When he awoke, it was a few hours later and his armor was being removed.

"No! NO! Leave it!" Robb demanded, sitting upright to push the Maester off him. Grey-Wind began to howl outside the tent as Robb rose to his feet, silencing only when Robb glanced upward to the shadow of his wolf through the fabric of the tent.

"Renly. Where is Renly?" Robb demanded, stumbling to be caught by Daryn Hornwood, one of his personal guard.

"Your Grace…he perished…Ser Loras Tyrell and Lady Brienne of Tarth, they have gone mad with grief. They claim…it was a shadow…a shadow killed King Renly…"

"It did. I was there…" Robb panted, before finally looking down to see a dent in his chest plate with a single black crack running along its metal.

"I must speak to the Tyrells." Robb breathed heavily, pushing himself into standing position.

When Robb regained his strength, dawn had broken and Stannis' ships were sailing for the shore. In what was once Renly's tent laid his body, guarded only by Loras and Brienne, with Margaery beside the body. Robb walked in cautiously.

"My lord, my ladies."

"Robb! Oh thank the Gods, I thought you'd also-…it doesn't matter." Margaery had at first moved to take his hands, but moved away once more when she remembered where they were.

"You live." Brienne noted hollowly "It was your armor. Your armor protected you. We never should have taken his off…" Brienne continued in the hollow tone of hers.

"We need to go home." Margaery finally said after a few moments of pacing and Robb remaining silent by her side. "Loras!" Margaery exclaimed, soliciting no reply from the grieving Loras Tyrell.

Only when Petyr Baelish wormed his way into the tent did Loras speak.

"Get out!" Loras growled so ferociously that Robb almost felt fear for himself.

"Stannis will be here in an hour. When he arrives, Renly's bannermen will flock to him. Your former companions will fight for the privilege of selling you to their new king…" Loras was up and had his sword in Baelish's face so quick, Robb could have blinked and missed it all.

"And you want that privilege for yourself?!" Loras demanded of Baelish who merely tilted his head.

"You will note that I am standing here talking to you. Not Stannis." Baelish said calmly. Margaery moved to push Loras' arm away.

"There's no time for this! Loras!"

"Ride back to Highgarden with Robb Stark, sister. I'm not running from Stannis." Loras declared returning to Renly's side.

"Loras…Renly couldn't have…died the way you say-…"

"I was there, Margaery…" Robb said quietly, causing her to look towards him and pale when she saw the dent in his armor.

"Who gained the most from our King's death?" Loras asked them all quietly, only for Baelish to answer.

"Stannis."

"Then I will put a sword through his righteous face!" Loras roared, rising from his chair in grief to pace the tent angrily.

"He would have been a true king. A good king…" Loras said through a barely concealed sob.

"Tell me, Ser Loras. What do you desire most in this world?" Baelish asked in a tone that made Robb's skin crawl with distrust.

"Revenge." Loras said plainly.

"I have always found that to be the purest of motivations. But you won't have the chance to put your sword through Stannis. Not today. You'd be cut to pieces before he sets foot on solid ground. If it is justice that you want, be smart about it." Baelish said stepping closer to Loras.

"You can't avenge him from the grave…" Margaery said quietly to Loras.

"These men came to the Stormlands with a King. They will not leave wi-…" Margaery began, before looking up to Robb suddenly.

"They need a King. These men were loyal to Renly but will turn to Stannis because they have no other option. Let us give them an option. Let us give them Robb." Margaery said, causing everyone in the room to stare at her for several long moments.

"That is madness." Robb finally stated, only to be agreed with by the one person in the tent he trusted less than Renly's cold corpse.

"I-…do not-…I believe that it is best if we-…" Baelish stammered, nodding his head.

"Silence, Baelish. Brienne, put him in irons and gag him. His voice irks me." Loras commanded, before slowly rising to face Robb, a new attitude having taken the Knight of Flowers. His grief quickly shifting from sadness to black fury.

"Margaery could be right. They would follow you. Any man is better than Stannis and his Red Whore. Especially the son of this country's most honorable man…" Loras said to Margaery thoughtfully who nodded her head in agreement.

"Think of the morale the men would have fighting for Robb, they'd have a clearer purpose. A truer motive. Renly was usurping the Throne, Robb would be claiming vengeance for his family. He would rule us well." Margaery said, flashing Robb a small smile as her brother rubbed his eyes in deep thought.

"I agree. Damn it, I agree. You know what this would mean though, don't you?" Loras asked Robb, gazing at him strongly.

"This would mean that you would want me to eventually face Stannis. It would mean that I would have to claim the Iron Throne." Robb said after a moment

"It would mean you would have to wed my sister. Highgarden will not support you without Margaery as Queen. And I-…I will not support you unless you promise me justice." Loras said furiously. Robb looked to Margaery who gave him a smile so small, only he could see it.

"Only if you promise me the same." Robb said, offering Loras his hand. "In the name of good King Renly Baratheon." Robb promised, before Loras sniffed and kneeled before Robb.

"Robb of the House Stark, First of Your Name, King of the North and the Trident I, Ser Loras of the House Tyrell do swear to you my loyalty to your cause, and my sword to your protection."

"I-…I accept your oaths, Ser Loras." Robb said, before sighing and looking out the tent, he rose and the party joined him to leave Renly in rest. "Prepare the announcement, and have the camps be ready to mount a full silent assault on Stannis the moment he lands. Raise the peace banners, for I wish to keep his fleet strong for own appropriation to assault King's Landing by sea. It is not…the most honorable way to mount an attack. But Stannis is using…powers that I cannot even describe. Honor must be sacrificed for the safety of Westeros. He will expect me to be dead along with Renly. Let us not spoil the surprise for him just yet. Imprison any of the lords who would dissent. This is a very risky trap, and I would prefer if Margaery was away from the danger." Robb said, turning to look to her as they walked for the Northern tents.

"I agree. I will send our guard with her back to Bitterbridge." Loras said, bowing his head.

"Leave Baelish in her custody. I want to execute him myself when I am back in the North." Robb ordered, without glancing back at the gagged and bound Petyr Baelish.

"As you wish, Your Grace." Loras said, shoving a fearful and shocked Baelish away. Robb and Margaery walked until they were alone in his tent.

"Do you want to be a Queen?" Robb asked her finally after a few moments of gazing each other.

"No I want to be your Queen." Margaery said before moving forward to embrace Robb passionately. The young Stark was caught off guard for only a moment before he began to kiss Margaery back with equal fervor.

"I am sorry for Renly…" Robb muttered when they pulled apart to graze their noses together, his arms were still around her and her hands were clasped around his neck.

"As am I…I don't wish to speak on it now. Much more could go wrong, and all I ask of you is to return to me."

"I promise."

"Do better, Robb Stark." She said with a small smile, before kissing him once more. "I'll be waiting for you." She said quietly before leaving his tent. Robb slowly sank to sit on his cot.

How had so much changed in less than a day? He was no longer fighting for the North, it seemed, but the entire Seven Kingdoms. How had this happened? Robb looked to the heavy chest in his tent once more.

"Father…guide me."

Author's Note: Do review! Hope everyone's enjoying it.