The early morning sun shone in through the cracks in the walls and ceiling, lighting up the burned remnants of the throne. Where the mighty Robert Baratheon once had sat. He was gone now. The throne was burned. The castle was broken. The city was fallen.

But none of that mattered to Robert's son who now stood there alone. In the house of his father for the first time. Because he wasn't really aware of where he was. His head was clouded. He was intoxicated from lust and excitement. The taste of her lips lingered. The imprint of her body remained. The scent of her enveloped him.

Meera Reed was no longer just a flickering thought in the back of his mind. She was a fire burning inside of him, consuming him, engulfing him, embracing him.

Gendry went out on the balcony again, standing right where his father had once stood. But he was much happier than his father had ever been while standing there. Because his father had never had love while in this place. Gendry leaned on the railing and inhaled, trying to get his head back to reality. The world around him started to take shape again. But yet a sensation remained inside of him, a tingling that wouldn't go away.

It would never go away.

The early morning light reflected in the water down by the harbor, making it shift in deep orange and blue. A ship crossed over the colorful lines in the water, breaking them into waves. Maybe it was her ship. Maybe it was Arya leaving forever. And he was left behind forever. He felt at peace with that. Their story had come to an end and another story could begin. What that story was he didn't know yet but he knew he was ready for it. And he hoped it involved Meera Reed.

He felt free now, unburdened by who he used to be and what he had been through. It didn't matter anymore.

Because he knew now that he was capable of moving on, of loving again. He could see a future where he wasn't alone in a too-big bed. A future where he didn't doubt himself every single moment. A future where he was happy.

Something was looming in the back of his mind though, threatening to shatter that vision of a future. The truth that Meera had told him about the new king they had elected. Because Gendry believed Meera. Of course, he did. Gendry would always believe Meera. He believed that the new king wasn't Bran Stark. And that could threaten the future he saw before him, the future where he was happy.

Gendry wouldn't let him. He wouldn't let anyone take his future. He would fight because he had the power to fight now. Whoever it was he had to fight.

He looked down at the floor of the balcony, at the red carpet. Gendry didn't know it but Queen Cersei had stood there not many days ago and cursed his name. The woman who had been the undoing of his father. Now she was gone too.

The carpet was dirty and fraying and Gendry thought he could see something underneath it. Another color. He crouched down and folded one corner of the carpet up. And there it was, yellow as the Baratheon banners. Hidden underneath. Right where they had stood at that moment. The moment when Meera Reed kissed him. The moment when everything changed. When a flickering flame turned into a bonfire.

Gendry felt it now. His father was still there. He was still in the castle. He did see his son.

"Thank you, father," he said. "For showing me the way. For bringing me here. For bringing me to her."

He put his hand on the yellow carpet, just like he had done on his father's grave. Remembering the promises he had made.

"I know you see me, father. And I know what I promised. I will never forget. I will do you proud."

Then he got up and exited the balcony. He left to be Lord Gendry Baratheon. He left to keep the promises he made to his father. He left to begin a new story.

But he would be back one day. He would be back on that balcony.

***

The stairs down from the throne room were cracked and uneven. It didn't matter. Meera flew over them. She didn't see them. She didn't see the world around her that was so broken. Her world was only light and vibration. Her world was beautiful. Her world was only him and the feeling of having him close to her. Of having told him the truth that she had held in for so long.

As she exited the castle the world around her started to appear again. It started to matter again. It started to be broken again. It started to worry her again. But inside of her the tingling sensation still remained.

It would always be there.

She felt light and free. Despite everything that had happened and everything that could happen, she felt hopeful. She could see a future where everything that had happened in the past wouldn't matter anymore. Where she could be happy.

And she would not let anyone take her happiness from her. It belonged to her and whoever she chose to share it with. It belonged to her and Gendry. It didn't belong to Bran Stark. He who was someone else now. He who had almost taken everything from her. He couldn't have this.

***

They were cracked but not broken. And somehow they had cracked in such a way that their edges fit perfectly together. Together they became whole, they became stronger, they became free.

One loose piece had freed another piece. Meera and Gendry were both floating in the air now with their faiths unknown. Like snowflakes that were yet to land. But they would land together. Creating an avalanche flowing over the whole kingdom.

The Three-Eyed Raven couldn't see them anymore. He couldn't get to them. He couldn't control them.

But he could hurt them.

***

Howland felt a wave of relief as he suddenly saw his daughter walking towards him on one of the broken streets of the capital. Of course, he knew Meera could take care of herself. She stayed out all night at home in the swamp all the time. But this wasn't the swamp. And she had seemed so troubled the night before that he wasn't even sure she wanted to come back.

"Father, sorry if I made you worried. I just needed to... think," Meera said as she got close to him.

Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was tousled. Which made Howland suspect Meera had done something else than thinking. Actually, he hoped that she had. After everything she had been through she deserved to experience some romance.

Of course, he wasn't going to say that though, he knew this was not the kind of thing daughters wanted to discuss with their fathers.

"I just wondered where you had gone. You were away all night," he replied.

"You know I can defend myself."

"I know that," he said and pulled her in for a short embrace.

Howland didn't know what he would do if something happened to Meera. He had lost his wife when his son was born. Then he had lost his son too. Meera was all he had in this world. But Howland knew he could never tell Meera what to do. If he told her to do something she would probably do the opposite, or ignore him altogether. She was strong, fierce, and independent. Just like her mother.

She loosened herself from his embrace quickly. Maybe she was afraid he could smell the romance on her.

Something did seem different about her now. She didn't seem as troubled and burdened anymore. She walked with a brisk step and Howland had trouble keeping up with her. Whoever she had been with seemed to have had an effect on her. And Howland had a suspicion about who that may be.

"You haven't seen Lord Baratheon by the way?" he asked as they were walking back together. "I heard he didn't come back to his tent all night either."

Meera froze for a moment as she heard the question and Howland knew that his suspicion had been correct. He had seen them on the dock that day in the Neck. He had seen his daughter, who never seemed to like or trust anyone, hold Lord Baratheon's hand.

"No, I don't know where he is," she responded, seemingly trying to make it sound like the question was preposterous.

Howland snickered a bit to himself as he heard the stress in her voice. There were certainly worse men than Lord Baratheon she could have chosen to spend the night with. He was a good man, just like his father. Although hopefully less of a ladies man than his father.

***

Devan Seaworth was worried. He hadn't seen Gendry since the night before. He sat on his bed eating a bowl of porridge because he wasn't so worried that he had lost his appetite, pondering what to do. What do you do when the lord you serve suddenly just disappeared?

Gendry had seemed troubled since they got there. He had barely eaten or slept from what Devan could tell. The company of all the other lords and ladies was tearing him down. Seeing the ruins of his childhood city was breaking him. The presence of someone from his past was haunting him.

And Devan tried to help him, he really did. But no matter what Devan did Gendry just seemed so vacant. Like he was too busy trying not to drown that he couldn't see the hand reaching out to help him.

But Devan hadn't thought Gendry would actually just walk away.

He had to come back because the Stormlands needed him and well... Devan needed him too. He thought of Gendry as his brother and he couldn't lose another brother.

Therefore his relief was immense when Lord Baratheon suddenly walked through the tent door.

"Where the hell have you been, Lord Baratheon?" Devan asked, trying not to sound mad. Gendry was his lord after all and he was also a couple of years older than Devan. It shouldn't really be Devan's job to discipline him.

"I was just... out," Gendry replied.

He seemed different than before. Still vacant, but no longer troubled.

"You know you can't just leave, Gendry. You're not a blacksmith anymore. People rely on you. I rely on you. I was worried you were gone for good."

"I wouldn't do that, Dev. I just needed to think... But I wouldn't walk away."

That was assuring at least.

Gendry sat down on his bed. He looked tired. But also so much happier and less burdened than he had seemed the night before. And he had a determined look to him.

"Are you drunk?" Devan asked. "You seem different somehow..."

"No. I'm not drunk you moron," Gendry replied. "Do you think they have taverns in the burned city? I'm just... happy I guess."

"You weren't happy before...so what changed?"

"I just... found what I needed I guess."

It seemed like Devan wasn't going to get any straight answer out of Gendry right now, so he gave up the quest.

"My father was here asking for you earlier," Devan said. " I think the council is about to start for the day. I said I would make sure you showed up. Because I trusted you to be here by then."

"And I am. You were right to trust me. Help me get my jacket on and I will go there."

Gendry stood up and picked up his jacket from the bed, where he had left it the night before. He put it on and Devan went over to help him with the hooks that he had been struggling with the day before.

Those hooks made Devan think of something. Of someone. And a suspicion of where Gendry had been formed in his mind.

"You didn't happen upon Lady Reed while you were out?" Devan asked. "Her father was by here and asked if I had seen her earlier, apparently she had disappeared as well."

As he saw the hesitation in Gendry's eyes at answering the question Devan knew his suspicion was correct. He had seen Gendry looking at Lady Reed. Devan thought she seemed kind of terrifying but apparently, Lord Baratheon had different taste in women. And that would explain his sudden change in state of mind.

"No..." Gendry said while looking down at the floor. It looked like he was blushing.

The guy couldn't lie for the life of him.

"You can be honest with me Gendry, I won't tell anyone. I'm your friend.."

Gendry nodded and looked up at Devan.

"I did," he admitted. "I did see her. I... kissed her."

He looked very guilty while admitting to it. But he also looked blissfully happy.

"Good," Devan replied and put his hand on Gendry's shoulder. "Nothing wrong with that. Now let's get you to that council."