Chapter 4

Arya tried to keep away from Aegon the next day. She was angry and embarrassed. It wasn't until the afternoon that she heard anything of him. She passed his chambers and when Duck saw her he looked strained. He gave her a weak smile and she realised there was shouting coming from inside.

"Are you fucking her?"

It was Connington's voice. Arya knew she wasn't meant to be hearing whatever this was and Duck looked even more pained.

"So what if I am?"

Aegon's voice this time. He sounded angry. Arya raised an eyebrow and grinned. Duck didn't return the expression. She soon found out why.

"She's a serving girl!".

Arya felt her face turn crimson. They were talking about her. Duck retreated into the chambers and Arya fled around the corner trying to get away from the voices. She put her fingers to her temples trying to will herself to forget what she had heard. She didn't get long.

"You" a voice barked.

It was Connington. He looked livid. "Come with me".

Arya wanted to argue but thought better of it. Connington wasn't likely to tolerate it. She put on her best meek expression, uttered a "Yes my lord" and followed him to his solar.

"I'm not" she said weakly when they were both inside.

"You're not what?"

Arya straightened her posture and looked him in the eye. "I'm not fucking him".

"Yes, yes" he said impatiently. "His Grace was at pains to clarify after he found out you were outside. Do you know why I called you in here?"

Arya shook her head.

Connington sighed. "His Grace wants you to come with us when we march tomorrow. Apparently everybody else simpers and says what they think he wants to hear".

Arya fought the urge to smile.

"War is no place for a woman".

Arya didn't know whether to laugh at him or bite his head off. Instead she did neither.

"You are too low born to be his companion".

The urge to laugh was winning out. She stifled it with difficulty and chose her words carefully. She repressed the urge to correct him about her birth.

"I understand your concerns my lord".

Connington looked at her like she was a cockroach. "My concerns apparently do not matter. His Grace will have you come. You will stay in the camps".

Arya had no objection. "Yes my lord"

Connington inspected her. "There is something familiar about you. Have we met before here?"

Arya shook her head but felt a nagging worry. She couldn't change her face again. It would mean starting over. She waited for him to say something further but he dismissed her. She was grateful to get out of there.

It was wonderful to be on a horse again. Arya had donned breeches and ignored the stares she received. She was having too good a time. The march was a slow affair. Aegon had called his banners and between that and a contingent of sellswords from the Golden Company there was a large procession and hundreds of horses. Nobody took any real notice of Arya when she broke off from the group she was riding with to put her horse through its paces. As a woman she was deemed no threat. Idiots she thought for the hundredth time.

Aegon had insisted she serve in his pavilion whenever they stopped at night. The first day they stopped he took one look at her and laughed.

"I don't think I've ever seen a woman in breeches. They do seem to suit you".

Arya immediately forgot the awkwardness of their last encounter and grinned a genuine grin. "If I had my way I'd wear them all the time. You men get it easy. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it is to wear dresses?"

Connington did not appear to share Aegon's amusement. He stared at her long and hard and there was something unpleasant in his expression.

She heard reports that the wolves were becoming a problem. She heard them at night when she wasn't asleep dreaming about them. She woke each morning with the taste of blood in her mouth and remembered images that were so real of dying men wearing red and gold and green and gold, lions and roses. She could hear men everywhere talking about them.

"At least they aren't taking too many of ours"

"I hear that a huge monster of a she-wolf leads the pack"

The night before the men were to march to meet the enemy the atmosphere was tense even though the men were keen for battle. Despite Connington's disapproval Aegon insisted on having wine. She had just refilled his cup for a third time when Connington grabbed her wrist.

"Don't give him any more"

Arya shook her arm free trying not to bristle at him touching her. "That is his Grace's decision, not yours my Lord"

Aegon smiled a little too smugly and Connington stalked from the tent. When he was safely gone and they were alone Arya chided Aegon. "He is right you know". Aegon simply shrugged and set up the board to play Cyvasse.

"I might die tomorrow" he said in a blasé voice. "Wine would be the least of my worries".

He was not wrong but Arya could see his worry beneath the bravado. "Don't be stupid" she retorted.

He simply smiled as he always did when she insulted him. "You are so rude to your king".

"My apologies" Arya replied. "I should have said don't be stupid Your Grace"

Arya ignored his laughter and began to play. Aegon was never really overly inhibited but the wine had made him even more open than usual. She didn't realise she was staring at him until he began to look at her intently, his violet eyes taking on a sudden brightness.

"Cat, what are you thinking when you look at me like that?"

Arya paused and took a greater interest in the Cyvasse board. She picked up her dragon and studied it. "Sometimes you remind me of somebody" she mumbled.

"Who?" his tone was playful.

The image of Jon Snow popped into her head and she blurted it out. "My brother".

Aegon's reaction caught her off guard. He scowled and leapt to his feet. Arya didn't know what to think as he began to pace, muttering something she couldn't understand under his breath.

"What's wrong?"

He stopped and tugged at his hair. "I don't want to remind you of your bloody brother".

Arya leapt to her feet. "Why not" she said indignantly. "He was always my favourite person".

Aegon lunged towards her and Arya shifted into a defensive stance which was of absolutely no use. She was completely unprepared as his hands gripped her waist and his lips met hers. All thoughts of Jon Snow disappeared immediately. Aegon's mouth was hot against hers and her arms seemed to wind around his neck against her will. Arya hadn't been kissed before but her mouth seemed to open automatically to allow his tongue access. She began to feel a warmth spread through her and she could almost hear her heart thudding in her chest.

She had tried so hard to ignore how handsome he was. That wasn't what she was here for. She wasn't like Sansa or those other silly lord's daughters. She wanted to do something important with her life. She gasped as he broke the kiss but before she could try to get her brain to work again he began to rain kisses along her neck. An involuntary moan burst from her lips.

"Aegon" she whimpered.

He lifted his head and brushed his lips against hers again. "I like you saying my name Cat".

The false name broke the spell and Arya extracted herself from his grasp. "We can't do this"

Disappointment marred his features. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. You're just so different to the others"

Arya would have laughed at the ridiculous understatement if she wasn't feeling so raw. "You don't know me your Grace. You don't know anything at all".

He let her go but she could feel his eyes burning into her back as she retreated from his tent.