Jon approached Rhaegal. He had helped Dany mount Viserion and they were both eager to take off. Jon was about to climb on Rhaegal's back when Ghost whined quietly. Jon connected with his wolf when he felt his unrest. He vaguely sensed Summer's presence inside his direwolf's mind. Ever since Bran had disappeared behind the Wall, they had not been able to exchange verbal messages by way of the direwolves' connection. This time it felt as if Bran was trying to relay a feeling to him instead. A shiver ran down his spine. Whatever it was, it didn't herald anything good. He tried to re-establish the connection but whatever he had felt was gone. 'Don't worry. I'll take every precaution.' He sent the thought to Ghost's mind but the wolf whined again and looked to Rhaegal. The dragon puffed. Jon could clearly hear Rhaegal's thoughts and passed them on to Ghost. 'Mighty Dragon protect Human. Wolf no worry. Dragon plus Human back quick.'
Jon petted Ghost one last time and mounted Rhaegal. He waved at the guards who stood at a respectful distance and both dragons jumped in the air spreading their large wings. Compared to the first time that he had flown Rhaegal, Jon felt small on the much larger back of his dragon. Rhaegal was perhaps double the size that he had been then. The mighty wings moved effortless and soon they rose higher and Jon started to count the tents on the Baratheon side of the border. By that account, Stannis had not brought a very large army. His eyes wandered to the beach and the caves but as far as he could make out, there were only a few sentries posted over there. He flew west to check how large an army Lord Tarly had assembled to heed Stannis' call.
Soon enough the green-red banners of the Huntsmen became visible. His guess was that it was a regiment of five thousand men strong give or take. He nodded at Dany and gestured to fly south east. The Dornish fleet was easy to spot. They had reported to him the exact number of ships so he did not linger there to perform a count. He turned inland and flew over the mountains that separated the Stormlands from Dorne. If there was an army present down there, it was well hidden. Dany was the one to signal where to look and once he had spotted the first few tents, it was easier to find the rest of the Dornish forces that posed as Stannis Baratheon's reserve army. Both dragons turned back and they flew along the coastline so they could count the ships in Euron Greyjoy's fleet and make an attempt to distinguish the Ironborn vessels from the ships of the Golden Company. If he got the exact numbers and study their position, they could optimize their strategy to corner Euron Greyjoy's forces. They would be coming at him from all sides, his army would advance from the North, the Dornish army and fleet would block the enemy's escape south, the Targaryen fleet and the Golden Company could block them from escaping east. The plan was to get Greyjoy to land most of his men on the beach where Jon could trap them easily unless Stannis Baratheon had hidden a large army in the caves. Such a thing could not be determined from the air.
He was up to thirty nine Ironborn ships when he heard it for the first time. It was a high pitching noise that made his head ache. Rhaegal roared loudly and Jon felt both their heads clear when he and Rhaegal closed their minds off to block the sound. They were better prepared when the sound was repeated a bit later. Rhaegal and Jon instinctively blocked their minds again, their survival instinct kicking in instantly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Viserion failed to do the same. The dragon screeched in pain and his flying became erratic. Jon persuaded Rhaegal to open the connection to Viserion for a moment but an intense wave of pain made Rhaegal close it abruptly. Jon felt Rhaegal's eyes fill with blood and knew not to ask him to try that again. Sharing his mind with his brother had transferred some of Viserion's pain to Rhaegal. Jon had also experience for a short while the excruciating pain that Viserion was in. His heart hammered in his chest as he witnessed Dany holding on to Viserion's spikes for dear life. He grinded his teeth since he could only watch helplessly as Viserion lost altitude taking Dany with him. He screamed for them to try and glide northward but realised instantly that they couldn't understand him. He could not believe what was happening. The only thing left for him to do was monitor their progress praying and hoping that Viserion would find the strength to block the vile magic and still succeed in getting himself and Dany to safety. Rhaegal kept his altitude but his vision was impaired and even with their bond closed, Jon knew the green dragon was in a state of panic.
The distance kept growing between both dragons, and he could no longer make out the commands Dany screamed at Viserion. And then his heart stopped when he saw Viserion just giving in. As if of his own volition, the silver white dragon soared gracefully toward the beach where the enemy was gathering in large numbers. At least a hundred men were there already and more were disembarking from small rowing boats. He was too high up to see more details and Rhaegal refused to descend. Jon merged their minds again and felt Rhaegal's conflict in leaving his brother and his human's mate behind. He felt the dragon's fear of the magic that had been pulling him in and his frustration for feeling vulnerable and most of all not being able to see more than a red haze. When the dangerous sound repeated a third and a fourth time Jon and Rhaegal needed all of their willpower to keep blocking out the sound and not let it lure them down as well. The small hope he had entertained that Viserion would burn every last one of the men on the beach that so obviously were the source of his torment had been squashed when Viserion gracefully landed and he observed only a small flame an a bit of smoke and then nothing.
He felt Rhaegar's panic when his eyes literally started leaking blood and his eyesight got impaired to the point that he couldn't make out the direction he was flying in any longer. Jon needed all his mental strength to focus on their own predicament so they would not crash into the Narrow Sea. Somehow he succeeded in calming the dragon enough to listen to his instructions. Rhaegal only complied when Jon assured the dragon that he was guiding them both back to their camp where they would make it a priority to find a way to restore Rhaegal's eyesight. Every now and then Rhaegal roared loudly while they flew, expressing his agony and frustration at leaving his brother and his human's mate behind. Jon sharing his feelings could do nothing to alleviate the dragon's acute feelings of loss since he felt exactly the same. Somehow he managed to keep Rhaegal on track, maintain their altitude as they slowly flew back to their camp.
Jon had stopped looking over his shoulder. They had flown too far to still be able to distinguish Viseron's large silhouette on the ground. For now, he could do nothing but pray for some miracle, for Viserion to find a way to fight whatever magic was overriding his senses and causing him pain. He could only guess at what was happening on that cursed beach this very moment. In Rhaegar's current condition it would be reckless to urge the dragon to turn back and attempt to ignore the magic. He fought the urge to do so and supressed the images that popped up in his mind of burning down every last Ironborn on that beach to free Dany and Viserion. Even if every fibre of his being yearned to go back, he knew that returning over there with a partially blinded dragon and no other support would doom everyone. Besides, the feeling of terror and excruciating pain was still on the forefront of his mind and even if he could quell it enough and summon the courage to face the danger again, he could not put Rhaegal in harm's way until his dragon's eyesight had improved significantly. The only option that remained was regrouping and coming up with a genius plan.
Jon couldn't stop his mind dwelling on what could be happening on that cursed beach right now. Had Viserion really surrendered and did the fate of both Dany and the dragon truly rest into the hands of the fucking Ironborn? If that was the case, he prayed fervently that their vile enemy was well aware of the gigantic value of their recently captured hostages and that they would keep them both alive and please, please, please, also unharmed. As long as Dany and Viserion were alive and well, Jon still had several options.
Rhaegal's eyesight was still blurry when they neared their own camp. Following his human's instructions, the dragon managed to touch down without hurting himself or his rider. Jon jumped off quickly and checked the dragon's eyes and ears. Rhaegal's eyes were still bloodshot and streaks of dried up red fluid marred the scales beneath his eyes. The holes that Jon knew to be his ears looked the same as ever. Jon leaned his head against his dragon and they shared their despair. 'Foul magic,' he cursed and felt Rhaegal's frustration rolling off his large body in powerful waves. This was probably the first time that the mighty dragon was forced to concede that he was not omnipotent.
'We need to go back soon.' Jon sent the thought and felt Rhaegal's conflict. 'Not before I have a solid plan. First, we must come up with a way to counter that magic.' He conceded and the dragon let out a high pitched sound that Jon identified as mourning. 'They're not dead. They are too valuable. Our enemy needs them alive.' He reassured the dragon.
It was difficult not to dwell on the predicament that Dany and Viserion were in at this very moment. But he shouldn't. The moment he let himself, images of a terrified and vulnerable Dany in the hands of a cruel Ironborn soldiers or worse her being a prisoner of Stannis Baratheon, a known fire worshipper would flood his mind and he would lose it. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't fall apart. Not now. Not here. Rhaegal would pick up on it and might lose it as well and who knows what havoc a dragon that lost his mind could wreck.
Jon forced all these thoughts to the back of his mind and attempted to analyse the situation rationally as Sam would. His first idea was to urge Rhaegal to try and open the connection to his brother very gradually. The dragon feeling a bit safer on the beach near his cave eventually gave in. A bit later the mighty creature shook his head in frustration. Nothing happened. It was as if his sibling no longer existed.
'The magic only closed his mind off to us.' Jon endeavoured to reassure Rhaegal. 'Viserion lives. We must remain calm and come up with a plan. I'll ask my fellow humans to help. Together we will find a way.' Spotting a small party on horseback that was speeding toward him preceded by a fast approaching direwolf, he leaned his head one last time against Rhaegal's head. 'Keep faith. I must confer with my council. I'll be back soon. We will fix this.' He raised his head and petted Rhaegal one last time, trying to stay calm for the dragon's sake. 'I'll be back soon.' He repeated and jogged towards the party who was still travelling at great speed. He knew they would be panicking as well. Only one dragon had come back. Everyone who had seen the green dragon return without the silver white one knew that something was very wrong.
"They have Dany. They have Viserion." He was hugging Ghost and barely got the words out when he addressed Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold who had jumped off their horses even before they had halted completely.
"How?" Ser Arthur asked, studying Jon with worried eyes to make sure he at least had returned unharmed.
"Some kind of magic, trickery? I don't know. They made a sound that reached us high up in the air. It was a piercing sound that lured the dragons down. Rhaegal and I, we successfully blocked it out but Viserion," Jon faltered. He took a deep breath. "Viserion tried to fight it but they kept repeating the sound until he gave in. Rhaegal and I had to get away before it got to us too. It asked a lot of energy to keep blocking our minds. Rhaegal's eyes were affected by the pain, the magic perhaps? His vision was severely impaired but I believe it is already clearing up a bit. Last thing I saw, Viserion was close to landing on the beach where hundreds of Ironborn where waiting to capture both of them."
"Didn't the dragon put up a fight? Why didn't he burn them all to ashes?" Ser Gerold's asked in a berating tone.
"He was in pain. Before we had to sever the connection we could feel that he was in immense pain. I don't think Viserion could still think straight. I only experienced his pain for a fraction of a moment and it was unbearable. Rhaegal blocked it out and we only let it in shortly a second time to try and help him fight the magic and that resulted in Rhaegal getting partially blinded. Imagine Viserion's state. I, I…," Jon faltered and covered his face with his hands to hide the tears that finally were escaping his eyes. "They have Dany. Oh Gods, how terrified she must be!"
Davos had arrived in the meantime and had overheard his last words. He immediately went to Jon and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find a way to fix this, son. Whatever happened, I refuse to believe that all is lost."
"So they have the Queen." Ser Gerold stated the obvious.
Davos threw him a stern look. "They will know better than to hurt her. We shall just have to trade something for her. Let's head back first so we can calmly review our options in the war tent. We will need an entirely new strategy for the parlay. Come on, son." He guided Jon to the spot where the horses were waiting. Share a horse with me? I am not such a great rider. Perhaps you might be willing to hold the reigns?"
Despite the dire situation they were in, Jon's expression softened and he wiped the tears from his face. Davos' words brought back memories of a time when they shared a horse before, when life was still peaceful and simple. He gave the man a quick hug to convey his gratitude before mounting the horse. It was time to fix this. 'I'll be back soon.' He sent the thought one more time to Rhaegal who lay listlessly on the sand. 'Get to the cave.' Jon made sure that he made it sound as a suggestion, not an order. 'I'll return soon and look for you there.' It was only when he arrived at the camp that he realised that his cheeks were wet with tears once more. He bowed his head and wiped his face clean hoping nobody noticed. It was time to fix this. There was not a moment to lose.
Interlude 49: A little honesty goes a long way
Arya entered the backroom of the forge were Gendry sat staring idly at the crate where he had stashed the breast plates for the seven Kingsguards. She frowned when he didn't look up at her.
"Hey, I could have killed you before you even noticed I was in the room, stupid!"
Gendry turned around to face her and sighed. "Hey Princess, I didn't expect anyone. This is supposed to be my safe haven. Nobody comes in here."
"That is not true. I do, all the time. When I missed you at breakfast and you weren't in the Godswood, I had no other option than to come here and get you. You have been avoiding me for days." She sat next to him and frowned when he just stared past her and didn't utter a sound. "I understand that you are still mad at Jon. Doesn't mean you have to take it out on me. I tried to persuade him that he was acting unfair towards you. So, don't act all stupid with me. I never did anything to you. If anything, I had your back. I will always have it no matter how dumb you act towards me if you would only let me. We are friends, Gendry. You don't get to avoid your friends when you are hurting."
Gendry startled. What the hells had Jon told her? He had promised to leave his name out of it when he had 'the' talk with Arya. Had Arya mentioned his name to Jon by any chance while they were talking about her future? His so-called friend was only going to reassure Arya that she would never be forced to marry anyone against her will. Jon had promised Gendry he would do it before he left for the Stormlands so that conversation must have gone awfully wrong. He should have known better. Hells, Jon should have known better. Arya could be smart as hell if she found something interesting enough to give it her undivided attention. "What?" He blurted out and instantly felt foolish when he heard that single word escape his mouth as if he was the town's idiot. "Why would I be mad at Jon?" He finished lamely but at least a bit more coherent.
"I would be really mad if I were in your stead. All his arguments for leaving me behind don't stick with you. You are old enough, stronger than almost anyone I know, deadly with your hammer and it is your future Kingdom he is trying to free from a mad tyrant. But still, Jon orders you to stay behind like a little girl. And instead of going anyway, you sit here moping all day not caring that I am dying of boredom without Ghost. Even Syrio Forel left with the army." Arya had been growing increasingly passionate as her explanation went on. "If I had been a man as big and strong as you, I would have ignored Jon and gone anyway. Why didn't you?"
Gendry released a deep breath, relieved that she hadn't been referring to the discussion with Jon regarding her future when she mentioned being mad at Jon. It still hurt at times when he let his mind wander to her innocently phrased refusal to consider him as a possible husband when they had visited Wintertown together. He wasn't vying for a repeat of that. He still remembered every detail of that day and practically every cursed word of that conversation. He decided to be truthful. "Because I swore allegiance to my King and as a man of honour, I have to obey him. Jon, as my King gave me an order. I tried to change his mind, believe me. In the end we compromised. I only relented when he faithfully promised me that the main reason why he left me behind was because he needs me to play an important part in the Great War that will soon be fought in the North. He trusts me to oversee the preparations for that battle and has given me several additional important assignments."
He took her hand when she rolled her eyes at his word. "Come on, Arya. I admit that I am still not happy about staying behind, but at least I understand why Jon needs me to. It took me some time to accept it, but I know Jon. He is no liar. He truly is of the opinion that I am needed here more for now. Can't you make an effort and have faith in Jon, your very best friend in the entire realm? I stayed behind for other reasons than you did, Princess."
His blue eyes looked deeply into her large grey ones. He figured that was the best way to convince her of the honesty of his answer. "I'm dealing with the situation as an adult or at least I am trying to. Jon promised me faithfully that I will get to fight and that I will be given a position as one of his trusted commanders on the ground when it is time to go north and fight a much more dangerous enemy than this strange Lord Stannis of House Baratheon. I admit that I was mad at first. But I am mostly over that. There only remains a lingering feeling of disappointment." Gendry exhaled cursing the fact that Arya was the only one except for Davos who could get him to bare his soul like this. He didn't remember ever having made such a long speech to a living soul. On second thought, it might not be such a bad thing after all. If anyone could make him feel better about all this, it was her.
And she didn't disappoint. She sat down added her right hand to the one he was holding so his large palm was now entrapped between both her small hands. He didn't resist when she turned it slightly so she could study his callused palm. "Jon would be foolish indeed to leave you behind when he goes north. If I were King, you would be the highest ranked general in my army."
Gendry swallowed because she had started to caress his hand in a slow, gentle manner, which was very uncharacteristic for Arya and that small act stirred things inside of him he needed to hide from her. "Thanks Arya. It means a lot to hear you say that." He tried to pull his hand away but she instantly tightened her grip so he relented. At least she had stopped stroking him. "Arya, do you understand why Jon wanted you to stay behind? I mean after having had time to think about it, I trust you are no longer mad that you weren't allowed to go?"
"Not really or perhaps I still am a bit but not as much? I don't know." She looked a little forlorn and shrugged her shoulders releasing his hand as she sought for words. "Jon was really nice about it actually. He faithfully promised that when I am a few years older and have proven myself a decent fighter, he will beg me to come with him. He also said that he needs to be sure that I am safe or he will be distracted if it comes to a fight. A distracted fighter is more likely to lose a fight. I know it were just words he used to persuade me when he said that in staying behind, I was helping him. But …"
"But?" Gendry encouraged her to continue. His eyes did not leave her face as they studied the tiniest shift in her expression to catch everything she was not saying out loud.
"Davos explained it a bit better and then I talked to Prince Oberyn whose daughters are all warriors. Bottom line, I am still too young and not strong or quick enough yet. Jon would be right to fear that I could get hurt, get killed even. I still need to learn a lot but I will get there. Even Prince Oberyn thinks so. You know how he hardly ever agrees to a spar. But then he did, spar I mean, with me!"
Gendry smiled when her tone grew more animated. "That is quite an accomplishment, Princess. I didn't even know that the Prince was back in King's Landing. Well tell me about it? Don't keep me in suspense. How was it?"
"He floored me in two moves during our first bout. I've never been defeated that often in such a short session. He got his message across though. I'm clearly not ready yet to go to war."
"I never picked you for such a magnanimous loser." Gendry stated.
"I'm not usually. But the Prince Oberyn, he promised to fight me again in twelve moons. If I have improved significantly enough by then, he might even consider teaching me how to wield a longspear. In person, Gendry! Not simply by hiring a teacher."
"Wow, you really impressed him. I will have to step up my training. If not, you might best me one day. That would hurt my ego and I might start avoiding you for real." He grinned to make sure that she knew he was teasing and was happy to see Arya grinning back at him.
She hit his arm briefly. "Friends don't mine losing sparring sessions against each other. I am sure that we would be okay."
"Yeah, we would be. Tell me, Princess, do I still rank second? Is Jon still your best friend despite leaving you behind?" Gendry probed.
"Of course, silly! Friends can disagree and argue and still stay best friends. But only if they know the other honestly believes that he has the right of it and doesn't just say things to hurt his friend on purpose. That way they can keep respecting each other and Father says that that is what friendship really comes down to, mutual respect and looking out for each other."
Gendry nodded wishing he could have her way with words. How often had his thoughts reached conclusions he had not been able to communicate and he had been obliged to let others take credit for his ideas when they eventually reached to same conclusion and contrary to him could find the rights words to present it.
Arya studied him for a while before asking, "If you understand and respect Jon's reasons for leaving you behind, then why are you still sitting here alone, brooding when you could be out with us having fun?" She narrowed her eyes. "Or did Jon talk to you about other things. He didn't tell you to marry someone, did he? I mean, ordered you to as your King to whom you swore allegiance and whom your honour would compel you to obey? You are not force-betrothed to someone you don't like, are you? Gendry, please tell me if you are. I can speak to Jon on your behalf. I am sure that I can make him reconsider."
"No!" He startled. When her eyes widened, he forced himself to add in a calmer manner. "I am not force-betrothed. Why do you even think that? Did Jon say anything to you?"
"No," she admitted and he saw her cheeks turn red. "But I hear the rumours as well as anyone else, you know. Sansa denied it and said that they were false but still several people approached me to ask whether you and her, you know?"
"No, call me stupid for real this time since I do not know." Gendry exhaled intent on playing dumb instead of maybe drawing the wrong conclusion for a second time since Arya had stepped into the forge and disturbed his solitary introspection.
"Word is that you will marry Sansa soon. You can't though. Sansa doesn't want you as her husband and I know that you, uh that you don't want to marry her either."
Gendry didn't let on that he had detected the uncertainty in her tone when she pronounced that last bit. He knew all too well how much she hated being vulnerable. He was quick to reassure her. "You're right about that." This time it was Gendry that enveloped her small hand between his and caressed it encouragingly as his eyes studied the contrast between his rough thick fingers and her smaller ones. He was not surprised when he found several callused spots, proof that she took her training seriously. "I am not marrying anyone anytime soon, Arya, most certainly not Sansa. I grant you that she is beautiful but I don't fancy her. I mean, for my wife, I would like a different kind of woman."
"What do you mean by that? What is not good enough about my sister?" She withdrew her hand abruptly.
Gendry smiled despite the delicate subject. When he looked up from her hand that was now balled into an adorable fist and risked a glance at her face, he noticed that she was frowning and actually looked insulted. That was so Arya. She didn't want Sansa to be forced to wed against her will, but she was also deeply loyal to her sister and nobody got to disparage her. "This is not about Sansa not being good enough." He paused. "Arya, this talk, everything we tell each other here, this stays between you and me, right? You won't tell Sansa, or Jon or anyone else for that matter?"
Arya immediately raised her right hand. "I swear it. Now explain it me."
He gently reached for her hand again and uncurled her fingers one by one. "Sansa is too perfect for me. I have not grown up in a castle. Some of the things Lords and Ladies find important, I uh well, I don't care about those things nor do I like them. I'd prefer my future wife to be more uh, I mean more like uh me, I guess? I don't care for pretty dresses or court protocol. I don't want a proper wife who sits by the fire and embroiders handkerchiefs while making polite small talk. I want a woman who will take long walks with me, accompany me on a hunt, join me when I travel to the other Kingdoms since I dream of exploring Westeros and even parts of Essos if I have the chance. I need a woman who is not afraid of putting me in my place when I act stupid or doesn't complain that we do not spend enough time at the royal Court where she could attend balls and dance the night away."
Arya looked down at their joined hands. "But you are a Lord. You are the heir to Storm's End. Won't you have to follow the rules and take care of Storm's End? Isn't that your role, just as Mother claimed that it was mine to put on a dress and consent to dance when a man asks me because I am now a Princess of the North?"
"I am indeed the heir to Storm's End and I will need to learn how to run a keep, but the Gods willing, I won't have to become the actual Lord of Storm's End for at least twenty or thirty years. My uncle Renly is not that much older than me. I wish him a healthy life."
Arya looked up at him now, captivating his eyes with that unwavering stare of hers that he was very familiar with. Gendry stared right back. He won their silent contest when she blinked first and averted her gaze. His eyes wandered to the boiled leathers she was wearing and her breeches that were sporting several stains of what appeared to be mud. He had already noticed that although Arya's braids were still fixed to her head, several strands of hair had sprung loose and it was not yet mid-morning. In fact that was the first thing that he had noticed when she had barged into this room earlier and it had endeared him and lightened his mood instantly.
"Mother told me that I should consider marrying you one day." She offered, disturbing his musings.
"Arya, I," Gendry stammered not sure how to respond to that but Arya cut him off.
"Jon promised me that since he outranked her it would take only one word from him to overrule her wishes. I get to marry whom I want. He also told me that he had already made my father promise that they would allow me to decide for myself whether I want to marry or not."
"And?" Gendry was curious now. There was something in her tone that hadn't been there at Wintertown.
"Father warned me that life is not easy for unmarried women once they have reached a certain age. He told me that sometimes marriage is a good thing and can be very rewarding if you truly like the person you are sharing your life with, especially when you enjoy the same things. I kind of liked your description of what you seek in your future wife. I like you and I wouldn't mind seeing you every day and traveling with you and uh the other things you said." She turned her face away from him and Gendry realised that this was the very first time that he had ever seen Arya turn shy and act as a woman, kind of. It was endearing and he was tongue tied for a moment. Once again, Arya was the one to break the silence.
"If I am being honest, I would probably be jealous if you married someone else and preferred her company over mine. But," she bit her bottom lip.
"But?" His heart hammered in his throat. He kept himself very still. His arms itched to pull her closer and assure her that he would never look at another woman again if she would only give him a sign that she might consider accepting his suit in a distant future. The last thing he wanted to do now was scare her away. He really needed her to finish that sentence.
Arya once again proved to him that she had more gumption than any girl he had ever met. She was not afraid to voice her feelings on such a delicate subject. "For now I'd very much wish for things to remain as they are. I really like having you as my friend as my special friend who likes me as I am and doesn't prefer the company of another lady who might want to kiss you all the time and be willing to marry you on the morrow if you asked. I realise that feeling this way is very selfish of me. Jon told me so already. But I can't tell you anything else today. I can't promise you anything more, not just yet. I might, perhaps uh, when…"
"Hey Arya," Gendry tugged at her hand now, pulling her closer to him. For once she went willingly and leaned against him. He stroked her hair. "There's no need for either of us to think about marrying anybody anytime soon. Jon also promised me he would not force me to accept a betrothal, at least not for a few years yet. We both owe him big for that. Let others speculate all they want. Let them try and fail at getting us to adhere to their stupid rules of conduct. We might even make a game of it and enjoy their frustrated reactions." He pulled her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. "First of all, I've never asked anything else of you than to be my friend. Secondly, I have no intentions of asking anyone else to be my wife for now so there is no need for you to be jealous. We both have Jon's promise and can wait as long as we want to make a decision. I suggest that we wait a couple of years and then discuss this again."
He saw her big eyes light up. "Promise? We get to stay best friends, keep doing lots of stuff together…" She bit her lip again. "What will happen if I don't change my mind and decide one day that I prefer to remain single for the rest of my life?"
"Then eventually I will marry someone else before my hair turns grey and no lady will look at me twice ever again. But be forewarned, I will want you to stay my friend even if I go home and kiss my wife and make babies before I am too old to still be able to. If you decide not to marry me, I will force you to become like a cousin or a sister to me and an aunt to my future children." He let out a deep breath. "I have an idea. Let's make a pact."
Arya wriggled herself free from his embrace and frowned. "What kind of pact? I won't be tricked into marrying you. Don't think for a moment that you can outsmart me. Besides, you would never succeed. Jon will always take my side."
"And I will always have your back as well, Arya. I meant a pact to stay friends whatever happens in our lives and to always be honest with each other. I want us to tell the other all the important things in our lives. And if by any chance you change your mind and decide that you could stand to marry me or even if you happen to fall in love with someone else, I want you to be able to come to me and tell me this without being shy or afraid that I will not understand. And in turn, I promise to do the same and will always be there to help you achieve your goals."
"This seems like a really big commitment." Arya remarked slowly after thinking it through for a while.
Gendry nodded "It is. The way I see it, if we honour this, it will be an even stronger commitment than some spouses give each other. I intend for this to be a pact between equals. I will help and support you and you will help and support me whatever happens in our lives. Are you up for the challenge?"
Arya looked at him. "May I think about it?"
Gendry nodded. "Of course you may. You can talk to Jon about it as well. Do not mention it to your parents though. They would not understand and if they only knew part of it, they would insist that we'd be chaperoned at all times. Even worse, they could drag both of us to the Godswood kicking and screaming to say our vows the moment Jon is not close enough to stop them. I want to avoid involving them for as long as possible. I like spending time with you and I solemnly vow never to do anything that harms your reputation or goes against your wishes. I promise you that when, at some time in the distant future, I am not able to restrain myself from asking you formally to marry me any longer, I will respect whatever answer you give me. I made that very same promise to Jon."
"You did? You actually talked to Jon about maybe marrying me some day?" Arya's voice sounded surprised and a bit flattered as well.
Gendry nodded relieved that she had not been appalled and had not rejected him right here and now. His voice was thick when he confessed. "I did. It is how I envision our future. But this is the last time I will admit to it unless you give me a sign one day that our friendship has evolved and you want the same thing as I do. "
"You really are a strange one." Arya remarked visibly affected by his words. "I never met a Lord quite like you."
"Neither have I." Gendry managed a small smile now. "I used to resent most of the proud, idle noble Lords who visited the Street of Steel. At heart I am no noble, I am still a simple blacksmith who loves his trade. I'll make damned sure that at Storm's End, I will be allowed to work in the forge occasionally. I'll get Jon to sigh a royal decree if I can't convince Uncle Renly myself. So you see? I will need to find a wife who doesn't mind having a husband who is occasionally covered in soot."
"But, but in Wintertown, we talked about your new life and you said you needed a Lady that would give you heirs."
"And I still do, Arya. But I have plenty of time for that. Men can still make babies when they have celebrated their fortieth nameday. I am willing to give us time to make up our minds. And I won't force my future wife to give me more than one or two should that be her wish. The only thing I'd really like is for you to be their mother." Gendry swallowed. Then he tried to speak in a much lighter tone. "Anyway, if it turns out that you'll never change your mind and still want everything to stay the same as it is now, well then, I will eventually have to settle for someone else who doesn't mind marrying the poor excuse of a Lord that I am. A pity, because I can really see us work out." He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Please, can we drop this topic for now? The only thing I need you to remember for now is your promise to remain my friend and be honest with me."
Arya seemed to consider his plea for a moment. Then she looked at him hesitantly. "I have an idea about your pact proposal. What would you say about a trial period? Let's pretend that we have already sealed our pact and see if we can manage it for a few days."
Gendry frowned trying to decipher her motives but ended up nodding despite himself. "Okay?"
"You promise me honesty and support and I promise you the same." Arya emphasized just to be sure. "Should we shake hands are something?"
"What, no vows before a heart tree?" Gendry teased for a moment but then grew serious again. He took both her hands in his and met her eyes. "I will always speak the truth whilst talking with you and I will respect your wishes. I will shield your back and will allow you to shield mine. I vow this by the Old Gods and the New."
"As will I." Arya stood on her tiptoes and he leaned down a bit so she could kiss his cheek. Then she took a step back and her tone was resolute when she addressed him. "Now tell me and don't hold anything back. Why were you really sitting all alone in this building not doing anything except staring at some stupid boxes? I haven't seen you at breakfast or at any other meal these past few days. Aren't you supposed to look out for us? I could have run away two days ago and you wouldn't have noticed," she pouted. "If you needed cheering up, you should have joined us. I bet I can make you laugh quicker than anyone else."
Gendry smiled despite himself.
"See, won the bet already but I won't leave before I extract an even bigger smile. Are you mad at Jon despite what you told me earlier?"
"I am not mad. As a matter of fact, I was just…"
"Worried about, Jon? Me too." She interrupted him once more.
"Not worried about him, well I am but I meant to say that I am more like worried about Shireen. Her mother is trapped in a potential war zone and her father, well he might be dead soon. It is all such a tangle. There is no chance that things will turn out without Shireen getting hurt in some way. I don't know how to face her. How can I comfort my little cousin without being a hypocrite? All I want is for Jon to kill her father. He burned my half-brother and might have burned Shireen as well if she didn't manage to escape the Stormlands with Thoros of Myr. I would be very disappointed if Stannis Baratheon was merely banished to the Wall. I don't know what I would do if I ran into him. But I know this. Shireen, my sweet cousin would hate me if I told her what I just confessed to you."
"So, your big solution was not only to avoid Shireen but to stay away from us all? Why didn't you ask me to a picnic then? We could have gone without Shireen."
"But then I would have felt even guiltier for ignoring her. She is my first cousin. Jon left her in my care." Gendry took her hand again. "Can't you understand my predicament? If only Davos were here. He would knock some sense into me and then drag me to Shireen. With his help, we would manage to comfort each other and both Shireen and I would be able to go back to being at ease in each other's company. Without Davos, I am sure to blurt out something I shouldn't and make her hate me. I do not want her to hate me."
Arya studied him for a moment. "And you don't trust that I am capable enough to help you with this? Shireen is my friend. You are my friend as well. I am ideally placed to help you two talk to each other. But if you insist on having an older person present, I could ask my new Aunt Ashara or Uncle Benjen, but I don't think that he can spare the time. Jon asked Uncle Benjen to rule the Kingdoms in his stead."
Gendry drew her hand in his lap and once again took it between his large hands. "Whatever we decide, I am awfully glad that you came to talk to me. I see now how stupid I was to try and solve everything by sitting here alone thinking in circles. I wish for you to seal our pact for real because I've come to realise that I need you much more than you'll ever need me."
"You miss Jon, silly. If I miss him, I try to keep busy and do things I like." She thought for a bit. "I reckon most things I can come up with involve being around other people. But we'll take it slowly. Come take a walk with me in the Godswood? We will be without Ghost of course but I bet that we can still think of an excuse to play hide and seek."
Gendry stood. "No better time than the present, I suppose. Give me time to put on my other boots. The ones I am wearing are not good enough for a High Lord to be seen in public. And I promised Jon to pay more attention to what I wear around other nobles.
Arya stood by the door when he was ready to start their walk. "Lead the way, Princess. Do you want me to lend you my arm this time? A Lord needs to ask every time, even if he knows the Lady or Princess in this case, will decline." He made a bow and formally held out his arm.
Arya curtsied much lower than necessary. "The esteemed Princess of the North politely declines so all courtesies are dispensed with. Come on! It won't stay dry all day."
Gendry chuckled when he followed her out. The Gods be blessed for bringing Arya into his life. If it were up to him, he would make sure that they lived in the same neighbourhood in whatever capacity she chose. He would settle for staying friends with her and seeing her regularly like this if that was all she was willing to grant him. But he'd be damned if he would not try his hardest to make her change her mind about marrying him first though. He would find a way to court her, a way that Arya could appreciate. A thought struck him. Not only did he need to find a unique way to do that, he would also have to do it covertly. How long before Lady Ashara saw through his intentions and insisted that they be chaperoned at all times? Lady Shireen had not been allowed to venture out with her suitor without a proper escort. He shook his head. He was not a suitor. Not yet anyway. He was her friend and only a second best one at that.
He hurried after Arya who had taken her favourite path to the Godswood and had disappeared from his view already. He got worried when he entered the Godswood and still hadn't caught up with her. He picked up his pace and was effectively running when he navigated a short turn to enter the path that led to the red oak. "Wait up for me, Princess! I thought you were supposed to keep me company?" He shouted when he saw something move between the trees.
Sansa and Lady Roslin, walking arm in arm almost collided with him. "Arya is just around the bend." Sansa giggled and continued her conversation with Lady Roslin while she made her way out of the Godswood. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Arya seated on a blanket next to another Lady. This one was wearing a proper dress and her hair was neatly braided every strand still where it was supposed to be. She looked up at him and smiled shyly.
"Come sit with us, Gendry." Arya of course was not in the least bit guilty for having led him into this trap. "No time like the present. Shireen just expressed the wish to talk with you."
*