"Nice to see you decided to join us again, Lord Baratheon," Tyrion Lannister said as Gendry stepped up on the stage for the last day of the council. "Have you calmed down now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry about that.." Gendry replied, trying to keep his promise to Meera to be more careful.

"We can all understand that you might not know how to behave in these kinds of situations, but outbursts like that are usually frowned upon," Tyrion continued.

"Your behavior will have consequences if it continues," the King added. "The Stormlands might be behind you now but if the crown is not, they will soon abandon you too. They will realize you are not your father, you're just a bastard."

Gendry just nodded, trying to not take the bait. A commoner with a bad temper and no manners, that's what they all saw him as. And maybe that was true. But that didn't mean that he was less than them. That didn't mean he couldn't fight for what he thought was right. That didn't mean that he would give in and become like them.

"Since Lord Baratheon is back maybe we can continue the discussion regarding food from yesterday," Howland Reed suddenly said behind Gendry. "I got a suggestion for how we can feed the people without risking them revolting against us."

"Carry on, Lord Reed," Tyrion said.

"I suggest we pool our resources together from our castles, if we have any, and dispense it to the people at a couple of other locations. I pass by the Cross Roads Inn on my way back and I can discuss the matter with the owner there. Then we can transport our resources there and feed people there instead. Any other lords can do the same at other locations if you don't wish to invite the people into your own castles."

"Very well, Lord Reed," Tyrion replied. "That sounds like a good solution for you, because of the crocodile situation at your castle. Are there any other lords who wish to do the same?"

It was silent for a moment while the lords all seemed to ponder.

Then someone got up. A young man at the end. Robin Arryn. Who had for the majority of the council looked too young and too bored to participate. At one point it had actually seemed like he had fallen asleep against Lord Royce's shoulder. But now he was awake.

"I, I will join Lord Reed and pool my resources to the Cross-Roads Inn," he said. "We got plenty of resources in the Eyrie. We can share it with the ones who need it. My father was a friend of Lord Reed and of Lord Baratheon's father and I'm sure he would be happy for me to support them and join their cause."

Next to Robin, Lord Royce was glaring at him. Lord Royce did not have much patience or sympathy for commoners.

Then Tyrek Lannister also got up. And he was joined by Edmure Tully and Paxter Redwyne. They also had resources and were willing to share them, just far away from their own castles.

"You are all free to do as you like," the King said. "I can't stop you from feeding people. As long as you do it on your own lands. But don't expect the crown to help you when the commoners rise against you."

Gendry was fuming again at the audacity. But he kept himself seated. He wasn't going to be a fool again.

He felt Davos' hand on his leg again, holding him back from rising. He put his hand on Davos' hand, to show him that he wasn't going to rise this time. He could control himself. Davos looked over at him and Gendry could see in his eyes that he was just as upset. But they needed to behave so they wouldn't lose what little power they had.

And at least they had won a small victory in that some of the lords had agreed to feed the people. Maybe Gendry's outburst had made a difference after all. Maybe he wasn't just a commoner with a bad temper. Or maybe that was just what he was and that was enough.

***

The council was over, there were no more decisions to be made. The lords and ladies were free to go home. Gendry was in his tent preparing to leave when Devan suddenly entered the tent with another young man behind him. A young man who had spoken up at the council earlier that day.

"Lord Baratheon, Lord Arryn is here to see you."

Robin Arryn was young, too young to be a lord really. Dark hair and innocent eyes. Never smiling it seemed. So serious for being so young. He was almost as tall as Devan despite his youth. Which made him taller than Gendry.

"Greetings, Lord Baratheon," Lord Arryn said. "We haven't had the opportunity to speak during the last few days, but I wanted to introduce myself properly and assure you that I support your viewpoint in the discussions during the last few days."

"Thank you, Lord Arryn," Gendry replied. "I'm glad to hear that."

"My father supported your father during the rebellion. I never knew my father, just as you never knew yours. But they were both great men, and I wouldn't want to break their alliance. I will stand on your side just like he did if you stand on mine."

"I have no wish to go against my father either. I will, of course, support you just like my father did."

"Thank you, Lord Baratheon. I knew you would. And that's why I brought something for you. You see I was very sickly as a kid and spent a lot of time inside. Which gets boring. So I read every single book or other documents I could find in my father's study. And when I heard that you had taken Storm's End I remembered something from one of them that I think pertains to you."

Robin handed Gendry a small letter with the Baratheon seal on it. The paper looked old and fragile, but the words seemed to still be legible.

"It's from your father to my father. Read it after I leave," Robin said as he put the letter in Gendry's hand.

Robin then put his other hand on Gendry's shoulder.

"For our fathers," he said.

"For our fathers, Gendry replied and put his hand on Robin's shoulder as well.

With that Robin turned around and left, leaving Gendry alone with a message from his father in his hand. That he couldn't read.

"Dev," he called out to his friend who he knew was probably lurking right outside. "Can you home in here for a second?"

Devan entered the tent right away. He had probably heard the whole conversation with Robin from outside.

"You're going to have to read this for me," Gendry said and held up the letter to Devan.

"What is it?"

"A letter my father wrote to Lord Arryn's father. Apparently, it pertains to me in some way."

They both sat down next to each other on one of the beds in the tent. Devan unfolded the letter and started reading.

"My trusted friend Jon. There's a young boy at the orphanage in Fleabottom with the name of Gendry. He is my son. I know he is because he looks just like my brother Renly at that age. The boy's mother just died. I want to make sure he is cared for but I'm afraid the queen will hurt him. So I ask you to do it in my stead. Make sure he got food and clothes and that he gets training in a proper trade. I trust you to do this discreetly and make sure he is protected. Your friend, Robert Baratheon."

Gendry didn't say anything as Devan finished reading. Because he was crying, uncontrollably. Crying out of happiness to finally be acknowledged and out of sadness for a childhood forever lost.

He had always wondered who had made sure his fees were paid at the orphanage and who had arranged that he was put into an apprenticeship at the blacksmith workshop. Now he knew. It had been his father all along, through Jon Arryn.

It didn't change anything. What had been, had still been. He had still been alone. Uncared for. Forgotten. But it still mattered. It made him feel just a little bit more like he belonged. Like he was where he was supposed to be.

"Are you alright, Lord Baratheon?" Devan asked.

Gendry could only nod through his tears. Devan put his arm on his shoulder.

"Getting too much for you again?"

"I just... I never knew my father knew about me. I wish I had known. Because I was so alone... I never had anyone."

"You're not alone anymore though, you know that right? I'm here. And I think Lady Reed actually fancies you quite a bit..."

Devan handed him the letter back and Gendry stroked his fingers over the letters. Even though he couldn't read it himself he wanted to make sure the words were real.

"We might have to teach you how to read so you can read it yourself," Devan said.

"I'd like that," Gendry replied while drying his tears.

He wanted to make sure the words were actually real. That they were actually the words of his father. And if he would have to learn to read to do that then that's what he would do.

Robert Baratheon, the king of Westeros, had been his father. He had known about his son. But he didn't know about the struggle. Maybe it just didn't occur to him how hard it was for a young woman to raise a bastard son on her own. He didn't know that his son was already at the orphanage before his mother died. He didn't know what it was like for his son to grow up with no one on his side.

But Robert had seen his son once. When he went to his favorite tavern one day he had asked one of the other girls about Annara. The girl he knew had birthed his son. When he was told she had died he grew concerned for the boy. So Robert went to the orphanage to see the boy. He looked into the window of the orphanage and gasped when he saw a boy who looked just like his younger brother.

His father had done what he could, without endangering his son. Robert couldn't give him a family, he couldn't give him love, he couldn't give him his mother back. All he could give the boy was small provisions to keep him from living on the streets. But at least he had done that. And now his son knew that.