"Lord Loren, a rider."

Loren twisted in the saddle. The army was marching up in neat squares along the cobbled road. They moved with speed, unlike when he had come the other way. They weren't marching alongside wagon after wagon of supplies and herds of cattle and sheep. Now they marched seeking battle.

"Let's see what they want," he said, twisting the reins and moving off into the grass alongside the army. A few of the men turned their heads, but they all kept moving. He and his knights rode down the line to meet the new rider coming up from behind. They reined up as the rider slowed his horse to a trot. It was panting like a pig, and the rider rubbed it's neck gently as he closed the last few metres.

"Lord Marshall," he said breathily.

"What is it?"

"I bear a message, of vital importance, from Lord Tyrion," he said. "Lady Margaery has been taken."

Before they said anything more, Loren gestured for them to ride a short distance away so that the army didn't overhear the conversation, a good many of them, after all, were reacher men.

"What do you mean, taken?"

The rider explained what he knew. That Margaery had been travelling through the city when her escort was attacked and she had been dragged away. "I was sent as they were locking down the city. Lord Tyrion requests your return."

"Why does the council need me, surely they can find her without me."

"The council has not requested you, my lord, only Lord Tyrion, he says that the council cannot find the will to act and are divided on the proper course of action. He says that they need you to tilt the balance. He also fears what Joffrey might do if you can't return."

Loren ground his teeth together to stop himself groaning.

Gerold moved up beside him. "My lord, we can't turn back now, Stannis Baratheon is our target."

"I could defeat Stannis in a dozen battles, if we lose Margaery we lose the Tyrells and if we lose the Tyrells we lose the Reach," Loren replied. "Tell Lord Florent he has the command, he is to await my return at the rendezvous with Ser Addam. Let's head back and deal with this."

They raced back to the city as fast as they could. Each of them took three horses and they switched every twenty miles or so, going through the night and much of the next day, reaching the gates of King's Landing the next afternoon.

He demanded the guards rest his horses while he went to the keep, but they informed him that Lord Tyrion had left a message to meet him outside Flea Bottom, so he went there immediately.

The gold cloaks and many soldiers were surrounding Flea Bottom all along the surrounding streets. Tyrion was with a collection of captains. He looked out of place surrounded by them, but also completely in command. Behind Tyrion, Varys stood, immaculate as always.

Tyrion was the first to spot him approaching. "Lord Marshall, you've returned."

The goldcloak captains turned and bowed their heads.

"I have. Now tell me what's happening."

"Lady Margaery is somewhere in there, my lord," Varys said, stepping forward.

"We're sure of this?"

"Yes, we were informed of Lady Margaery's taking very quickly. Captain Gilbert tried to give chase, but her captors disappeared into Flea Bottom and we surrounded the district." Tyrion replied.

"And I have all the tunnels being watched, she hasn't left," Varys said.

Loren nodded. That was something, at least. "Do we know who took her, or why?"

"I'm afraid not, our only witness barely escaped."

"Who was that?"

"Lady Ellinor, my lord, she had fortunately left the carriage just before the attack and was able to escape on one of the guardsmens' horses.

"The guardsman?"

"A crossbow bolt."

Loren frowned. Crossbows weren't easy to come across, not the weapon of a common criminal. "We don't suspect her?"

"No, without her, Margaery probably would have already been taken out of the city."

Loren didn't have time to root out treachery, Margaery had to be found, the rest could wait. Tyrion was a good judge of character, he could get to the truth of Ellinor.

"What is our plan for getting Margaery back?" He asked.

Tyrion turned to the captains. "Leave us, we must discuss council matters." When the captains had departed, he and Varys stepped closer and muttered. "We want to send in the gold cloaks, the soldiers, anyone we can find, to scour the sector."

"Why haven't you?"

"Because the gold cloaks won't act without council authority."

"But you are on the council."

"So are Cersei, Pycelle and Littlefinger."

"And they refuse?"

"Yes. Normally, without the Hand and Regent present, this matter would fall to the Master of Laws, but-"

"Uncle Kevan is a council representative at the peace talks," Loren finished.

"Exactly, the captains cannot disobey Cersei or they fear what she will do to them."

"And why is Cersei holding back?"

Tyrion wrinkled his nose. "She says that she dare not risk provoking a riot among the people. What she doesn't say is that she fears that the gold cloaks would disobey and deal yet another blow to her authority. She's been hoarding it close since Robert died, and every day someone takes another lever of power away from her, it seems. Fear of her retribution is all she has left. If the goldcloaks fail to act, she has nothing. We will not allow her to make an enemy of them."

"And the others?"

"Pycelle says what Cersei tells him to do."

"And Littlefinger actually does fear a riot," Varys said. "Not because he'll be in the middle of it, but because much of his wealth is tied up in institutions in the city. His shipping interests have meant nothing since Stannis Baratheon blockaded the city, this leaves his enterprises in the walls as most of what he has left. A riot could destroy them."

"I have little interest in Littlefingers whorehouses and tanneries," Loren replied. "But as I count it, my vote would make it three for three, you think the gold cloaks will move for a deadlocked council?"

"No. I think they will move if you order them to move," Tyrion said softly.

"How can I give that order?"

"You are the King's Marshall, my lord," Varys pointed out. "It is not so impossible to consider the city watch among Joffrey's armies."

Loren frowned. "I can think of a few people who would object to me subordinating the city watch when the city itself is not under siege." Cersei would see it for what it is, a blatant political manouever against her. His father, the gods alone knew what he would make of it. "I would not want to make such a move without council authority."

"Brother, you know how father forbids me from bringing whores into Casterly Rock."

"Yes, and you do it anyway."

"Because it is much easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

"We aren't talking about an illicit meeting in the Rock's bedchambers," he said. "We're talking about using the city watch to tear up the most overpopulated area of King's Landing in search of one woman. Forgiveness is easy for you to ask when the whore is out of the door. It's not so easy when you're standing in a burnt out city district."

"You think Joffrey will care when you bring Margaery back?"

"I think he will care if we don't. And I think the people will care regardless." Loren frowned. "What of Joffrey, what is he saying?"

"What you'd expect of him," Varys said simply.

Loren sighed. "I can't be doing this. I need to be with the army."

"You can be, we just need to settle this quickly." Tyrion said.

"Are you prepared to give the order, my lord?"

Loren rubbed his chin. "No," he said finally."

"You won't?" Tyrion asked, surprised.

"No, I won't, not yet. It's almost dark, we'd never be able to scour Flea Bottom before it became too dark and we'd have to pull out." Loren had already accepted that there was no way that this could be done cleanly. They needed Margaery back and Loren needed to return to the army, speed mattered most here, but no one was fast enough to outrace the sun.

"So we just wait until dawn?" Tyrion demanded. "I brought you here to speed things up, not to dither."

"We won't be dithering. This evening, send criers into Flea Bottom, send them all throughout the city if you must. Let it be known that if Margaery Tyrell is to be returned, unharmed, immediately. If she is not there will be no mercy shown to those who stole her."

"Do you intend to show mercy? They abducted the Queen-to-be."

Loren shrugged. "Once Margaery is back in our hands, my task here is done. I leave what happens after that to the king and council. But you have my backing for whatever you decide."

"Whatever?" Tyrion asked, eyebrow raised.

Loren nodded. "I'll give you my seal in wax today, attatch it to whatever document you need. The war demands my attention."

"And if she is not returned?"

Loren glanced towards the crowded twisting maze that was Flea Bottom. "Then I'll give give the order to the Gold Cloaks."

When the order was given and the criers despatched, Loren sat back and sighed, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. Tyrion came over holding two cups in his hand. "Thank you," he said, taking one of the proffered cups.

"You look like you need it."

Loren nodded, drained half the cup, and grimaced. "What is this?"

"Ale."

"Tastes like piss," he said, drinking the rest anyway. "Please tell me there is nothing else going wrong here?"

"Nothing we can't handle."

"Good." He toyed with the cup. "Do we even know who has taken Margaery?"

"The witnesses said the men wore masks, but other than that looked like common brigands."

"In the middle of a city?"

"I agree, it looks more than that."

"But what do they want, they can't possibly think that we'd pay a ransom?"

"They haven't demanded one," Tyrion said. "Besides, it's not like we could really afford a queen's ransom anyway."

Loren grunted. "What about Stannis?"

"What about him?"

Loren nodded towards a small group of Tyrell guardsmen. "Nothing to divide our alliance with the Tyrells faster than remove the marital link."

"Then why didn't they just kill her? That would be more easily achieved by assassination rather than abduction."

Loren couldn't argue with that. With all the Reacher houses that had defected to Stannis' side, and the fact that Lord Mace was in Robb Stark's hands, Stannis would be a fool to try and win a Tyrell allegiance. Far better to prop up one of the lords already in hand. Besides, Stannis would have to be forgiving beyond his character to show mercy to the family that had opposed him twice over.

"Hopefully we'll find out when we get her back."

The night passed fretfully for all involved, and when dawn broke Loren rose, and waited with Tyrion and Varys just outside Flea Bottom. One by one, the messengers arrived from all gold cloak outposts in the city, all reporting no news.

"So, brother, will you give the order."

Loren sighed and turned to the gold cloak commanders. "Send in the men. Scour Flea Bottom top to bottom, let no one stand in your way until Margaery Tyrell has been found and returned."