Gendry could see the relief on the men's faces as they exited them swamp. They could finally feel the sun on their skin again and their horses felt firm ground under their hooves.

Lady Meera Reed was riding next to him. She had taken them along the dry path this time. The path without sinkholes or leeches.

"Follow the King's road, it will take you to the Stormlands. Hopefully, there will be no trouble on your way there. Hopefully, Queen Cersei will be too busy defending the capital to care about you" she said as she turned her horse around and got ready to leave them.

"Goodbye, Lady Reed. Meera," he said and stretched out his hand to touch hers as she rode past him in the opposite direction.

"Goodbye Gendry," she said and touched his outstretched hand.

She squeezed his hand briefly. Then she was gone.

He hoped he would see her again. Because she had made him believe that maybe, just maybe, he could do what he had set out to do. He was scared, but so was she. But being scared didn't stop her, so it wouldn't stop him either.

Of course, if you're reading this story you know he will. He won't just see her again. He will love her. He will go to war for her. After all, that is what this story is about. But we're not there yet. There are castles to claim and kings to elect before that happens.

As she disappeared into the forest Gendry rode up to the front of the Baratheon armies. He took his place next to Ser Balon Swann at the front. Ser Balon gave him a nod as they started marching. They were on their way. They were going home, to the Stormlands.

Gendry wasn't ready to lead them. But he would anyway.

***

The place looked so familiar. He had been there before Gendry realized as they got settled at their resting spot for the night. The Cross Roads Inn. He had been there with her. With Arya.

At that time he had just been running for his life. There had been no time to pay attention to where exactly he was. So when Ser Balon had mapped out their route he had not realized they were about to travel right through his old memories. Many of them still painful for him. Because they all involved her.

But this memory was also about an old friend of his. Someone he had last seen at this place. He wondered if his friend was still there.

As his men set up their camps for the night and made sure both horses and people got fed he decided to see if he could find his friend. He wondered if his friend would even recognize him. Or if he would recognize his friend. It had been so long.

But the tavern looked exactly the same. Just as quaint, just as welcoming. The big wood sign outside was slightly crooked. From inside the stone walls he could hear laughter and cheer from the guests. And songs of the common folk that he knew so well.

As soon as Gendry walked into the tavern he saw his friend. Just like the tavern he looked just the same. Round all over, curly brown hair, kind eyes. He stood there talking to guests. Bragging about his stupid pies. Seeing him made Gendry so happy he couldn't help but call out to him.

"Hot Pie!" he shouted.

His friend turned around. And looked at him as he had seen a ghost.

"Gendry!" was the only thing Hot Pie managed to utter after a long moment of silence. "It's really you!".

Gendry walked up the last few steps to his friend and embraced him. He hadn't realized how much he had missed him until now. Seeing him again reminded him of who he used to be. Hot Pie was the only person in this world who knew exactly who he used to be. Before everything. Before they left King's Landing. Before they knew anything about anything. Not even Arya knew him that well.

His friend took a firm grip around his shoulders and looked at him. Seemingly trying to make sure it was really him. That he was really Gendry. The same boy he had once known. Although he wasn't a boy anymore.

"I thought you had died," Hot Pie said, "I heard you had been carried off by the red woman and then I never heard anything else. Arya came back through here but you never did. No one had heard from you."

Gendry thought he could detect a tear in his friend's eye. Hot Pie had never been a sentimental person but it was clear he had missed Gendry too.

"A lot of things happened, things you wouldn't believe," Gendry replied, "It's been a weird journey. But I am very much still alive and still me."

Hot Pie looked around, seemingly trying to figure out where Gendry had come from. Why he was here now.

"Did you come here with the Baratheon armies? You must have done well for yourself. You're wearing much fancier clothes than you used to."

Gendry was once again wearing the clothes that had belonged to Theon Greyjoy. They had dried after his plunge into the swamp.

"I am. I'm..." he started while trying to figure out how to tell his friend who he was now.

Hot Pie interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"Then you can tell me more about the armies. Everyone traveling through here wants to know about the new Lord Baratheon. And they all ask me. Who is this new lord? Where did he come from? Everyone thought the Baratheons were all dead."

Gendry took a deep breath. Preparing himself to tell Hot Pie the truth. Because he knew this would change his friend's view of him. He wouldn't just be Gendry anymore after he told him.

"Well... it's me. I'm Lord Baratheon. I'm him."

For once his friend was left speechless. He was gaping in shock and it took him several moments to regain his ability to speak. And all that came out then was confusion.

"You?! How? When...? But... but, you're Gendry."

"I still am. And always will be. As for how...  well, it's a long story. Sit down my friend and I will tell you everything."

They sat down at an empty table. And he told his friend about what had happened since they last saw each other. How he had found out he was the son of the former king. How he was almost sacrificed to the red god. How he had fought the army of the dead. How he had been legitimized by the dragon queen.

But he didn't tell him about Arya. It still hurt too much.

Hot Pie was still gaping in awe as Gendry finished his story.

"Lord Paramount... you're really one of the big guys now."

"I'm still me, I'm still Gendry. I'm nothing more or less than I was."

"You're certainly more than me, more than I could ever dream of being."

"I'm not. I'm not more than anyone. I didn't come here to brag. I didn't make myself anything, I was just lucky. I came here to see you. So now tell me, how have you been doing since we last saw each other?"

Hot Pie didn't look convinced. Of course he wasn't, they had grown up being told that lords and ladies were above them. Somewhere where they could never reach. But now Gendry was suddenly up there.

"I'm the same as I was. I'm still baking pies. I haven't changed."

"Neither have I, not really."

"You have. And that's fine. It's more than fine. It's great. You've made it. From Fleabottom to Lord Paramount. Who has ever heard of such a thing? I will tell everyone about you. My friend, Gendry, the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. They won't believe me."

"I haven't made it yet. I don't have a castle yet. All I got is a title and armies that follow me."

"Which is more than I could ever dream of."

It was true. It was more than Gendry had ever dreamt of too. Yet it didn't feel like a dream now when he was living it. With titles and armies came responsibility, more responsibility than he had ever had in his life before.

"But tell me, you say you came from Winterfell, did you meet Arya up there?" Hot Pie continued, "She was going there when she passed by."

He had hoped his friend wouldn't ask about her. But of course, he would. He didn't know what had happened. He only knew she was their friend.

"I did. I did see her."

"I know you always liked her. And not in the way I liked her. You're a lord now, and she's a lady. You can have her now. You should try."

Gendry sighed. If only it had been that easy. He had thought it was that easy himself. He had thought being a commoner was the only thing stopping him from having her.

"I did try... I asked her to marry me as soon as I became a lord. It was the first thing I thought to do. But she turned me down. She didn't want me. Lord or not."

His voice cracked as he talked about her. He could barely hold back the tears. Hot Pie patted his hand awkwardly.

"You're a lord now, Gendry. You can have any lady you want."

"I don't want anyone else. I only want her."

As he said that though a thought flickered in the back of his mind. A thought of someone else. A thought of a warm hand in his. A thought of hope. But he couldn't dare to think that thought yet. Not out loud. He wasn't ready to hope. He wasn't ready to get hurt again. He wasn't ready to love. But the thought was still there, flickering. Ready to burn when he was ready.

He changed the subject to distract himself from the pain of losing love. And from the hope of loving again. The hope was almost worse than the pain.

"Anyway, we're leaving for Storm's End tomorrow. Come with us, old friend. We're going to need someone to cook for us. And I will need a friend on the road."

Hot Pie shook his head. He was not an adventurer or traveler. And he was already home.

"I can't leave. People here rely on me. And I have a girl here."

He pointed towards a waitress standing by the bar. She had an infectious smile, blonde curls, and freckles.

"I haven't asked her to marry me yet. But I will, as soon as I have saved enough money to buy us a cottage."

Gendry put his hand on Hot Pie's shoulder as he was getting up from the table.

"You've done well my friend. Perhaps better than me. You've got a good life."

Hot Pie stood up as well. The two men, who had only been boys last time they met, embraced each other one last time.

"If you ever need anything my friend", Gendry said as he was leaving, "Come to me. Come to Storm's End. If I get there, if I get to the castle, there will always be a place for you and your girl there."

Then he walked out, away from his memories. He heard the common folk still singing their songs as he was leaving to get back to his men. Leaving his old friend behind. Leaving those songs behind.