"Oh, Margaery is so charitable."
"She'll be a wonderful queen."
"Did you hear what Margaery did for the orphans?"
Dyana couldn't go anywhere in the castle without hearing about her sister's latest charitable act. She was beginning to be annoyed by this. She understood that Margaery had to make the people like her if she was going to be their queen, but she just wished that they wouldn't make such a fuss out of it.
Margaery invited both Loras and Dyana to a supper that night. Both Cersei and Joffrey would be attending the supper, much to Dyana's disappointment.
The Tyrells were the first ones at the table. They talked idly as they waited for Cersei and Joffrey. When the king and his mother arrived, it was time for the Tyrells to act proper. "Your Grace," Margaery addressed, and her siblings echoed her.
"Please, sit," Joffrey said. "Sit. I do apologize, my lady. Small councils meetings. At what point does it become treason to waste the king's time?"
Margaery chuckled, looking pointedly at Loras and Dyana, who joined her hesitantly. Joffrey looked Margaery over. "That's a lovely gown, my lady," he noted.
"Yes, it suits you perfectly," Cersei spoke up. "I imagine you might be rather cold."
Dyana self-consciously adjusted her own dress, which was a near exact copy of Margaery's except for the color. The elder sister was not deterred, however. "The climate is a bit more forgiving back in Highgarden, Your Grace," she said.
"Shall I have them bring you a shawl, my lady?" Joffrey offered.
"I am touched by your concern, Your Grace. Luckily for us Tyrells, our blood runs quite warm. Doesn't it, Dyana?"
Dyana nodded quickly. "Oh," she said. "Yes."
"Dyana," Margaery said, "isn't the queen's gown magnificent? The fabric, the embroidery, the metalwork. I've never seen anything like it."
Dyana offered Cersei a smile. "It truly is a beautiful gown. The metalwork is brilliant. It reminds me of armor."
Cersei let out a short chuckle before she spoke, sitting in her chair. "Your sister might find a bit of armor quite useful once she becomes queen. Perhaps before."
The Tyrells sat down, and Margaery looked at Cersei, eyebrow raised. The queen elaborated. "Joffrey tells me you stopped your carriage at Flea Bottom on your way back from the sept this morning."
Margaery only smiled. "Yes. I paid a visit to an orphanage the High Septon told me about."
Loras joined. "Margaery does a great deal of work with the poor back in Highgarden."
Servants moved about the table, pouring half cups of wine. When one got to Dyana, she looked up at the young man. "Fill it," she said softly, nodding toward her cup.
He did as told.
"The lowest among us are no different from the highest if you give them a chance and approach them with an open heart," Margaery said.
"An open heart is what you'll get in Flea Bottom if you're not careful, my dear," Cersei stated. "Not long ago, we were attacked by a mob there. We had a full complement of guards that didn't stop them. The king barely escaped with his life."
Joffrey was leant on his arm. He rolled his green eyes, looking to Margaery. "My mother's always had a bit of a penchant for drama," he said. "Facts become less and less important to her as she starts to grow older."
Cersei froze mid sip of wine. There was a dangerous look in her eyes, but Joffrey continued. "Our lives were never truly in danger."
The queen looked down before she spoke again. "You're right, of course. But you are your father's son. We can't all have a king's bravery."
Joffrey let out a low sigh, and Dyana held back a smile. Margaery was driving a wedge between the king and his mother. That was a good thing.
Margaery took note of this, too, and she shared a knowing look with Loras and Dyana.
The food was set out on the table as everyone fell into silence. Margaery was the one who broke the silence. "Hunger turns men into beasts. I'm glad House Tyrell has been able to help in this regard. They tell me a hundred wagons arrive daily now from the Reach. Wheat, barley, apples. We've had a blessed harvest. And, of course, it's our duty to assist the capital in time of need."
"Well, as Ser Loras said, Lady Margaery has done this sort of... charitable work before," Joffrey said. "I'm sure she knows what she's doing."
"I'm sure she does," Cersei agreed, twisting her pendant in her fingers.
Dyana reached for her cup of wine, taking a long drink. She'd never cared for summerwine, but right now, she didn't care. If she was to tolerate a supper with Joffrey and Cersei, she'd need something to dull her mind.
The rest of supper was spent in an awkward silence. Joffrey occasionally broke it to speak with Margaery, but even her cheerful demeanor couldn't cut through the tension.
Dyana was glad when it was over, but she couldn't end it without one last insult to Cersei Lannister.
When the queen mother got up and began to leave, Dyana was sure to 'accidentally' spill her cup of wine. She let out rushed apologies, trying to contain the laughter that threatened to burst out. When the three Tyrell siblings left the room, however, all of them laughed freely.