Summary: When Margaery Tyrell finds out from a loose-tongued King Joffrey that they intend to murder Robb Stark on his uncle's wedding, she conspires with her grandmother to warn the Young Wolf. The results change everything. A Tyrell has no loyalties. They only seek to grow strong. At the end of it all, will she reign as the queen?
Then Comes Another
A Robb Stark x Margaery Tyrell fanfic
Chapter 1
A Tyrell's Honor
Brown eyes bordering on gold looked from a crack in the Maidenvault where she was being held for her 'protection'. Trepidation washed over her as the red-and-gold banners of House Lannister that were scattered across the capitol fell one by one, only to be replaced by the white-and-grey of House Stark. The roars were becoming louder and louder now, as the words being uttered became more and more distinct. The angry and frightened yells were gone, replaced by shouts of jubilation.
"ROBB STARK! The King in the North!"
"The King of the Seven Kingdoms!"
"The Young Wolf!"
"THE KING IN THE NORTH!"
The chants were being repeated and it cause Margaery to almost sigh in relief. But her happiness was short-lived when Sansa's scream pierced the silence in the room.
Margaery turned to see steel being drawn from its sheath and a gasp from Megga, her cousin. Ilyn Payne, Joffrey's butcher, was staring at them murderously. He was about to carry out Cersei Lannister's orders.
"Should King's Landing fall to the Starks, kill Sansa."
The cold order echoed in her mind as she recalled how Cersei was heedless of the fact that she issued the sentence in front of noblewomen from across the Seven Kingdoms that were huddled together in a tower for their safety.
Without hesitation, her body moved to shield Sansa from the executioner, who would have yelled at her to move away if it weren't for his inability to speak.
The Crown would not dare to kill Lady Tyrell, she thought. Or maybe if they were insane enough like Cersei, they would think that by now, they had nothing to lose and therefore would have Payne kill Margaery as well. That way, two thorns would go down with the Queen Mother. That was how the deranged woman's mind worked.
The Rose of Highgarden absentmindedly felt something hard press against her back that looked like an ornament that held the straps of her gown together. But in truth, hidden inside the thick spine of her dress' back was a legendary Valyrian sword that was in the possession of the Tyrells for quite some time. And she was ready to cut off Ilyn Payne's head with it. She did not care that this would be the first time she displayed her skill with the sword in front of anyone aside from her family.
Her judgment about Cersei and Ilyn Payne was correct when the man lifted his greatsword, intending to cut Sansa even if she had to cut Margaery too. She began to pull on the ornament behind her as screams filled the air. The door opened with a bang as a blur of grey and white passed her vision and a second later, the King's "justice" had his throat ripped open, blood spraying everywhere. It took no time for Margaery to react and shield Sansa from the blood, her skin feeling the spatters and her dress ruined.
Before she could ask Sansa if she was alright, the redhead exclaimed, "Robb!"
Sansa slipped out of Margaery's protective embrace and sprang to the arms of a man that had haunted Margaery's thoughts and dreams for quite some time.
She straightened as she watched the touching reunion unfold before her. Never mind that her gown of green and gold was now dyed red.
She appraised the conqueror and was stunned as she looked into twin shards of blue ice – eyes belonging to a legend of a man who seemed far older than his years. This was a man who purportedly rode a wolf to battle and feasted on the carcasses of his enemies. Fanciful tales, but the truth of the matter was, this was Robb Stark – an undefeated and brilliant Northern lord who had outwitted Tywin Lannister himself at every turn.
But now, the only reason why this legend was alive today was because of her. And she knew that he was very aware of it.
Even without the introductions, she could see it in his eyes that he had a certain awareness to her. Now that she was staring at him, she knew instantly that he was only a man barely out of boyhood. There was a fleeting sense of relief and joy that she caught in his expression as he embraced his sister. However, once done and Sansa began presenting Margaery to the him, there was no trace of warmth in his eyes.
He could have been comely, that much Margaery knew. Beneath the blood and grime that stained his entire being, he held himself in a manner befitting a king. No amount of grandiosity from Joffrey's part could match the natural presence and power that the man in front of her exuded. And to think, he and Margaery were of the same age. His hair was as auburn as his mother's, albeit a shade darker. His coloring was that of a Tully, but the planes and the hard set of his chiseled features made it clear to her and to everyone that in his veins ran the blood of the Kings of Winter.
"Brother," Sansa was saying, her soft voice nearly drowning in the sounds of victory from below, "I present to you the Lady Margaery of House Tyrell."
Margaery, despite how she looked, curtsied low with all the grace that was ingrained in her. She ignored the bulbous eyes of the humongous direwolf that stalked behind the King. After all, despite being a fearsome creature, it saved their lives by ending Ilyn Payne's.
"Rise." Even his voice sounded like winter itself – deep, quiet, and cold. One word from him compelled Margaery to obey almost immediately.
Their eyes met for the first time and Margaery tried to associate the man to the loving and playful brother that Sansa always told her about, and failed miserably. Before her was a seasoned warrior that seemed more fearsome in his silence. He truly fitted his title and for the first time, Margaery wondered if her scheme of becoming this man's queen was still ideal. Or if she could even have a semblance of control over him. He seemed to possess his own mind and others, for that matter.
She suppressed a shiver as his eyes raked over her form, making her feel vulnerable. She resented the feeling he gave her.
If this was how he usually carried himself, how was she supposed to plant the idea of him taking the Iron Throne? He conquered the capitol and the mission of saving his sister was done, but now she wasn't sure if he would stay and be ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. It seemed that her idea of him learning his lessons from the betrayals he was subjected to worked, but in a way that turned him into this invulnerable block of ice that could very well be the reincarnation of Aegon the Unlucky.
But she had no time to doubt. She had come so far. She had dragged House Tyrell into this, and she will succeed. She would make sure that his sense of duty will force him into taking the throne as she and her grandmother had predicted.
"Sansa," Robb Stark said, eyes never leaving Margaery's, "This is the Lady Tyrell?"
"Yes!" Sansa enthusiastically answered. "She's my dearest friend and – "
"Our savior," the King finished, unsmiling.
With that statement, the seeds of doubt within Margaery grew, for the King seemed to hold no gratitude in his visage.
Long may he reign.
MARGAERY I
A month earlier…
A Tyrell knows no honor when survival and power are on the line. A Tyrell is patient and always waits for the opportune moment to strike without others knowing about it. Being one of four families from the Seven Kingdoms who were replacements of the original royals holding the regions they were currently occupying (including the Greyjoys of the Iron Islands and the Tullys of Riverrun, who gained authority of the islands and the Trident when Harren the Black of House Hoare and his heirs perished in Harrenhal during Aegon's Conquest and the Baratheons of Storm's End, who gained the title of Lord of the Stormlands through Orys Baratheon and Rhaenys Targraryen's defeat of Argilac the Arrogant of House Durrandon and his subsequent marriage to the fallen king's daughter, Argella), the Tyrells gave up Highgarden to Aegon Targaryen following the end of the Gardener line in the Field of Fire, thus granting the former stewards of the castle the title Lord of Highgarden, the Reach and Warden of the South.
Because of this, they knew how to put their heads down and work in the shadows. They had no notions of grandiosity behind their bloodline, knowing that there were some houses in the Reach who had more of the Gardener blood in them than they did. This led to the other regions overlooking them until they had become the second richest region in the realm. That was why the Tyrell family was now courted by claimants to the Iron Throne after the demise of King Robert Baratheon, which left Westeros with an unstable boy king prone to fits of murderous rage with a despised Lannister Queen Mother muttering in his ear.
The Tyrell family was ruled in a very unusual manner, too. Unlike their other counterparts, they did not give much regard to the difference between men and women, as long as they can work efficiently for the good of the family. Like their former rival, Dorne, they have much respect for their female members. However, unlike the Dornish who gave no preference to male over female heirs (as long as the eldest child reigned, regardless of their gender), they still followed the traditional way. The Tyrells, internally, were an unofficial matriarchy. They have the usual loud, prideful men with more bark than bite… then they have the women. For decades, the true power in the Reach is not Mace Tyrell, known to all as the Fat Flower and a pompous, overly ambitious oaf if there ever was one, but his aged mother, the Lady Olenna of Redwyne descent.
She held power and she wielded it well. No one suspected it from her as they only view her as a sharp-tongued woman who had no tact. Because of this, their family had prospered and retained its power despite several upheavals in her lifetime.
And she made sure to pass down the art of ruling to her granddaughter, Margaery Tyrell.
The Rose of Highgarden and youngest child of Mace and Alerie Tyrell. Her older brothers were Willas, Garlan, and Loras – all with distinct personalities essential in putting their family on the map. Willas was the most intelligent, well-read with good sense with his only impediment being a limp caused by a jousting accident that deformed his leg. Garlan was also clever, but was also kind-hearted, humble and exceptionally skilled with swords, trained in the art of actual combat. Loras had more skill than sense, as Olenna often said, with dazzling good-looks, a hot temper, and the fame of being called the Knight of Flowers after his continuous success in tourneys.
These three men surrounded Margaery, who was considered a great beauty in Westeros. A young woman of six-and-ten with softly curling brown locks, pale, unblemished skin, and a slender, womanly figure. Her most distinct feature are brown doe eyes with golden flecks that can make her look innocent and sweet. But behind this façade was a sharp wit and a mind for politics and schemes naturally inherited and nurtured by Olenna Tyrell that she should be considered as fearsome as her three brothers.
Because of her beauty and status as the sole daughter of the second richest region in Westeros, her hand was sought after. Mace Tyrell, her father, spurned these proposals, reserving the hand of his daughter only for the best – the man sitting on the Iron Throne. Above everything else, he wanted to see his daughter named Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Everything else was not good enough.
So due to this ambition, when the War of the Five Kings broke out, Margaery was married to a claimant of the throne – the deceased king's youngest brother, Renly Baratheon. The chaos started when Eddard Stark, Hand of the King, was executed by Joffrey Baratheon, the King's eldest son upon his death due to Lord Stark refusing to swear allegiance to the boy. It was because of the belief shared by the late Lord of Winterfell and Robert's other brother, Stannis, that Joffrey was no true Baratheon but a bastard born out of incest – the product of Jaime and Cersei Lannister. And because of these events, the North rose up in open rebellion led by Lord Stark's eldest son, Robb, with the Riverlands rallying behind his cause.
Renly mustered his strength soon after, refusing to back the stronger claim of his older brother Stannis and instead pressing his own. And that was how the Tyrells joined the war. By marrying Margaery, she became queen and Renly had the biggest army. However, he only knew how to do tourneys and displays of his strength and had not actually gone to any battle during the war. Thus, when he was assassinated through unknown means, the might of the Reach and the Stormlands remain intact, along with Margaery's virginity.
Renly Baratheon was not a man who had an appetite for women. Their marriage remained unconsummated because Margaery was not the Rose that the king wanted. No. Loras was Renly's lover, and that was how the latter was convinced that he could have the Tyrell's support in his bid for the throne.
After the disastrous decision by Mace and Loras, renegotiations with the Baratheons and Lannisters of King's Landing were made and thus, they had come to the capital's aid when Stannis led his fleet across the Blackwater Bay in a failed invasion. Their reward was a betrothal between King Joffrey and Margaery, setting aside the former's original betrothal to the disgraced Hand's daughter, Sansa Stark.
And through all of this, Olenna was staunchly opposed to Mace's decision to involve them in a messy war to the benefit of no one except feeding into his ambition of putting a crown on Margaery's head.
After all the strife caused by the struggle for power, Margaery was finally just weeks away from getting her throne. As the battles rage on, it seemed that the Lannister-Tyrell alliance was unshakable and Tywin seemed more than confident enough to proceed with a royal wedding amidst all the chaos.
Margaery was finally at a position where she can affect change for the smallfolk that she so loved. She was in the Red Keep, built by Maegor the Cruel, a terrible legend, but still, a legend. She could practically feel the intrigues, power plays, plots, and stories that built the entire realm. She was in her element – a Tyrell through and through.
So if a Tyrell had no honoe and if their house was ruled by intelligent, self-preserving women, then why was Margaery Tyrell hurrying along the corridors of the Red Keep to alert her grandmother of an assassination plot against Robb Stark, the King in the North?
No one can answer that question because Margaery herself did not know the answer. All she knew was that after one of Joffrey Baratheon's infamous hunting trips, he drunkenly and foolishly bragged to his betrothed about a plan his grandfather cooked up with Lord Walder Frey and Lord Roose Bolton to end Robb Stark's life.
"That traitorous animal will die soon," Joffrey had said, drunk and unable to even sit up straight on his ornate chair inside his bedchamber.
Margaery, all the while maintaining her usual naïve mask asked, "What animal, Your Grace?"
"Joffrey!" he slurred. "I told you to call me Joffrey when we're alone."
And if she did not desire to be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, she wouldn't be anywhere near this 'Joffrey' – a boy playing at being a man. Let alone be married to him.
"What animal, Joffrey?" she repeated with gentle eagerness. She hoped to the gods that he was pertaining to his game.
"Robb Stark."
The answer caught Margaery off-guard. Her thoughts immediately flew to Sansa Stark, the only true friend she had made at court or in King's Landing for that matter. And this was one friendship she was strangely keen on keeping and protecting. She sincerely hoped that Joffrey would elaborate on this scheme because she could not find it in her mind to ask without sounding too curious.
"The stupid pup broke his promise to Walder Frey and married a daughter of one of my grandfather's vassals," the King continued, much to Margaery's delight. "I would raise that Westerling whore up for successfully seducing that stupid Robb Stark but my grandfather would not agree to it, I suppose. Old man Walder was so insulted that he decided to break faith with the Starks and ally with us. He also brought the support of the Boltons in exchange for the Crown giving Roose Bolton Winterfell and making him Warden of the North."
Margaery's stomach turned, a little bit surprised that Joffrey managed to string together sentences and even recall details of the plan even though he was piss drunk. He might be so excited about this plan that for him, it was unforgettable.
"The Boltons, Joffrey?" she managed to repeat, trying again to seem stupid for Joffrey to explain further. Furthermore, the North was a region in Westeros where she paid little attention to because of the fact that it nearly had no contribution to the wealth of the kingdom. It was vast and barren, with towns few and far between. She was ashamed to acknowledge that she was confused as to who the Boltons were.
"Yes," Joffrey eagerly replied. "Did you know that their symbol is a flayed man? They skin their enemies, my lady. And it is said that in the Age of Heroes, they wore Starks as cloaks. Maybe I'll have flaying legal once again as a means of torture. Make sure that no one dares rebel against me when faced with the prospect."
Margaery willed her throbbing heart to calm down. She had to make sure that she kept Joffrey talking. She played to his unwillingness to acknowledge that true authority in the Seven Kingdoms did not lie with him.
"Are you certain that you can tell me this, my love?" Margaery asked. "I am but a woman and I feel that I know very little about matters of politics and war. Your grandfather might not be pleased – "
"I am the king, not my grandfather! I can speak to whomever I please," Joffrey spat. "And do not be vexed, my lady. You are to be my queen! Regardless of what my insipid mother says, you are far more intelligent than any other woman in this realm. Certainly more intelligent than Sansa Stark."
"You honor me so, Your Grace," she said with a lovely flush on her face.
"Joffrey," the king reminded her, summoning her to sit beside him. She obeyed, her heart still hammering against her chest.
"Joffrey," she followed, smiling up at him as she touched his arm shyly. "Well then, tell me how we will be rid of these traitors."
"At a wedding," he responded without preamble. "Edmure Tully is set to replace Robb Stark in marrying one of the Frey daughters or granddaughters to save their so-called alliance. Another idiotic move. If he had a semblance of intellect in him, he should know that a Lord Paramount is a poor replacement for a King, even a false one at that. They will all be killed at the wedding feast for the new Lord and Lady of Riverrun!"
Margaery felt her body grow cold as she carefully arranged her face to one of amazement and delight. "How wonderful! And you gave this idea in a small council meeting, my love?"
Joffrey's smile dropped to one of anger, immediately causing Margaery to retract. "No."
"Then – " she amended, "I am very sorry to be presumptuous enough to ask. I – "
"No, no," the boy king said, waving off her apology. "This is my grandfather's fault for concealing information from the King. I had one of the Grandmaester's assistants make copies of all the correspondence from the Tower of the Hand on the threat that I will have him disemboweled."
Margaery sighed in relief. "True loyalty is hard to come by these days. They should obey you. You are the king."
Joffrey nodded harshly, the movement causing him to lose color even more.
"So the Lord Hand does not know that you are aware of this plan?" she asked, afraid that she might dismissed at any moment given the appearance of the King.
"No, he doesn't," Joffrey said. "He was speaking in code in his letters but I had my spy decipher his words."
"Truly ingenious, Joffrey!"
"Yes, yes," Joffrey said, eyes drooping. "If you'll excuse me, my lady, I have a long day tomorrow. I have to rest now."
Relieved at the sudden excuse to leave after getting all the information she could, Margaery curtsied and left after a sweet goodbye to her betrothed.
She was careful not to appear that she was in a rush as she headed to the apartments allotted for House Tyrell. After issuing a command to her guards to make sure that she was not followed or that no one was nearby, she proceeded to her grandmother's chambers. The Queen of Thorns was most likely in deep sleep at that moment, but her granddaughter felt that this information could not wait.
Fortunately, she was wrong.
"Good grief, child," Olenna said with a glare from behind a tome. A small stack of parchment scattered on a desk indicated that the woman was about to respond to various people, hence the reason for her staying up at such a late hour. At least, for her age anyway. "What are you rushing here for at such an ungodly hour?"
"Grandmother," Margaery uttered breathlessly. One look at her granddaughter's pale face and expression and Olenna Tyrell stopped whatever it was she was doing and sent a glare at the Tyrell guards stationed at her door. "Make sure that there are no spiders or birds lurking about."
The guards left with a nod and shut the door firmly behind them.
"Speak."
"Robb Stark is going to die," Margaery stated. "The Lannisters plan on killing him."
"We are at war, aren't we?" Olenna quipped. "That Lannisters or anyone from the four kings that remain would want to kill one another at some point."
"Not on a battlefield," Margaery retorted impatiently. "I wouldn't be here if it were something as trivial as that."
"Then by the gods, girl, how?" Olenna inquired, brows raising at the sudden alarm her usually composed granddaughter was displaying.
"Edmure Tully's wedding. They plan to kill Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, and the lords of the North at Lord Tully's wedding feast."
If Olenna was shocked at the prospect of the Lannisters committing murder at a wedding, it did not show. "I assume that you have heard of this from somewhere."
"Joffrey," the younger Tyrell answered in a soft voice. "The King has been planting his own spies to inform him of the Hand's activities. He was too drunk to think that he might not want to share that information with me."
"Or you have him in the palm of your hands," Olenna commended. "So the boy has a modicum of intellect in that murderous mind of his. But his mouth may have been too loose for Tywin's liking. I am assuming that the Old Lion has no idea that the King has these spies?"
Margaery shook her head. "Grandmother, we must do something. Sansa – "
"Once Robb Stark falls, Sansa Stark is the key to the North," Olenna cut her off. "If only we can find a way to wed her to Willas just in time…"
"Can we stop talking as though Robb Stark has died?!" Margaery snapped, startling Olenna.
"Hush, foolish girl," her grandmother scolded. "It's safe to say that we can do nothing at this point but secure the interests of our own family. You have done a marvelous job in getting this information from that foolish boy, but now is not the time to – "
"Do something, grandmother," Margaery begged. "Spare Sansa from more pain. We can still have her as Willas' wife if we can find a way to save her brother."
"And gain what, Margaery? You are to marry the King and be Queen of Westeros as your dull father planned. If we save Robb Stark, he retains control of the North and passes it down to any babe he might have with that Westerling girl. Whereas if he dies and is childless, the North is Sansa's by right and if we marry her to Willas, ours."
"That is if the Hand allows us to have Sansa in the first place. For all we know, he is concocting a plan to have her marry Tyrion Lannister."
Olenna sighed. "And that he plans to do. I also have my spies, sweetling. So now, tell me, what do you seek to gain in saving the King in the North?"
"To help Sansa," Margaery stated simply.
The older woman sent her a withering look. "Margaery, I did not raise you to become an honorable fool and I have never seen you act like a heroine. I know that you do not wish to be Queen in the North alone because for all his talents, the Stark boy has no intention of claiming the Iron Throne. All he wants is autonomy and tell me, who wants to be the queen of a kingdom with no resources except for ice?"
"Grandmother, I cannot fathom you agreeing to have innocents murdered as guests to a wedding! No matter what the circumstances, this is wrong."
"I have made many decisions for this family that you can never imagine in your youth. I could sleep at night with those choices knowing that no matter how underhanded or dishonorable they were, these choices were necessary. All of this done for the survival and elevation of House Tyrell," Olenna explained, looking Margaery squarely in the eyes. "Once you become Queen and hold the power in your own hands, you will understand why helping Robb Stark does not work out at all in our favor. And believe me, child, working for our favor is the only thing you should be concerned about in this world. Worrying about the fate of others lead to stupid decisions and eventually lead to an untimely death. Just ask Robb Stark's father."
Margaery was silent for a while before she spoke again, "Helping Robb Stark is in our favor. It will be to everyone's advantage except for the kings who are fighting against him."
From the look on her face, she could tell that her grandmother was beyond exasperation now. "Pray tell, how can you be so definite about this? What benefits will Westeros have if the Stark boy lived?"
"Because out of the four kings alive grappling for power, he deserves the throne the most. You have said it yourself – Robb Stark has talent. He has everything that is necessary to become a great ruler. He just married the wrong woman due to his foolish honor and has been unsuccessful in bringing the Vale to his side," Margaery said, folding her hands together.
"And that foolish honor is precisely why he will be a piss poor ruler," Olenna countered. "No one lives on honor. I thought I have told you that several times!"
"I realize that, grandmother. But for all the betrayals he's about to experience, honor will be stomped out of Robb Stark. We just have to make sure he lives to learn his lesson and become the King of the Seven Kingdoms."
Olenna stared at her as though she had gone mad. "So you want me to warn Robb Stark of this plot to murder him and throw the support of House Tyrell to his cause in the hopes that he will be convinced to take the Iron Throne? And you think that a man such as that who marries a woman just because he has defiled her before she is wed to anyone and is not even with child yet can be swayed to be King of Westeros? Finally, do you think he will even listen to a family who changes allegiances when it suits them? Answer my questions, Margaery, then maybe I can consider helping him."
The young woman had no answer to that. And because of her silence, Olenna plowed on with a smirk on her aged face.
"Moreover, we will have nothing if he takes the throne. Even if we have Sansa marry Willas, the king already has a queen that can bear him heirs and Sansa will be pushed further down the line of succession. I will not settle for second best, Margaery. Not this time. Give me a reason why we should suddenly follow the path of righteousness or this discussion is over."
Margaery took a calming breath, a glint showing in her eyes throwing Olenna Tyrell to a past where she could see her younger self in a mirror whenever she was about to get involved in mischief. "Because we have the power to make what is right a reality. Over the years, we have amassed enough wealth to take over the Seven Kingdoms ourselves if we wanted to. But we didn't and it's all because we have played by the rules of other houses and have not yet grown into the title bestowed upon us by the Targaryens. We still act, to this day, as though we were still loyal stewards and followers and that is why the Lannisters never treated us as equals."
"But here we are, with a boy my age somehow managing to hold a kingdom so barbaric and set in its ways and yet is winning every battle and challenge thrown his way by more experienced men. He has more than enough leadership skills to bring hardened men to heel and he has a head for strategy. He outwits Tywin Lannister and he has successfully conquered the Westerlands save for Casterly Rock. He doesn't even have dragons to do his bidding. The only mistake he has made is his queen of choice, but that does not matter. I have heard that she is unpopular and I will find a way for him to eventually set her aside and marry someone more suitable."
"You mean you?" Olenna supplied.
"Yes."
"This is ridiculous, Margaery. And a huge gamble. You are a mere three weeks away from being Queen and you choose to throw it all away for this gamble. For a far-reaching gamble involving a boy of six-and-ten who is already married and has no clear intentions for his own future."
"He will become King. His honor will guarantee that," Margaery said.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Because when he defeats the Lannisters, no one will be left to rule. And the people will not want Stannis Baratheon on the throne. Especially now that he has been defeated and has taken a red priestess as a trusted adviser. If given no choice by the people around him, he will rule Westeros as he will view this as his responsibility for deposing a monarch. We are helping him now to give him a fighting chance in this war. If he dies in battle, I marry Joffrey as originally intended. If he beats the Lannisters, Westeros will have a ruler who is not insane and I will find a way to be Queen once more. And this time, I will be married to a man who is a capable ruler and who I'm certain will treat me well."
Comprehension dawned on Olenna' features. "You are finding a way to get out of this marriage to Joffrey."
Margaery nodded slowly, letting a little fear show on her face. "I want to be queen, but not his. I am uncertain if I can control him at all times, even with Loras by my side. Even the Kingslayer cannot control the humiliations Robert has subjected Cersei too. And even the noble Barristan Selmy can do nothing when King Aerys mistreated Queen Rhaella."
"And you think you can control Robb Stark?"
"If he's the king, I might not need to work too hard for power. Sansa has told me much about him. I might finally have a husband who will treat me with respect, who isn't mad, and who will do his duty in the bedchamber."
Olenna laughed at that. "Margary… you don't have to be Joffrey's queen. You don't have to find a way."
"What do you mean?" Margaery asked, her eyes narrowing.
"I have already worked things out. I would have you marry Tommen once Joffrey is dealt with. He would be easier to control, but you have to wait a little longer to be fully-fledged queen," Olenna answered.
"What?! How?!"
"Hush, my dear. I have found a way, and I realize now that I can help you with your plan. The only failure in my original plan is not considering what Cersei Lannister might do if I have you marry Tommen. Waiting for the marriage to be consummated because the King is too young to perform… what was I thinking?" Olenna was talking more to herself than Margaery, which incensed the younger woman.
"Tell me, grandmother."
"You just have to wait a little bit for my plan to unfold, and then maybe we can help Robb Stark," Olenna assured her. "You still have to marry Joffrey. And I will have Willas travel to the capitol as soon as possible to win Sansa Stark over."
"But then it will be too late! Edmure Tully's wedding is a week from now!"
"Yes, and I will warn Robb Stark of his impending doom. I will even advise him on what to do and how to go about this," Olenna was saying as Margery stood up and began to pace "We must be careful. And you must trust me."
She stopped in her tracks. "You… you plan to have Robb Stark pretend to be dead. You plan on killing Joffrey at our wedding."
"Brilliant insight, Margaery!" Olenna praised her. "Now you know why I am not surprised by the Lannister plot. I would do the same, just in a less gruesome means."
"Poison," Margaery stammered. "And you will have someone else take the fall?"
"Of course. But if Cersei blames us, we break from the Lannisters and take Sansa with us before we are thrown into the black cells. That will be the worst-case scenario," Olenna replied. "Best case is she blames someone else. Ideally, her brother, the Imp. We need to break House Lannister from within. Tywin will find a way to support Cersei's deranged accusations if it's being made against his deformed son. It will be his way of ridding this world of Tyrion and reinstating the Kingslayer as his heir with little mess."
Margaery started pacing again. "So we have to find a way for Tyrion to be blamed?"
"And that's where you come in, my dear," Olenna said with a grin. "Because if the Lannisters do succeed in marrying Sansa to Tyrion, given that they are already working on having Robb Stark killed, the Imp's execution will invalidate the marriage. Sansa will be a widow in no time and free to marry Willas. I am certain she will be grateful to the people who will take the Imp off her hands."
"But what if Sansa is implicated?"
"I will make sure that she does not. I will plant Willas, Garlan, or even myself by her side to act as witnesses in her favor. Maybe even your father, who will be a much more convincing witness since he has no knowledge of my plans."
"Who knows of this plan, grandmother?"
"Me… now you. And Littlefinger," Olenna said with a grimace.
"Lord Baelish?" Margaery confirmed with barely disguised disgust. She never liked the slimy man and she thought of him as one of the most dangerous men in the realm.
"Do you want to be queen?"
"No… I want to be the queen."
"Yes," Olenna replied. "He will not be attending the wedding as he will be too occupied marrying Lysa Arryn himself to be accused of regicide. I will then make sure that he convinces the madwoman to support Robb Stark's cause and have the unused Knights of the Vale come at the Lannisters with their full strength. If all goes according to plan, he might even have the chance to woo Catelyn Stark."
"Catelyn Stark? But I thought Lysa – "
"Mark my words, Margaery. Men never cease to desire what they cannot have. For all his knowledge, Littlefinger is an incredibly simple man. All of his actions are to the benefit of his vengeance towards the family and the woman who has spurned his love. Ultimately, he wants the Iron Throne to show Catelyn that she was wrong in choosing Brandon Stark. He wants the highest ambition with either Catelyn or Sansa by his side."
Margaery's eyes widened. "Because Sansa is her mother through and through. Then that doesn't guarantee that Lord Baelish will grant the Vale's support to Robb Stark, grandmother. He is a slippery person, that one."
"We agree on that, Margaery," Olenna said. "But he will if I force his hand and make him see that having Catelyn Tully alive for taking is better than having her dead. He can then do as he pleases with her and her mad sister in exchange for my silence on his part in murdering a king."
Margaery felt anxiety rack her entire frame as various scenarios played out in her mind. "I feel that our plan has many elements to it that can go wrong."
Olenna tutted. "You wanted to support Sansa's brother. I told you that it is the riskier out of the two options – the first being we kill Joffrey and have you marry Tommen. I have never wanted to be a part of any of this and I certainly despised being tied to these Lannisters in any manner, but your oaf of a father decided and all we must do is see things through and survive as best as we can. You have found a way out of this aside from my initial plan, granddaughter. Let us hope that helping your friend would turn out to be the best option for all of us."
Margaery smiled and hugged her grandmother without permission, causing the older woman to awkwardly pat her granddaughter. "You've always told me that only fools believe that the righteous will prevail."
"And I still believe so," Olenna remarked when Margaery released her.
"I want it to be known this time that House Tyrell has ceased to be a bystander in the great game. I want us at the center, no matter the stakes. And we will throw our might behind what is right this time, not because we were not given a choice like the time of Robert's Rebellion and Aegon's Conquest."
Olenna laughed breathlessly and pride shone in her eyes. "You may have the right of it, my dear. Very well. Keep the King and Cersei's attentions occupied while I deal with this business with Robb Stark. Make sure that the Lannister queen thinks that you're the most dangerous woman amongst us by stealing away her son. She is true, in that respect, but… Ah, well. I might ask Willas' help in all of this to ensure that Dorne is with us should anything happen. We might even have Doran's help in aiding the Stark pup."
"Thank you!"
"At the end of it all, I will make sure that the King in the North knows who was it that saved his life. Maybe that will be enough for his advisers and for himself to set aside his ill-chosen queen and marry you," Olenna added. "And let us hope that Jeyne Westerling also makes mistakes."
"I will be sure to have Sansa's help on this as well," Margaery said. "We need her support in making me queen. She can convince her brother."
"Good. And you don't have to pretend to use the poor lamb for your schemes. I know you genuinely like her as a friend," Olenna observed.
"Like a sister," Margaery conceded with a soft smile. "She has been through so much, grandmother. She cannot lose more."
"Tut, tut," Olenna said dismissively. "Enough of these sentiments. Best start praying that this boy you're willing to risk everything for is gorgeous or else it will all seem for naught. Let us hope that he does not look like the beast the rumors say."
Margaery giggled. "You never believed in rumors, grandmother. And besides, I have seen Lady Stark. He might be comely if he inherited her looks."
Olenna rolled her eyes. "Do not put the boy on a pedestal just yet. That's unbecoming of you."
"Of course, grandmother. I will no longer disturb you needlessly. I shall go back to bed."
This was a sign that they were leaving the next steps to one another and would only convene again once everything was done. Or never, if they were dead.
A Tyrell knows no honor. And the Rose of Highgarden was a Tyrell through and through. This may have been initially thought of as a plot to protect Sansa Stark but in reality, this was to have Margaery shape her own destiny.
When the sun sets in Westeros in a moon's turn, she will be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She will be loved by all because she had given them a ruler worthy of the title – wise, just, and kind.
The Queen Margaery of Houses Stark and Tyrell. The Winter Rose. The Wolf's Queen.
This time around, long may she reign.
My first ASOIAF fanfic. Took me years of self-doubt before attempting to post a fanfic for one of my favorite books. Also the reason why I haven't posted anything for the Harry Potter series. The more I adore a work of literature, the harder it is for me to write something about it.
I have no beta and I haven't re-read this chapter, so expect errors. Reviews are welcome!