"Sansa, aren't you done combing my hair already?"

"Don't be so ungrateful! I'm trying to make you pretty for your betrothed!" Sansa said, happily – too happily for Arya's taste.

"I don't need to be pretty for my betrothed," she said, annoyed.

"He's been so busy and hasn't seen you for weeks! It's only proper that you present yourself pretty today."

Arya rolled her eyes. She didn't want to be pretty for Gendry. She wanted to kill him – and for more than one reason. Months had passed since they agreed to wait until he was ready to start planning their escape. She was sure he had already learned enough by now, so why was it taking him so long?

He had nearly disappeared in the last few weeks. He was always busy attending his classes with Renly, or meeting the Small Council, or doing whatever it was required of him now that he was starting to have all those boring princely duties. And in the rare times they met, he always changed the subject when she tried to start talking about the plan.

On top of that, instead of just meeting her casually today like they always did, just showing up where he knew he could find her, he decided to talk to her father and ask permission to take her for a walk around the outdoors of the Red Keep.

Obviously, everyone was making a fuss as if it was a big event, and telling her that she had to behave like a lady, and be pretty for him, as if she had never spent any time with him before.

Sansa had taken upon herself to make her "look like a princess", ignoring Arya's protests, and when she was finally done, she grinned from ear to ear.

"You look like a proper lady now! Prince Gendry will be impressed!"

Arya raised an eyebrow.

"Prince Gendry? When did he stop being the dirty bastard and started being Prince Gendry for you?"

Sansa shrugged.

"I can't be forever disgusted with the future king and your future husband, can I?" she said nonchalantly. "Besides, father says he's been studying hard and improving very quickly, much quicker than he would have thought. And I bet it's all because of you!"

"Because of me? Why would he do that because of me?"

"Arya, you are betrothed to him, remember? More than preparing himself to be king someday, I'm sure he wants to become a proper lord for you."

Sansa was so romantic it hurt.

"It should be you marrying him, not me."

"Why are you saying that?"

"You wanted to be queen, didn't you? And you were already to marry Joffrey…"

"Please, do not remind me of him…"

"But you liked him, didn't you?"

"I did, but not anymore. Father talked to me. He made me see that Joffrey was never worthy of me. Also, he made me see how it was Joffrey's fault and not yours that Lady had to die," Sansa said, her voice trailing off.

Arya turned to look at her sister, a mixture of sympathy and surprise in her eyes. Sansa took a deep breath, as if shaking the sadness away, and continued.

"Besides… I think father may be arranging another betrothal for me," she said as her face lit up again.

"What? Who?" Arya all but shouted.

"Shush! I'm not sure yet! A couple days ago father asked me what I thought about Ser Loras Tyrell, Lord Renly's closest friend and former squire. He's a skilled knight, and so handsome! You must remember him from the tournament the king held for our father."

"I think I remember him… So that's why you're so happy?"

Sansa grinned widely and was about to say something when a knock on the door interrupted them.

One of their handmaids had come to announce Gendry's arrival at the Tower of the Hand.

"You look like a proper lady," Gendry said, eyeing Arya intently while walking side by side with her, arms linked, a small smile forming in the corner of his mouth.

Arya shot her head up and glared at him.

"Do you think this is funny, don't you?" she asked indignantly, which only made him laugh.

Arya had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life. She was wearing a dress she was sure that made her look beyond stupid, and she found herself being almost the center of all the attentions at the courtyard, since she was side by side with the new prince in public for the first time.

"What exactly do you think I think it's funny? I know you hate dresses and you don't want to be a lady, you've told me that a hundred times, but-"

"And yet you make me wear them all the time now!" she nearly bellowed, interrupting him.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! It's entirely your fault that they want me to wear these dreadful dresses! The future queen can't be seen wearing boy clothes, Septa Mordane says. You have to dress like a lady now, Sansa says. It's so annoying!"

"I'm sorry, Arya," Gendry said softly. "I didn't mean to make you go through all of this, I just… I just thought it would be appropriate to… err… court you properly," he said, and she was sure she saw a bit of red on his cheeks. "We've been betrothed for months now, but we haven't been acting as such. And we should do it more often, so that the others won't find strange our behavior."

Arya eyed him suspiciously.

"Is that what you think?"

"Yes. Also, it would be most pleasant to see you wearing dresses more often," he said, smirking, much to Arya's irritation.

"Stop that! Stop mocking me!"

"Gods, I'm not mocking you! I do think they look good on you. I think you look pretty, really" he said, his voice gaining a serious tone.

Arya stared at him intently, trying to find any trace of mocking in his eyes, but found none. She felt her face start to heat and averted her eyes from his, looking ahead.

"Why don't you stop talking nonsense and tell me when we're going to start planning our escape?"

Gendry tensed and stopped for a second, but then started walking again, but in a slower pace. For some reason, Arya knew he would react that way. He'd been avoiding this subject for quite some time now, making her grow restless.

"Arya, I didn't forget our deal. It's just… the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's not going to work."

"What? Why?"

"You have no idea the things I hear in the audiences the king or your father hold with the smallfolk," he said, his voice even more serious. "People bring all kinds of reports from everywhere, and Arya… It's not safe out there. We would be exposed to so many dangers. Not to mention the food. No matter how much we bring with us when we leave, it won't last forever... And, believe me, I know what it's like not having food to eat, and I don't want you to go through this. I would never forgive myself. Besides, to tell the truth, it may not even come to that. The City Watch would catch us in no time."

Arya stopped suddenly, letting go of his arm.

"Is that it? Are you giving up? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"No! I'm not giving up… I'm just telling you that I still didn't find a way to get us out of here safely. But I'm not done yet, I promise you. There must be a way, a safer way... But as far as I remember, you were going to try to think of something too."

"I'm trying, stupid! It's just so difficult! I barely know this place… If I had to escape from Winterfell I bet I could, but from King's Landing… We need to find a way soon, Gendry. Next week it will be my name day, I'll be four-and-ten already! I'll be six-and-ten in no time!"

"You're really eager to get rid of me, aren't you?" he asked, absentmindedly taking her hand and tucking it in his arm again as they resumed walking.

"Explain to me how running away with you is getting rid of you?"

"Let me rephrase it then: you're really eager to get rid of having to marry me, aren't you?"

"I'm eager to get rid of having to marry anyone, stupid."

"What if you fall in love with me while we're running away?" he asked teasingly.

"That's NOT going to happen."

"How can you know?"

"Seven hells, Gendry!"

"Why don't you just accept that it can happen?"

"Why don't you just shut up and die?"

Gendry just laughed, and then he squeezed her hand that was tucked in his arm, and the sensation made her feel weird.

Gendry was acting weird, saying things he never did before, acting like he never did before. Something about him was definitely different, and she couldn't tell if it had to do with the things he had been learning or if it was something else. The only thing she knew was that he was changing somehow, and she wondered if this change would end up affecting their deal.

She hoped not, otherwise she would be in serious trouble...