Gendry hissed when he laid down in their bed as Arya did her best to hide her panic. The idea that he could be hurt in a way that she couldn't fix terrified her more than anything in the entire world. All she wanted was for him to be safe and she wanted to burn Westeros to the ground for denying her that. Arya ran her fingers through his hair and looked down at him with a sad smile.
"I'm okay," he whispered.
"Because you noticed something was wrong with the armor," Arya replied. "That was genius and only something a blacksmith would have noticed." Gendry closed his eyes as she touched him and seemed to relax a little more as the minutes went by. Arya settled on the bed next to him and curled up close on the side where the bruises weren't quite as bad. She chastised him when Gendry winced to wrap an arm around her and pull her close but she didn't fight him either.
"It's overwhelming," he said as he ran his hand up and down her spine. "It's always been you that had my back but now there are all of these other people looking out for me. You called me a member of House Stark today. It's a lot to take in."
"I know," Arya replied as she pulled him a little closer. "But my family accepts you, accepts us, and you're among wolves now. We look out for our own and that means protecting family above all else. Sansa won't let that man who attacked you get away with it nor will she show mercy on the person who orchestrated the attack. The same goes for Jon and me." Arya shifted so she was looking down at her husband and smiled at him.
"I often ask myself what I did to deserve you," he whispered as Gendry reached forward and touched her cheek gently. "And I don't know what it is but it must have been amazing because I can't believe you even speak to me let alone accept me as a member of your family. I keep waiting for the day you wake up and realize I'm not worth all of this trouble."
"I love you and that isn't going to change. Not now and not ever," Arya replied as she kissed him. "And you are worth every ounce of trouble. I assure you of that." She leaned forward to kiss him again when there was a knock on the door. Arya groaned as she got up but the door opened and she realized in her haste that she forgot to lock it. Fortunately, it was Sansa, who was purposely averting her eyes as she walked in. "Oh stop it, we're decent."
"Good, there is acceptance and then there are things I never need to see my little sister doing," Sansa said as she looked at. "Gendry, how are you feeling? Should I fetch the maester to look at your wounds again?"
"They just hurt. I'll be fine with a little rest," Gendry said but he looked a little uncomfortable with Sansa standing in front of him while he was lying on the bed even if he was fully clothed.
"Have the guards locked the assassin away?" Arya asked.
"Yes, we'll have to see how loyal he is but I must remind you that we need him alive," Sansa said with a look. "We still have some time before Jon gets home and I want all of us to do this together. It will look better that way." Arya didn't want to wait but she knew that Sansa was right. She still grumbled as she thought about Gendry getting hurt or killed within Winterfell's walls. "Podrick has returned from hunting and Brienne has assigned him to be your personal guard, Gendry. Meera has also stated her intentions to continue to shadow you as well."
"Sansa, I don't think-"
"He graciously accepts," Arya said loudly as she interrupted Gendry who was no doubt trying to claim that he wasn't worth that. She glared at him until he sighed and held up his hands in surrender knowing that he lost. Good, that was what she wanted. "Stay here and rest. I'll be back later and we can sup together." Gendry nodded and Arya followed Sansa out of the room. Podrick was waiting outside and he nodded to both of them as he took up a place at the door to keep watch. Now Arya knew she could go confront this man who tried to kill her husband without worrying about said husband. Sansa seemed to know that was where she wanted to go and wordlessly lead her through the castle. As they walked to the dungeons Brienne joined them but didn't say a word about their intention to confront this man.
What Arya was not expecting was to find Meera and Bran already in the dungeon and the man hiding in a corner as he cried and begged for mercy. Meera waved with a big smile on her face but Arya could only stare.
"Bran knew you two would want to come down here and get some answers," Meera said. "So we decided that it was best to do this without getting any more blood on anyone's hands."
"You got blood on your hands," Brienne said but Meera shrugged. Arya didn't want this to be the way things ended though. She couldn't remember the last time she craved vengeance like this but Bran was staring at her like he knew something she didn't.
"You will vengeance, Arya, just not today." The words were the same ones she learned all those years ago in King's Landing. Bran couldn't have known that or maybe he did now. She wasn't sure what he knew and what he didn't. "I have what I need. Now we must wait for Jon to return." Arya didn't want to but she nodded nevertheless and went back to her rooms to spend time with her husband.
Gendry only spent a day or so in bed and was out and about despite the maester telling him he needed to slow down. He waved the man off and continued to work in the forge only this time Meera, Podrick, and Nymeria were constantly following him around. Gendry eyed Podrick like he didn't quite trust the man but much like Meera Gendry tended to endear himself to people after a short amount of time. He was surly, stubborn as hell, but he also spent a good amount of time fixing Podrick's weapons and indulging the squire in what new ones they could make. Arya enjoyed spending time with the three of them because they made her laugh. They reminded her what it was like to have friends again which was nice. For so long it was just her and Gendry and to have friends was nice.
Podrick and Gendry would also train together which made Arya feel better. That way Gendry could learn to fight and she didn't have to worry about random knights that would come out of nowhere trying to kill him. Gendry trained with both his hammer and a sword but, as always, he was just not as good with the sword as he was with the hammer. Arya was also trying not to count down the days until Jon got home but it was hard not to.
Howland Reed and his fellow crannogmen arrived when Bran said that they would. As soon as word came in that they were at the gate Meera took off running. Bran was in the courtyard waiting and he watched as Meera threw her arms around her father and began to sob. Arya didn't know Meera well but didn't think she was one to cry like this in front of everyone. Arya could hear Meera saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I should have protected him," over and over again.
"My dear girl," Howland said as he held onto her tightly. "Your brother was a man of his convictions. He knew what was waiting for him at the end of his journey. He told me we wouldn't see each other when you left." Meera pulled away and looked at her father.
"He told you? Why didn't he tell me?" she asked.
"Would you have let him go if you knew?" Howland said as he wiped a tear from her cheek. He stood up and walked over to greet Sansa, who had emerged from the castle, and Bran.
"Princess Sansa, you look so much like your mother it hurts my heart," he said. "It's an honor to see you again. It has been far too long. You were just a little girl back then."
"Thank you for answering the call to help Winterfell and the North," Sansa replied. Howland nodded and turned to Bran.
"I know he knew that he was going to die," Bran said. "But I'm still so sorry for what happened to your son. He was a good man and a better friend than I deserved."
"I very much doubt that, Prince Bran," Howland replied. He looked up as Arya approached with Gendry and he paled as he looked at the two of them. Arya knew that Howland knew her aunt and that between her appearance and Gendry's he must have thought he was seeing ghosts. She needed to make sure that he didn't say anything publicly.
"Lord Reed, it's lovely to see you again," Arya said. "I know I'm much bigger than I was the last time you saw me."
"A woman grown now I see," Howland said. "And who is this young man?"
"My husband, Gendry," Arya said as she tried to communicate that he shouldn't say anything. Howland smiled and bowed to both of them. Sansa helped him and his men get settled but Howland lingered to stay near Meera. The two of them talked quietly and Arya felt a lump in her throat as she got to watch Meera with her father. She didn't want to resent Meera for having what she didn't but Arya couldn't help herself.
Howland was someone they could trust and informed them that as soon as he gave word the rest of his men would march North to help with the war. He promised to keep Gendry's identity a secret but assured them that more people would notice as time went on. He told them that it was only a matter of time before word spread that a Baratheon and a Stark had joined their houses. Arya spent the night praying to the Old Gods that the secret would remain a secret as long as possible. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Danaerys found out.
They were two days away from Jon getting home when Littlefinger decided to approach her. Sansa was holed up in her solar trying to figure out how to get them food from the Reach but House Frey was blocking all of the routes that went anywhere near the Twins. There were other ways but all of them were indirect and no merchants were willing to go out of their way. Arya had offered to lead a caravan down to the Reach herself and bring the food back but Sansa told her that they needed to wait until Jon got home before they could make any decisions. Arya didn't like that answer and was sitting on a crate while as she watched Gendry and Podrick spar with Brienne standing nearby and telling them what to change.
"Lady Arya," Littlefinger said as he approached her. Sansa warned her that he would likely come to her at some point to try and get some information and that she was going to have to lie. Arya knew how to lie but what she was not good at hiding her contempt.
"Lord Baelish," Arya replied and she turned her attention back to the training session in front of her. Littlefinger stood nearby and watched silently with her for a moment.
"Your husband is quite a fighter," he said. "There aren't many men who would choose a war hammer as a weapon."
"He's a smith by trade and he said he feels more comfortable with a hammer," Arya replied but she knew what he was hinting at. She almost felt like indulging him, telling him that Gendry was a Baratheon and it would be best not to test his fury, but she held her tongue. Jon would be home in days and then they could deal with Littlefinger permanently.
"How did a lady like yourself manage to find a bastard blacksmith?" Littlefinger asked. There was no hiding Gendry's accent but they still needed to make sure people thought he was from the Riverlands and not King's Landing.
"His mother was killed while they were visiting from the Riverlands when he was little," Arya said. "Without anywhere else to go he was apprenticed at a blacksmith who eventually decided he was more trouble than he was worth and sent him to the Wall. We met on the way there."
"How interesting," Littlefinger said. "I heard an interesting story while I was serving as the Master of Coin for King Robert. It seemed one of his bastards worked as a blacksmith, been there all of his life, and this boy would not be a Rivers but a Waters. Born in the shadow of the Red Keep. I believe he might have met more than one Hand of the King."
"Are you accusing me of something, Lord Baelish?" Arya snapped. "Because as my sister told you and the other lord's recently it would not be wise to question us."
"I'm questioning him, Lady Arya, and who exactly you tied yourself to," Lord Baelish replied with that smarmy smile that she wanted to punch right off of his face. "Who knows what kind of threat a king's bastard married into one of the great houses of Westeros could be." Arya glared as he walked away and wanted nothing more than to stick Needle through his neck. They needed the support of the Vale and they needed to do this united as a family.
'Just two more days,' Arya thought as she clenched her fists hard enough that she drew blood.
Arya was in the forge creating more elaborate weapon designs with Gendry, Podrick, and Meera when a guard announced that there were riders on the horizon. The only person it could be was Jon and Arya grinned. She took Gendry by the hand and pulled him out of the forge as she ran out into the courtyard. He stumbled a few times but mostly kept up as Podrick and Meera yelled at them both for leaving their guards behind. Sansa emerged from the Godswood with Brienne pushing Bran's chair as people started to gather in the courtyard to welcome the King back. There were some that thought Jon was going to bend the knee to Daenerys and Arya was glad that wasn't drama they were going to have to deal with right now. There were other things that they needed to focus on.
Jon road into Winterfell with Davos right behind him but there were four men that Arya did not expect to see following him in. The first one was a man in Northern furs with bright red hair and a red beard who was grinning at Jon and looking around Winterfell. Lord Beric and Thoros of Myr climbed off of their horses and they grinned when they saw Arya and Gendry standing side by side.
"If there was anyone who could escape that crazy bitch it's you two," Thoros said as he grinned drunkenly.
"Jon mentioned that you were injured, are you recovering?" Beric asked.
"We're getting by," Arya said but she frowned as she noticed the third man. She would know those scars anywhere and the way he sneered at them.
"I'm going to die," Gendry whispered as they both stared at Sandor Clegane.
"You two cunts nearly bashed my head in," Sandor said and despite Gendry being a man grown Sandor still towered over him. "You left me there in the middle of the woods to die."
"First we robbed you," Arya said and she smirked. Sandor looked like he was about five seconds away from doing something stupid like attacking them when someone cleared their throat. They looked over to see Jon and Sansa watching them with an amused expression.
"Sandor, it's good to see you, and I would appreciate it if you refrained from hurting my little sister or my good brother," Sansa said.
"You married this hammer-wielding cunt? For fuck's sake," Sandor snapped as he turned to Sansa. "Little Bird, I am here to protect you." Arya blinked as she noticed that he didn't actually ask if that was what Sansa wanted and instead just stated it as a fact.
"I accept your protection but I'm afraid I already have a sworn shield," Sansa replied. "You are always welcome in Winterfell by House Stark."
"I need a fucking drink." Sandor didn't wait for anyone else to say anything as he walked away from the group. Jon looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
"The world is so much smaller than we realize," Bran said.
"Thank you for the insight, Bran," Meera replied.
"I see we all know each other more than I expected," Jon said. "I would like to introduce Tormund Giantsbane of the Free Folk."
"Which one of you told this one it was a bad idea to go beyond the wall to catch a Wright?" Tormund asked. Arya glanced at Gendry who just shrugged like he had no idea what was going on.
"Allow me to make introductions Tormund," Jon said as he introduced everyone. When he got to Arya and Gendry he explained that they were the first ones to say that it was a bad idea. Tormund smirked and nodded.
"You should listen to these two," Tormund said. Out of the corner of her eye, Arya could see Littlefinger approaching and she tightened her hold on Gendry's hand. She was probably holding onto him too tightly but he didn't say anything about it.
"Jon, we have much to talk about," Sansa said. "I think it would be best if we met in my solar to talk about our plans."
"Perhaps the Great Hall would be best," Littlefinger said. "After all the Northern Lords want to greet their king."
"And while I want to greet them I would like to be with my family. We are all together for the first time in many years and I wish to see them," Jon said. Sansa smiled and she gestured for everyone to follow her. Brienne and Podrick both nodded as they walked in the opposite direction, Arya watched as Beric and Thoros went off in the same direction as Sandor, while Jon and Meera began to push Bran back into the castle. Littlefinger looked like he just ate something terrible as he watched all of them but Arya did her best to ignore him for now.
"Should I leave?" Gendry asked as they made their way through the castle to Sansa's solar.
"Why would you?" Arya asked.
"Jon said he wanted to be with family-"
"You're family too," she reminded him. Deep down Arya wanted to chastise him for always thinking that he wasn't part of the family but reminded herself that this was all very new to him. She pulled him into the solar as Meera and Jon set Bran's chair down. Arya was not surprised when Meera didn't leave either and took a seat next to Bran without a word. She was family too and Arya was not surprised that she was staying. Jon made sure the door was closed and turned to all of them.
"Something happened," he said as he sat down.
"Littlefinger made another move," Sansa said as she pulled out the pin in her hair where she kept the piece of paper that listed everything that Littlefinger had done. "He hired a man to dress up like a knight to pretend to spar with Gendry and kill him. Gendry noticed that his armor didn't match and managed to call attention to the fact that he wasn't a real knight. Meera stopped him before he could do any real harm and he's in the dungeons." Jon shook his head as he took the piece of paper from Sansa and began to look it over.
"Gendry, I want to apologize that this happened under my watch," Jon said and Gendry blinked once like he didn't quite understand what was going on. "You are family and I swore that I would never fail to protect family again."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Jon," Gendry said.
"I don't like the way he looks at Sansa either," Arya said. "He lurks around her and stares at her. If it makes me uncomfortable to watch I can't imagine it being much better for you, Sansa."
"Littlefinger has expressed a certain interest in me before," Sansa said with a look of disgust. "Bran says that he was in love with mother and since I remind him of her, well, you can understand the rest."
"We were lucky I was able to hit him with a spear," Meera said. "We won't be so lucky next time."
"Then we will deal with him," Jon said. "We will call a trial of the man who attacked Gendry and we will reveal everything that we know about him there. I won't let him hurt another member of my family." Jon stood as they all began to gather their things to move down to the great hall. Arya clenches Gendry's hand as Jon puts calls out to the Northern Lords and the Lords from the Vale to meet them in the hall for the trial of the man that tried to hurt a member of House Stark.
At the great table, there were enough chairs for Jon, Sansa, and Arya to sit down. She took a seat and wished that there was another for Gendry. He squeezed her hand as he took his place right behind her right shoulder. Meera helped Bran settle at the table as well and stood in the same place over Bran's right shoulder.
The guards brought the would-be assassin after all of the Lords gathered. Jon stared the man down and Arya tried to suppress her smile at how much he looked like their father at that moment.
"You stand accused of attempted murder against a member of House Stark, do you deny it?" Jon asked. Aside from the cuts and bruises that came from being in the dungeons, the man was remarkably unharmed and that made Arya angry. She kept an eye on Littlefinger as he lurked in a shadow and watched all of this.
"I don't," the man said.
"I want to know why you attacked my good brother," Jon said and the man shrugged.
"I wanted to," he said.
"You donned the armor of a knight so it would look like an accident. There were plenty of people around that day you could have killed. You sought him out and I want to know why," Jon said. The man scoffed but didn't say a word.
"The man you tried to kill is my sister's husband," Sansa said as she folded her hands on the table. "He means everything to her and you tried to take him from her. She wants vengeance and I am inclined to give it to her. Now, you can tell us why you tried to kill Gendry and who asked you to do it. If you tell us what we want to know then you will die quickly by my brother's sword. If you don't then you will die slowly by my sister's hand." The man looked a little uncomfortable now as he shifted where he stood and glanced around the room. He looked at Littlefinger who narrowed his eyes but didn't react in any other way. The hall was silent except for the man as he moved around.
"I was given the armor," he said quietly.
"Speak louder so we can all hear you," Arya snapped.
"I was given the armor," the man said in a louder voice. "And I was told who to kill. I was told to make it look like an accident and then to leave as soon as I could. Then I would get paid."
"I see," Jon said as he leaned back in his chair. "You will tell us who hired you to kill a member of House Stark and I swear on my honor as King of the North that I will grant you a painless death." Arya watched the man as he looked at Littlefinger again like he was trying to decide if it was worth it. There was a chance that Littlefinger had something over him that would keep him from naming him but Jon seemed to be making it clear that this man was going to die no matter what. How that death came was going to be completely up to him. The man stood up a little taller and looked Jon in the eye.
"He did," the man said as he pointed at Littlefinger. The Lords began to whisper among themselves as Littlefinger glared at the man.
"Lord Baelish, step forward," Jon said.
"Your Grace, this man is clearly lying," Littlefinger said as he took a few steps into the room. "You are offering him a painless death and he picked me out at random. I trust you won't believe the word of a would-be assassin over one of your closest allies."
"You're quite right; I wouldn't believe him without proof," Jon said and he looked at Bran. "Bran, can you confirm what this man just confessed to?"
"You hired him in Winter Town the day before the attack. You gave him pieces of armor from three different Knights of Vale that fell during the battle against the Bolton's. You told him that Gendry was a bastard and a threat that needed to die for the good of the realm," Bran said. Arya enjoyed the way Littlefinger started to turn a little pale.
"Your Grace, I-"
"Do you deny it?" Jon asked.
"Of course I do-"
"That is not all you are accused of," Sansa said. "You murdered our Aunt Lysa by pushing her through the Moon Door. Before that, you conspired to murder Jon Arryn by giving tears of Lys to our aunt poison him. Do you deny it?"
"I'm sorry to say that your Aunt was not well. She tried to hurt you so I protected you and whatever she told you about Jon Arryn was not true as well," Littlefinger said as he stepped forward with a smile. "I was trying to protect you, Sansa."
"You sold her to the Bolton's," Arya said struggling to contain her temper. "You knew what kind of man Ramsey Bolton was and you sold her."
"My Lords, we all know what kind of man Ramsey Bolton was," Sansa said. "While I cannot show you the scars I bear from my time with him rest assured I will bare them for the rest of my life."
"Lady Sansa I have always-"
"You told Aunt Lysa to send a message to our parents telling us that it was the Lannister's that murdered Jon Arryn when it was you," Jon said. "The source of the conflict between the Stark's and the Lannister's stands before you. The reason we have spent so long at war stands before you."
"I deny all of these charges," Littlefinger snapped all of his patience gone.
"You betrayed my father by holding a knife to his throat and saying "I did warn you not to trust me" while you conspired with Cersei and Joffrey to have him killed. He was executed because of your doings," Bran said. "The knife you tried to give me, the one that was used by the assassin that tried to take my life, it belongs to you and not Tyrion Lannister. I saw it all, Lord Baelish, do you still deny it?"
"Lord Royce," Jon said as he stood up. "Will you be escorting Lord Baelish back to the Eyrie?"
"No, Your Grace, I don't think I will," Royce said as he glared at Littlefinger.
"Your Grace, please, I have only ever wanted the best for your family," Littlefinger said.
"Because of your actions House Stark has lost many great members and the North has suffered. For this and many other crimes I, Jon Snow, King of the North, hereby find you guilty. Bring them both to a block," Jon declared as he rose to his feet. Several guards took Littlefinger by the arms and dragged him and the assassin outside. Arya wanted to argue that they deserved worse but she knew better than to go against Jon's wishes in front of everyone. They all stood up and she felt Gendry reach for her hand. She held on tight as they all followed Jon out to the courtyard.
Jon was a man of his word and gave the man that tried to kill Gendry the quick death he did not deserve. Arya thought that Sansa deserved to do more to Littlefinger considering what he put her through but she said nothing as his head was placed on the block. He begged for his life, said how much he loved their mother and Sansa, but Jon did not even grant him the option of final words.
The sword came down and one less enemy resided in the North.