YOREN
"What did you want to meet about, Yoren," Ned asked before sipping his bourbon.
Yoren looked at Ned, and then deeply inhaled his cigarette. As if in deep contemplation, he looked into his glass, and then exhaled slowly. He then finished the remainder of his glass before tapping the counter to indicate that he wanted another glass.
"I've been at Wholistic Core a long fucking time," he began. "A loooooong fucking time." The bartender placed the glass in front of Yoren and then man immediately took a sip. "Most of the kids that come to the program are rich, upper middle class or some shit like that. The other few are voucher kids—Gendry was a voucher kid; born and raised in Flea Bottom, but you already know that."
"If there is a point, then make it," Ned stated as he looked at his drinking companion.
Yoren's chuckle was laced with a bitter aftertaste.
"He's a good kid, Ned, don't involve the police in this." Yoren squared his jaw, and then looked at Ned.
"Don't you dare tell me who I should and should not involve concerning my kids," Ned seethed. "If this is why you asked to meet up with you, then you're wasting your time. If you had done your job back then, I wouldn't have to involve anyone now."
"There comes a point in your life when right takes on various meanings," Yoren said cryptically. "That's when the lines that were drawn so precisely become blurry and, suddenly, you have to make a judgment call that is complicated and there is no longer a right answer, but rather, a right now. What is the best decision right now? Have you ever been faced with a situation such as that… like when you sent Arya to Wholistic Core?"
Ned glared at Yoren. "You know that that was different."
"Was it," he questioned. "Was it right to send her away? You did right by Robert, but did you do right by Arya. Did you make the right decision in the grand scheme of things? Was it right to let politics interfere with your decision?"
"I did that FOR Arya!"
Yoren gave a bitter laugh. "As did I, but I don't see you giving me the benefit of the doubt." Before Ned could speak, Yoren interrupted, "I know; it's different."
"Why am I here, Yoren?"
At Ned's question, Yoren pulled out a laptop out of the bag that had been on the floor. After he logged into the device, he searched for a folder and found the video he was looking for. Once he found it, he handed a pair of headphones to Ned, and then pressed play.
VIDEO INTERVIEW:
"Hello, Gendry," the interviewer said as she reached out a hand to shake Gendry's hand. Gendry shook it firmly before sitting.
"Hi," he replied back as he sat up straight in the chair. His hair looked as if it was freshly cut and his face was clean-shaven. He wore a white dress shirt with a deep blue tie and black dress pants. It was apparent that Gendry was nervous and trying to calm himself down.
"My name is Rose Kendrick," she introduced herself. "And I, along with Trent Favors, will be interviewing you," Rose explained before smiling at Gendry. For a moment, she quickly flipped through Gendry's file, and then looked back at him. "By law, I am obligated to inform you that this interview is being recorded." She pointed to several cameras in the room. "But, it's nothing you should worry about. Although Trent and I are interviewing you, a few other members of the Wholistic Core organization reviews the file and video as well before a final decision is made."
Gendry stared insecurely at the camera behind Rose.
"Okay," he nodded and straightened up some more.
"All right, first question," Trent began. "What makes you qualified for this job?"
"Qualified in what way?"
"As in what skills do you possess that may be beneficial for this position," he clarified.
"Like traditional skills," he asked. "Such as experience with youth and what not?"
"Exactly."
"I guess I'm not," he truthfully admitted. "In a traditional sense, at least. But, Leslie saw something in me and I guess that counts for something." Rose raised an eyebrow at his remark. "But, I do believe that I'm qualified. I was born and raised in Flea Bottom—the where the poorest of the poor and the roughest of the rough live and I survived. I lived there most of my life without getting into any trouble or becoming a criminal. My qualification is that I have life experience—survival skills and this is a place for troubled youth. Not only that, my time in Flea Bottom gives me further insight into how these young adults think. Every single one of the camp counselors I had was rich and came from privileged backgrounds. And not to say that they weren't great at their jobs, but imagine someone from a place like Flea Bottom seeing a guy like me in that type of position—that brings hope. It tells them that just because they came from Flea Bottom or, any similar place like it, that they can rise up to be more. And, here, everyone is equal—there isn't any classism going on."
Trent grinned, and then shook his head in appreciation at Gendry's honesty.
Rose leaned back in her seat, crossed her legs, and clasped her hands together. Her eyes carefully assessed Gendry. "What is the difference between yelling and raising your voice?"
"I guess, in the context I believe you are referring to, yelling is losing your composure and venting out towards a person or persons in a loud tone. Raising your voice is speaking louder in order to be heard," he explained. "Raising your voice has more an authoritative feel to it. There is some times where raising your voice can be a negative thing, but it definitely depends on the situation."
A piece of paper was passed between Rose and Trent. The male looked at the paper, and then pursed his lips. "There are 3 problems to deal with and a camper is trying to incessantly get your attention. Your co-counselor is sitting on the side. What do you do to defuse the situations?"
"I would calmly ask the person what he or she needed help with. From there, I would assess if I could resolve the issue on the spot, if not, I would politely ask my co-counselor to help out the camper, and then deal with the other issues."
"Who is your personal hero," Trent checked off the question from the sheet.
At this, Gendry smiled. "My best friend Arya. I met her at the camp two years ago and her presence in my life is one of the best things to ever happen to me," his smile grew even wider. "Despite being younger than me as well as smaller than me, I look up to her. She is so sure of herself and refuses to let anyone crush her dreams or get in the way of what she wants. And, she has a feisty personality and is incredibly stubborn, but she is very caring as well." Gendry chuckled at his description of her. "I remember when she found out that I couldn't read past the eight grade level. Rather than pitying me, she took it upon herself to teach me how to read, as well as our friend Hot Pie. It encouraged me to continue my schooling here. And she is so down to earth—there isn't a sense of entitlement in her; she views everyone as equals. She is such an incredible person."
"Why are you interested in this job?"
Gendry momentarily closed his eyes before struggling to swallow.
"Wholistic Core is a great place to be because it encourages independence and cultivates a sense of self and stimulates the campers minds. The program doesn't treat the young adults like troubled kids; they respect each and every one and allow them to learn from their mistakes and express themselves to make well-informed decisions and form healthy habits. Most importantly, it feels like a family…like a place where you are welcomed no matter where you came from and," Gendry paused. Tears formed in his eyes. A stray tear quickly rolled down his cheek and Gendry hastily rubbed his face. "I never had a family—not really."
The rest of the interview was spent asking Gendry about his nurturing skills, leadership ability, work ethic, creativity, and conflict resolution.
END OF INTERVIEW
Yoren then showed Ned video of Arya's time at camp.
"We had cameras everywhere for surveillance; occasionally, I would watch them," he commented. He brought up a clip of Arya around other boys. "You see how she interacts with them. She has no interest in them besides hanging out." Next, he brought up a clip of Arya and Gendry. "Do you notice any difference between how she interacts with Gendry opposed to the other guys? She invaded his personal space and touched him A LOT. I'm not going to say that Gendry didn't like her touches, but as you can see, he was aware of the inappropriateness of her actions. He subtly removed her hands from his body—hell, he even looked panicked." Yoren then open another video. "Now, in this clip, Arya is glaring at another girl who is showing interest in Gendry. Then, in this one... "A new video was open. "She is isolating Gendry from other people, especially girls. Hot Pie was the only person she never did that with, for the most part. Sure, they interacted with the other campers, but if they could get away, Arya made sure that happened and she definitely made sure that other girls didn't talk to Gendry."
Ned rubbed his temples.
"If you knew this was happening, why didn't you stop it sooner?"
"Because we didn't realize what was happening at first," Yoren explained. "We knew that they were close. Eventually, we started to realize that there might have been some feelings between the two. After a while, we understood that we needed to put some space between them, which was why we started having Gendry help out with maintenance at the camp. It was effective at first, but Arya's actions started to become a bit bolder, so I had to talk to her." Yoren could tell what Ned was thinking. "I could have spoken to Gendry, but it's quite clear who the problem was. After I spoke to her, I didn't have any more issues. Ned, believe me when say that if I knew about what happened between them, they would've been permanently separated. I just wanted to do right by not only Arya, but Gendry as well."
Ned gulped the rest of his drink, and then rubbed his eyes.
"Please don't report him or try to make a case out of this," Yoren pleaded. "Sure, Gendry wanted to have sex with your daughter, but he didn't and Gods know Arya was willing. But, he never tried to take advantage of her—not even in the slightest. And, as you saw, Gendry not only respected your daughter back then, he admired her." Yoren could see the wheels turning n Ned's mind. "You could genuinely fuck up this guy's life and for what? Fighting the temptation of having sex with Arya? How dare he refuse a girl who wanted him in the worst way because it was against the law! All this kid every wanted was for somewhere to belong, to have a family. I guess he'll form one of sorts in prison."
Abruptly, Ned stood up. "I get it, Yoren," he yelled. "I fucking get it, okay! I won't pursue this." He stormed out of the bar.
Yoren shook his head. He didn't believe that Ned would've pursued it on his own; it would have been under the persuasion of Cat. But, now that Ned saw Gendry's interview and those other video clips, he knew that Ned would convince Cat to let go of the issue.
This wouldn't even be an issue if the Stark weren't rich as fuck, but rich people knew how to make the law bend to their will.
JON
"What's bothering you?" Ned placed a comforting hand on Jon's shoulder.
"Nothing," he denied as he crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch.
"Is that why you're pouting?" Ned chuckled.
"What's so funny," Jon defensively asked. "And I'm not pouting."
Ned sat up straight and looked at the younger man. "It doesn't matter how old your kids get, there's a part of you that always views them as a kid," he explained. "When you were a kid, you used to behave the same way: tightly crossing your arms, silently fuming, and pretending nothing was wrong. And nothing has changed twenty odd years later." Jon's expression slightly relaxed at his dad's explanation. "What's bothering you?"
"Why didn't you press charges against, Gendry?"
An audible groan escaped from Ned's mouth. Honestly, he was tired of talking about the situation. He argued about it with Cat for weeks after his drink with Yoren, until he made Yoren show her what he showed him.
"It wasn't worth ruining the man's life over," he said before sipping his beer.
In outrage, Jon stared at his father. "You care more about his life being ruined than him potentially ruining Arya's life?"
"No, I care more about the fact that nothing happened and that I'd be ruining his life based on an honest mistake," Ned stated.
"Well, something almost happened."
"Almost, but didn't," Ned clarified before staring at his son strangely. "Jon, I don't like your tone. It seems as if you're questioning my capabilities as a parent."
Jon looked at Ned in surprise. "I'm not," he defended himself.
"Well, then quit questioning my decisions." Ned finished off his beer and glanced at the score of the game. "You think I reached my decision lightly? That I wasn't upset at what happened? I was upset and it was an incredibly difficult decision and, as an adult, you should have learned that by now: decisions aren't always black and white. I've been making hard decisions every since Brandon died and I've been making hard decisions about Arya's life since Robert came back into my life. But, once I had all of the facts, my decision not to pursue Gendry wasn't all that difficult."
"What facts," Jon asked with thinly veiled anger.
"Facts that Gendry wasn't really to blame for all that happened when Arya was at camp."
"How can you say that, dad?" Jon looked at his father in disgust. "Am I the only that cares that this creep almost took advantage of her!"
Ned stood up before looking down at Jon. His disappointment was barely contained when he spoke to the younger man. "No, Jon, you're just the only one who seems to think you know what's best for her. " Jon tried to say something, but Ned held up a hand. "I understand that she's your sister and that you love her, but you cannot fathom the love I have for all of my kids or the lengths that I would go to in order to protect them. But, clearly, in your opinion, I'm lacking as a parent because I didn't do what you feel was best."
"No, Dad, I didn't say that," Jon defended.
"No, you did." Ned looked to the floor, and then at Jon before walking out of the room.
Jon stopped talking and looked at his wife. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Honestly, I tuned out a long time ago," Ygritte replied truthfully and shrugged. "You've been going on about this for HOURS, Jon. I can recite your words in my sleep."
"Ygritte," Jon sighed before applying deodorant under his arms, and then walking to the bed before sliding under the covers. "This is important to me."
"Why?" As soon as Jon opened his mouth, Ygritte interrupted him, "Save me the explanation about "saving Arya" and Gendry taking advantage of her; I know the story like the back of my hand. This goes deeper than that. Why is this so important?"
"Does there need to be any other reasons than the ones you stated? I didn't know that it was a crime to care about your sister's well being. I know that I am being vilified for being upset at what this pig almost did." Ygritte groaned. As he finished with the conversation, Jon turned away from his wife and pulled the covers around his shoulders.
"You know nothing, Jon Snow." She shook his shoulder and Jon tried to brush him off.
"Ygritte," he warned.
"What? You don't," she said. Jon hated it when Ygritte said that because he knew that she meant that he was naïve and ignorant. Only kids were naïve and ignorant in his mind and he was a grown man. He had been to war and protected his country. "I mean, if you did know anything, you would trust your father's judgment and, most importantly, Arya's. Jon, you may be a guy, but you don't think like a guy—you don't act like a guy."
Jon whipped his head up and looked at Ygritte in offense.
"You don't—not a stereotypical one, at least," she elaborated. "As someone who has dealt with those type of guys, I can tell you from experience, Gendry is not one of those guys."
"You haven't even met him to make that assessment," Jon brushed off.
"But, I have spoken to Arya." Jon sat up against the headboard to give Ygritte his full attention. "And this guy you believe Gendry to be," Ygritte chuckled. "Doesn't even come close to describing the type of man Gendry is…Jon, Arya has been tough as nails her whole life when it came to everyday living and dating, but for me, that only applied to the day to day. I felt like an ugly duckling as a little girl and I'm a redhead—you can only imagine the teasing. When boys started to talk to me, I fell for anything, and then I learned a tough lesson. After that, I knew better; I paid attention to all of the tricks and could tell the difference. Gendry's one of the good ones."
"How do you know that?" Jon's demeanor had softened at her story. "A feeling or did he do something in particular?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "Both." Ygritte looked at her hands, and then her husband. "I've been with my fair share of guys when I was a teen. I was so desperate for approval from cute boys that I would do almost anything just to get them to like me. Which sounds odd, I know, strong, opinionated, no non sense Ygritte?" Apprehensively, she bit her lip. "But, yes, me. It was my experience with boys that really toughened me up. Before then, though…I let guys touch on me, gave them hand jobs, gave them blowjobs, eventually had sex with them. Some of it was because I thought guys wanting to have sex with me meant that I was beautiful—that I was desirable. After a while, it was pressure. 'Come on, baby, you know you want to,'" she mocked, and then started to make kissing noises. "'Please…just the tip.' After a while, I started to dislike it. Sex was fun, but the guys I was having sex with—they made me feel so used and cheap."
"Ygritte," Jon softly mumbled when he saw tears forming in her eyes, and then tenderly wiped them away when they fell.
Momentarily, she tightly closed her eyes.
"Then, one night I was partying with my girls," she said. "I didn't want to be bothered with guys; I just wanted to have fun. All night, this guy had been hitting on me; laying it on real think, but I had ignored his advances. " Jon felt his stomach drop. "I was getting my coat out of the guest room when he approached me…asking me if I wanted to hook up. I told him no, but he didn't take that for an answer. I just remember him saying to me as he violated me, that he heard about how easy I was—that the other guys told him that and that I was making him work too hard for some ass."
"Why didn't you tell me this before now," Jon said gently, but she could see the hatred in his eyes for the guy who raped her.
"Because you weren't raped, Jon, I was." Ygritte wiped her face. "It's an experience that I can share with you, but it's also an experience that I have to re-live every time I tell it. It's not that I don't trust you or that I'm forever a victim to my assault, but I just don't like to talk about it."
She took her hand and held it to her chest.
"I may not share everything with you, but that doesn't mean that I love you any less just that there are some things I would prefer to keep to myself." Jon pulled Ygritte to his chest and hugged her tightly.
"It angers me that that happened to you," he said. "It angers me that rape happens in general. If you ever need anyone to talk to, even if it's just a listening ear…"
Tears streamed down Ygritte's face at Jon's offer. She shook her head and said, "I know."
"Anytime you need."
"I guess you do know something, Jon Snow," she gave him a moist kiss, which Jon grinned before he returned the kiss. "Jon, I've dealt with my fair share of scum. I've been involved with guys who didn't care if I was too young or even sober to make a conscious decision. Those are the guys who take advantage of young girls. Not the ones who put a stop to sex with the girl is more than willing, not the ones who don't assault while you are drunk off of your ass and sleeping barely clothed on top of him after making out moments before, not the ones who, despite you laying in their bed a million times, take that as an invitation for sex. Because all of those situations did happen between Arya and Gendry and he never took advantage of her. If a man who waits for a of age, sober girl to give him a clear yes to have sex with him is a pervert, I would gladly date his perverted ass if I were single and I would fuck him as much as he could take."
"Ygritte," Jon said sternly.
"Jon," she matched his tone. "I've been taken advantage of in the past, so don't you dare label Arya's situation in the same way. Don't you dare label a completely decent guy as a pervert. Sure, he made a mistake, but he's not and wasn't a creep. Make this right with Arya."
"Honestly, I don't even know where to start," he admitted. "I've just spent so much time angry at Gendry and the whole situation that everything is a mess."
"There's your answer," Ygritte replied. Jon looked at her incredulously. "Start with Gendry."
"Ygritte, you can't be serious."
"I'm completely serious," she stated. "You can't remedy things with Arya without making amends with Gendry. Arya will forgive you eventually, but only if you make things right with the source of all of this drama."
"Okay," he relented. Ygritte grabbed Jon's face with both hands and peppered kisses on his forehead.
"I'm glad I found you," she said in a low, pensive tone. "You taught me what it truly means to be loved, respected, and adored in a relationship. You've shown me how honorable men treat women…that sex is more than about pleasure, but expressing love and sharing that experience. You've taught me that even the most proud man can admit that he was wrong and try to rectify his mistakes."
Jon kissed his nose.
"Let's go to bed."
Firmly, Jon grabbed his wife's waist and pulled her closer to him. Their legs became tangled while Jon cupped Ygritte's face lovingly. Jon seemed to be thinking about something.
"What," she whispered.
"Nothing," he dismissed.
"Jon." Her fingers rubbed his facial hair, and then traced his jawline before resting in his thick black hair.
"Did you ever report him or was it too difficult to come forward?"
An odd expression formed on Ygritte's face.
"He was reported."
"And…did you ever want to get revenge against him for what he did to you? Like your own brand of revenge?"
At his question, Ygritte smiled. "I did get revenge," she answered coyly. "I bit his cock off."
GENDRY
"Hey, Mel," Gendry greeted as Melisandre stood up, and pulled Gendry into a hug before placing a kiss on his mouth. Gendry tried to pull away, but was too late and wiped his mouth off.
"Hey, yourself," she replied suggestively. Mel eyed Gendry appreciatively while her hand brushed down his chest before, and then lingered on his eyes. A mischievous glance fluttered across her face.
As Melisandre stared Gendry in the eyes, she slid a hand under his shirt and applied pressure to his ribcage.
"Does that hurt?"
"No," he answered.
"Do you experience pain at all—even if it is minor?" There was a hint of concern in her features.
"No, the doctors said that I made a full recovery and I don't disagree with them."
"Good to know." Melisandre smiled at him and gestured for Gendry to take a seat.
"So, why did you want to meet up?" A waitress walked up to the table and Gendry offhandedly ordered a beer.
In a faux pensive state, Melisandre tapped her chin. She then grabbed his hands and squeezed gently. The touch was a mixture of reassurance and asserting her will over Gendry. From the day he got in contact with her again to that present moment, Gendry knew that Melisandre had something up her sleeve. If he were honest with himself, he had felt that way since he first met her. The wheels were always spinning in her head—as if she knew more than she let on.
There were times that Gendry felt unnerved by her. There were times that she could see through him and he could never read her. Never. Melisandre only allowed people to know certain parts of her. She was never vulnerable. You never knew more than what she wanted. She controlled everything and always got her way. He couldn't articulate it, but there was a sort of confidence she had about herself and her abilities. It simultaneously made he feel both frightened by her as well as admire her.
"You have to had known that I didn't come to your help out of the kindness of my heart," she began. The corners of her mouth titled up in a slight grin.
"Believe me, I've always known better than that when it came to you," he replied, and then sipped his beer. "Nothing comes without strings attached."
Melisandre raised an eyebrow.
"I've seen how you work. Nothing is ever just a favor for others, except Stannis, everything you do, you do for him," Gendry explained. A full-blown grin enveloped her face at his words.
"Well, of course, my loyalty to Stannis is no secret." She shrugged. For a moment, she was silent as she cleared her throat, and then sipped her water. Melisandre then picked up a folder that sat beside her and pulled out a photograph. It was placed in front of Gendry.
In confusion, Gendry stared at the photo. Gently, he picked it up and analyzed it more closely. Another photo was place in front of him, and then another, and then another. Gendry stared at all of them in deep bewilderment. But, how could this…be? It was him, but it wasn't him.
"What's going on, Mel," Gendry demanded answers.
"You have questions and I have answers," she replied cryptically.
"Well, then spit it out," he shouted, momentarily forgetting where he was. The other patrons looked at Gendry and he blushed in response.
Melisandre looked unfazed by his outburst. "Ask me." Gendry glared at her. "If you want answers, then ask me."
"This guy is me, but he isn't me," he whispered. "Is he my twin," a beat passed, then he asked, "Or my father?"
If the guy in the picture had been in the Flea Bottom or some other place that he had frequented, he would have thought that he was being spied on. But, this guy was in lavish environments around people he never met in his life. This guy looked arrogant all while having the palm of the world in his hand.
"He's your father, Robert Baratheon."
"What!" Gendry yelled, and then said more softly, but in a harsh whisper, "What? No, no, no. My father isn't Robert Baratheon. I'm just some bastard from Flea Bottom."
His female companion laughed. "Yes, you are a bastard, but you are the bastard of Robert," she explained. "Anyone who knew Robert as a young man or has seen pictures of him in her earlier years can see that you are a spitting image of him. Deny it all of want, but has anyone ever looked at you strangely," she inquired.
Gendry thought for a moment.
"Did you ever feel unsettled or uneasy by it because those looked weren't your usual stares? You know, people looking down upon you because you were poor, but rather, people looking at you in a way you couldn't define, as if you belong to something else, something better than the slums? This is what the saw, Gendry? They saw Robert. Even if they couldn't recognize it on a conscious level, subconsciously, they knew you were a Baratheon."
It all made sense. Gendry thought back to Mr. and Mrs. Stark and how they looked taken aback by him—as if they had seen a ghost. His appearance puzzled them. He had had other instances of people looking at him like that: not judging, but as if he looked like someone they knew and was powerful.
"Gendry, your looks aren't just coincidental," she continued. "You not only have Robert's face, you have the Baratheon build and strength." Gendry looked at his arms, and then flexed his muscles. "If you just had his face it would be one thing, but you have it all: the face, the build, the strength, and the eyes. The Baratheon genes are strong and you are a Baratheon; you know a Baratheon when you see one."
"If the Baratheon genes are so dominant, why does Joffrey look nothing like Robert?" Gendry leaned against the seat, and then crossed his arms. "So, there is a chance that I'm not Robert's."
Melisandre laughed audibly this time. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more dominant than the Baratheon genes."
Her meaning sank in.
Gendry put two and two together.
"You want me to challenge Joffrey's claim to Baratheon Industries?"
"Yes."
"But, Robert Baratheon loves his job or, at last, the power that comes with it, I doubt would want to step down anytime soon," Gendry said. "There is nothing for me to challenge if he isn't passing it over."
"Robert has lived a very unhealthy lifestyle and I've foreseen it catching up to him in the near future," she said vaguely.
"Are you going to kill him," Gendry mistakenly assumed.
The woman laughed at his wrong assumption. "Like I said, he has lived an unhealthy lifestyle; I don't need to do anything when he is doing the work for me. Trust me, he won't live long."
"Why…why are you telling me this now? Surely, I can't dispute Joffrey's claim while Robert is living. I mean, I could, but I doubt that that fits into whatever plans you are brewing. How does my dispute of Joffrey's claim benefit Stannis? Why can't Stannis challenge it himself?"
Melisandre exhaled, and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because Robert hates him. He specifically put in his will that if he were to die; his sons would gain control of the estate. If, for some reason, his sons are unable to make a claim, it goes to Eddard Stark and his sons. Joffrey and his brothers aren't the rightful heirs, but you are. Once Robert dies, you will challenge them and win to which you will then hand over your claim to Stannis."
The very mention of the name Eddard Stark made Gendry's stomach dropped. It was hard to forget that night. There was a lot of damage done both figuratively and literally. He and Arya's relationship was basically in limbo until he could adequately sort out his feelings on the matter. There was a part of him that found it difficult to forgive Arya for her actions that night. Then, there was the other part that just wanted to talk it out and get her to understand why he didn't "fight" for her. At the same time, he didn't want to explain himself to her—he did nothing wrong. He knew that for a fact. What was he supposed to do when the threat of being sent to jail hung in the air?
When she called him a week later, he said he needed time and would call her back when he reached a conclusion on where they stood; that was two and a half months ago.
The physical damage was a constant reminder of that night. He broken ribcage bones and had been out of commission for two months, which meant that he couldn't work and that meant that he couldn't make money.
Once all the costs of surgery, pain medication, hospital stay, utility bills, etc Gendry knew that he was fucked. That was the only way to sum it up. As he was going over all his options, it was then he remembered that Melisandre had told him if he ever needed anything, he could come to her. Heavily, he weighed the pros and cons on asking for her help. Finally, when he made his decision to be in her debt rather than being in debt with bill collectors, he hoped the price wouldn't be too high.
She agreed readily and said nothing about the strings attached, but he knew it was there. It was Melisandre after all; she did nothing if there wasn't a way she could benefit as well.
And this was her price: rightfully claiming Baratheon Industries in order to hand over to Stannis Baratheon.
"Won't people challenge my claim even though I am the rightful heir," Gendry asked as he spoke slowly. "I'm clueless about running a business."
"Don't worry; we'll take care of that," Melisandre assured. "You have your GED and took a few business classes," she stated matter of fact. "So, we'll get you a private tutor and prep you for standardized tests and essays, and then enroll you this spring semester."
Gendry's mind was going a thousand miles per hour. "Hold on, hold on, hold on." He held his hands up in front of him, before running a hand through his hair. "How do you know I got a GED and took business classes?"
"I'm thorough, as you know." Gendry caught the double meaning.
"You don't even know—"
Melisandre interrupted him. "I know that this is a lot of information to process, but now isn't the time. I spoke to your past educators, they all spoke very highly of you. They said that you were intelligent and a hard worker, but that you lacked confidence in yourself and your abilities." Gendry was ready to dispute her findings. "You may not agree with that concerning your personal life, but I happen to agree when it comes to academics. I've read your work; you're intelligent and dedicated, but insecure and it's understandable. You don't need to graduate from college, but you do need to take certain classes in order for people not to be as vocal about their displeasure."
"All this for a guy who won't even run the business?" He finished off his beer, and then looked out of the window.
"No, all of this for a guy who will appoint Stannis as the head of the company."
"Fuck it all," Gendry groaned. "Fuck it all to hell."
He tossed his notebook and books on the floor, and then harshly rubbed his eyes.
"Gendry," Melisandre said softly.
"I can't do this shit," he shrugged. "I can't. This is not going to work—it's too much!"
Gendry got up and began to pace back and forth. Anger radiated off of him as his frustration and helplessness got to him.
"Gendry, take a deep breath, and slowly exhale as you count to five," the woman said calmly. "No argument, just do it, and then keep doing it until you relax."
Reluctantly, Gendry did as told. He closed his eyes and kept breathing slowly. It didn't seem to make much of a difference until Melisandre began to rub him temples. After focusing on his temples for a few minutes, she began to rub his scalp, then the back of his ears, his neck, and his shoulders. All the stress and tension from their plan to school began to evaporate.
Due to being distracted by Melisandre's ministrations, he didn't notice that she had lowered him to the couch until she instructed him to lie back. She focused on his temples and shoulders more.
"I've never been good at school—I'm just not that smar…" Gendry trailed off as Melisandre put a finger over his mouth.
"No talking, just relax," she replied. The tension in his arms left when she moved her firm and knowing grip there. Her fingers were magic.
He was in a trance of sort; a slave to her touch that he didn't notice her unzipping his pants. Carefully, she cupped his cock and balls in her hands. Gendry jumped on.
"Settle down," she chastised.
"Mel," he warned.
"Mel," she mimicked. "You're stressed. This is a stressed reliever. You'll feel euphoric after the endorphins kick in."
Expertly, she pulled his penis out of boxers, and then his pants. She examined briefly before fondly smiling. Gendry closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch. He felt some sort of liquid on his cock that he figured she was using as a lubricant. Her grip was firm, but she began the tempo at snail's pace. Involuntarily, he thrust into her hand that held his cock, but he other hand pushed his hips down and she told him to calm down and don't rush it.
Methodically, she moved up and down, occasionally twisted her hand and putting pressure on the head of his cock. Gendry moaned and gasped at the sensation, which she seemed to feed off of. It was encouraging to her to hear noises come from him and his pleasure never wavered, it only intensified. Eventually, she placed her free hand on his hips to encourage him to thrust into her hand, but she held it there to maintain a pace.
"You like that," she whispered.
"Ye—yeah," he stuttered.
More liquid was poured onto her his cock and she increased her tempo. Gendry felt as if he was going to lose his mind. It had been a while since he had his cock touched by another person. And, Melisandre, well, she was in a league of her own (not including, Arya, of course, but he didn't want to think about her).
A warm mouth then began to suck on his cock and, for sure, Gendry knew that he had lost his mind. He tried to fight against the urge to rest a hand on her head, but it settled there anyways. Against his consent, his hips began to thrust forward.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
As Melisandre bobbed up and down on Gendry's dick, she looked him in the eyes for a moment before concentrating fully on brining him pleasure. The hand that rested on her hand, gently pushed her head down, which she didn't seem to mind. She began to take him deeper into her mouth, which was when Gendry remembered that Melisandre didn't have a gag reflex as he hit the back of her throat. Suddenly, his cock slipped out of her mouth. In displeasure, he looked down. Melisandre coyly smiled before placing open mouth kisses on his cock as her tongue simultaneously brushed against the erect flesh. Her tongue swirled around the head, and then made its way down to the base before going up again.
"Mel," Gendry strained out.
"Say please," she mouthed against his penis.
"Please."
She enveloped his cock in her mouth again and began to suck frantically while her hand moved in unison with her mouth. The sucking noises were audible. Gendry felt his climax approaching.
"Mel, I'm about to come," he warned. Melisandre ignored him and kept slurping enthusiastically. "Mel," he tried again to no avail. "Mel!"
Quickly, she removed her mouth from his cock, and then lifted up his shirt and her hand continued to eagerly stroke Gendry. Less than a second later, his cum splashed on his stomach. Harsh gasping filled the room as Melisandre slightly increased her tempo in order to ride out Gendry's orgasm as the last remaining drop on cum covered the head of his cock.
"Shit, Mel," Gendry sighed. Through hazy lids, he looked at her as his cock began to get limp in her hand. "Shit."
Her grip slightly tightened on his penis as she looked at it intensely, and then put it back on her mouth. She tenderly sucked the cum off his head, and then swallowed. A smile appeared on her face as she then went to his stomach to lick up the rest of Gendry's seed.
In between her mouth cleaning up his cum stained stomach, she spoke, "I'll give you a few minutes to rest, but no longer. You will finish your homework tonight."
Gendry never expected restart his sexual relationship with Melisandre when he asked her for the loan. He just thought that she would give him the money and make him do whatever she needed him to do to help Stannis. Gendry didn't care for Stannis, but he knew who bankrolled her, which was also where her loyalty lied.
"Mel," he groaned as he felt her leg lock around his waist.
"Why fight it, Gendry, we both know how this is going to end," she said in a bored tone. She was tired of him resisting when he always gave him.
"Let go of me," he said. Mel rolled her eyes. "I have to undo my pants," he said in a resigned tone.
"No, I got it," she volunteered as her leg fell to the bed. Hurriedly, she undid his jeans and pulled them just below his ass. Without missing a beat, she slipped a condom on and pulled up her dress.
Melisandre locked her leg around Gendry's hips against as he began to unrelentlessly pound into her. A sharp cry escaped from her lips as she pulled Gendry closer. She softly bit on his chin before nibbling on his lip.
Out of all of the men Melisandre had sex with Gendry was her favorite. He wasn't the most skilled lover, but he was very good. What made him her favorite was his unmatched passion. She can feel his anger, his fury and, yes, theirs definitely was the fury. Melisandre lived for the raw emotion, the pain, the frustration, and the rage. And when it came to sex, Gendry couldn't contain his. Oh, he tried to, but she knew how to bring out the side of him. She nurtured it until there weren't any masks whenever they fell into bed—it was just pure, raw emotion. No censor bullshit.
One leg rested on Gendry's shoulder while the other was pushed all of the way forward with her knee resting next to her head.
Stannis could never fuck her like this.
He was always too proper and frigid. And she enjoyed his power—having sex with a powerful man, but she didn't enjoy his technique. He may have had the Baratheon looks, but lacked the intense emotions.
Quick gasps escaped from Melisandre as Gendry began to repeatedly hit a sensitive spot. She was pressed up and against the hit board awkwardly, but could feel every last inch of Gendry. Every. Last. Inch.
When he was done with her, she was nothing but bones.
After his breathing slowed down, he looked for a pack of cigarettes and lit one.
Melisandre took the cigarette from him and inhaled.
"You don't trust me, do you?"
"I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you; you're too calculating."
"Then you are smarter than I give you credit for."
Gendry took his cigarette back and puffed.
"When it comes to politics, you mean," he corrected. "I trust you to keep your word on the deal we made." One of the agreements that were made when Gendry agreed to hand over Baratheon Industries to Stannis was that he would get a lucrative payout. "I just know better than to trust you on Stannis related matters as in trying to betray or double cross him."
"And you're right not to."
As the professor droned on, Gendry fought to pay attention. He meant no disrespect to the woman, but she was boring as hell. After a while, the boredom of the class and sitting for a long period of time began to get to him. Gendry rested his head against his left hand and put his pen to the paper. It was a big enough class where he could go to sleep without the professor noticing, but he couldn't be too obvious about it.
Just as Gendry could feel himself getting lost in the abyss, someone tapped on his shoulder. He jumped slightly and looked to his right. Autumn Cassidy smiled at him. In relief, Gendry smiled.
"Sorry to interrupt you, Gendry," she sweetly apologized. "But, I wondering if you wouldn't mind studying together for the exam next week?"
"Uh…I guess," he replied. "But, I'm not that smart, so I don't think working with me is going to help any."
Cassidy laughed at him. "You're so funny, Gendry. I got a C on the last exam and you got a B+, I think you're going to help a little."
"No, I just got lucky," he dismissed. "It was really hard and I was puzzled most of the time."
"Well, Jenny Stevens copies off of you all of the time and she only copies off of the smart people," Autumn said. "It's either you're very smart and don't know it or very lucky." She wrote her number on a piece of paper. "Either way, call me because either your smarts will help me or your luck will rub off on me."
Jenny copied off of him? And she only copied off of smart people? Gendry didn't think he was smart. Sure, he was street smart, but book smart? It was impossible to believe. He had been doing well in school so far, but he didn't think it was because he was smart; he just worked really hard. Gendry studied a lot, which was easier to do since he wasn't working and didn't have any other responsibilities. But, it was still hard.
The material was already hard enough as it was; he wondered how he would fair once the real hard stuff came.
Around five in the afternoon on a Friday, Gendry cracked open his books to study for the exam. He was planning to study for the whole weekend. Most kids partied and went out, but he wasn't a kid and he couldn't fuck around. Unlike his peers, he didn't have a few years to find himself. No, he had a few months to be moderately familiar with the ins and outs of the business structure and how it worked. So, no, he wasn't going out—it didn't interest him in the least.
After an hour of studying, Gendry decided to order himself a pizza. As he opened his wallet, he saw Autumn's number. He mulled over whether or not he should call her before deciding to dial the number.
The phone rang once, then twice.
"Hello," he voice sounded unsure as she greeted him.
"Hey, Autumn, it's Gendry," he said.
"Hey, Gendry!" Her voice instantly became lighter and genuinely welcoming. "What's up?"
"Well, I've been studying for an hour or so and was about to order a pizza when I found your number in my wallet," he said awkwardly. Mentally, Gendry chastised himself. He wasn't trying to talk to Autumn in a romantic way or anything, but he still had difficulty talking to women. He was a grown man for Christ sake. Why was it so hard? "I know it's the weekend—"
Autumn cut him off. "It's fine, I'm glad you called. To be honest, I wasn't sure if you were going to. You seem like such a loner and I guess I understand. You're like one of the only few real adults at college surrounded by kids who just graduated from high school," she rationalized.
"No, it's nothing like that," he disagreed. "I'm just very busy"
"Oh, okay," she replied. "But, I would love to come over and study with you."
Autumn arrived twenty minutes later prepared to study. They compared answers and searched through their textbooks to double check that their original findings were correct. Occasionally, they would converse about the questions and compare it with lecture notes or additional information that the professor gave.
More times than not, Gendry had the correct answer and would explain to Autumn why his answer was the correct answer.
"See, Gendry, you are smart," she complimented. Gendry blushed.
"Naw, I just work really hard is all," he said as he flipped through the book to find the explanation for one of their questions.
"So, there are different types of intelligence," she argued. "Some people can teach it to themselves, others can listen and pick up on it immediately, and some just work hard—it doesn't mean that you aren't intelligent. Gods, I could read these books for hours and still not get it."
"Yeah, well…." He trailed off. To get back on subject, he opened her textbook to the page in his own book, and then pointed to some of his highlighted notes. As Gendry explained the exam material, Autumn examined him. "See, it's right here. With professor Andrews, you have to pay careful attention to her note, and then go back to the book." A loud yawn came from Autumn as she stretched her arms. "We can take a break; I'll go make some coffee."
In no time, he put the coffee on and joined Autumn on the couch to wait.
"It should be finish in about five minutes," he informed as he settled into the couch. "Oh…umm, how do you like your coffee?"
"I'm not picky; whatever you make is fine," she said offhandedly as she took in the apartment. "So, you come from money?"
"No," Gendry replied as he followed her gaze at his apartment. Her question made sense once he reminded himself that she didn't know him or where he came from. Autumn only knew Gendry as a student at the university.
Melisandre wanted Gendry to take residence in King's Landing up until he handed his claim over to Stannis, so she bought him a place. She furnished his place with lavish furniture, various types of art like: paintings, sculptures, and handmade pottery, a personal library filled with over a hundred books. Melisandre had given him assigned readings to do in addition to his schoolwork. She wanted him to be a somewhat "cultured" man. Gendry was supposed to read the same books as people like the Baratheon, Lannisters, Starks, Tyrells, and so on.
On the weekends, when he wasn't studying, Melisandre took him to art museums, sailing on yacht, fancy restaurants, and dinner parties (to have him observe how the better half lived). She taught him how to eat properly; which utensils he should use and when and how he should chew. For hours, they worked on correcting his posture; they worked on properly enunciating words; they worked on almost everything he could think and things he didn't think of.
He was tired and barely had any time for friends, let alone, himself.
"Umm, I don't come from money, but my family does." Autumn looked confused at his answer. "This is my uncle's place, he's just letting me stay here. He is rich, not me."
It was weird to refer to Stannis as his uncle when he had never even met the man. All of is correspondence with Stannis, which was rare, was through Melisandre. Gendry looked him up once on the Internet to find pictures of him, but that was all. They hadn't even spoken on the phone together.
"So, do you have a scholarship to the school or something?"
"Uhh, no…he's paying for that too." Gendry scratched the back of his neck. "He wanted me to have more opportunities so he funded for me to go to college and let me stay here."
"That's awfully nice of him."
"Yeah," Gendry said distractedly as the alarm for the coffee went off.
Gendry grabbed two huge mugs out of the cabinet, and then poured coffee in each mug. Carefully, he poured measured amounts of sugar and creamer in each cup with a few drops of French vanilla syrup. Slowly, he walked back to the living room and handed Autumn her cup.
They conversed about school and talked about the classes that they enjoyed and the ones they didn't. They spoke about who were the best professors and those who needed improve. Autumn briefly told Gendry about herself, but Gendry didn't reveal much about himself, which she didn't seem to mind. He found himself laughing and smiling for the first time in months.
After their third cup of coffee, he put the cups in the sink, and then looked at the time.
"It's getting pretty late," he commented. "I can take you home, so you won't be out so late by yourself."
He grabbed her jacket and his own. While Autumn put on her jacket, Gendry waited for her before walking to the door. As he opened the door, Autumn put her hand against it to stop Gendry from opening the door any further.
"It is pretty late, I should stay here," Autumn proposed as she stepped closer to Gendry.
Not catching her meaning, Gendry replied. "I have a car and could drive back with you; it's really no problem."
Autumn smiled and shook her head.
"Let me rephrase," she began. "I was having a good time and I don't want the night to end, but rather, become a little more interesting." Her thumb gently stroked Gendry's bicep as she stared at him longingly.
"Oh—umm," Gendry stuttered. "I don't think that we should do that"
"Why not?" Her tone was neutral as searched for an answer.
"I wouldn't want anything to get weird between us in class," he explained.
Autumn sized him up. "No, that's not it."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I do. Now, what is it," she pressed.
Gendry groaned, and then crossed his arms. "You're young."
"And?" Autumn laughed, and then mimicked Gendry's position. She crossed her arms, and then leaned against the wall.
"Autumn, I am thirty-two and you're—you're nineteen. Do you see the problem?"
"No, I really don't," she denied.
Gendry peeked out his door into the hallway, and then closed his front door. He racked his brain trying to figure out a way to make her understand.
"Because of the age difference, you could be easily influenced. Or think you want something that you do not fully understand," he explained. "Since you are so young, me having sex with you could be viewed as me taking advantage of you."
At this, Autumn laughed at loud. She laughed non-stop for a full minute that tears streamed down her face once she calmed down. When she thought of Gendry's explanation, she started back up again.
"Oh Gods, Gendry, that was funny." Autumn waived at her face, and then dried her face with the palms of her hands.
"I don't get what's so funny." Gendry wore a confused expression.
"Gendry, a lot of things are funny like the idea that you would be taking advantage of me if we were to have sex. I want to have sex with you, Gendry, and I have for wanted to do so for a while. Although I was serious about wanting to study with you, getting to bone would be an added benefit."
She read the shock on Gendry's face.
"And I'm not the only girl in our class who feels that way; I'm just the only one to ask you to study with her rather than go out drinking or to a party," she explained. "I'll admit, my motives weren't entirely pure, but it's very hard to get your attention outside of school."
Vaguely, Gendry could recall various girls asking him if he wanted to hang out and do something to which he turned them down.
"I fully understand what's going on," she continued. "I may be young, but I'm not naïve; I know exactly what I'd be getting into."
'She wants me,' Gendry thought to himself. 'This beautiful, young girl wants me. She wants me to make a move and take her to bed.'
Hesitantly, Gendry lightly placed his hand on her neck, and then used his other hand to cup her face. For a moment, he stared at her just taking her in. His lips slowly descended upon hers until he met soft, sticky lips touching his own Experimentally; he kissed her to get a feel of what she was like—to taste her. Although Gendry was in his 30's, he had only kissed three women in his life: Arya, Melisandre, and his ex-girlfriend Ruby. His relationship with Arya had been interesting and complex, so he didn't know how to define the lines drawn and crossed there, but they never dated either. Melisandre was a different story; he had lost his virginity to her and they were lovers for a while.
Gendry figured that he was thinking too much. All Autumn had wanted was sex, which he could give her. He has been a lover to two women and they never complained. Hell, if he had been bad, neither one of them would've allowed him to be their lowers.
Firmly, Gendry pushed her against the wall and continued to kiss her as he hands explored her body. Her body responded positively to his touch, which excited Gendry. Autumn moaned and gasped and writhed against his body.
Oh Gods, she wanted him. She wanted him so badly.
Blindly, he navigated them to the couch as he mouth never left hers and his eyes never opened. They arrived to the couch safely as he gently lowered her to the couch. Without hesitation, he pulled off her jeans and Autumn sat up to unbuckle, and then unzip his pants. As she undid his pants, Gendry took off his shirt and blindly threw it not caring where it landed.
In admiration, Autumn stared at his body.
"I've wanted this since the first time I saw you," she confessed before placing butterfly kisses up his abdomen. In a wanton fashion, she lay back down on the couch and eagerly opened her legs.
Gendry needed to further convincing.
"What are you worrying about," his friend Tracy asked.
"I got my exam back," Gendry answered. "I'm afraid to look at it."
"Just look at it," she stated. "Whether or not you see the grade, you still got it and it still counts in your GPA. So, you might as well see what you got in order to figure out what you know and what you don't know."
"Easier said than done," he quipped.
"But, it's been done, which is why it's graded," she shot back. Tracy extended her hands and moved her fingers back and forth, which Gendry understood to mean that she wanted to see the exam.
He handed over the dreaded examine and drank in her expression as she looked at the test score and back at his answers. Tracy raised an eyebrow and made a few noises as she read the answers. After she was done, she threw it away.
"What did you do that for," Gendry shouted.
"Because you're too much of a chicken shit to look at it yourself," she justified.
He glared at her. "That still doesn't justify throwing my exam away. Gods, I need to look at it so I know what I need to improve on for the next examine," he explained.
"You don't need to improve on anything," she said nonchalantly.
Gendry dug in the trashcan and pulled out his exam. "Because I would have nothing to compare it to," he replied as he flipped through the test packet before reading his score. His eyes widened in shock.
"Or because you aced it," she supplied.
"No way," he exclaimed. In an unbelieving state, he held the exam in his hand. "That means that I'm the only one who got an A+ in the class."
"Are you serious?" Tracy looked at her friend. "In that case, treat yo self! Stop worrying about your other classes and do something for yourself."
"Tracy, I can't I have so much school work to do."
"You always have so much school work to do," she said. "Take a break and enjoy yourself, Gendry; you've earned it."
"Yeah, I have," he agreed.
Gendry decided to treat himself to a car show. He hadn't been around cars in a while and it brought extreme pleasure to be around hundreds of cars…. if only he could work on one. After spending two hours looking at cars, Gendry left the place with a permanent grin on his face. As he was on his way home, he saw a diner that he hadn't been to in years. They made the best desserts, especially apple pie.
He ordered himself an apple pie with ice cream on the top and a side of coffee. In order to make the taste last, he ate slowly to cherish ever ingredient. Before he finished his pie, he ordered another one and hoped it arrived before he took his last bite.
"Gendry?" At the familiar voice, the man in question turned his head in the direction of the voice.
"Ruby?" He was incredibly surprised to see her. He knew that she still lived in King's Landing, but it was such a big city.
"How are you," she asked as she stood beside the table.
"I'm done fine," he automatically answered. "How have you been?"
Ruby shrugged. "Okay."
"Oh, umm, if you like, you can sit downß," he said while mentally chastising himself for having her stand for so long. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has," she agreed. "I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to see you again when you moved to Winterfell. Have you moved back here?"
Gendry thought for a moment. "Yes."
"Back in the shop," she guessed.
"No, I'm going to school."
"Really, I thought you hated KLCC," she said referring to King's Landing Community College.
"I do, but I'm not going there, I'm going to University of King's Landing," he corrected. Ruby raised an eyebrow, which Gendry knew was asking how he got the money to pay to go to a university. "It's a long story."
"A settlement for an accident," she guessed.
"You'll never guess it, so don't even try," he said. "But, enough about me, tell me about yourself."
The next few weeks, Gendry and Ruby spent time catching up and getting to know one another again. They went out to lunch a few times and would spent time at each other's place. Ruby introduced Gendry to her daughter Poppy. The three of them went to the park, zoo, and movies together.
Gendry never really seriously considered having kids, but Poppy made his heart swell. It also made him realize that he had been in only one serious relationship for a man in his 30's. If he ever wanted to settle down and have kids, he needed to start taking dating more seriously. He had to discard his fear and insecurities.
Ruby had agreed to meet him at his place in Winterfell, and then they would go out for dinner. Hot Pie should've been there to let her in and she would wait for him. He still paid his share of the rent in his old apartment because Hot Pie needed help with the rent and his next pay raise would be enough to rent the apartment on his own.
Every once and a while, Gendry would go to Winterfell to escape, which wasn't often. There was so much on his plate and he really had to sell his image to get Stannis the company for whenever his father died.
Gendry supposed that he should feel upset about the idea that his dad was going to die one day soon, according to Melisandre, but he felt nothing. He didn't know the man and, from what he knew about him, he was better off not having Robert in his life. Although Gendry questioned if Stannis was the best to head Baratheon Industries, Melisandre put those questions to bed as she gave an impassioned speech about how great a leader and thinker Stannis was. He wasn't completely convinced, but Melisandre's faith in Stannis put some of his worries to bed.
As Gendry opened the door, he looked around the apartment expecting to see Ruby or Hot Pie and saw neither. He wondered where they were, but didn't think on it too long and sat his stuff besides the couch and went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. The envelopes on the table caught his attention as he quickly searched to see if anything had been sent for him to this address.
Gendry could've sworn he heard someone…moan, but he wasn't sure. He became very still and listened intently. He heard it again. It sounded as if it was coming from his room. Hot Pie and Ruby? In his room?
Suddenly, Gendry made his way to his seldom-used bedroom and opened the door in an abrupt manner. What he saw made his jaw drop.
TBC…