A/N: Just a short one. A filler chap, and then it picks up from here. Thank you for reading & reviewing, following & making it a favorite.

Though short, I still enjoyed writing it. Hope you like reading it too XD


Arya was startled by the tapping noise by her window. She couldn't find sleep, but the noise, very much like a pebble being thrown at her window, startled her still. She slowly opened the window and was almost hit by a pebble to the face.

"Seven hells!" she hissed.

"Oh gods, Arya! I'm so sorry!" Gendry shout-whispered an apology as he stepped closer to her window. "I didn't think you'd open your window!"

"Then what in seven hells were you throwing that for?" Arya hissed.

"I…I just wanted…" Gendry stammered, not quite looking her in the eye.

Arya's brows furrowed. She held a finger to her lips to keep him quiet for a moment before creeping slowly towards her door. She stuck her head out, just enough to check on her father in the next room, before creeping back towards the window.

"Father's asleep," she whispered. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be asleep in your featherbed?" she said in a mocking tone.

Gendry rolled his eyes heavenward. "If I had the choice, I'd say no featherbed for me." He stuck his head to peek inside her room, his gaze landing on the straw mattress. "I'd settle for that straw mattress if it would mean sleeping with you on it," he added with a lopsided grin.

Arya slapped both her hands on his mouth, earning a muffled laughter from him. "Shut up, stupid! Now, what do you want?"

Gendry gently grabbed her wrists away from his mouth, but he kept them in his hands even as she lowered them already. He tried to suppress a shiver, although he wasn't too sure that Arya was able to anyway. It appears like he had the same effect on her as she had with him.

"Come with me," he whispered, leaning a bit closer. They were so close, she could feel his breath tickle her cheeks. And maybe if he leaned closer still, she could probably feel his lashes on her skin. "We'll be back before light. I just…I just want to be with you right now."

Arya's breath hitched in her throat.

"And I need to talk to you about something," he added.

"Me too," she said with a nod.

With one last look at her door, she reached down for her shoes before grabbing her cloak from the stool beside her bed. She froze midway on her way back to him, rushed to her bedside and stuffed a couple of pillows under the blanket to make it look like she was actually sleeping. Then she walked back to the window, opening it a bit more but just enough for her to creep out. Gendry helped her by grabbing her small waist and lifting her out and into the back of the cottage.

They remained silent as they swiftly ran towards the field; crossing the path that would lead to the stretch of trees in the forest. When they were finally a ways from the cottage, they bent over with laughter, as if the danger of sneaking out gave them added motivation if it means they would get some time alone.

"Oh, I am going to get my head on a spike if we get caught," he said in between breaths. He looked at Arya and saw that she had recovered faster than he did.

"But you're the Prince," she said softly. "How can they cut your head off as punishment? Maybe I would get my head on a spike," she said with a shrug.

"I won't let that happen," he mumbled, stepping closer to her and placing his hands on her head. His thumbs caressed her cheeks, his palm and fingers spanned around her neck to the back of her head. "I won't, I promise."

Gendry leaned closer and met her lips with a soft, sweet, lingering kiss. With a sigh, Arya kissed him back, forgetting the sad news her father delivered earlier that night. She met the kiss eagerly; feeling his hands tighten around her lower back to pull her closer to him. She let him devour her lips with hungry kisses, slanting hers with his slowly and provactively. When Gendry shifted, Arya reluctantly put her hands on his chest to give him a gentle, little push.

"What? Why?" Gendry's voice was rough to her ears, which made her all the more shiver with desire for him.

"You were supposed to say something, remember? There'll be time for kisses later," she whispered, running her fingertips along her swollen lips.

Before he could protest, she grabbed his hand and led him towards their favorite spot in a small clearing not too far from the opening of the woods. There was a large tree stump they always sit on, although it was usually Gendry sitting on it and Arya sitting on his lap. When they got to the stump, she was grateful that the moon was bright enough to cast light on the clearing, although she still knew it was dangerous to stay there for long. The night, after all, is dark and full of terrors.

"Come here," Gendry said, tugging her hand as he sat on the stump. He frowned when Arya pulled her hand from his grip and took a few steps away from him, a smile creeping on her face.

"What are you doing? Come here," he growled low in his throat. It was a menacing sound, but Arya had to steel herself from giving in and melting into his arms.

"No," she replied with a renewed determination. "Tell me what you need to tell me before we part this night. It is not safe for you, Prince Gendry," she said with a small, ladylike bow.

"Stop that, Arya" Gendry huffed in frustration. "I told you, when it's just us, we're just Arya and Gendry, Gendry and Arya. Stop joking around, I need to talk to you."

His voice turned curt and serious, making Arya realize that she must have angered him so. Slowly, she took a few steps towards him and finally let him pull her on his lap. He was quiet for a while; just holding her head to his chest, entangling and disentangling their fingers over and over again, until Arya lifted her head to look into his eyes.

"What bothers you?" she asked quietly.

"My father, among other things," he replied with a deep breath.

"And what are the other things?"

"Oh, just…you know…your father, you, me, and maybe we should add the whole kingdom just to be sure," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

She stood abruptly from his lap. "Why are you picking a fight with me? You were the one who sought me out this night. You asked to have a word with me. You, not me. So I hope you stop being a prince and just tell me what you needed to tell me, so I could go on and sleep on my straw mattress because I definitely have no featherbed!"

"My father had forbidden me to see you," he said, his voice sharp and cutting. "The fucking King has forbidden me to see you. Ever."

"Your father told my father too," she responded with an equally sharp retort. "And maybe if you keep being bull-headed, I just might obey my father's command!"

"Go ahead! Do it!" Gendry walked menacingly towards her, moving his face closer to hers as he towered over her small frame.

"I will! Just you wait and see!" Arya shot back with equal defiance.

"Ha!" he exclaimed.

"Ha!" she responded. "Can you do it?" Arya asked, trying to ignore the feel of his fingers that were now digging into her arms as he held a death grip onto it. "Can you obey your father and stop seeing me? Can you do it, Prince Gendry?"

"No!" he cried out, turning his back to her in frustration. "Can you do it, Arya?"

"No," she answered, softer than his response, and Arya found herself engulfed in his embrace once more. "I can't do that, stupid."

"Me neither."

"What are we going to do?" she asked as he placed a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth.

"Let them think we've stopped seeing each other," he said, holding up a finger when she was about to protest. "But only until after my name day. After that, I'll think of something."

"Okay," she whispered. "We need to go back."

Gendry reluctantly agreed, but only until after he has kissed her senseless for the last time that night. They rushed back to the cottage, happy to know that her father has not risen from his sleep, and exchanged more kisses after she crawled through her window.

"Remember, after my name day. But until then, I just might see you at the castle grounds for the festivities."

"You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Sleep tight, Arya Stark."