I am having a problem with viewing reviews of this story, just as I do with all my others. Good thing they go to e-mail too.
The first chapter does feel a bit rushed in retrospect – but it's gonna stay the same. It got it's point across, I try to be more verbose in this chapter. Some one said some thing about chracter development, hopefully this chapter suffices.
Maester Luwin looked on with wonder at the reunion of stark children with a smile. He had known Lyanna only for a short time, even so, it's easy to see the wild daughters shadow in Arya. Only, Lyanna has enjoyed at least some of the lady pursuits, while Arya enjoyed none. 'Good for us too, I dread to think of her fate had she been of more feminine persuasion', Maester thought, as Arya separated from her brothers only to rough house with wolves.
He turned to the crowd when he saw ser Rodrick move. He thought the ser looked a bit unstable, he would have him come by maester's tower later. He watched the crowd with a small smile, absently cataloging every one's injuries and listing the remedies. He watched as ser Rodrick to the familiar looking black haired boy.
"To Robert Baratheon." Ser Rodrick shouted lifting Gendry's hand up in to the air.
It is at that moment maester Luwin's mind started functioning at full speed. He whirred back to give a keener look to boy, to correct ser Rodrick that it is not Robert Baratheon. Fortunately the boy corrected him before maester Luwin can intervene.
"I am Gendry,m'lord." he said, stammering a little, pulling away from ser Rodrick.
"Kneel, Gendry Baratheon." Ser Rodrick said, now Maester Luwin can detect a slight wobble to him and distortion to his eyes as if he has suffered a head injury. Maester Luwin made to interrupt, but summer pushed in to his legs, making him fall back. The wolf was not aggressive or any thing, but silently pushed him back before he can act.
Gendry knelt. To be precise, he is pushed down on to his knees by a pretty strong old man who is starting to look slightly crazier. He knew that look. That's the look men got in bar fights when they hit their heads on some thing, it's always unpredictable what they do. So, Gendry knelt, and waited for some one to interrupt and pull away the man. Some one always did that in the fights after all.
How ever, no one pulled the man away. He could feel a sword touching his shoulders more harshly than it should have for simple knighting. It is a bit unsteady too. Gendry prayed to what ever gods out there to not let him die or loose a ear because some crazy north man took in to his head to knight him.
"In the name of old gods, I command you to be just and loyal. Rise, Ser Gendry Baratheon of winterfell." The man finished.
Gendry thanked his lucky stars that northern way of knighting is so short. He is absolutely sure he would have lost an ear or an eye had it been southern way because just as he finished, ser Rodrick wobbled , the sword would have cut in to side of his neck, had he not pushed it away with his hammer's handle. Ser Rodrick wobbled at the same time, he would have fallen and flattened Gendry. Gendry was already on the way to standing up, stopped ser Rodrick's fall as the sword cluttered to ground.
"Protect the Starks, Baratheon." Ser Rodrick mumbled before becoming unconscious.
The maester made his way to them now. Arya did not say any thing to him, but kept sneaking glances at him. Her littlest brother held on to Gendry, doggedly followed him with the feral wolf in tow. Gendry is a little scared of the beasts, but for some reason, both wolves seem to like him to an extent. They transferred Ser Rodrick to the maester's tower, along with the other wounded.
All the Starks, Gendry and Hot pie sat in the room adjacent to maester's quarters as they tried to make sense of happenings of the day. Bran and Rickon along with their wolves are staring at Gendry. Arya sat beside him, looking at her brothers with a smile. Hot pie sat on his other side fidgeting like there's no tomorrow. Bran is first to break the silence.
"I will hear how you escaped king's landing and any tidings you bring, sister." he said in his lord voice. Gendry could hear the insecurity there, yet, it is impressively commanding for ten year old cripple. Arya snorted in response, but made no comment on the commanding tone. She detailed how and what happened when they came here. Both her brother's listened to her raptly, interrupting her here and there for more detail. Gendry was suddenly struck with how adventurous their escape had been. They are a little girl, a black smith and baker's apprentice, crossing the country with naught but a little sword, faulty hammer and flint stones.
"I thank you for bringing Arya home safely, ser Baratheon. The hospitality of winter-fell is yours and any boon you ask of me. Same goes for you, Hot pie." Bran said gravely.
Blood really does make a difference, Gendry thought as he observed Bran. The boy is a cripple, had been through quite an ordeal, yet, he looked most collected together among them. He almost looked stately and surprisingly commanding for some one so small and helpless. Hot pie blushed in answer, mumbling his thanks, asking for a chance to work in kitchens.
"I am not a Baratheon, m'lord. Just a black smith." Gendry corrected Bran.
"Now I understand why the gold cloaks are after you. You must be King Robert's son." Arya said for Bran. They had been apprised of Jeoffrey situation.
"Ser Rodrick seems to think you are Baratheon." Bran said in response.
Gendry made to interrupt him, but Bran held a hand up stopping him.
"I understand that you lay no claim to the name. How ever, master-at-arms of winter-fell called you a Baratheon, so you will remain for your stay at winter-fell. I will write to my brother and ask him to legitimize you. We have more need of a Baratheon than black smith, ser Gendry. I wish to have you act as my proxy, a name like that will be of better help than just Gendry the black smith." Bran said, unsure at first, but more and more determined as he got to the end.
"I am not a lord." Gendry protested.
"You will be a prince when the legitimization comes through. You can learn how to be a lord." Bran said convincingly.
Arya held his bicep as he made to speak back. As he looked at her, he stopped speaking. If he accepted legitimization, he will be some one Arya can marry. That's the first thought in his head.
"Fine m'lord, I will learn." Gendry accented. Hot-pie looked at him as if he has grown a third head. Gendry could understand his confusion. When he started out, he was coming here with two low-born boys, a smith and a skinny boy. First, it changed to smith and a skinny lady. Now, it changed to a prince and princess, while he still remained kitchen help.
Over the next few days, Gendry sussed out why Bran was so adamant to have him as proxy. He wanted to go on an adventure with his new friends. It's quite clever of little boy to use him. Yet, Gendry could not be angry with Bran, for no one looked at them twice as he interacted with Arya. Save for the maester, but even he did not look at them disapprovingly, only concernedly. Gendry had quite expected his head to be lopped off when he met Arya's brothers finally.
May be my head still will roll, when her king brother comes here and figures me out, Gendry thought. Arya had been engaged to a frey, she hadn't been happy to find out about it. Even so, it's not in immediate future, so they are left alone for the time being.
Arya had decided all the women of north who want to fight should be given training in arms. She rounded up all children from four years and up who did not have any thing to do, started training them up in the yard. Gendry has taken over the forge, at the behest of maester, had to take few apprentices, which included even girls. He couldn't deny Arya much. Over the next days, all of winter-fell and winter-town took stock of what they had and not, Gendry took over the repairing of damage caused to castle.
Maester Luwin insisted on educating Gendry about all things lordly, he surprisingly did not hate it much. Rickon attended these classes with him. Maester Luwin once told him no one could make Rickon sit still as long as Gendry does, had he not been attending these classes and shown the enthusiasm for learning, maester would never have been able to get Rickon to learn any thing. Rickon followed either Gendry or Arya like a puppy. He has taken to archery and fighting like a fish to water. If he isn't with Arya or Gendry, he is in practising yard.
The winter-fell Arya left is quite different from the winter-fell Arya arrived at. There's not as much laughter here any more, there's a constant sense of dread hanging in the air. Yet, to hear Bran speak, it is quite better than what it had been before her and Gendry's arrival. It was two children and a maester who ran the castle, for all his wisdom Bran was a cripple. He did not instill the same security in people that her brother or father did.
Arya at the battlements, Gendry in the castle gave people of winter-fell some sense of security and order. It did not surprise her that people listened her commands as they did for her brother or father, but every time Gendry uttered an order, she can see the surprise in his eyes as people moved to fulfill it. He is getting used to it quickly though. The small folk loved him, for he always found a solution to their problems far better than Bran or she did. It did help summer followed Gendry and reacted to his orders just as he did Bran's at times.
Maester Luwin refrained from making any mention of Gendry in his letters by raven. Instead, he wrote a detailed letter to Robb, sent it with a rider to him. When the reply arrived, he called all of them to meet in his chambers. Arya wondered what the other scrolls are.
"My lord, this is for you." Maester Luwin said as he handed an scroll to Gendry. Gendry took it uncertainly. What the hell did it say for maester Luwin to make that expression, he wondered.
To whom ever concerned,
I, Robb Stark, king in the north, riverlands and trident here by declare Gendry Waters to be Ser Gendry Baratheon, legitimized son of late King Robert Baratheon, lord of Stormsend, king of five king doms. I recognize his claim to seat of his ancestors and his right as the heir to Iron throne.
So Mote Be.
Signed underneath in witness,
Rob Stark, King in the North, Riverlands and Trident,
…
Robb Stark's signature was followed by few of the North lord's signature.
The other letter told them Lady Catelyn Stark will be arriving in few days, along with an escort of five hundred men and Arya Stark's intended. Some thing in Arya's face changed at that, Gendry was sure he is going to mislike what ever that is going to happen next. As it happened with most of his bad premonitions, He happened to be right. A week before Lady Catelyn is to reach winter-fell, Bran, Howland Reed's children and Arya vanished. All Gendry could find of them is a letter stating him to be regent of Rickon Stark from prince Bran. Lady Stark arrived with none of the pomp that should surround a lady, but all the queenly force that he imagined and more.
She unmounted with out any help. Gendy couldn't help but be impressed at such ease at riding from a lady. A pair of anxious blue eyes met a pair of blue eyes filled with dread.
"Where's Arya and Bran?" Lady Stark asked and Gendry's insides turned in to ice.
Any one mislike the name of the story? I wanted to change it, I have in idea in mind, but, It doesn't quite fit well. let me know if any of you have any ideas.