A new cub

Chapter 3

"Gendry! Didn't take you for the big muscular type little sister"

"Oh shut up Sansa" 

"I'm just kidding calm down... Have you told him"

"No I didn't know how I needed to talk to you first.  I haven't spoken to him since.."

"Since when?" Sansa asked quizzically. 

"Since... he proposed."

"He proposed!" 

Arya cut her off before she could continue, "I said no." "Arya what? You just said you loved him." 

"He asked me to be his lady. That's not me"

"Arya.."

"No Sansa, he deserves better. He finally has a title and land.  He deserves someone who will be a good wife and give him.." Arya stopped talking and looked away from her sister.

"You were going to say give him children weren't you. Is that why you said no to him?"

"It wasn't the whole reason, but it was part of it, but look at me now.  I gave him up but still gave him what he wanted all along."

"Arya you can still get him back."

"Why would he? I basically told him I loved him and then the next day denied his marriage proposal and just let him walk away.  Why would he come back to me? He probably already found a wife."

"You should send a raven.  At least ask him to come to Winterfell. You can figure out where he stands then"

Arya didn't respond but still stared blankly ahead, noticeably tense.

"You're the strongest person I know, remember?" Sansa said with a wink, "You killed the night king, but are letting a boy get to you that doesn't seem like my little sister."

"Damn where did this sisterly advice come from all of a sudden. Fine I will write him later today, but I need to sleep first. I am exhausted."

"You can sleep in my bed.  I'll make sure your room is prepared."

"Thanks Sansa," Arya said before falling asleep within seconds.

As Sansa left her room, her mind raced.  This would be a scandal, she would need to get ahead of it, but what could say without betraying her sister's trust.  This is not exactly what she had planned on dealing with a month into her reign.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she just let things play out? She quickly pushed that thought away and decided to take action.  She was Queen after all.

While Arya slept, she quickly wrote a letter to Gendry describing how she knew he had proposed and Arya had returned and that he should try again.  She left out the part about her pregnancy, she would at least let Arya share that secret.  

Her plan was to arrange for a secret marriage and then announce that they actually got married the night before the big battle.  That would explain the pregnancy timing at least.  She could muffle the rumors on why it took this long to announce and why the wedding was private.  It was a perfect plan she thought.  But for safe measures she added a note saying that Arya was going to write him later today and not to tell her about this message.