Yes

22:49 Juh 0 Comments

Title: Yes

She knew about the commentaries. She heard the whispers, noticed the eyes glancing at her direction. The savage Stark. Savage as the North.

She didn't care, though. If much, the insult made her feel proud. The North was savage, yes. And hard and strong. And she was the North.

Margaery, on the other hand, looked soft and delicate as a flower. The preference of all ladies and almost all lords in court for her was obvious. Margaery was funny, gentle and polite while Arya wasted her time trying to be a man. She had heard that once. But they were wrong. She didn't want to be a man, she just had more fun with a sword in hand than with a needle. Her father understood and respected that.

But the ladies in court disapproved. They had made up their minds and decided that Margaery would be a better match for Gendry than Arya. She would be a better queen.

Arya had talked to Margaery only once, but they were surrounded by other ladies, so she couldn't really be sure of what kind of person Margaery was. But one thing she knew instinctively: Margaery wasn't helpless at all. She could be a rose, but all roses had thorns.

--------

"Have you talked to Margaery?" Gendry asked her after the water dance lessons.

"Yes. And no. She talked, I talked, but we didn't actually say anything. She intrigues me. I don't know if she's a good person or if she's just good in pretending..."

"See with your eyes, child. Keep them open and Lions or Flowers won't be a problem for you."

She smiled at Syrio as he made a curtsy and left her and Gendry alone. This wasn't an issue anymore. Sometimes, she or he would steal a kiss, but nothing else. What they would do more was talk. Gendry had started to attend to the small council meetings and liked to share his ideas and discuss the political matters with her. She was a fast learner and the debates were interesting. Sometimes, they had completely opposite point of views. But after much talk, they both would give in in something, and would come to a satisfactory conclusion for both of them.

"Things will get more complicated now. With another potential bride, my father will pressure me to choose."

"And you will pressure me to say 'yes'."

He sighed. "I'm worried about you."

"Why?"

"The Tyrells want Margaery to be queen and you are in her way."

"You think they can try something against me?"

"I grew up in court. I've learned that, here, no one can be trusted. You'll have to be careful."

She nodded and fell silent for a moment. She didn't look at him when she spoke again. "She's perfect. She's so much better than me at these court games... She has everything it's needed-"

"She doesn't have everything. Because the thing she wants the most it's already yours." He held her chin and kissed her softly. She gave him a half-smile.

"Stop that. We're having a serious conversation."

He looked away and nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Right. There is something else, a thought that crossed my mind last night."

"What is it?"

"Margaery wants to marry a prince. But it doesn't have to be me. Joffrey has a pretension to the throne until I have a son."

"But trying something against you would be too obvious..."

"And since when my brother is famous for his intelligence? Now, his mother is a complete different story."

"You believe she can plot with the Tyrells to make Joffrey king? This is treason, it's madness!"

"It's a possibility, Arya. You said Margaery is better in the court game. It's simple to be good in this game. You just have to be a good liar. It's not something one should be proud of. No one can be trusted around here."

"I can."

"I know. You are different from them."

"And that's a bad thing!" She got up and started pacing. "Can't you see? Everyone already loves her. You'll end up finding opposition for marrying me. You have to do what's best for the kingdom."

"Why do you think she's the best? She's seeking power just like Cersei for what I know!" He got up as well. "None of them needs me, Arya. They just need the crown I can give them. If I marry her, they can plot to get rid of me as soon as my son is born. And she can rule as Queen Regent until the child comes to proper age."

"You don't know that. She can like you. She can come to love you!"

"But I won't love her!" They were screaming at each other's faces now.

"How do you know?"

He walked up to her and took her face in his hands. "Because I love you!"

"But she's-"

"Is a flower! And when winter comes, the flowers fade. But wolves... They resist because they're made for the winter."

She started the kiss that time, pulling him down to her by his neck. He pulled her closer until their chests were touching, not caring that she was sweaty from her water dance lessons. There was desperation in the kiss. Real and deep need. Gendry felt her already familiar bites on his lips and pushed her against a wall, pressing his body against hers. She didn't protest. On the contrary, she almost climbed him, wanting to have him close, closer.

When they broke the kiss, he let his forehead rest against hers. When he talked, he was breathless.

"Please, Arya. I don't want them, their lies and deceit around me. I want to be a good king, I want to do what's right and you can help me. I want you with me!"

He would be king of the Seven Kingdoms one day. He was older, stronger and taller than her. And he was a man. By all means, Gendry was more powerful than her and yet he was the one pleading. To her, that had never been good enough: not beautiful enough, not polite enough, not talented enough.

But not to him. She didn't act different around him, Gendry was the one that thought differently. He'd see strenght and courage where the others saw savagery. And he was right. Because she was the North. And the North was hard and strong.

She whispered the word against his lips, that single word he wanted to hear so much.

"Yes."

She wasn't scared of flowers and lions. Wolves were better prepared to face the winter. And Winter was coming.