turn up late to meetings and apologise about having little sleep and grin at the other Lords. They will like you for it. Right now you have come out of nowhere to claim one of the greatest titles in Westeros. A bastard who has risen from the shittest of streets. You need to find common ground."

"You think me boasting about my cock will make them like me?"

"Well I'm not asking you to get it out in front of them and start waving it around. Maybe ask Nan if she has a sister, be seen with a couple of different girls. Better still, be found with them. Podrick can help you find some."

"I don't want to - that's not-no. That's not me. I don't want to do that." Gendry stumbled over his words, much to Tyrion's amusement

"Ah. I feared as much. You are in love with her. This is not merely a union of familiarity."

Gendry's eyes darkened and he kicked the table in front of him

"You would like it to be more?" Tyrion tried to tease more information from him

"She will not?" He continued. Always at ease when reading someone's face and they way they moved as well as with the words they said.

"What drives you apart?"

"You don't really know her do you?" And for the first time since he stepped foot into the room of the Hand of the King, Gendry grinned.

"No." Tyrion sighed loudly "She is a book I cannot translate although I see the effect she has on those around her. From what I've witnessed and heard, it is probably us that need protecting from her."

Gendry smirked again. "Then you've got the measure of her sure enough."

They both watched as a log cracked in half and sparks flew around the fireplace.

"So you accept what I tell you is truth?" Tyrion ventures

"Can't see why you'd lie. And I'm at that point where I realise I have even less say in what happens to me then when I was just a bastard of an unknown drunk from the Tavern."

"I promise, what I say is true. I had people ask around about the apprentice of Master Mott, how old he would be, how he made a bulls head helmet. Was stubborn. Hair as black as coal but eyes as blue as Dornish water. How he had started as a little lad hurrying around with splashing buckets, eager to stay and watch, never asking questions but producing some fairly good work until he disappeared on the day before the Stark traitor had his head cut off. "

"I need to go. She'll be..." he shook his head as he remembered the charade he was part of

He stood and stretched to his full height.

"I don't want to tell her yet. I still don't know how this has happened. Can I ask that you tell no one?"

"Of course, I owe you that at least bit you should know that it is not just Sansa who is aware of your true heritage, but the King and Arya too."

"Arya already knows?"

"Yes. We discussed it the night you were were made Lord of Storms End by Daenerys. I believe she wanted to wait for the right moment to tell you but as you are due to depart tomorrow, I decided it was my duty to tell you before I died and you were suddenly given Casterly Rock."

Gendry pushes back his chair and pay Tyrion, pulling the door to leave so quickly, Tyrion was afraid it would separate from the wall.

Tyrion shook his head and clambered onto his chair once more "Pod!" He called through the empty door

"Yes Lord Hand."

"Warn the Queen of the North that our plan has not landed as long as we had hoped. She will know what I refer to."

"Yes Lord Hand. At once Lord Hand."

As Tyrion pushed the door closed he sank against it. He had to hope they had given Arya enough time to do what had to be done.