So I haven't written in forever, I know. I wasn't really sure where I was going with this story. I didn't really even know how to continue. I recently had inspiration though and decided to go on and write more. I didn't have has much time to edit this chapter so I'm sure there will be a few mistakes in there that I'm going to go back and fix at some point. In this story Arya is older for the sake of the story, and Gendry is around 18/19. I finished all of the books in the series so far. I'm going to do my best to not give any spoilers, so this story is definitely going to veer a bit from the real story line. I hope you enjoy this chapter, reviews would mean the world to me!

They had put Gendry to work in the forge soon after they arrived in Riverrun. That was where he was when Arya came wandering in, dressed in a simple deep gray gown and fur cloak. In the weeks that had followed her first arrival in Riverrun Arya had allowed her mother to dress her in simple gowns. It had taken sometime for her to finally accept to meet the Frey boy who was to be her husband. Gendry was shocked that she agreed at all.

He wasn't quite sure how to cope with it at all. Part of him knew to expect something like this to happen at some point in her future, Gendry just never thought it would be too soon. What would he do when Arya was wed? Surely he couldn't follow her to the Twins, and he wasn't quite sure what he would do without the young girl he had spent the last year on the run with.

"What are you doing down here?" Gendry asked, not looking up from his work. "I thought your future Lord husband is arriving today?"

Arya rolled her eyes. "One of his riders was sent, said that he would be delayed until sundown, we're to expect him for dinner."

Gendry let out a snort. "How lordly, showing up late to meet his wife."

"We're not married yet." Arya shot back, confused as to why Gendry was being so strange.

Gendry didn't say anything, still staring at the sword he was sharpening. He was unsure himself of why he was feeling so angry all of the sudden.

"It doesn't matter; I didn't come here to talk about the dumb marriage." Arya continued, sitting down on a work bench.

"What did you come here to discuss then, m'lady." Gendry replied.

"I don't plan on going to the Twins."

Gendry stopped his work and raised his eyes to hers. "You can't be serious, how are you going to manage that."

"I want to convince my Lady Mother to send men back to Winterfell and restore it, where I will hold the seat until Robb wins the war. I want you to come with me."

"She'll never go for that, Winterfell is leagues away and burned down."

"Yes, but it has to be restored. And a Frey could never dream of being the seat to Winterfell. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell my father used to say," Arya's voice broke and for a moment Gendry thought she was about to cry when she continued "now that my brothers are dead and Sansa still a hostage, it's up to me to be that Stark.

Gendry didn't know what to say. "And you want me to come with you?"

"Well of course, you've stuck with me this far. You're the only friend I have left," Arya said, looking at her feet which she was digging into the dirt floor of the forge. "And I'm sure we'll need as many smiths as possible."

Gendry didn't say anything, just simply shrugged and went back to work.

They sat in silence for a bit, Arya watching him work when Gendry looked up and saw that Arya had moved to his side. He turned to ask her what she wanted when suddenly she was embracing him, her head resting against his chest. The words stopped in his mouth as he stood stunned, before he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you for sticking with me." She whispered so quietly it was barely audible.

"Of course." Was all Gendry could think to say.

She pulled away from him and smoothed out her dress.

"Well, I should be going before my mother comes looking for me. I think I'll go speak with her actually."

With that she was gone, leaving Gendry surprised and even more so, confused. He never thought she would be the one to accept her fate so willingly. Perhaps this was a side to the little girl he had thought she once was, perhaps this was the grown woman that he had refused to see.

She didn't seem a little girl to him anymore. A woman flowered, he had tried not to notice her chest as it blossomed, her hips as they widened. Always he had seen her as a child, a little sister, a girl that needed protecting. Now he wasn't so sure. Whatever he was feeling he couldn't let it get to him. She was to be married, and he was a bastard born blacksmith.

He wasn't sure what to make of the embrace. Shrugging it off as a simple hug, he went back to work, trying hard not to think of what would happen at sundown when Arya met the man that was to be her husband.

Arya was still dressed in the wool dress though she had taken off her cloak when she knocked on the door to her mother's chamber. Lady Catelyn opened the door and let Arya in immediately, motioning for her to sit.

"As I'm sure you know, Leobald Frey is to be here by sundown." Lady Catelyn began "I found this dress; it was once mine when I was just a girl. I've had it tailored for you."

Arya looked at the dress. It was made of fine silk, dyed a light blue. Intricate silver beading lined the bodice, it's skirts had dark blue thread woven into it giving it a beautiful design.

"It's beautiful mother," Arya said "However, I came to speak to you about this marriage."

"Oh Arya, I had thought we were over you trying to convince me not to marry you. You know what must be done, it's your duty to your family-"

"No, no. It's not that. I was just thinking. What if instead of me going back to live at the Twins we send men back to Winterfell?"

"That's not possible Arya, it's been burned, demolished…"

"I know but what if we restored it. A Stark must always be in Winterfell and I'm being married to a son of Lord Walder Frey who could never dream of being the seat to Winterfell or even the seat to the Twins for that matter. They can't deny it; it would be stupid of them. While Robb is fighting a war and Sansa's hostage and, and well… there's just no one else to hold Winterfell. That's Robb's seat, it needs to be upheld."

Lady Catelyn was silent for a moment as she thought of what Arya was suggesting.

"When he arrives we shall discuss this and see what he thinks of this plan. If he agrees we will share it with Lord Walder Frey when we travel to the Twins for your marriage."

Arya beamed at her mother. Her plan had worked.

"Now go to your chambers and begin getting ready. We have a meeting to prepare for."

Disclaimer: No characters are mine, it's just my play on their relationship. All credit goes to George R R Martin and his wonderful series.