And we're back! Once again I own absolutely nothing of GOT or ASOFAI, though borrowing Jon for a night or two could be fun. Thanks again for reading, reviews are always appreciated. On with the fic.
Ch2 Double or Nothing
Jon caught sight of his youngest sister and spurred his horse forward into a full gallop. A few hundred feet away from running into her, he jerked the reins back and pulled his mount to a halt before vaulting off and running the final distance. Arya screamed his name as she let her face break into a smile and launched herself at her older brother, her arms wrapping around his body in a viselike grip.
"Jon," she tried to hold back the tears but after not seeing her brother for so long she couldn't. Burying her face in his furs she clung to him, barely hearing his constant murmuring of "You're alive. Gods Arya you're alive and okay."
A few feet behind them, Dany pulled her horse to a stop and watched the siblings reunion, her throat suddenly tight as she tried to swallow back her envy, if only Viserys had been so loving in the end. The rest of Dany's forces came to a slow halt behind her as Tyrion, Davos, and Gendry rode up to her side.
"That's really sweet, makes me think there's still good in the world, eh?" Davos said gesturing over to the still hugging siblings.
"Meep," Gendry made a squeaking noise as he stared at Arya in Jon's arms, his thoughts centering on Arry the Orphan and Arya Stark now that he saw her again, in the arms of her brother, a King, he was fucked.
"Well let's hope the rest of us get such a warm welcome," Tyrion added as he gestured Dany on, his mismatched eyes looking longingly at the gates of Winterfell.
"It's good to see such strong bonds between siblings," Dany said as she came up to Jon's side, her lips turned up in a slight smile.
Pulling away from Arya, Jon felt a light heat creep up the back of his neck as he coughed.
"Right, um this is Arya, Stark, my sister," looking down at Arya he jerked his head over to Dany hoping against hope that she would follow the courtesies of her station, "Arya this is Dany, uh I mean Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons...do I have to say all the others?" Looking over at Dany he widened his eyes, trying to pull on his memories of Bran as a child to convey beseeching innocence.
Laughing, Dany threw back her head, her hair tumbling back in waves, her ornate silvery braids fluttering in the icy breeze. Arya looked over at the Dragon Queen and grinned, her teeth pulled back in a feral, bloodless smile as she let her eyes flick up and down the Queen's diminutive form.
"Nice to meet you," she jerked her head down in the slightest of bows, "Your Grace," she added as she lifted her head to meet Dany's lilac gaze.
"Charming to meet you as well, Lady Stark," Dany replied.
"Ugh, no. Sansa is Lady Stark, I'm just Arya."
"Duly noted."
Tyrion burst into laughter as he watched the informal introductions, his shaking body causing his horse to whinny in annoyance. Davos and Gendry dismounted and Gendry reached over to help Tyrion down when he heard the soft gasp.
"Gendry," Arya flinched back as she took in the broad shouldered armorer, taking in his extra few inches, mop of shaggy black hair and his rapidly widening blue eyes.
Whirling on his heel, Jon glared over at Gendry, "You know my sister?" As he straightened his spine and placed a hand on Longclaw, Arya recovered from her shock and launched herself at Gendry full tilt, stopping short of tackling him as she had Jon. She tilted her head to look up at the bastard Baratheon. Staring down at her, Gendry felt his throat dry and any further meeps shrivel up and die, before lunging forward and pulling her into his arms. Blinking Dany looked from Jon to his sister, and back to Jon, and a grin slid over her face, this was going to be fun.
"Well it seems we've discovered what was so complicated," Tyrion snickered, his mirth bubbling over until he caught sight of flame red hair at the front of the gates.
Jon growled as Gendry and Arya clung to each other, trying to emulate Ned Stark's Stare of Disapproval. As he narrowed his eyes at the couple, Dany placed a hand on his arm, keeping a steady pressure to keep him from unsheathing Longclaw.
Horns trumpeting along the gates, as Stark banners began to ride out alongside the flame red, Sansa as she came to meet the oncoming party. As Tyrion stared open-mouthed at the mature Lady Stark. His breath caught in his throat and he reflected on how much she had changed since the last time he had seen her at her family's home. She had been a naive girl wishing for her gallant knights only to be betrothed to his vile nephew.
The two parties met in the yard Lady Sansa curtsied to the Dragon Queen, always being the proper lady, and offered a polite welcome.
"A pleasure to meet you Lady Stark. I would like to introduce you to my advisors, this is Jorah Mormont and my hand-"
"Good to see you again Just Tyrion," Sansa interrupted Daenerys and turned to her former husband bringing back the memory of their wedding night. Tyrion himself stared at his former wife, her beauty he'd seen hints of years before now outshining anything he thought possible. Sansa's cheeks blushed a light rose as she curtsied before him,
"A pleasure to see you again Lady Stark," Tyrion bowed to resiprocate the curtsey. "To think the last time we saw each other we were man and wife." The light blush on Sansa's cheeks grew and spread to her hairline, her skin almost the same shade as her hair.
"That feels like almost a lifetime ago, My Lord," Sansa tried to steady her breathing and regain her composure.
Arya had finally released Gendry from her bear hug, the pair approached the rest of the group with Jon lurking closely behind them. Sansa had to stifle a laugh as she saw the expression on Jon's face, a cross between confusion and anger. His hand had not left Longclaw since the initial embrace of the pair. Sensing the glare, Gendry attempted to distance himself from Arya only to have her reappear next to him.
"Khaleesi, I am sure you and the rest of your party are tired please allow us to show you to your chambers. Unfortunately we do not have room for the entire party though your army is welcome to set up tents outside the walls," Jon gestured the queen into Winterfell proper.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Dany follow Jon through the main doors.
"I will show you to your chambers, My Lord Hand," Sansa smiled at Tyrion. "I will have the stewards escort the rest of the council to their respective chambers.
"Lead the way, Lady Sansa. As before I will follow you," Tyrion said hoping to get Sansa to blush again.
Much to his surprise Sansa shortened her long strides as to match Tyrion's shorter gait. It was as if they were back in King's Landing walking through the gardens. Breaking the silence Tyrion asked if his chamber was to be up steps. Sansa replied, "No, of course not I remember how much you loathed climbing the stairs of the Hand's Tower in the Red Keep."
"You are too kind, Lady Sansa. Some used to say that you were too kind. When in fact it was your armour in the lions pit that was the Red Keep."
Sansa stopped dead in her tracks and turns to face Tyrion, her sudden stop surprised him and he almost bumped into her.
"I'm sorry that I fled after Joffrey's wedding. It was not fair to have left you to face your family alone," Sansa lowered her head in shame.
"Oh sweet lady," Tyrion reached out and grasped Sansa's hand. "The past is the past. We both made mistakes during our marriage. I am just happy that we have been given the chance to meet again."
Taking a deep breath Sansa turned and continued on her way. Finally, reaching the door of Tyrion's chambers. She stopped and opened the door for him. "Here is your chambers for your stay, my lord. I shall leave you so you may settle. There shall be a feast to welcome Daenerys later this evening." Sansa curtsied and walked back the way they had came.
Watching her form shrink Tyrion couldn't help but smile at the woman who had now taken the place of the girl he had once known. It wasn't until he had turned around that he saw that Jon had been watching the entire interaction. Tyrion quickly ducked into his room and paced in attempts to ease his mind.
Jon wasn't happy. Well, he was actually very happy, Sansa and Arya had met Dany and both seemed to get along well with the Dragon Queen, and now they were all together in Winterfell, it looked like they might finally have a chance against the Long Night. But he still wasn't happy. Seeing Arya jump into Gendry's arms reminded him of how much of her life he'd missed, she wasn't his little sister anymore, she was a woman grown, and from the comments Sansa had made, one who had seen a lot, and done even more. Tapping his hand on the table in the back of the hall, he wondered what his father might have done in his position, sitting in the high seat of the Lord of Winterfell wearing the furs Sansa had made him, he never felt closer to his late father. Gendry was a good lad, he'd run all the way to Castle Black to get help when they needed him, and it seemed Arya liked him, a lot, though she'd taken to snarling at anyone who mentioned it. Shaking his head, Jon thought that at least one part of her would stay the same, the wolf's blood in her was strong. But he still didn't like the idea of her and Gendry, together, doing-things.
Looking out into the hall he watched as people began to enter, Lords and Ladies, peasants and former slaves, it was truly humbling to see them all together, united.
"Looks like you're having some deep thoughts Jon," Bran's soft voice startled him, and he turned to look at his younger brother. Meera Reed had pushed his chair up to the head table, then quickly disappeared to find her father Lord Howland Reed. Jon watched Bran as he reached over and picked up a mug to drink from, gone was the flighty little boy who used to climb towers and dream of being a knight, in his place was something quite, different.
"We need to talk Jon, before the night is over, in private preferably," Bran said, his grey eyes taking in Jon's silent perusal, "There is much for us to discuss."
"Yes, I'm sure there is," Jon took a drink from his own mug, savoring the bitter taste of Wintertown's finest ale, it'd been a long time since he'd been able to appreciate it. Setting the mug down he blinked as he watched Arya enter the hall, with Gendry following, he looked like a dog eager to please his master, his blue eyes wide and earnest as he trailed after Arya who prowled around in eerie remembrance of Nymeria. "That looks to be one of the first topics, you're the greenseer Bran, what do you think of Arya, she's not the little sister we once knew."
"No, she is not, she's been through much, and I have only seen very little of it," Bran nodded his head, but a smirk crept over his lips and for the first time in months he looked like the Bran Stark of before, "How long do you think it takes for her to realize she cares for him?"
"Ha, don't you mean how long before she does anything about it? Arya's always been more about acting before thinking," Jon replied.
"True," Bran said.
"I give it six months," Jon added, "She's always been rather bad about being a girl, and he doesn't seem likely to push," pausing Jon muttered under his breath "Thank the gods, Old and New."
"I'll take that bet, but…" Jon cut him off before he could finish, "And no Three-Eyed Raven I see all greenseer cheating, it's not fair, nor is it as fun." Bran nodded his consent, privately wondering if Jon had gotten into the ale a bit sooner than he had originally noted. "Ten gold dragons?" he asked.
"Seems fair," Jon reached over and they shook on it, twin expressions of glee on their faces that made anyone who remembered the young Stark children and their pranks grimace in fear.
"What are you two talking about?" Sansa walked up, her hair done in twin braids to frame the sides of her head in an ornate pattern, leaving the rest of her fiery tresses to flow down the back of her traditional black dress, this one done in a mixture of silks and velvets.