Chapter Thirty-Eight: Awkward

Margaery's Point of View

I am playing videogames with Robb and Gendry. As the Others attack our characters I set them on fire with my flamethrower. Robb is hacking away with a sword and Gendry is shooting them with a gun. That takes too long. You have to hack off their heads for them to stay down or fire at least twelve shots, but fire is much easier.

"Burn, bitches, burn!" I scream. I watch the scary looking thing burn down to nothing. I laugh. When we have killed all the normal ones a boss level comes up. I am out of the first round so I can charge my flamethrower. Robb and Gendry are having trouble. When my flamethrower is charged I join the battle.

"Die!"

"Mags, its already dead," says Gendry.

"Go to the deepest hell, you frozen dead freak!"

I set the boss on fire and he dances around trying to extinguish himself. I use a bit more fire just in case and Robb hacks off his limbs. We high five. Gendry gets in one clean shot at its head and the thing explodes. We win.

"That was fun," I say, leaning against Robb.

He glances at his watch. He gets up to check on Torrhen. Tor slept through all the loud noises. Robb joins us back on the couch. I lean against him again.

"You want to play again?" Robb asks, "Its only 8:39."

"Nah. I have to get up early so Margaery's mom can give me and Brienne makeovers," says Gendry. He leaves. I shiver. Robb puts a blanket over us.

"Want to watch a movie?" I ask him.

"Not a girly one."

"How about a movie where stuff explodes?" I pull out my bag. I was prepared when Robb and Gendry invited me to a game night. I brought DVDs and popcorn just in case we wanted to watch movies.

"This one," Robb says.

I put in the movie and snuggle up next Robb. His room is cold. His body is so warm. He puts the blanket back over us. I munch on the popcorn I brought in that I popped hours ago. Its cold now, but still good.

We turn the movie volume down so the explosions do not wake Tor. Robb gasps when a man gets his leg blown off, it kind of makes me giggle.

"You are so weird," he tells me.

I stick my tongue out at him. Half way through the film he puts his arm around me. I look at his face, he acts like it is completely nothing. I accept it and return my attention back to the movie.

I do not remember falling asleep, but I wake up on Robb's couch. A blacket is over me. Robb is laying under me drooling on his arm. The TV screen shows the DVD menu. Its one in the morning.

"Robb," I say. I tap him. He jerks awake for an instant then goes back to sleep. I check on Tor. He needs to be changed. I change him and feed him and put him back to bed. I go back to the couch and go to sleep.

We are awakened by Robb's servants who have come in to clean and wake him. One of them pokes me in the nose with a feather duster. Robb is shaken awake.

"What's going on? Mags."

"We fell asleep during the movie," I tell him.

"Oh. Why is my shirt wet?"

"I drooled a little," I say embarrassed.

We go our separate ways. At breakfast, someone has informed Daddy that I slept in Robb's room. We both called into a private meeting with him.

"Daddy," I begin.

"You're testing my patience, Margaery. What were you doing with this boy?"

"Nothing happened, Daddy."

I look at Robb. He is rubbing his neck.

"You were found on the couch in his suite snuggled up with him and you're going to tell me nothing happened?"

"We fell asleep after a movie," Robb says.

"I wasn't talking to you. And address me as, 'Your Grace'."

"Well, Your Grace, Mags and I were watching a film and fell asleep."

"Who is Mags?"

"That's me, Daddy."

"Margaery is a princess and you are nothing. You got a bastard out of one girl, sticking it in another, and now you're putting the moves on my daughter. I ought to have you deported."

"I assure you, Your Grace, I wasn't putting moves on anyone. It was innocent. We watched a movie and fell asleep. I never touched her."

Except when he put his arm around me. I do not mention that. It would not look good for either of us. Robb and I are dismissed. Daddy believes the story. As soon as we are out of his office we burst out laughing.

"Is he normally like that?"

"Yes. He was looking out for the family reputation."

"He should be more concerned with your virtue. He was right to worry. Most guys wouldn't be so nice. They would take advantage of you. Anyways, I am going to breakfast."

"Why didn't you take advantage of me?" I ask following him to breakfast.

"I'm a nice guy."

"You don't think I'm pretty?"

"Of course you're pretty, Margaery. Its not that. I have Meera. And I told you. I am not one of those guys."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not being one of them."

He kisses my cheek.

"I know how to treat a princess."

I sit down between Jon and Loras. Loras kisses me on the same cheek Robb did. He does not smell like peaches this morning. That must mean he slept with Renly.

Grey Wind trods up to and sniffs me. He licks my hand. He nuzzles his face against my arm. I pat his head.

"What is he doing?" I ask.

"You smell like Robb," says Jon casually while salting his eggs.

"Why do you smell like Robb?" Loras asks.

"Why do you need to know?"

"What did you do?" Loras asks.

"We fell asleep watching a movie."

Robb and Meera are arguing. He is in trouble for what happened last night. I feel terrible. I should have went back to my room. It was too late and I was so sleepy.

"I can't believe you," says Meera, "I never did anything like this."

"You slept wih another guy."

"After we broke up, Robb. After. Not while we were together."

"Nothing happened."

"Like I am supposed to believe that."

"Its the truth."

"Meera, nothing happened," says Jon. He pats Grey Wind on the head.

"How do you know?" Meera asks.

"I just know," Jon looks at Grey Wind and gives him a slice of bacon.

"Don't let it happen again," says Meera.

I watch Robb and Meera make up. I notice Loras looks away when they kiss. Further down the table Willas is shaking his head. Aegon is not present at breakfast. He and Robb alternate so they do not have to be in the same room at the same time.

I do not feel like eating. I push my plate in front of me and leave. I actually liked sleeping next to Robb. He is so warm and he smelled nice. He felt different than my brother. Robb felt like a man, hard, rough, masculine.

"Mags, wait up," Robb says.

"Hi," I say.

"Um, I am not allowed to hang out with you alone. I wanted to tell you that."

"That's fair I guess."

"Are you okay?"

No.

"Yes. I am fine. Just fine. Don't worry about me."

"Give me a hug."

I hug him. He kisses my cheek. I watch him walk away. What is about that boy? Why are my brother and I so drawn to him? Why do we care?

I have never really liked a boy before. I am not sure what it would feel like if I did. I just know I enjoyed sleeping next to him. That's good enough for me.

I go back to my room and sit on my bed. I pick up a magazine to read it. There is an article about Robb. I wonder if he knows about it. Its about how he is not only the best friend of a prince, but also a teenage father. There are a lot of candid shots of him and Torrhen.

Its almost frightening. Some of the information seems really personal. And one of the photos was taken inside his home.

That's a little scary that they took the photos from inside his home. I put the magazine away. I get dressed warmly. I am going for a ride. Several guards follow me, Brienne is in the stable feeding my horse. She is dressed in thick layers, she looks like a bear.

"Hi," I say.

"Good morning, Princess."

"Would you like to come riding?" I ask. Brienne nods.

I realize right away she is hiding from my mother. Brienne does not want a makeover. I cannot imagine how she would look afterwards. We ride. Brienne rides Dad's horse.

"You came up to see Renly," I say when we stop to let the horses rest. I rub my horse.

"Yes. He is my best friend. I wanted to spend Christmas with him."

She loves him.

"Oh. Why didn't you want the makeover?"

"I didn't want anyone to make fun of me."

"No one eould make fun of you."

"Easy for you to say, you're pretty."

Brienne is not entirely ugly. She has lovely eyes. They are beautiful. I always wanted blue eyes, but mine are brown. I hop back on my horse. Brienne follows. We race back to the palace. I win, but barely.

I really enjoyed Brienne's company. No wonder Renly likes her so much. I thank Brienne for coming with me. Renly and Loras are sipping hot cocoa by the window in the recreation room. They are snuggled together by the fire.

I take off my snow-covered boots and wring the water from my curls. A little cat is rubbing against Renly's legs. I watch Loras and Renly exchange loving glances.

I know when we get back to the states they will separate again. This is their vacation. Its an opportunity to be together away from distractions. Brienne sits down and a serving girl offers her hot cocoa.

"Brienne, I am pleased to see you didn't get a makeover," says Renly.

"Why?" Brienne asks as she sips her cocoa.

"I like you the way you are."

"Me too," I say.

Brienne smiles. Her smile is nice too. It sort of makes her whole face pretty. I smile as I sip my cocoa. Aegon comes in and sits down beside Loras. Their relationship has broken because of Aegon's actions regarding Meera.

"I am sorry. I know you're mad because I slept with Meera. But I did think about your feelings."

"Aegon, Loras doesn't have a crush on you," says Renly, putting his arm around Loras protectively. He kisses the side of my brother's face.

"Its obvious. Why else would he be mad about me and Meera?" I giggle. He actually thinks Loras is jealous. "What?"

"He's mad because you made a move on his best friend's girl, you twit," says Renly, "and so we're clear, I don't like you either."

Its unusual to hear Renly say that. He is usually so gentle and kind. I have never heard him tell someone that he dislikes them.

"But I thought," Aegon says, "I am sorry, Loras. I didn't mean to assume."

Loras is quiet. He will not look at Aegon. He just pets Peaches and ignores Aegon. He did like him. He must have. But what Aegon said bothered him.

I cannot believe my mother wants me to marry him. It makes me sick thinking about it. I would rather marry Brienne. At least she is better company.

I find it exceptionally hard to write for Margaery when she's not having sex with some chick. I wanted this chapter to show that Margaery can like boys, and no I do not as of yet have any intention of shipping her with Robb.