Chapter Sixteen
When Ser Davos failed to turn up for a full day Arya guessed that he must have taken Tyrion to King's Landing. She just hoped that they managed to get out of the city with the way things were looking the last time. Gendry told her that he didn't think the riots were going to stop, in fact, he thought they were going to get worse, and Cersei was going to respond to them badly. When she inevitably responded to them badly they were only going to get worse until all hell broke loose in the city. There were half a million people in that city and Arya tried not to think about someone like Gendry, a working-class man trying to get by, would be doing in that kind of city.
Tyrion being gone meant that there was one less person around that could recognize Gendry. Jon stopped by in the early morning to say that he was going to ask Daenerys to come down to the beach for a walk. While they were walking he would reveal that he was going to do an introduction. There was a chance that Daenerys handmaiden, Missandei, might be with her but that she wasn't a threat. She wouldn't know what a Baratheon looked like either.
"This is a bad idea," Arya said after Jon left.
"This is our only chance to meet this queen so we can go North," Gendry replied. He was looking a little pale today, more so than usual, and he didn't sleep well the night before. He kept assuring her that he was fine but she didn't believe it. They needed to go North and they needed to go there quickly.
"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Arya replied as she turned her wedding band around her finger.
"We can't hide here forever. We need to get off of Dragonstone one way or another," Gendry said. He failed to mention that one of the "other" ways turning to ash and being blown away by the wind. Arya could hear voices approaching the caves and she stood up. Her and Gendry brushed the sand from their clothes and waited patiently. She reached over and took his hand and laced their fingers together. They would draw on each other's strength.
"I just wanted to keep her safe and the fewer people know that they are here the better. I wouldn't want a spy getting back to Cersei that I have her escaped prisoners," Jon explained as they walked into the cave. They had decided that telling most of the truth was better than a lie; they were wanted fugitives for their work as Wolf and Bull and that was a good reason to keep them away from Cersei. They also decided it was best if Gendry introduced himself as a "Rivers" instead of a "Waters". The more distance they could put between him and King's Landing the better. It was Arya's idea and she still didn't like it.
Jon walked a woman dressed in grey clothing with a dragon brooch on her shoulder and an intricate chain that went across her chest. Her hair was white and her eyes a strange violet color, unlike anything Arya had ever seen before. Behind her was a woman with curly hair and darker skin wearing another dragon broach.
"I would like to introduce my little sister, Arya Stark, and her husband, Gendry Rivers," Jon said.
"May I present Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons," the woman, Arya could only assume this was Missandei, announced. Despite the significant amount of pain it caused them both Arya and Gendry bowed to this woman in front of them. She held herself like a Queen, Arya noted, and with the number of titles she had, she didn't blame her sense of righteousness.
"Lady Arya," Daenerys said. "King Jon was just explaining to me the terrible thing you and your husband went through. You were very lucky to escape the Black Cells."
"We were, Your Grace," Arya said and she squeezed Gendry's hand and he squeezed it back. "Now I just want to go back to the North and be with my family."
"I see," Daenerys turned her gaze to Gendry and narrowed her eyes. "A lady of a great house marrying a man with no real last name is not common here in Westeros. Why did you marry?"
"For love, Your Grace," Gendry said without hesitation. "Arya means everything to me and I would do anything to keep her safe. That includes marrying her to try and conceal the fact that she was a Stark and someone sought after by the Lannister's." Arya was impressed by how confidently he was speaking to this woman who could beckon a dragon to eat them both.
"You plan to go North with King Jon then?" Daenerys asked. "They are currently planning a mission beyond the Wall to capture a wright to prove to Cersei Lannister that the dead are real and she needs to join us. Will you be joining that mission?"
"No, Your Grace," Arya said. "We are both hurt from our time in the Black Cells and neither of us could travel very far on a horse, let alone on foot." She hesitated and glanced at Gendry. "Your Grace, if I may speak freely. Gendry and I both got the chance to speak to Cersei twice while we were in the Black Cells. Once together and then we were separated the other times. She is not someone you can reason with."
"Arya, we need the Crown to help win this war," Jon said.
"I don't doubt that," Gendry said. "But she blew up the Sept of Balor and killed who knows how many civilians doing that. The city is about to tear itself apart with riots and she is letting it happen, Your Graces. She's not someone who can be reasoned with." Daenerys watched them both with an odd expression on her face.
"My hand tells me there could be hope if we can sway Jaime Lannister," she said.
"Jaime does have some honor left, Your Grace," Arya said. "But that doesn't mean Cersei will listen to him. She's mad and you can reason with someone who's mad."
"I would insist you come up to the castle to rest but Jon says that we cannot risk someone finding out that you are here," Daenerys said.
"I can have them both waiting on the boat for them I leave to go North one way or another," Jon replied. There was an odd tension between Daenerys and Jon that Arya didn't quite trust. She knew this woman wanted Jon to bend the knee to her reign. There were many risks involved with that including losing the support of the Northern Lords. Arya knew those men, she remembered them from her childhood, and she could only assume the many years of war hadn't dulled their stubbornness.
"I will talk to my advisors about your suggestion regarding Cersei," Daenerys said. She nodded to Missandei and they walked out of sight. Arya released a breath she didn't know she was holding and slumped against the wall.
"I want our family together again as soon as possible," Jon said. "We will leave for the North as soon as we decide whether or not we're going to go beyond the Wall." Arya didn't bother to tell Jon it was a stupid plan because she had already told him multiple times. Cersei would never pledge troops or fight for the good of Westeros. She didn't care about the people in the city she had to look at every day; she wouldn't care about the North or anyone else. "Gather your things and pull up your cloaks. I'm taking you both to the boat."
"Still alive for now," Gendry said softly as they walked toward the boat that was docked near Dragonstone. They both looked up and could see the dragons circling the island. She could only assume they were protecting it and Daenerys. "What am I going to do if she allies with Jon and comes North to fight? Her advisors and the people who would recognize me would be coming too."
"We'll deal with that problem when it happens," Arya whispered back. "I'm hoping that once she sees we're in the North and plan to stay there then she'll decide that we aren't a threat." Jon lead them both back to his ship that would be sailing for White Harbor soon.
The plan was to hope that either the plan beyond the Wall gets scraped and there isn't anyone from Daenerys' circle traveling with them. In which case it wouldn't matter who saw them. Or that they could hide Gendry's identity for the trip North and then separate from the group after they headed for Eastwatch. The excuse as to why they couldn't travel together was that Arya and Gendry were injured and needed to travel much more slowly. It was a plan that relied far too much on luck for Arya's tastes but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. Jon took them below deck into a small room connected to where he would sleep.
"No one should bother you here," he said. "We'll be shipping off soon." He turned and left them alone on the boat. Arya looked around the tiny room and took in the small bed that could barely fit the two of them and the lack of storage.
"We're in servants quarters," she said. "He's right when he said no one should look for us here."
"I'll take a bed over sand," Gendry said as he started to peel off the many layers the two of them were wearing. Arya hoped there were some clothes the two of them could borrow to help keep them warm in the North. Gendry stripped down to just his breeches and handed Arya his shirt. She wanted to just wear that but the idea of Jon walking in on the two of them made it seem like a bad idea. Instead, she wore the shirt and her own breeches untied. "I suppose this means I'll need to start calling you milady again."
"Don't you dare," Arya warned as the two of them settled into the bed. Gendry winced but put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.
"As milady commands," he whispered against her lips. "And you can't hit me for that because I'm too injured."
"As if I couldn't find another way of punishing you," Arya replied. They were both smiling when they leaned in for the kiss and Arya couldn't remember the last time they got a chance to kiss like this. She knew there was a chance that Jon could walk in at any moment and they couldn't go any further but it felt so good to lie on a bed and exchange soft kisses with the man she loved. Arya opened her mouth to him and their soft kisses were no longer so soft. They were wet and left her breathless and there was a good chance it was leaving Gendry breathless as well which was probably hell on his ribs. She reluctantly pulled away and pressed their foreheads together.
Arya wanted to be free of pain. She wanted to be in Winterfell with her family so she could live her life. She wanted peace but the dead were coming and there was still a fight for the Iron Throne which the North could easily get drawn into. She wondered if there was anywhere in Westeros they could go where they would be truly safe.
Jon tried to steal his nerves as he made his way to the painted room for the meeting with Daenerys. He wanted to go back North and get Arya and Gendry back to Winterfell as soon as possible but every time he seemed like he was ready to go something else would happen. Now they were going to decide if going beyond the Wall to find a wright was the right decision to make. All he could think about were the dark bruises on Arya and Gendry's bodies, the way they both moved like they had multiple broken bones. There were odd marks on Gendry's face like someone had scratched him and Arya told him that Cersei. That was how she reacted the first time she saw him.
'She's mad and you can reason with someone who's mad,' he thought. 'That's what Arya said.' The more he thought about it the more sense it made. They couldn't accuse Cersei of being mad and then try to appeal to the logic of self-preservation. It didn't make sense and there wasn't any reason why they would even think about trusting her even if she did agree.
"Your sister and her husband are safely below deck then?" Davos asked as he joined Jon on his trek to the room.
"Yes, I put them in my servant's quarters. I'm hoping no one will look for them there," Jon replied. They walked into the room to see Daenerys standing with Missandei, Tyrion, Varys, and Jorah.
"What did you learn from your trip to King's Landing, Lord Tyrion?" Daenerys asked.
"Cersei is pregnant again," he said. "Jaime thinks that will be enough to convince her to help fight for the realm."
"She blew up the Sept of Balor," Davos said. "King's Landing is a riot right now as people try to fight back against the destruction of such an important relic. Cersei did that."
"I know but-"
"Lord Tyrion, your sister is mad, do you agree with that statement?" Jon asked.
"Yes, she probably is, but I'm not sure-" Tyrion began.
"Then why do you assume that you can win this fight logically?" Daenerys said and Jon released a breath. So she was listening to Arya and Gendry and that made him feel a little better.
"A mission beyond the Wall is dangerous to everyone included and for all, we know we could bring her proof and she still wouldn't come to fight for us," Jon explained and he looked at Daenerys. "The Crown won't help so all the more reason for you and me to agree to fight together."
"So then you plan to bend the knee, King Jon?" Daenerys asked.
"Is now really the time to be talking about this?" Jon leaned heavily on the table and thought about the horrors he'd seen beyond the Wall. He knew what was coming for them and that didn't make this any easier. "Right now the threat lies beyond the Wall. If we start drawing political lines we'll still be here arguing while the dead march over all of Westeros. We need to come to an accord and decide on country lines at a later date, Your Grace."
"You believe I should fight for the North only to have the North remain apart from my Kingdom once this war ends? When you leave me with no men to take King's Landing?" Daenerys said as she narrowed her eyes.
"No, you pledge to fight for Winterfell and the North will fight for you. Once you are on the Iron Throne we can discuss the topic of independence then but right now, Your Grace, it doesn't matter. If the North falls then the dead will just move South and take the Riverlands, the Crownlands, The Stormlands, all of Westeros. Fighting for the North is fighting for Westeros," Jon sighed heavily and looked up at her. "Your Grace, we need every man we can get and if I bend the knee to you now I could lose support from the Northern lords."
"And when all of this ends I'm supposed to just trust that you'll send men North to help me as well?" Daenerys snapped.
"Yes," Jon said without hesitation. "Whether the North remains independent or not we'd still have to trade with each other and we'd share a border. That means any sort of border would need to be heavily negotiated and now just isn't the time to do that. We're going to war together Daenerys; if you don't trust me then we're going to lose. Both of us. And if we lose everyone is going to die and it won't matter who holds the North or the Iron Throne." Daenerys looked at the table in front of her and frowned deeply. Tyrion looked like he'd just bit into a lemon while Vary's was staring at Jon like he was trying to see through him.
"King Jon, will you please excuse us for a moment, I wish to talk to my advisors," Daenerys said. Jon bowed and walked out of the room as Davos followed. If she didn't help with the fight against the dead then there was no chance that they were going to win. He just hoped that she could see beyond the Iron Throne and titles right now and see the bigger picture. He could but he also knew that the North wouldn't take kindly to another Queen walking in without notice. They could rebel and they needed the Northern lords to pledge their men.
"Do you think she'll align with us?" Davos asked.
"I hope so," Jon said.
Jon paced around the castle for the entire time that Daenerys was conferring with her advisors. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do if they decided not to come North to help him. The Riverlands were not an option and they didn't have anyone who could rally the Stormlands. For half a second he thought that maybe Gendry and Arya could do that but he dismissed it immediately. They didn't want anything to do with this and he wouldn't ask them to become involved like that. Daenerys told him that the Reach, Dorne, and the Ironborn were no longer available. Theon had gone out to rescue his sister but they would have the full Iron Fleet and sailors did them no good against the dead.
Missandei walked out of the room and approached them after what felt like an entire day of deliberation.
"Your Grace, please join us," she said. Jon glanced at Davos and tried to school his face so he wouldn't reveal just how nervous he was. They walked back into the room and Jon immediately noted that Tyrion looked extremely unhappy which boded well for him.
"King Jon, I have carefully considered your proposal and I agree that for the good of the realm we must stand together. As long as I have your word as a Stark that we will revisit the discussion of a unified Westeros when the battle with the dead is over then we have an accord," Daenerys said. She walked forward and offered Jon her hand. "I pledge to fight for the North."
"And in exchange, I pledge that the North will help you take the Iron Throne," Jon replied as he took her hand. "I need to make my way to Eastwatch as soon as possible. I need to talk to the other brothers on the wall and see how much time we have."
"I would like to send Ser Jorah with you as well," Daenerys said as they released each other's hands. "As a sign of our new alliance of course." Out of the people she could have sent Jorah was the one who likely wouldn't recognize Gendry as a Baratheon right away. He was expecting this but that didn't mean he was looking forward to keeping his sister and her husband locked in a ship for several days.
"Of course. I'd like to leave as soon as possible for the North, will everything be prepared by morning, Your Grace?" Jon asked and Daenerys smiled a little.
"Yes it will, Your Grace," she replied. For the first time, he felt like she was seeing him as an equal and not a little boy playing king. He nodded and walked out of the room with Davos following close behind. This was much better than he could have anticipated. He thought he would have to bend the knee to get her to help.
"That was very wise," Davos said as they walked toward their rooms. "Your father would be proud of how well you're handling diplomacy."
"Right now I just want to get back to the North so I can figure out how much time we have. I'd like to keep some men here and have them start mining for dragon glass. Then when Daenerys and her army comes North we'll have the supplies we need to start making weapons. We're going to need as much as we can carry," Jon said. "Make sure that you bring a small amount with you so I can give it to Gendry. Arya said he was a blacksmith so maybe he can figure out how to use it effectively."
"Right away, Your Grace," Davos said and he walked away to get their preparations started. Jon sighed heavily and made his way down to the beach. He wanted to tell Arya and Gendry that they were going to head North tomorrow. The door to the servant's chambers was closed but Jon opened it without knocking. They both jerked awake and Jon immediately averted his eyes. While he was trying to be okay with the thought of his little sister married and sharing a bed with a husband that didn't mean he wanted to see it.
"Jon, relax, we were just sleeping. You can turn around. We're both mostly decent," Arya said but he could hear her smiling. He turned around and for the first time, he saw how badly Gendry was hurt. The bruises on his body were still an ugly black color and it looked like they were just starting to heal. Arya appeared to be wearing his shirt and the collar was too wide. When it fell off of her shoulder a little Jon could see a yellowing bruise poking out.
"Daenerys agreed to fight for us without forcing me to bend the knee. She is still sending Ser Jorah with us so it would be in both of your best interests to stay out of sight," Jon explained.
"And the mission beyond the Wall?" Arya asked.
"You were right; there isn't anything in the world that could convince Cersei to help us. We aren't going," Jon replied. "We leave for the North in the morning."