Why was she upset? It's not as if seeing Gendry being kissed by the Queen should hurt her, should it? She had been gone so long. Things obviously had changed. Dumb, naïve little Arya thought she could come back and things would be like they were, she pictured them reuniting in a fierce embrace, he held her close and tight, so tight as if she was going to slip away. But it didn't happen that way; as soon as he found out who she was he had fled.
"Boys" she muttered aloud. She was alone, at least she thought she was, in her bedchamber, sulking.
"You can love them, but you can never trust them" said a soft voice from the doorway; she knew immediately who it was. Sansa entered the room, the light from the hall followed her in and when she closed the door, the light lingered around her.
"Sister" said Arya, a little defensively "What brings you here?"
"Jon asked me to talk to you" said Sansa
Jon asked her. Why? "Why would Jon do that?"
"Jon seemed to be under the notion that you were experiencing a little boy trouble" she said simply
The only trouble with a boy she had was the Hound. She needed to think of a way to kill him, and quick. "Well?" Sansa prompted
It was so like Sansa to be into all of this mushy stuff, boys and love. She was Arya of House Stark, she felt nothing for boys.
Sansa grinned to herself "You fancy him, don't you?"
Arya blushed. No stop it she thought to herself, you are a wolf, a she wolf, you do not blush.
Sansa grin turned into a smile. "You haven't told me much of Gendry, I have heard tales from Jon, but what is he like? From what Jon tells me you knew him better than anyone"
Knew she did know him, once, in another life. She remembered that stupid bull. "He was different; he wasn't so fucking grim all the time"
Sansa snorted with laughter "That was very unlady like" Arya could tell it was sarcasm
Arya managed a weak twitch of the corners of her mouth "He was strong and brave. He was my only real friend, we ate, we fought and we slept together"
Sansa blushed deeply "You what Arya? You did what with Gendry?"
Arya cut her off "No, not like that, gods no" Sansa looked relieved
"So you're still a maiden then?" she asked
"Yes, I am" said Arya firmly "I meant we slept next to each other, for warmth, it got cold out in the open at night"
"Do you miss it?" Sansa asked
Arya thought but the answer was already on her lips and the word fell out of her mouth before she could stop it "Yes"
Sansa nodded as if she knew exactly what she was thinking "I missed him, when I was away. I missed his laugh, his smile, his protection, I felt safe with him, we were a team and no one could hurt us as long as we were together" Arya felt tears threatening to come. No, I am a wolf, a she wolf, she wolves do not cry.
Sansa shivered "Just you speaking of it makes me miss Sandor"
Arya was taken aback "Why did you let Bran force you into a marriage with that beast?"
Sansa's nostrils flared. Her voice oozed anger as she tried to keep calm "Bran…did not force me into anything" there was clear venom in her voice
"But…the Hound, he's a monster" Arya began
Sansa stood and swung wildly at her face. Arya was suddenly No one, the only thing that matters was someone was about to strike her, she must be as quick as a cat. She ducked and scuttled under Sansa's swinging arm. Arya made for the dagger tucked away in the back of her breeches when she remembered This is Sansa, I'm in no danger.
"Never" she spat "Call Sandor a beast again" Sansa seemed to radiate anger
"He's a murderer Sansa, or have you forgotten?" Arya spat back, remembering Mycah. Arya fled the room. She made her way through the stone halls. Eventually she found herself under the tower where Bran had fallen. She looked up and saw the First Keep. She wanted to be alone, she needed to think, her conversation with Sansa left her with more questions than answers. She climbed the crumbling staircase until she heard faint voices.
"…well. You will be paid handsomely for your task" she didn't quite recognise the voice, it was a woman, she knew that much
"My task not finish yet" said a brutal voice "The man who gave me this" there was a brief pause, Arya suspected that the man was showing the woman what the man gave him "Is still alive"
"No" said the woman firmly "You have completed the task I assigned you. You are a complete oaf but you know as well as I do that it is best that Jon Snow not learn the truth of his birth, I'm not sure even he knows. He suspects of course, but he has no proof, and thanks to you, that proof died with Howland Reed. The Iron Throne needs no more claims"
"As you wish" said the man "But be warned, the one who gave me this won't stay safe forever, not from me and don't think I don't know who he is. If you want that dammed throne to be undisputed you may have to kill him off too"
"I said no, he had no idea who he is, and he never will, the only people that knew are dead" she said
"What about the Stark girl, she may know, I've heard tales of their adventures"
"The Stark girl poses no threat, that lack wit couldn't even tell which end to stab a man"
Arya remembered Jon's words and grinned to herself Stab them with the pointy end.
"So the knight lives, but what if he was walking the battlements and just happened to slip and break that big neck of his?"
"Was that a threat?" asked the female very calmly.
"If it was a threat, Your Grace, you'd know it" said the man, she heard muffled footsteps, footsteps that were approaching her. Quickly and lightly she ran down the case, as quick and as light as a cat.
She found a good hiding place in the bushes to observe the entrance to the tower, after a few moments a hooded man came out with a bow slung around his back. He faded into the darkness. A short while after that came the person she knew would come, but had hoped it wouldn't be her. Daenerys Targaryen strode from the tower back towards the main castle where her chambers were. Arya had stumbled across something, just as Bran did that day when he was pushed. But Arya did not know what to make of this. She didn't have the slightest clue what they spoke of.
Gendry, a few hours later, walked down the stone corridors in search of Arya's chambers. It was not befitting of a bastard to enter a Lady's chambers but he didn't care. He knocked on the heavy wooden door twice. His stomach seemed to be doing backflips. The door didn't budge; there was no sound of footsteps walking to the door. He turned and saw her, standing idly against the stone wall, as if she hadn't a care in this world. Damn she's beautiful.
"Ser" she said icily
"Milady" he bowed grinning
He could have sworn the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile.
"You seem to be lost, those are my chambers" she nodded towards the door
"Aye, they are milady, but I'm surely not lost. I came here looking for you; I wanted to explain…that business with the queen" he began
"My, my, Ser Gendry, a knight, they've even got you speaking like one now. Did the Queen send you?" she asked
"No…the Queen has nought to do with this"
"You shouldn't trust her, you know?" Arya said calmly
"I don't" he said simply "Arya, please stop this"
She raised her eyebrows "Stop what?"
"Stop being so cold and distant, as though nothing fazes you, why are you so calm?"
"I remind you Ser" she said striding towards him, he backed "It was you that left when I returned, you that hid and sulked" her voice was embedded with venom
Gendry grinned, there was the Arya he knew "Aye, a terrible mistake, one I should never make again, especially if it displeases milady"
"I swear to the old gods and the new, if you call me milady one more time…"
He cut her off by grabbing a stray lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear "I missed you" he said, his heart pounding.
Arya's fury seemed to melt; she nuzzled her cheek against his hand "I missed you too"
Gendry withdrew his hand "I'm sorry, that was improper, a bastard should never do that to a lady"
Arya grinned "Yes, a bastard shouldn't. But you're not a very smart bastard Gendry, are you?"
"And you are not much of a lady" Gendry reminded her
Arya shrugged "So what is stopping you now then?"
"I suppose, nothing is" he opened his arms and crushed her against him. Holding her tight, he never wanted to let her go. Arya's arms were locked behind his back.
They broke apart. "Come inside Gendry" she said, waving her hand at him and opening her bedchamber door.
"Milady?" he was baffled
"We have much to talk about" said Arya "I want to know what happened when I was gone"
They talked and talked, Gendry liked it, they both sat on the floor swapping tales of drunken debauchery. Gendry avoided the sad tales, the tales where he had killed men, had seen his friends die, those he would never speak of. In the end they ended up talking mostly about the Queen.
"So…" she said "You fought with Jon?"
"Aye, at the wall, and up in the Gift we fought, for mayhaps 6 moons. The details get lost on me" he said
Somehow he found himself opening up to Arya about the battles he fought, the men he killed, the friends who died, he didn't know why but he could just sense that he could trust her. They talked more and more and drunk more and more. In the end they fell asleep on Arya's carpet floor next to the bed.
Gendry awoke around dawn as he normally did. Arya has curled up against him, her scent filled his first waking breath. He felt content, Arya was still asleep, she stirred, pressing back against him, against his crotch. Gendry blushed. She had her behind pressed against him, Arya did, he couldn't believe it, he needed to move, he should move, but he didn't really want to.
The door opened and Jon walked in, the look in his eyes made Gendry wish he took a sword with him everywhere.
Jon's jaw was clenched "You bloody bastard piece of shit…"
"Jon I swear it's not what it looks like" he started
"I trusted you and you go ahead and bed my sister, my little sister, she's been back from a day and you go right ahead and bed her?" Jon was furious
"Jon nothing happened" Gendry tried to explain.
Arya was awake now, she seemed to grasp the situation immediately "You too, Arya, don't think I blame this just on him, did you give him your maidenhead because he asked nicely did you?"
"JON" she shouted "How dare you? I've been back for nought a day and you accuse me of that"
"Why were you asleep? all nuzzled up into him" Jon shot back
"That's all it was, sleep. We got drunk and passed out last night, the last thing I remember is Gendry falling asleep on the carpet and then everything else is pretty fuzzy" Arya tried to stand and staggered
"So you didn't?" Jon asked, now looking as though he were going to throw up
"No" Arya and Gendry said in unison
Jon straightened his leather jerkin "Well then…I am sorry about that, but both of you get dressed, and quickly, you're sister marries today" Jon vacated the room. If Jon knew what I dreamed about last night, he would skin me alive