Part Ten

It was dark by the time they arrived in King's Landing. No one has spoken to them since they set off and Arya was more than okay with that. No one even looked at them so she refused to let go of Gendry's hand. He seemed to get tenser as King's Landing came into view and she squeezed his hand. She knew he didn't have many good memories in this city and that returning likely reminded him of everything he had lost.

In their travels, Arya spent a lot of time talking about her own family. The things that were done to them was the reason they were fighting back against the Lannister's. They were only two people and if they couldn't get to Cersei's side to kill her then the least they could do was make things harder for her. It was a year into their travels, as she was telling Gendry another story about Winterfell and all the adventures with her brothers, that she realized she never asked him about his own childhood. The next night she did and Gendry smiled at her sadly.

"I'm afraid there isn't much to tell," he said sadly. "My mother died when I was little and I barely remember her face let alone her name. I never knew who my father was so I was alone for a long time until Master Mott took me on as an apprentice. Then I just worked to stay alive." It was moments like that Arya remembered that despite how badly things were with her family now she had grown up in a good home. She might have butted heads with her mother and sister but deep down she knew her family loved her and she loved them. The idea of having no one at all made Arya feel a little sick to her stomach. She reached over and took Gendry's hand that night.

"You're not alone now," she assured him which made him smile. Now they were returning to the city that nearly killed them both and there was no telling if they were ever going to get out.

"I thought I would miss it," Gendry said as they got closer to the city. "This was the only place I had ever known for my whole life and I left it all behind one day. I thought I would miss it but coming back I'm just realizing that I never did. King's Landing never felt like home."

"I find it hard to believe anyone could consider this place home," Arya mumbled and Gendry smirked. He knocked their shoulders together and sighed heavily. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't met?"

"Sure," Gendry replied. "I'd be dead. If you weren't with Yoren that night the gold cloaks attacked they would have turned me over in a heartbeat. I'd be a corpse somewhere in the Riverlands or dead somewhere here in King's Landing."

"I don't think I would have survived either," she said.

"You would have." Gendry squeezed her hand and she turned to look at him. "You're a survivor and clever. I have no doubt in my mind that you would survive without me." Arya opened her mouth to say something but Gendry leaned over and kissed her. "And I know what you're going to say; just because you could survive without me doesn't mean you want to."

"You're not nearly as amusing as you think you are," Arya said and despite the gates of King's Landing opening before they she found herself smiling and even laughing a little. Gendry shook his head and laughed too. It felt like such a long time since she'd seen him smile and laugh and Arya wanted to commit it to her memory. There was no doubt in her mind that there would be few reasons to laugh or smile once they got to the Red Keep.

It was the dead of night but there were still people moving about the city. When they saw the gold cloaks and their cage they stopped to stare. She wondered if any of them would recognize or remember Gendry. She wondered if any of them knew that they were the Wolf and Bull that had helped so many people outside of these walls and if they would help if they did.

The gold cloaks and their cage came to a halt and Arya tried to steal her expression so they wouldn't see fear. She refused to show fear to these people. The captain opened the door with a sword in one hand and gestured for the two of them to get out of the cage.

"If you make any funny moves I'll take a hand from one of you," he warned. Arya could tell that he meant every word of that and even if they did try to fight back right now they didn't stand a chance of getting away. Arya climbed out of the cage and ignored the way one of the guards roughly took her arm. Gendry followed and he wisely didn't say anything about the guard putting hands on her. The last thing either of them needed was a fight right now.

The Red Keep hadn't changed in the years since Arya had set foot within its walls. There was a new king now and she remembered Tommen as a sweet boy. Arya wondered if she was going to get the chance to appeal to him because that was something that could save her life. She didn't exactly play with the young prince but she hadn't gone out of her way to ignore him either. He just wasn't the sort of boy she wanted to interact with at the time. If she could figure out a way to get an audience with him or the new Queen then maybe she could save both her and Gendry's lives.

It was odd to go through the keep and see corners that she recognized. Arya hadn't gone too close to the black cells when she chased cats as a little girl but that didn't mean she stayed completely away. Gendry, on the other hand, was looking at the palace like it was something out of a dream. He was born in the shadow of this fortress and this was his father's house despite everything that had happened. He was more like a king than Joffrey ever had been.

The guards dragged the two of them down the steps and into the cells. There were people crying and screaming but Arya forced herself not to listen. As they approach a door the captain turned and looked at her.

"Let's make sure you're not hiding anything," he said with a disgusting smirk. He used the excuse of searching for weapons as a reason to put his hands all over her. Arya felt her skin crawl as he touched every inch of her body and she could hear Gendry trying to get away from the guards that held on tight to him. Eventually, he found her wedding ring. "Well, what do we have here?" Arya wanted to tell him, no, not to take that because it was precious to her, but the captain ripped the ring off of her finger and looked it over. "Looks hand forged. Did you make this for your lady wife, bastard?"

"A ring is not a weapon," Gendry snapped. The captain walked over and removed the ring from Gendry's finger as well.

"The craftsmanship isn't terrible but a high born lady deserves better than this," the captain said as he nodded to the guard. They began to check Gendry for weapons too and Arya met his gaze and held it. She could see that infamous Baratheon temper rising to the surface and she prayed that he wouldn't do anything foolish.

"No weapons sir," one of the men reported and the captain nodded as he looked at the two rings in his hand.

"I'm curious to see what the Queen Mother does to the bastard that dared touch a valuable high born lady," he said and Arya hated the world she was born into yet again. It didn't matter that the marriage between her and Gendry was something they both wanted he was going to get the blame regardless of what she said.

"I demand an audience with King Tommen," Arya said. She stood up a little taller and tried to channel her lady mother into her voice.

"The King has much more important things than to entertain the whims of a woman only good for trading favors," the captain said. He nodded and Arya found herself forcibly thrown into a cell. She stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. For a moment she panicked as the thought of being alone terrified her. For some reason, fate decided to give her a little happiness as Gendry was pushed into the same cell. They were going to be in the same cell and Arya was so relieved she thought she was going to cry. The captain pocketed their wedding bands and left them alone in the cells.

Gendry waited until they were alone to pull her into his arms and hold on tight. he didn't want to let him go and the thought of losing him made Arya's stomach twist into anxious knots. She needed to see Tommen at all costs. He was their possible salvation and she needed to protect her family. They both sank to their knees while still wrapped up in each others arms. She wanted to promise that everything was going to be okay but that was not a promise that Arya could keep.

They were left alone for half a day and every time a guard came down Arya loudly demanded an audience with the King. At some point she figured that the right person would hear something and report to the King that a noble was in the black cells and demanding to speak to him. The Stark name might not be worth much anymore but it had to be worth something. It had to be worth a chance to talk to the shy boy that she barely remembered from her childhood.

A Kingsguard stood in front of their cell and glared at the two of them like they weren't worth anything.

"The King has agreed to your request for an audience, Lady Stark," he said. The door to the cell opened and they took her roughly by the arm. When Gendry took a step toward her one of the guards pulled out a sword. "Just the Lady. The King has no use for speaking to a bastard." Gendry narrowed his eyes but put his hands up in surrender and took a step back.

"Be careful," he said softly. Arya nodded and let herself get lead through the Red Keep and into the throne room. She was expecting Cersei to be there and was pleased to see just Tommen on the throne with no one else save for a few members of the guard. He was bigger now but Arya recognized the same kind eyes she saw as a child. He was so unlike his brother and while she hated anyone with Lannister blood she also knew that Tommen and Myrcella were just as much victims of their brother and mother's madness as everyone else was.

"Lady Arya Stark," Tommen said. "It's been a very long time since we have seen each other. Everyone assumed you died many years ago."

"Your Grace," Arya replied as she bowed. "We were both children when we saw each other last and now I come before you with a request."

"My captains tell me that you and your husband have been killing my soldiers and stealing from me for many years, do you deny this?" Tommen asked.

"I don't deny it. The people of Westeros suffered greatly during the many wars and I was doing my best to keep them fed and happy if possible," Arya replied. "My husband is the reason I wanted to speak to you. I know that it is likely you will ransom me back to the North in exchange for something from my brother."

"That's what my advisors tell me to do," Tommen said as he looked at her. "I seem to remember that you never wanted to get married. I remember a little girl that wanted to be a knight or warrior more than anything." Arya had to smile to herself a little as she thought about the little girl that she used to be.

"My husband is a good man, Your Grace. One that was driven out of King's Landing at the same time I was and has fought for his life ever since," she hesitated because revealing this to Tommen could make things worse but as Arya looked at this King she could still see the kind boy she remembered as a child. "Do you remember your mother and brother ordered the murder of all of your late father's bastards?"

"Yes," Tommen said. "Or I should say I learned about it after the fact."

"My husband, Gendry, he was one of those bastards forced to flee King's Landing or he would have been killed," she said carefully.

"You're saying he could be my half brother," Tommen said though he did not say it like a question but a statement. Arya nodded and watched he leaned back in the iron throne to think. "Guard," Tommen said after a long silence. "Bring me Lady Arya's husband immediately."

"Your Grace, I was under orders-"

"I am the King and my orders are the ones that matter. Bring him here immediately," Tommen said. The guards stood up a little taller and bowed as several of them rushed out of the room to go and get Gendry. Arya could only imagine that the orders came from Cersei who probably didn't want either of them actually talking to the new King and Queen. The Queen, Arya noted, hadn't been brought up just yet and she wondered whether or not she could appeal to the romantic in Tommen and if he believed in love.

"You are married as well, Your Grace?" Arya asked since they had some time before Gendry would make his way up to the throne room.

"I am," Tommen replied and he smiled a little. "I care about her very much which I know is rare. It's not often that royals get the chance to fall in love with their wives or husbands but I feel very fortunate that I care about her. Between her and my faith I have everything I could need until we decide to have children."

"Your faith?" Arya knew that Tommen likely believed in the Seven but there was something about the way he said "faith" that made Arya pay attention.

"Yes, Westeros will be moving forward in a new era with the crown united with the faith as we work together," he said and Tommen looked proud for the first time. It seemed that this was the thing that he was the most proud of. She wanted to ask him more but the doors opened and two guards dragged Gendry into the throne room.

"What happened?" Arya asked as soon as he was close enough. In the small amount of time that they were separated Gendry seemed to have acquired a dark bruise around one of his eyes and a cut on his lip that was still bleeding.

"It seems the guards took issue with my attitude," he replied. Gendry looked up and made eye contact with Tommen who was on his feet. The two men stared each other down like they weren't entirely sure what to do with each other. Tommen began to make his way down the steps and Gendry averted his gaze down to the floor. Arya hadn't seen him look away from someone like this in a long time and she wondered if this was the man she would have met on the streets of steel all of those years ago. "Your Grace."

"Who are you?" Tommen asked which was clearly not the question that Gendry was expecting. He glanced at Arya but she shook her head silently; she didn't know why Tommen was asking this either.

"I'm just a blacksmith, Your Grace. I was born right here in King's Landing and left several years ago where I met the Lady Arya. We have traveled together ever since," Gendry replied which was an extremely short explanation but not a lie either.

"And your name?"

"Gendry, Your Grace, and I'm a bastard. I have no last name." Gendry glanced up from the floor as Tommen stood right in front of him. Now that they were standing side by side Arya realized that they looked nothing alike. If she saw them walking down the street together she would have assumed they were friends and not half brothers.

"The Lady Arya tells me that there is a chance that Robert Baratheon is your father. Do you believe that's true?" Tommen asked.

"I'm not sure what I believe is relevant, Your Grace. I was targeted to be killed when your late brother ordered all of the King's bastards killed and I've been told that I resemble him. My mother died when I was very young, I don't remember her name or her face, so there isn't anyone I could ask. I could be but what I believe doesn't really matter. It's what everyone else believes," Gendry replied.

"So there is a chance we could be family on some level," Tommen said softly. "Lady Arya, were you aware of the rumors surrounding my mother?"

"Rumors?" Arya asked. "I'm afraid we know very little of anything that happened in the South for the last several years, Your Grace." Tommen stood up a little taller and for the first time really looked like a King.

"There are rumors that I'm not Robert Baratheon's son. They say that I might the child of an affair between my mother and my Uncle Jaime," Tommen said as he clasped his hands behind his back. "If that is the case that we are not related by blood, Gendry, but by marriage. My mother did marry your father even if he is no longer with us. If am Robert's son then you are my half brother and the only sibling I know of that is still alive. Regardless, that makes you family." Arya didn't know what to say to those statements and when she looked at Gendry he was openly gawking at Tommen with shock. "You said you are a blacksmith, are you talented?"

"All of the weapons we traveled with, save for one, were made by Gendry," Arya said when a beat of silence passed and it was clear Gendry was at a loss for words. "He also made our wedding rings."

"Where are the rings? I don't see either of you wearing them," Tommen said.

"The guards took them from us," Gendry said and he sounded winded like he'd just run across a field.

"Bring me the rings," Tommen ordered and a moment later the guard that took their rings dropped them into the King's hand. Tommen looked them over and smiled a little to himself.

"These were made with care. I can respect that." Tommen walked over and handed both Arya and Gendry back their wedding rings. "The matter of your crimes against the crown and how it will be handled is complicated and not something that believe I can judge at the moment. There is an important trial happening at the Sept in two days but after that I will talk with my advisors about what should be done with the two of you. Until then, since you are family and a Lady of a great house, I won't be leaving you in the black cells. Instead you'll be given a room in the tower, far too high to escape from, where you'll be guarded until I have decided on a sentence for both of you."

"That is very generous of you, Your Grace," Arya said when she managed to catch up to everything that she just heard.

"Thank you," Gendry whispered. Tommen nodded and didn't say anything about how Gendry didn't refer to him by his title.

"I'm hoping to run a different kingdom from my father and my brother," Tommen said as he looked at the two of them. He gestured to the guards who began to lead Arya and Gendry away from the throne room. Everything seemed like it was going a bit too well but Arya wasn't about to fight it. They were brought high into the castle until the guards pushed open a small guest room. There was a bed, a table with three chairs, a single window looking out over the city, and nothing else. The guard shoved Arya into the room a little hard and she stumbled as Gendry joined her.

"The King has shown you mercy. For now. It would be in your best interests if you didn't test that mercy by doing anything stupid while in this room," the guard snapped. Arya could feel the threat in that statement and watched as he slammed the door shut. There was the sound of it locking from the outside.

"We've changed from one cage to another," Gendry said as he began to look around the room.

"At least this one has a bed," Arya replied.