In which the past has finally caught up with our little wolf and everyone around her.
*Year 304 After Conquest (AC) - New Future*
It was before the crack of dawn that Arya decides to leave the warm bed and the circle comfort of the dragon queen who is still peacefully sleeping. She left a note thanking the older girl for last night and as she walks through the empty hallway, she soon regretted it. Leaving a note after what happened seems discreditable because Daenerys did more than Arya could ever thank her for. But, alas she didn't think she could face the dragon queen so soon after her little breakdown. She needed to gather herself before she could face anyone really.
Though, as strange as it may sound, she actually feels better than the last time she remembered and that alone was saying something. It was a good thing that her subconscious seeks Daenerys in the middle of the chaos of her mind. Though the guilt is still creeping underneath her skin, crawling to her heart, she pushes it away subsequently because she promised Daenerys that she will try to forgive herself. And Arya Stark is a woman of her words.
Her shoulders sag tiredly as she neared her room, imagining her soft bed that she wishes to rest on for a few minutes before she faced the day. She pushed the door before stepping inside her room unaware of another presence already inside.
"Well, I'm glad you used the door this time." A disembodied voice sounded. Arya looks up to find Jon in the middle of the room, his dark grey orbs scrutinizing her.
His comment made her remembered the last time he caught her sneaking out after the assassin's attack six years ago and she almost pulled a smile at the memory. "Do you often enter ladies room uninvited, Jon?" she retorts half-heartedly, closing the door behind her.
Jon noticed her lack of enthusiasm as he slowly strides closer. "What's wrong with your face, Arya?" he asked in surprised and concern.
She rolled her eyes at that, annoyed. "Seven Hells, Jon… You really do know how to win a girl's heart, don't you?"
He grimaced guiltily before trying again. "I'm sorry… What I meant was your face looks awful."
"That is so much better, brother." She quipped as she lands herself on the edge of the bed.
Jon lets out a defeated sigh before joining at her side. He forced her to look at him as he silently asks for forgiveness and she can't help but do just that. "Were you crying?" he asked carefully after a while.
Arya looks ahead, away from his concern gaze. She must have been a sight after last night. She can't remember when the last time she ever cried her hearts out was and the aftermath must have shown now. She can even feel her swollen and puffy eyes as she wipes her face with her hands in false effort. She didn't say anything and her silence only confirming his question.
"You know you can confide to me about anything, little sister… I'm here." He offered.
She tilts her head at him with a small smile. "Thank you, Jon. But I'm alright now."
He doesn't seem to believe her so she fixed her gaze onto him more sternly. "I'm fine, truly… It's passed now," she assured, convincing herself in the process.
Deciding not to push her further, Jon reached for something at his side instead. "Well then, perhaps this could lighten your mood further?" he grinned as he presented a long and thin bundle of cloth to her arms.
Arya looks down blinking at the familiar weight and wrapping. Without waiting for his approval, she untied the bundle hurriedly and stops short when a thin, sharp blade comes into view. A wider smile was on her face now as she holds the hilt and points the skinny sword upwards. Needle feels and looks the same as she last remembered. Still light and pointed and still elegant. "I thought I'd lost it. Where did you find it?" She asked excitedly.
"I found it…" he trails looking unsure. But at Arya's questioning gaze, he finally continues. "At the crossroad Inn, where the attack happened."
"Oh."
Silence engulfs them as Arya was taken back to that horrid day. She recalled losing Needle right after father had a sword slashed through his throat and then a blade through Sansa's heart soon after. Her grip around the hilt tightens as she wills the images and guilt to go away. Daenerys made it sound so easy last night, but even as Arya tries her damn best right now, she couldn't scrape them away completely.
"I'm heading to The Wall." Jon suddenly said.
That makes Arya snaps from her train of thoughts almost instantly. "What?"
"There are some trouble concerning the Wildlings and Robb needs me there to sort things out. I'm leaving in a while actually… That's why I wanted to give you Needle before I go. I'm sorry I can't attend your welcoming feast." He explained with a sad smile.
Arya frowns, trying to absorb the new information. She was bothered by the fact that Robb was the one that sends Jon away and that she has not a clue about her own welcoming feast. Was she truly out of her wit yesterday? She decides to address the more important matter. "Why does it have to be you? Robb could ask for someone else, couldn't he? If it is my welcoming feast, then he must know that I want you to be there… Is he trying to be rid of you?" she asked accusingly. The warning bell chimes loudly inside her head as she recalled visiting Jon's grave at The Wall another lifetime ago.
"Don't be silly… Robb isn't the one at fault here. The Nights Watch needed my assistance and it is my duty as the Master of Law to oversee it. It's only a coincidence that it occurs on the same day as the feast."
Arya placed Needle at her side before standing up, looking away from her brother. She didn't like that Jon has to go to that same place where he loses his life once. But, she can't seem to hold him from his duty either.
"Come now, little sister… I'll only be away for less than a fortnight. We'll see each other soon enough. Besides this isn't my first visit there so you needn't worry at all." He stands behind her and when she doesn't respond, he retorts to ruffle her hair messily.
At that, Arya reluctantly turns around then as she remembered that they may not see each other for a lot longer than a fortnight since she will be going away with the dragon queen later in the evening. She looks to him, contemplating whether she should tell him about her leaving too but moves to wrap her arms around him instead. "I'm going to miss you terribly, Jon." she sighed, resting at the crook of his neck. She decides to store the news of her leaving Winterfell in fear that it will only lead to him worrying leagues away at The Wall and she can't afford that. The others can tell him of her departure once he got back from his duty and away from the Wildlings danger. Perhaps she can leave him a letter too. She tightens her hold around him then.
"Robb will find you plenty of things to do here to keep you occupied and I'm going to be the last thing on your mind." He pulled away, looking at her with a grin.
Arya can't match the smile since she will be leagues away from here by then. But, Jon mistook her unresponsive by something else as he spoke. "I know Robb is a bit harsh concerning Queen Daenerys, but he has the people to think of and he always does what's best for us… And furthermore, he's our brother." He gripped her shoulder in assurance.
Arya doesn't have anything to comment on that so she only managed a nod, though it seems to satisfy Jon nevertheless. She offered to walk him to the courtyard where his horse is already waiting and they walked in silence until the familiar cold wind greets them.
There are a small group of men in five ready by their horses, chatting with each other to pass the time. Jon stops not far from them, turning around to face his sister with a sad smile. Arya pulls him into another hug then. "Be safe, Jon."
"I will." he rubs circle at her small back in a soothing manner before breaking his hold. He was about to walk away but stopped when another presence neared them.
Robb strides towards them before he pulls Jon into a hug too. "I'll see you soon, brother."
Jon only nods and with one last glance to Arya, he joins the waiting men. Before she can comprehend the thought of him leaving for Castle Black, his horse is already leaving the main gate and soon enough, leaving her and Robb alone at the courtyard.
"Are you unwell, sister?"
Arya looks to her right to find Robb's concern gaze, studying her. "No, I'm fine… I had trouble sleeping last night is all." she dismissed.
"Your welcoming feast only starts by midday, so I suppose you can have a bit of shut-eye before then." He offered.
"Before I do that, I need to talk to you." She turns to him, facing him which he mirrored. Now that Robb was here, she decides to tell him what she didn't tell Jon earlier. A moment passed as she gathered her thoughts on how to breach the subject of her departure and she reckons telling him straight to the point is the best choice. "I'm leaving with Queen Daenerys." She finally said.
The blue eyes in front of her are searching the weight of her words and when he finds that she wasn't messing around, his gaze hardens. "You choose the Targaryen Queen over your own family?" His tone laced with disappointment.
She sighed softly, sensing this conversation will only magnifies their disagreement further. "I'm not choosing anyone, Robb. Don't make it sound like I'm choosing sides."
"How can I not when that is exactly what you're doing… You just come back home to us, and now you're going away again? Do you know how long Mother has been waiting and hoping for you and Bran to somehow miraculously comes home? And now that you did, you want to leave again... With her of all people, fighting a war that you have no part in." he argued.
"But, I do have a part in this," she said, calmly and when Robb looks on with questioning gaze, she continues. "When Robert decided to hire a cult of assassins to kill Daenerys and then murdered my friend, Missandei, that makes me a part of this a whole lot more than I have ever asked for… Those people aren't going to stop until they succeeded by any means necessary and I vow that I will keep the queen safe and I can't do that if I stayed here."
Robb still had his gaze on her, but he was frowning now. "Were you there when it happened? When the assassination took place?"
"Yes, I was there. I stopped them before they can do any harm to the queen." She explained hoping that it would make Robb see how skilful she was and thus being able to take care of herself.
But, Robb's face shifted to something she can't describe. Was it anger or irritation she couldn't tell because it disappeared as fast as it came. He looks away with a sigh then, suddenly defeated. "It seems to me, you're not asking for my permission."
Arya said nothing to that, confirming his statement. He doesn't even try to cover his displeasure and she suddenly had the urge to explain herself further, seeking for his understanding. "I want to do this, Robb… I've never wanted anything more than to be by her side and for once in my life I wished to do the things that could bring me my own happiness."
He chuckled mirthlessly. "You know, sister…not everyone has the luxury to do what they truly want especially one of your statuses. You're not just any lady in Westeros. You're the Princess of the North and whatever you choose to do will have its consequences on all of us. Your wishes are irrelevant because your duty to your family and the people should come first and foremost."
Her jaw clenched tight as she tried to calm her nerves. "And what would be the duty of the princess here? Have your wife or Mother taught me how to be a proper lady again? And then find me a suitor, and marry me off to some lord?"
"Does that sound that horrible to you?" he asked not even trying to disagree with her propositions.
"You know that's not who I am."
"You're not a child anymore, Arya. Someday you're going to have to marry and have children of your own."
"Perhaps someday I will… But, whenever that happened, it'll be on my own terms."
The tension was palpable as seconds went by and when she thought that Robb has come up with another argument, he looks away instead, and she noticed how hard he clenched his fists.
"Clearly, nothing I say will change your mind." He starts, locking eyes with her again. "So, you do what you have to do, sister and I'll do the same." He finished, devoid of emotion.
There was a strange feeling that passed as he said those words but she shakes it off as his anger at her defiance. Without as much as another glance, he turns around and walks away.
*
Despite how tired she felt and how much she wanted to be in bed, Arya founds herself wandering around Winterfell instead, trying to memorize every crook and cranny of the place one last time before she left. Eventually, she comes to a stop at the crypt's gates but stays rooted outside for a long while, not able to bring herself to visit her Father's and Sansa's tombs. Deciding that she can't go down there without somehow breaking down again, she said her goodbyes at the other side of the gates before turning and walks away.
The Godswoods became her last checkpoint as she climbed up the familiar tree she used to climb with Bran and settles with her back against the bark and her feet spread in front along the wide branch as she basked in the peace and solitude. The air was sharp as she breathes in and the wind was colder since the sun has just only begun to make its appearance. Closing her eyes, she waits for the warmth to spread further. Seconds passed and then minutes. Yet, the air only seems colder somehow.
Arya opened her eyes to find grey clouds marching above, covering the sun though not completely, since its light was already spreading vast indicating morning has arrived. But then of a sudden, the clouds broke into a deluge of whirling snow. It came in intricate patterns of ice floated weightlessly downward from the sky above, each flake swirling and dancing, as an icy wind carried it towards the branch she sits.
The young girl blinked thoughtfully as the frost patiently kissed her face. This is the first time she sees a snowfall since she came back home and a smile naturally forms on her face. Feeling enlighten suddenly, she jumped down the ground gracefully and heads out towards the glass gardens of Winterfell with a new set of purpose.
It was not much later as she finds herself striding towards Guest Tower. Her steps light as she walks down the hallway. When she saw an Unsullied soldier stands posted at the end of the hall, she hastens her steps and greets the guard with a nod before knocking twice on the door. She didn't wait to be told to come in as she opens it wide and invites herself in and soon regret it when she founds two sets of eyes on her instead of only one.
Arya settles at Daenerys who looks just as surprised as she is when she saw the dragon queen is with her knight, discussing what it may look like an urgent matter. Before she can apologize for the intrusion, Daenerys beats her to it.
"I think that will be all. I trust you can do the rest?" the dragon queen asked though it sounded more like an order than a question.
Jorah hesitates for a second before he nods curtly. "I'll take care of it, Khaleesi."
He walks passed Arya, exchanging an accusing glare that she somehow has interrupted his moment. The young woman doesn't have time to ponder over it when her favourite voice sounded again.
"Will you please close the door?"
Arya does as she was told before striding to the middle of the room where Daenerys is. The violet eyes are silently seeking hers and the girl finds herself loss of words to say. After all, the last time she was with the dragon queen, she was balling her eyes out. She was embarrassed by what happened and afraid of what the older girl might think of her now.
"Good morning." She starts lamely. Daenerys quirked her eyebrow slightly, practically asking if she just said that.
And suddenly, all of Arya's worry escapes into thin air only to be replaced by another set of anxiety. She wonders if she did anything wrong before she left the bed and the older girl. She even left the note.
Arya cleared her throat then. "Did you get my note?"
"You mean the one that says 'Thank you for the night'? Yes, I did." Daenerys replied, crossing her arms against her chest.
The young Stark cussed silently, only noticing how wrong when the older girl put it that way. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean it to offend you."
Daenerys sighed softly then. "I was worried, Arya. After last night…" she trails unable to continue any further as she eyed the girl in concern.
"I know... I should have told you when I was leaving but I needed a moment alone."
The dragon queen only nods in understanding. "Are you feeling better now?" she asked.
"I wanted to say that I am."
"Wanting it is the first step to achieve it." Daenerys encouraged with a small smile. Arya cannot help but mirror it.
The silence soon after accompanies them comfortably before Arya recalled the reason she came back to the silver-haired queen in the first place. She walks closer to the older girl, fishing her treasure she kept hidden inside her robe's pocket at the same time. "This is for you." She offered.
Daenerys eyebrow quirked slightly, confused though at the same time her smile grew wider as she accepts the blue rose from the young Stark. "This is beautiful." She breathed out and it truly is. The flower was a pale blue, the colour of frost. "I've encountered different types of roses before but none of them was in this colour." She said amazed, before putting the petals over her nose and hummed. "And it smells wonderful too."
Arya's shoulders straighten, pleased with herself. "It's a winter rose. It's snowing outside and I couldn't help but think of you and strangely, the flower too. I thought you might like it since it's rare and can only be grown in the glass gardens of Winterfell… I can show you the place. We have plenty more of where that came from." She explained.
Daenerys can't help but fix a smile at the lengthy explanation. "That sounds rather inviting..." she trails before noticing what else the girl said. "But, did you just say it's snowing outside?"
At Arya's grinning and later nodding her answer, the silver-haired queen looks over her shoulder at the opened window and was greeted by a rare sighting. Her feet move to peer over the window sill as she felt the smile she wore grew. It was snowing as Arya claimed and her excitement bubbling at the pit of her stomach, eager to get out in the open and bask in the falling snow. She turns to the other girl instantly. "Well, come on then."
Arya doesn't have time to react when the older woman caught her hand and practically drag her out of the room. Daenerys barked some kind of order to the lone Unsullied guard to remain there as she and the young Stark walk past him without a second glance. As Arya peered over her shoulder, the guard only gapes openly at the dragon queen's retreating form and back at the empty room he was supposed to guard, clearly contemplating on whether he should follow them or remain as per instructed. She stifled a giggle when Daenerys tugs her hand harder making them break into an almost-run down the hallways, the guard forgotten.
Their feet pounded against the stone floors creating echoes throughout the path they take. Arya quickens her steps to outrun the dragon queen. Their hands still tangled together making the young girl leading the way now. She looks over her shoulder with a building smirk. "Come now, Your Grace… move those adorable feet of yours a bit faster if you want to catch the snow."
Daenerys only glared at that though it lacks the heat of it judging by the slight tugging at the corner of her mouth is any indication. She quickens her steps as were told, catching up as both of them end up running side by side now. When the cold wind greets their face, and their boots start making scrunching noises, they finally stop running.
The dragon queen moved ahead leaving Arya behind as she looks up to the open sky, still panting from the run moments ago. But the sight before her swallowed everything else, almost calming which only ease up her breathing to a normal rate again. She takes that time to properly admire the first snowfall she ever encountered in her life. The glittering snowflakes fell soundlessly from the sky above, taking their time before they reached their destined places of rest, enveloping everything in a calm, silent coldness that was comforting in its own special way.
Arya, on the other hand, is so entranced by the sight of the silver-haired queen among the snowfall that befell around her – making her look almost like an other-worldly being that descends from the sky itself – that she didn't notice the said girl is watching her back with amused curiosity. Only when her name is being called that Arya finds violet orbs again.
"Yes?" she wondered.
Daenerys tilts her head slightly. "There's something on your face."
Innocently, Arya reaches for her face, wiping her cheek and then her forehead, searching for any foreign substance that got on. When she finds nothing, she looks ahead to violet eyes again only to find a snowball comes into her view instead. It was a split-second decision and she was a second too late to avoid the snowball hitting her squarely on the face. She can hear the light giggles from the older girl as she wipes her face off the bursting frozen flakes. "Well, that was rude." She commented.
The dragon queen grins wider. "I told you there was something on your face."
Arya scowled half-heartedly, which only had the opposite effect when Daenerys laughs softly instead though she didn't mind it that much since the sound fills her heart. Silently, the younger girl marched towards the silver-haired queen with purpose. The violet orbs, in turn, are faithfully onto hers as they studied her closing in. When Arya was finally close enough, she grabbed the older girl's arm – the one that she sure was the culprit of her frozen face, and tugged it forward making Daenerys body jerked closer. And Arya takes the chance of proximity to capture the older girl's lips.
But, Daenerys pulled away with a flinch. "Your lips are frozen cold."
"I wonder whose fault is that," Arya replied with a slight quirk of her brow. The dragon queen smiles sheepishly at that before pressing her lips onto the girl again, this time not pulling away.
The warmth of Daenerys lips spread through Arya's almost instantly as she kissed her back, gently and carefully.
"There, better?" Daenerys asked when Arya pulled back and looked at her.
"Much."
"I should throw snowballs at your face more frequently. That way I can warm it using this method again." the dragon queen's trail as she leans in, her lips against Arya's cheek, brushing it lightly before she finally lands a kiss. Then, her mouth brushed against the girl's ear, biting it, teasing.
Shivers ran through Arya's whole body, making her tremble that had nothing to do with the cold. She was sure Daenerys was fully aware of what caused it because then the older girl moved on to trace the line of her jawbone with more light kisses. Arya swallowed a lump dryly as her face heats up more than she intended to be. "Or you can just ask." She offered.
The older girl pulls away then. "I could… But, where's the fun in that?" she smirked.
"Catching that snowball with my face while I looked like a fool is fun for you?" Arya asked, pretending to be hurt.
Daenerys sneaked a hand around the girl's neck with a repressed smile before leaning close to the girl's ear, their cheeks almost brushing. "I promise I'll make it up to you after." She breathed out and then pulling away though not that far as their warm breaths mingled.
Arya closed her eyes, trying to hold herself together. She opens them again to find Daenerys looking back with a glimmer in her eyes, enjoying the silent torture she had to endure at their body being pressed so close together. "Shut up, Daenerys."
The dragon queen quirk her eyebrow amused more than anything. "How rude."
"I learn it from my Queen." Arya quipped.
Daenerys hummed in approval. "What else did you learn?"
The young Stark decides that coming up with more words would be just a waste of time. So, she reached and pulled Daenerys mouth to hers instead. The older girl kissed her back with gentleness but that isn't what Arya wanted. She knotted her fists in the older girl's robe, and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. Daenerys groaned softly, low in her throat, and then her arms circled her, gathering Arya against her as snows continue to fall around them.
The small possibility of someone finding them in this compromising position vanished as soon as it occurred to the young Stark. All that existed was Daenerys and only her. And when the older girl pulls away for a breather before leaning in again to capture her mouth for another round, Arya knew, Daenerys thought so too.
*
Music filled the air inside the Great Hall of Winterfell as Arya was seated at the main table. Just a while ago, Robb had made a toast, officially welcoming her back home though his voice lacks the enthusiasm of it. She didn't blame him for that. Not when she was about to leave as soon as the feast is over. But, nonetheless, the lords across the room didn't seem to be affected as they shouted a salute to her name in return. Arya forced a smile at the many faces that she can't put a name to before downing her ale, and soon after the feast begin.
She looks down to her table that is laden with delicacies of roasted meat, savoury fruit and nuts, countless cheeses, bread and sweets to name a few. Robb certainly had put the effort in the menu, she noted. She glances over to the other tables where the men were busy filling their plates and are starting to eat. Even the foreign armies of Unsullied and the Dothrakis that were seated among the Northern lords were loosening up and talking among themselves animatedly.
Naturally, her gaze shifted to the violet orbs of the dragon queen who was seated just across her table. Her loyal advisors are close with her among the rows of tables, enjoying the feast too. Daenerys looks ahead to catch grey eyes and raised her cup in salute to her, smiling as she did so. Arya chuckles softly at that before she raised her own cup too.
"Here, have some of these, my child." A voice interrupts, forcing the girl to pay attention to the person on her right where her mother is seated.
"You must eat to your heart's content. It is your welcoming feast after all." Catelyn mumbled as she continues filling up the girl's plate even when it was close to overfilling.
Arya had to stop her mother. "Thank you, mother. I will." She said with a smile and hurriedly pulled her plate away from the older woman.
But, Catelyn eyed the young girl with a raised brow, waiting for her to take a bite. Arya repressed another smile as she slowly cut the roasted meat into sizeable pieces and finally put it into her mouth. The older woman breaks into a satisfied smile before she turns her attention to her youngest son, doing more or less the same she did with her daughter.
As the young Stark takes another bite, her heart swells with emotion at her mother's affection which only makes it harder to tell the older woman of her leaving Winterfell again. Though she was supposed to mention her departure already, she didn't have it in her to break the news, knowing how devastated her mother would feel. And Arya wanted to at least keeps her mother's smile a little longer.
She focused onto her plate again, making sure that she didn't waste any food. Even though she enjoyed the meal, it doesn't feel as much satisfying as watching the silver-haired queen across who seems to be enjoying herself as much as everyone else.
It was surprising that Arya was able to successfully empty her plate. She downs her ale last, sighing contently after. Looking ahead again, she finds her favourite violet orbs already on hers, watching with a slight quirk of her brow as if something was amusing. Arya decides that she can't restraint her craving to be close with the older girl as she finally gets up and strides purposely to Daenerys.
She was already half of the way when she was stopped by a man. A slight frown adorned her features as she tries to move to the side and out of the man's way only for him to block her path again. She fixed him a glare then.
"Princess Arya, it's an honour to finally meet you... The North is overjoyed by your return." The man said, bowing his head slightly.
The young Stark didn't add anything to that, merely studying the man in front of her. He has a plain face, beardless and ordinary though his eyes are noticeably a pale colour, strange like two white moons. She had the most uncomfortable feeling as those eyes look back at her.
"Who are you?" she asked curtly, not bothering with how discourteous she sounded.
The man smiles then. "I'm Roose Bolton, my lady. Lord of the Dreadfort and the head of House Bolton."
Arya can't help but stiffen at the declaration. She remembered in her past timeline that the Bolton's had sacked Winterfell and that her family was overthrown by them.
Someone shouted his name from across the room then, successfully breaking their eye staring. "If you'll excuse me, my lady… I hope you enjoy the feast." He dismissed himself, turning around and strides out of her view.
Walking to her intended path again – now that no one is in her way, Arya finds herself still thinking of the peculiar meeting with Roose Bolton. But, it soon melted into the background when Daenerys face comes into view. She plops herself down next to the dragon queen then.
"Enjoying yourself, Your Grace?" she smiles at the older girl.
Daenerys returns the gesture. "I am, now that you're finally here." She trails before continue. "I can even ignore these sounds that you called music."
As if on cue, the drums pounded, again and again, trying to stay in tune with the rest of the instruments as it echoes through the stone walls. "They're not very good." Arya agreed with an apologetic smile.
"Well, perhaps we can do ourselves a favour and be rid of this horrible music and drunken men and heads to the glass garden instead." The dragon queen suggested, leaning in suggestively.
The young Stark felt her throat dried up at the close proximity. She did promise the older girl that she would take her to the glass garden to show the winter rose earlier that day. But obviously, they were busy with a far important matter that their time was well spent in the falling snow. Without conscious, she glanced down to Daenerys lips, remembering how soft, sweet and addictive it feels on hers. Arya swallowed a lump then, trying to gather herself.
"Perhaps later? I have to tell my mother about me leaving." She finally said.
Daenerys leans back, her smile gone. "You haven't told your family?"
"Robb knew."
"That justified his glaring then."
Arya glanced to her brother at the main table, where he was indeed glaring at them before he fixed his attention to the man talking in front of him again. She looks away with a soft sigh, feeling defeated at Robb's action. A warm hand suddenly caught hers under the table then. She tightens her hold, intertwining their fingers as she looks up to Daenerys.
"Arya, I've never asked you this…but, do you really want to do this?" the dragon queen asked in all seriousness. When the girl only looks back in question, she continues. "I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do. I understand if you want to stay with your family." She finished.
The young Stark can see the determination written on the violet orbs in front of her. She believed that Daenerys will truly let her stay if she wishes so. But, that isn't what she wants. "My place is with you, Daenerys." She tightens her hold, assuring the girl. When Daenerys finds that Arya meant what she said, her posture relaxed almost instantly.
"There you are, Princess Arya!" someone shouted before he collides with the table, revealing Tyrion with a leg of lamb in his hand and a cup in another. "Have you tasted the roasted meat? They were exceptional! I've never tasted such delicacies in my life." He stated, overjoyed.
The young Stark and the dragon queen shared the same amused look as they regard the dwarf.
"Are you drunk, Tyrion?" Daenerys asked, accusingly.
"Drunk? Ha! That word is not in my dictionary, Your Grace." The Lannister replied confidently, taking a mouthful of meat in his hand.
Jorah and Yara show up too then, taking their seats. Arya enjoyed their company as she lets the conversations flow around her. All the while, her hand still holds on to Daenerys.
It was not much later when she glanced to the main table and realized that her mother and Rickon were nowhere to be seen. Even Margaery and little Ned weren't anywhere inside the Great Hall. Only Robb was left at the corner of the hall with a few of his men. She decides to find her mother then, wanting to break the news and end her distraught once and for all.
"I'm going to find my mother." She said softly to Daenerys where only the girl could hear her.
"I'll see you soon, then." The dragon queen assured with a small smile.
It takes everything in Arya not to lean in and capture the older girl's lips again as she stands up and excused herself instead. She takes one last glance over her shoulder as the violet eyes still faithfully on hers until she was out of sight.
With the chatters and drums pounding slowly ebbs away, Arya takes a deep breath to gather herself, thinking about what she should say to her mother. Her thoughts were interrupted though when she heard multiple sets of footsteps behind her. She stops and turns around slowly.
"Ah, there she is… The Princess Arya Stark." Theon shouts his greeting from across the hallway as he closed in. There are two men joining him at his sides respectively.
"What do you want, Theon?" she asked, coldly. She has no time to listen to his nonsense.
"Where were you heading?" he asked instead, stopping when he's five steps away.
"A place called 'it's none of your business'."
Theon barks a laugh, as his companions join him. Arya narrowed her eyes at the scene. The hairs at the back of her neck stand at ends as their laughter fills the hallways.
"Well, Arya, I'm afraid you have to cancel your visit to this place because we're taking you to your room." Theon was wearing his trademark smug smile as his hand reach for the pommel of his sword, silently daring her to say otherwise.
Grey eyes followed his movement and only then she realized that the two men were armed too. She looks up to Theon again. "And why would you do that?" she asked, calmly.
"Because the King orders me to." He simply said.
Arya clenched her jaw tight. "Robb did?" she asked for confirmation which Theon nods. "So his plan is to lock me up and let Queen Daenerys leave without me?" her brow raised, unimpressed.
Theon seems to be holding his smile as he exchange looks between the two men before he finally looks to her again. "I don't think your brother's planning on letting the dragon bitch leave, little princess." He smirks.
Her face fell at the statements. "What do you mean by that?" She takes a step forward, demanding an answer.
But he ignores the girl as he fixed his attention to the men instead. "Take her."
Instinctively, Arya steps back as the two armed men closed into her. Her mind is on a whirlwind as she can't help but think of the worst. Robb couldn't possibly have planned to hurt Daenerys. She wanted to deny it because her brother would never act against his honour. But, everything that Theon just said seems to indicate otherwise.
Her fists clenched so tight that she can feel the nails digging through her skin. "If you even touch a single hair of her, I swear I will kill you with my bare hands." she threatened, looking straight at Theon.
The men stop then as Theon walks passed them. He chuckled mirthlessly as he locks eyes with steel grey ones. "I promised you, little princess…we're going to do a lot more than touch her hair. It would be a miracle if you can recognize the dragon bitch after we're done with her."
At his words, the calm within her snaps. She didn't care that she doesn't have any weapons on her person. Though she regretted not taking Needle with her, that didn't stop her advance on Theon. He doesn't even have the time to unsheathe his sword as she speeds up, her fist swings fast, punching his throat. He choked a breath as he stumbles backwards, moaning with pain.
The two men, however, do have enough time to ready their sword. They point their blades ahead, marching at her. Arya used the narrow hallways to her advantage as she grabbed the still moaning Theon by his collar and lands a kick at his chest, successfully making him crashed against the armed men.
The only way back to the Great Hall is through the path she comes out from and she doesn't think twice when she walks passed the men that are a hurdling mess on the floor. The only thing on her mind was Daenerys and that she needed to get to the girl fast. Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly as she feels her body jerked backwards and then her face slammed into the wall next. She grunts at the uneven stone wall that grates on her skin forcefully.
"Don't make this hard on yourself, Arya. Just go to your room." Theon hissed at her ear, twisting her arm behind her back for good measure.
Arya swallowed the pain expertly, gritting her teeth. With all the strength she could muster, she directed her head backwards to find something to hit it by. A satisfying crack was heard soon after and then the hold on her arm was released.
"You broke my nose!" Theon shouts indignantly, staggering away. The blood seeps through his fingers as he reached for his nose.
The other men were unaffected by that as they closed in on her and Arya takes the abandoned sword on the floor, ready for them.
"We don't want to hurt you, m'lady." One of the men stated, his own sword pointing at her while the other one was behind him, clutching a dagger in his grip.
She tightens her hold on the hilt as she looks to them darkly. "I do."
Despite his words, the man lunged first, bringing his sword towards her. Arya takes a large step back to avoid the attack which he mirrored before he swipes across again. She lifts the blade then, effectively blocking his attack. The steels sing against the hallways as their swords clash one another. When the man attacks again with the same manoeuvre, she blocks it before sliding her sword away from his in one swift motion and launched her counter attack. He gasps in pain as her sword cut through his leg like a knife cut through butter.
With the man down on the floor, clutching his bleeding leg in a whimper, Arya moves past him and onto the other man with the dagger. She waited for nothing else as she lunged at him with a growl. He was ready then, as he swings his attacking arm back at her. But, it was a pathetic effort as the knife clumsily cuts through the air. And as soon as she finds an opening, the young girl wasted no more time as she stabs through his thigh. His dagger clatters noisily onto the ground as he fell down with it. She didn't even bother to pull her sword back as she lets it stuck in his flesh. Instead, she takes the knife before moving forward to take care of the last person.
Theon backed away, widening their gap as he finally unsheathes his sword in a safe distance. The blood from his nose is already trailing down to his shirt now. With his hands both on the hilt, he stops and speeds up to her then. His eyes with determination.
Arya, on the other hand, was already walking towards him and she doesn't stop even though their distances are becoming closer by the second. She flips the dagger instead and throws it with all her might. The knife propelled through the air in quick turns. Though it can't be said the same with Theon when he's not quick enough to stay out of the blade's way. He screamed as the knife plants itself above his knee. Taking that as her cue, Arya sprints forward, sliding across the floor as she grasps the dagger, pulling it out only to thrust it again to his other leg. He fell down to his knees as another scream echoes through the hallways.
"Crazy bitch!" Theon shouts between pained breaths. "I'll kill you for this, Arya!"
She doesn't look back to him and the other men – knowing that they cannot do anything to stop her now – as she runs towards her intended path. Her mind clouded with worry of the dragon queen and what Robb was planning to do. She silently prayed to whoever is listening for Daenerys to be safe because Arya doesn't know if she could ever live with herself if the older girl is harmed in any way.
Her steps slowed when she heard the unmistakably sound of shouting and of steels clashing instead of the usual pounding of the music and the chatters of people. Arya willed her feet to move forward to the opening of the Great Hall, expecting the feast to be as she last left it, only to find it was anything but.
The first thing she sees is the men who were supposed to be the musician are holding crossbows in their hands instead of their drums or flutes and other instruments they should be playing. And then the quarrel flew through the air and landed at one Unsullied soldier who was defending himself against the attack on him. He fell down almost instantly as the arrow hits his chest. Arya then saw a second bolt pierce through another Dothraki man across the room. And another quarrel went in his open mouth and came out the back of his neck. He crashed forward, knocking the table off its trestles and sending cups, platters and wine bouncing, spilling and sliding across the floor. She saw Jorah swings his sword at the Northmen, clearly outnumbered. But, a crossbow bolt drove him to his knees before the other men effectively cut him down.
"Stop!" Arya cried, but the shouting and the clash of steel smothered her plea. By then men were pouring in the other doors as well, mailed men in shaggy fur cloak with steel in their hands. She took them for rescue for half a heartbeat, until one of them struck a Dothraki man's head off with two huge blows of his axe. Hope blew out like a candle in a storm.
In the midst of slaughter, there sits her brother at the main table, watching silently.
"Robb!" she shouted. "ROBB! STOP THIS MADNESS!"
The chaos inside the hall remains even though her voice loomed over it. Robb looks at her, finally noticing her presence. He stands up slowly. "You shouldn't be here, Arya." his voice cold.
"These men are your guests! Enough! Stop this!"
Robb only stared back at her. But then, a movement caught his eyes and he shifted his gaze to the room which Arya mirrored. Her heart stops when she saw the familiar silver-haired queen struggled to her knees. She had an arrow in her side and a second in her leg. Robb raised a hand, and the chaos stopped. "The rightful Queen of Westeros arises… It seems your numbers didn't matter, after all, Your Grace. Your dragons are not here… Your armies are not here to save you… You already lost the war before it even started." He chuckled mirthlessly.
"No, Daenerys…" Arya calls but it was chocked between her breaths. She looks to her brother again. "Robb, stop…please stop this," she begs.
Robb looks at her with a changed expression, one of anger. "This is all your fault, sister. You shouldn't have come home with her. You shouldn't interfere when the assassins tried to do their job because then I wouldn't have to do this. I sacrificed so much and it's all for nothing."
"You-" Her breath hitched. "Wh- What are you…saying?"
"It was me who hired the Faceless Man."
The words hit Arya like a slap on her cheek and it hurts her more than she imagined it to be. She can't help but think of Missandei. Of sweet Missandei that was wrongly murdered by the assassin that Robb paid.
'This is all your fault, sister.' My fault.
She glanced to her side, where Daenerys is leaning at the edge of the table, trying to force herself to remain standing. There are Northmen surrounding her, waiting for the order to end it all. Arya looks to Robb again with a new determination.
"Robb, please let her go." She started, ignoring the tears streaming down her face. "I promise you I'll do what you say… We will forget what happened here and I'll stay as you wish. Let Daenerys go. Let her go and I swear I will do as you say… I'll marry any lord you want. I swear it… I swear it by the old gods and the new."
"No." Daenerys' voice was whisper faint. "Arya, no…"
"Yes, Daenerys, get up. Get up and walk out, please, please. Save yourself."
Robb huff suddenly. "And why would I let her do that?" He glared. "Do you take me a fool, sister that you'd think I'll let the enemy free after everything that I've sacrificed?"
Her fists tightened, the nails digging so hard she can almost feel the blood drawing from her skin. "Let her go, Robb! Or I swear to God…" she growled.
There was no emotion whatsoever on Robb's face at the threat. Instead, he looks away casually before nudging his head as if signalling to someone. She followed his line of vision to find a familiar man she encountered before. Roose Bolton, she remembered. His shirt spotted with the blood of the others. He stepped up to Daenerys silently before thrusting his dagger through the dragon queen's heart and twisted.
"NO!" Arya was running before she even realised what she was doing. But, before she can get to Daenerys, something heavy struck at the back of her head and her face ends up slapping against the cold floor soon after.
"Take my sister to her room." the voice sounded muffled to her ears as the throbbing at the back of her head increased.
She feels her body being lifted up and carried away. She tried to call Daenerys but nothing came out. Every effort she tried deems fruitless. Her limbs were leaden and the taste of blood was in her mouth. She tried to at least open her eyes and faintly saw she was floating away from the Great Hall before it goes black again.
The cold wind struck her without warning then, forcing her to open her eyes again. She vaguely sees the still falling snow. The image of Daenerys surrounding by the snow earlier that day filled her mind and her eyes clouded with unshed tears.
There was a faint growl coming towards her, but Arya paid it no heed as she falls to the comfort of unconsciousness again. But, it was short-lived when her body slammed hard against the cold ground. She groans in pain at the inflicted force at the back of her head. The growling was becoming louder and more vicious accompanying by someone shouting and struggling before it goes eerily quiet.
Arya felt a soft nudging at her face and then a silent whimper as something wet licked her face. Reluctantly she opens her eyes to find golden orbs and snouts in front of her. "Nymeria?"
The direwolf licks her face in return, purring softly at her mistress. The young Stark looks behind Nymeria to find a man lying silently on the snow, blood pooling underneath him. Slowly, she gets up and crawls close enough to see the man. His dark eyes lock on hers as she recognized the burning scars on his face. The Hound was holding his bleeding neck as his life gradually seeps away from his eyes.
Arya turns away slowly as she looks ahead at nothing and does nothing. She could have been at it for hours before Nymeria nudges her softly, taking her attention again.
"Take me away from here, Nym." She heard herself said.
Nymeria fixed her a look before she offered her back. Absentmindedly, Arya forced herself up and mounts the direwolf. Her hands are secured around Nymeria's neck as she lowered herself on its soft furs. Before she can comprehend that she was riding a direwolf, Nymeria dashed forward. The cold wind struck her face heavily now as they split through air.
And when Nymeria finally stops, arriving at her destination, Arya couldn't hold on anymore as she gets off and lands unceremoniously on the ground. Her face up and her arms at her sides. She stays like that for a while, as there's nothing left for her to do. The winds blow through the leaves then, making a familiar inhuman shrill sound. She looks up and the Gods face comes into her view. Nymeria had taken her to Godswood it seems.
And her gaze stays rooted at the God's face until a loud shriek caught her attention. Slowly she pushed herself into a sitting position and turns her head to the sound. Drogon was flying up in the sky, shrieking loudly as if he's in pain. Perhaps he was. His mother is gone after all. Daenerys is dead.
Arya's breath stuck in her throat. Daenerys is dead. Daenerys is never going to look at her with those gentle and tender eyes again. Her chest aches the kind of pain she doesn't know even existed. It tears her apart from the inside as her mind filled with the images of the silver-haired woman, particularly the memory of the said girl declaring her love to her.
Truth be told, Arya doesn't know what she feels at that time. When she's with Daenerys, she felt comforted. She felt assured. She felt safe and she felt liberating. How was she to know that all those feelings she felt were in fact something more? Something special? But now that she does know, it was already too late. Daenerys wouldn't be able to hear what she really feels anymore.
Drogon shrieks louder at the same time as if he knows what's gnawing on her mind and soul. She looks up to the sky then, where the dragon is flying downwards towards Winterfell and towards the Godswoods where she's at. His massive wings glide through the air as his mouth opened, the beginning of a flame at the back of his throat, and then the fire makes its way towards her and touches her skin. The last thing on Arya's mind before the flames and the scorching heat engulfed her whole was how much she loves Daenerys too.
~~~
*Year 298 After Conquest (AC) - Old Past*
Arya wakes up with a loud gasp. Her eyes shot open widely. Her breath stuck in her throat as she can feel the dragon's fire still burning inside her lungs. Only when she feels lightheaded due to the lack of air did she breathe, taking a large gulp of air through her mouth. And when she did, nausea hits her, taking a turn. It clawed at her throat, and she tried to force down the bile but it was too late. Instinctively, she turns her body to the other side and heaves. She didn't even register that she had fallen down to the floor, sinking to her knees with a loud thud. Her stomach keeps contracting violently and forcing everything up and out. She heaved even though there was nothing left to go.
The hard stone floor was against her cheek as Arya tried to regain her bearing. Her face was white and dripping with sweat and tears. Her eyes open weakly to find the steel helm on top of her bedside table. She concludes then that she was in her room though it makes no sense how she got here in the first place.
The last time she remembered, she was in the Godswood with Nymeria, running away from–
She swallowed another bile, pushing those horrible images that are starting to come out, down into the furthest place of her mind. To say that she was in a daze was an understatement as she staggered and out of the room. She pushed her body forward, effectively using the wall as guidance, and when she finds an opening, she looks up to see that she had arrived at the Great Hall.
Her breath comes in short spurt as her recollection of the slaughters that happened here just a while ago force its way to her mind. The pain inside her chest rakes her as she remembered seeing Daenerys for the last time in here as well.
"Are you trying to get to the kidney pie, Arya?"
She snaps her head at the direction and there he was. Robb was smiling at her like all is well in the world as he shoves a crump of bread into his mouth.
Arya would have noticed that her brother looks a lot younger than she last saw him and that there are other people seating around him too. But, as such, her rage overthrows everything else and all she can see was him and what he had done. A wave of hot burning anger rippled through her body and she can't even register her physical sufferings from before anymore.
"YOU FUCKING CUNT!" She growled and all but run to him, jumping at the table, kicking the platters that are on her way before throwing herself at Robb.
His blue eyes are wide in shock before he collapsed backwards, with Arya on him. They fell hard on the ground with a loud thud. Before he can defend himself, the young girl slams her fist into his face.
Arya ignored the pain that blazed up her arm as her fist connected with his jaw. "YOU KILLED HER!"
Her blood hummed in her veins as determination and anger controlled her, landing another punch to his face again and again and again. Until her fist caught nothing but air and her body was hauled away from him. She screamed like a madman, demanding to be put down all the while throwing curses at Robb.
Something hits her face then making her head snaps at the force. Her shouting stops almost instantly as the stinging pain from it swallowed everything else. Slowly, she looks ahead, eyes watering as she clutched her face.
"Arya, my child." Her father was looking at her with a pained expression.
But, that can't be right. He's dead. He should not be here. She glanced across the table and finds another ghost. Sansa was there too, tears brimming in her eyes as she looks at her in horror. Arya staggered backwards, the hold around her middle no more and ends up slamming her back against Jon. She flinched away from him as she distanced herself from all of them. Her father tried to reach for her then.
"N-No! Get away!" she shouted, her voice wavered and her body is trembling as she did so.
She walks past her mother that is looking at her with unspoken fear. Arya can't really blame her since she was afraid of herself too as she looks down to her bloodied hand that Robb was a fallen victim to and his limp form on the floor. The silence was deafening to her ears as she unsteadily moves away from everyone, trying to make sense of what's happening.
"M'lord, we heard a commotion from outside. Is something the matter?" A new voice echoes inside the Great Hall then.
Arya's frown deepens as she finds Theon walking towards them from the other door, no injuries on his legs that she had maimed from before. And another person that should be dead is walking beside him, looking very much alive.
"M'lord?" Maester Luwin asked again, addressing her father.
The young girl decides to ignore them all as she wobbled towards the door where they just came from. She heard the distinct calling of her name from behind but instead of stopping, she quickens her steps. The sun greets her not long after. There was no snow falling from the sky and the air was not as cold as she last remembered it. She looks around the courtyard and found nothing amiss. It was as if nothing happened. There were no bodies, no men with steel and no ruins from Drogon's flame.
Her head is pounding with confusion and she felt her body burning up as if her skin is being engulfed by the dragon's flame yet again. Her inside recoiled at that notion and something warm trailed down her nose then. She reached up to find that her fingers were tainted with red. Nausea from before crept from her abdomen to her head and before she can comprehend what was happening, the world went black.