The rest of the afternoon that Shireen spent in the Gardens with her mother were restful and they even get acquainted with old Lady Stokeworth and her nice but not quite normal grown-up daughter Lollys. Lady Stokeworth asked Selyse if she and Shireen would like to be accompanied to the Sept later in the evening and the Lady Baratheon readily agreed.
The evening meal was a private affair for Shireen and her parents, they all three took it together in the Solar of Stannis, in the Quarter of the Master of the Ships.
It was the first Night that Shireen and her father and mother would spent in the Red Keep. Her mother urged her to pray with her in the private Royal Sept but Shireen refused her mother's wish by lying that she felt so tired that she would likely fell asleep during prayer and that she wouldn't want to shame herself and her mother by doing so infront of the Gods and so Lady Selyse went alone to meet with the Stokeworths.
Her father had accompanied her and her mother to the Quarters of the Master of Ships, his function at the Royal Court, had eaten there with them and then wanted to made himself ready to go to bed but soon after Selyse went to prayer with Lady Stokeworth, Stannis Baratheon was summoned to meet with the King and the Hand again. Shireen felt her father's thoughtful gaze on her but she smiled innocently at him and then yawned loudly and bid her father a good night and that the work would not take too long to get done with the other men.
Shireen then left the Solar of her father and went into the bedroom next door. She took off her footwear and the outmost layer of her clothing and then laid down in the bed. Stannis Baratheon meanwhile followed the servant that was sent to him by Lord Arryn and looked slightly relieved when he saw that outside of his rooms Ser Barristan Selmy was standing as Guard.
"His Grace sent me, with your permission of course Lord Baratheon, he and the Lord Hand thought it better that Lady Shireen might be guarded by me." was the Kingsguards explanation for him being in front of Lord Stannis's door.
Stannis Baratheon nodded, explained that his daughter took to bed and then followed the Servant to the King's meeting. Ser Selmy was not the only person that watched the Lord of Dragonstone leaving though, for the Walls in the Red Keep had eyes and ears everywhere after all.
The stern Lord Baratheon had barely left the hallway and already a short while later a servant came up to the door in front of which the Kingsguard stood. The female servant was carrying a heavy looking and rather big serving tray which was covered by a linen cloth and asked Ser Baristan to please let her through the door to Lord Stannis room, for she claimed to bring the wished for food to Lady Shireen. The White Knight looked sceptical but opened the door behind himself and let the servant enter but he followed the woman inside into the room.
Ser Barristan then stepped over to the door of the bedroom and knocked softly on it.
"Lady Shireen, a servant brought a tray full with food and Tea, she said that you asked for it." he spoke loud enough to heard through the closed door.
No answer came. Ser Barristan waited for a few moments and then repeated his words and his knocking. Still no answer came.
The Knight and the Servant waited for a few moments and then the Kingsguard repeated his actions for three more times. After there still came no answer, he gave up with his caution and tried to open the door to the bedroom but found it locked.
Ser Barristan sighed and told the Servant to leave the tray on a nearby standing table and then to leave the room. The woman was rather reluctant to do so and started to argue that the Knight should once more try to wake up the little Lady Shireen. The servant behaved way to unservant like in Ser Barristans opinion but then he reminded himself that this woman was one of the many servants that came with the Queen and they all seemed and behaved rather arrogant.
Before the White Knight could once again knock on the bedroom door, said door opened slightly and the young and smooth face of Shireen Baratheon peeked out.
"I was sleeping Ser Barristan, was something the matter to wake me up?"
Ser Barristan shoved the servant with the tray slightly forward and answerd that the woman brought the food and Tea that she, Lady Shireen had asked for herself.
Shireens eyes swept over the tray-carrying servant and then to the White Knight.
"Neither father nor mother nor i myself asked for more food or Tea to be sent from the kitchen, for we all already had eaten our evening meal." was Shireens answer.
"At least keep the Tea m'lady, the food i take back but drinking Tea is always good. Believe me m'lady." the servant was not shy in offering her opinion.
Shireen's eyes narrowed at the woman's words but then she smiled innocently at the servant.
"If you think so. Please set the tray then down and give me some Tea."
The women followed young Shireen's wish and did so. She then filled a cup with the hot and sweet smelling Tea and gave it to the young Baratheon Lady. Shireen smiled sweetly and took the cup in both of her hands and warmed her fingers on it. She brought the Cup near her face and sniffed the sweet smell of the drink.
The servant in the meanwhile stepped to the outer door and curtsied and then tried to leave the room.
"Ser Barristan, would you please stop the servant from leaving the room and bring her back to in front of me and make her take a seat." asked the Lady Shireen
The Knight looked startled at that request of the child but did what was asked of him and brought the servant back to the table were the tray was laid on and by which side the Baratheon child was standing, still holding the Cup in both hands.
"Please take a seat, these chairs are quite comfortable." said Shireen to the woman.
The servant looked startled and at the same time afraid.
"Ser Barristan, would you please make this servant sit down in this chair near the table." asked Shireen of the Knight.
He followed the young Lady's wish and shoved the female servant gently but resolutly down onto the offered chair.
Shireen was in front of the woman and offered her the Cup that she still hold in her hands.
"Drink. For Tea is always a good idea. Drink." Shireen ordered the woman.
The servant tried desperately to not follow the order with all kinds of words and denials and tears.
Finally Shireen asked the Kingsguard to force the reluctant servant to drink the Tea.
Ser Barristan looked unhappy to do so but he really forced the helpless but heavily struggling woman to swallow down the now cool Tea, he forced her to completely empty the Cup.
Then he looked slightly enraged to the Baratheon child that was standing there, looking sad but determined herself.
The servant woman was crying heavily, rocking on the chair and praying loudly to the gods.
The Kingsguard looked shocked at the woman's behavior.
"How long till the poison works?" asked Shireen the sobbing woman with sympathy in her young Voice clearly to hear. Ser Barristans eyes looked first confused but then they cleared to anger after listening the question and he looked from Shireen to the Servant to the tray and back to Shireen. The White Knight swallowed heavily down the bile that he felt rising in his throat.
But the servant only cried and then she fell down from the chair into a heap and started to shake horribly, blood coming from her mouth, for she bit into her tongue while shaking and finally the poor woman died, barely half an hour after she was forced to swallow the Tea.
Shireen sighed.
"Poor woman, what a horrible way to die."
Ser Barristan looked ill at her words. They both knew that this Tea and this way to die had been meant for Shireen.
"How did you know my Lady?" asked the Knight.
"The gods seemed to favor me and sent me a dream." was Shireens answer.
And Ser Barristan Selmy nodded.
...
Author's note:
Don't worry, this will not be Shireen's normal way to deal with all things and all people, she is just exhausted and still running high on anger and fear at the same time when it comes down to a live or death situation for her. Remember, she died and was reborn, died again and was reborn again not even two weeks ago. Give her time to find a resemblance to normal childhood again, right now her mind is clearly more a calculating and pissed off Teenager.