Chapter 7: Young Stag

"You know, I do think that Darry might have actually improved. Maybe the man is finally happy with the wife he has." Uncle Renly japed, over a cup of wine.

Tommen hid a smile, as a Prince it was not fitting for him to laugh. Instead he asked. "How many wives has the man had, uncle?"

Uncle Renly, who had come with Ser Barristan and Ser Illyn Payne, smirked. "Three. His first wife was some commoner, or near enough a commoner, which was fine when he had three older brothers, she gave him a daughter and a stillborn son, dying giving birth to the son. Then he married a Vance, they had another daughter and then she ran away with some hedge knight. And now there's this one. A Piper of Pinkmaiden, who it seems he's in love with. A good thing as well. As the Pipers are loyal to the crown."

Tyrek, Tommen's cousin and close friend spoke then. "That isn't all that surprising, his wife is something of a beauty."

Tommen laughed then. It was true, with her long brown locks and haunting green eyes, and everything else about her, Lady Darry was a beauty, half of the boys on this journey had lusted after her, Tommen was half convinced Joffrey had tried to bed her himself. "Tyrek, you know she's out of your league."

His friend laughed. "I know, doesn't mean I cannot dream."

Uncle Renly then turned his attention to him and asked. "What's this I hear about you spending a lot of time with Lady Westerling, Tommen? Are you thinking of courting her?"

Tommen felt his face heat up then. "I…she is nice." Is all he could say before his friends burst out laughing.

"The Prince is in love with her." Rickard Fell said.

"He wants to make her his wife." Martyn Lannister, another cousin said.

"I think the Prince wants to get her with child." Japed Lyonel Dondarrion, a cousin and heir to Lord Beric.

Tommen said nothing but felt his face heat. His uncle laughed though. "There is no shame in any of those things. Lady Jeyne is a nice looking lass for sure, and her family might well be coming into some money should the King deign to give them the trading rights on the seal furs." There was a brief pause then as they all considered that, then Uncle Renly changed the topic. "But enough of that, tell me, how was Winterfell and the journey south?"

Everyone waited for him to speak. As he was the highest ranking noble at this little gathering, he knew none of his friends would say anything until he had. Therefore, he took a breath and said. "Winterfell was good. It was nice to be out of King's Landing for a time. To actually feel the air on my face, and to be able to ride without worrying about some plot or another. The Starks seem nice enough, and Lady Sansa seems as if she would make a good wife for Joffrey." He paused, took a sip of wine and then continued. "The journey was uneventful, though Lady Sansa's brat of a sister Arya disappeared for a time, before returning."

"Where did she go off to and why?" Uncle Renly asked. There was something in the way he said that, that made Tommen feel nervous, for a reason he couldn't quite explain.

"Nobody knows." Tyrek said. "But she reappeared, and she seemed fine. Her direwolf was with her as well, that great beast that snaps at anyone who isn't a Stark."

"I don't know why she came south." Rickard said. "If it was to turn her into a southern lady and find her a husband willing to sleep with her, I fear Lord Stark will be greatly disappointed."

Uncle Renly said nothing at that, indeed it appeared as though he was trying to ignore what they had all just said. He instead asked. "And what of Jon Snow? How is that young man?"

"He's okay." Tommen said. "A bit withdrawn at times, but he is smart and he knows how to fight, which is good."

Uncle Renly smiled at that. "Still thinking of engaging your brother in the melee then?"

Tommen laughed. That had been an idea he had had when they were both children, and learning how to fight. He had always wanted to prove he was stronger than his brother, he knew he was smarter, but that would not win him any plaudits from father or mother. "I don't think so. But I was simply thinking that he would need to know how to fight, especially in King's Landing." He paused and then asked his Uncle. "How is the capital?"

"Well enough, it still stinks of horseshit and the same amount of smells that were there when you all left. Though now without Lady Lysa and her brat crawling through the halls, it is somewhat less noisy." Uncle Renly said.

"I had thought that Lord Robert was to become a ward of the crown?" Tommen asked. "That was what Father had said."

"No, he was to go to Casterly Rock, to be a ward of your grandsire, Lord Tywin." Uncle Renly said.

There was an awkward silence, Tommen could not imagine a worse fate. Robert Arryn was a pathetic weakling, who had only come off his mother's teat some three years ago. He was not right to be Lord of the Eyrie, hells, Tommen had heard rumours that he was not actually Jon Arryn's son. "I see." Was all he could say.

Uncle Renly got up then. "Now if you excuse me, I must go and speak to my brother about some court business." With that Uncle Renly walked off to where the King was. Father was surprisingly sober for once.

Tommen turned to look at his friends and said. "I think there might be more to what happened with Lady Lysa and her son than Uncle Renly is letting on."

Olyvar Frey, another friend, who rarely spoke, but when he did he usually spoke sense, spoke now. "I agree, Your Royal Highness, however, if Lord Baelish is involved then perhaps it would be better to leave it well alone."

Tommen shook his head. "If Baelish is involved, then that is exactly why we must get involved." He did not trust Baelish, he had never liked the man, and did not like the way he had looked at Myrcella from time to time.

"How though?" came the response from Rickard.

"By speaking to Joffrey." Tommen said, he knew that his brother would listen to him. He did not like Baelish either.