"So who is this Captain Kells?" Jaime asked over dinner that night. "Is he a pirate? He certainly has an odd taste in clothing."
"He's just a friend." Arya said. She had bathed and was wearing clean clothes as well. Not a dress of the Westeros style, and not men's clothing, but something more similar to the new Queen's style of clothing. It suited her. "He's probably a pirate. I wouldn't know, but he does have a ship."
"It seems odd to me that a friend is leaving his clothes in your home and repeatedly asking for your hand in marriage." Jaime shrugged.
"Okay fine. He was a lover. But I'm not in love with him and I'm not going to marry anyone. I told him that. He won't accept it."
"I see." He said, choosing not to push the subject any further.
"You think there's something wrong with that? I can tell that you do."
"It doesn't matter what I think." He said.
As the night wore on and they drank more wine the conversation became less formal.
"I don't understand, what in seven hells I'm supposed to do here." Jaime slurred.
"You're supposed to drink." Arya said, pouring him another glass of wine.
He took it. "I'm not talking about just tonight. I mean in the future, here in Bravos. I can't be a sellsword… can't do many jobs at all with one hand…I'm educated but I can't write worth shit with my left hand… what can I even do except be a beggar or a thief?"
"You can't be a thief. You would be terrible at it." Arya snickered.
"I would not." Jaime was offended.
"Yes you would! Being a good knight doesn't mean you'd be a good thief."
"Fine then, that leaves begging. I will be the best fucking beggar Bravos has ever seen." He downed the rest of his wine.
"You can't do that either!" Arya said annoyed. "The best beggars are crippled and ugly. It's what makes people feel sorry for them."
"I'm missing a hand. I'd think people will feel pity for that."
"Not with that face they won't...and you look strong… not weak and helpless like a beggar...when the ship storm thing almost killed me, you held on to me so tight it left bruises...so I know you're strong… too strong to be a stupid beggar."
"I didn't mean to bruise you." He said sadly.
"It was only a little bruise… but it doesn't matter because you can't be any beggar or sellsword or any other stupid idea you might have…you have to stay." Arya implored.
"Stay?"
"Yes stay. Stay here in my house. I'm fucking sick of being alone. I could really use a friend."
"Okay." He conceded. "I can be your friend. But you might change your mind when you're sober. Who knows, maybe I will too."
They fell asleep at the table and didn't wake until morning when Tari was clearing the table and mess around them.