Disclaimer: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire.

Another dragon, another wolf, another stag

Chapter 23: Aegon

"Talking"

"Thinking"

(Location: Riverrun)

The breakfast in the morning following the training yard incident was tense. Aegon sat by his father's side next to his uncle while Rhaenys and Dany sat next to his mother. Their Dornish cousins sat at the other end of the table. Arianne sat at the head with Oberyn on her right and Quentyn on her left. She paid no attention to her brother, choosing rather instead to listen to whatever it was their uncle had to say. Ellaria sat by Oberyn's side and her children sat next to her while the elder Sand Snakes sat by Quentyn.

It should have been a breakfast between the two families, in a private hall of Riverrun. But somehow the Tyrells found out and asked to join them, "As the family of the bride-to-be," Lord Mace Tyrell proclaimed loudly. Aegon had hoped to the Seven that his father would refuse but that hope turned to dust faster than he could blink. Then Renly Baratheon decided to join the Tyrells in the breakfast and to round it out, Mother invited Lord Stannis and Lady Shireen to the breakfast.

And now they all sat, waiting for the storm that was come to hit. The only one who didn't seem to understand the situation was the Fat Flower. Lord Tyrell was talking about something loudly "The truly ironic thing," Aegon couldn't help but think to himself as he ate a piece of meat with some cheese, "is the person that feels the most awkward here isn't even related to any of our houses." When Lord Stannis had been invited, he had brought along Ser Davos Seaworth too.

He looked down the table at the Onion Knight. The man looked out of place amongst their finery wearing his woolen clothes with muted colors. He kept his eyes to the table, bearing careful in how he ate. Aegon saw that he was trying his best to not appear as one of the smallfolk to them and he admired the man's courage. He wondered if it was cruelness of Lord Stannis to bring him here to this breakfast or was it to show him how to act among the nobles. If it was the latter, there was no need for the lesson.

Lady Shireen leaned to his side and whispered something in his ear. He replied in the same tone and she smiled. He paid more attention to her than anyone else at the table. Lady Margaery sat on his other side and tried to speak to him too but he only replied in short answers. Aegon was glad to have been sitting next to Renly than Margaery this morning. The last thing that he needed to be reminded of was the fact of their betrothal.

As Shireen went to back to her food, Aegon's eyes looked away and found her bastard cousin. Mya Stone stood quietly behind Rhaenys's seat, holding a pitcher in her hands. She only moved when Rhaenys or someone else in the royal family quietly signaled her. The only one who hadn't so far was him.

"Thank you, Lord Tyrell," his father said.

"Oh, he must've stopped talking," Aegon thought to himself. He had learned to tune out Mace Tyrell. It was rude but he did not care.

"No, my king, thank you," Lord Tyrell said back. "It is only at being your servants and serving your commands that we were able to betroth Margaery to Prince Aegon."

Renly grinned. "Aye, it is because of your loyalty that you were able to grow strong, Lord Tyrell." They both laughed at the little joke and the rest of the Tyrells chuckled too. None of them seemed to notice Lord Stannis grinding his teeth.

"Lord Tyrell must be talking about how he laid siege to Storm's End again," the prince thought to himself. The Seven only knows how many times he had heard that story from the Fat Flower. But do it in front of the man he besieged was not even something Aegon would do. It was in very bad taste.

He chose to turn his attention back to his food. He picked out an apple from a nearby basket. The taste was sweet when he bit into the skin, the juices flowing down the sides of his mouth. As he chewed the piece, savoring the taste, he looked to his uncle. Viserys was eating a piece of meat but his eyes kept looking around the table. "Trying to find something in particular, uncle?" Aegon asked him quietly.

He flicked his eyes to him. "Yes, looking for the jam. I'm hoping that there is some blackberry. I enjoy blackberry jam on bread."

"What is jam?" He had never heard of such a thing. It sounded like something that would get stuck in the teeth.

Viserys looked at him like he couldn't believe what he had heard. "It's a kind of food from the North," he finally said. "It can be spread on bread and the like to add flavor to it." He sighed in disappointment. "I should have expected that the south would not have it yet. They never could understand what the North has to offer."

He felt insulted at such words. He was the Prince of Dragonstone, the heir to the Iron Throne. He had eaten the best of foods and drank the finest of wines from all of the Seven Kingdoms. But then his anger stopped. "No, I haven't had it all from the Seven Kingdoms. I've only had it from five of them." He had never been to the North or even the Iron Islands. This was probably the farthest north he had ever been in his life. "Do you know how it's made?" he asked instead. "Perhaps someone in King's Landing could make it?"

"I don't. If I find it, I'll try to send a raven with the instructions."

His uncle made it sound like he would be going back North after the tourney and never coming back. That was something that could be talked about later. "Are there other kinds of jams?"

"Yes," he said absently, focusing more on his bread than his nephew. He tore into it with ferociousness that could rival a dragon's. When he was done, he looked up and at the Dornish party. "Rhaegar," he said aloud.

"Yes, Viserys?" the king replied, turning to look at him. There was a hopeful look in Aegon's father's eyes. He must have hoped that they would be able to talk like brothers.

But there were no such words that came from Viserys's mouth. "What are you going to do with them?" he asked, looking directly at Arianne.

Aegon looked at them too. So did everyone else. The elder Sand Snakes glared at them all in return. Uncle Oberyn saved his glare for the king. Arianne didn't glare but she met everyone's gaze. "They will leave today for Dorne," Father said, "After this meal."

Obella, Dorea, and Loreza all looked up. They were shocked at the news, it showed on their face. "We're leaving?" Loreza asked.

"We can't leave!" her sister protested loudly. "We're still learning how to swim!"

Their mother looked at them. "Yes, my dears."

Dorea looked angry, "We're not going to leave," she declared, her face setting into a stubborn look. It was a look that Aegon had seen on her father.

Elia Sand looked at her little sisters. "There's no point arguing about it," she told them shortly. "We're going."

"No!" she shouted back. "We're still learning how to swim. We can't leave before we're done."

"Girls," Mother said to them, getting their attention. "I'm afraid that it has been already decided."

Obella looked like she was about to cry. "It's not fair that we're being punished because they did something stupid!" she proclaimed, pointing at her elder sisters with an accusing finger. Her sisters nodded in their agreement before glaring at the rest of the Snakes.

Aegon might have found it humorous, if the situation didn't look like it was about to explode. The Tyrells, with the exception of Willas and Garlan, looked like they were enjoying the show. Renly was the same as them but his brother and niece looked like they didn't want to be there. Oberyn was clenching his hands as he stared at Olenna Tyrell. She watched him back with a satisfied look. Meanwhile Obara, Nym, Tyene, Sarella, and Elia looked at their little sisters like they had just been betrayed.

This was a situation that needed to be fixed, quickly. "Father," he spoke before any actual plan came to him. When they looked at him, he had to keep going. "The girls have the right of it. They share in none of the blame for what their sisters did. Perhaps they should stay while the others go."

"And who would look after them?" Father asked him.

He didn't have an answer. He looked down the Targaryen side of the table, trying to find an answer there. He couldn't ask his father or mother. Viserys wasn't a viable option because he might take his venom against the girls out of spite. So that only left two people, his sister or his aunt. While he did love his aunt, he didn't think that leaving the girls with her was a good idea. "Rhae, could you look after them?" he asked his sister.

She looked at him with a look of irritation. She opened her mouth to speak but Mother spoke first. "That's quite alright, Aegon. Quentyn and I will look after the girls." She looked at Ellaria across the table. "They will be taken care of."

Ellaria only nodded but her children were overjoyed. "Yay!" they shouted together. Their sisters still looked like they were betrayed by them. Quentyn looked conflicted. He seemed to be glad that he was staying but also saddened that he was staying.

Rhaenys gave Aegon another look. He wasn't sure what the look meant. She looked away at Mya. She didn't say anything but the handmaiden came forward and poured her goblet full. "Mya, me too," Daenerys told her, rising her goblet.

"Yes, my lady," Mya replied quietly, going to her as well. She stayed silent as she poured the drink.

That seemed to be the moment that everyone wanted her. "Mya," Renly called out to his bastard niece. He held his goblet for her.

She came over and poured for him too. She walked away and stopped behind Stannis. "My lord?" she asked quietly.

Aegon turned his eyes her way. That was a rare thing for Mya to do, ask someone if they wanted a drink instead of waiting for them to signal her. Stannis said nothing. He didn't even look her way. She stayed behind him, her hands holding the jug in waiting position. "Might I have some?" Margaery asked, holding her own goblet up.

Mya gave her uncle one last look before walking over to Aegon's betrothed. The thought still made Aegon irritable but he was more irritable with Lord Stannis. "That is your niece, Lord Baratheon," he thought to himself. "The least you could do was acknowledged her."

Mya finished pouring and stepped back. "Thank you," Margaery said only to stop and looked confused. "I am sorry, but what is your name again?" Mya didn't say anything back. She only lowered the pitcher.

"Margaery, you know what her name is," Willas Tyrell told her, rebuking her with his gently stern voice.

But their father overrode him. "Leave her be, Willas. She is to marry Prince Aegon."

"What does that have to do with this situation?" Aegon asked. He was certain the Fat Flower brought it up because he could.

Arianne tracked Mya as she moved around the table. "Do you have nothing to say, bastard?" she asked. Mya didn't reply. It prompted her on. "Surely you must have something to say to us all."

"She must," Obara spoke before anyone could stop her.

But Olenna Tyrell cut her off before she could continue. "Do shut up, girl. You've already been enough of an embarrassment. If you would like to shame yourself and your father more, do it outside of my presence. You, girl," she said to Mya, holding her goblet up. "You missed me."

"Your pardon, Lady Olenna," she replied, going over to her and filling her drink.

Aegon had a bad feeling in his stomach as he watched the scene. Something was about to happen. "You are surprising, girl," the Queen of Thorns remarked as Mya finished. "You have your father's looks but you certainly do not act like him. I was always of the belief that the children of an oaf are oafs in turn. After all, I gave birth to one and I was married to one." She looked over at her son as she spoke.

"Mother," the Fat Flower tried to say.

"Hush, Mace." She looked at Mya, standing silently beside her. "Got nothing to say, girl? I'm sure that with all you've been since they took you down from the Eyre, you've got a thing or two to say to all of us. Are you afraid of repercussions if you speak out?" She still didn't say anything and it only irritated the old lady. "Well? Have you gone mute, girl?"

"No, my lady," she said with a patience that Aegon wouldn't have thought that she could have in that moment.

"Well, speak your mind. I am sure that we would all love to hear what you have to say to all of us."

Mya still didn't say anything to that. Instead, she replied, "You are very kind, my lady."

"Kind?" repeated Lady Tyrell whilst rolling her eyes, "Fah! It is hard to believe you are Robert Baratheon's bastard."

"Do you have nothing to say, bastard?" Nym asked Mya as she walked away from Lady Olenna. "You must have words for us. Or are you craven?"

"Nym, stop," Rhaenys told their cousin.

"No, Nym's right," Arianne said, joining their cousin in support.

Quentyn looked sharply at his sister but one look from Uncle Oberyn silenced him before he could open his mouth. "Yes," Tyene agreed with her sister and cousin. "Let us hear what you have to say. Come, Mya Stone, speak."

Still Mya said nothing. She walked back around to Rhaenys and waited in silence. "Mya," Rhaenys said, "Why do you not say anything?"

"I know my place, your highness," she replied. Before now, Aegon had always thought that she meant that she was only a bastard. But now, it seemed more like that she was talking about how she was a handmaiden and they were related to the royal family. Was that why she had never spoken out before?

"Speak now, Mya," his sister commanded. "Whatever reprisals you might fear, you will be protected from them."

Her handmaiden didn't change expressions. "Even from the royal family?" she asked.

He went still and he saw the rest of the family go still too. He didn't know why they would be like that. "Is it because of me?"

His father said, "Do you have something to say to House Targaryen, Mya Stone? Do you have something to say to me?" The silent question wasn't so silent. They all waited to hear her reply. Aegon did wonder if she held something against the king for what he to her father. She had never said anything before, but he was beginning to believe that she had never said a lot of things before.

"No, your Grace," she finally spoke. "I have nothing to say to House Targaryen. You have done well by me and I have been your faithful servant."

"Indeed, you have. As a reward for your loyalty, I will support my daughter's decision. Speak your mind, Mya, and you will be protected."

She still didn't say anything but now there was a confused look on her face. It was a confusion of the inward sort. She looked down to the bracer on her arm, the one she had gotten when she had defended him from that stag. Finally, she walked to a nearby table, filled with more pitchers and wines, and placed hers down on. "Lord Stannis," she said quietly, yet loud enough for them all to hear. "Could you please have Shireen excused from the room?"

Aegon hadn't expected that question. He would have thought that she would talk right away. He looked down the table quickly at Stannis. The man looked at his niece's back for a long moment before nodding. "Ser Davos," he said.

It was the only thing that he said before the Onion Knight stood up from his chair and helped Lady Shireen out of her chair. The girl herself looked confused and upset. "Why must I go?" she asked, looking to her father and her cousin.

Mya replied, "I would rather not have you listen or see what comes next, coz." She waited until the door was closed and for a few seconds afterwards before finally turning to look at them all. There was something different in her eyes as she strode to the Tyrells, something that felt like a long awaited storm was about to be unleashed. "Lord Mace," she began, looking at the Fat Flower. "We are all aware of how you were rewarded your daughter's betrothal to the crown prince by the king by sitting on your arse. Perhaps if you had gotten to your knees or your backside, he would have given you the Seven Kingdoms?"

Lord Tyrell looked shocked at her words. It was probably because someone had never spoken to him like that, not even his own mother. Mya turned to the Knight of Flowers. "You, you flouncing little shit, are completely insufferable. You prance around like we should be glad that we were able to see you. You sit on a horse charging at other people sitting on horses with a big stick and yet somehow, this makes you think that you are the Warrior come again to walk the land. What you are is a twit.

"And you," she said, whirling to face his sister, "You are just as big of a twit. Don't speak!" she barked out when Margaery opened her mouth. "You've been speaking ever since we met. It's my turn to speak and you're going to listen! I know that you have a brain inside your head. I know that you know my name. Pretending to forget my name every time we meet is annoying, especially when we both know you are not that stupid. Actually, I take that back, it is possible you are that stupid. You seem to be under the delusion that I am here to steal your betrothed from you when I have made it perfectly clear that I have no interest in him. But considering who taught you, it's no wonder you are a twit."

She looked at Lady Olenna, who looked quite irritated at being called out as such. "Look here, girl," she started.

"Lady Tyrell, for once in your life, shut the fuck up!" Mya suddenly roared. "I am talking here! What caused you to think that I would be a problem for your granddaughter? Why do you insist on having her causing me grief whenever we are close together? Is it because you still felt slighted that Daeron Targaryen refused you for someone else who wasn't even a woman? Yes, I know about that. Despite what you might say about what you did, Queen of Thorns, I know the truth of the matter."

"Mya," Renly said, standing up from his chair. "That's enough now." He walked over to her side. "You've said enough. Why don't you just—"

As he reached her, he placed his hand on her shoulder. She whipped and punched him hard in the face. Aegon was shocked as he fell to the ground and she stood over him. "You were there at Storm's End, when they besieged it," she told her, her voice suddenly trying to contain her fury. Was she trying to hold it in because he was family? "You were there when they tried to starve you out. And you decide to go ahead and join their side, choosing to forget your own family? You…!" She stopped herself before she continued, even though it seemed she was about to scream. "Just go sit down, Renly, and don't do anything."

She whirled around, stalking past the Tyrells to the Martells. "And you!" she said, pointing a judging finger at Arianne. "What in the seven hells did I ever do to you to deserve your hatred? You seemed determined to hate me before I had even met you. I was told that bastards were looked differently in Dorne and yet, you have proven to be a liar time and time again. And I know that is you because your cousins don't do anything unless you barked a command!"

Obara and Nymeria stood up with such force that they knocked their chairs down to the ground. Nymeria had her whip out but Mya was there before either one of them could do something. She grabbed the whip out of Nym's hand and quickly wrapped it around her neck, pulling tightly. "Sit! Down!" she told the rest of the elder Sand Snakes and their father before they could get fully out of their chairs. She said it with such a force that Tyene and Sarella sat down instantly.

"Seven hells," Aegon thought in horror. "She is furious." She was strangling his cousin with her own whip and no one did a thing to stop her.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" she said to Nym, still pulling the whip tight. Nymeria clawed at the whip, trying to get free of it. "See, this is what I have been forced to deal with, every single day with you people." She kept pulling the whip tight until it seemed like Nymeria's face was red with blood. She suddenly let go and Nym fell against the table, gasping for breath. Mya looked at them all. "I have put up with all of your hatred, all of your fear, all of your loathing, and I have never done anything to you. So, please, leave me alone!" She walked away from Nymeria and over to Rhaenys. "Your pardon, Princess, I will see myself out." She was trying to be her calm self again, but it was hard to see it.

"Of course, Mya," Rhaenys said back. She was doing her best to not sound awed or scared as she spoke. They all watched as she left the room.

When the door closed, the silence was broken. "Well," Lady Olenna said, "It seems that I was right after all. She is her father's daughter."

"That was not Robert." All eyes fell to Lord Stannis, Aegon's included. In all that time, he had not said a word. "That was my father." He sounded almost proud of the fact. If Aegon didn't know any better, he would've thought he saw a smile hinting around his lips.

"What do you mean by that, Lord Stannis?" Mother asked him.

He looked at her, that ghost of a smile still on his lips. "Robert was the one who angered quickly, roaring and yelling when things didn't go his way. My father was a patient man, who listened to everything people had to say, both good and ill. But when his temper was roused against those who had displeased him, his fury would be unleashed upon them in a well-deserved storm." He looked at the door. "That girl is my father come again, a true Baratheon."

When the night came, Aegon held court in the godswood again. Arianne and the others had left after the breakfast. With them gone, the rest of the Dornish seemed more subdued. Things between them and the Northerners were still tense, but he could see that there was hope for mending.

He walked amongst the people sitting around the stones and roots. Most of the women were once again focused on Jon Snow. Those who were flirting with other men were clearly only doing it to garner his attention. Then Aegon noticed the frown on Robb Stark's face. "Is he jealous?" he asked himself. It was a little amusing. He had seen many men look jealous when they were passed over in the Women's game.

He made his way over to Lord Stark and Theon Greyjoy. "Good evening, my lords," he greeted them both as he sat down beside them.

"Prince Aegon," Robb Stark said wearily. He must still apprehensive about talking to him like this.

He ignored it for the moment, choosing to look at the ironman sitting next to him. "Lord Greyjoy, I must admit that I was surprised your sister was skilled to handle an axe this day." He had watched the axe and knife throwing contest earlier and Asha Greyjoy had taken the first place prize for both.

Her brother only grunted. "It seems like it would be a wise thing to never underestimate Asha." It was clear that he didn't want to talk about her anymore. Perhaps it was because Asha had taken a knife from Willas Tyrell to win the knife contest and then gave it back with a grin that seemed to promise things. If Aegon hadn't known Willas like he did, he would've thought that the two of them had already slept together.

He looked down at Robb Stark and saw that he was still frowning. "What's the matter, Lord Stark?" he asked. "Has your bastard brother done something wrong by you?"

The question broke his frown. He looked at the prince with a confused look. "What?"

"You seem to be staring at him like he had something wrong. Should there be cause for worry?"

He shook his rapidly enough, it was a wonder it didn't fly off. "No, Jon hasn't done anything wrong." He looked back at the bastard. "I'm just worried for him."

"Why would you be worried for him?"

"He's my brother." One of the ladies leaned forward and placed a hand on Jon Snow's arm. "Bran's told me that the ladies have been paying attention to him, more so than what is proper."

Aegon tried hard not to snigger. "And you've only just notice this?" he asked.

"No, I just didn't think about it. But now, I can't help but see it."

"Rest your mind, Lord Stark. This is a normal thing for our southern tourneys."

He looked at him like he had heard dragons had been brought back. "It is?"

"Yes," the Prince of Dragonstone said with a nod. "It's known as the Women's game. The ladies who attend the tourney will pick a man. They will each try to seduce him. The winner is decided when the man asks for their favor. And despite if he wins at his event or not, the winner will offer herself to him."

The wolf lord looked utterly shocked and the kraken looked stunned. "And they picked the bastard?" Theon Greyjoy asked.

"It would seem so."

He lost his surprise and it was replaced by laughter barely contained. "Oh this is fucking priceless! This is too much!"

"It's wrong is what it is," Robb declared, his gaze turning to stone.

"What do you mean by that, my lord?" Aegon asked, frowning.

"Is that all that happens? The winner will sleep with Jon and just leave it at that?"

He barely gave it some thought. "Yes, that's about it." He had seen it play out before. That was the way it went.

"And nothing happens afterwards?"

"No."

His face became even sterner. "That is not good. This needs to stop."

"Stop the Women's game?" Aegon asked, stunned and surprised. "Lord Stark, you do not stop the Women's game. It's considered quite rude."

"I'm more worried about my brother then some stupid southron game. I won't let him get hurt."

"Don't worry, Robb," Theon Greyjoy told him, finally managing to stop his sniggering. "You won't have to do anything much. We're talking about Jon Snow here. He's stubborn as hell."

"Still we must do something to stop this. What happens when the tourney is over and we go back to Winterfell? I will not have Jon be harmed by some fling disguised as a romance."

Aegon gave him a look. "That's putting it a bit harsh, Lord Robb." It was only a game. Surely Jon Dualfang was aware of that. The prince could admit that he was a handsome bastard and understood why the ladies would want him.

But Robb Stark gave him a hard look and Theon laughed again. "Prince Aegon, have you forgotten that we are talking about the bastard who fled from a whore that was bought and paid for him?" he asked. "This will probably be the first game where none of your ladies will win."

He looked at Jon Dualfang. In spite of all the ladies paying him attention, the bastard did not look like he wished to be there. He kept himself reserved and answered in short answers, always using his manners. Aegon had thought that was his way of flirting with them. But now, it was beginning to look like something else entirely. As he watched, he noticed something. Out of all the ladies, it seemed that the bastard talked the most favorably with his sister.

"Prince Aegon," Robb Stark said to him, "I will not let my brother be harmed."

It was an odd thing to say but he could see how the direwolves were close to the bastard, more so than before. They were all watching the ladies like they were potential threats. "I won't harm him, my lord."

"It's not you I'm worried about."

His eyes found Mya Stone, who sat close to Rhaenys with another pitcher in her hand. Jocelyn Sand sat next to her. They were the only two who weren't talking to Jon Dualfang. Jocelyn was more interested in talking to Domeric Bolton. Mya was the same as she was this morning, only moving to serve wine. Soon, she stood up and started walking away. "If you'll excuse me," he said to Robb and Theon, standing up and leaving. As he left the woods, Margaery seemed to be watching him. He didn't care.

His pace was quick to reach her in the woods. "Mya," he called out.

She stopped and looked back. "Prince Aegon," she said in her practiced tone. "You should really stop running after me in the forest. People will start to get ideas."

He knew it might be true, but he didn't care. "I wanted to talk to you about this morning."

"There's nothing to talk about, your Highness."

"Yes, there is." He stepped closer to her. She didn't try to flee. "I know what you said was the truth. I also know it wasn't the complete truth. You did have something to say to my family. You had something to say to me."

She shook her head. "I didn't."

"You did. When I think about it now, I don't blame you. I was horrible to you when we were children. You could have turned your anger against me when you had the chance in there."

"I couldn't, not since I said that I had nothing against your house."

He knew that was true but it didn't mean what he had to say didn't matter. He took another step closer. They were in arms reach of each other but he did not take it any further. "Whether you didn't say it or not, it's still the truth. I was horrible to you." He had tormented her, called her terrible names and many other things. He had done all of these things because he thought it was natural. He was the son of Rhaegar and she was the daughter of Robert. He thought that they would be enemies and it was best to act first. No one had stopped him and he thought that he was in the right.

She looked at him with calm eyes, not showing a hint of the fury that was shown this morning. "I am aware, my prince. It begs the question of why you changed at all."

He reached out and took her hand in a gentle grasp. He rubbed his thumb against her bracer, feeling the coolness of the antler on his skin. "You know why." She had saved him from that stag when she could have let it killed him. She did it at the risk of her own life. When they brought her back to the Red Keep, it had been the only time he had seen Stannis Baratheon absolutely furious. But he started seeing her as Mya, not as Robert's daughter. It was a change that was finished when he realized that she had become a woman. That was when he realized that he had fallen for her.

She looked down at the bracer too. Together, they were silent for a long moment. "Lord Stannis sounded proud of you after you left," he told her.

She jerked her eyes up at him. They were wide with shock and surprise. "He was?"

"Yes. He called you his father come again, a true Baratheon." He watched as tears came to her eyes. But they weren't sorrowful. They were joyful. It baffled him. Why Stannis? He was a hard, cold man. Why was it whenever they were in the same room, she paid the most attention to him. "Mya, why him?" he asked her. "You have Renly as an uncle but you focus on Stannis. Why?"

She wiped away the tears. "I thought that he was my father when he came with the king to the Eyrie. But when he looked at me, saw that I was only a bastard, and told me that he was only my uncle, I was heartbroken. Ever since then, I've done all that I could to prove to him that I was more than what he first thought."

It made a weird sort of sense to him. But the question still plagued. "But why Stannis?" he asked. "He's a hard and harsh sort of man."

"He's only that sort of man because he cares. Lord Tyrell sees what is his as his rights. Lord Stannis sees what is his as his responsibilities. He does his duty to the Stormlands as their liege lord. Most people can't be bothered to look past what they first see to find the caring man that he is."

"You admire him."

A sorrowful laugh escaped her lips, something that he had never heard from her. "I do. If I could ask one thing from the gods, it would be to make me a child of Stannis Baratheon instead of Robert."

She looked so sad, so vulnerable. He knew what he was doing before his body was even moving. He stepped in close and pulled her into a hug. She didn't resist him as he held her in her arms. In fact, he felt his tunic turning wet from her tears. He didn't care. He was glad that he could be there to hold her like this, to give her comfort. He hoped that it would show her just how much he loved her.

End

Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

And there is the second punch, courtesy of Mya. That was something they never expected. It's a wonder that they were surprised when they told her to let loose. Although I think the real kicker was when the baby Sand Snakes threw their big sisters under the proverbial bus. They certainly weren't expecting that.

As odd as it might sound, but Stannis is the closest thing that Mya has to a father. She's never really met Robert and Renly is more like a child in a man's body. Who else is she to look for inspiration?

I'll see you all next chapter!