AN: This one was trickier. We have yet to see chapters in the books from Aegon's point of view so I only have glimpses into his character. I gave it my best shot. Apologies if it seems sappy, I've tried to limit that but I am only human and my creation seems to have a will of its own :-)

On a sidenote, when I was listing characters whose reactions to the letter would be interesting I forgot Littlefinger. I can imagine he wouldn't be thrilled-I wonder whether he would tell Sansa what Arya is up to? He is a hard one to pick. Any thoughts on that one would be appreciated. Also, whether he would want to see her for himself or send one of his spies. I'm going with a spy I think, I don't think he would risk himself. It would be fun to have him come himself and have Arya kill him but I don't think that is too realistic in the GRRM world

Chapter 11: Aegon

She had been a puzzle at first. Nobody spoke to him the way she did. He never knew she was in the room with him until she was already there. She seemed to know of his presence before he even entered a room. At the beginning, when she wasn't wearing her face he never knew what she was thinking. Her face was a blank mask. Even after he saw her true face she was still faceless in a sense, with barely a flicker of emotion to be seen.

She was still a puzzle but he was starting to figure out some of the pieces. She showed a little of herself, the real her when she japed with him and Duck. She showed even more when she argued with him. He found himself teasing her just to see her, not the mask she showed everybody else. Her eyes would get so stormy, her eyes were what gave her away. What really got to him though was her smiles. She had her false smiles but when she spoke about the people she cared about, when she spoke about her bastard brother her smile was real.

The first time she laughed it seemed as though she hadn't laughed in years. She stopped abruptly in the middle of it, looking confused. They had stripped her of almost all that had been her but he was seeing it come back. He might not have known her before but he was starting to know her now.

He wasn't allowed to tell her she was beautiful even though she was. It didn't matter whether she wore dresses or breeches. It made him angry to think that somebody had told her that she wasn't. She was terribly stubborn but then so was he.

They had warned him she was dangerous. He knew it himself. It should have made him stay away but it had the opposite effect. He knew he wanted her. Lord Connington had disapproved the moment he found out who she was. He had immediately wanted her gone. They had argued long and hard about it and Aegon only barely got his own way and that was only because he appealed to Lord Connington's guilt over his father's death.

"If you send her away the next one will kill me. This will all be for nothing".

Aegon didn't want to admit it but Lord Connington had been right, not in wanting to send her away but he was right to warn him. He had known what Aegon would do well before he did it but he didn't know all. Aegon was finding he was more like his father in this than he would have thought (not that he would admit it) but Arya was not her Aunt. She may have let him bed her but she wouldn't budge about his marriage.

Lord Connington didn't know. Aegon was sure he didn't know. If he did there was no way he would have let Arya continue to come to his quarters. He had foolishly gone to Connington after the first time in Arya's bed, appealing to him to agree to him asking for Arya's hand. It had not gone well. Now Arya herself was telling him to marry somebody else.

Arya disappeared a few days later, after a report of a sighting of Lannister soldiers. No sooner had she left then Nymeria had appeared at his side. He wasn't sure what to think of it. Lord Connington made a single attempt to remove the direwolf then gave up when it became clear that the wolf would not be parted from him without likely bloodshed.

It quickly became amusing. They made quite a spectacle. He and Duck fed her from his table in the hall at dinner. She followed him throughout the castle. The she-wolf even slept in his chambers at night. There were a couple of occasions where he woke to find her snarling at something he couldn't see.

Connington looked at the wolf as Aegon joined him and Haldon for one of their war council meetings but he didn't say a word. Nymeria sat by his chair as they talked. Haldon had received ravens.

"Dorne is still delaying but we have hope of more support in the Reach. The Tyrell-Lannister alliance is becoming more strained by the day, especially since we dealt that blow to the Tyrell army".

Connington looked thoughtful. "If Lady Arya's letter brings the North Dorne might be more willing to lend support. Prince Doran doesn't want to risk being on the losing side but if we have the combined forces of the Stormlands, large parts of the Reach and the North then we will be in a much stronger position. The Eyrie is undeclared for any of the rivals for the throne. We would have support from close to four of six kingdoms actively involved in the war".

"We have some replies there" Haldon said. "There is one from an Alys Karstark who speaks for the Karstarks, she pledges support to the rightful heir of Winterfell. There is a peculiar one from Lyanna Mormont from Bear Island pledging support of a different kind. There is one from Robbett Glover in a similar vein to that of the Karstarks. They do not make mention of Aegon. The final and perhaps most interesting one of all-there is a response from the Lord Protector of the Eyrie, Peytr Baelish".

Connington's head snapped up. "Baelish wrote us?"

Haldon smiled thinly. "He did. The little Lord of the Eyrie is the Lady Arya's cousin. Lord Baelish was apparently quite shocked that there might be an imposter posing as the little Lord's dear cousin. He would like to verify that our Arya Stark is the real deal and make sure she is provided for before she returns to her place in Winterfell. There is mention of her being welcome at the Eyrie-"

"No" Aegon shouted.

"Calm yourself your Grace" Connington said. "Baelish is in league with the Lannisters. He would think us fools to send her to him"

Haldon cleared his throat. "-she is welcome at the Eyrie or Baelish would send a representative to meet with her to ensure her wellbeing".

"What was curious about the raven from Lyanna Mormont?" Aegon asked.

Haldon smirked. "Their exact wording says Bear Island views the Starks as the rightful Kings of the North. Apparently we have us a queen and we didn't know it. They will not bend the knee to his Grace but it appears they will bend the knee to the Lady Arya".

"Queen of the North" Aegon laughed. "She detests the idea of being Queen. You saw her reaction when a match with me was suggested. I look forward to telling her that one".

Connington was unsmiling. "It may be different when she is being offered the title without marriage. She wants war, that one. That is plain to see".

Aegon's smile withered. "You think she would leave?"

"She will do what she will. Time will tell what that is" Connington's tone suggested that was the end of the matter. He switched topics to Aegon's hopes instead. "We have heard rumours Daenerys may be about to move. We don't know exact details but the battle in Meereen settled in her favour. We can hope that she will turn her eye to Westeros now".

Aegon was less than happy. "She has been supposed to be coming to Westeros forever now" he grumbled.

Connington bristled. "You're not still dwelling on Lady Arya?"

"She won't marry me" he said quickly, realising instantly he was too quick.

Connington gave him a long look. "I'm grateful at least one of you has sense. You need to stop pining about this. We need Daenerys and her dragons".

Aegon pursed his lips. "I don't need you to lecture me too, Arya already said. I'll marry Daenerys if she agrees".

Aegon woke in the night to hear Nymeria whining. He started when he saw a figure in his room. His candle had blown out and he couldn't see properly. As they stepped closer he scrambled, feeling for a weapon.

"I'm glad she is with you" It was Arya's voice. Aegon sighed in relief and the room was illuminated again when Arya lit the candle.

"I must have a word with the guards again" Arya said and he could see she wasn't happy. "I shouldn't have been able to get in here undetected".

"They only cut back because of Nymeria" Aegon said defensively. "Anyway, I can protect myself. I'm tired of being guarded. I can fight you know".

Her expression was unreadable. Aegon tried to think what to say to her. He tried a smile. "Will you tell me where you have been?"

She didn't reply. He began to feel angry. "You just left. I've had to deal with letters and requests for your hand and you haven't even been here". He remembered the raven from Bear Island and his mouth twisted. "Do you want to be Queen in the North?"

That got a reaction. Her eyes flashed with anger. "Why would you ask that?"

"We got a raven" he said abruptly. "Bear Island only bends the knee to Starks. You won't be my queen but you would be queen in the North".

"No" she said quickly, scrambling towards him on the bed. Her eyes were so full of fire they were almost feverish. "I can't be anybody's queen. I don't even want to be a lady. I only want the people who hurt my family to pay. I want our enemies to pay".

"Our enemies?" he asked hopefully, pulling her against him as she removed her tunic. Her eyes had darkened as she leaned into him.

"Our enemies" she repeated.

Aegon couldn't marry her, he knew that but he could still claim her, if only for a few stolen moments. She stayed with him this time, he could hear her even breathing as he held her. Just before he could fall asleep he heard her begin whispering. "Ser Meryn, Queen Cersei, Raff the Sweetling, Ramsey Bolton, the Freys, the Freys, the Freys. Valar Morghulis".