The Legacy

Part 19

Gendry would never admit that he held some resentment being sold into the Night's Watch. He had become comfortable in Tobho's shop and that was his first mistake. His next mistake was getting close to Viserra. From the moment he saw her he knew his life would never be the same. She stood strong with her twin blades in each hand. The light breeze moved the free strands of silver hair across her face. Gendry had never seen a woman that was beautiful and fearless. He thought after that night she would only exist in his wandering thoughts, but she came back.

Gendry thought of himself as a simple bloke, didn't expect much because he didn't need much. Yet he found himself trying to find out anything about the Stark girl. She had treated him as an equal even though she was a highborn. The day King Robert died was the last time he saw Viserra. He cursed himself for not holding her longer or telling her how he felt while he still could. Even though he didn't know how he actually felt about her, he felt he should've said something. She had shifted his world and placed value in him when no one else did. When Gendry found out Viserra was in The Black Cells for treason, his stomach sank. In the short amount of time he had grown to really care about Viserra. He spent every night replaying the few moments he had with her. His favorite was the last one. Before he drifted to sleep, he'd think of the kiss she gave him. Her lips were like silk against his cheek and her delicate hand rough in his. That was the last time he had seen her as she was. She had been vulnerable with him, something he had never expected from her. Yes, she was a woman, but Gendry had never seen her anything less than fierce and protective. Seeing that side of her made Gendry react. When Arya approached them he saw how quickly Viserra shifted from upset and vulnerable to motherly toward her young cousin.

He knew the moment he saw the "boy named Arry" that "he" was actually Arya Stark. The young girl recognized him instantly and found comfort in his familiar face. He promised Arya he would watch out for her like she was his own. At the time Gendry promised the young Stark, he never had someone be "his own". He never had anyone he could consider family much less a friend. That was until Viserra. In the short amount of time he knew her, she gave him some semblance of being more than a blacksmith or a bastard. For Viserra he would do this. The Night's Watch had left King's Landing before any news of the remaining Stark ladies could be heard. Gendry hoped one day their paths would cross again but made his peace with the memories he had.

"Do you love her?" Arya asked as she rested her arm on edge of the cart and Gendry walking next to her.

"Who?" Gendry asked caught off guard. He was lost in his own thoughts of what life was waiting for him at the end of this journey.

"Serra" Arya whispered. "Do you love her?" Arya looked at the handsome face next to her. She saw how her cousin acted around him and She had never seen Viserra act that way in a long time. "I think you do."

"I don't know her." He answered as honestly as he could.

"That's not answering the question."

"Innit?" Gendry smirked at the young girl.

"I think she loves you." Arya admitted and had Gendry intrigued. "She smiles a lot. She used to smile a lot with Aldric and she was going to be his wife." Arya mentioned nonchalantly. "You remind me of him"

"Who's Aldric?" Gendry questioned and Arya told him Viserra's tragic love story. He listened to the short and albeit crude summary of the Mormont boy and the Stark girl. Gendry couldn't have helped but feel sorry for Viserra and the love she lost. The pain she carries would be with her for the rest of her life. Now knowing this information only made her stronger in his eyes. Yet, he couldn't help but feel inadequate. He knew that a girl like her would never consider being with someone like him. She fell in love with a highborn. She belongs with a highborn who will give her the life she deserves. Something he could never provide. The conversation died between them as others ventured closer to the pair. Both became consumed with their thoughts. Arya missed Winterfell. She missed home and her family. Even though Gendry tried to deny it, he missed Viserra.

*******

Tywin Lannister dismissed everyone but his son Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion reached for the pitcher of wine when his father grabbed it himself. Tywin served his youngest son wine.

"You were right about Eddard Stark" Tywin admits as he serves himself more wine in his goblet. "If he were alive we, we could have used him to broker peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, which would've given us more time to deal with Robert's brothers. But now..." Tywin crumpled up paper and tossed it away from him in frustration "Madness... madness and stupidity." The Lannister patriarch looked over his son who he only saw as a disappointment before now. "I always thought you were a stunted fool, perhaps I was wrong."

"Half wrong." Tyrion's wit answered for him. "I'm new to strategy, but..." Tyrion played with the rim of his cup. "Unless we want to be surrounded by three armies, it appears we can't stay here"

"No one will stay here" Tywin began. "Ser Gregor will head out with 5000 riders and set the Riverland on fire from God's Eye to the Red fork. The rest of us will regroup at Harrenhal." He paused to drink from his cup. "And you will go to King's Landing" he finished.

"And do what?" Tyrion was confused.

"Rule. You will serve as Hand of the King in my stead." Tyrion still confused at his new responsibility. "You will bring that boy King to heel and his mother too if need be. The only thing we have in our favor is the possession of is those three Stark girls." Tywin took another sip from his cup. "You will make sure they are well taken care of and watch over the oldest girl"

"Viserra? I remember meeting her and speaking with her briefly at Winterfell. She has quite the head on her shoulders." Tyrion admitted.

"Yes it seems she does from the reports I have received. I believe she will be pivotal in ending this war and getting Jaime back." Tywin's words indicated a deeper hidden meaning.

"How so? You do not think she will fight for us and turn against her own family do you?" Tyrion recalled the few moments when he saw the young girl in question train with the Stark men. She was quite the fighter and yet still a lady. She was nothing short of brilliant from the passing conversations he's had with her.

"No she won't, but do you know what really ends wars?" Tywin looked at his son and poured more wine in their cups. "The promise of a better future." Tywin leaned back in his chair. "After all the fighting has ended, there is a void that is left, and marriage is what fills it. New alliances and treaties forged in the bonds of matrimony will bring peace for however many years, until a next war begins."

"And who will the Stark girl marry? Surely not Joffrey." Tyrion scoffed.

"No Sansa Stark is already betrothed to Joffrey, I believe that pairing is correct" Tywin waved off the thought. "I believe the most beneficial union would be Jaime and Viserra."

"Do you really think either one of them would agree to it?" Tyrion held his cup close to his body. "from what I remember the girl is headstrong and stubborn" Tyrion paused to take a sip from his cup. "and hates our family. Need I remind you father, Jaime's attacked Lord Stark in front of her and then Joffrey killed him. I do not think she will agree."

"Jaime will do as I say, and Viserra will do what is best for her family.  Those Starks. That family's weakness has always been their own blood." Tywin continued to reveal what he had planned. "Countless of Starks have always sacrificed themselves for each other, the fools" Tywin glanced to the side as he drank from his cup.

"Perhaps they do it because they care for each other." Tyrion said cynically. "Is it so awful that family means something to them?"

"Call it what you want, but Starks will always put their family first. Which is why I propose the exchange the two younger Stark girls for Jaime. Once that is done, then we can discuss the future union of Lannister and Stark". He placed his cup firmly on the table. "I am entrusting this information to you. See that you keep an eye on that Stark girl along with Baelish, Varys, and Pycelle. And if you get so much as a whiff of treason from any of them..."

"Yes, yes, heads, spikes, walls." Tyrion mused.

"As my son I expect you not to fail" Tywin emphasized.