Shona spent her next days dining in the gardens with Margaery and her grandmother, the Lady Olenna. On the third day, they were joined by Sansa Stark, whom had been invited by Margaery herself. Shona was the only lady in waiting invited to this particular luncheon as she was family and for that she was thankful, until Lady Olenna started pelting Sansa with questions about Joffrey. He was every bit the monster he seemed according to the frightened redhead beside her. Shona was shocked to learn she was only fourteen years old. The younger girl had seen so much these past few months that she no longer seemed a child. They spent the remainder of their luncheon feasting on lemon cakes and other dainty sweets with mint sun tea. They talked of Oldtown and The High Tower. Winterfell, where Sansa had lived before King's Landing. Exotic places across The Narrow Sea where the table of women wished to visit. Sansa voiced that sometimes she wished to flee to Braavos and never return. Shona could not blame the sweet girl.
"Have you ever been up North?" Sansa asked her one afternoon as they rode horses in circles around the bailey followed closely by a trio of gold cloaked City Watch men. Shona took every available moment she had to ride Shai, whom still spent most days in a stall in the royal stables.
"I have never been anywhere besides Oldtown and here. Not counting the places between. I can scarcely remember the towns we passed."
"I miss the snow." Sansa sighed, reining in her charcoal colored gelding. They stood still for a long moment with just the occasional shift of the horses underneath them, "One day I am going to leave this place and never come back. I will be Lady of Winterfell and be married to someone kind and not the least bit cruel. I'll be happy."
Shona felt terribly for Sansa and from that day on the girls were practically inseparable when Shona was not solely with Margaery. They often played games as a group amongst other ladies in waiting. They shared secrets and spent nights sleeping in each other's chambers like a pair of sisters. Sansa confided in her about the worry she had for her real sister, "Arya is so tough. I know she is out there some place all alone. Sometimes I wish I were as brave as Arya. I would have snuck out of this terrible place and been home to protect Bran and Rickon. Now I have no one but myself. I might even be the only Stark. Well, there is Jon, but he's a Snow not a Stark."
King's Landing was not as dreadful as she had imagined as long as they remained in The Red Keep. Outside of it, however, was pitiful. Shona was disgusted that Joffrey could keep stuffing his face in his castle while his people starved outside the Keep gates. The situation had grown less dire with the arrival of The Tyrells and their bountiful harvest from Highgarden's fertile soils, but people still suffered on a daily basis from the recent war between The North and Joffrey. Joffrey Baratheon was no King Robert and as far as she had seen, they shared little besides the name Baratheon. His little brother Tommen, however, was simply the sweetest boy she had ever met.
Poor Tommen had been quite lonely since Myrcella had gone away to Dorne despite the playmates his mother arranged for him to have. He often had snuck away from their play dates to be by himself with his fluffy cat whom Blaze was absolutely entranced by. They did not have any cats in the High Tower, so he had never seen one so close before. Ser Pounce had not been eager to make his acquaintance. He hissed and meowed his pitiful meow for Tommen to save him while Blaze did nothing but sniff at his fluffy tail and wag his own. It took all of ten minutes for the animals to be friends, with Blaze nipping playfully at the cat's swatting paws as they chased each other down the plush carpeted hallway of the royal apartments.
Tommen immediately took to the older girl who always shared her sweets with him and ruffled his golden hair like he were her little brother instead of her prince. He rather liked that and commented to her that being a prince was too hard sometimes. Tommen wanted desperately to just be a normal little boy, so she treated him as such. Margaery claimed he had developed a crush on her to which Shona laughed and explained to her cousin, "He is just begging for attention from someone besides his mother. Cersei babies him and he hates it. Tommen is very special, and he feels trapped here. I can relate to that, though I am no princess. Maybe one day."
It was said that the wedding between Baratheon and Tyrell would be the biggest and most extravagant wedding The Seven Kingdoms had ever seen. They were sparing no expense on the lavish festivities which delighted Margaery, for she was still a child and enjoyed having lavish things placed before her.
"Fifty courses, a wedding pie the size of a boar, harpists and tumblers and musicians. It is going to be quite splendid. Maybe you can play for us, dear cousin," Margaery giggled over breakfast, a fortnight before her nuptials. She was grinning almost impishly over her platter and goblet as she continued, "I've heard you are quite the singer and harpist."
Shona had rolled her eyes and laughed as well, "I sing about as well as Ser Ilyn does. I can, however, play the harp quite well and would love to play for my Queen on her wedding day. I am greatly honored."
Shona had not touched her wooden harp since arriving at King's Landing and set out to find it later in the afternoon. One of her maids had stuck the harp in a corner of her sitting room out of sight. A fine film of dust had settled on the engraved wood, but a quick breath of air blew it into the wind of her open window. She sat on her balcony and strummed the strings with her petite hands. Her playing was slightly rusty, but as she fiddled with the instrument the notes coming forth became simply beautiful, even though the sound was sad to her ears. Shona loved playing from her heart and letting her mind tell her where next her fingers were meant to strum. She let herself get utterly absorbed into her playing and had not heard the entrance of Tyrion Lannister, but when she looked up there he stood, just as small of stature and unpleasing to the eye as she recalled. In her state of alarm she was not aware of her arm and it's relative position to her harp and let out a gasp as the wooden instrument plunged to the stone floor shattering the wood on impact.
"My harp!" Shona cried out getting to her knees and lifting the two separated chunks of wood still connected to the now twisted strings. She could not decide whether she were angry or sad. She simply sat on her knees and stared at her poor harp and then started to cry. Shona was sure she looked absolutely unsightly as the tears ran down her rosy cheeks, dripping and dampening the silken cloth of her dress, "I am sorry, my lord, but I am not feeling well."
The words were all it took for Tyrion to make his way to the door but she could not miss the distraught look that flashed across his face as he made leave. Shona almost felt guilty for sending him away when he had obviously been in her chambers for a reason. She looked to the floor once more and sighed, "Well, so much for playing at Margaery's wedding feast."
Maybe she should be thankful for Tyrion Lannister after all.