Chapter Text
Arya was sitting on a bench drinking up what little sun light that slithered between the clouds, a heavy sheep’s wool jacket protecting her from the cold wind. She had her knees pulled up that was supporting a leather bound sketching pad. With a charcoal pencil, she drew rapidly. Her eyes never leaving the third class passenger who was playing with his daughter, both sporting happy smiles while the little girl shouting whenever her father tried to catch her. The seagulls above them squarking.
Drawing was the only thing Arya was gifted with unlike her sister Sansa who seemed to be gifted with every form of talent. Drawing was the only thing that gave Arya a personality. She looked at her drawing once she was done, a satisfied smile on her lips. Hot-Pie looked over Arya’s shoulder and nodded his head appreciatively.
“That’s typical.” A man spat behind them as he watched a crewmember walking three small dogs around the deck. “First class dogs come down here to take a shit.”
Arya did a halfway turn to face the scowling young man.
“That’s so we know where we rank in the scheme of things.” Arya commented, a playful look in her eyes.
“Like we could forget.” The young man snorted while putting out his cigarette, “The name’s Podrick but everyone calls me Pod.” He extended his hand for the two to shake.
“Arya.”
“Hot-Pie.”
“Hot-Pie?” Pod asked with his eyebrows raising upwards to his hair line.
Hot-Pie shrugged, “I love to bake.”
Arya glanced across the deck, taking in the people around her in various classes. Her eyes roamed the deck until they reached the aft railing of B deck promenade where a handsome man stood. The sun that was exposed briefly shone upon the handsome man, making it difficult to see what he looks like but when the clouds covered up the sun again, Arya could see the sad expression on the young man’s face.
It made something inside of Arya stir. Was it that a first classed dressed in a suit hunching against the railing? Or was it the sad look on his face? The man was handsome, Arya can admit that, but he was also mysterious. She watched as the handsome man undid his tie and opening the first few buttons of his suit and running his fingers through his well combed hair until it became messy. The handsome man was lost staring at the sea, and Arya was so lost staring at the man, that they both were surprised when a blond haired woman came up behind the man and took his arm, whispering in his ears. The handsome man jerked his arm away, making the woman scowl. They argue heatedly about something that Arya couldn’t hear until the handsome man stormed away. The blonde woman seemed to mutter something to herself before going after the man.
“Forget it, girlie.” Podrick spoke while patting his hand on Arya’s thin shoulders, “You’d be more likely to fly a dragon than be as close as that lord.”
All his life Gendry wanted to be normal, someone average. He never cared for being a rich lord who had to marry a rich lady. When he was younger, he would constantly sneak off from his lessons and spend his day at the smithery, entranced by how metal and glass could be heated and reshaped into a weapon or into a common household item. He would often beg his father to be an apprentice for the smith but his then handsome and lean father would laugh and ruffle his hair.
“Why would you need to be an apprentice for some lowborn smith when you are to be lord?” Robert Baratheon would ask.
Gendry would frown at his father and for the next few weeks would purposefully perform horribly with his maesters as if to tell his father if you don’t do what I want, why should I?
That made his father very angry. He yelled, he shouted and he screamed at Gendry. It frightened the boy especially when his father roughly held onto his chin and pointed a finger at his face, threatening that if he didn’t do as told, there will be consequences.
Gendry didn’t feel anything as he joined his family and soon to be in-laws with the other high borns. Everything felt numb to him as the sound of Robert and Cersei laughing reaching his ears. Gendry’s eyes were empty as he stared at his plate that still had food in it, barely listening to the loud chatter around him.
Gendry saw his whole life flashing before his eyes, similar to those near death experience. He saw himself as a child practicing to be a proper lord, he saw himself as ten and six, going to his first banquet, he saw himself now onboard the Titanic and then he saw himself as an old man at another banquet but this time, he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Every flash of his life looked the same. Him, looking miserable with a permeant frown his lips, eyes soulless as he went from one banquet to another. Slowly, Gendry’s breathing picked up speed. They were short and shallow while his heart beat faster and faster as sweat formed on his forehead. He was dying. He could feel it. He stood up with shaky legs, ignoring the confused looks around him, and ran outside of the dining hall.
He ran along the B deck promenade, his heart pounding heavily against his chest. His hair was disheveled, his face red and sweaty. He didn’t cry but he was very close to crying. He ran and ran, not knowing where his legs were carrying him.
Arya was lying on her back on one of the benches on the deck, her eyes hypnotized by the twinkling stars that scattered the black sky, her arms pillowing her head as she exhaled slowly and watched her breath swirl into the night sky.
The sound of urgent footsteps caught her attention. She sat up as she saw the handsome man from earlier running up the stairs from the well deck and running pass her.
Arya doesn’t know why but she felt something within her telling her to follow that man because if she didn’t, something bad would happen.
Gendry’s lungs screamed at him to stop as he ran across the deserted fantail, his breath hitching in the occasional sob. He runs faster, ignoring the ache in his legs, until he slams against the base of the stern flagpole and clings there, panting. His eyes staring at the black water that seemed to be calling for him to join in the dark depth and leave whatever that was bothering him behind.
“Don’t do it.”
Gendry whipped her head around at the sound of a woman’s voice, momentarily thinking it was Cersei, until his eyes saw the thin figure of a woman with brown hair.
“Oh, it’s you.” Gendry muttered.
“You know me?” Arya sounded surprised.
Gendry rolled his eyes while holding back a snort, “I felt you staring at him earlier today. Your eyes were too intense to ignore.”
Arya smiled but saw the tear trails on his cheeks and show frowned.
“Take my hand. I’ll pull you back in.” She reached her hand out, as if to tame a wild animal.
“NO!” Gendry said harshly as he tried to move away from Arya, “Stay where you are. If you move I will jump, I swear it.”
“No you won’t.” Arya said cheekily.
“What do you mean I won’t? Do not tell me what I can and cannot do. You don’t own me.” Gendry spat.
Arya held her hands up in defense, “I mean if you wanted to jump then you would have done it already, m’lord.”
“Don’t call me that!” Gendry hissed at the woman.
“I’m sorry. But please, take my hand.”
Gendry stared at the small hand in front of him. They were so fragile and dainty that Gendry wandered how she could ever pull him back in. His eyes trailed from her hand to her warm eyes and gentle smile on her lips.
He’s confused now. There he is, standing on the railing about to finish it all when this random and annoying stranger interrupts him.
“You’re distracting me. Go away!” he stated after almost losing his footing.
“I can’t.” Arya withdrew her hand, “I’m involved now. If you let to then I have to jump after you.” He held his hands up.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll die.”
Arya shrugged, “I’m a good swimmer.” She said and then proceeded to take of her jacket.
“The fall alone would kill you.” Gendry stated.
“It would hurt.” Arya said casually, “I’m not saying it wouldn’t. To be honest, I’m a lot more worried about the water being so cold.”
Gendry looked down, a look of concern taking over his feature at the realization of what he was actually doing.
“How cold?” Gendry asked quietly.
Arya was taking off her shoes as she answered, “Freezing. Probably even more than that. After all, you are in the North.” She smirked up at him.
Seeing that Gendry was deep in his thoughts, as if weighing his options, Arya spoke, “I knew of this boy, Theon, who was a spunky man who thinks of himself as high and mighty. He never listened to anyone and always tried to prove how brave and strong he was. Until one night, he accepted a challenge from one of the whores, Rose, to jump into the freezing for thirty minutes. If he succeeds, then he is the strongest man.”
“What happened to him?”
Arya didn’t answer immediately, but when she did, her voice was grave, “He jumped in and lasted about five minutes. People had to fish him out of the water. He was shaking and muttering nonsense by the time he was on land. As we tried to warm him up, he kept telling us what he felt when he jumped. He said that the water was so cold that it felt like a sword cut you right down to the middle. Then it felt like thousands of tiny daggers stabbing you everywhere. He died later that night because he couldn’t get warm enough.”
Arya stole a quick look at Gendry and saw that the color drained from his face.
“You’re lying.” He muttered.
“Why would I? He was my brother, Robert’s, friend. Burying him wasn’t easy.”
Gendry’s eyes locked with Arya and the girl knew that he wanted her to help him but was too stubborn to say so. She slides a step closer.
“Come on. You don’t want to end up like Theon. Take my hand.” Arya reached her hand out.
Gendry, once again, stares at the dainty hand. He looked into her eyes, eyes that were so warm and inviting that he didn’t even realize that his hand was reaching out to grab hers.
“Alright.” He breathed out as he clasped his hand around her rough ones.
“Arya Stark.” She smiled at him.
“Pleasure to meet you, Lady Stark.” His voiced quivered.
Gendry started to turn and be pulled up back in. His head was lightheaded and he felt dizzy for standing at a high place in the cold for so long. As he started to climb, his shoes slip against the wet railing and his body is falling. Well, it would have if Arya hadn’t think quickly and held both of his hands and trying to pull him back up with all the force that she had.
“HELP! HELP!” Cried Gendry as the tears slipped from his eyes and fell into the dark sea below.
“I’ve got you! I won’t let go!” Arya shouted back as she pulled herself backwards to lift Gendry up. Gendry tried to get his feet on the railing but it was too wet and slipper.
With one last and strong pull, Arya managed to pull the both of them over the railing and fall onto the deck in a tangled heap with Gendry on top of Arya.
“What do we have here?” Bronn, sailor asked after running to the end of the boat when he heard cries for help.
Gendry quickly gets on his feet, pulling Arya along with him.
Bronn’s eyes switched between the two, “Right. Turn around, lass.”
“What?” Arya asked insulted.
“You were all over this gentleman. And that’s a crime.”
Arya didn’t say anything as Bronn held her hands tightly, calling for one of the other sailors to call for Lord Mormont.
“What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancée?” Cersei asked in disdain, “Look at me, you little filth. What did you think you were doing?” she spat.
“Cersei, stop! It was an accident!”
“An accident?” She sneered as rage filled her eyes.
“It was. A stupid one, really. I was leaning over board to look at the propellers and slipped.” Gendry made eye contact with Arya. “I would have gone overboard if it wasn’t for…Lady Stark.”
Cersei rolled her eyes, “Men and their machines. No wonder you all die so young.”
“Gendry does like his metals, I’ll give you that.” Robert chuckled.
“Was that what happened, girl?”
Stealing a quick look at Gendry, Arya nodded her head, “Uhhh, yeah. Pretty much.”
“The girl’s a hero then.” Jorah announced happily, trying to defuse the tension.
“Yes, yes. She’s a hero. Let’s go back inside, it’s too cold.” Cersei muttered while standing next to Gendry and rubbing his arms as if to speed up the warming process.
“Perhaps a little something for the girl?” Bronn whispered as Cersei passed by.
“Qyburn. Ten dragons for the girl.”
“Ten dragons for the man you love?” Gendry questioned Cersei.
“Forgive me, my live.” She pecked Gendry’s cold cheek before turning to face Arya with a condescending look at her unwashed face, messy hair and ratted clothes.
“Perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow?”
Arya, never breaking eye contact with Gendry, replied, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Cersei gave a tight lip smile before tightening her hold against Gendry in a protective manner and walked away.
“You might want to put your shoes back on.” Qyburn suggested to the girl who was still looking at the direction where Gendry disappeared to.
Arya looked down at her feet.
“Interesting how the young lord slipped so suddenly and you had the time to take off your jacket and shoes?” His voice had amusement in it but his eyes were cold.
Arya could only glare at the smirking man as he walked away.