Whom do you foresee Arya having to marry, if anyone at all?

[Éadaoin]

I wasn't going to address the Sansa stuff because that is getting off topic to Arya but since it keeps popping up all I want to say about it is that I don't see her buying into LF's plans at all nor do I view it as Stockholm Syndrome. She specifically thinks that she'll tell him "Lies and Arbor Gold" before saying, "I am Alayne father who else would I be". She is learning to manipulate LF by using the same tactics he is teaching her, to figure out what men want so you can control them. Also, Sansa is moving closer and closer to her Stark identity as time goes on. Her very last chapter as Alayne in Feast, has her thinking as Sansa specifically that the wind howling sounds like a wolf and that's what gives her the strength to cross the land saddle with a sick boy in tow. She spends the most time in a godswood of all the kids, she wants the great Sept of Baelor burned down, and she thinks a lot like Ned. She builds Winterfell out of snow and thinks about how she is stronger in the walls of Winterfell.

Ah, thanks for this, Elba. It makes me feel much better. I also think Sansa is coming closer to her Stark identity, and I'm very glad that's happening. She has always been a Stark, and I see it even more clearly now. :) And I, too, see the similarities with Ned.

eta: and sorry for taking this off the topic of Arya - as I said before, I do think the girl will do as she damn well pleases.

[Newstar]

I wasn't going to address the Sansa stuff because that is getting off topic to Arya but since it keeps popping up all I want to say about it is that I don't see her buying into LF's plans at all nor do I view it as Stockholm Syndrome. She specifically thinks that she'll tell him "Lies and Arbor Gold" before saying, "I am Alayne father who else would I be".

Yes, but as I said, her last Alayne POV shows a noticeable shift in attitude from that earlier quote; she appears in her last Alayne POV to trust and rely on Littlefinger implicitly, views him as brave and clever, insists on his orders being enforced without thinking too much about anything other than getting done what he wants done, and appears comfortable with him. She also thinks of him almost exclusively as not "Littlefinger" but "Petyr," whom she acknowledged in the previous POV you're referencing as a "true friend," and her "protector." The "Lies and arbour gold" line is not her last word on the subject, so it's misleading to act as if nothing further happens after that point with respect to Sansa's perspective on Littlefinger.

that's what gives her the strength to cross the land saddle with a sick boy in tow.

A sick boy she nonchalantly ordered dosed with medicine in spite of a maester's objections as to the risks to the boy's health. Again, as I said, it's disturbing evidence of Littlefinger's hold over her and corruption of her. (And my point was Littlefinger's psychological control over Sansa is awfully strong as of the end of AFFC, the strongest it's ever been.) It doesn't mean she's OMG evil or any such nonsense, but it does mean that it will take something drastic to snap her out of it.

As for whom Arya will marry, I think ARya-Nym raised a valid point which is that now that the 5 year gap has been scrapped, I wonder if it will ever get that far in Arya's story.

How old she in the story now? I think someone said she could be as old as 14, doing a calculation of ADWD. So it might come up, but I think Arya could remain asexual for the purposes of the story, with no in-story love interests. We might find out through a flash-forward that she did the single mom thing and claimed that her kids had been fathered by wolves as Sand Snake No. 9 suggested, but probably not "in-story."

[Éadaoin]

Yes, but as I said, her last Alayne POV shows a noticeable shift in attitude from that earlier quote; she appears in her last Alayne POV to trust and rely on Littlefinger implicitly, views him as brave and clever, insists on his orders being enforced without thinking too much about anything other than getting done what he wants done, and appears comfortable with him. She also thinks of him almost exclusively as not "Littlefinger" but "Petyr," whom she acknowledged in the previous POV you're referencing as a "true friend," and her "protector." The "Lies and arbour gold" line is not her last word on the subject, so it's misleading to act as if nothing further happens after that point with respect to Sansa's perspective on Littlefinger.

Huh, now I'm worried again. ;) I flip-flop on this incessantly - I really need to reread her chapters in Feast so that I can form a more solid opinion.

Just curious, but how do you think her story with LF will end? If you were to take a guess.

[Roza Ahai]

She also thinks of him almost exclusively as not "Littlefinger" but "Petyr," whom she acknowledged in the previous POV you're referencing as a "true friend," and her "protector." The "Lies and arbour gold" line is not her last word on the subject, so it's misleading to act as if nothing further happens after that point with respect to Sansa's perspective on Littlefinger.

Sansa is trying to warg into Aleyna's identity. She left her original Sansa in the backround. Her original Sansa appears in the very risky for her life moment when she crossed the land saddle with Robin. When that Aleyna' identity will be useless Sansa will come back to herself. Sansa is a Stark, and she has warg abilities, but because she has lost her wolf, she is learning to warg in an imaginative person like Arya.

[They see me R'hollin]

All Arya threads turn into Sansa threads eventually...

[Roza Ahai]

All Arya threads turn into Sansa threads eventually...

I mentioned Arya in py post :P

[Kittykatknits]

Why does Arya's story have to end in marriage? And why is Gendry, the first boy we see her have any real contact with, the default choice of husband? I never understood this.

[Fat Mac]

I don't think we'll ever find out who Arya marries, if she marries at all. If she is to marry a lord, I think Edric Dayne would be cool.

I don't understand the whole Gendry thing. He is the first boy other than her brothers that she really got to know. I'd say more of everlasting friends than a relationship. Completely platonic.

[Kittykatknits]

I don't understand the whole Gendry thing. He is the first boy other than her brothers that she really got to know. I'd say more of everlasting friends than a relationship. Completely platonic.

This is what I saw too, glad I'm not the only one. Once they part ways, she barely even thinks of him. Don't see any future romantic pairing here.

[Lady Tippy Wolfsbane]

I don't understand the whole Gendry thing. He is the first boy other than her brothers that she really got to know. I'd say more of everlasting friends than a relationship. Completely platonic.

This is what I saw too, glad I'm not the only one. Once they part ways, she barely even thinks of him. Don't see any future romantic pairing here.

I don't think Arya is the marrying type, but when discussing "what ifs" I always put her with Gendry.

I never saw anything romantic between them, but he's the only one I see her being with if she had to choose someone.

Plus, I like the idea of a Stark/Baratheon paring.

[ElizaMartell]

Why does Arya's story have to end in marriage? And why is Gendry, the first boy we see her have any real contact with, the default choice of husband? I never understood this.

Same reason Sansa owes Tyrion pity sex...just because!

[Dolorous Nedd]

I know you all love Arya, I do to , i think she is one of the spunkiest characters in the book, but I'm sorry if a political marriage will enable the Stark family gain allies, regardless of Arya's "feelings" she would be married off to that Lord, sorry but thats how the game is played. Again I will reiterate that if her new Lordling husband mistreats her, I see an early widowhood for her. But all this, Bran wouldnt do that to his sister is BUNK, she will be married to the best lord for the Family. No one born high in that type of culture marries whom they love, they marry whom is best for the survivial of the family.

I just don't see the remaining Starks being political enough to care who she marries. That's just me though. If Sansa ends up in power I could see her possibly trying to force Arya to marry somebody.

[Ice Turtle]

About Arya's siblings forcing her, Bran says the Frey boys that Arya will never marry their uncle and Jon (when he thinks Alys is Arya) wants to send her away so Stannis won't marry her to someone, even Robb says to Cat that Arya won't like her betrothal, though Robb being Robb of course agrees with it anyways. And Rickon won't be old enough to actually make decisions for next few years. There is also Sansa, but Arya never listened to her and I doubt this will change, not to mention Sansa's own experiences with political marriages.

[RhaenysBee]

At best Arya will go sand snake style...

[ServantOnIce]

Do you think she'll have to marry someone (like "Arya" was made to marry Ramsay Bolton) for the sake of her house? Do you think this will be pivotal if she's given a role either in the north or in the south?

Or do you think she'll go her whole life as a lone wolf? But, in this circumstance, is it likely she'll be given a position say as Warden of the North?

Arya could marry Sweet Robin, that would be a masterful touch . . .

[Sand Snake No. 9]

I know you all love Arya, I do to , i think she is one of the spunkiest characters in the book, but I'm sorry if a political marriage will enable the Stark family gain allies, regardless of Arya's "feelings" she would be married off to that Lord, sorry but thats how the game is played. Again I will reiterate that if her new Lordling husband mistreats her, I see an early widowhood for her. But all this, Bran wouldnt do that to his sister is BUNK, she will be married to the best lord for the Family. No one born high in that type of culture marries whom they love, they marry whom is best for the survivial of the family.

But at this point, who is the head of the Stark family who would arrange that political match, and exactly how will that person make Arya co-operate? The potential heads of the Stark family are Jon, Bran (doubtful), Rickon (with Manderly as protector, I imagine), Sansa (with her husband as acting head of the family) and Arya herself. Jon had already decided to send "Arya" to Braavos so Stannis couldn't try to marry her off to one of his retainer, so I can't see him arranging a politically expedient marriage any time soon. Manderly, acting for Rickon, might try to arrange a match for Arya, but he's also a man who's fond of feisty little Northern girls who's already killed to keep his granddaughters out of political marriages, so I can't see him making Arya do anything she'd hate. Sansa, or Sansa's husband, could certainly try to make Arya marry someone, but we know how much Arya co-operates with Sansa. Then we get to part two of the equation . . .

Arya is a Northern girl, and Northern girls aren't that meekly accepting of arranged marriages, or so it seems. We don't exactly know what happened with Lyanna, but I favor the theory that she ran off with Rhaegar to avoid a marriage to Robert which, at least on paper, was a very good match indeed. Wylla Manderly rejected her grandfather's (apparent) choice of a Frey husband in open court with the Freys in attendance. Alys Karstark rode a dying horse through a blizzard to avoid marrying her cousin. Arya's got a lot more practice in both defiance and running than either of these girls, and she's murdered her way out of a corner more than once. She's now acquired experience in disguise and stealth. Furthermore, while she's very loyal to the Stark family, she's got her own ideas of what duty to her family requires and so far that doesn't include marriage. So how, exactly, is she going to be forced into some political marriage for family advantage?

[Elba the Intoner]

It's not just because Gendry was the first boy she got to know outside of her brothers! It's because they spent a lot of time together and I saw it as a build up of that relationship and I am not the only one. And as for Gendry having Willow Heddle now, I saw tht as just another reminder of Arya for him and even Brienne thought she was Arya.

And as for Sansa and LF, her very last chapter has many hints that she has not lost her Stark identity. I mentioned that she hears the wind howling and thinks as Sansa that it sounds like a wolf, as one example, there was also her thought that it would be sweet to see Jon again and her negative reaction to LF's Harry the Heir proposal. As for how she treated Sweetrobin, I think GRRM made that situation inentionally ambiguous. Yes, it's dangerous to give him the sweetsleep and the Maester told her so, but they had to get down the moountain and could not have Sweetrobin seizing the entire way down. The impression is that having a little bit of the drink was necessary. I agree that Sansa is on the verge of a moral precipice as to how she will treat Sweetrobin in the future. Arya has a very similar character arc too. She is on a moral precipice as well, both girls are in danger of losing their Stark identities, both girls are under the influence of morally corruptive mentors, both girls are being taught how to lie, but I see that they also both have little indicators that they will ultimately remember who they are and turn away from the dark side. Arya has kept needle and has her wolf dreams for instance and Sansa the three things I already mentioned.

What will this mean for Arya and any potential future marriage I can't say other than I agree that with the new world order that will happen after the war, no one is going to force Arya to do anything so it will come down to what she wants. (Not even considering that an Others apocalypse might make the whole discussion of anyone marrying anyone moot).

[Roza Ahai]

It's not just because Gendry was the first boy she got to know outside of her brothers! It's because they spent a lot of time together and I saw it as a build up of that relationship and I am not the only one. And as for Gendry having Willow Heddle now, I saw tht as just another reminder of Arya for him and even Brienne thought she was Arya.

Bryenna was looking for stark girls that's why she thought that girl might be arya not because there is a great affection between Gendry and Arya. Gendry ruined that relationship they had. Arya spent more time with Sandor and even helped him killing those three douchebags in the inn and cure his wounds. She didn't abandoned him as did Gendry towards Arya. Why nobody doesn't consider him as Arya's husband?

[Ice Turtle]

Bryenna was looking for stark girls that's why she thought that girl might be arya not because there is a great affection between Gendry and Arya. Gendry ruined that relationship they had. Arya spent more time with Sandor and even helped him killing those three douchebags in the inn and cure his wounds. She didn't abandoned him as did Gendry towards Arya. Why nobody doesn't consider him as Arya's husband?

There's no ship that wasn't mentioned on this forum. And yes some people do suggest Arya/Sandor together. But Arya spent most of this time together trying to kill him, that and people geberally ship Sandor with Sansa or celibacy.

[Kittykatknits]

I still think we aren't going to see Arya married at the end of the series which I'm fine with. She doesn't need to be married to have a fulfilling story arc to me.

Also, why does anyone actually think Sansa would try and force her sister to get married? She thinks to herself in her final chapter that she may not want to ever get married again herself. No way would she force that on her sister after everything she's been through.