A Portentous Reunion? Chapter 3 - Survival
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Note: The Battle of Winterfell was horrible and awesome. But it is over and the survivors can regroup and move on to the next challenge. Sorrowfully, among the thousands of brave fighters that lost their lives, several highly-valued (shall I even say loved?) major characters met their doom. In the case of some of the fallen, their deaths were not unexpected. As I studied the final scenes in which the lucky survivors were shown, I anxiously searched for Gendry and was disappointed that his fate was not revealed. However, I saw the trailer for Episode 4, which focused mainly on Cersei and Daenerys preparing for the final confrontation, and there was a very brief clip of Arya and Gendry sharing another passionate kiss. I would like to speculate on the significance of their second reunion.
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The battle was over and the dazed survivors were milling around the courtyard of Winterfell. Cries of pleasure were constantly ringing out as person after person discovered that their loved ones were still among the living. The Starks - Sansa, Arya, Jon, and Bran hugged each other tightly and whispered, "You are alive!"
When Arya broke her embrace with her siblings, her eyes were anxiously searching the courtyard for someone else in particular. Early in the battle they had been separated; Gendry was desperately fighting for survival and Arya had a mission to complete. The crowd parted and she saw a bloody and limping, but very much alive Gendry searching for her. Their eyes met and Arya's heart gave a leap. Gendry's face broke into a smile and he hobbled quickly towards his meaning for life, noting that she appeared to be as physically damaged as he felt.
Arya ran to him and clutched him tightly as his strong arms enveloped her and almost lifted her off the ground. Staring at each other with tears forming in their eyes, they exclaimed at the same time, "You are alive!" Casting all restraint to the wind, Arya initiated a deep and passionate kiss, which he returned with equal fervor. Gendry, the more emotional one of the pair, desperately breathed, "I could not go on if you had died!" and almost sobbed with relief.
Sansa and Jon stared in shock at the sight. Their little sister had returned to Winterfell as a cold, emotionless, unsentimental warrior, but in the young smith's arms, she appeared merely as a young girl in love. Sansa and Jon turned to each other with open mouths and expressions of disbelief and Jon blurted out, "What?!"
Bran cleared his throat and the older siblings looked at his calm face. Evenly, the young seer explained, "Arya and the smith have a history. They escaped the evil Lannisters and King's Landing together as children and depended on each other to survive many horrors for several years. Their separation was unwanted and unpleasant. They had not seen each other for a long time and both assumed the other was probably dead. They have only been reunited for a few days and it is obvious that their friendship is even stronger that before."
Sansa was shaking her head and half-smiling as she murmured, "I just cannot imagine my obnoxious little sister with a boy!"
Jon looked less than comfortable and frowned, "Gendry is a good man, but he is a bastard! I do like him but this relationship is not appropriate and we cannot condone it."
Bran corrected his brother, "Gendry may be a bastard, but know that his father was King Robert Baratheon. He is now the last of that line. Gendry served well in this battle and his dragonglass weapons were essential for our victory. If Queen Daenerys legitimizes him, and if they are both inclined, they can wed as the Lord and Lady of Storm's End."
Sansa giggled, "Arya marry! And become a Lady! I would like to see that!"
Calmly Barn added, "Before all this happened, King Robert said to Father, 'I have a son, you have a daughter. We shall join our houses'."
Sansa's eyes widened, "He was talking about Joffrey and me!"
"Mayhaps Arya and Gendry are really the alliance that was to be," Bran replied sagely.
After several wonderful minutes, Arya and Gendry finally broke their kiss, panting heavily with emotion and stared at each other. Neither had really believed that they might be in this position. Arya realized that their spontaneous coupling of the previous night was not just a casual and desperate act of two panicked soldiers expecting to die, but the expression of affection between old friends who now had the opportunity to build the relationship that would fulfill their lives. It was time to talk about it.
"Ar'a," Gendry sighed worshipfully, again pronouncing her name as if it were a prayer, an intonation which, she noticed was beginning to give her a thrill in her belly, "I lost you, then I found you, and then I almost lost you again. I am never going to be parted from you, milady. I want to be with you always." He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead with much affection.
She gazed at him when he opened his beautiful blue eyes again, and she saw love for her in them, a love as powerful as she had seen in her father's and Jon's eyes, but not a love derived from blood relationship, but from shared experiences and passion. She had been a cherished daughter and sister, and later a heartless killing machine, but now in Gendry's embrace, she was a woman, the expression of a new and profound emotion that she was beginning to savor.
But first and foremost, the former independent tomboy and Faceless Man, was coldly practical. Stroking his strong arms and broad back, Gods, I love his body, Arya earnestly replied, "Gendry, I do want to be with you. But I have one more task to do and for that I must leave Winterfell as soon as I can. Do not think I am abandoning you."
Gendry frowned and furrowed his brow, retorting darkly, "One more task, you say. It must be your bloody list! I'll wager that you intend to go to King's Landing to kill Queen Cersei, even if it brings on your death!" He gripped her tightly and scowled in anger.
Arya did not respond, but just stared at him with wide grey eyes, unsure how to deal with his intensity. "I won't have it!" Gendry exclaimed, "If you are going to King's Landing, I am going with you! We will not be separated again!" The impassioned boy was almost shouting.
Although he was holding her more forcefully than she would ever have tolerated, Arya did not pull away. She stroked the stubble on his dirty cheek and considered, And I do not want to be parted from him again either! "All right," Arya sighed, "It may be dangerous, but you may accompany me. I will expect you to respect my orders if I plan to do something that you do not like."
With some hesitation, Gendry nodded his approval, "Aye, as usual, I will follow you orders. I will not question your authority, milady." Arya smiled with satisfaction and then Gendry smirked, "I even expect you to continue to order me around in the bedroom."
Arya almost blushed like a maiden at his words, recalling the previous night, and now she also felt a twinge of desire, Hmmm, I wonder how soon we can have some privacy! She realized that her siblings were watching her closely and she hoped that they had not seen Gendry's lustful expression at that moment. I must go talk to them, she thought, I am sure they have many questions. I do not care if they disapprove of Gendry, when have I ever cared what others think? I never thought much about marriage, mayhaps I could be happy just sharing Gendry's bed in the forge. After all, don't I deserve a reward for killing the Night King? The bold wolf girl smirked inwardly, Gendry's cock would be a fitting reward!
She was about to break the embrace and go over to her siblings, but another thought came into her mind. Last night Gendry had suggested that she take moon tea and she had dismissed the idea. Now she was alive and his seed was in her womb. In her ardor she had certainly made sure of that fact, pulling his manhood as deeply as possible inside of her in her quest for fulfillment, and feeling Gendry's satisfaction as he spilled his seed. Now she was forced to make a decision.
Leaning back within his arms, Arya looked up into Gendry's face and asked, "Gendry, last night you advised me to take moon tea. How do you feel today?"
Gendry's open face looked hopeful, "If you decide not to take moon tea, milady, I will marry you. When Thoros of Myr told me that he was convinced that I was Robert Baratheon's son, he said one of the watchwords of my House is 'The seed is strong!'"
"What does that mean?" the puzzled girl enquired.
"It means that you are definitely pregnant already and will bear me a fine big boy with black hair and bright blue eyes!" the young smith replied boldly and with some pride.
Arya was irritated by his boldness and retorted, "Well, the seed of House Stark is also strong and if I bear a babe, I wager she will be lean and strong, with chestnut hair and grey eyes!"
The Stark siblings had observed the entire conversation and intimate behavior and could wait no longer. Sansa began to push Bran's chair towards the entwined and arguing couple, with a questioning look on her face. Jon was marching by her side and he seemed furious. His fingers twitched on the pommel on his sword, for as they discussed babes, Gendry's hand had unconsciously slipped lower on Arya's back to settle on the sweet little arse he loved so much. Jon would not allow anyone to take such liberties with his baby sister! And he was very shocked that she accepted his behavior! Jon was totally confused, but Bran was simply smiling.
Looking over Arya's shoulder and seeing her impatient siblings approaching them, Gendry said, "In any case, milady, you will need to decide immediately what we are to each other, and what you intend to do, for we will shortly have company!"
Arya turned around and saw her concerned family moving towards her. Her stomach dropped and she panicked, What am I to say to them?!
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Note: I am going to leave this open for the moment.
I hope something like this happens, but there are rarely happy endings in "Game of Thrones".