The Storm Lands certainly earned their name, Loras thought bitterly as he ascended the steps towards his new Lord. His wet clothes clung uncomfortably to his skin, his wet curls falling across his face and dripping onto his already soaked shoulders.
The journey from Highgarden had been a miserable one, the glorious sunshine and orchards of the Reach turning to dark clouds, bleak cliffs and eventually pelting, relentless rain as they approached his new home.
Loras' frown deepened and his throat tightened as he remembered that he would not be seeing Highgarden for quite some time; this was his new home for the next few years.
He stared determinedly ahead and fought back tears; this was bad enough without humiliating himself by crying like a little girl in front of Lord Renly. His frown turned into a bitter sneer at the thought of his new lord, hidden from view by throngs of people milling about the hall. His father had been positively ecstatic when Lord Renly had agreed to take on Loras as his squire.
"The younger brother to the King!" His father had boomed, evidently expecting Loras to react with similar enthusiasm.
Loras had only stared in dismay. Lord Renly? Everybody knew Lord Renly had only been given his position because he was the King's brother. He was handsome, and could charm a snake with his words, but he had never been in battle and never even made it past the first tilt in jousts! There was nothing he could teach Loras, whose skill with a sword had already earned him quite the reputation in the Reach.
His father had mistaken his sullen silence for joy and had called the servants to bring wine to celebrate. Loras shouldn't have been surprised. His father was so thick sometimes it wouldn't surprise anyone if he rode a horse off a cliff like his own father.
Loras sniggered audibly at the thought, earning him a few curious glances from the guards who were accompanying him on his journey.
Loras quietened and turned his eyes determinedly to the floor, feeling sudden shame at thinking such ill of his father, who he after all would miss dearly. Still, he couldn't help but blame him for sending him to squire for a pompous peacock like Lord Renly.
His thoughts turned to his grandmother, the only person who had shared his horror at the news. She was always very tough on Loras and scolded him for being arrogant perhaps a little more than she did his siblings, but Loras knew it was only driven by her desire for him to succeed. She had seen him practice and recognized that Loras was unusually talented, and had seemed genuinely shocked when his father had announced that Loras was being sent to squire for Lord Renly.
Laughter in the hall brought Loras back to reality. It appeared that Renly was solving some local farmer's troubles with the grace and charm he was renowned for. His people clearly seemed to love and respect Renly, if the fond smiles and amiable chuckles surrounding him were any indication.
Finally the crowd parted to let him through, and Loras got his first glimpse of his new Lord. He was slightly taken aback when he saw that Lord Renly could not have been more than fifteen. Somehow in all the talk of his gallantry and charm no one had mentioned to Loras that he would be squiring for someone only a few years older than himself. He was certainly handsome, Loras thought with some bitterness, and the smile on his face seemed genuine enough. For some reason that made Loras angrier than it should have.
Loras was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable; he had been prepared to hate Lord Renly, but hating an adult and hating a boy only a few years his senior were quite different ideas.
"My Lord, let me present Loras of House Tyrell, your new squire." His guard shoved him gently forward when Loras remained standing where he was.
"My Lord." Loras mumbled, bending the knee to his Lord has he had been told to countless times by various members of his household.
"Rise, Loras! Welcome to Storm's End!" Lord Renly exclaimed, standing up and beaming at his new squire with that infuriating grin. "I hope you've had a pleasant journey?"
Loras would have much liked to tell him to go eat shit at that, but didn't think that would earn him very many favors.
"Yes my Lord." Loras mumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor to keep from glaring at Lord Renly like he knew he probably would if he looked up.
Lord Renly evidently mistook his insolence as exhaustion for he then called for Loras to be shown his new chambers, promising to show him around the castle once he was rested.
Loras couldn't think of anything he'd like to do less but thanked him anyway with all the Highgarden grace and courtesy his grandmother had tried so hard to instill in him in the past ten years.
Although Loras was as exhausted as Renly had guessed and the bed in his chambers beckoned invitingly, he was too wound up with misery to sleep. Instead he sat on the window ledge and listened to the angry roar of the sea as the rain continued its ruthless assault on the Storm Lands.
He must have dozed off, for he found himself waking with a start at the sudden knock on his door. He climbed down from the window and went to open the door reluctantly. As he expected, Lord Renly stood on the other side, wearing the same radiant smile as before. Loras wondered if it ever got old, pretending to be so nice to everyone; although, a small part of him had to acknowledge that some of Lord Renly's kindness did not seem to be pretense.
"Loras! I hope you've found your chambers to your liking?" He asked.
"Yes my Lord. Thank you. I think I'll be comfortable here." Loras heard the bitterness in his words even as they left his mouth and hoped Renly wouldn't hear it. He felt bad being rude when Renly was only trying to be polite.
However if Renly had heard any insolence in his tone he ignored it, and seemed pleased with his answer.
"I promised I would show you the castle!" Renly said even as he started down the corridor. "Come! I have just time to show you before supper."
Loras sighed softly and made to follow his Lord, when Renly suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around, sending Loras almost crashing into him.
"Although," Lord Renly began hesitantly, "you might want to close that window first. The wind is very strong and has a tendency to change direction sometimes. You wouldn't believe the things that have been blown through open windows in my chambers. I even found a dead possum once. Although it might have been a cat…I couldn't really tell, it must have been thrown around a bit before landing on my dresser…"
Loras gaped at him in horror before whirling around towards his chambers. He had only made it a few steps when he heard a soft chuckle from behind. He turned to face Lord Renly and saw the humor dancing in his eyes.
He heard a few nervous chuckles escape his own mouth even as a hot flush spread up his neck at the way he had so easily walked into that jest. He stared determinedly down at the floor as he followed Renly down the hall, his Lord still laughing quietly, all the while cursing himself for being so gullible.
He tried to pay attention as Renly showed him around the castle but found his attention wandering, as the only place he truly wanted to see was the training yard and as Renly pointed out, these were no conditions in which to go out in. Loras would have gone anyway but trust Lord Precious here to not want to get his clothes wet.
Loras immediately felt a little ashamed for thinking so ill of Lord Renly; after all he had shown him nothing but kindness and respect and Loras responded by calling him names.
Lord Renly must have noticed him staring morosely out the window for he stopped in his tracks and laid a gentle hand on Loras' shoulder.
"I know it must be hard, Loras, leaving your family behind like that." He began.
Loras had to muster all his willpower to stop himself from snorting. What could Lord Renly possibly know about that? Instead he forced himself to meet Renly's gaze, reeling back slightly at the deep blue eyes that faced him. He could have sworn they had been green earlier, although if truth be told he had been trying to look anywhere but directly at the Lord he was so determined not to like, a notion that was quickly faltering.
"And of course right now Storm's End must resemble the pits of the Seven Hells compared to Highgarden, but it's not always so bad. The worst of the storms are usually at night and it's really quite beautiful in the daylight. You can even start your training tomorrow if you like, the storm should have blown itself out by then." Renly's face brightened as he thought of something. "Oh! And I can show you the top of the battlements once it's nice out. We'd get blown right off if we went right now but it's actually my favorite place in the castle. I think you'll like it."
Loras couldn't honestly think of anything worse than standing on a wall with a 200-foot drop towards crashing waves in front of him but he smiled at Lord Renly anyways, and it might have been the first genuine smile to grace his face since he left Highgarden.
Renly smiled back and gave his shoulder another squeeze before continuing down the hall.
"Have you never been to Highgarden, my Lord?" Loras couldn't help but catch the bait; any mention of his home had him swelling with pride.
"I have not, Loras, but I have heard of its beauty and I would quite like to see it someday." Renly replied. "My brother is forever going on about fruit so juicy they explode in your mouth. Melons, apples, peaches… Although, if I don't plan on getting quite so fat as him I suppose I might do well to stay away!" Renly laughed, and Loras realized with a start that the brother he was jesting about was the King. He thought for the second time that day that Lord Renly's wit might prove to be quite entertaining. He couldn't help but chuckle himself although he felt quite odd laughing at the King right in front of his brother, even if he had been to one to launch the insult.
"Anyhow," Renly began as they rounded a corner, "I supposed you're quite famished. I could eat a live rat myself! Although…" he continued darkly, "the Tyrells already forced me to eat rat once and I can't say I'm willing to repeat the experience."
Loras stopped cold in his tracks at that, his body growing tense in horror at the mention of the Siege of Storm's End, led by his own father. He quickly remembered that the main reason he had been sent here to squire was to mend bridges between the Tyrells and the Baratheons, and any friendly actions from Lord Renly were surely only formalities.
"I…I'm sorry, my Lord..." He stuttered, knowing full well he had been barely a babe at the time of the siege and clearly not responsible for it and yet not knowing what else to say.
Renly only rolled his eyes.
"Oh lighten up!" He said, reaching to grab Loras' arm. "I'm just playing with you!"
And with that he dragged Loras into the bustling dining hall, where the greetings and curtsies and bows aimed at Renly gave Loras enough time for his cheeks to resume their normal color.
Loras thought with consternation that although Renly seemed to possess the same ability to tease him mercilessly that his own brothers did, he also had the skill to get under his skin; something only his grandmother, the Queen of Thorns, had so far been able to accomplish.
The thought did little to settle Loras' nerves as he took his seat on Lord Renly's left side. Things were done more casually in Storm's End it seemed, and it was not unusual for a squire to sit next to his Lord.
Loras tried to pay attention to the conversation around him; after all, these were Lords and Ladies conversing around him and he was not a squire but for a day. However, he couldn't help but stare questioningly at all the faces around the tables. His gaze eventually came to rest on a group of girls sitting close together, straight blond hair flowing down their backs and matching sneers ruining their otherwise pretty faces.
Lannisters, Loras was sure. He had never been to King's Landing or Casterly Rock but enough Lannisters had visited Highgarden that Loras would recognize them anywhere. He specifically remembered one fat Uncle something or other that passed gas so much even the roses of Highgarden couldn't hide his stink.
"Lannisters"
Loras jumped slightly at the sound of Renly's voice in his ear. He turned to his Lord and saw him throw a disdainful look towards the ladies Loras had just been looking at.
Renly turned his head back slightly and whispered conspiratorially, "Robert sent them here hoping one of them would strike my fancy and I would marry her, to further our allegiance with the Lannisters…and their money."
Loras laughed uncomfortably at that, it seemed perfectly in character for the King and yet he felt that perhaps it wasn't his place to know that kind of information at all. Yet he couldn't help but turn to Lord Renly with a wicked smile on his face, his Lord's earlier jests towards him having made him bolder.
"And which one of them do you prefer, my Lord?" He asked innocently.
Renly only threw Loras a mock terrified look at that, making Loras reach for his cup less he burst out in laughter.
"Have you ever been to King's Landing, Loras?" Renly asked, once Loras had recovered himself.
"No I have not, my Lord." Loras replied. "I would like to see it, although it is said to stink very badly."
"Although," he continued, "if the Lannisters of King's Landing fart quite so much as the ones from Casterly Rock then I would understand where the stink came from…"
Renly only stared at him in shock for a few moment and Loras realized he had made a grave mistake. Of course Renly was young and friendly but that didn't mean he could talk to him the same way he talked to his brothers. He was preparing for an apology when Renly suddenly threw his head back and burst out in laughter, making several people around him jump in surprise.
Loras looked at him in surprise before starting to laugh uncontrollably himself. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the Lannister girls glaring and that only made him laugh harder, holding on to the edge of the table and gasping for breath as he acknowledged at the back of his mind that Storm's End might not be so bad after all.