Game of Thrones Tales: Lannister Family Values
Summary: In an alternative universe, King Robert calls on a different old friend and brother to assist him. But whose decency, kindness, and sense of honor, while a bit different from Ned Stark's are equally strong. But are the family values of House Addams a match for the ruthless Lannisters?
Part LXVIII…
Temple of the Light Lord, Stormin' Out…
High Priestess Melisandre in private and somewhat desperate meditation and communion with the One True as opposed to yours, God…Who Loves you but will roast you alive after hideous torture if you're not nice to Him and cater to His Jealousy of other, naturally false, gods.
Said loving God who seems currently to be putting His High Priestess through a lot of hoops…
"Show me the Way, LL…" Melisandre prayed to the Eternal Flame. "I've done all you asked ever since I joined the Faith wandering lost in the black oozing fields of eternal flame fluid after You demonstrated Your power to me by roasting all those others in the black oozing fields as I stood on the rocks witnessing your glory and getting my hair burned off. But our Anointed One seems to be turning from Us…er You, of course You…I'm nothing and nobody, of course, except as I transmit the Truth from You as interpreted by Me…Uh, me. The nobody vessel of your Word."
"And of course I realize your Mercy in allowing me to return to Your Temple last night in peace after Lord Stanislaw expressed his concerns at his council meeting in no uncertain and clearly threatening terms. But if you could just do something to convince Your Anointed that he hasn't backed the wrong horse in You…Given Lord Rently and all…And maybe, crush the Boleyn deviation while You're at it? I'd really appreciate it."
Gods…Whoa, whoa, whoa! No, no, no…Light Lord…Light Lord my guide and Savior from my personal abyss…Yes, Light Lord, there be no other gods. Just a habit thing from my childhood raised by ignorant peasants who only knew the false gods. Well…Light Lord…If only my Tyrion were here…He'd crack some joke and have me in stiches…Fond smile. Even if I were about to mount the gallows or the pyre…
From leather pouch hung from her neck pulls miniature portrait she'd secretly commissioned…A rather well-done image of Tyrion looking a bit soused…The artist having been also a brothel prostitute at one point and rather familiar with both Lannister brothers…But with charming if wasted smile…
My Tyr…Oh, I'll always seek vengeance on your family, but I'll never stop loving you. Damn, I think even if I learned you'd wanted to dump me, I'd still excuse it from the aftereffects of Lannister parenting. But I know in my heart, whatever persuaded you to let things take that course condemning me to the life of a prostitute and finally, a true outcast, an Actress…You didn't do it deliberately, in the sense of the usual arrogant Lord kicking a naïve girl to the curb. You were misled, I'm sure of it. And one day…One really good day…I'll get the truth out of your father and lay it before you…
Ok…Sure…I may hook up with Ser Davos in the meantime, though it's looking unlikely given the very qualities I adore in him and you…And the sweet beauty and devotion of his lovely wife…But if I should manage to get her condemned and win Davos via blackmail or just post-widowhood loneliness, we'll work it out. I'll forgive you the endless whores you've drowned your sorrows in and you'll forgive me a lil' whoopie with Davos…And/or, maybe, Stanislaw, if I must, to hold him…To the True Faith and his Destiny, natch. Or maybe, just possibly, Rently…If he turns out to be either bi- or Machiavellian enough to take me on.
But in my heart of hearts know I'm pullin' for you, my sweet little muffin…Kissing portrait and returning it to its pouch and concealing it within the folds of her robes.
"Anyway, LL…As to the practical. If Your Cause is to prevail, we must get Stanislaw back firmly on the right Path. You've got to…Well, I mean I suggest You, natch…Move to show us that these little setbacks…The failure of civil war, Rently's new alliance with the Boleyn and Markwell clans…Are just that. Little setbacks to test our resolve and Faith. Though, all things considered…" she sighed. "Some of us seem to be failing the test…I'm talkin' about you, Petyr!" she groused to the walls, picturing her faithless attendant.
Even now denying any knowledge of the crazy bitch priestess to a group of relatives of her victims in the nearest tavern…His third denial as the morning cocks crowed…
Kinda wondering just how many of the Faithful are left right now, she sighed…Might be wise to go stir them up a bit, get em out in the streets, hear us roar…
Just hope the 'roar' isn't crickets chirping on an empty street…
"Well, I'll trust in You, LL, as I always have since you led me out of darkness and into the Light." She rose.
An attendant rushing in, looking rather more than nervous…
"I was not to be disturbed, Fredwynn…" she frowned.
Not that there's many of the so-called "Faithful" about left to disturb me. Actually kinda nice to find I have one guy left, even if Fred's the sort of dutiful sort who if paid up for the month wageswise will do his duty for the month…
"My Lady…Captain Brienne of Tarth…Butch commander of Prince Rently's Guard…Is here…In her armor and sternest mood…To call on you…" anxious glance.
As in…You would give a faithful old attendant a bit of warning if it's time to junk this nonsense…He eyed her.
"I see…" she stood erect. "Let her enter."
I mean there's only the front entrance, the basement door, and that low window in the hall and if I know Captain Anna Eleanor Brienne, she's got them all covered. I may as well go with dignity and save my groveling pleas for mercy for Stanislaw and his wife, my hopefully still fanatic follower.
"Yes, ma'am…" the attendant hurried off.
…
Tent of Prince Rently and his new bride…
Where a stunned Rently, naked under fur blanket was taking in recent events as Margeary slept beside him. Her chest under the fur gently rising and falling, her hair askew on the bed, a bit lifted by her light breath in and out.
Wow…
That was not awful at all… What a sweet kid…He turned to eye the sleeping Margeary.
Of course, it sure helped when she put on that Peter Pan costume and then dressed us both up as pirates…
And then, when…That…Was done…She was so nice and fun. What a great conversationalist…And so damned funny…Not to mention what she did on the skillet with that bit of goat cheese and bread for a late night snack.
All-in-all, for an arranged marriage…Always difficult in ways…And other minor inconveniences…This could work out.
Not saying I wouldn't love to see my ole pal Ser Lotus for in-depth political conversations and other manly talk, alone in secure and secluded places like isolated hunting lodges and spas as often as possible…But, when not possible…He eyed Margeary…
This could be quite nice…
So sweet of her to say she thought I'd make a wonderful dad. And she so gets me on my ideas of good kingship. Social reform, working to win hearts and minds, etc…Cultural progress. Feeding the starving instead of holding massive bloody tournaments. And so well-educated…
If it has to be…An arranged marriage of course I mean…
This could work out.
"Ohhh…Rently…" Margeary, opening eyes and stretching…Wide, warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"Like a top, though we didn't sleep much…" he noted, rather archly.
"No, we did not my Prince." She grinned. "I hope you had as good a time as I did…" beam.
"It was…Just wonderful." He smiled. She giving him archlong glance… Rently? Cocking her head up on one elbow to stare at him.
"Really? You know I told you you could tell me everything. And you don't need to please me, I want you to be honest, to learn everything I can about you and tell you all I can about me, to make us both happy."
"That's so kind…Really." He smiled. "But no, it was so sweet…I truly enjoyed…Everything. I just hope you were pleased."
"Well…Good…And yes, surprisingly." Careful stare at his look. "I'm being honest, you see. I knew we might have some problems, as I told you last night. And I want to make sure you and I are both happy." Reach of hand to his… "I want us to be best friends, Rently, and to be able to count on each other."
"I want that too, Margeary. Uh, is that the best name for you or do you prefer something else? I mean, like a pet name or something?"
"Ary is what my uncle Maced calls me. He's so sweet…" she grinned. "Says that it fits my spirit. I know my grandmother, who's had the care of me a lot, considers him not exactly the brightest torch in the socket but I love him dearly. How's about that?"
"Ary? I like it." He nodded. "You can call me Ren or Rent…"
"Or maybe…Sydney." She grinned. "I like Sydney. Something of my own to claim in you."
"Hmmn…Between us? Why not?" he smiled. "I rather like it myself. Sydney it is, thank ye." Nod of head. Sigh. "You know I feel you got shortchanged on the wedding… I imagine you do too…"
"Sydney?" she eyed him.
Shrug…"Well, this is hardly the Redder Keep and that beach platform was hardly the Septa Chapel of Kings Landing…You deserved better. And I promise I'll get you more…"
"What about what I want…?" firm stare. "Sydney. You see I'm not entirely selfless." Smile. "And as for what I want, it's very simple. I want a nice, good person who can learn to love me whom I can love and to whom I can be a helpmate. Simple as that. Not that being Queen wouldn't be great…And not to say I don't think I wouldn't make a good and caring one…I would." Nod. "But the Game of Thrones, to use Lord Belloq's mystery author's term, is very changeable. You can be up one day and down or even dead, not to mean to cast a pall over our just-after wedding morning. In the end, what really matters is the person you make your life with. Good and decent and loving people often don't make it in this world but they make life worth living while they're here. I want someone good and decent and loving to make my life worth living." Shrewd stare. "And Sydney? I've had my eye on you for a long time. I've not forgotten our past meetings at royal events…"
Young Margeary curtseying at tournament to a younger if far less happy and coherent Rob and far more frustrated Queen Cersei, eyeing Rently seated next to Rob, smiling at her.
Another meeting at Sevenmas…Rently offering his hand to lead Margeary to the dance floor…She beaming at him as he whirled her about the room. Multiple nobles pleasantly nodding to them…Rob making vague remark to Cersei that the girlie on the floor with Rent looks doable and sweet, two items missing in his Queen…
Margeary smiling at Rently as he helps her aim arrow at royal hunt…Both in heavy furs as they stand in the snow in a hunting stand…He beaming back kindly at her warm smile. Rob's eager shouts of "Finish him! And if you hit the Queen, no prob, automatic pardon!" in the distance.
"I have read up on you and heard from Lot about you and I think you're good and decent. Lot vouches for the loving, which I've actually seen, when you were so concerned about the wounded and maimed at your brother's tournaments." Smile… "And ambitious enough without being the type who'd make my life a hell of desperate battles and plots and horrible crimes. Maybe you'll win out, that would be lovely." She nodded.
"Truly…And we could do great good together. But if you don't manage it and we remain Prince and Princess, I'll do all I can to make our life together a good and useful one. Same if we get exiled and well, if the worst comes to the worst…I'll hold your hand on the gallows and we'll enter the afterlife together. If you remain good and decent and do all you can to be loving to me." Warm smile.
Whoa…He blinked.
"Ary…" Rently sighed, shaking head. "Gods, you are a prize. I think I won far more than a kingdom last night…" he noted to her beaming face. "And I'm going to tell my brother the King that he needs to acknowledge us and he can keep his succession with Tommen if he likes."
She took his hand in hers…
"That may not please my beloved if creepy father, but it pleases me." She nodded, leaning in to kiss him. Pulling back to eye him wryly…
"Before we summon this crowd to our morning after breakfast and watch Stanislaw try to be minimally courteous, shall I put the Pan costume back on?"
"Oh, definitely…If it pleases you, Ary." He smiled.
"I do believe it would…" she nodded.
…
"I'm summoned…By Prince Rently…?" Melisandre eyed Brienne, firmly at attention before her.
"Yes, ma'am." Firm nod.
"And for what reason?"
"You…Are invited to the wedding breakfast, ma'am."
I am…? Melisandre blinked.
"I am…" she tried to answer with decorum. "How kind of the Prince."
"Indeed. And not what I would approve of as his Guards Commander for his security." Grim stare.
"Oh…Well, I assure you…Captain…I mean the Prince no harm, so long as he remains a faithful brother."
"That's for my Prince Rently to decide...And my Lord Stanislaw to achieve."
"Really?" hard stare. "I should say My Lord Stanislaw has no need to prove himself to his younger brother." Gasping as Brienne seized her arm and put broadsword to her throat.
"Go on, say something…Give me a reason…" Brienne whispered to her.
"I…Meant…No…Disrespect…To Lord Rently, Captain ." Melisandre choked out.
"Fine." Brienne let her go with slight toss. "The time will come, soon enough. For now, milady, may I take a message back or escort you and a guest to the festivities?"
Melisandre, coughing a bit…As much from the Eternal Smoke of the Eternal Flame as Brienne's womanhandling…
"I shall come, with pleasure, and several followers…After our morning service of prayers to the Light Lord…"
Assuming the cowardly jerks show up for morning prayers…She thought.
"Very well. I'll provide a proper escort and we'll be waiting outside…My Lady." Brienne came to attention, turning on heel and marching out.
My Light Lord…Have you got it bad, girlfriend…Melissandre shook head, watching the Knight march to the entrance and out.
Pity you couldn't have landed him…A nice minor alliance that wouldn't threaten Stanislaw or Robert.
And, I've been there, girl.
Though heck, she probably would have forced an heir out of him…That slip of a little Boleyn girl? Not likely. That's one ray of light in the clouds.
Well, I imagine there won't be many if any followers at service what with her and her people menacingly showing Rently's respect out there…She shrugged. But best to refill the Eternal Flame with Eternal Flame fluid and get things rolling. Don't want the skeptics or the terrified to think we're shutting down.
I suppose no chance Tyrion might be sent over as Lannister family rep for this thing? Just the sort of sneering disrespect old Tywin would love to display. Probably not…No word of any other bigwigs arriving…
Just hope there's bacon…We've not had bacon here in a while.
…