MINE IS THE FURY

-

“The climb can be quite difficult but it is entirely worth it, I can assure you of that. The view of the Vale is quite extraordinary and unlike anything in all of Westeros. It did look a lot more interesting with dragons flying around but I put a stop to that for safety reasons.” Harrold nodded and dismissed everyone. “My solar is quite private and I make sure there are no people to listen in. Is it regarding my son and daughter? I hope you have considered my offer.”

The view from the Vale was one of the best in all of Westeros. He had only seen it once and that was when he went on the coming of age tour, back when Westeros was under the rule of one monarch and there was only one crown. Much simpler times and, very rarely, he thought what it would be like if Westeros was still under one rule. “Yes, it is regarding exactly that.” Renly walked with Harrold to the other kings solar. “I know we talked brief in the past about making an alliance with our children but I have been thinking it over and believe there would be promise in that alliance and I believe our wives would be thrilled knowing their children will be the ones joining their families.”

-

“You believe in him, why? Because it is easier for your purposes to believe in him? Has he shown them to you? Has he shown them to anyone at all since taking them? Perhaps that is why Daenerys has not returned, because she knows they’ve died…” Pausing, Margaery smiled at Cassana as the child started to fidget and squirm where she sat, and gathered her into her arms. “Could be,” she allowed, “but rarely is. My brother’s counsel was once perfectly acceptable to you. Why should that change?”

“Appearance has little to do with it.” After all, Cassana was for all intents and purposes a Baratheon in appearance–she carried their notable traits, though Margaery intended to see her blossom as any other respected Tyrell lady would. “Because I think men should be more careful when they look to their own dynasties,” Margaery stated plainly. “I would have had half a dozen children if I could have, and loved each and every one, and found them all places that would have been strong and respectable. Children are everything. They are not meant to be thrown away.”  

"I do not believe in him one bit. To be completely honest with you, the only thing he has working for him is the dragons and his marriage. Both of them are powerful. I believe in his charm but as a king...not one bit. I think that he has the dragons still because he has no reason to make their deaths a secret when it is what the entirety of the council wants and his people. Daenerys has not returned because she does not have the power to. Over Fifteen years ago, she had her dragons. She does not have that now. People do not believe in the silver-haired queen anymore. That is a good thing.” Renly gave a small smile when Margaery picked up Cassana, the two of them were a remarkable picture together. “It has not changed. I am just thinking there are other factors involved.”

“Instead of just standing there, just tell me what you want.”

“To be quite honest, I did not know you were standing here. Forgive me if I did interrupt you, Bethany. I was not aware we had any visitors.”

-

“I see.” The Yi Tish woman watched as the king came and sat by the fire, and though she preferred solitude, she did not suspect it was wise to shoo him away. This king’s relationship to Harrold was uncertain to her–but she did not want to play a part in any unintentional damage for the Vale king. “Your castle is several leagues long,” the woman retorted instead. “Is there no room for you to think there?”

Renly still found it quite odd that Harrold had let someone so unknown to Westeros customs have such a close and high rank to a king and the access on top of that. He would never even consider that but he never understood any of the Vale Kings reasoning. “There is plenty of room for that in both of my castles but when I am away from them I like to find other places. I like to think about my children and my people. Sometimes the past but it is never good to dwell on that.”

-

Margaery was quiet as Renly spoke, her gaze resting on her daughter. When he finished, she was thoughtful a moment, and then spoke: “a few letters…a correspondence which you felt no urge to alert me to, evidently.” It was a new and unpleasant feeling, to have a sudden grasp on the bindings of her marriage–and it made the rose queen agitated. It made her long for Highgarden, and for her grandmother. “Stannis does not even believe that Harrold continues to hold three dragons,” Margaery continued. “And why should he? Willas read so much about them–being trapped, chained and held as they no doubt are, it is what killed them the first time.”  “I adore Sansa,” the Queen stated with a nod, “and with any luck, her boy will be more Stark than Hardyng. But I pity even them, that they are resigned to the Eyrie alongside such a fool. He does not think, he does not plan–he is a knight, one who seems to fail on the front of gallantry if his abandoned children offer any clue, and that is all he ever should have been. I neither covet an alliance, nor desire sending my daughter into his keeping at any point in her life.”   

"I did not want to alert you when it was just talks and nothing for certain but now that it is, I am alerting you.” He knew very well how Stannis felt about Harrold but Renly did not share in the same thoughts and opinions as Stannis. “I think that he still has the dragons and that they are alive. To have them dead, even under a mummer, would be a fool move on his part. That man is many things but I do not think him a fool. What Willas reads in a book and what actually happens outside the pages could be two different things.”

-

Dontin had never been a pious man and even growing up with his father’s teachings of the gods, he never prayed properly. His thoughts were always distracted with the on set of war and the glory he could bring for his family. “I need to know how to raise two boys who have holdings in a land I know nothing about your grace.”

"Perhaps you could try getting to know the land they have holdings in. It would be a start and would keep your mind busy from focusing on other things.” Renly had not known any loss like Dontin had and was grateful for that but still wanted to help him in this trying time.

-

Ezzara glanced up as the man approached her fire, and there was undisguised confusion on her face as she recognized the King. “What is someone like you doing in the woods at night?”

“I was just getting some air,” he answered moving to take a seat by the fire. “I had just wanted to get away from my camp for a little moment, just to think about things.”

-

“Here we are,” Margaery confirmed, the smile on her face mild-mannered as she peered up at her husband. She was annoyed still, that no formal meeting had occurred between Renly and Aegon–even in spite of her having gone out of her way to request that Aegon consider his plans with Renly in mind. Though the Tyrell woman would try to not be intentionally short, an irritation still loomed at the back of her mind. “Girls,” the Queen addressed the retinue of women who lounged nearby, “go and see about the fabrics we’ve had delivered, would you?” Offering an easy smile in their direction, she added: “each of you will have a dress of your liking, of course.” 

As the women hurried off in a tizzy of excitement, Margaery sat up in the grass alongside Cassana and Renly, tossing her heavy curtain of hair back into place. “We’ve certainly enjoyed it quite a bit,” she replied, and gently removed the flower from Cassana’s hand that she’d began to put to her mouth. “What news do you have?”

Renly gave each person that left a little smile, knowing that they did not want to be out of the way of their Queen. They all adored Margaery and he understood why. She was quite fantastic with them as she was with everyone around her. 

It was a warm day at the Rock, warm enough that one could very well be convinced that they were in the Reach. Margaery had taken advantage of the day, and had spent the sunny afternoon lounging in the gardens with her daughter and a retinue of ladies. Cassana was old enough to sit up on her own, and so the Rose Queen sat in the grass alongside her child, and plucked flowers from the nearby shrubbery before depositing them in front of Cassana to play with as she liked. With a contented sigh, Margaery laid back to lounge in the grass–very much like a cat basking in the sun–and closed her eyes a moment. That moment was short-lived, however, as she heard approaching footsteps. 

Renly had been missing his first born child terribly so had gone out to look for his wife and their second child. When Joseph was Cassana’s age, Renly thought that he grew fast and now he was watching Cassana do the same. “There you are,” he said beaming down at the two of them before taking a seat next to his little daughter, “I was hoping to find you two here, I have news. I think it is good but before we get onto matters of the realm, how are you two enjoying this warm day?”

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Harrold hated his crown. It never seemed to fit right although everyone else seemed to like it and assure him that it was good. He was never meant to be King and never wanted it so that was why he thought that did not feel good. He only wore it on special occasions and for when guests came to the Vale. “Welcome to the Vale and the Eyrie. I hope that you have a pleasant time here.”

The last talk Renly had with Harrold was a short one but one that left him thinking for a long time. The other Kings had a few good ideas and Renly had been thinking about one in particular none stop. “I do not doubt that I will. After the climb up I am sure that I will like it. Besides, we have things to discuss left from our last meeting. Is there anywhere we can go to do this?”

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   The news that his wife was once again with child was music to Dontin’s ears. He thanked the gods for another blessing and hoped that this child would be a girl, a little lady for him to dote on and for Eddara to spoil as well. Her belly had only started to swell slightly when she fell sick and Dontin had spared no expense to get both her and his unborn child healthy once more. It was all for nothing. The news that his wife had passed due to fever had come early in the morning and Dontin was left to mourn for his wife and child.  In the sept, it was cold and dark but Dontin had to make the ride to High Garden. Even though his wife was not of his faith, he had no idea how to pray to the old gods but still, he had to pray to someone for her and his child.  Despite the morning being early, Dontin had heard the footsteps approaching behind him but still he did not move from his prayer. He waited instead for the person to approach him. 

The only person that Renly lost that was close to him was his own brother and even then, he and Robert were not close enough for him to mourn for too long. Dontin had been a close friend to him and the entirety of his small family so when he heard of the news, Renly went straight to see him. “I could not believe it when I heard....what do you need? I am here to help you.”

brown hues found renly baratheon before he gave a nod to the king’s question; accepting his request. jon dipped his unleavened bread into his stew.  thick, harding bread , now soften once it had absorb the hot liquid from his bowl.  his hands tore a small piece of the bread before placing more into his mouth; feeding the part of him that craved a decent meal.

Renly had never been to the Wall and the longer he was at the Wall, the more he saw why. It was a cold place and being so close to the Wildlings was not the comfortable of situations. His guard was always close to him just to make certain nothing was happening. “I have bought with me plenty of food for yourself and your brothers. I hope you enjoy it. The Reach is plenty bountiful.”

“I have heard you move about for some time now,” Ezzara called out at last to the unseen figure she had heard moving in the nearby brush. Her decision to remain in a wooded area for the evening was made in order to clear her head, but she’d quickly become preoccupied with the lurking stranger she’d heard moving about. “Show yourself or walk away.”

"I am older than what I used to be and with a lot more things to worry about. I am not as stealthy as I once was,” he said trying to bring a bit of humour out. His camp was close by and he liked to sometimes walk by himself. “I was never really a stealthy person to be honest with you.”

It was getting colder every day in Winterfell and even though Robb was used to it he could not help, but hope for a little warmth every day. His little walk in the courtyard this morning confirmed that today would not be the day he would stay outside for more than ten minutes without freezing. According to the maester the temperature should start to get warmer in a few days and Robb hoped he was right, too much cold could not be good for the crops and cattle.

Robb retreated into the Great Hall in the middle of the afternoon to look ove some plans. A tower in the east part of the castle was ready to collapse and the masons were waiting for his approval to start working on it. Though, he didn’t know much about towers and building stuff in general so even if the builders plan had a flaw Robb wouldn’t be able to see it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a guard announcing a visitor and he could not help the frown appearing on his face. He was not expecting anyone today, but the distraction was more than welcome.

“Send them in.”

Renly normally did not mind visiting the North but the cold did not go well with him. He liked the warmth of places and did not like the cold much but the North had so much to offer that made the cold weather bearable. The cold seemed to be bitter and although Renly was no gardener but he knew that would not be good for crops in the North. They had plenty to share in the Reach but he did that for his friends and Robb’s dealings with the pretender Aegon was not doing anything for their friendship. 

“Robb,” he said putting on his easy smile, “thank you for seeing me. I have been finding it hard to visit with so many people camped close to my kingdom. How have you and your realms been? I hear you are now an uncle. Some good news for your family and now we have another Eddard with Stark blood. You must be proud.”

"Can I join you?”

-

Alys had been more concerned by the infuriated guardsmen that she had hardly noticed who it was that she had bumped into. As she acknowledged that it was in fact one of the kings–and she cursed herself internally for having been so stupid–she fell quickly into a low curtsy. She quieted her tone dutifully, and spoke calmly: “thank you for your kind pardon, Your Grace. It was only–…it was just a fight between myself, and between Brea. She took a letter my mother wrote to me. I should not have lost my temper, nor should you have been subjected to having to…overhear it. I apologize again, Your Grace.”

The low curtsy was saw by Renly so he immediately forgave the servant for the crashing into him. He could have made a scene but did not want to and did not feel it appropriate. “If someone had taken something important and person from me without my permission I would be angry as well. Do not apologize for your anger with the other girl, she sounds like she deserves it. Will you get it back?”