The tourney was a sight to behold. Thousands of people, some of the greatest Lords in the realm and, of course, some of the best knights of Westeros and even some warriors from across the sea were invited to perform in honor of Robert Baratheon's son, Prince Joffrey. At one table, Walder Frey, the Lord of the Crossing, surrounded by his sons, trueborn or otherwise, was talking with Ser Harys Swyft about their Houses' sigils.

"Ahahaha, so... your House sigil is a cock!"

"No, it's not! It's a proud rooster!"

"So, it's a cock!"

"Lord Walder, with all due respect, my House had this sigil for eight hundred years, ever since Lord Wynnon Swyft built Cornfield."

"And why did he choose a cock for a sigil? Was he compensating for something?"

Lord Frey and his sons were laughing while Harys Swyft's face was red with anger. He decided to leave the table.

"See, boys, Ser Harys should take that cock from his banner and put it in his pants, for he terribly lacks one! Not be able to taste a good joke... tsk!"

Davos, who was sent by Stannis to talk with the most powerful lords in the realm in order to find out potential allies, approached Walder. Even though the old man was renowned for being a coward, as Lord of the Crossing he pretty much controlled the trade between the North and the Riverlands. A good ally to have, if one is willing to overlook Lord Frey's terrible personality.

"My lords."

"And who you may be?"

"Ser Davos of House Seaworth."

"Davos of House... what? I don't know you!"

One of Walder Frey's bastards spoke:

"He is the Onion Knight, father."

"The Onion Knight, you say...?"

"Yes, my lord, I've... gained that name during the Siege of Storm's End."

"Yes... What do you want?"

"Well, I just wanted to give one of the greatest lords of the Seven Kingdoms my regards."

"Isn't your master Stannis Baratheon?"

"Yes, he is, my lord."

Walder spat:

"Baratheons! Too proud to come here and talk to me, they send their lapdogs instead. Get out of my face!"

Davos bowed and left, seething with anger inside but he chose not to make a scene.

At another table, the king was talking with his brothers while drinking a copious amount of wine. Both Stannis and Renly were uncomfortable but they had to endure.

"Ha, ha, ha! You know, the last time I've tasted a wine so good was at Highgarden. You remember, Renly, that time we visited the Reach for the Wine Festival? Gods, that was so great!"

Stannis said:

"I believe Renly remembers. He always remembers his trips to Highgarden with fondness."

Renly frowned:

"You should go there too, brother. It's far nicer than your little rock in the middle of the sea."

"Yes, nicer. And full of roses, too, of all colors. But we all know Renly likes only one kind of rose."

The youngest Baratheon brother blushed:

"I don't know what you mean. I love all the flowers: roses, bell-flowers, dragon's breath. I like all of them!"

"What about yellow roses?"

Robert said:

"What the fuck? We three haven't seen each other like this in months and we talk about flowers? Fuck flowers! Unless..."

Renly froze:

"Unless what?"

"You are in love with a Tyrell! And I know exactly with whom!"

"You... know?"

"Of course! Do you think me for a fool, boy?"

"N-no..."

"Ha, ha! To be young again... Why didn't you tell me, did you think I disagree?"

"You... don't?"

"Of course not. Hell, that's a flower anyone would give away an entire kingdom to fuck."

"Really?"

"You should have told me! I would have started the negotiation for matrimony immediately."

"Matrimony? What...?"

"Yes, matrimony."

Stannis said, visibly surprised:

"I didn't know that is possible. I mean, I know there are a few islands in the Summer Isles that do such things but here?"

"Here what? It's now illegal for my brother to marry the beautiful Margaery Tyrell?"

Both Renly and Stannis were dumbfounded. Robert really believed Renly loved Margaery Tyrell, Loras' sister. Renly said:

"Robert, I... I don't..."

"Ha, ha! Look at you all flustered! Really, brother, you made a great choice! Margaery is young, beautiful, she hails from a Great House. Perfect choice!"

Robert lifted up his wine cup. Renly had no other choice but to lift his cup too, while eyeing Stannis with great hatred. After the king left to watch the archery competition, the two Baratheon brothers started to argue:

"You... fucking... cunt!"

"I wouldn't talk like that to my older brother if I were you. Besides, if Robert will convince the Tyrells to give you Margaery, you will have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm glad the stupidity skipped me and jumped from Robert straight to you because it would have been terrifying for me to be a lackwit like you and our beloved king. Renly, if you marry the Tyrell girl, not only you will cement an alliance between our Houses, but also you will prove that everything they say to you about being a pillow-biter is nothing but lies, even though they are not, obviously. And... you will have your Knight of Flowers with you every day at Storm's End to.. do what you do together."

Renly was very intrigued:

"How so?"

"He will convince his father, or his grandmother, or whoever decides in that family that a noble girl like Margaery must have her own honor guard while at Storm's End. And who better to lead such a guard than the great Knight of Flowers, the bride's brother? Loras is a thirdborn son, he will not inherit anything from his father, so he will come to the Stormlands. You can also give him a place to build a keep, to head his own branch of House Tyrell. I know there is a clearing near Bronzegate unclaimed by the Bucklers. You just have to convince your... friend that this is the best course of action."

"And then what?"

"You just have to put a son in Margaery, a heir to your branch of House Baratheon, a trueborn child with both Baratheon and Tyrell blood in his veins that one day will inherit Storm's End. I suppose you can... you know, do it with girls?"

"Of... of course."

"Or you can just close your eyes and pretend she is Loras."

"You are a swine, you know that?"

"A swine whose oinking to Robert are about to give you what you've always wanted. How's that?"

Renly thought for a second and smiled:

"You know, for the first time in my life, I'm glad to have you as a brother."

Stannis smiled. The game of thrones is very ugly and even though you don't want to play, you must do it. Anyone who is anything in Westeros must play it, and it is even better if you have more pieces by your side. Bringing both the Vale and the Reach under House Baratheon's influence would prove highly beneficial if the war with the Lannisters would come to be. Stannis believed Ned Stark would probably support him too, as the man was honorable and would do the right and lawful thing. Also, he could be supported by Dorne too, as the Prince of Dorne would never ally himself with the Lannisters after what happened with Elia Martell. The Greyjoys would stay neutral or they would raid the Westerlands' coast, something which would help Stannis. As for the Riverlands, even though Hoster Tully would probably die soon, his son Edmure would join up with his good-brother, Ned Stark.

"Stannis, tell me... What are you really up to?"

"What do you mean? It is wrong that I think about my brother's wellbeing?"

"No, but it's strange coming from you. All these years you just brooded on that rock Robert gave you or you brooded in the Small Council chamber. And now, you act all brotherly? Ever since that snotty brat was taken by you to Dragonstone, something changed about you."

"Nothing changed, Renly. I'm the same man as before."

"The same man as before wouldn't give a shit about me and Loras, and now you want to unite us?"

"I want to unite House Tyrell with House Baratheon. If that means you and Loras Tyrell will be united, consider it to be a... boon. Now, I will go to Robert at the archery contest, to talk to him more about this. Find your Knights of Flowers and put my idea into him... among other things."

"You fucking..."

Renly calmed down and left. Stannis went to the archery range, where Robert was watching one of Walder Frey's bastards, Tommard Rivers, competing against Plegmund Gower, the youngest son of Lord Boras Gower. Robert seemed to be bored, probably awaiting the melee and the jousting to begin.

"Robert."

"Ah, Stannis! Good to see you... Fuck, this must be a shit of an archery contest if I'm more happy to see you than this..."

"Happier."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. About Renly and Margaery..."

"Yes?"

"Please, insist to the Tyrells that this marriage would be perfect for their House. The boy suffers a lot because of her and you know how it is to suffer because of love..."

Robert nodded. He knew very well. The wound caused by the loss of Lyanna Stark was as fresh in his heart right now as it was fifteen years ago.

"I know. I will insist, don't worry. But why didn't Renly tell me about this before?"

"Um... you know our brother. Always full of secrets."

"Ah, you're right. You know, everyone here at court talk about Renly being a sword-swallower but now, I realize what's with him: he is keeping himself pure for his love, Margaery! Now that's a proof of love!"

Stannis sighed. He remembered that years ago, at Storm's End, when Renly was just a boy, he found him fucking the stable hand's son in the barn. Nothing was pure about that.

"Of course, Robert. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go to speak to the Hand."

"Something wrong?"

"No, no, just talking about the fleet."

"Bah! Work during a tourney!"

"The Seven Kingdoms need attention even during tourneys, Your Grace."

"Ugh... Ah, look, Thoros of Myr! Now that's a man who can hold his drinks!"

Stannis walked away from the king, who now drank with the Myrish Red Priest who brought an entire barrel of wine with him. On his way towards Jon Arryn, another lord crossed his path, all dressed in red, with a golden lion brooch on his chest.

"Lord Tywin."

"Lord Stannis. Good to see you, it's been too long."

"Likewise."

"So, how is the young Arryn?"

Stannis felt the sting of Tywin's question. Robert Arryn was supposed to be his ward, not the Baratheon's.

"Very well, actually. He is very happy at Dragonstone."

"Happy? That's... unheard of. Someone to be happy in that dreadful castle."

"Dragonstone is truly dreadful, Lord Tywin, on that we can agree. The dragons' nest, a place from which Aegon Targaryen once conquered the entire Westeros. However, you can't deny the fact that it has a certain... beauty about it, a certain... aura."

"Of course. You surprise me, Lord Stannis. I never took you for a man with an artist's heart."

"There are many things you don't know about me."

For example, that I am the true heir of my brother.

"Indeed. Every man has a side he keeps concealed from the others."

"And with good reason. Revealing our other side could prove... problematic."

"Hm... you're right. Now, if you excuse me, Lord Stannis?"

"Of course."

After Tywin left, Stannis started to grind his teeth.

"Lord Stannis!"

The Baratheon turned his head. It was Jon Arryn and his wife, Lady Lysa, who ran towards Stannis:

"Lord Stannis! How is my boy! How is my little Sweetrobin? Is he here, with you?"

"My lord, my lady. No, the boy is at Dragonstone, training and learning."

Lysa Tully started to weep:

"Why didn't you bring my baby boy?"

"Because your... baby boy needs to be safe. As you probably noticed, the Lannisters are here, all of them: Tywin and his siblings, the queen, the Kingslayer, the Imp, every one of them is here. Would you want them to capture Robert?"

"NO! NO!"

Jon Arryn said:

"Exactly. Lord Stannis probably saved our son's life by not bringing him here."

Lysa continued to cry. Arryn said:

"Excuse my wife, Lord Stannis. She is... unwell."

What a surprise...

"I understand. Now, a word, if you may?"

"Dear, try to eat something, to regain your strength. Me and Lord Stannis will have words."

After leaving Lysa with other ladies at a table, Jon Arryn and Stannis walked together:

"What happened?"

"I put an idea in Robert's head. I want Renly to marry Mace Tyrell's daughter."

"I see... It's a good idea. Having the Reach at your side will help you, if war will come."

"Indeed. Also, it will wash the stain from my brother's name and if they will conceive a child, not only he will have an heir but we will have another way to prove that all Baratheons have black hair and blue eyes."

"My lord, I don't care about... what happens in a man's bedroom and who is he making love to, but do you really think your brother will be able to... further his line?"

"That's not my problem, my lord Hand. Renly is an adult, what he does is his problem. But if he can't, he will probably have someone to... help him out, if you understand."

"Yes, you don't have to be... more detailed. Let's hope the Tyrells will accept this match."

"It's one of the best. The King's youngest brother. Besides, the Tyrells know about Loras and Renly so they are in good relations."

"They know?"

"Of course. The Queen of Thorns, Mace, his sons, even Margaery I think. All of them know."

"Good... Ah, the jousting will begin."

"Indeed, let's go."

It's so hard... Having to suck up to this lord and that lord. But I have to bear it. A Lannister bastard will never sit the Iron Throne.