Renly strolled down the garden, trying to familiarize himself with the landscape around King's Landing. He had recently been asked to join the King's council as Master of Laws, so here he was, a long way from home and trying to settle in as best as he could. King's Landing was worlds away from what Strom's End is, and he found that he missed his homeland with a terrible yearning that only intensified every single second he remained in King's Landing.
He loved growing up at Storm's End. The sound of the waves crashing down on Shipbreaker's Bay and the sound of storm and rain were a constant companion in his life, and without them life seemed so silent. At Storm's End he had a myriad of favorite places that he would go to, places where he could run to and just leave his problems for a while. There were no such places here at the capital, and where ever he went, somebody somehow just knew that he was the king's brother. Curse his Baratheon looks that deemed he shall be the splitting image of his brother.
Or rather what his brother Robert used to look like. Robert had done a rather good job of whoring and drinking since he had gained the iron throne, and all those years of frolicking around had served to turn Robert into one fat, red-faced blubbering idiot who was always drunk and muttering nonsense. Being king but not wanting to do anything that entails with actual ruling of the realm, Robert just leaves everything to the council, a headache that Renly now had the pleasure of partaking in. A week and already he felt like sitting on a ship to Pentos and never returning.
Renly sighed deeply, the familiar throbbing in his head returning. His brother had decided to go to war based on some whim to save Lyanna Stark, who was allegedly kidnapped and held against her will. From what he had heard though, he felt that Lyanna loved Rhaegar and had left with him on her own will. Maybe Robert was just delusional that Lyanna was indeed madly in love with him and was waiting for him to rescue her from the clutches of the evil Targaryen prince. Whatever was true was now lost, and the story would always go as the version that Robert had wanted, that he claimed the throne after his beloved was so cruelly taken from him.
More importantly, this was why the realm was at constant war and that the small council had a constant headache. The Targaryens may have fled across the narrow sea, but their supporters remain. Ned Stark helped Robert win the throne, and thus automatically the north accepted their new king with no qualms. Tywin Lannister sure took his time, but he sided with Robert and even got that nightmare of his daughter married to Robert, and has continued to contribute the finances needed to sustain Robert's rather expensive habits.
However, Princess Elia and her children were brutally murdered by the beast called the mountain to make way for Robert's taking of the throne. Dorne was not at all pleased, and they decided that they would rather die than to bend the knee to the new king. Not much of a surprise, given that Dorne was the only one of the seven kingdoms that did not surrender to the Targaryens and their dragons. The Martells sure as hell would not give up their sovereignty to some king who had married into the family that were responsible for the murder of their precious princess in cold blood.
The Tyrells owed everything to the Targaryens for making them the high lords of Highgarden, so it was only natural that their loyalty remained with them to the very end. Renly too disliked them, because of the hunger and agony he had suffered when they laid siege to Storm's End. But Stannis loathed them. When the Tyrells knew that they were named traitors, and tried to justify that they were only following orders, Stannis had somehow convinced Robert that they should be punished like the traitors they were. He was backed up by Tywin, he Renly personally felt had an agenda to this. The Tyrells were the only family nearly as wealthy as his, and he had seen this as an opportunity to get rid of them for good.
Backed into a corner, the Tyrells instead swore allegiances to the Martells of Dorne, backing the war to avenge Princess Elia with their wealth. Westeros has yet to succeed in any of their attempts to take the Arbor and The Reach by force given the huge army they possessed. Thus, the war droned on, a strained peace settling in with little bouts of war where the borders lay. Recently though, a rowdy group of idiots had attacked some of the little villages that were in The Reach but near the border, causing the Tyrells to retaliate with supreme force. None of those idiot soldiers returned, but they did serve to give Robert a purpose to start another round of war. With rumors that the last Targaryen, Danaerys had three dragons and has conquered a few cities across the narrow sea, Robert was all but desperate to make sure that there were no support for her should she decide to return and take the throne that was once her father's.
And that meant that he had to conquer The Reach and Dorne.
Renly sighed and massaged his temples, feeling the usual throb in his head again. he sometimes felt that he had idiots for brothers. Robert let his temper and desires overtake his brain and stannis just saw everything in line with duty. The way he had punished the Onion Knight was testament to that. If only they had pardoned Mace Tyrell, they would be the one with The Reach's wealth and power to back them instead of Dorne. It would have been easier then to have just crush Dorne, the power of six kingdoms against one.
They were rounding up soldiers that were captured and making them slaves, which Renly felt was the most degrading thing ever. Those young boys who were captured may not have even held a sword in their lives, forced to fight just so that they can defend their village from being pillaged. The men were forced into labor and the women threated as whores. If anything, Renly felt shame of being associated to a royal family that encouraged such barbaric things.
He heard the pitter patter of feet and a voice calling out his name. Turning around to see his squire, Renly narrowed his eyes. His squire running after him when he left explicit instructions to be left alone could only mean one thing. His brother, the king has called him. "Can a man have some time?" Renly huffed when his squire reached him. The boy smiled sheepishly then confirmed Renly's suspicion. "The king has summoned you, milord. Says he has something for you."
Curious, Renly sought his mare and rode back to the castle. His name day was a week ago, and Robert already gave him his lavish gift for the year (a beautiful armor encrusted with jewels), along with a very fancy feast, so Renly was wondering just what else his brother had in store for him. Reaching the castle, he saw Stannis standing at the stables, clearly waiting for him. "Robert has an extra gift for you", Stannis stated blankly, though his expression showed that he disagreed with whatever this gift was. Renly raised an eyebrow as he handed the reins of his mare over to the stable hands. Stannis grinded his teeth and just made for Renly to follow him.
They walked silently to the king's chambers, Renly feeling the air of unpleasantness radiating off Stannis like a stench that would not go away. Whatever this gift was, Renly had a feeling that Stannis objected greatly to it, and that normally meant that it went against his high moral ground. This notion filled Renly's stomach with dread and yet he was oddly curious. He would not have to wait long, though, for they have reached the doors that led to the kings chambers.
Jaime Lannister, one of the kingsguard opened the door and led them in. As usual, Robert was already drunk even though it was not yet mid-day. Robert's laughter boomed through his solar when he saw Renly approaching. Stannis had opted to leave at the doors to the kings chambers. "My dear brother! I have found the perfect give for you, you should enjoy him so very much!" Renly was a little bewildered. "A gift? A him?"
Renly was rather perverse in his desire, meaning that he coveted the touch of other men than women's. Robert had accepted it with a laugh, saying that though the condition was rare, but it was not unheard of, Stannis had been disgusted with it. it was the worse kept secret at court and due to Renly's handsome look, many young boys had been willing to be bedded by him. He was happy, sated mostly and without lack of willing people to fuck, so he didn't need a whore to please him.
"Robert, I think that I don't need a whore to keep me company", Renly laughed, but stopped when Robert just shook his head. "You've not gotten me a whore?" Renly asked, unable to think of any other ways the gift could be a 'him'.
"Oh no, this is even better than a whore, Renly." Robert than proceeded to tell him of how in the new group of people they captured from The Reach, there was a pretty boy. The boy here it seemed was helping the villagers by treating the sick. Nevertheless, given that the boy was a beautiful creature, some of the soldiers had tried to bed him. It was then it seemed, that the boy showed that he was indeed stronger than he looked, and nearly tore out the eyes of the knight that had tried to take him.
The boy, Robert told him, was a slip of a thing and looked delicate, but he was like a fiery wild cat that refused to be tamed. It seemed that the other villagers would rather die than to let the knights take the boy, so a lot of struggling that caused a lot of noise ensued. It seemed that the leader of the city guard had gone to see the ruckus that was going on when he saw the boy and thought that only the king's brother would deserve to bed a boy so fine. Since the knights had beat him up good, they got the maester to make him presentable.
"He's the perfect gift for you, Renly. He's so beautiful, he'll be a delight to fuck. And he's so young I'm sure that nobody has had him too", Robert laughed as he poured himself more wine. Ser Jaime looked a little shamed, but he added in a quiet voice, "I think the boy is high born. He is obviously trained in basic healing, so I'm sure that he can read. There was a point where he got hold of a sword and the way he handled it, Renly…the way he fought back, it seems that he has had proper training too. Be careful not to let him near any weapons, Renly. He's shown that he would try and kill you before you can touch him." Renly barely had time to register what Jaime had told him on the way back to his own rooms. The boy was waiting for him there, it seems.
True enough, when he entered his chambers he was greeted by the sight of a few gold cloaks guarding a boy. "We've disciplined him enough for you, milord. Wont dare to pull the stunt he did in the dungeons, I guess." Renly nodded as another of the guards laughed. "We'll take our leave now. Have fun, milord. He's a feisty one", Renly heard them say as they left his chambers.
Renly took his first good look at the boy in front of him. He was delicate in frame, a lithe body with small shoulders that seemed fragile. He had fair smooth skin, but when Renly got to his face, he felt his breath left him. The boy was so beautiful, he seemed like a heavenly creature. His honey brown curls glowed golden in the sun, framing a delicate face. He had plump, pouty pink lips, rosy cheeks and eyes of molten gold with long, curly eyelashes. Renly knew now why the knights had been so desperate to bed him, no sane person could not resist that. But the boy looked very young too, he was thirteen maybe, fifteen at most.
The boy looked like he would endure all the seven hells than be there, and as Renly took a step towards him, the boy went to the corner of the room and glared at him from there. Renly felt his headache coming again. The boy's glare was so intense that Renly was sure that he will be having a rather hard time handling this one. He was determined to fight Renly all the way, it seemed. Renly sighed then sat at the edge of the bed, eyes trained on the little boy. After a few moments though, it occurred to Renly that he should ask for the boy's name, given that the boy was now his pleasure slave and will be locked here like a prisoner, meaning that Renly would see a lot of him.
"What is your name?" Renly asked, and the boy just narrowed his eyes in suspicion. After a few awkward moments, Renly said, "My name is Renly Baratheon. See, I've told you mine, so tell me yours."
The boy scoffed however. "I already knew who you are, they talked about how you were going bend me over an awful lot", he replied scathingly. Renly just stared at him, a haughty boy who refused to let the whole situation get the better of him. "Fine then", Renly relented, and he saw the boy's face become confused, "If you will not tell me your name, I shall just give you one." The boy just blinked, surprised at the turn of events. Renly snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "I know, since you look so much like a cat, I shall call you my kitten! So until you tell me your actual name, I will call you Kittens. Well, you can call me milord of course", Renly said causing the boy to hiss angrily.
"I am not a cat! I am not little, not a pretty boy who looks like a maid, and I am not some delicate plaything! I am a warrior, and you would do well to fear me!" the boy spat angrily. As serious as the boy was though, with his adorable curls, it only made Renly laugh. "Well then, but warriors do need to eat too, don't they? Since they have already brought up my lunch, and it seems enough for two, would you care to join me?"
The boy just remained where he was though, so Renly just shrugged and ate his lunch. The boy got tired and sat down eventually, but he didn't move from his corner. Renly left some food on a plate for him if he decided to eat, but he didn't move nor did he say anything at all. Renly sifted through his work, until nightfall. "Kittens, I'm leaving to have dinner at the halls. Do you want anything? I'll have a serving girl bring it up for you", Renly offered but the boy just ignored him. Figuring that the boy's hunger will win over his stubbornness soon, Renly left his chambers wearily. The boy could not escape, not with his usual guards guarding his chambers.
Renly felt sorry for the boy, actually. All he had been doing was trying to help when the soldiers captured him. In fact, he was in a village in The Reach, where he thought he was safe. To be kidnapped from your home, bullied by knights and made a pleasure slave must not be a pleasant experience at all. Renly dined with Ser Barriston and went over a few details about the night's watch, as was required of him as Master of Laws.
When it was done, he was anxious to return to his chambers to see what had happened to his Kittens. He was relieved when he saw that Kittens was still at his corner, albeit exhaustion must have taken over, for the boy was sound asleep. Smiling, Renly approached him and brushed the curls away from his face. He looked angelic when he slept, no trace of haughtiness on his face. Being as gentle as he could as to not wake the boy, Renly scooped him up in his arms and carried him to his bed, tucking him in.
After going about his usual before sleep routine, Renly settled in to sleep beside the boy, noting as he closed his eyes that the boy really must have been out of it for he didn't stir at all. It was in the middle of the night that Renly was woken up when somebody shook him. "Wake up!" the voice said softly and as Renly opened his eyes, he saw the boy, Kittens, in front of him. "Yes, Kittens?" Renly asked sleepily, yawning and belatedly covering his mouth with his hand. The boy looked at his hands in his lap. "You let me sleep in your bed?" he asked quietly, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.
Renly frowned. "Yeah, I couldn't just leave you to sleep on the floor, could I?"
"And you won't force me to…" the boy trailed off, but Renly understood immediately. He smiled. "Well, I will not lie to you, I definitely will bed you. You looking like that and being mine by right is just too good for me to pass up", Renly said nonchalantly and the boy's eyes widened at that. "But", Renly propped himself up on his elbows, "I will never hurt you or mistreat you. I promise I'll take care of you if you be a good boy to me."
"You won't hurt me?" the boy asked, his voice quiet. Renly shook his head. "No', he whispered, and the boy nodded. "Well, if you're done interrogating me for tonight, come back to bed and sleep. I promise I won't touch you yet", Renly said as he went back under the covers and resumed his sleep. A little while later, he felt the boy shuffle under the blankets beside him.
Renly was about to fall asleep when he heard it. "Loras", he whispered into the dark, so soft that Renly thought he may be dreaming it. "My name is Loras."