Chapter 8

The last part of the march back was far more comfortable for Arya. She was given much more freedom and Lemore was quite tolerable to share quarters with, even when those quarters were only a partitioned area of a pavilion. Arya had experienced much worse. It was also far easier to look out for threats being near Aegon. She made some suggestions to improve his protection and was pleased to see them be promptly adopted. She reserved her remaining suggestions for when they returned to Storm's End.

On the last night of the march Aegon cleared his throat after dinner and began to look awkward.

"Spit it out, your Grace" Arya ordered.

"Lord Connington has been quite critical" he said slowly.

Arya was dismissive. "He needs to be. His suspicious nature serves you better than most of the people you have around you".

Aegon looked relieved but she could see he still had something weighing on him. It took a little to prod it out of him. "He has... concerns. I thought you might take it ill if he raised them, do you mind if I?"

Arya was fairly sure she wasn't going to like this but she prompted him to continue. She glanced in Duck's direction and saw he looked uncomfortable.

"It has been said that your connection to the direwolf is unnatural"

She decided to ignore the understandably disturbing spectacle they must have witnessed where she was the wolf. Instead she retorted back at him. "Targaryens had dragons for centuries and you think a wolf is unnatural?"

Aegon laughed. "Good point". His mirth dried up and Arya sensed worse was yet to come. His voice was hesitant as he continued but Arya could detect a note of anger in his next words. "Your father supported Robert Baratheon's rebellion against my family".

Arya tried to keep her emotions in check but couldn't. "Your grandfather killed my grandfather and my uncle. Your father took my Aunt. My father was honourable. He was good. He hated war. He hated leaving my mother".

Aegon put his hand on her arm and she shook it off. "They killed him! I was there, Joffrey killed him. I hate the Baratheons and I hate the Lannisters. They killed my mother and they killed Robb. I thought it was only the Freys but now I know". She bit her lip then quickly stopped. "I overheard Lord Connington, I know that even though the Freys killed them the Lannisters were behind it".

She was breathing hard, trying to stop the tears which wanted to come. "I was there. They didn't see me, they didn't know but I was there. They were murdering Robb's bannermen at the feast. I tried to go inside the castle, I wanted to see my mother but-" she blinked hard. "It was too late".

When she looked up Aegon grasped her hand. This time she didn't pull away. Duck was looking at her with a face full of pity. She scowled at him. "I don't want you feeling sorry for me. I could still beat you up".

It appeared there were no more questions. Upon returning to the castle Arya was given her own quarters and her own servants as apparently fit a lady of her rank. People addressed her as "my lady" despite her protests and she was forced to give into it. They even measured her for dresses, insisting that she dress as befit her birth. She was subjected to baths, hairstyles and corsets which inhibited her breathing.

She was in a foul mood when she entered Aegon's solar for a prearranged meeting with his inner circle. Aegon stared at her and Duck whistled. "You clean up nice". She glowered at him and changed the subject.

"You need to improve Aegon's protection"

Connington looked doubtful. Arya began to detail the numerous ways in which she could have killed Aegon but hadn't, ticking them off on her fingers. She suddenly realised she could hear a pin drop in the room. She looked up at them. Lemore was looking sick, Duck's jaw was hanging open and Connington was looking at her as though she had sprouted a second head (not for the first time). She couldn't suppress her irritation.

"Do you want to keep him safe or not? If you do then you need to hear this".

Connington was the most useful to talk to about it and he immediately implemented the changes she suggested. Aegon wasn't thrilled at the limits to his freedom. He immediately began negotiating changes and conditions, most of which involved the use of her time. When she asked him about it he shrugged.

"If I have to be constantly watched then I'd like it to be by people who will make it less tiresome, especially now that I can't even have wine in case somebody poisons me".

"You can have it" Arya argued, "Just have it in your solar and make sure somebody else has some first". She knew that the House of Black and White wanted him and only him. This way he would be safe-from poisoning, anyways.

She was more relaxed knowing he was being better looked out for. Even with Aegon's demands, she had more time for herself than she'd had before Connington made the changes. The very next day she had determined she would put it to use by going riding. She snuck back into her chambers and changed out of her hated dress and into breeches. Her plans were cut short when she passed the vent near Haldon's room and heard voices. A snippet of conversation caught her attention.

"... would be a good reward for loyalty. The marriage would secure Winterfell".

Arya barged in. "What marriage?" she demanded. "What are you doing with Winterfell?"

Haldon almost cringed back, Aegon wouldn't meet her eye but Connington's pale blue eyes met her gaze unflinchingly. "We are talking about making you a match".

Arya dropped into a seat next to Haldon, pulled out the dirk she wore at her hip and embedded it in the table to make her point. "If you think you can use me to cement your alliances it won't work. My betrothed won't be your ally long after I geld him".

Haldon cleared his throat and looked nervously between her and Connington. "His Grace is still unmarried and we now know Daenarys is looking less and less certain. The North might rally if..."

Jon Connington shouted "Absolutely not" at the same time as Arya shouted "No".Connington looked relieved to have her back him up.

Arya leaned forward and unstuck the dirk, slipping it back into place at her hip "I think we can all agree that I would be a terrible queen. I am no lady really. I would do more harm than good".

The talks took a turn for the worse when Connington informed her that Aegon had the authority to arrange a betrothal with or without her consent. Haldon intervened to settle things down.

The discussion went round in circles until Arya finally summed up her position. "I am very willing to do whatever is in my power to bring support for Aegon and end Lannister rule but it cannot involve marriage. Don't try to force this on me".

She felt as though she had won a minor battle when it was agreed that they would let it rest. It was then that she realised Aegon was gone.