I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate your reviews! And since you guys are so awesome and flattering, I will post 2 chapters today! Enjoy my sweet readers.

Arya

Chapter 7

Arya had expected the Tarly's to leave right after their daughter were wedded and bedded, but to her disappointment they stayed for several days after, and still showed no intentions of leaving. Her parent's seemed thrilled to be honored with their company for so long. Arya had given up on trying getting her father alone. Perhaps if she didn't mention anything about her suspicions, they would magically disappear. A foolish thought, she knew, but right now it was the only hope she had.

After the wedding, Gendry avoided her. They were supposed to meet in the woods the day after, but he had not shown, nor had he two days later. Whenever she went to the forge to see him, he said he was too busy to have her hovering over him, and so she left him alone, but his absence was very much noticed, and she caught herself missing their fights and conversations - Even watching him work. She finally accepted Dickon's request to take a ride outside the castle, however so reluctant. When they reached the highest hill with the splendid view, the young man seemed highly impressed.

"At Horn Hill the landscape is mostly rocks and hills," he said. "But you'll get used to it soon enough."

Arya bit her lip to stop a filthy comment from passing. Had her parents already given the Tarly's their consent without asking her what she wanted?

"I hope you will reconsider my offer to duel, my lady. Your brothers talk so highly of you, I'm curious to see if their words are true." Arya wanted to tell him that her brothers weren't liars, but stopped just in time. If she truly had to marry this man, she ought not to insult him, or their marriage would be a nightmare.

"I guess we could do so as long as you are not a sour loser," she said instead, smirking. Dickon laughed and assured her that he was not. Her mother had forbidden her to fight with the boys in the yard, and Arya- for once in her life- had obeyed her mother's orders. The only practice she had had in the last couple of weeks were her stick fighting with Gendry, but since he no longer spoke to her, it had been days since she last practiced.

When they returned to WInterfell, they gave their horses to a stable man, and ran to the fighting yard were Syrio were giving Rickon a dancing lesson. Arya stopped by the well and watched as Rickon tried to disarm the foreigner, but Syrio gracefully blocked his attack.

"Come on, Rickon!" Arya cheered, making Rickon turn in surprise and Syrio bumped the fake sword at his belly.

"Dead," the dancing master grinned. Rickon threw his sword to the ground, scowling angrily at Arya.

"That was your fault!" he said and stomped furiously past them. Arya laughed and motioned for Dickon to follow her as she approached Syrio.

"It's been so many days since I've had the pleasure of the lady's fighting," he said, smiling. Arya grimaced.

"My lady mother told me not to as long as we had visitor. It's not appropriate for a young lady to play with swords," she mimicked, frowning.

Syrio handed her the sword he was holding. "But yet, here you are, disobeying your mother as always. I take it you want to duel?" he looked expectantly at Dickon, who nodded. Syrio handed him a sword and said: "Good luck, my lord. Arya might seem small and innocent, but she has been under my teaching for a year. I fear for every man who is brave enough to encounter this young beauty in combat."

The dancing master backed away, leaving Dickon with an amused smile on his face.

"Your brothers aren't the only bragging of how good you are," he stated. Arya shrugged innocently and juggled the sword elegantly from her right to left hand like she always did before a fight.

"You ready?" she asked, feeling the excitement of finally holding a sword again jolt through her. Dickon nodded and on Syrio's count she ducked his first blow. As she danced around him, he moved confused to see where she went, and she managed to poke his sword into his hip. Smiling, he positioned himself again and was much wearier when she moved around him, managing to block several of her blows. Arya let out a thrilled laughter, thinking that Dickon was a much better swordsman than Gendry, whom she won against every time. However, the thought that Gendry perhaps let her win had hit her several times. Dickon on the other hand, did his best to catch up with her as she jumped around, avoiding his sword. It was when she knocked him to the ground and poked her sword into his stomach he put his hands up defensively and yelled: "I yield!"

Laughing, she pulled him back to his feet. First she was afraid he might be angry because he lost against her, but when a smile erupted on her face, she decided she wouldn't have cared either way.

"Your brothers were right," Dickon panted, adjusting his tunics. "I was outmatched. How embarrassing."

Arya snorted with laughter and looked over at Syrio who was nodding approvingly. Behind him, she recognized Gendry leaning on the wooden fence. His face was dark with fury, and his hands balled up into big fists. She avoided his glare and followed Dickon as he asked if he could escort him to the great hall where it would be served supper at any moment.

Catelyn

As Catelyn led Lady Tarly to the little sept Ned had built for her, the lady stopped abruptly to watch a swordfight in the yard. Catelyn recognized a long braid of brown hair flap in the wind, and sighed inside. Arya had disobeyed her orders yet again. Surely Lady Tarly didn't want her son to marry a girl as wild as Arya.

"Is that your daughter?" Lady Tarly asked. Catelyn nodded, sighing. Perhaps this was for the better; now at least the Tarly's knew what they got and wouldn't be disappointed when Arya showed her true self after being wed to their son.

"Yes. She's been spending too much time with her brother's unfortunately," Catelyn said, trying to sound indifferent.

"And is that my son she's fighting?" Lady Tarly asked, bewildered. Catelyn felt her heart skip a beat. Oh, my dear daughter -please let the boy win, she thought, but judging by the way Arya dodged every blow he sent her way, Arya was not holding back her skills.

"She's quick," Lady Tarly stated in amazement. "Are you sure she's not more suitable as a knight like Brienne of Tarth?" Catelyn did not miss the japing tone in her voice, and clenched her hands into fists.

"She's very energetic, and this is one of her ways to blow off some steam. I'm sure as she grows older, she won't find swordfight and archery as amusing as she does now," Cat said, forcing a smile.

Lady Tarly shook her head in disapproval. "I will not judge your way of raising your child, Lady Stark, but letting your daughter run around in boy's clothing and fight with swords is not appropriate for a lady."

Catelyn bit her lip. "She's a stubborn little girl," she said apologetically, just as Arya knocked Dickon to the ground and poked the sword into his stomach.

"Now, look how sweet, my son let her win. He's a real gentleman that one," she smiled. "I have another son as well, you know. He's in the night's watch, just like your husband's bastard. He too was always different." She glanced at Arya again, and let out a little sigh. "Perhaps different isn't always a bad thing."

Catelyn wondered what she meant with that, but did not ask. Hoping the wedding was still on, she continued after Lady Tarly to the Sept.

Gendry

Gendry stood by the fence long after Arya and her new friend had gone, and watched as Syrio gathered the swords together and locked them in a chest by the castle wall. Frowning, Gendry turned away and headed back to the forge when a petit figure stopped him.

Arya stood in front of him, her hands placed on her hips and a stubborn expression on her face. He tried to pass her, but her wolf leapt in front of him, growling.

"So you won't talk to me, but spying on me is supposed to be okay?" she asked accusingly, narrowing her eyes at him. Gendry clenched his jaw shut, making another attempt to escape her and her wolf.

"I don't understand why you're so upset with me. You were the drunken one, not me. And I'm not the one avoiding you, stupid."

He met her gaze, shuddering. Her deep gray eyes were gleaming with accusation.

"Let me pass. I need to go back to the forge," he barked, but Arya stood her ground.

"I am Lady Arya Stark, soon to be Tarly, and I demand you to tell me what the seven hells is wrong with you!"

Gendry snorted. "I knew there was a lady somewhere inside that little façade of yours. This is what you all do; command low-born ones like me around, toying with our feelings."

Arya gaped at him. How could she still not understand?

"You are acting stupid!" she snapped. "You are only a stupid bull-headed man who makes absolutely no sense, and I am growing tired of following you around, trying to figure out why you are so upset with me."

"Good, then perhaps now you will leave me be," he said, locking her gaze in his.

"With pleasure," Arya said through clenched teeth.

Gendry bowed. "If it pleases m'lady I'd like to get back to work now," he said. Arya scoffed, letting him walk past him.

Gendry was still shaking with anger as he started to work on a necklace, and wasn't able to get the steel in the shape he wanted. Furious, he threw the necklace at the wall, causing it to break. Mikken eyed him curiously from the oven, but didn't say anything. As Gendry went to pick the jewelry up from the floor, he realized he would have to melt it down and start all over again. While throwing the steel into the pan above the flames, Mikken handed him a drawing of a longsword.

"Lord Stark wants this for his newly wed son," he said and returned to his work. Gendry glanced down at the sword, and shot Mikken a grateful look. As he hammered down at the steel, putting all of his anger and frustration in every blow, he felt remarkably better.

Ned

Ned accepted the note Maester Luwin handed him and thanked him for his service. He had written to the king and asked if he could stay at the castle in King's Landing for a few weeks. His excuse had been to catch up with an old friend, leaving out the truth about finding the reason to Jon Arryn's death. King Robert had luckily been naive as usual, and as Ned read the letter, he sighed in relief.

To Ned. It would be a pleasure to receive you at King's Landing. It's about time you get some color on that pale face of yours. When will I be expecting you?

Robert

If the king was suspicious, he did not reveal so in the letter. Of course, Ned would wait until Sansa's departure before he too would go. That way, they could travel together for a month before he finally had to part ways with his daughter for gods know how long. When he told Catelyn of his plans, she had not been too thrilled, but did not fight him on the subject.

"If my suspicions are true, the rightful heir to the throne lives within the walls of Winterfell," he said, stroking his wife's cheek. Catelyn shot him a confused look, but realized he would not tell her more. "The less you know, the better," he assured her and kissed her forehead. As Sansa had finally put her little romance with Jory aside, they would leave for the south in two weeks. They decided that if the Tarly's wished to stay at Winterfell after their departure, it would be best if Arya stayed behind with Robb and Bran, while they would bring Rickon. Catelyn was to see her daughter safely off to Dorne; she wished not sending the girl alone like she had been sent to Winterfell by her parents, and wanted to support her daughter every step of the road. Ned respected her wish and would send a hundred guards to look after them on their journey. He made a mental note to make sure Jory was not one of them.

"Lady Melessa saw Arya fight in the yard today. She won against Dickon," Catelyn said as she pulled the covers over herself. Ned wasn't able to hide his pride, and smiled widely.

"Really?"

Catelyn scoffed. "Honestly, love, there's no wonder she is as wild as she is. You keep encouraging her! You should have seen Melessa's face when Arya poked the sword into Dickon's belly – she believed her son had lost on purpose, but it was obvious Arya had the upper hand throughout the whole fight. That is no way for a lady to act."

Ned sighed, tired of having the same conversation over and over. "Arya is like she is, and I love her no less because of it. Her desire to follow her own path is admireable. Besides, she seems to like Dickon well enough. Before we know it, we will have two married daughters."

"I'm not sure Lord Randyll will take her liking for sword fighting as lightly as his wife. What if they no longer want her as a wife to their son?" she looked at him with a worried look.

"Then we will find a new match for her, someone who respects her for who she is. I am not to force my daughter to change because some stuck-up old fool thinks she is too unladylike. She is my beloved daughter, and if they don't like her, they don't deserve to have her as their kin." She must have sensed his determination, as she kept quiet about the subject for the rest of the evening.

"At least she's not running around with that blacksmith boy anymore," she said under her breath.