The Stag and The Frog - (GendryxMeera, GOT Fanfic) Part 2: Together

3: The first battle

The sun dawned over a war-torn swamp that morning. Men laid dead and dying in the shallow waters, colored red by blood. Animals had fled these parts and the swamp was desolate. No bird song, no scuffling in the bushes, no splashing in the water. Just death.

Yellow sunlight beamed between the trees. Yellow stag banners swayed in the wind. Yellow armor was worn by the victorious lord.

Lord Gendry Baratheon stood among the carnage. War hammer in hand, blood splatter on his clothes, fury in his eyes.

Never before had he looked more like his father.

War horns blasted behind him, signaling the surrender of House Frey.

It had been his first battle as a lord, and he had won.

But right now that didn't matter.

"Where is my wife?" he called out to Devan who stood next to him.

Devan didn't answer. The poor boy had never been in a battle before. Terror was in his eyes. His unruly hair was caked with blood. His hands were shaking.

Devan Seaworth had never killed a man before. But that night he had killed ten of them at least.

"Where is she?" Gendry repeated, louder this time.

He had not seen Meera since the beginning of the battle. They had became separated in the darkness as his wife moved faster than him through the swampy canals. The last time he had seen Meera she thrust her spear into an approaching Frey soldier who attacked Gendry from behind.

She had moved so effortlessly in the canals, twisting and twirling with her spear. Her curly hair cascading around her. Her eyes determined to take out the men who tried to take her lands from her. She had taken out men twice her size. She had been magnificent. She had been so beautiful. If Gendry wasn't already in love with her he would certainly be now.

"I... I don't know," Devan said as he slowly snapped out of his state of terror.

Gendry looked over at his friend. His cheeks were wet, from splashing water or tear was unclear. Devan didn't smile at him. Devan always smiled. He concluded that Devan wasn't going to be very useful at the moment.

"I need to find her," Gendry said.

Devan just nodded. The battle was over but his sword was still held out in battle position in front of him. He held onto it with all his might, like his life depended on it.

The palisades of Greywater Watch was right in front of them. High walls built of cypress trees that had been formed into spikes at the top and were held together by vines. But Gendry and Devan turned around and started to walk back through the canal behind them. The canals of the Neck formed a labyrinth and it was easy to lose someone in them. Or lose yourself.

They walked for hours it seemed, but it probably wasn't. Through shallow canals filled with death and blood. With Frey men and Baratheon men who had fallen.

Men who had died in Gendry's name. The guilt flooded over him as he looked upon yellow-clad soldiers who had drawn their last breath in those canals. They died because of him. Because of what he had decided to do.

But Meera wasn't there.

Gendry tried not to think it. He couldn't think it. He couldn't let himself.

And then they stood there again, back where they had started. In front of the palisades. They must have walked in a circle.

Gendry looked around the open area again, hoping to see her. But she wasn't there either.

Then he heard something. The sound of splashing water behind him. Someone running. Someone yelling his name.

He turned around and he saw her. Meera. Her hair soaked in water and plastered to her face. Her clothes caked with mud. More beautiful than ever.

"Gendry!" she called out.

Before he had even time to react she had thrown herself in his arms. Arms gripped around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, lips seeking his.

The surprise made him lose his balance and they fell into the water together. Her on top of him. Still kissing.

He sat up in the water, his wife straddling him. There was no use getting up, he was soaked already anyway. Hopefully, there were no leeches.

Why did he always end up falling in the water when visiting the swamp?

"I'm sorry," she said. "I lost you. I worried about you."

"I was worried about you," he replied. "I couldn't find you."

"You don't need to worry about me here. I know my way around."

"You don't need to worry about me either. I survived fighting the dead, I think I can handle some Frey soldiers."

Gendry stretched out his hand and stroked some strands of her wet hair away from her face, letting his hand linger at her chin before leaning in to kiss her again. Her lips tasted like blood, mud, and swamp water. He didn't care. He never wanted to stop kissing her.

"I love you," he said. "And I never want to lose you."

"I love you too," she replied. "And you won't lose me."

More kissing ensued. It always did. If Devan hadn't been standing next to them they probably would have consummated their marriage right there in the swamp. Not that Devan would have minded.

An uncomfortable thought entered Gendry's mind as they were kissing. The thought of what happened now. He had taken back his wife's homelands. And now he would have to force her to leave them.

"Lord Baratheon," Devan suddenly said behind them. "You might want to stop that... I think Lord Reed is watching you."

Gendry and Meera interrupted themselves and looked up towards the palisades. They looked upon Lord Reed. Meera's father. Who didn't know yet that they were married. Who didn't know yet what she had given up. Who didn't know yet that she would have to leave again.