When Arya woke up she realized that it was the last day. The dead would be here in a matter of hours and they didn't have a lot of time. There was a chance that this was going to be the last time she would see certain members of her family. This might the last time she saw friends. It made her feel a little sick as she laid in bed and could feel Gendry softly sleeping behind her. Somehow, they managed to convince him not to spend the last day working in the forge but Gendry told her that he had one or two quick things to do and then he would spend some time with her and her family. Right now she just enjoyed the fact that he was still sleeping even though the sun was up.
Arya watched him sleep for a moment. Gendry looked so much younger when he was asleep as all of the worry lines slipped away. She knew something was wrong the moment she opened the door but Arya could also tell that he really didn't want to talk about it. She Arya let it drop and the two of them climbed into bed to sleep. He shifted in his sleep and slowly awoke. The two of them stared at each other because they both had important things to say that they both avoided the night before.
"I went to see her," Gendry said and Arya couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I was having dreams and I needed to see her about something. She told me this is all my fault but I don't believe her. I told her my name was Gendry Stark and she looked like I just struck her. I don't know what I needed to hear from her but I heard it and that's enough."
"I'm not going to lecture you because I can tell you knew it was a terrible idea," Arya said slowly. "I found out something yesterday but I can't tell you what it is. I wish I could but it isn't my thing to tell. You'll know what I'm talking about when you hear it." Gendry nodded like it was okay with her keeping secrets which just spoke volumes about the kind of person that he was. They both climbed out of bed, got dressed, and Gendry took her hand to pull her into the forge. There were two short blades made of dragonglass on his table.
"I couldn't make Needle and Thread out of dragonglass," Gendry explained. "I thought these short blades would be good for you." He handed her the blades and Arya twirled them. They felt good, weirdly light, but she could fight with them. She had to fight with them.
"Thank you," she whispered. Gendry nodded as he began to gather several weapons into a bundle and gestured for her to follow him. He gave Jon and Daenerys daggers just in case they needed them. He presented Edmure with a blade and Arya could see that he was going to do his best despite being weak from his time as a Frey prisoner. Meera made her own weapons and Theon got a dagger. The night before both Meera and Theon declared their intentions to guard Bran personally in the Godswood. They had arrows but the spear and the dagger were for worst-case scenarios. Howland said that he would be staying close to Meera as well and Gendry gave him a dagger too.
Arya was a little surprised when Gendry walked up to Sansa and handed her a dagger. Sansa would be in the Great Hall with all of the people who couldn't fight. She looked at the black dagger in her hand and clenched her fist hard enough that her knuckles started to turn white. Arya believed in her brave sister and that if they broke through she would fight to the last breath. It took several hours but eventually, Gendry's bundle was empty and then he looked a little lost. Arya took his hand and lead him back to their room. It was the middle of the afternoon but Arya didn't want to be around anyone other than family right now.
"Thank you," Gendry said as they walked into the room. "I know you were the one who petitioned Jon and Daenerys to give me the Stark name and I know you did it because you knew how much it meant to me."
"I'd do anything for you," Arya said and let him take her into his arms. They held each other and swayed almost like they were dancing. Arya never thought she would want things like dancing with her husband yet here she was. She was dancing with him in the soft firelight and prayed to all of the old and new gods to spare them both. To spare those that she loved so they could live another day. "Please live."
"We're going to be fighting together," Gendry said as they swayed. "Jon assigned us to the courtyard so we could protect the Great Hall. We are going to be together regardless of what happens." They stopped swaying and Arya looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. She loved him so much and it made her heart hurt to think she might have to carry on without him tomorrow. Arya got up on her toes and pulled Gendry down for a kiss. It was the end of the worth, this was their last night, and she thought that it would be an explosion of passion between them. Instead, it was soft as they held each other and exchanged soft and deep kisses.
They walked back to her bed but Arya didn't make any move to tear off Gendry's clothes and he didn't either. They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed and kissed until there was nothing between them. The fight they had didn't matter anymore. The ups and the downs and the bruises and the tears and the scars. None of it mattered at that moment. All that mattered was that they were in each other's arms and holding on tight.
"I'm so glad we found each other," Gendry whispered against her lips. "I wish the circumstances were different that day but I'm so glad that I managed to find you. I'm so glad that you protected me that day against the gold cloaks when you had every reason to turn me in."
"You've been looking out for me before you even knew if I was a good person," Arya replied as she touched her forehead to his. "You took a massive risk to be with me because you thought I was worth it. I'm sorry I risked it all when I told you that I didn't want to be with you."
"It doesn't matter now," Gendry replied as he pulled her closer. There was not an inch of space between them right now and it was what Arya wanted. He was right; it didn't matter right now. None of it mattered right now. When she thought about the end of the world she knew she would spend it with Gendry but Arya wasn't in any mood to have sex with him. Instead, she wanted to lie with him and let him stay close. They kissed, they touched each other, and that was enough.
Sansa spent a good portion of the day working around Winterfell. She made sure that all the people in her care had food for each and spoke with Daenerys about strategy. She tried not to think about Gendry handing her a blade. She made sure that all of the windows in the Great Hall were boarded shut and all of the doors were locked and blocked with large rocks. There was one way and if that door fell then there would be a problem.
Theon stayed close as she worked and even helped her test the doors. She hugged Arya and encouraged her sister to spend time with her husband. She held into Jon longer than she thought possible and whispered into his ear that he would always be her brother no matter what. A piece of paper and the lies of their father didn't change that. Jon seemed a little lost but nodded to her as he got back to work to make sure that they were all ready to go once the dead arrived.
Bran and Meera spent a good portion of the day in the Godswood where they would make the final stand. Sansa looked into her little brother's eyes and saw emptiness and her hopes of seeing him before the dead came were dashed. It was the string that broke her inside and she was sobbing before she knew what was happening. Theon put his arm around her and helped her up to her room.
"He wasn't there," she cried and tried to ignore how weak this made her feel. "I looked into his eyes and I didn't see him. I don't want my last memory of my little brother to be that thing out in the Godswood." Oo
"We're going to kill the Night King and get Bran back," Theon said as he held her close. "We're not losing another member of your family."
"Our family," Sansa corrected as she soaked the collar of his shirt with her tears. "It's your family too whether you want to admit it or not." Sansa pulled away and she could see Theon smiling softly as he ran his hands up and down her arms as if to warm her up.
"I told the servants to send up some stew for us. Let's eat here away from everyone else," he said.
"But there is still so much-"
"You need time to relax and you deserve time just like you told Arya and Gendry and Jon to take it as well. You might be the Lady of Winterfell, a Princess, but right now I just want Sansa to be here with me," Theon said. Sansa leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. It was chaste, the way a lot of their kisses were, but for the first time, she hesitantly opened her mouth to him. They hadn't ever kissed like this and while it was a lot it still made her feel closer to him than she had ever felt. Sansa could feel her hands trembling as she put her arms around Theon's neck and held him close.
The moment was broken by a knock on the door and a maid bringing in their stew. Even though they were eating with one hand Sansa refused to let go of Theon and when he intertwined their fingers she could feel his pulse against hers. They quietly ate their stew together as the sun went down and when Theon pulled her to bed to get some sleep Sansa held him close.
Jon sighed as he looked over the strategy makes one more time. Daenerys had sent all of her advisors away for the night and it was just the two of them. It felt like there was a piece of glass beneath his skin and he didn't want to lie to her. The timing was just not good. She was looking at him like she knew that something was bothering him but she didn't ask.
"Rhaegal will let you fly him tomorrow," she said. "He's let you do it before and I am confident that he will do it again. You and I will stay in the sky as long as possible and then when it is needed, you will go on the ground to help try to kill the Night King."
"Try being the operative word," Jon said as he looked over their numbers. "Maybe we should have tried to convince Cersei to help us."
"You know she wouldn't have," Daenerys replied. "You told me that and I agree with you now more than ever. Lannister's care only for each other and Cersei has even abandoned Ser Jaime. The fact that he is here and fighting for us, that he says he'll help us with her afterward, speaks of how far she has fallen. We will win this war and then the next."
"And then you and I need to have a long conversation about the north," Jon said as he thought about the other things they needed to talk about. He was going to abdicate, he knew that he just wished he knew how she was going to take it.
"I let Queen Yara take the Iron Isles because she respected me and I respect her. I think it's safe to say that there is a good chance I will be the Queen of Five Kingdoms and not six." Jon looked up at Daenerys who was smiling. He couldn't believe that she all but admitted that she was going to give the north independence. "That is a conversation for another night. I hope you get some rest tonight, King Jon, for we have a great battle to win. Sleep well."
"And you as well, Queen Daenerys," Jon said as he watched her walk out of the room. He sat back in his chair and released a deep breath. All he could think about was the last time he saw Ned when he told him that they would talk about his mother. The truth was not what he expected. He thought maybe he was the son of some noblewoman who didn't want to ruin her marriage prospects with a son. Maybe she was a commoner that his father loved briefly but at the end of the day, Jon always thought of himself as a mistake. Ned might have loved him but he didn't want or expect him. That is the truth that Jon spent hid entire life wrapping around himself like an armor.
Now, he found out that he was from two people who were married and loved each other. He was a trueborn son of a great house. The trueborn son of two people who made a terrible mistake in falling in love and caused a war. He was the product of a union so toxic that Westeros tore itself apart. Jon thought of duty and how Ned sacrificed everything to do his. Ned did his duty to his sister by guarding her son and keeping the secret. He went south to be the hand of the king despite not wanting to. If Rhaegar and Lyanna did their duty Jon might not exist but thousands of people wouldn't have died.
In a way, Jon found himself resenting both of his parents. He understood doing stupid things for love, he did that when he became involved with Ygritte, but what his parents did was different. They were a prince and a lady of a noble house. They have a duty not only to their families but to all of Westeros. Perhaps that wasn't the fun thing to do, the thing to do for love, but it would have been the right thing to do. Jon knew he would have to marry someday and he would be marrying someone for an alliance because that was his duty as the King in the North. There was a good chance he wouldn't feel any love for the woman he would take as a wife but it needed to be done for duty and for the good of the north.
Jon also wondered if his anger was misplaced. He wasn't making Arya or Sansa or Bran marry out of duty. He was letting them marry or stay married for love. However, his siblings weren't going to tear the realm apart. His siblings weren't leaving behind a wife and children to be with someone else. Jon was angry, he was hurt, and he hated Sam and Bran for telling him this information. Yes, it was important, but he didn't need to know. All it did was make things harder. He resented his parents, he resented Ned for never telling him, he resented everyone for making things complicated.
Jon thought about the look in Gendry's eyes when he as given the Stark name. How much it moved him and made him feel like he had a place to belong. On top of abdicating Jon thought of a thing, he could ask Daenerys that would make it so no one could put him on the Iron Throne. He would ask her to name him Jon Stark. It would be as close to forsaking his Targaryen blood as he possibly could. Much like Gendry, he had no claim to the Iron Throne as a Stark. He was angry at Ned for never telling him this and keeping this secret from his wife so Catelyn spent her entire life resenting him. Ned did treat him well and made sure that he was warm at night with a full belly. Lyanna might have been impulsive but Jon felt more connected to her than he did to any Targaryen prince.
He was the son of Ned Stark and if they survived the night Jon intended to ask Daenerys to help him make that official. He might not be King of the North after that but he would feel closer to the people he considered family.
Meera sat with Bran in the Godswood well into the night and by the time she insisted that they needed to go inside his fingers were turning blue. It took one of the guards and her some time to get him up the stairs and into the room. Bran hadn't been himself for days now and Meera could tell how much it broke Sansa's heart when he barely acknowledged her. Jon and Arya came by to see them at one point but they were alone right now. Meera knelt down in front of Bran and took his cold hands into her own.
"Come back to me," she whispered. The Night King was so close and she knew there was a chance that he wouldn't be able to fight the influence but, to her surprise, Bran blinked once and Meera knew that he was with her again. "Hey you."
"How long was I gone?" he asked quietly. "Did I do anything?"
"Sansa was very sad that you weren't there to say goodbye," Meera said. "You've been gone for over a day. Maybe longer."
"You and Theon. You volunteered to stay close to me during the battle," Bran said and Meera nodded. Sometimes he didn't remember things clearly when he went away. "I wish there was a way for me to convince you to stay somewhere safer."
"I've killed a White Walker Bran which is more than most of these people can say," Meera replied incredulously. "My place is by your side and your place is by mine." Bran smiled softly and glanced at the bed.
"Help me to bed, please?" Bran asked and Meera nodded. He wrapped his arms around her neck and she stood. They were nose to nose like this and while they were close Meera still found herself getting breathless when they were sharing air like this. She set Bran on the bed and he pulled himself further up and wrangled his body into a sitting position. He gestured for her to join him and Meera settled down next to him. They'd been sharing space like this since the north when they needed to huddle together for warmth. Now there were shy kisses to cheeks and handholding but not much else. "I don't know if I'll be back again after tonight."
"I know," Meera said and she let Bran take her hand into his own. He traced the callouses and scars left behind by years of fighting. Bran fell silent and it was like he was having a hard time asking for something. Meera looked at him and they were close again. Bran turned so they were nearly nose to nose and Meera felt her heart start to pound. This could be their last night and she wanted it to be special. She closed the distance and pressed her lips to his.
Bran seemed to hesitate as he kissed her back. They spent a little time exploring one another until Bran opened his mouth and this kiss was different. Meera could feel his tongue press against hers and she moaned against mouth. The angle was strange though and she wanted to be comfortable. She broke the kiss and watched Bran carefully as she moved. She settled herself on his lap with her bracketing his hips. She was gentle as she settled down even though Meera knew that he couldn't feel anything. His hands went to her hips as she slipped her fingers into his short hair.
"Is this okay?" she whispered.
"I feel like this is a dream," Bran replied. "A dream I never thought I would get the chance to see for myself." Meera smiled as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his again. It was different now that they were facing one another and she could feel Bran pulling her closer. She wanted skin but Meera also knew that this was something that she wasn't sure that they could have. Bran's fall hurt him in a lot of different ways and he never said anything about this before now. She wasn't sure he ever thought about it. "I want to touch you, can I?"
"Yes if I can touch you," Meera replied. It took a little work for both of them to get their shirts off but when Bran pulled her forehead to start laying wet kisses against her neck Meera really didn't care. Neither of them knew what they were doing but Bran was smart. He paid attention to what made her moan and what made her gasp and then he did it again. Meera dug her nails into Bran's shoulder and loved the sound he made.
"I want to," Bran said as he sucked a bruise into her skin. "I want to but I don't know if I can. I don't want to make this bad for both of us so, please, let me touch you. Please let me touch you, Meera." Vaguely, she realized that this was probably not the time to see whether or not they could be together. She wanted him to touch her, more than anything, and she nodded.
"Yes, please, I want you to," Meera whispered. They were frantic as they loosened her breeches and they both laughed a little when she had to get up on her knee to push them off. Meera could feel Bran watching her as she pulled off her smallclothes and it was a little awkward to pull Bran's breeches off while naked as her Name Day but Meera didn't really care. They settled with her on her back and Bran lying on his side. Her eyes drifted between his eyes and he looked a little hard but not enough for this to be comfortable for both of them. It would require work that they didn't have time right now. Bran looked down kissed her as his fingers drifted between her legs.
The first time he touched her Meera jumped and she bit down on Bran's lower lip on instinct. He groaned against her mouth as he teased her. She gasped Bran slipped a finger in her and Meera had no idea how he knew how to tease her so well but he did. Every single motion from his fingers sent sparks through her body and Meera pulled him into a bruising kiss as she peaked. As they broke away from each other she could see the way Bran was looking at her like he couldn't believe that she was here, that she was with him, and her heart felt overwhelmed with emotion.
"I love you, Meera Reed," Bran whispered as he kissed her softly.
"I love you too," Meera replied as they kissed. She was exhausted but she still took the time to help Bran shift into a more comfortable position. They wrapped their arms around each other and held on tight as they waited for the call to happen. Meera knew when she opened her eyes the man in her bed wouldn't be Bran Stark but something else. Right now, he was with her, and she would treasure that for however long she was left on this world.
Arya blinked as she looked outside and realize that while it was morning the sun had not raised. The Long Night was upon them and she could feel a different kind of cold settle into her bones. Arya could feel Gendry start to wake up as well and they glanced at each other.
The horns sounded. It was time to go to war.