Arya didn't know what she was supposed to feel at that moment. Jaime was dead, Cersei was dead, Qyburn was dead, and she was sitting on the floor of the Red Keep throne room and unable to gather her thoughts. It should have felt different not have to Cersei in the world anymore. She thought that knowing that woman was dead would make her feel better but it didn't. Instead, Arya realized that she was just so tired. She was tired and wanted to go home with her husband and her brother so she could be with her family. She wanted all of this to end because she was so incredibly done with all of this.
"Arya," Jon said and Arya came back to the reality of their situation. They were in the Red Keep with the blood of a Queen on their hands and Danaerys getting ready to attack. They needed to get out of here and they needed to get out of here now. Arya scrambled over to Qyburn and found keys that she assumed were there for Jon and Gendry's shackles. Jon was bloody and looked like he was about to fall over and Gendry was slowly waking up. Arya wished that this was the first time she had seen her husband covered in his own blood and barely conscious but it wasn't.
"We need to get out of here," Arya said as she knelt down and began to unlock the shackles. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't get them to stop. There wasn't any time for her to meltdown like this; they needed to get out of this castle. "Danaerys is going to attack the Red Keep at midnight if we don't find a way to tell her that Cersei is dead."
"Then we'll do that," Jon replied and the fact that he sounded so calm made Arya's hands stop shaking. She unlocked the chains around Jon's wrists and ankles and made her way over to Gendry as his eyes slowly opened.
"Arya?" he whispered. "What happened now?"
"Cersei, Qyburn, and Jaime are all dead," Arya replied as she unlocked the chains. "Danaerys is going to attack the Red Keep with Drogon if we don't get out of here and let her know that Cersei is dead." When his wrists and ankles were free Gendry took her hands into his and looked like he wanted to ask her if she was the one who killed Cersei. "It wasn't me. Jaime was the one who killed her and she died alone with no one even looking in her eyes. She's gone snd I'm fine." Arya wasn't fine but now wasn't the time. She squeezed Gendry's hands and moved over to Jon to help him to his feet. Jon and Gendry both leaned on each other as Arya looked around the throne room. She didn't have Needle, Thread, or any of her other weapons besides a dagger on her. Window's Wail lay on the ground nearby and it was stained red with Cersei's blood. The sword was a bit too big for her but it was made with Ice and it was her family's. It was time to take it back.
"What are you doing?" Jon asked as Arya walked over and closed Jaime's eyes. She removed his swordbelt, picked up Widow's Wail, and handed both to Gendry.
"This sword was made with the steel of my father's sword and we're taking it back," Arya replied. "It's too heavy for me so I need you to carry it, Gendry." Gendry looked like he didn't know what to do about that but there wasn't time to argue. With Jon's help, Gendry got the swordbelt on and Arya found a second dagger hidden in Qyburn's robes. Jon's swordbelt and Longclaw were near the Iron Throne like Cersei was planning on keeping them as trophies and Arya made sure Jon had those as well. They were armed and even though Jon and Gendry could both barely walk it was time to leave even though they had no way of knowing if The Mountain was going to return and kill them all.
"Jaime got us in here via a secret tunnel through Blackwater Bay," Arya whispered as she pushed the door to the keep open. Guards were patrolling but not as many as she thought. Jon and Gendry had the swords in hand ready to fight even though they looked ready to fall over. Arya waited until the first group of soldiers passed by and the three of them began to make their way through the Red Keep. For half a second she thought that maybe they could get out of here without spilling any more blood but that was not the case. They turned a corner and immediately got ambushed by a group of soldiers. Jon and Gendry broke away from each other as they pulled out their swords but their movements were slow. Arya knew that they wouldn't last long in this state and that she needed to get them out of there quickly.
"Wait, what about the other men that were taken prisoner?" Jon asked as he tried to catch his breath as he leaned against a wall.
"We aren't strong enough to escape with them," Arya said. "We need to get out so we can tell Danaerys that she doesn't need to attack the Red Keep with Drogon and instead we can march on it."
"If we don't attack with the dragon fewer soldiers and servants will die," Gendry said. He was also leaning against a wall and blinking like he was trying to clear his own vision.
"We don't have time to try and free them, Jon. We need to get the two of you out here and quickly," Arya said even though she didn't want to do this. She didn't want to leave those men behind but they had a better chance of living if Danaerys didn't attack the Red Keep with Drogon. Jon looked like he wanted to argue more than anything but he also seemed to realize that they were in a dangerous place and they needed to keep moving forward. Eventually, he nodded and the three of them began to make their way through the Red Keep toward the tunnel that Jaime had shown them.
Arya turned a corner and nearly put her dagger through Sandor's throat as he took her by surprise. He was covered in blood but the blood looked almost black. He was wounded, it looked like he took a sword to the gut, but somehow Sandor was still walking and he stared at the three of them.
"The bitch must be dead, where is the golden hand cunt? Also dead?" he asked.
"Yes," Arya replied and she wanted to tell him she was glad to see him alive but there wasn't time for that. Sandor looked at Gendry and Jon and somehow managed to look very unimpressed.
"What happened to the two of you?" he asked.
"Your asshole brother happened," Gendry replied.
"Well he's dead so let's keep going," Sandor said and he turned to lead the way down through the tunnels like it was no big deal at all. Arya wished she could do something to help him but all three of these men were too tall compared to her. She couldn't take their weight even if she wanted to. All Arya could do was keep her daggers in hand and keep moving forward. "Did you kill her?" Sandor asked softly.
"No," Arya replied. "Jaime did and then she slashed him with a poison blade. I held his hand while he died so he wasn't alone instead of watching the life leave her eyes."
"You made the right choice, Arya," Sandor said so quietly she wasn't even sure he said it at all. She chose empathy over revenge, she chose to listen to a man's dying words and tell him he died with honor over revenge. It felt like something her father would be proud to hear her doing. Arya knew that she wasn't healed and the damage caused by Cersei Lannister would linger but making that choice felt like stepping in the right direction for the first time in a long time.
They ran into a few soldiers once they got to the tunnels but Sandor still fought like a man possessed even though he appeared to be bleeding out. The light appeared and Jon and Gendry were fully leaning on each other now and could barely walk. They were quickly running out of energy and it was time to go. They emerged into the moonlight only to see a man with a sword waiting for them.
"And just who do we have here?" he asked. He was wearing black clothing and his skin had a grey parlor that spoke to spending the night in Blackwater Bay. "Your dragon bitch might have destroyed my ships but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you take away my Queen's prisoners without a fight." Arya realized that this had to be Euron Greyjoy and he had a look of madness to him that Theon had told her about.
"Your Queen is dead you squid fucking twat," Sandor said as he pulled out his sword. "Wolf bitch, get those two idiots into the boat and go." He paused for a moment as he pulled out his sword and Sandor frowned. "And if you tell me you won't leave me behind-"
"I wasn't going to say a word," Arya interrupted which was a lie if there ever was one. Sandor raced forward and engaged Euron and despite his wounds, he still fought like nothing like Arya had ever seen before. She helped Gendry and Jon into the boat and then hesitated. She didn't want to leave him, she didn't want him to die, Sansa needed people looking out for her and that's what Sandor did. He looked out for her sister better than anyone. Arya didn't know how to tell him these things without insulting him so she climbed in the boat and pushed off the shore.
"Arya," Sandor said and she turned just in time to see him take a sword to the cut. Euron's throat was open in a bloody line as he fell into the sea. "Tell Sansa I'm sorry I didn't do a better job of protecting her." Arya wanted to turn the ship around but Sandor pulled the sword from his own gut, tossed it to the side and stood before the group of Lannister soldiers that had appeared from the tunnels. Arya watched him fight as they rowed away from the cliffs and she lost sight of him in the nighttime fog of Blackwater Bay.
Arya didn't know what she was supposed to do now. Jon was doing his best to get them back to shore but she couldn't get the image of Sandor standing tall and bloodied as he died for them out of her mind. She didn't want anyone else to die for them, for her, yet it never seemed to stop. She was beginning to wonder if the horror of war would ever go away. Even though it looked like Danaerys was going to take the throne, did that mean the people she loved were going to be safe? Did that mean that everyone she cared about was going to stop dying bloody deaths? It was too much to think about and Arya felt like she was going to breakdown but now wasn't the time. There wasn't time to think about any of this. Cersei might be dead but that didn't mean the danger was gone.
It felt like a lifetime before the shore came into sight and Arya breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Danaerys, Davos, Missandei, and Edmure all waiting for them. They made it which was a good thing. Arya didn't think she could live with the guilt if the captured Northmen died or finding the burnt bodies of innocent servants in the Red Keep if they had to attack with Drogon.
"You're okay," Danaerys whispered as she helped the three of them out of the boat and onto dry land.
"It's done," Arya said.
"And Ser Jaime and Sandor?" Danaerys asked.
"Ser Jaime was the one who killed Cersei but lost his life in the process. Sandor defeated The Mountain, killed Euron Greyjoy, and stayed behind at the cost of his own life so we could escape," Arya replied as she did her best to keep her voice steady.
"They still have my men," Jon said. "So we'll need to be careful when we take the Red Keep that they aren't killed out of spite."
"The Golden Company won't stay if they know the woman with the gold isn't alive," Davos said as he helped Jon stay standing.
"I'm sorry," Danaerys said suddenly as she bowed deeply. "I couldn't surrender to her even at the expense of your lives-"
"Dany," Jon said softly. "You have nothing to apologize for. There was too much at stake to surrender for the lives of a handful of men. I certainly don't resent you for it and I'm sure Gendry doesn't either."
"We're here now and that's all that matters," Gendry replied and Danaerys nodded like she was pulling herself together.
"You two look like shit," she said frankly which made a few people sputter out surprised laughter. "I believe you both could use some rest but I have a feeling if I told you both to rest instead of coming to the Red Keep with me you wouldn't listen and come anyway. So, I'm going to insist that you both remain on your horses and away from the frontlines at the very least."
"We aren't that predictable, are we?" Gendry asked Jon who at least looked like he was a little embarrassed.
"My men are there and-" but no one gave Jon the chance to continue as they all made their way back to the camps outside of the city. Arya didn't want Jon and Gendry traveling at all since it looked like they were about to fall over but Danaerys seemed to know that they were stubborn and wouldn't stay behind even if they were ordered to. Danaerys got on a horse instead of Drogon and sent the remaining dragon to the sky where he would make an effective tool to force the remaining Lannister forces to surrender. They had lost a few horses along the way so Arya shared with Gendry and smiled as she felt him holding her tightly. They began the march through the city toward the Red Keep.
"Are you okay?" she whispered as they walked.
"I feel like I could sleep for a week but I have a hard head and can take a beating. Unfortunately, you know that better than anyone," Gendry replied and Arya couldn't help but smile at that. Her husband and her brother were made of tough stuff and while she had every right to worry about them she knew they could make it through this too. The gates to the Red Keep seemed to loom over everything and Arya tried to slow down her beating heart as they approached. She didn't want another battle, she didn't, and she silently begged for these men to lay down their arms so this could be over.
"I am 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 and I have come to claim the Iron Throne," Danaerys declared. "You will open these gates immediately and lay down your weapons if you value your lives. Your Queen is dead, her Hand is dead, and there will be no payment for the Golden Company. If you lay down your weapons and surrender to me you will walk away from this fight with your lives. If you do not I will be forced to use my dragon. If you harm the soldiers you are using as human shields I will use my dragon. This is your only warning. Open the gates." Arya listened and she could hear people talking over each other and trying to understand what was going on. She could hear someone running around.
Danaerys looked up at Drogon who was nearby and looked ready to start burning people alive when someone called.
"Wait, please," a voice said. "We surrender. We will open the gates and let you in."
"If you betray me I will not hesitate to burn you alive," Danaerys warned.
"We understand," the voice replied quickly and they sounded afraid. The gates to the Red Keep open and they began to walk in. There were soldiers on their knees with their weapons on the ground. Their hands were in the hair in surrender. The Northern soldiers that were with Jon had taken some of those weapons and were holding the soldier's hostage. There was a general who was standing in front of the Red Keep and while he wasn't kneeling he appeared to be unarmed. "My lady, I'm here to official surrender on behalf of the Golden Company and the Lannister soldiers. Please accept this surrender so my men may live."
"The Golden Company has until the sun comes up to get out of Westeros," Danaerys ordered. Sunrise was a mere few hours away and that gave the men very little time to prepare any remaining ships. "They will be escorted by a member of my Iron Born and should they try to turn around I will personally come on my dragon and burn those ships to the ground. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Furthermore all remaining Lannister forces are to remain captive until they decide whether to swear allegiance to me or suffer banishment. They will not be harmed while we go through this process, do you understand?" she asked.
"Yes, my lady."
"Then I accept your surrender," Danaerys climbed off of her horse and they motioned for the rest of the soldiers to come into the Red Keep. The remaining Golden Company and Lannister soldiers were rounded up and they began to put chains on them. Arya looked around and couldn't believe it. They surrendered, Cersei was dead, and the battle for the Iron Throne was over.
Arya had a hard time focusing for the next week. The first they did was go down to the black cells and free anyone who was in them including Ellaria Sand who was near mad with grief at the loss of her daughter. The woman was alive though and now under the care of maesters who said that she would recover her physical wounds someday but her mental ones would take much longer. The smallfolk were let back into the city and while they were weary of Danaerys there was a chance they could warm up to her. Davos and Gendry didn't make any promises that they would love her to Danaerys but they did tell her that putting them first would make all the difference in the world. Danaerys presented herself to the people and one of the first things she promised was to rebuild the Great Sept of Baelor.
Danaerys officially took the throne but she did not have a crown. She said she wanted Gendry to make her one when he felt ready and that was the only crown she would wear; one crafted by family and one of the best smith's in all of Westeros. Gendry looked like he didn't quite know what to do with that information but agreed. The raven's were sent out to the noble houses of Westeros and Yara Greyjoy arrived after escorting the Golden Company out of Westeros. With Yara taking the throne of the Iron Isles and Jon remaining as King in the North the three monarchs signed a treaty agreeing to trade and relatively open borders. The three of them agreed to meet in several months to work out all of the details.
Sandor and Jaime's bodies were given funeral pyres along with any other soldiers that were lost. Danaerys made sure that everyone knew that the reason they were free of tyranny was because of the sacrifices Jaime and Sandor made. They would be remembered as heroes which was the last thing either of them wanted but it was right.
The week ended and Jon and Gendry were healed enough to travel and it was time to leave. Davos helped get their things together and made sure all of the Northmen that wanted to return were ready. Danaerys told any of the men that fought if they wished to remain with her army she would accept them. A handful of the men, the ones who had nothing for them in the North, took her up on that offer and Jon couldn't tell them no. They were leaving Westeros in Danaerys' hands and going back home to rebuild their home. It felt strange to leave but Arya wasn't feeling empty anymore. If anything she felt like she could finally move forward. She was leaving King's Landing of her own free will and on her own two feet. That felt important.
As they road away from the city Arya didn't look back but forward. All that mattered to her was forward and that was where she intended to go.