For the first time in a long time Renly woke before Loras that morning. It was quite a pleasant change Renly thought as he opened his eyes sleepily to see Loras still curled up again him, his breathing soft and steady.

Renly sighed contentedly. It was sorely tempting to lie here and do nothing save stare at Loras' sleeping form all day, but as the tourney was to be held in his honour, he supposed it just might be considered a little rude if he didn't turn up.

Bracing himself for leaving the warmth of his bed, Renly dragged himself out of bed and dressed leisurely, choosing a navy doublet that brought out the blue of his eyes. He glanced over to Loras' sleeping form as he pinned a stag brooch to his collar. It was best to let him sleep a little longer he thought, especially seeing that Loras blamed him for getting no sleep the night before.

As such, he exited the room alone, hopeful he might find a servant that would be able to bring him breakfast. Usually this would be a job for a lord's squire, but seeing as his squire was currently asleep in his own bed, he saw no alternative but to find one himself.

He didn't find a servant, but he did bump straight into Penrose who looked rather flustered.

"What's wrong Penrose?" Renly laughed. It was only early into their stay in the capital and it looked like something had already gone wrong.

"The men out on the Tourney field are fussing." Penrose stated wearily "Apparently they are one short. Your squire was supposed to be camping next to Grandison and Morrigen and yet no-one's seen him all morning."

Renly couldn't help but look rather sheepish. He hadn't considered that Loras would be missed and that people would worry. Thinking about it now however, he supposed that it had been a rather poor oversight on his part.

Penrose raised an eyebrow at Renly's expression and sighed.

"I'll tell the men not to worry then shall I?" he laughed "I admit that I thought as much."

Renly was taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked indignantly.

Penrose laughed, shaking his head in fond exasperation "As if I didn't know that Loras hasn't slept in his own bed for at least the past year..."

Renly tried to protest at this but only a sort of strangled sound came out, Penrose merely smiling at how flustered he was becoming.

"Save your lies for the court Renly, you're going to need them." And with that he turned on his heel and swept down the corridor, his cloak swishing behind him as he no doubt headed back to the tourney ground.

Renly sighed as he watched him leave. First Stannis and now Penrose it seemed. He wondered whether he should feel worried at Penrose' revelation. He supposed not, he had no reason to doubt Penrose's loyalty. All the same, it made him more than a little uncomfortable. It seemed he and Loras weren't as discrete as he'd assumed they were.

He found a serving girl at the end of the corridor though and soon enough he was returning to his rooms with a heavily laden tray.

Loras was still asleep when he entered, and Renly couldn't help but laugh at the way his curls were sticking up all over the place. He sat himself down on the bed next to him and shook him awake gently.

Loras looked up at him sleepily. "Is it already morning?"

"Yes" Renly nodded, thrusting the tray of food at him "Eat"

"You know I'm still your squire for at least a little while longer." Loras laughed "You don't need to wait on me quite yet."

"I thought I'd let you sleep, you do look ever so sweet when you're sleeping." Renly grinned. "It's very deceptive in fact!"

Loras shoved him playfully at these words, but allowed Renly to run his hands through his hair and untangle the curls, leaning against him heavily.

"So where have you been this morning?" Loras asked after a time, fiddling absent-mindedly with Renly's brooch.

Renly grimaced and told him about his encounter with Penrose.

Loras raised an eyebrow. "You seriously thought Penrose didn't know?" He sighed. "I always thought he must have had at least some idea what was going on."

Renly shrugged. "Well it certainly seems so."

Loras just laughed and Renly leant down to kiss him, set on savouring their last few moments of peace before they would be swept up in the noise and excitement of the tourney.

…..

The city was busy as they rode over. The small folk of the capital had turned out in force to celebrate his name day, and the streets were a sea of colour. Young boys waved home-made banners emblazoned with the sigil of their favourite knight and the maids all had flowers and ribbons in their hair. Prostitutes too weaved through the crowd, clad in silks and with their hair pinned up in exotic imagined those who owned brothels would have a field day this coming week, what with the inpouring of lords and knights from all corners of the kingdom, all with money to spend in their pockets.

It was the perfect day for a tourney Renly couldn't help but think. The sun was shining and the breeze off the sea was calm and almost fresh for once.

"How do you find it?" He asked, turning to Loras who was riding beside him

Loras just shrugged and Renly smiled. He knew that whilst Kings Landing was very different to Highgarden, and to Storm's End for that matter, Loras would probably feel no less self-assured here.

Finally having battled their way through the crowds, they arrived at the Tourney ground. Robert had arrived shortly before them, and was seated under a great pavilion that was draped in blacks and golds, the Baratheon colours. A flagon of wine was already in his hand and every time he took a swig from it, Renly saw that the Queen's expression became a little more pained and she visibly suppressed a sigh, looking pointedly away from her royal husband.

Following her gaze, Renly could see that it was her twin she was watching, To her right he was saddling his horse, his white cloak of the Kingsguard flapping slightly in the world. He also was very comely, and Renly was ashamed to admit that had Jaime Lannister been less of a kingslaying monster, he might have found him rather attractive.

Loras had seemed to notice Renly's gaze and smirked as if guessing Renly's thoughts, seemingly not feeling in the least threatened.

Renly raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help but turn to whisper in his ear as they walked through the crowd towards the pavilion, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible.

"So how come you can smirk at me admiring Jaime Lannister and yet you practically turned green with envy when I danced with that maid of Tarth?" he practically hissed.

"Easy" Loras smirked. "You don't like him, and he doesn't like you. Where's the threat there?"

"And I liked the maid did I?"

"More than you like the Kingslayer" Loras said simply, as if it were obvious.

"I admit that I found her company tolerable enough, but I hardly would ever be capable of liking her the way I like you"

"Obviously. But that doesn't change the fact that you pander to her obvious infatuation with you. It was irritating"

"Obvious infatuation?!" Renly just rolled his eyes and turned away from him. Loras was impossible. He would never understand what was going on in that boy's head

Loras was just about to reply when Renly raised his hand to hush him. Ser Barristan was approaching, ready to escort him to his seat beside the Robert.

He turned back to Loras. "Loras I'll see you later, you're to stay with Penrose until my tilt is called and then come find me."

Loras nodded and muttering something very rude about Penrose under his breath, turned to follow the older man through the crowd.

"Oh and Loras," Renly called after him "Good luck!"

Loras grinned and Renly watched him leave as Barristan Selmy escorted him to the pavilion, leading him to a seat to the right of Robert. Usually the crown prince would sit here, yet as the Tourney was to be held for Renly's name day, he had been given the honour of sitting at the king's right side. The crown prince was sat to Renly's own right, in between himself and Stannis, and greeted him cordially enough when Renly sat down. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes though and his face displayed the same glaze of boredom that graced his mother's. He lounged effortlessly in his seat, his face smug with a self-important righteousness that made Renly want to grind his teeth in Stannis fashion.

Ser Barristan sat in the tier in front of him, with the rest of the Kingsguard and the hound, Joffrey's sworn shield. All eight would be riding today, and Renly crossed his fingers that he would not be called to face any of them.

He was very thankful indeed thus when it was announced that he would be opening the tourney against a knight of House Hollard, the only knight of House Hollard in fact if Renly remembered correctly, for that knightly house of Duskendale had all but been wiped out by the Mad King.

He was a portly man and Renly was pleased to note that he didn't look particularly threatening. On the contrary, Renly had a slight suspicion the man might be drunk. His gait seemed rather unsteady and he was waving his arms around rather wildly as his squire did up his gauntlets.

All the same, he thanked his luck and descended from the pavilion to face him, Loras approaching him to make a few last minute adjustments to his own armour.

"What do you think my chances are?" Renly laughed, as Loras fastened the gorget.

Loras glanced disdainfully in the knight's direction who was now stumbling as he tried to mount his horse.

"If you lose against him Renly, I will be ashamed to be associated with you."

Renly just grinned and mounted his own steed, shifting in the saddle so that Loras could tighten the girth. "I'd better not lose then." He whispered, feeling unusually confident as he watched his opponent kick his horse on clumsily.

He was right not to have worried it seemed, for it transpired that the knight clearly was drunk. He fell out of his saddle before Renly's lance had even touched him and the crowd roared with laughter as he rolled around in the dirt, cursing loudly as his red cloak became soiled with mud.

Renly was all too willing to join in the laughter, and grinned as several squires ran out to help the floundering knight, pulling him to his feet and leading him to a barrel of water into which they dunked his head.

Robert seemed to find the whole thing rather amusing and clapped Renly heartily on the shoulder as he retook his seat, congratulating him loudly and exuberantly.

It seemed to take a age before Loras tilt was caused and when it was, Renly imagined that he was more nervous than Loras himself probably was. He had never seen Loras nervous and imagined that he would approach this just as unfazed as he usually was despite it being his first tourney. He was up against Ser Andar Royce whom Renly knew almost nothing about, other than that he was Lord Royce of Runestone's eldest son. He wondered whether he was any good.

Renly could hardly bear to watch he was desperate for Loras to do well. Yet he forced himself to watch as the two men galloped headlong at each other, one a knight and the other almost one. Renly only realised he had been holding his breath when he let out a long sigh of relief as Ser Andar hit the ground with a dull thump.

Ser Barristan turned to him from the row of seats in front.

"Your squire, my lord?" he asked.

"Yes" Renly asked, feeling rather proud "Loras has been my squire for many years now."

Ser Barristan laughed. "But I'd hazard a guess that he won't be your squire for much longer! How old is he?"

"Four and ten" Renly replied.

"He's good." Ser Barristan smiled. "I've rarely seen anyone hold a lance so naturally, let alone at ten and four. Mark my words, he'll be one of the best before long."

Renly laughed. "I'd pass on your compliments. But I fear telling him that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard praised his skills would only serve to make him rather more arrogant than he already is!"

Ser Barristan laughed back. "Ah yes, arrogance gets the better of most young knights. Most grow out of it" He paused and Renly could have sworn that his eyes flicked to Jaime Lannister. "Some don't."

Renly smiled, and with that they both turned back to the jousting, where one of the Freys had just been unhorsed by Thoros of Myr.

It was a good Tourney and Renly was pleased to see Penrose perform well despite getting on in years, breaking his lance on the shield of Ser Lothor Brune and unhorsing one of the lesser Lannisters, before being unhorsed himself by Ser Meryn Trant, a knight of the Kingsguard. He was not pleased to see however that Nabert Grandison, the lad with whom Loras often quarrelled, also performed adequately, defeating Ser Hobber Redwyne, before losing to his twin Ser Horas.

Renly himself on the other hand felt he'd been rather hard done by. He defeated a Ser Reynald of House Westerling with relative ease before being drawn against Ser Robar Royce, the younger brother of the knight Loras had faced in the first round. He seemed rather more skilled than Ser Andar and Renly had found that he'd had to respect the young knight's prowess even despite the fact that it had left him in the dirt.

They'd spoken afterwards, Ser Robar wishing him a good name day as they made their way to the end of the lists. Renly had found him very pleasant and obliging and had returned to his seat out of the tourney but with a smile on his face.

Loras on the other hand seemed to have found his calling in life. Renly had known he was good, everybody had always told him so, but he hadn't expected him to be quite this good. He had already unhorsed Ser Horas and Ser Bryan Fossoway, and in the fourth round Renly was astounded to see him break his lance on the shield of Ser Meryn Trant.

Renly didn't think he'd ever forget the look on Ser Meryn's face as he realised he'd been out-jousted by a fourteen year old who was still a squire at that. Renly couldn't help but laugh as Ser Meryn returned to his seat with a grim frown on his face, made worse by the fact that many of his fellow Kingsguard seemed to find his defeat at the hands of a squire highly amusing.

Renly groaned inwardly however when it was announced that Loras would be facing no other than Jaime Lannister in the semi-finals. He glanced anxiously over at where Loras was saddling up, a fat boy called Borrys helping him with his gauntlets. He didn't seem fazed by the fact that he was about to ride against the best knight in the seven kingdoms and yet Renly thought even Loras must have known that he stood no chance of moving through this round.

Indeed, it was over rather quickly, and in a loud clash of steel, Loras hit the ground hard. He didn't seem hurt though and stood up rather quickly, leading his horse back to the stables.

Renly wanted to go to him and congratulate him, but with the semi-finals already started, Renly thought it rather imprudent to leave his seat at a tourney held in his honour. Not that Robert would have noticed Renly thought. He was so drunk that he could barely string a sentence together, and considering the rate Robert was drinking at now, he could only imagine how rowdy the feast later would get. He knew that Robert would expect him to get well and truly into his cups too; his brother had rather strong opinions on exactly how much a Baratheon ought to drink, and as Stannis always fell short of Robert's expectations, Renly knew that the pressure would be on him to drink all the other lords under the table.

Still Robert seemed to have sobered up enough by the finals to be able to congratulate Jaime Lannister as he unhorsed the Hound in the final round.

"Jaime Lannister" The King had slurred. "Jaime Lannister... I suppose I'm obligated to give you your winnings." The king chucked a large sack full to bursting with gold dragons at Jaime Lannister's feet. "Not that it's much for a Lannister of course... Maybe I'll have to ask your Lord father to shit out some more!" The king boomed with laughter and Renly thought the Queen about to slap him. As quickly as it had come though, the rage dissipated from her face, and again she resumed her bored expression.

It was only when Jaime Lannister had been waved away by the King and the crowd began to disperse, that Renly thought it safe to slip away and find his household.