Arya was doing her best not to be annoyed about this, but it was hard not to. She didn't want to go back to King's Landing again; she wanted to stay in the North because this was the first time she had really felt safe in a long time. As soon as she crossed the border into the Riverlands, she was on edge, and it only got worse because they didn't have the wolves with them. Nymeria was still attached to Meera's side and looking out for Jojana, which was in no way a bad thing. It made them all feel better to have the mama wolf looking out for all of them. Jon said he thought about having Ghost come with them to the south, but they really needed him to stay and look out for Sansa and Theon. So they were traveling without the wolves, and it made everything a lot harder for Arya. She didn't feel as safe, and Gendry could tell.

"I know you don't want to go south," Gendry said as they rode side by side on the King's Road. Someone had tried to say that Val needed a carriage, and the look she gave them was rather impressive. Jon looked amused by the entire thing, and when someone looked to Jon like he was going to have any say in how his wife traveled, Jon just shrugged. Arya liked that the two of them seemed to be getting along well, and she knew that her brother deserved the world, but everything about this was bothering her.

"It's not that I don't want to go and see your family and Daenerys and Edmure and everyone again. I do want to see those people," Arya said, but she sighed. "It's just that King's Landing doesn't have a lot of good memories for me."

"When we get there, I'd like to show you around the city," Gemdry said, and Arya stared at him. "What? The last time we were there, it wasn't really safe for us to go wandering around the city alone. It should be safe now so I can finally show you where I grew up."

"I thought you didn't have any good memories there either," Arya said.

"I have one, and that's meeting you," Gendry said, which was ridiculously romantic of him, and he didn't seem to realize how romantic it was either. "But maybe we should try and make some better ones. We can't avoid the south forever, not with all of the family we have down there, not to mention the whole duty thing."

"We'll be safe now," Arya said softly as she looked down the King's Road at Jon and Val, who appeared to be talking pleasantly to one another. Val looked a little uncomfortable with all of the heat, which was only going to get worse the closer they got to King's Landing, but she didn't seem nervous at all, which was strange. She was a new queen from people that most of Westeros thought were savages, and she didn't seem to have a care in the world. Jon didn't seem tense either and was riding with a smile on his face. He hadn't seen Daenerys since she was crowned and they wrote to each other a lot. Even Gendry seemed calm enough, and Arya realized that she was the only one who was still tense. She was the only one who was afraid.

Arya tried her best not to bring the war with her wherever she went. She knew that various members of her family would wake up from nightmares, and sometimes they woke up screaming. Right before Jojana was born, Meera woke up to Bran, staring at the ceiling, and he didn't react when she called his name. Meera thought that she had lost Bran to the Three-Eyed Raven again and screamed. It seemed that Bran was just asleep and didn't wake up when she shook him, and it took a lot of time to assure her that he wasn't getting lost again. Theon still flinched from loud noises, and you had to be careful if you were going to touch him or Sansa because touching them by surprise was a good way to trigger flashbacks for both of them.

Jon touched his chest where the scars of being stabbed remained, and sometimes Arya caught him looking at the scar on his wrist, where he spilled his own blood to defeat the Night King. Gendry would also stare at that scar, and Arya sometimes caught him staring at the spots where the funeral pyres from the battle were like he could bring those people back to life if he tried hard enough. They all carried the war with them, but Arya was slowly starting to realize that she carried it the most. She was the one who would sneak into Bran and Meera's room to watch Jojana sleep for hours on end. She was the one who couldn't stand the thought of leaving Winterfell and was trying not to panic in the woods as they rode south. She was the one who couldn't think about visiting King's Landing without thinking of everything bad instead of the good.

Arya tried to think about the good moments that she had in the city. She thought about meeting Gendry and how he somehow helped make the worst day of her life a little better. She thought about the image of Gendry placing the crown he made on Daenerys' head and how she got word that someone had painted that scene for history. Arya thought about watching Mya, Bella, and Edric getting legitimized and how they stood a little taller without their bastard names following them around. Now she was going to witness a wedding that would bring real peace to all of Westeros. A marriage that would truly bring the peace that they all spent years bleeding and dying for.

This has to be a good memory.

Arya did her best to keep herself calm as they made their way south. They didn't run into Edmure or Robin as they made their way to King's Landing for the wedding, and Arya was actually grateful for it. They had a smaller group, and it was better that way. She still didn't like traveling with large groups, and a large group would just remind her of the last time they went south to go to war. She was trying not to think about that as they approached King's Landing. The city looked good as they rode in during the mid-afternoon. The people seemed happy, and Arya could see that no one looked like they were starving. The city didn't even smell as bad as it used to, and that was a relief.

Val found the entire thing fascinating as she looked around with wide eyes. She hadn't been to a city like this before, and she already seemed uncomfortable with the heat. The number of people around her seemed to be bothering her too. Arya could tell, but she could also tell that Val was doing her best to hide it as well. Both her and Jon wore their crowns as they went through the city, and people were whispering about who they were. Val's hair was braided and hanging over her shoulder, and she looked like she was doing her best not to let all of the people around her get to her. Arya knew this feeling all too well.

Missandei was waiting for them when they rode up to the Red Keep, and she smiled when she saw them.

"Your Graces, it's lovely to see you both again," she said with a bow. "Please, come with me, Her Grace would love to see and meet you both for the first time." Arya tried to hide her surprise when she saw Jon reach over to take Val's hand as they walked into the Red Keep. She knew they were friends, but she didn't realize that they were that close. Arya glanced at Gendry, who was smirking a little and wiggled his eyebrows as the handholding. Arya rolled her eyes and took Gendry's hand into hers as they walked into the Red Keep.

Daenerys was waiting for them in the throne room, and she looked just as breathtaking as she did the last time she saw them. She was wearing a dark blue dress with maroon lining. The collar was open to show her shoulders, and the sleeves were wide. For a Queen, she looked comfortable, which was surprising for southern dresses. The man sitting next to her was someone that Arya hadn't met yet, but that she could only assume was Quentyn Martell. His robes were the color of desert sand with intricate designs and an open collar that showed off plenty of his chest. His hair was dark and curly, and he wore it loose around his shoulders. They were talking quietly to each other when the doors opened, but Daenerys on her feet in moments. There was no one else around, so it appeared that no one was bothering to be formal.

Jon and Daenerys both embraced each other like long lost friends and stood there in each other's arms for a long time. Arya knew that they were close, but it was strange to see it for the first time.

"Jon, it's so lovely to see you again," Daenerys said. "Please, forgive me for being unable to make it to your own wedding while asking you to come to mine. It seemed incredibly rude."

"If they had happened in the opposite order, I would have had to turn down yours for the same reason," Jon said. "Speaking of which, allow me to introduce my wife, Queen Val Stark of the Free Folk."

"Queen Daenerys, it's an honor to finally meet you. Jon speaks so highly of you," Val said with a bow of her head.

"And Jon had spoken very highly about you in our correspondents," Daenerys replied with a bow. She gestured to Quentyn, and he walked over to join them. "Allow me to introduce my betrothed, Lord Quentyn Martell of Dorne. Quentyn, I'd like you to meet my nephew, King Jon Stark of the North, and his wife, Queen Val of the Free Folk."

"Thank you both for coming," Quentyn said, and he looked over Jon and Val's shoulders to see Arya and Gendry keeping their distance. "This must be your cousin who made your lovely crown. He looks just like his brothers."

"That he does," Daenerys said as she walked with Quentyn over to Arya and Gendry. "Quentyn, my cousin, Ser Gendry Stark, and Princess Arya Stark." Everyone nodded their heads toward each other, and Daenerys threw her arms around Gendry and held him tightly. "I want you to know I've been keeping an eye on your brother and sisters."

"Of course you have," Gendry said as they broke their hug. "Let me guess; they are doing a magnificent job."

"I couldn't ask for a better Lord or Ladies," Daenerys said. "I saw almost right away why you had so much confidence in them." They all dined in Daenerys' private solar that night, and Arya had to say it was a much nicer time than the last time she had been in this solar. The last time she was begging for Gendry's life as Cersei told her that Gendry had more than one use when it came to his royal blood. When Cersei said that she would use Gendry as a bargaining tool to get Daenerys to spare her life or convince any other House's not to rebel against her. Now she was sipping wine and listening to the stories that they all shared. It was nice, and unlike anything she had ever experienced in King's Landing.

"I'm not joking!" Daenerys said as she drank her wine. "This sellsword walked into the Red Keep and said that he'd been promised a castle by the Lannister's and I was the one who had to hold up that debt. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It took all of my composure not to laugh him out of my throne room."

"I hope you didn't give him a castle," Val said.

"I showed him the door and not much else. He was not pleased about it, but I am not here to uphold the debts of the Lannister's. I already have enough problems covering the debts that Robert and Cersei put us in with the Iron Bank, let alone promises that weren't even made in writing," Daenerys said, and she looked tired for the first time since they all sat down for food. Quentyn reached over and touched her hand, and Daenerys smiled. They appeared to like each other, which was nice. There were so few women in power that got the chance to marry someone that they actually liked, and while a marriage to a Martell was a smart political move, it appeared that it could lead to a happy marriage as well. It was probably more than Daenerys could have hoped for in these trying times.

"I wanted to ask you a favor," Daenerys said as they finished another bottle of wine. "I'm holding court after my wedding with all of my allies present. I believe it would be good to have all of us in one room so we can finally agree on all of the terms of our various alliances. Could you stay an extra few days after the wedding?" Jon and Val glanced at each other and nodded. Arya wanted to leave immediately, but she couldn't do that without it looking insulting to Daenerys. She was a Princess, and even though she hated court, she needed to be here for whatever they needed to talk about. They needed as many people as possible representing the interests of the North now that the possibility of peace in Westeros was a real thing that could all have.

Arya lost track of how many bottles of wine they all drank, and the world was swimming a bit by the time they all stumbled to their feet to go to their rooms. Arya leaned heavily on Gendry as they walked down the halls to the same room they stayed in the last time they were in King's Landing.

"If we're not too hungover tomorrow, I'd like to take you around the city," Gendry said as they both collapsed onto the bed nearly fully clothed. Arya didn't care to take off her boots, let alone anything else, but she knew that she needed to.

"All right, show me that this city isn't as bad as I think it is," Arya replied. Gendry smirked, and they both nearly fell off the bed as they stripped off their layers. Arya was asleep within moments of her head hitting the pillow, and the wine helped her sleep without dreams.

"An Aunt that appears to be your age?" Val said as they walked into the room that they would be sharing. Daenerys didn't get them separate beds, and Jon knew that if they asked, she would make sure that some were brought in, but Val didn't ask, and Jon was a bit too drunk to think about that right now. Well, he was a little drunk, but unlike Arya and Gendry, who could both barely stand, Jon was mostly just tired.

"My blood family is a bit of a mess, and that is a huge understatement," Jon said as he began to peel off his layers. "I much prefer the family I was raised with and the one I've chosen." Val walked over, so she was very much in his space. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair and touched his face gently.

"You would look strange with white-blonde hair and purple eyes," she whispered. Ever since they had laid together the night of their wedding, they hadn't since. They shared a bed, and sometimes Jon woke up with Val in his arms; they hadn't been intimate since that night. He wasn't in a massive rush for it, and neither was she, but the wine was clouding his judgment just a little as he looked down at her. Val took her lower lip between her teeth, and that was all the encouragement that Jon needed. He leaned down and captured her mouth into a harsh kiss. He didn't have to second guess whether or not Val wanted this; she moaned against his mouth and arched against his body, so there wasn't any space between them.

"I don't want our second time together to be a drunken tumble," Jon whispered against her lips, and Val smiled.

"Always the romantic," she replied as Val wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, drunken tumbles then, but perhaps we could just kiss?" Jon thought that sounded like the best idea in the world and leaned in to kiss her again. They had to break apart to get down to enough clothes to sleep comfortably, but as soon as Jon could kiss her again, he did. He loathed to be apart from her for long, and he pulled Val close as they lay side by side in bed. They kissed and kissed until Jon couldn't feel his lips anyone, and he fell asleep with Val in his arms for the first time.

Arya was indeed hungover the next morning, but a morning cup of wine and some food helped chase it away. Gendry took her hand, and they went out into the city. They both dressed down but didn't do a lot to hide their appearance either. Arya wished she was surprised when they got to Flea Bottom, and several people walked up to Gendry and greeted him warmly. Gendry introduced her to people that knew him when he was smaller.

"Such a good boy," a woman who owned the tavern that Gendry's mother worked in before she passed away. "If I needed the hands, I would have kept him around, but I just didn't have the space at the time."

"You made sure I had food to eat before Tohbo took me in," Gendry said.

"And now look at you! Our little bastard boy married to a proper princess! Making all sorts of beautiful things for the nobles!" she said.

"You all know about that?" Arya asked, and she was a little surprised that information like that was out there for the smallfolk to know about.

"Oh yes, we're all quite proud of this here boy and all of his accomplishments," the woman said, and she ruffled Gendry's hair. "Him and Ser Davos are proof that we can rise above this shit hole if we want." Gendry smiled, but the smile looked a bit more brittle. He took her hand as they walked through Flea Bottom.

"I don't know how to tell them how much of it was luck for Davos and me," Gendry said as they walked. "I want to tell them that it was luck and being in the right place and the right time, but that doesn't help them. It doesn't give them hope, and you need hope when you're this poor."

"I can't even imagine what it was like," Arya whispered as they walked. She remembered these streets, but she hadn't lived on them for years of her life. She didn't eat Bowls of Brown and wondered what was in them. They got to Tobho Mott's forge, but the building was burned down. It was apparently one of the casualties of the Battle of King's Landing, and no one had tried to rebuild it yet. "You were hoping the building was still here."

"I was," Gendry said, and he squeezed her hand. "He sent me those ingots of the Valyrian Steel. I thought if I went through everything here, maybe I could find some sort of hint about what was going on. He stayed in the city after it burned down but, by then, he knew he was dying, and there wasn't any point in rebuilding. He died in an inn not far from here."

"Let's go see if the inn has anything," Arya said as she tugged on Gendry's hand. He glanced over his shoulder at the ruined building, and they found the inn that Mott had died in. There were a few pieces of clothing and some of his old tools, but not much else. Gendry told the owner to make sure the clothes went to someone who needed them and took the tools. They were the tools he learned to the smith, so they had value to him. Arya figured if Mott wanted Gendry to have the steel, then he would have no problem with Gendry taking the tools as well. Gendry packed them in a bag and slung them over his shoulder. They spent the rest of the afternoon seeing the city and trying not to get lost in old memories.