The Baratheon bull

Chapter 10: The old and the new

The next morning Gendry lay in bed and read some more of the Westerosi history. He had learnt as far back as the stories of the Great Valyrian Freehold and the Targaryens journey to Westeros. He had just finished the history of Robert's rebellion. He put the history book down and started recite the houses associating them with the castles on the map. He decided to go from the bottom up. "House Martell, seat, Sunspear. Words: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken." He paused for a minute. "House Lannister, seat, Casterly Rock. Words: Hear Me Roar." A smile lit up his face as he continued "House Baratheon, seat, Storms end. Words: Ours is the Fury." He thought about what those words meant to him. "House Arryn, seat, The Eyrie. Words: As High as Honour. House Tyrell, seat, Highgarden. Words: Growing Strong." He got up and started to pace around the room. "House Tully, seat, Riverrun. Words: Family, Duty, Honour. House Greyjoy, seat, Pyke. Words: We do not Sow. House Bolton, seat, the Dreadfort. Words: Our blades are sharp." he stopped and thought. What about the two greatest Houses ever to rule Westeros? They were still Houses he thought. "House Stark, seat, Winterfell. Words: Winter is Coming. House Targaryen, seat, Dragonstone. Words: Fire and Blood." He briefly sat back down on the bed and then resolved to dress and break fast. The Eerie was a strange castle. From the outside it didn't seem as big as places such as the Red Keep or Dragonstone but once inside, it was a complicated maze of corridors. Gendry was impressed that the little lord knew everything about the castle, despite his young age.

Breakfast was wrapped in an eerie quiet. Littlefinger stared at Gendry. Sansa looked down in shame and the little lord had left early to his lessons.

That day, Gendry wanted to see the sky cells and the infamous moon door. Those were the things that made the Eyrie stand out. So many options for death. He came to the moon door and looked down. He saw a face, staring back at him from the rocks. "Poor, mad Lady Arryn. She jumped from that very spot. Can I tell you a secret boy?" Lord Baelish asked. Gendry looked at him with intent. "She didn't jump. I pushed that mad old cow down and now she stares up in to the castle, as if she can protect her poor baby boy. Soon I'll be the only Lord of the Vale and once I've married Kat's stupid child, I'll have the North too." He said this with a scary smile. Gendry knew he had to bluff. " Sansa is the lone wolf! The last stark! You can't !" But Littlefinger drew his sword. "You know my plan, well half of it. I must end you." He lunged at Gendry and the young man ran up the stairs. He thought this would happen so he had planned his defense strategy. He grabbed a sword from the decorative swords. As a smith, he knew a good sword and this one would be ok. He struck his sword to the horrid lord as strong as he could but the sly lord resisted. He really didn't know what would happen. Poste and riposte. The fight could go either way. "I won't let you destroy House Stark even if you are a Lord!" Gendry yelled in desperation. "That is for the gods to decide boy! You are nothing!" Littlefinger yelled back. Gendry remembered Melissandre's words; "There is power in a king's blood." He that gave him a sudden surge in energy. He struck Littlefinger and disarmed him. He now had the upper hand. "You are a bard! A peasant! You are nothing!" Littlefinger yelled. He didn't seem like a man who raised his voice often so when he did, he sounded hoarse. Gendry was driving the tired Lord Baelish towards the moon door when Sansa appeared at the top the steps of the stairs. She looked on, as if she was watching ships sailing into the distance. Gendry didn't take notice of her but Littlefinger was desperate. "Sansa, my love, call Robin!" He yelled but she didn't react. "Sansa, help me!" He called again but Gendry said "She won't. The Starks are under my protection now. The Gods help you." And with that he pushed the old Lord through the moon door. The hall was quiet but the woman of winter broke it, "He would never have won the Game of Thrones." And with that she left.