It was mutually decided among all of them that no one would tell Tormund or Val that they were thinking of forming a marriage alliance. It seemed like an excellent way to make everyone angry, and Jon explained that marriage is very different with the Free Folk. He was going to have to do some quick talking to get her to even listen to his proposal, and Arya didn't envy him for that. After everyone else had left, Arya stayed behind because she wanted to talk to her big brother. After all, this was the sort of inevitable thing that they all knew they were going to have to deal with someday. That didn't mean he was any more prepared for it.

"Do you need something?" Jon asked, which broke Arya's heart a little that her brother thought she would only come to him if she needed something.

"No, I don't need anything, I want to know how you're handling all of this," Arya said as she sat down next to him. "You just found out that you're going to be part of a marriage alliance, and I can't even imagine how that must feel."

"I feel okay with this," Jon said, and she shot him a look like she didn't believe him. "I do. Look, I still love Ygritte, and I think I always will, but I can't hold back because of her. I knew what I was doing when I let you, Sansa, and Bran marry for love. I knew what I was giving up and what I was holding onto."

"What do you mean?" Arya asked.

"Well, Bran and Meera are a good choice regardless of the fact that they are in love," Jon explained. "The Reed's have always been loyal to us so she could have been someone Bran married before everything went to hell. Bran is the last of Ned Stark's sons, of course, he's going to stay in Winterfell. He's my heir, so it keeps both of them close. Sansa and Theon are also a good match. He's a prince, and their relationship connects us to the Iron Isles through marriage. However, Sansa is also my Hand, and Theon has no real desire to stay on the Iron Isles, so it keeps them home as well. And you and Gendry, well, your match isn't as advantageous, but he's the cousin of the Queen, and him only being a knight keeps you home as well." Jon smiled and sat back in the chair. "I'm a selfish man who wanted his little sisters and brother home and close and safe, and you all just happened to pick people that would let me do that. I knew that I would have to marry a woman I didn't love someday for an Alliance, that's what a King does, so while I'm sacrificing my choice to marry for love, I'm gaining my family being close. I get to keep all of you for many years, and that is worth a marriage that I didn't choose out of love."

Arya didn't know what to say to all of that; it wasn't uncommon for nobles to marry out of duty instead of love, but Arya never realized that Jon was making these little political moves that would keep all of them close. All Arya ever wanted was to stay in Winterfell with her family, and now her brother was not only giving her the chance to do so but Sansa and Bran as well.

"I knew if I tried to do anything rash, I'd lose one of you," Jon whispered, and Arya blinked. "If I tried to turn Gendry away, you'd have either refused to come home at all, or you would have resented me for the rest of your life for sending him away. Sansa would have stood tall and accepted any marriage I chose for her, but she would have never agreed to be my Hand, and she would have drifted away from us, possibly forever. If I had sent Meera away, I don't know what version of Bran I would have right now, but it wouldn't be the one that smiles mischievously or look at his wife's stomach with wide eyes. I knew, I know what I'm giving up, and I'm more than fine with all of it. I promise you that, Arya. I'm going to be fine." The two of them sat in silence for a long time because she didn't know what she was supposed to say to something like that.

"Maybe you'll be like my mother and father," she said carefully. "Maybe you'll learn to love this Val the same way they learned to love each other."

"If I have one wish, it would be that," Jon said.

The next morning Jon took Tormund aside and asked him if he would be willing to ask Val to come to Winterfell so they could meet. Tormund said that this would take a little time since Val was still making her way across the Wall and needed time to get all of the Free Folk under one leader. Jon told him that it was fine and that they would be waiting for the time when they would meet. Arya was glad that everything seemed to be slowing down a little until the middle of the day when someone said that riders were approaching the castle. They weren't expecting anyone, so she wasn't sure exactly what was going on, and judging by the way that Sansa walked outside with a deep frown on her face, she didn't either. A man rode up with two younger men on either side of them, and Arya recognized the signal as House Dustin. The three men climbed off of their horses and knelt down in front of Sansa.

"My Lord," Sansa said with that smile that hid all of her intentions, and that tended to set men at ease. "We did not know you were on your way. Did you send a raven to let us know that you would be coming?"

"I heard that you and your sister had returned from the Iron Isles and wanted to come and see you as soon as possible," Lord William Dustin replied, which was not an answer. "Allow me to introduce my two sons, Harlan and Ryon." The two men both nodded toward her, and they both appeared to be looking around the castle. Winterfell was something to see, but something about this visit made her nervous. It wasn't like a lesser house to show up out of nowhere like this unless there was an emergency.

"I see, and what is so important that you couldn't send a raven first?" Sansa asked, and now the disdain as evident in her voice.

"Your Grace, I just wanted to come and see my King as soon as possible to discuss simple things. I know that I must have sent a raven, but if one did not arrive, I'll be sure to punish the person who failed to send it," Lord Dustin said, and Arya narrowed her eyes from her place off to the side. That was a lie, but it was a stupid thing to lie about, so it made no sense that he would do something like that. This put them in the position of either turning away an ally or letting them in and setting the precedent that it could happen again.

"My lord, please send your correspondence personally from now on, so we don't have this issue again," Sansa said. The three men stood, and servants began to collect their horses and belongings. It looked like they had enough to stay a few days, which meant they very much left to stay in Winterfell and assume they would be welcome. Gendry was in the forge working on the Valyrian Steel that Tohbo Mott had sent him and wouldn't want to be disturbed. Meera and Bran were both resting, which meant that she needed to play the part of a princess. Arya walked up to the group and tried to smile. "My lords, this is my sister Princess Arya Stark. Arya, this is Lord Dustin and his sons Harlan and Ryon."

"Your Grace," the three men all echoed. The youngest son was looking at her strangely, but Arya knew that she wasn't what people were expecting when it came to being a princess. She wore nice leathers and furs, and her long cloaks were feminine, but she didn't look like Sansa, who was one crown away from looking like a queen.

"My lords, it's a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to Winterfell," Arya said. Something in Ryon, the younger son who looked about her age, face shifted, and he looked a little calmer. Arya still didn't trust him, she didn't trust any of this, but to say so could cause problems with a lesser house. So she had no choice but to join Sansa as she presented the three men to Jon. He welcomed them as well, but Arya knew that House Dustin was causing problems with them, and that was enough of a reason to be concerned about this sudden visit.

Gendry saw that a lesser house was visiting and decided to make himself scarce. House Dustin, as Jon and Sansa had mentioned to him a few times, was one of the more vocal houses when it came to being unhappy that he had married Arya. So Gendry knew better than to hang around or even be seen. He would have to go back at some point for dinner, but he could make himself scarce until then. He had to run an errand in Winter Town, so he grabbed one of the horses and made his way down to the blacksmith in town. The man was old, but his hands were steady, and he always answered any questions that Gendry might have had. Winter Town was usually a place he didn't mind visiting, but as soon as he walked in, something seemed wrong.

He liked to think after so many years of running for his life Gendry knew when people intended him harm and feeling crawling up the back of his neck as he rode through town was like walking into a town he knew was loyal to the Lannister's when he was a younger man. Everyone was staring at him, and he didn't know what to make of any of it. He got to the forge for the blacksmith and found that he wasn't there, but one of his sons was. His son, a man named Ed, turned and glared at Gendry when he walked in.

"What do you want, ser?" Ed asked, but he was mocking and he spat the words out. Gendry had only met this man once or twice, and every time he had been cordial.

"I have a question for your father about a project I'm working on, is he around?" Gendry asked. Ed sneered and laughed bitterly.

"A project he says. No, ser, my father isn't around to help you with your little project. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business of my own to attend to," Ed snapped, and he turned back to his work without a word. Gendry knew what it was like to have a bad day, so maybe that's what this was, but he still felt uneasy, and he didn't like the fact that he made this trek unarmed. He never thought he would need a weapon going to Winter Town, and he never had before, but today felt too different.

Gendry turned to leave and was met with a group of men stumbling toward him from the tavern. He could smell the liquor coming off of them before they even got close, and they were staring at him with murderous intent.

"Well, well, if it isn't the southern bastard," one of them said as he looked down at Gendry like he was worse than dirt. "The fuck do you want? Something else to ruin in the North?"

"Ruin? Sers, I don't know what's going on here-" Gendry started, but the men took a threatening step forward, and he shut his mouth.

"We know what you are, we know what you've done, and no one will ever forgive you for it," the man said, and Gendry could see a knife on his belt. The men here were all drunk, but he couldn't hit them, or it would just make this situation worse. A younger version of him was angry enough to throw a punch, but the older version of him was annoyed but resigned. He was used to people hating him behind his back, but this was the first time someone had ever been this forthright about it.

"And what have I done?" Gendry asked carefully. He knew that asking was probably not going to end well, but not knowing was not helping him.

"All of the North knows about you and that kitchen girl," the man said, and all his friends grumbled their agreements. "You stole our princess, and now you think you can fuck around on the side? No, we're not taking that. You're just like your whoreson father, but we won't let our princess be dishonored like that." The men all yelled in agreement, but Gendry was too busy being struck dumb by this accusation.

"Gentlemen, I assure you, I would never go behind Arya's back," Gendry said he held up his hands and slowly took a step back. His horse was behind him, and he knew that nothing he said was going to change this. These men were drunk, and they thought they were right, and this was going to end with blood being spilled if he didn't leave now. The men screamed that he was a liar, and Gendry ducked a punch and ran. He didn't have a weapon, and even if he did, he couldn't hurt the people that Jon, Sansa, and Arya tried so hard to protect, no matter how much they hated him.

Gendry managed to get his horse untied and had just pulled himself up when someone threw a rock. It hit him square in the forehead, and blood immediately spilled from the wound. Gendry managed to stay on his horse and rode out of town as the crowd of drunks all but chased him out. When he had enough space between himself and them, he put a hand to the gash on his forehead to stem the blood. The people of the North thought he had slept with some kitchen girl and the ones that only needed an excuse hated him even more now. Gendry took a deep breath and released it slowly; he knew Arya wouldn't believe it, and neither would the Stark's, but this was the excuse the lesser houses needed to make him a pariah.

Arya was in the courtyard with her bow and arrow when she heard someone coming over to her. She thought it could be Brienne or maybe Gendry coming out of the forge, but when she turned around, she saw Ryon Dustin walking toward her. He put up his hands as if to surrender to her and showed off this boyish smile that she didn't quite understand why it was directed at her.

"Your Grace, may I join you?" Ryon asked.

"I suppose, and you can call me Arya if you'd like," she said, and for some reason, that made him smile. He picked up an extra bow and began to fire off a few arrows with her. He wasn't terrible, but he didn't have much in the way of skills either.

"Your skills are just as impressive as everyone says they are," Ryon said as Arya hit the middle of the target for the third time. "Maybe you can teach me how to fire an arrow someday?"

"I'm not sure how that is possible since you don't live here and it requires daily lessons," Arya replied which was probably a little rude, but there was something about this conversation and the way he was acting around her that was setting off all of the alarms in her head. All of this felt familiar, but she couldn't figure out why.

"I'm sure we could work something out," Ryon replied. "A great beauty and a great warrior as our princess is the thing that the North needs now more than ever. I'm so honored to be in your presence, and I hope that I can continue to be in the days that follow." Arya went to fire another arrow and but she missed the center of the target when it clicked in her head. She knew that tone of voice because she had seen it turned on noble ladies before. She knew when a man was trying to get on her good side, and this was a man trying to do precisely that.

"Lord Ryon, I would very much like to know why you're here attempting to court a married woman," Arya said, and the smile that Ryon had been wearing this entire time faltered. That was when she knew that she was right, and Ryon was here trying to court her like she was an unmarried woman when all of the North knew that she was with Gendry.

"I apologize, Your Grace, I thought the King would have sent the blacksmith back to the south when we all heard about the kitchen girl," Ryon said.

"The what," Arya said, and she did not make that a question but a statement.

"The kitchen girl," Ryon repeated. "All of the North is talking about how the bastard blacksmith knight is fucking the kitchen girl behind your back. I assumed the King knew and fed the bastard to the dragon or sent him packing to the south to be with the rest of his siblings. Are you saying you didn't know about the kitchen girl, Your Grace?"

"There is no kitchen girl," Arya said darkly because she knew Gendry, and he would sooner throw himself from the Broken Tower before he was unfaithful to her. The look that Ryon gave her like she was some stupid and naive woman, all but made Arya see red.

"Your Grace, we all know where he comes from, would you really be surprised considering his birth and his father?" Ryon asked.

"Ryon Dustin," Arya said a little louder with her hand on Needle on her hip. For the first time, the little Lord actually looked a little afraid, which was good. He needed to be considering what she was about to do. "You need to walk away immediately."

"I apologize, Your Grace," Ryon said as he began to back away. "I'm sorry that you had to find out this way." Arya was about to skewer him when he all but ran away. She dropped her bow and raced off to find the forge empty. She was about to ask a guard where Gendry was when he rode into the castle, and she could see blood on his face. He stumbled when he got down from the horse, and Arya was by his side in a second.

"Arya, the men in Winter Town, they think I-" Gendry started, but Arya knew what he was about to say. Ryon said that 'all of the North knew' so the people in Winter Town must not have reacted well to finding out that Gendry had supposedly dishonored their princess.

"I know, and you know I don't believe it," Arya said as she helped him toward Maester Wolken's room. The fact that Ryon came down and tried to court her already didn't sit right with her, but now that everyone thought that Gendry was with other women, it was downright suspicious. Someone was playing a game and using her marriage as part of it, and Arya Stark did not take being a pawn well.