Loras proved his critics wrong very quickly it seemed. Renly had watched them practice in the yard earlier and the older squires who had doubted him had been rapidly forced to eat their words, paying the price for underestimating him as the smaller boy rained down blows on them. The master at arms stood by, watching them all intently, shouting out criticism every now and then. He was pleased with Loras, Renly could tell, though his words betrayed none of his praise.
Renly had to admit that he'd been rather surprised at just how well the boy seemed to handle a blade. He was impossibly light on his feet, dodging each blow that was thrown at him with ease. Renly smiled, his current opponent would have been dead several times over had the boys been fighting with real steel. Highgarden had taught him well it seemed.
"You fought well" He told him after they were finished for the morning.
"I know my lord" Loras said simply, pushing his hair out of his eyes.
Renly had to laugh, it seemed this one didn't know the meaning of modesty quite yet. Perhaps he never would Renly mused, Tyrells were a proud lot, not overly known for their humility. Renly smiled as he remembered some of the things Stannis had said about the Tyrells during the siege... none of his remarks had been remotely favourable. Still, Renly reckoned he could definitely grow fond of this particular Tyrell, he seemed to have a lot of spirit.
"Come Loras, I'll show you properly around the castle" He motioned for the boy to follow him "One has quite an extraordinary view from the top."
Loras followed him obligingly as Renly led him up the stone steps that led to the battlements. It was a long climb and both were slightly out of breath by the time they reached the top, the steps finally coming to an end after what seemed like an eternity. It was a climb Renly did rather often, finding the view rather worth the effort of getting oneself up there. The Stormlands stretched below to the west, and the mountains to the South, the Prince's Pass winding up through them on it's way to Dorne. But it was the view to the East that Renly loved best. Whether it was calm or stormy, the sea was a beautiful thing to behold, and Renly never tired of watching the waves crash against the walls some 150 feet below them.
"That's Tarth there" he said pointing out the island that lay to the North East "The seat of Lord Selwyn, one of my bannermen."
Loras nodded eagerly "Their sigil is made up of suns and moons; is that right my lord?"
"Indeed" Renly smiled. The boy was sharp, Maester Jurne had evidently wasted no time teaching the boy the noble families of the Stormlands.
"Yes, it's a quartered sigil with suns on rose, and crescent moons on blue." He looked away from Tarth and gestured East "And that of course is the Narrow Sea. Some say that you can see all the way to Essos on a particularly clear day."
"And can you my lord?"
"I doubt it, at least I never have." Renly smiled, remembering how excited he'd been when one of the guards had first told him that. He'd climbed up every day for the better part of six months, sure every time that today was the day. He doubted now that it was possible, the Narrow Sea wasn't quite narrow enough it seemed.
"That's a shame my lord, I would very much like to see Essos" he leaned over the battlements, as if it might by some stroke of luck be possible today.
"Careful there Loras" Renly warned "It's a long fall down!"
Loras peered over the edge, but seemed to be rather unfazed by 150 foot drop below him. "Could you survive a fall from this height my lord?"
"I wouldn't try if that's what you're thinking!" He put a hand on the boy's just in case he was getting ideas "Perhaps if you were very lucky you might live, it would depend on how you hit the water I guess. I remember I used to sit with my legs over the edge when I was younger. My brother was furious when he caught me, told me I was the most foolish boy he'd ever known!" Renly laughed, remembering how angry his Stannis had been.
"The King?" The boys face had lit up.
"No not Robert" Renly said laughing "Stannis, my other brother. A very big difference there! Robert has never lived here in my lifetime, he was sent to foster at the Eyrie shortly after I was born."
"Like me here my lord?"
"Yes I guess the situation is not dissimilar" Renly smiled. Eddard Stark and Robert had become firm friends together at the Eyrie, and their friendship had held the seven kingdoms together. He glanced down at the young boy next to him, who was still leaning rather precariously over the edge. Perhaps this boy would one day be as good a friend to him as Ned Stark was to Robert.
"Was Lord Stannis sent to foster too my lord?" the boy's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"No, he wasn't. After my parents died, Stannis stayed here to look after me. And when Robert became King, he became the Lord of Dragonstone." Renly sighed, knowing how slighted Stannis had felt when Renly was named the lord of Storm's End over him.
"They say Lord Stannis has a will of iron in the Reach my lord"
"I bet they do" Renly grinned, he doubted Mace Tyrell was particularly fond of Stannis and his iron will. "He's a good solider no doubt, but not the most personable of fellows! I dare say you'll meet him someday."
"Will I get to meet your other brother too my lord?"
Renly laughed, the boy seemed rather in awe of his eldest brother. He suspected he would be sorely disappointed when he finally did meet him. Young boys were often told stories of Robert's ferocious strength, and how he'd swung his war hammer valiantly at the Trident, cutting men down in their dozens. The last time Renly had seen Robert however, he had seemed much less a warrior, and much more a fat man who took little interest in anything but wine and whores.
"I dare say you will some day. Though my brothers and I are not as close as we could be."
The boy looked at him, his face puzzled. Renly smiled, the boy had a lot to learn about Baratheons it seemed.
"I guess you and your siblings are close then?"
Loras nodded, his eyes lighting up.
"You should tell me about them" Renly suggested, leaning back against the battlements. It seemed that all the other great houses had closer family bonds than the Baratheons. Brandon Stark had ridden for Kings Landing without a second thought when he'd heard of how his sister had been stolen from him, calling for Rhaegar to come out and die. It had cost him his life. And Ned Stark had gone to war for the same reason; he'd raised all the banners of the North to exact justice for his brother and father's deaths and to rescue his sister. Renly sighed, knowing how that story ended. Likewise the fury of the Martells was legendary following the brutal rape and murder of Elia and her children in the sack of King's Landing. They said Prince Oberyn only lived to exact his revenge. The Tullys of course had their family, duty, honour and even the Lannisters seemed to set more in store by family than the Baratheons. Say what you like about the Lannisters Renly thought, you couldn't deny that they looked after their own. Robert had gone to war for Lyanna Stark, and yet somehow Renly doubted that he'd have done the same for either him or Stannis. And not for the first time Renly wondered how their lives might have been different had their parents lived.
"Well Willas is my eldest brother" Loras was saying "He's going to be riding in his first Tourney soon" He paused, grinning as if riding in a Tourney was the greatest thing he could possibly envision. Looking at his expression, it probably was, Renly reckoned, the boy seemed to have the gallant ideologies that were typical of the Reach. It was all Tourneys and knights in shining armour in the Reach.
"...and then there's Garlan, he's ten and five and already knighted" He continued, pride filling his voice "He's one of the best swordsmen I've ever seen. The master at arms says that he might even stand a chance against Jaime Lannister..."
Renly laughed, pushing his hair out of his eyes as the boy continued to list his brother's accomplishments. It was rather endearing Renly thought, the way that he was so evidently proud of his family. He wondered if he himself would be able to talk at length about Robert and Stannis' achievements if he really pushed himself. Probably, he mused, if he really had to. His brothers did have some redeeming qualities after all. Both were good warriors and had racked up an impressive number of victories between them. Besides, Robert could drink anyone and everyone under the table. Surely that had to count for something.
"...and then there's my sister, Margaery" He paused, and an adoring look came into his eyes. He looked far away for a moment, and Renly suspected his thoughts were back in Highgarden.
"It sounds like she means a lot to you" Renly said, smiling "You'll have to introduce me sometime."