Author's Notes: Welcome to the next chapter in this ongoing saga! Thank you so much for your continued support in this endeavor. We've gotten this far thanks to you! Let's keep it going!

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Chapter 93

Margaery V

She did nothing to hide her excitement as she walked down the corridor. She had been waiting patiently to make her move. While she had spoken with the princess and listened raptly to her life story, that single encounter was hardly satisfying.

Although Princess Daenerys was gracious and frequently had a ready smile, there was a wariness in her eyes. Margaery had decided it would be ill-advised to pursue her with the same forthrightness she had attempted with King Aemon and Lord Jaime, and she had only been testing the waters then. She was the daughter of one lord paramount and married to a future one; their meeting was all but inevitable. She had very nearly jumped at the opportunity her grandmother had offered when she had managed to impress upon the princess a dinner invitation. However, she figured one overbearing personality was enough for the princess to deal with at dinner. There would be time enough for her to speak with Daenerys without the pressure of her grandmother.

She sent a tea invitation. It had been two days without a reply. Then King Aemon confirmed what she had suspected: Princess Daenerys was overwhelmed and she wished not to decline for fear of insulting. She was grateful, though not surprised, when the king asked her to accommodate the princess. Margaery leapt at the opportunity and thus she was on her way to see the princess at that very moment.

Among the intrigue and excitement she felt to finally be meeting the princess, Margaery could admit to jealousy. She was not unaware that she was blessed with the beauty expected of a queen. At any other time, a king would have fallen all over himself to wed her. But she would not deny that she had met her match in Princess Daenerys. Her face was similarly soft, but her silver hair and purple eyes gave her beauty an ethereal quality. But where Margaery was demure and preferred to wheedle and entice, Princess Daenerys had a fiery resolve and a will strong as steel. She did not envy the poor girl being forced to marry a savage such as Khal Drogo, but her journey to finally return to Westeros was extraordinary.

Margaery was particularly fascinated by the dragons. She had grown up with the certainty that they had forever vanished from the world, yet Princess Daenerys had hatched not just one, but two. A thrill of fear and wonder shivered through Margaery whenever she saw the dragons swoop into Blackwater Bay and she took every chance to watch. They were creatures of power and beauty, much like Princess Daenerys herself. Ever since she had learned that her days in the Red Keep were numbered, she felt a pang at the thought of being carried away to the barren north, unlikely to ever see the dragons again. But she was married and hers and Robb's child was quickening in her belly. Growing up, she had long been taught that her place was at her husband's side and it was always a possibility that she would be forced away from the hive of activity that was court life.

There is still great opportunity in the North, she reminded herself. Lord Stark, for all of his kindness and honor, was a bit bumbling. In her time at the Stark dinner table, she had come to understand that Lord Stark was the type of man who would watch the world go by around him if left undisturbed. She could think of worse men to follow, but Robb nearly worshipped his father. Once Robb inherited Winterfell, she intended to hit the ground running. It would take every ounce of cunning and wheedling she could muster to steer him in the right direction. Until then, her attention would be on her children. She could already imagine their beautiful fire-tinged hair.

Enough of that. She shook her head of the pleasant dream and drew in her breath to focus. This was her moment to kindle a friendship that would last through the ages.

Margaery drew herself up at the door and knocked.

A young woman with ebony skin opened the door.

"Good day! I am Lady Margaery Stark. His Grace, King Aemon has sent me to offer whatever help I may to Princess Daenerys," she said, giving the woman a polite bob of the head. The only other woman of dark skin she had met was Lady Delphine. She wondered at their beauty, taking note that both ladies had different hair. When she had been young, she and her cousins would take turns doing each other's hair, applying make-up, and spouting pretty words. A desire to braid the woman's hair roused within her. It was times like this when she missed such days and wished it was proper conduct between ladies; she would just have to dote on any daughters she had.

"I will inform Princess Daenerys. Please wait here," the woman said with a short curtsey.

In the next moment, the princess appeared and beamed. "Lady Margaery Stark, I am so pleased to meet you personally."

"And I, you, Princess," Margaery replied with a curtsy. "Come! I have arranged tea with the other future ladies paramounts."

Daenerys stepped out, but then she reached behind her and gently pulled the other woman forward. "Missandei, do join us," she said.

"O-of course," Margaery said, taken aback. She wondered if the young woman was from a family of noble birth and not a servant at all, but Princess Daenerys had not mentioned a title. She was not one to make assumptions, so she bobbed again and said, "Welcome, Missandei."

As they began walking towards the gardens, Margaery noticed Ser Torrhen, Ser Jorah, and another of the princess' guards following.

"Lady Margaery, have you known King Aemon for long?" Princess Daenerys asked, her expression pleasant and curious.

"I only met His Grace six months ago. When an alliance was first brokered, King's Landing was still in the power of Lord Renly. A battlefield is not a suitable place for a lady, so my grandmother insisted we stay in Highgarden until the king took his throne. Once we received the news of His Grace's victory, we started out from Highgarden."

"I see. And what do you think of His Grace?"

"I have found him to be a kind and gentle man. Very gracious. He treats his allies well, but he stands strong against his enemies."

"King Aemon mentioned to me that he had some trouble with traitors. He mentioned that they attempted a coup."

Margaery grew grim. "Indeed. I believe Lord Tywin himself made an attempt to kill my husband, Lord Robb, the king's cousin. We were forced out of our beds in the dead of night and made to hide so that Lord Jaime could set a trap for him. It was a near thing."

"I am sorry. That must have been a frightening experience," Daenerys said, her tone soft and empathy shining in her eyes.

"Thank you. One can never be too sure with a man like Lord Tywin. Are you familiar with his reputation?"

Daenerys drew her mouth into a terse frown but her eyes were far off. "I am. A vile man," she whispered.

"Thank the Seven he is no longer of this earth," Margaery said with a shudder.

"One thing puzzles me: he made mention that he was aware this was being planned. Do you not think he could have struck down his enemies sooner?"

Margaery glanced down as she walked and fidgeted with the folds of her dress. It was something that she had turned over in her head multiple times. Though she'd had an inkling of the plans Lord Tywin and Lord Petyr Baelish made, she hadn't known who the players were at the time and certainly hadn't expected the Master of Coin to be one of them. She had talked it over with Willas one evening some weeks ago. He had shown a rare moment of anger:"Were I king, I could not imagine taking those chances with my family."

"You presume he knew their lives were at stake."

"It seems obvious."

"Maybe now it does. But Robb is not Targaryen."

"The king made him heir in the event of his death. It was always a possibility."

"Yes, but what could the king do? There is no Targaryen army for him to command. It would hardly do to double the guard in the household. People would take notice, they would start to question. His grandfather was paranoid; he would look paranoid."

She saw Willas' anger diminish and he shifted in his seat. "I just can't imagine leaving you vulnerable to that."

"But you have. It is my duty as a lady to stand by my husband. We must accept that risk of danger."

His anger had leaked away and she saw his fear. "The king had an uncanny confidence."

"He had Lord Jaime," she replied

"Another puzzle. It's rare to see such disparate people on the same page and yet they've been in lockstep since we first saw Lord Jaime in Highgarden."

It was a relief to hear that she was not the only one struck by the oddity of Lord Jaime's loyalty to King Aemon. The two were so different. Upon meeting King Aemon, she thought he would balk at Lord Jaime's arrogance and viciousness, but he did not appear bothered by it. The alliance had every appearance to be ripe for conflict. She had heard of fights, most notably regarding the appointment of Ser Sandor Clegane to the Kingsguard. It seemed his enemies had thought similarly and tried to drive a wedge between them. Yet both men had risen above it, their unlikely friendship showing no obvious strain.

"Would you have suspected Petyr Baelish?" Margaery had barely known who he was apart from being Master of Coin. Her grandmother had some choice words about his brothel business, but apart from it being a tasteless one, he had seemed harmless. It was just another lesson in how appearances could deceive.

"No," Willas began, "He was arrogant considering his holdings, but I'm not sure I ever would have thought of him as anything but toothless."

"Neither did I," she said and felt a cold shiver run down her back at the thought of how close the Stranger had been.

She finally spoke, "Perhaps he could have. But his enemies were clever. They were careful in the way they made their plans. He wanted it known that the king's justice is fair; that he is no more his grandfather than a son is his father. I believe the saying goes, he gave them enough rope to hang themselves. And so they did."

Princess Daenerys nodded and became pensieve. Margaery started walking again. Her grandmother made mention that the princess was aware of the king's proposal of marriage, but had begged for time. She was certain the princess would not miss anything with her purple eyes, so she had opted to be honest, but now she wondered how it might sway the princess' decision. It was a foreign idea to her that any woman would turn down the opportunity of being queen, but the woman in front of her did not act like she was angling for power. She seemed too honest for that.

Perhaps I will know better after tea today, Margaery mused.

"And what do you think of Lord Jaime Lannister?" Princess Daenerys finally asked.

Margaery raised her eyebrows at her. "Well, I would call him neither kind nor particularly generous. Though, as I understand it, House Lannister is funding the healer group called the Shepherds. They offer free care for the commonfolk in King's Landing, but I do believe they provide different services to Lord Jaime. He is beautiful, but arrogant. Where His Grace is keen to avoid conflict, Lord Jaime revels in it. There are few now who would dare get on his bad side."

The princess furrowed her brow and Margaery could feel the disapproval radiating from her. "I have difficulty understanding why someone like King Aemon would approve of the likes of Jaime Lannister. I know that he is a powerful ally, but Ser Barristan spoke as if they were the closest of friends. I just don't understand," Princess Daenerys finished, though she glanced towards Missandei and smiled.

"The truth is no one really knows. It is certainly odd, but there is no denying Lord Jaime's commitment to King Aemon as an ally. I've given it thought and, to be honest, Lord Jaime is the backbone of King Aemon's reign. The king would have never been able to claim his rightful place on the throne and it is possible he would not have been able to command the necessary respect to keep the throne without Lord Jaime. Before King Aemon hatched his dragon, he needed those things, and it seems Lord Jaime was willing to oblige."

A silence fell for a moment and as they were rounding the corner to enter the garden, Princess Daenerys said, "You have given me much to think about. I thank you for your honesty."

Margaery beamed at her. "Of course!" As it was a beautiful day, the gardens were crowded with tea parties being hosted by other ladies, yet all eyes were on them as they approached. Margaery drew herself up straighter and smiled, though her eyes flashed a warning at anyone thinking of daring to approach.

She led the two women with her to a canopy set up in the very middle of the pavilion where few bushes could be found for eavesdropping.

"Ladies," Margaery called out. The two young girls jumped from their seats.

"Princess, I am Sansa Stark."

"I am Shireen Baratheon."

The two girls dipped into curtsies. Daenerys returned with one of her own and Missandei awkwardly followed her lead, clearly having only just learned to curtsy. Both of their eyes naturally lingered on Shireen's greyscale that spiderwebbed across her face.

"It is an honor to meet you," she replied.

"I am Missandei," the other woman introduced herself and got greetings in kind.

"Lady Shireen, if I may, are you the former King Robert's daughter?" Princess Daenerys asked.

"My father is Lord Stannis," Shireen said with a proud smile. "He is currently imprisoned here in King's Landing."

Princess Daenerys blinked in surprise and said, "I am sorry to hear that."

"I still see him sometimes. He is treated well. My father says that His Grace has a task for him, though he has not said what it is. The king is merciful and I am hopeful my father will be free before too much longer," she replied.

"But you are not imprisoned?" Princess Daenerys asked with some intensity.

Shireen shook her head. "I have been made Lady of Storm's End, my house's ancestral home, Princess. My father is pleased that I at least will inherit it."

The Princess relaxed upon hearing this and said, "You may all call me Daenerys."

"Lord Stannis was among those who stood against King Aemon when he was marching towards King's Landing," Margaery explained. "At the time, he was Lord of Dragonstone, the Targaryen ancestral home. He did not commit any soldiers against the king, but he refused to relent the castle until he could bargain."

"I see," Daenerys said, looking pensive once more.

"Is it true you sailed the seas with pirates?" Shireen asked. Her eyes grew bright and her voice rose with her excitement.

Daenerys grinned. "I did. Not sure I would recommend it. They are a grumpy lot."

Over the next few hours, Margaery oversaw tea. She stayed quiet herself, carefully observing the interactions. Shireen peppered both Daenerys and Missandei with questions about Essos. Lady Baratheon was still young, but Margaery was pleased to see that even in her unbridled curiosity, she demonstrated tact by not prying into their personal lives. When Missandei mentioned she was from Naath, everyone perked up. Unfortunately, Missandei had been seized by slavers at a young age and remembered little from her culture. Apart from the threat of slavers, Naath sounded like a beautiful place to live and Margaery wondered how her life would have differed if she had been born to the island where peace reigned and everyone knew the beauty of song. Scheming and politics would have never been a part of her life.

Sansa had started tea time stiff and keeping to her courtesies, but after listening to Daenerys patiently answer every one of Shireen's questions, she began to relax and open up. It wasn't long before they had cleared the plate of lemon cakes and drained three cups of tea apiece.

"Daenerys, Missandei, the ladies and I were planning on visiting the orphanage in Flea Bottom. I know the children would love to have you there as well," Margaery said.

The princess' eyes lit up and her smile grew brighter if at all possible. "I would be happy to! What do you normally do for the children?"

"We often spend time mending their clothes and fixing their toys. They only have so much after all."

Daenerys' smile faltered and she looked ashamed.

"Oh no, did I say something wrong?"

"I-I cannot sew. I never learned," Daenerys replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It's never too late to learn if you're interested. We often do sewing get-togethers in the gardens. I'll be sure to let you know the next time we have one. In the meantime, we will be taking new toys and clothes to the children. You can always hand them out and tell them stories of Essos. I'm sure they would be just as interested as Lady Shireen is."

Daenerys smiled again. "Thank you. I would appreciate that. Both the sewing and accompanying you on your visit. Missandei, do you want to go?"

"Of course, Khaleesi."

"You may call me Daenerys too," the princess replied, playfully nudging her with an elbow. "It has been a pleasant morning, ladies, but I am required to prepare for dinner this evening."

Margaery stood herself. "Yes, I think we all need to start preparing. I will be happy to walk you back."

"You're too kind."

Unlike going to tea time, they walked in easy silence. At one point Healer David crossed their paths. He bowed to them and said, "Princess, my ladies." Then he returned to walking down his path.

Margaery took three steps before realizing she was alone and turned. Missandei was patiently standing nearby, but Daenerys was staring after the departing healer. When they began walking again, Daenerys' expression was quizzical. "Who was that?" she asked.

"That is Healer David, leader of the Shepherds. I believe we spoke of him before tea. He serves Lord Jaime and is a healer to much of King's Landing."

"Hmm…." Daenerys said no more on the subject, but it was clear she was troubled.

Margaery did everything in her power not to frown, but her curiosity was piqued. She glanced back at the direction Healer David had gone, having since disappeared. One glance at Daenerys and she knew better than to ask further, but now the pleasantly frustrating ache of a mystery left her fidgeting. She would make inquiries but she rather doubted she would learn about this turn of events from anyone but Daenerys herself.

The moment they parted, Margaery hurried away, trying to stifle the questions that rose up like bubbles in her mind.